Emojis and sexting.

Military forces worldwide commend their soldiers for their courage, often proclaiming them as the strongest in the world. Our military emphasizes the exceptional physical strength and attractiveness of its soldiers, asserting that this is where our men truly thrive.

However, for a military doctor, they boast about their intelligence and tact, claiming to be the best in those aspects as well. Our retired colonel doctor was known for his sharp wit and skills. He takes great pride in his abilities.

The beauty he possessed was truly remarkable. Moreover, a man's peak of masculinity occurs at the age of forty. 

His family had a strong military background, with each generation being taught only to give orders. His grandfather served as a doctor in the British army and during the World War he displayed immense bravery and medical expertise, which earned him a substantial estate as a token of appreciation.

His wife, Sabahat Ali Khan, also admired him. She possessed the same level of beauty and charm, as well. Women are particularly appealing in their forties, and if they are tall, a woman like her can be as stunning as the Buddha of Bamiyan. The charming girls from our area paled in comparison to her. However, being a Pakistani woman, especially under the influence of the colonel's intimidating personality, her personality could not flourish properly, and gradually lost her sense of self.

Ever had a plant grown under a banyan tree?

***

Dr. Sahib has a monthly routine of visiting Lahore. During his army days, he would always have Begum accompanying him. The environment within the military is reminiscent of a familial gathering, fostering a strong sense of camaraderie. If there was a military event to attend after retirement, he would bring her along, otherwise, he would explore the city alone. In Lahore, his evenings were dedicated to the race club, while nights were cherished with his mistress. 

Begum also had no interest in accompanying him and felt uncomfortable whenever she had to leave the house. Her passion lay in watching  TV plays and serials, and whenever she had free time, she would be engrossed in her phone. The doctor detested these activities, particularly TV plays that revolved around love stories, extramarital affairs, divorce, marriage, and domestic disputes with sisters & mothers-in-law. The stark contrast in their preferences highlighted the vast difference in their personalities. Dr. Sahib's strong-willed nature often left Begum feeling subdued in his presence. Once he left, she would eagerly indulge in watching serials and playing with her phone, finding solace in activities that brought her joy.

An unexpected incident occurred during their last rendezvous with his lover. She started asking about his spouse, which always triggered a strong emotional reaction from Dr. Sahib. He would immediately become upset and choose to remain silent whenever she mentioned his wife.

Surprisingly, the same situation repeated itself during their subsequent meeting.

An ex-army comrade also questioned whether his wife had altered her name. He was startled and overwhelmed, gripping his hands tightly on his hips as he glared up at him. Recognizing his unhappiness, the friend swiftly made his exit from the situation.

The next day, both were sitting at the breakfast table. Begum appeared to be completely unaware of Doctor's presence, as she was deeply engrossed in her phone. Suddenly, the maid entered and informed them that the representative from a courier service had arrived, asking for Ms Sabiha Durrani. 

‘Sabiha Durrani!’ he exclaimed, his eyes shifting towards Begum. 

The words of his friend echoed in his mind, causing a feeling of uneasiness to settle within him. With a stern expression, he turned to the maid and commanded, ‘Go and fetch the mail.’ 

As she left the room, his gaze remained fixed on Begum, a mixture of curiosity and concern clearly visible on his face.

‘Have you reverted to your old name?’  

Begum, after a brief pause, replied, ‘You know, my mother was fond of the name Sabiha and used to address me by that name.’ 

The maid handed over the postal envelope to Begum, but the doctor intervened by reaching out and taking it. He carefully examined the mail, shifting his gaze from one side to the other. The envelope contained an invitation to an event at a five-star hotel for emerging artists, including TikTok ers and Reel Artists. 

‘You have been invited!

 It's puzzling to comprehend what connection you have with these individuals.’ 

‘It's from a friend of mine who creates reels’ begum replied.

‘Which friend is this that I am unaware of?’

‘You didn't know her. You remain busy in your personal matters, and don't bother about such activities. Even now, you have lost interest in movies.’

Sensing her reluctance to discuss the topic further, he offered to accompany her to Lahore, ‘You can go with me to Lahore. Then driver will take you to the hotel.’

***

This time, once again, his mistress initiated the same conversation. 

‘Have you given your wife the freedom to pursue her dreams without any restrictions?’

‘She has the liberty to engage in whatever activities she desires.’

‘It's okay, but she has now begun creating vulgar TikTok videos and Reels.’

Surprised, he responded, ‘Oh! I was unaware of that.’ 

The mistress suggested, ‘Should you have a moment to delve into the matter, you will be amazed by what you discover.’‘

Doctor sahib, lost in his contemplation.

***

The next morning he was unsuccessful in obtaining any information from Begum despite his attempts. During the next day meeting, he had again questioned her, but she skilfully avoided providing any answers. 

Dr. Sahib, for the first time in his life, ventured into the world of TikTok and Reels. 

Putting in a little effort, he managed to discover the username, ‘Sabiha’. He spent the entire night engrossed in watching her performances, which included acting out old Hindi songs and Bollywood movies’ dialogues. Colonel Doctor (Rt.) did not perceive these actions positively, finding them rather disconcerting. 

The following morning, when the Colonel voiced his displeasure, begum response was a smile accompanied by the words, ‘You are a man of old times; the world has changed significantly. You should feel proud that I have amassed millions of followers.’

The enigmatic expression on her face and the cunning glint in her eyes concealed any hint or clue about what secrets she held within. The only certainty was that her smile lacked its usual vibrancy on this day.

Now, he began to watch her reels every night, taking a keen interest in her activities.

The reels were brimming with mediocre displays of affection, sly gazes, and facial gestures, according to his assessment. As he delved into the comments, he discovered an overflow of love-related content, vulgar language, and emotional phrases, alongside trendy memes and emojis that caught his attention. 

After dedicating several days to analysing her content, the doctor unraveled the secret behind her popularity. The consistency in her reels and TikTok videos created a serialized drama-like effect, full of typical love storylines but focusing on unfulfilled youth desires and demands that resonated with her followers, even though it irked the doctor because of his personal views. 

Reflecting on the enigmatic laws of nature, he pondered how light begets light, life begets life, and desire begets desire. The containment of desires, he realized, perpetuates their existence indefinitely. He had assumed Begum's desires had faded with age, but now he realized they remained alive and well, defying the passage of time.

Dr. Sahib was taken aback when he discovered that a follower named Soze Kashir was regularly commenting on her reels and TikToks. He was posting cryptic texts and phrases with a double entendre that seemed to predict the future direction of the reels. 

As the doctor delved deeper into the comments, he found some sentences and the emoji story to be quite unique, leaving him puzzled by this unfamiliar language. 

He struggled to fully grasp the meaning behind the emojis, but failed. When an eggplant emoji surfaced, a symbol even the least educated individuals could interpret, he felt much disturbed. This was followed by a 'no entry sign' emoji from Begum and a shrimp emoji, leaving the doctor perplexed.

First time in his life Colonel Dr. (Rt.) realized that even the wisest individuals were being left behind in this era of new languages and methods, making him feel the need to consult an emoji dictionary to comprehend the unfolding story. 

Sexting and the exchange of emojis continued, ranging from Shrimp, taco, peach, cherries, camel toe, cup with straw, and sweat/spray. This sequence of communication prompted a sudden realization for the doctor, leaving him shocked and unable to continue viewing the content.

The hours passed by; he grew increasingly frustrated as sleep continued to elude him. After fifteen years of marriage, he found himself facing betrayal, a stark contrast to the life his friends and family had once admired.

The night dragged on, leaving him feeling drained and desperate to understand the whole story.

Who is this Suz Kashar?

Engrossed in his quest, he diligently scoured his Facebook page, only to find that his profile was locked. Undeterred, he pressed on with his search, determined to uncover the desired information. Each emoji caught his attention. Every phrase was carefully woven into his message. Begum's responses were all familiar to him. Many sentences echoed in his ears, having been exchanged over the years. However, there were certain actions of an intimate relationship that were new to him. He found himself astonished by the changes he noticed in his wife at this stage of their lives. This commotion took him by surprise, anger consumed him as his clothes soaked in sweat.

When one tries to control their emotions, depression, and anger can start to take hold. This resentment would transform into sorrow, and sometimes even into desolation. This internal struggle compelled him to go and wake up begum, to ask her directly. 

He rose from his bed and began walking, but the middle-aged Colonel (R) halted in front of the door, contemplating whether his emotions might lead him to make a wrong decision. 

Could he become a victim of his own foolishness?

‘I must proceed with caution.’ He muttered to himself, retracing his steps back to his bedroom. Satisfaction seemed to have eluded him. He grabbed his phone and began scrolling through the reels. After some time, he realized that the conversation had been stopped.

In some reels, he discovered Suz Kashar's comments and emojis, to which Begum Sahiba had not responded. 

Now he was interested to know what had happened? 

Then, suddenly, Suz Kashar vanished. 

Doctor Sahib spent the entire night reading through the comments, hoping to find a trace of him somewhere.

Could he have created a new identity? 

He had read each comment so many times that he could recognize even the smallest sentence written by Suz Kashar. He searched relentlessly, but there was no sign to be found. 

Now the nature of the problem had changed. 

What had happened to this affair? 

 Where did it ultimately end up?

The next morning, at the breakfast table, Dr. Sahib desired to speak with begum. He gathered his courage, only to lose it again. 

From where he should start his conversation?

Begum Sahib maintained her usual quiet and sombre demeanor, but this time, he looked at her as if he had never truly seen her before. There was no hint of remorse in her deep gray eyes, no sign of guilt etched upon her forehead, and the glow of his middle-aged rosy cheeks betrayed no trace of wrongdoing. Yet, beneath the facade of satisfaction and calmness, there lay an unbearable pain concealed within the silence.  

Doctor Sahib desired to know more, but he hesitated to ask. 

A curtain of mutual respect hung between them, and he feared that by inquiring about it, that delicate balance would be shattered. The thought of not being able to meet each other's gaze for the rest of their lives loomed over him.

The story had reached its conclusion. He had witnessed the final scene, and there was no doubt about it. As Begum Sahiba had herself recovered from that wrongdoing, the situation was only bound to worsen if he interferes. 

The colonel himself had a mistress, so he himself was not a man of probity and integrity? 

With a heavy sigh, he leaned back in his chair, unsure if his emotions stemmed from sadness, realization, embarrassment, or regret. These sentiments slipped from his middle-aged lips with a faint sigh, as he pondered the neatness of his own conscience. 

That night, he watched the reels once again, including the recently released final reel. 

Dr. Sahib responded to the reel by adding a rose emoji with a smiling face below it, expressing his emotions through a simple digital symbol. 

Leaving it there, he went to his bed. He had a comfortable sleep that night. The next morning, when he woke up, he saw an emoji response from her. 

Both of the eyes of emoji were cast downward, and her hands covered her lips, fingers intertwined. 

Now he had learned the emoji response completely. She has put the sorry gesture without speaking a single word.

This language is truly remarkable! It has the ability to visually represent the complex range of human emotions.