In 1976,after completing my matriculation in A grade, Father became excited and in connection of this excitement he gave me a Black Mercedes Benz car, as a special gift,bought new suits and shoes for me and admitted me in a very well reputed Institution of Peshawar ,Pakistan. It indeed excited me a lot and considering my self as a hero ,it made me little rude and battered ,became a gossiping figure in family and friend’s circle made me a poppet and twitched me towards drinking and enjoying attending late night parties.One night, came home drunk, some mischievous friends made me drunk. It was Two O’clock in the morning.My father was waiting me.He didn’t say a word and hold my hand and took me to the room and laid me on the bed,switched off the lights and retired to his own room. Waken up at Eleven O’clock in the morning, father came and asked me to follow him .I went after him, there was a lumber room up on the corner of the terrace. Opened it ,had never been visited that room,but saw father coming out or going in nearly every day, father never allowed me to visit the room, It made me curious to see what is in this room.? .The room was indeed very neat and clean.Two large size trunks were lying other ۔side of the room.He opened the lid of the trunk,some old clothes and men Sandle were, lying .He opened the next trunk, there were some furniture making tools like hammer, small cutting knife, a chisel, Saw,plass,some big nails,Nail's cutter,measure tape and some other old carpenter’s tools, were lying .won’t collecting why father is showing all this to me? .Father with a frowned eye exceeded “This is all our actuality !!,,It’s clear, we were not rich hailers ,your grandfather was an ordinary soldier in Army. He had a meagre to feed family of eight .. I didn’t get education because education was beyond our approach, so I learned the craft of carpentry ,when I mastered it , came to Peshawar and set up my own business. .Sold all the Jewellery of your mother and a piece of land in village,Luck favoured and now we are millionaire”.The words of father were more than bullets and my eyes wetted, on the spot bid promised not to attend companies like that used to be attached. Intentionally bade farewell to all my friends except few who were my childhood buddies ,but they were few. Final Exams were ahead and to work wholeheartedly appeared my only soul aim to secure best result . Result lighted with bagging ninety five percent marks..To gain more experience ,Father sent me to his old best friend,Mr Jaffrey ,Who turned out to be a billionaire of his times ,to his jute mills in Sindh, Pakistan. Mr Jaffrey , indeed a billionaire but his heart sparkling more than diamond inclusions .My father asked him to make me expert in Accounts, but he instructed me to attached with him as a personal secretary, It took me pride always accompanying him .One day as we both lighted from the car,in the mill’s Porch.On the side of the gate about hundred donkey carts becomed parking.It was scorching heat .”Amjay, whose donkey carts are they ,they seems heavy cragged and stony ,,aren’t they? Mr Jaffrey inquired me.” Sir ,the labourers are the masters of these donkey carts,and these donkey carts are used by our sales department as containers.“ answered me.”It means these donkey carts are the essential part of our mill’s business”. “Yes sir ,I again answered very respect fully.” So “Now its our duty to nourish them properly, we should provide them the fodder, but before nourishment,a shade is necessary to be built ,with proper rest timing, water and also doctor is essential to look after them properly and in a proficient way”.. He expressed his concern for the donkeys in this polite and smooth manner.
The donkey cart owners well comed the gesture of Mr Jaffery.The same day fodder brought for the donkey carts, large shed built in few days, Clean water, rest hours were available for the donkeys.When all the facilities done for the donkeys,Mr Jaffrey came for inspection and said with a mischievous smile “Amjay, we have granted full protocol for the dumb family”. In those days only Mr Jaffrey’s Jute mill was doing a thriving business because his staff and Workers were Satisfied with their pay and facilities.His motto about the drawings was to ,pay the best ,give all the facilities you can,than see the optimum output. He always instruct his friends and circle ,pay handsome to a deserving hand lest he should leave you.. It meant that he believed in professionalism.
Electronic age had yet to come, every Thursday ,Mr Jaffrey had to visit the bank to tally the accounts statements. , were on our way to bank, situated in a distance of sixty kilometers from our mill’s, we were passing a Camel, with his driver, an old frail man, along with a young lad. It was scorching heat with a sand storm,, as usual, that day, ”Stop" He said “ and reverse the car”, I did so ,. Car stopped beside the camel driver, ”where are you going in this scorching heat and sand storm ? “Mr Jaffrey asked.” To find some living “.He answered but in a broken way. “How much you earn per day ?Mr Jaffrey again touched him.” Sahib ,nearly fifty rupees a day “.He gave a reply with a thought.Mr Jaffrey taken out some amount from his pocket,reckoned it and gave to him. “This amount would be sufficient for your family ,go back and rest .“Mr Jaffrey appeared as a gem,for every body. He was titled by the people ”Ocean hearted”.. One day his friends came to Sindh, for hunting of birds in the jungle. They along with the families went inside interior Sindh Badin , an ideal jungle for hunting Grey Francolin..They installed tents and made a temporary set up .passing a dense, forest they saw a man lying badly injured. They took him as a traveller, taken to the tent and doctor was called on.. That man was coming up with the passage of time.That injured man told his name “kali".Kali was very interesting person.Mr Jaffrey brought Kali to his Mill and made him incharge of Guest houses’. One night Kali came to Mr Jaffrey, looking quite and disturbed, burst with a secret,Mr Jaffrey was not prepared to trust those words .The words were “Kali was a notorious dacoit, and police was after him to arrest but no body knew the injured man in jungle was not a traveller ,but a dacoit ,Kali was not a gentle blood ,he was a bloody goon”.. Next day Kali disappeared and after few days Mr Jaffrey was informed about Kali,he handed himself to the police authorities.
Mr Jaffery,asked me one day, ”Amjay, How do you taste the experience staying in the Jute mill’s ?. Now it was an obligatory to express my satisfaction for gaining experience in New ways. In return Mr Jaffrey honoured me with a tip" Write every moment in your diary daily,one day It would turn in a great memoir”. One day he asked”Amjay,I know your father send you here to learn some Accountancy which would turn you to become a great business man like your father but before that I would say, your very wish would be full filled, that’s my experience of life, until you become a great diver of the sea, by giving not by taking ,and that would be happened when you change your attitude towards humanity”.
Now , on the verge of changing Six decades of my life, with accolades of so many achievements as a successful business leader. Sometimes Iook up towards sky and see an utmost figure of Mr Jaffrey smiling. His admirers rosed him as “Down to earth” buddy ,but for me , cropped a big “Nope". His beliefs ,kind nature and attitude made the Earth to down for him , in the entire universe…...
The End. ”Earth To Down.”
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Thanks reedsy for the approval of my story Earth to Down.
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