“My Family’s Honor Is at Stake”
Chapter 13 of “Hold On”: Kohat 2002
(N.B. I’m writing a novel, a chapter a week, here on Medium. Find out why I write here, start from Chapter 1 here, and always feel free to give me feedback in the comments. I write here for the community.)
At his office, Aftab Khan received a call from one of his relatives, informing him that Naimat Khan, his elder brother, had been arrested by the police. The police was asking for money to release Naimat Khan. Aftab became quite upset as it was the end of the month and his meagre salary had already finished. Although he always intended to save money every month, he was never quite able to.
Aftab Khan came home from the office quite late on that chilly evening. Nosheen served him dinner but he was quite tired and worried. Hira, her elder sister, and three younger brothers were also sitting and eating when Aftab said, “Naimat Lala has been arrested by police on the information that he has been selling drugs”.
Aftab knew that his elder brother was an addict and could not feed his eight kids. Aftab had been helping him financially. But Aftab also knew that his brother could not be involved in drug trading. He was himself a victim. He realized someone else must have trapped him when his brother went there to buy drugs for himself. The narcotics trader ran away after Police arrived and then Naimat was arrested from the same spot. Aftab was a clerk in Population Welfare Department and his salary was also barely enough to feed his own large family.
Hira had often seen her aunt, the wife of Uncle Naimat, coming to their home and talking about the physical abuse Naimat inflicted on herself and their kids. She would often say, “Sarria (my man) needs money to buy drugs. If he does not find enough money from his work, he beats me to get money from my parents”.
As a nine-year-old Hira did not understand about drugs and could not even dare to ask this question from her parents or aunt. Shafaq, her elder sister, then tried to describe narcotics. Hira developed a strong hatred for narcotics after seeing her aunt being beaten like this. She thought to herself that these drugs are something very bad which turned her uncle into an animal and he beats his wife and children mercilessly.
Aftab Khan said, “I will have to arrange money to give to the Police by tomorrow. Otherwise, they will register an FIR against him and then the matter will be prolonged in court.”
The local SHO had called him to the police station and asked Aftab Khan to arrange at least Rs 50,000 otherwise it would take months and a lot of money to get his brother’s acquittal from the courts. Aftab Khan really wanted his brother to suffer due to his drug addiction and learn the consequences of his actions but he wanted to save him from the Police station for their family’s honor.
Aftab said to Nosheen, “if it were just on me, I would want him to stay in the police station and be punished for what he keeps on doing but my family’s honor is at stake.”
“I have no other choice but to sell your jewelry to arrange money for my brother’s acquittal.”
Nosheen simply refused and turned red with rage. Even usually her husband’s spending money on his brother and his family created problems for Nosheen and her children. They suffered a lot and could not spend on their needs since Aftab Khan’s salary was barely enough to feed one family which was being spent on two. Her jewelry was her only asset and she had been saving it so she could give it to her daughters on their wedding. She was triggered by Aftab Khan’s suggestion to sell the jewelry to arrange money for his brother’s release from the police.
Aftab said, “I would never like to do it but I do not have a penny for this purpose. I even asked some of my colleagues but as it is the end of the month they do not have anything to spare either. I understand that you do not want to give your jewelry but I have no choice. I will buy it again for you. Please! Give it to me.”
His face became red and there was stress all over his face. Hira noticed her father was looking very old at that time, much older and weak. His eyes also pleaded. Shafaq then requested her Mom to agree with her Dad because he seemed extremely worried and stressed due to his brother’s situation and how his kids would suffer without their father. She even said that she would not need such jewelry that cannot help her father in this difficult time, Finally, Nosheen agreed but she remained cross with Aftab and the kids for many months to come.
These episodes of stress and conflict at home due to narcotics addiction in her family made Hira concerned about drug addicts. Despite all the negative consequences of drug addiction, she always tried to sympathize with her uncle. She often saw her cousins skipping school and suffering due to their father’s drug addiction. Hira once said to Shafaq, “kaash I could do something for my uncle to save him from his misery”.
This episode was a poignant part of Hira’s life, which she would remember and reflect back on in the years to come. She realized how her uncle’s drug addiction had ruined not just his life, but his wife's and children’s as well. Conflict in their home also brought tumult and unhappiness in her’s, as her father faced financial distress and the relationship between her parents soured over this issue.
She would often discuss it with Shafaq about their father’s desire to protect the family honor, which had been painstakingly built over many years, but could be shattered in an instant when the community learnt of their uncle’s extended stays in the police station. At the same time, she would mention her mother’s efforts to protect her own little family, and the negligible jewelry that was her only asset and memory of her own parents.
Shafaq used to often hate her uncle due to all these disturbances in their family. But Hira would put herself in the shoes of her uncle, she realized that the odds were never in his favor. He was exposed to drugs at a very early age due to his friendship with other boys in their mohallah. He battled with crippling drug addiction and was caught many times, yet he never received support from society and the authorities in the form of rehabilitation or anything else. Hira’s grandparents neither had any understanding nor financial means to support their son. He was left to overcome a problem that he was perhaps not equipped to handle on his own.
Later in her life, Hira would meet someone who would bring back all these memories. And she would be in a place to empathize with them, in ways others may not.
