It was a cold night,I was wandering through a thick forest, seeking a way to get out of there, but my struggles were useless.i began to feel more and more thirsty.the night grew darker, when a patch of cloud covered the moon.
disappointed from not finding a way out, my feet felt heavier with exhaustion,I could no longer bear to take an other step forward.
so in disappointment,I pick a small clearing and lay down.
the next morning, I was awakened by the chirping of birds,I stood up, feeling agony and fatigue, after sitting down for a moment.
the sun rose and continued it's journey across the sky,I thought the weather would be became hot.
I dragged myself forward _diseperate to get out of the forest immediately, but I couldn't,
exhausted,I made it to the shade of tree and lay down.
suddenly i noticed a tap-tap sounds coming from the forest, followed by human avices.
i was terrified, what should I do I couldn't move now, so I waited for them.
the tap-tap sounds felt closer now.i dragged myself and took aim from behind the tree tunnel.after a moment, they appeared from the forest _three horse rider coming toward me, perhaps they wanted to rest in the shade of the tree.
they stopped nearby and looked at me in surprised, talking among themselves, but I couldn't understand, what they were saying.
one of them came over and asked:hey baby:? what are you doing here?
i tried to respond, only a murmur came out.
the sound got stuck in my throat, wouldn't come out.
someone from the group brought a bottle water and placed it at my mouth.i drank and started coughing,,
hey baby thirsty? someone said.
after that moment, someone brought a small bag of fresh dates, i was now sitting with them and we enjoyed the date together.
my condition had improved _i felt better, though still tired.
when they finished, one of them took my hand and helped me on to a horse, then once again they continued their journey with me.now I sank in to memory from that evening,i remember, when my sister held my hand as we walked with her lady friends in to the forest to collect firewood.suddenly, the weather changed became extremely windy.
the wind grew stronger and stronger, until we could no longer see each other, from the moment until now,i have been separated from them,,,and lost.
after a long journey, we reached a large town, the horse rider stopped next to a big warehouse, one of them held my hand and led me into a large room, there was already a small child inside.when I inter the room, he left me there and locked the door behind him.that,s when I understand the situation _they were theives, and they had taken me prisoner.
i tried to escape, but it was no use,as night fell, someone came placed guard outside the door.they sit their chair, by the entrance and sat there all night.in the prison, i wept all day and night,and the presentation child in prison comforted me.
I always remembered my mom and dad and all my family, so the days went quickly, until we reached our youth.
after fifteen years, one day we decided to escape from there.we always reminded ourselves of one piece of bread in a little sack, until the sack became full.
tonight we made ourselves ready to escape from there.
the guard placed their chair at the entrance by the door, so we couldn't sleep, we stayed awake, wanted for guard to nod off.
late night we noticed the guard nodding on his chair, so we took the opportunity secretly.we crept under the chair and out through the door, when we stepped outside, we ran quickly.
we ran the mountains, at least our sack became empty, now we survived on berries and tree leaves.
after seven days, we passed the mountains and came to a clear field and dessert.
in the evening, we saw a man wandering, God knows, what he is doing here, we wondered,we met him, and he asked,where are you from, and what religion do you belong to?
we had never heard about religion before, surprised, murmur to ourselves, what should we answer.
once again,he shouted at me, don't be dumb, answer me! suddenly the words came out of my mouth,we are shayya!
then kindly,he took us to his home town and kept us like guest .
the next morning, two horse rider came once again and asked about us, but the townfolk didn't tell them anything.
so the rider turn back.that same day evening,we planned to continue our journey, people's asked, where are you going?we told them,we are going to Baghdad,they give us food for our journey and said, you are go west,so we left the town and began our journey.
we stayed awake through the night to continued our journey, with out sleeping.
the next morning even as the sun rose high,we saw a young lady coming down from the hillside toward us.
we were surprised and turned away, but she kept coming straight toward us.
be careful, my friend,I said, that's not a lady _its an other terrifying troubles ,we are going to face,a young lady in the forest? what she doing here?in time, she came closer and closer, then she closed her fist and pointed to us_and chanting some majic words.
Huh,huh,huh,
the sound, suddenly we became completely mute,the sound stuck in our throats, nothing could came out, only,huh,huh.
after that,I can't explain what happened to us_perhaps we fainted.
when we regained consciousness,we found ourselves standing in a market, with that same lady beside us.
I asked someone nearby, where are we right now?they replied,,this the sailoon market.
soon i was taken by an old woman, around,eighty or ninty years old,and my friend was sold to an other old woman of the same age.
I don't know, what happened with my friend, but as for me, the woman held hand and brought me to her home.
she made a fire, and when the fire turned ashes,she took my hand and made three circles around the ashes.
then she said,sit_down,so flowed her order, once again she said, are you in your mind, and okay?
yes,i am okay,i replied.
she said,I am going to offer you two choices, you must chose one.
the first is,I will make you my donkey, and you will bring for me stone.
second is, you will become my husband.
now it is up to you, to decide what to you want to do?
I thought for a moment _if i became her donkey,I would not be able to bear it.if I accept her second offer,I know she was an old woman about eighty or ninty years old, it's seem impossible for me _but after thinking more carefully,I chose the second option.
so we became husband and wife.
I made myself get close to her and began learning magic from her.
during that dark life with her,I never tasted her cooking,I always being ordered bring this for me _immediatly;
one day, she went to the market,I took the chance and secretly ran to visit my friend,and asked about his condition.
we wept, when he saw me,I said,I have made a plann to escape from here.
he cried even more and said,if you leave, she'll torture me even more.
I said,,God,, bless you,i am going now,I have learned magic verses,if they are with me,i not hesitate.
one day while the old woman had gone to market,I found a chance to escape.i took All money and gold, pack them in to a bag, and slippet out secretly.i ran fast from morning until i reached planned field.
now I was tired, and my feet felt heavy.i chose a tree shade, placed my bag beside me and sit_down under it.just I sat,a loud sound came from behind and struck my ears.i turned to see, what had happened _in to my surprised, the old woman was standing there smiling at me.
she said,,hey man,,where you going?did you think could deceive me and ran away with all my wealth ?I tried stand on ran,but my feet were frozen,i could not move.
I tried chanting some majic words at her, but it was useless _i was completely frozen, then i cried out.my,,God,,oh my God,,i don't know where are you right now, but please save me from this beast of a woman.
as soon as i finished my prayers, something magic happened.the magician woman suddenly collapsed, like a tree being cut down.
realizing,I was free,i ran as fast as i could.
after a short distance,I turn back to see what she doing.now she was shouted at me, don't think you have saved yourself,i wasn't defeated by you _i was struck down by someone else, someone dressed to white, someone unknown.
she continued: even my boss and teacher couldn't beat me with magic, but now i have been struck by this mysteries force.
I shouted at her back, to hell with you,I am leaving now, and i kept running with out looking back again.
so after that event,I went to Baghdad,there i met a person,who was very knowledgeable, respectful and kind hearted.
when i met him,he welcomed me warmely and took me to his home.
he let me stay at his inn.
the days passed quickly,one day,he said to me,dear come with me to the market, perhaps you will enjoy it there.
early in the morning,we left for the market,we visited different places and had a great time.
in the afternoon,we went to a restaurant and had lunch, during lunch,a loud sound suddenly hit my ear.
the sound came a mosque near by,
in surprised,i asked, what is happening?who is crying like that, perhaps someone is in pain?if so,I have some magic words, that's might help heal him?
what i said, made the person think, that my guest was like an animal _someon who didn't even know the call to prayer, what could he possible know?
he nothing said anything,nor he laughed,took me to his home,gave me new dress and told me to go to bathroom and clean myself.
after that,he took me to a madarissa and got me admitted there.i studied Quran for two or three years.
when I fully learned the Quran and gained knowledge about religion,one day i said to my host, now i will return to Pakistan.
he replied, it's your choice,if you wanted to stay here, my home door will always be open for you,but you decide to go,i wouldn't stop you,or break your heart.
so I shook hand with him and left for Pakistan, which had just gained freedom from England.i reached Karachi in 1947