subject: Mission December 10 [print this page] Mission December 10 Mission December 10
Friday, December 10, 2010
Rawalpindi - Pakistan
I'm home, safe and sound with the grace of Almighty Allah, sitting in a cold sofa, in front of my cold PC, typing with cold hands on a cold keyboard... But wait a minute! It's not all about cold... It's a story of a young boy, a fresh software professional and his friend, a pharmacy graduate, how they spent a day full of nervousness and tension... even then, after all, it was a day that'll be remembered by a number of people for whatever foolishness they did.
The previous night, both of them, fools, spent a lot of time leading to late-night in market buying things they needed for the next day's silly plan they had decided. The very next morning, as planned, they got up early but as it was a Friday, both of them spent a considerable amount of time preparing for the day prayer ahead, as they wouldn't get time for this preparation during day-time. But as usual, one of them (the writer), got late and they had to change their plan. They decided to take their bike instead of local transport as time was getting shorter. The Pharmacist had to attend his Lab and the writer had to reach his office. The writer finally took his bike off after a long-debate with his parents on whether they should allow him for the bike or not, they had to end up giving a 'yes' signal to their child.
As he set out for his pharmacist friend's place, his bike ran short of gas. He was in serious trouble. Somehow he managed to make it nearer to his friend's place and called him out. Meanwhile he tried to search for petrol asking police wardens and people around. As his friend reached, they managed to run it to a nearby petrol shop and got it filled 1litre. The writer's bike was famous to be a petrol-eating machine, a 1979 Kawasaki 100 Sports. They called it 'their space-ship'.
Change of voice...
Anyways, when we had to pay the price for the petrol, I remembered that I have forgotten my wallet at home in all this hurries. I turned my ride back to my home just to take it which I did upon reaching home once again.
Once again after getting all the things ready, we both started our spaceship and set out for Islamabad. Time was getting shorter and shorter as we sped through the road. As we reached the Mall road, we felt a need to refill our spaceship with some fuel. Got about 3litres more in and continued our way through Mall Road and then, Islamabad Highway.
Just at the entrance to Islamabad area, police stopped us for we were sitting two on a bike while it had been recently banned by the government. They checked our documents and advised us not to do that again and left us - heavens. Again we set out and this time, our bike betrayed us - rather I wasn't fair enough to check the oil for my bike. The oil bottle was totally empty, not a single drop left in it. The bike stopped and we had to run it on our foot.
Luckily, that wasn't too far from my office. I got to my office, left all the stuff there and got my cousin's bike to drop my pharmacist friend, Farrukh, as he had already got late for his Lab and our space-ship wasn't reliable. I ran my cousins bike and dropped Farrukh at his university; luckily, his teacher let him in this time not caring for his continuous late arrivals. I turned my bike as I got the confirmatory SMS from Farrukh that he's in Lab and sped my way to the Fatimah Jinnah Park located in sector F-9 of Islamabad to have a better look at the site where arrangements had to be made as per planned.
I entered the park from wrong gate, which initially seemed to me most suitable and less distant from the concerned site; but as I got in, I found it to be far away. Anyways, I couldn't stop as I, myself, was getting late for office as well. I started running towards the site and upon reaching there, found it quite suitable. I confirmed it to be the place we were preparing for which otherwise would've been some hotel or something. Again I started running back to the parking and reached after running quite a long way - thanks to that occasion, I recollected those perfect days when I used to run in Race Course Park in the morning times, the activity which now had been almost abandoned due to my office timings.
I got the bike out and sped towards the office. Upon reaching, I had to tell my boss that I was having some problems with the bike - and that wasn't really a lie as we did have problems with our bike earlier... (Laughter...)
I kept working on my tasks till it was 1315hrs according to local time and we had to leave for the mosque. After offering our prayers, I and my cousin set out on our spaceship, once again alive, towards the park. But we had to get a cake as well... wait... Am I missing something..?? For what purpose on the earth did we need a cake..?? And why did I take my cousin with me..?? After all what madness had we planned for??
I'm sorry to answer these questions quite lately but... whatever... We needed to get a cake as it was a birthday, a special one. Farrukh's girl had a birthday today... Goodness! They loved each other... and Farrukh had planned a surprise celebration for her birthday... thought she might like it this way...
But... as we got to bakery, we found it closed, bakers had gone to the mosque. Those were difficult times for us as we, me n my cousin, once again entered the park from a very distant gate and started searching for that site but all in vain. We returned and once again got to the bakery, opened this time. Got a cake, some drink and again set out to search for the most suitable and nearer gate. We found one opposite to the Air Headquarters and got in. We had to face many problems on our way as I had forgot my helmet in the office, my wallet with Farrukh, we again were two on a bike and we had to pass a police check post.
At last we got in, that site's visibility became positive. I started running towards the site with all the stuff on me. Reached the site at last and started preparing whatever we could. We decorated balloons, candles and whatever item Farrukh had bought last night. We were soon able to give Farrukh a green signal that now they could come and enjoy the site, but once again problems awaited me and my cousin. Farrukh got late and as a consequence, we both got late from the office. That time was really hard for both of us and my cousin's temperature literally fumed for Farrukh.
As soon as Farrukh reached together with his girl, I and my cousin left, running once again towards the parking area to get to our space ship. Upon reaching, I sped my space-ship which really made me so happy as I literally flew it on the road and within mere 140sec, we were in our office... but of no use as we had become late almost 30min. Upon reaching, once again boss inquired of our late arrival and we had to make lame excuses of bike problem... But the Boss came up with a penalty that I should arrange a little party for the whole staff, which I had to arrange - being a junior's a hell in private offices.
Meanwhile, Farrukh and Co enjoyed the fresh Pineapple cream cake of which I and my cousin couldn't get even a single bite. Time kept passing by... I and Atif kept working, for this day our boss had literally dumped a lot on our heads and had advised to complete the task no matter how late it gets us to. On the other hand, Farrukh was advised to stay in his university for I was to pick him up and go to any hotel for dinner - for I and Atif had not tasted even a single bite of food since morning, I didn't even take my breakfast today...
Farrukh kept waiting as I completed my tasks hurriedly (forgot to send an email update to the Boss) and was soon set out towards him, once again on my 'still-alive space-ship'. It was really cold and I was wearing a mere sweater over traditional shalwar-qameez. As I reached him, I came to learn that he had dumped the shopping bag containing two scientific calculators, my gloves and a lot other in a trash-can near that site in the park. I was blank as I feared my father who should scold me for not wearing gloves, (I never wore gloves no matter how cold it was). But the fools set out for park once again repeating 'where there's a will, there's a way'. Entering the park, they faced not a single guard, not a single attendant and it was quite dark inside, my bike's headlights lead us through the way.
We locked it in the parking lot, and ran again towards the site. This was fourth time in a day I was running to and fro that place - I love running by the way... But as we approached that place, we found our stuff dumped in the same trash-can. Heavens was that time and we were shouting with joy for we had found our lost treasure. Nobody could hear us as the park was totally empty. We thought it could be the right time and right place for... umm hmm uhumm...
We ran back towards the bike with the recovered stuff and set out for Savour Foods, College Road where we, three, had planned for dinner. Again we ran our space-ship making funny rather mad loud sounds and comments while riding. I was literally out of my mind today and my bike accompanied me (in madness).
We reached the spot seconds after Atif reached there and locked our bikes together and got up to find all the tables busy. There was such a mess in there that we had to wait for quite a while for any table to be available. After sometime, we managed to spot a table and sat down, ordered. I introduced my cousin to Farrukh and vice-versa. Waiter brought the ordered food and we started eating, starting in the name of Allah...!
After eating up, we came out and set out for home once again making mad, funny sounds and comments. After sometime, I dropped Farrukh near his place. We could have spent some more time together as it was a weekend, but because we had become quite late; our parents were calling us home, so we had to leave. Soon after dropping him, I reached my home, got fresh, explained my whole day's experience to my parents in encrypted words, plugged in my mobile for charging, read all unread messages, piled up 46 and after that, sat to write whatever you have read until now.
It is definitely one of the best days I have spent, a day to be remembered, a day that I felt worth writing of, though there have come days like this but I never wrote this much about any single day before, this adds to its specialty, for me at least. For Atif and me, this day also taught us a serious lesson while for Farrukh and Co... they know it better themselves.
I pray to Almighty Allah to keep us all healthy enough to enjoy such days in future, wise enough to plan better in future and sensible enough to be careful in future - I think of myself as the most careless, senseless person with poor planning instincts. I'm not quite sure where to end this road so, shall just say 'stay blessed', love your country and keep the good work up. God bless us all...!!!!!
Hey!! Comments are welcomed and if I've missed anything, you could add it too..!! But I know, you're not going to... anyways... Happy reading..!!
