What’s all involved in a taxi driver’s life? physical labour, and not much exercise for the grey
matter. One such driver was Anwar. He got his driving licence from the back door. He did
He did not learn how to drive a car, nor was he aware of the traffic rules and regulations. He was, in
his own life, ever a man with a generous heart, known for his hospitality.
He overheard a conversation while sitting with his mates at a tea stall. “Tea keeps me on my feet.” Have another. Everything should be done in moderation. “Tea is a milder addiction.” The conversation drifted to petrol prices and passenger numbers. “Things have become so expensive. I bought a kilo of meat for Rs. 150/-. It seems that if the price does not come down, it will be difficult for us to make ends meet.”
One of the reasons why Anwar stood out among his mates was his wife.
She never harassed him for extra money. The hard work that he put in was evident from his bronze, rugged skin tone. His skin was tanned from the countless hours, days, and years spent driving his cab under the merciless sun. He was so vigilant that he pierced the distance with the sight of an eagle soaring in the skies and nosediving to
pick up the prey from the ground. Proof of his vigilance, “stop the thief!“ cried the lady, whose purse had been snatched.
Nobody moved among the onlookers. Anwar, from a distance, approached the scene of the theft; “move aside”, he roared, “corner the thief”. The thief was a smart cookie. Dodging Anwar, he entered the alley and hid behind a rubbish can. To the thief’s misfortune, a cat inside the can, scared of the noise the thief made, leapt out of it. Anwar pounced on the thief and recovered the money.
Like the lady above, his work led him to interact with individuals from various strata of society. Sometimes, people from affluent families were also there. One bright sunny day, when fate was about to change for Anwar, Mr and Mrs Ahmed sat in his cab. “We want to go to Nazimabad. Will you take us?” “Hope in,” said Anwer. ”We are going to this place for the first time. I hope you will
be able to follow our instructions,” said Mr Ahmed.
After clearing a few traffic jams, they finally arrived at the destination. They got off the main road and said they would manage the rest of the way on foot. To his utter surprise, Anwar found a parcel on the back seat of his cab. His discovery was when he stopped for a meal after dropping off Mr and Mrs Ahmed. The parcel contained jewellery. He was anxious about how to locate them so he could return their parcel. He searched for some form of identification, but to no avail. His friends tried to persuade him to keep the parcel.
But he took pride in being honest, and there was no way he would compromise over it.
He had no idea that this parcel would determine the destiny of a couple on the verge of marriage. The couple was Ammar and Shagufta. Ammar and Shagufta had been engaged for a year. It was customary to give a dowry to the daughter. The dowry was given not to display wealth but to support her in her new home until she became self-sufficient.
He reached home and asked his wife to keep the parcel in safe custody. Weeks passed, and lo and behold, he spotted Mrs Ahmed. She was shopping in a market where he had just dropped off a passenger. He hurriedly approached her and told her that she had forgotten a parcel in his taxi. She told him that she had searched for this parcel. She could not hold back her happiness and gratitude. “I was so worried. The parcel had jewellery, which was my daughter’s dowry. I had fallen sick due to
the loss.” This jewellery was an heirloom. It had been handed down from Shagufta’s grandmother to Shagufta’s mother and then to her.
The grandmother was married to one of Ammar’s father’s uncles. Shagufta’s grandmother had grey eyes and brown hair, and so did Shagufta. These qualities endeared Shagufta to Ammar.
Ammar arranged for the jewels to be returned to Mrs Ahmed. “We will expect you and your family at the wedding.” Mrs Ahmed’s happiness knew no bounds. The return of the jewellery meant taking a heavy load off her delicate shoulders. Mrs Ahmed just could not stop praising Anwar. She told everyone she met about how honest he was and how difficult it was to find people like him. She thanked God five times a day during her prayers.
“Welcome, Anwar.” Anwar was welcomed in a big way at the wedding. All the family were eager to meet him, although he was not a rich man, while the other guests were all, well, rich people. But who could deny that Anwar was ‘rich at heart’? He was the richest person at the wedding. He walked in with his head held high. He felt so good after returning the jewels.
Although he was in a gathering of rich people, he did not feel lost, as he was bestowed with the ‘wealth’ of honesty. And as Shagufta wore the wedding band, she looked at Anwar and smiled—a smile of gratitude—before she was whisked off to
her new home. Her wedding was memorable from start to finish. A new life lay ahead of her, and as she entered the threshold of her new home and prepared to remove the heavy necklace, she heaved a sigh of relief, recalling all that had happened.
Author: ZEENAT IQBAL HAKIMJEE
