Well, I have to go back to my village school where I finished my 8th class (Vernacular Final exam) I had scored well but not extra-ordinary. I was only 12 and may be hardly 4 foot and a couple of inches or so. I was poised to go to either Gujrat (Zamindara High school) or to Lahore (My older brother was in Lahore in MBBS classes. It was decided I was too young to go away from home. There was another reason. The school (D. B. Middle school Kakrali) was being elevated to High school level and the head master was reluctant to give me "school leaving certificate(Said, he did not want to lose a good student)
My "fate" maybe? I ended up staying in the village--That was 1946. Then started Pakistan-riots and Kashmir struggle etc. etc., no teachers were willing to come for many months". So some 'substitute teachers'' dragged the 9th class courses. Ultimately in the 10th class we had a BA, BT head master (Master Abdul-Aziz) and a second master who was MA (math) about whom I wrote some blog before (Master Bashir Ahmed Shah, who had announced his being the promised Ïmam Mehdi") and there was a science teacher(Master Abdul-Lateef). Kashmir trouble and "mujahideen"trouble (have written some before about that) interfered with our teachings etc. so when we appeared in our Matriculation exam, none of the students got First division, my position being 3rd. in class, just (high second division). Suffice it to say I was far from being educated and was thoroughly "paindoo" with so poor general knowledge that I did not know what to do in future.
Bhaijan Meraj had started his House Surgeon's job (in Mayo Hospital, after graduating MBBS) when I arrived in Lahore for starting my college. He asked me what did I wish to do, doctor?, engineer?, professor?, Lawyer? etc.
I had no clue but since everybody was a doctor (My two older brothers and my brother-in-law, a Vet. doctor) I thought maybe Engineer will be a good Idea. So when I went for interview to Government College Lahore (A great institution indeed, now a university), the principal was no other than "Pitrus", a well-known writer and highly educated erudite scholar. Now imagine me a tiny 4 ft. 11 inch with glasses on my face and not very robust health (inspite of having lived in the village, that is another story, will tell you later IA) and standing (actually sitting) before that scholar who had thick glasses on his face and looked all the more overwhelming with a serious look. I must have been very nervous. I remember he asked me about non-medical science subjects and I could not tell him the difference between medical and non-medical, or something to that effect.
The next day I went to see results of the interview--- I was not (not surprisingly) selected.
So my brother took me to Islamia college Lahore (Railway Rd.) and was with me for the interview with the Principal, Prof. M.D. Taseer, again a well-known erudite scholar and poet (Pitrus was more a writer, known for his "city of colleges"). Taseer's most well-known verse is:
dawer-e-Hashr mera naama-e-ámaal nah dekh
in main huchh perdah nasheenon kay bhi naam aatay hain"
(O! King of the final day of gathering, dont look at my 'document of deeds', it contains names of some 'veiled persons")
Anyway he looked at me and cracked a joke
ÿeh to mujhay kursi peh baitha nazar he nahin aata" (I can hardly see him sitting in the chair--trying to boost my morale from my short stature). As I would later find out he indeed was a jovial person and could make any gathering filled with laughter
Well. I was admitted as "non-medical F.Sc. student"
On the third day I was to go and pay my dues, but before I went there, all the friends of my brother (all doctors) made fun of me
"You! engineer?, just look at yourself; can you lift up a hammer?"(of course, as I said I was not physically very impressive) "You better go and change your subjects, you would be OK if you become a doctor.
So, I went and told the cashier what my intention was and he said it would be OK he'll accept the dues for that and he gave me my application form and I changed from non-medical' to medical in my own hand.
Allah Allah khair salla.
My "fate" maybe? I ended up staying in the village--That was 1946. Then started Pakistan-riots and Kashmir struggle etc. etc., no teachers were willing to come for many months". So some 'substitute teachers'' dragged the 9th class courses. Ultimately in the 10th class we had a BA, BT head master (Master Abdul-Aziz) and a second master who was MA (math) about whom I wrote some blog before (Master Bashir Ahmed Shah, who had announced his being the promised Ïmam Mehdi") and there was a science teacher(Master Abdul-Lateef). Kashmir trouble and "mujahideen"trouble (have written some before about that) interfered with our teachings etc. so when we appeared in our Matriculation exam, none of the students got First division, my position being 3rd. in class, just (high second division). Suffice it to say I was far from being educated and was thoroughly "paindoo" with so poor general knowledge that I did not know what to do in future.
Bhaijan Meraj had started his House Surgeon's job (in Mayo Hospital, after graduating MBBS) when I arrived in Lahore for starting my college. He asked me what did I wish to do, doctor?, engineer?, professor?, Lawyer? etc.
I had no clue but since everybody was a doctor (My two older brothers and my brother-in-law, a Vet. doctor) I thought maybe Engineer will be a good Idea. So when I went for interview to Government College Lahore (A great institution indeed, now a university), the principal was no other than "Pitrus", a well-known writer and highly educated erudite scholar. Now imagine me a tiny 4 ft. 11 inch with glasses on my face and not very robust health (inspite of having lived in the village, that is another story, will tell you later IA) and standing (actually sitting) before that scholar who had thick glasses on his face and looked all the more overwhelming with a serious look. I must have been very nervous. I remember he asked me about non-medical science subjects and I could not tell him the difference between medical and non-medical, or something to that effect.
The next day I went to see results of the interview--- I was not (not surprisingly) selected.
So my brother took me to Islamia college Lahore (Railway Rd.) and was with me for the interview with the Principal, Prof. M.D. Taseer, again a well-known erudite scholar and poet (Pitrus was more a writer, known for his "city of colleges"). Taseer's most well-known verse is:
dawer-e-Hashr mera naama-e-ámaal nah dekh
in main huchh perdah nasheenon kay bhi naam aatay hain"
(O! King of the final day of gathering, dont look at my 'document of deeds', it contains names of some 'veiled persons")
Anyway he looked at me and cracked a joke
ÿeh to mujhay kursi peh baitha nazar he nahin aata" (I can hardly see him sitting in the chair--trying to boost my morale from my short stature). As I would later find out he indeed was a jovial person and could make any gathering filled with laughter
Well. I was admitted as "non-medical F.Sc. student"
On the third day I was to go and pay my dues, but before I went there, all the friends of my brother (all doctors) made fun of me
"You! engineer?, just look at yourself; can you lift up a hammer?"(of course, as I said I was not physically very impressive) "You better go and change your subjects, you would be OK if you become a doctor.
So, I went and told the cashier what my intention was and he said it would be OK he'll accept the dues for that and he gave me my application form and I changed from non-medical' to medical in my own hand.
Allah Allah khair salla.
2 comments:
That was interesting...
I think, few things are written for us in life..
On side note...did you deal a lot with bullies in your school/college days?...plz. write about it...
O yes, I will write a couple instances.
Ayesha my daughter keeps busy but she says she would like to write my life story some day.
I have written in Urdu some times ago when I was not on computer, so it will not be difficult. I still remember many names.
Post a Comment