Malbari Hotel....An Old Man's Day dreams by Abdul Sattar Lakhana

Lets Live Together!!!

We all four friends were sitting at the malbari hotel just chatting without any particular topic, just then Abdul Samad joined us, he was a property broker we all knew. He had come to meet Ghaffar Kapadia. We ordered tea for all of us thinking of availing the credit from our malbari.

When Kapadia and Samad began their talk, we became aware that Kapadia’s son Arif wanted to buy a seperate home of his own. Samad told Ghaffar that Arif wanted to buy a house which will cost one crore or more but Arif has twenty five lacs in his possession and dreaming of getting the rest from his father Ghaffar Kapadia. Samad asked Kapadia whether he had enough amount to provide to Arif so that he can go ahead and find some deal for him.

Colors on the face of Ghaffar Kapadia were changing rapidly. His mood turned violent and he began to use abusive language for his son.

What Ghaffar told us, was the story of all middle class families. His son Arif was the father of two children and his wife was expecting another baby. Arif knew very well that his father had no savings and still he fought with his mother for a separate home. Ghaffar had advised him not to get separate. Actually, the house in which they were living was owned by Ghaffar Kapadia while his son was running the expenses of house because Kapadia did not have any income.

Samad broker was a strong supporter of joint family system. He tried to convince Arif about his parents’ troubles that they endured to raise him and in educating him in a way that he was getting a decent income and now he was trying a solo flight leaving the parents on the dry ground.

We were listening but could not remain silent any longer. I was the one who spoke up first. I asked Kapadia to sell his house to his son Arif at market price. Samad broker informed that the house will go easily for fifty lacs, but Arif had only twenty five lacs and that was also engaged in stock exchange.

Yakoob Kiriya could not remain silent, he said that it is very difficult for Arif to find a luxury home with baby sitting and house keeping service all for free.

Siddique Master went one step further, he asked kapadia that he should neglect their grand-son and daughter-in-law totally. When the children will miss the school, milkman will go back without delivering milk and Arif will run out to get tea for his wife his mind will come to right place.

Yakoob Kiria was family type amongst four of us. He said that Arif's wife was expecting a third child and this was a time, every lady wants some older woman like the mother-in-law to be on her side. Ghaffar told us that the whole issue started when  one day his wife asked his daughter-in-law where they were going? It made Arif very angry that why his mother keeps on asking where are they going to. “Arif is totally crazy to mind his mother asking this, when a mother asks her children where they are going, it is because she is worried about their well being", I said. Kiria continued that Arif must understand that no one can take care of his wife and children better than his own parents and he will repent after taking a wrong decision. He advised Kapadia to motivate his son with love instead of fury.

As we all separated in rather a gloomy mood, Abdul Samad said I will try to change his mind.There was a loud horn as we were standing almost on the road now, so we moved along.

When Ghaffar reached home everybody was sullen and nobody cared to welcome him home. After a few minutes his wife took him into their room and gave him a cup of tea.


She told him that both Arif and his wife Salma were not ready to live with them.
Witnessing the harsh dialogue going on between her parents and grandparents Sarah the 5 year old daughter of Arif repeated same things to her mother while playing with her dolls. This thing affected Salma a lot. She seems embarrassed after the incident, Ghaffar’s wife told him.

Arif who was already half convinced in favor of the joint family system by the good great lecture by Abdul Samad. Hearing of the incidence from his wife about his daughter he also felt ashamed. Now Arif was thinking in the right direction.

Late that night he sat with his father and his mother. His wife Salma brought tea. Arif begged pardon from his father for what nonsense he had said about the separate home. It was best to continue as was going and that they will think about separate homes when his children grew up. Deep down Ghaffar knew this turn of mind was brought about by Samad broker. He smiled to his son and patted his back as he used to do since he was a kid…a father’s way of showing nothing has ever happened.

Arif had already begged pardon from his mother. So everything was settled and talk about a separate home was a thing of the past.