As Salam-u-Alaykum
Dear Baba,
Insha Allah this letter will find youpatient and strong and in the light of Allah’s good graces. Please offer mywarmest greetings to Abba, Boba and family. I pray for their well being. MayAllah bless all of you.
It’s the 35th day and with today’s sundown,the 36th day will start with more braveness and endurance. It’s all becauseyou’ve taught me the lessons of true faith and audacity.
I keep avoiding your queries whichhave traumatized me. It’s because I am afraid that knowing the things happeningfore and aft may break you and your hopes. Everyday I tell you of hope and nowit’s me who’s telling you not to be hopeful for tomorrow. Be hopeful withfaith. Allah is with us. Don’t panic about our return. When the right time willcome, you’ll find me before your eyes. I talked to Azaan before some time andmy eyes are flooded on what he said. He told me, “Azkee peth padh buNamaaz pat wann Khoda sobas Arbeeni sozun ghar jaldi.” ( From today, I’lloffer Namaaz and pray for your early return.) I just smiled a little more andsaid that he is best in his efforts for me. I have always confined myself buttoday I want to open up. Baba, I need you the way oceanic waves need moon andmoon needs the sky. I long for my family and everyone who’s desperately waitingand praying for my return. As Azaan understood and I wish everyone will. Allahis the Master who can help us. When we can find no roads and rails, when allhopes are gone, He is there. Verily He makes ways out of nowhere. Allahu’Akbar.
I don’t deny the fact that we too have toplay our part. No, I never did. We did whatever was in our hands. We went onhunger strikes, sleep strikes even. The officials who came here were with onlyone sentence which has become our quarantine dialogue now, “Hamaaray haathmain khuch nahin.”( Nothing is in our hands). We talked to every personwho is into it but everyone gave us one or the other excuse. Some people comeand tell us that we’re like their children when it comes to water the firein our eyes but there are people, most of them, unlike that. They haveauctioned their souls and faith to the merciless vendors of nation. MayAlmighty help them out. Aameen.
Ramadhan is coming and my soul is becomingrestless now. Because Ramadhan is not only about fasting. It is a month full ofMercy and Blessings. May Almighty bring us home before it starts. Baba, We haveeverything here but not peace. We’re not living any luxurious life here,it’s quarantine, thousand miles away from home. If we don’t eat individually,no one will come and take us for meals. If we’ll die no one will care. Peoplewill get to rumour about it. There’s no one at the end of day, we’re alone.Nothing ever ends poetically. It ends and we turn it into poetry. All thatblood was never once beautiful. It was always just red. Had it been home, itwould’ve been other story because Home-quarantine means that Home is there,where there’s peace, the place where heart is. But we don’t get to choose whatwe get, life just brings miseries and teaches either how to go with them or howto succumb. It depends on our calibre. One can take advantage from thesecalamitous epochs also. Be it from inside or outside, one can learn to haveFaith, to be brave and strong enough to see the miracles happen. We all have tostand in these storms like big trees, even if all our leaves fall and all ourbranches break, our roots should remain. Broken can become beautiful again andleaves can regrow with coming springs but if roots come off, whole soma willdesiccate. There will be no sign of us if the shocks reach our roots. So let usbe strong and sober in these hard times. Tell these wanton storms that we’rethe believers, the humans with strength.
I wish and pray that on the commencement ofHoly month of Ramadhan we all are with our families and in these hard times wefind some peace. May Allah bless and protect whole humanity and may we beforgiven.
Was-salam
Yours Loving Daughter.
Arbeena Altaf Bhat
Pursuing MBBS in SUMS, Iran