Muhabbat Ki Raahon Mien Aa Ker Tou Dekho!

The Beginning...

A/N: The beautiful cover of this book has been designed by my lovely friend @Seven_Stars_123

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Khizarpur, West Bengal

Another sun had set, another day had passed… but the man had not opened his eyes yet. 
Nizaam looked at him wistfully as he wondered,

"Pata nahi kon hai...kahan se aaya hai bechara? Pata nahi kia manzil thy iski...aur konse safar per nikal gaya hai? Dou din hogaye, saans le raha hai, dil dhadak raha hai, mager hosh nahi aa raha…" 

Worry etched over his kind face, he looked at the unconscious stranger who appeared near the shore two days ago when Nizaam was getting ready for the Fajr (pre-dawn prayer.) 

He was shocked to find a body at the shore when he was leaving his adjoining quarters to go to the Dargaah for prayer.

He was the Mujaavir (in charge/ caretaker) of the Dargaah for more than three years, and he had never seen something so strange. 

At first he had thought that it was a dead body, but on a close inspection, he realized that the man was still alive, but he was barely breathing. 

Nizaam had forgotten about his prayer and with the help of a helper at the Dargaah, he had managed to bring the unconscious man to his quarters. 

He was completely drenched, so Nizaam somehow managed to change his clothes and dried his body. When the sunlight spread, he realized with a start that he had missed his Fajr prayer. This was the first time in 20 years that Molana Nizaamuddin missed his prayer. 
He was sad, but he turned his attention towards the nearly dead man and decided, 

"Khuda ke banday ki khidmat kerna bhi Khuda ki ibadat jaisa hi hai. Pata nahi kon hai bechara...mager Khuda ne mujhe iss se aise milwa hi dia hai tou mujhe iski madad zarur kerni chahiye." 

Offering a silent apology to his God in his heart, he quickly ran towards the Dargaah to inform the Head. 

Sultan Baba was a dervish...a saint who had come to this Dargaah of Ameer Ali Muhammad Chishti in Khizarpur, West Bengal some fifteen years ago, and had never left this place again. 

With a long white beard, his face radiated a special light...and his deep eyes reflected the kindness of his soul.
No one knew who he really was, and no one knew where he had come from. But he was famous for his prayers that were always answered.

Every Thursday, people belonging to all religions and castes, from all over Khizarpur and nearby villages used to come with all sorts of problems. 
Someone having problems conceiving a child would come to the Dargaah to meet Sultan Baba and request him to pray to God for them. Another person would come because they would want their financial problems to settle down. Sultan Baba would listen to everyone's problems and would pray for them. And God always answered his prayers and blessed the people too. 

When Molana Nizaam told Sultan Baba about the almost dead man who was lying unconscious in his quarters, Sultan Baba had gotten very anxious. 
He had rushed to check on the man, and then he had arranged for a doctor too from the nearby village. 

Dr. Rabinder had checked the man and declared, 

"Yeh koi 42-60 hours paani ke ander raha hai. Aisa mehsoos hota hai jaise isne buht deir tak swimming ker ke paani ki teiz lehron se ladne ki koshish ki hai. Shayad yeh aik expert swimmer hai, tabhi kisi terha doobne se bach gaya. Lekin itni deir pani ke ander rehne ki wajeh se iske dimagh aur lungs tak Oxygen ka bahao kaafi disturb hua hai. Iska zinda bach jana hi karishma hai, lekin yeh zinda rahay ga ya nahi, yeh keh nahi sakte. Iski haalat itni acchi nahi hai. Hospital le janay ka bhi koi faida nahi hoga. Behter hai ke isko yahin rakhien. Mien kuch dawayein deta hun, woh isko 4, 4 ghantay ke faslay se pilayein. Mien kal aa ker iski dobara jaanch kerta hun. Ager aglay 24 ghanton mien isko hosh nahi aaya, tou phir iska bachna taqreeban naa mumkin hoga."

Sultan Baba and Nizaam both had agreed to take care of the man with everything they had.

When the man didn't wake up after 16 hours, Nizaam got very restless. 
He went to Sultan Baba and said, 

"Baba, aap dua kijiye na iske liye. Kia pata Khuda aap ki pukaar sun le aur is bechare ko hosh ajaye."

Sultan Baba closed his eyes. Nizaam knew that Baba was meditating. Sometimes, he used to meditate for hours, so Nizaam didn't know if he should wait for Baba's reply or take it as a signal and leave him to his meditation.
He was wondering what to do when suddenly, without opening his eyes, Sultan Baba's deep voice reached his ears, 

"Jab jab jo jo hota hai, uska koi na koi maqsad hota hai. Khuda ke har kaam mien koi na koi raaz chhupa hota hai. Yeh ladka Khuda ka koi buht naik banda hai. Hum ne iski rooh ko mehsoos kia hai. Yeh koi mamooli insan nahi hai. Khuda ne iss se buht baday baday kaam lene hain."

Having said that, he opened his eyes and Nizaam felt a jolt of electricity as he looked into the Dervish's eyes…
They were wide open, but his gaze was fixed at a point that seemed to be way beyond the horizons. 
He seemed to be focused on something way ahead...as if he was looking into the future! 

Nizaam was aware of all the mystery and mysticism associated with him, but seeing him in a trance-like state was always startling for Nizaam...and at the same time, it was really intriguing for him too. 

He was brought back from his thoughts as he heard the Dervish's voice again, this time sounding as if he was in some deep thoughts as he said, 

"Iss ladke ko humare dar per Khuda ne pohanchaya hai. Iska bhi koi khaas maqsad hi hai. Yeh apni manzil per pohanch tou  jayega, lekin iske sath sath kisi aur ki manzil bhi judi hui hai. Koi aur bhi iske zariye se apni khoyi hui raah paye ga. Hum Khuda se iski zindagy ki dua maangte hain...aur anay walay Guruwar ke langar mien iske naam se Sadqah (Charity) kerte hain. Humien umeed hai ke Khuda iske liye sab accha hi kere ga. Yeh doosron ki raah ke kaantay chunnay wala insan hai. Khuda iski raah ke kaantay doosron se chunwaye ga!" 

With that, he closed his eyes again, and began reciting some holy verses.

Nizaam knew that it was all that Baba had to tell him. 
And that was all he really had to listen to.
He also had an inkling that the stranger had been sent to this faraway place, and that too a Dargaah for some special, mysterious reason. And Nizaam did not hesitate one bit before lending his helping hand in this man's life.