So the other day, I was on the terrace, grinning for no reason when I caught sight of him in his lawn, giving some instructions to the gardener. I called out to him.
Let me tell you, I could have easily trespassed into his territory anytime I wished through the door in the wall that the two houses share but, number 1: I did not want to be killed, and number 2: the door is locked and the key is with Agha Jaan. It was one of the many indications of the ongoing resentment between the inhabitants of the two houses.
"Agha Hasan!"
He turned around at the first call. When his eyes found me, I waved at him with a huge grin splitting my mouth. I must have looked like a dingbat, but I was so happy I just couldn't care less. If he looked surprised he didn't let on. I observed through the twenty years of my life that he was a whizz at concealing his emotions and in putting up a deadpan expression on his face. With a slight shake of his head, he walked away.
I shrugged as a giggle escaped my mouth and sauntered down to the lounge. There I encountered my little bruvver, and couldn't help but give him a long pull on the chubby cheeks he proudly owned.
I had my feet dancing in the wind all through the next three days. Happiness is always short-lived, it's the agony that lasts for long. But it's there nevertheless, it's always there hiding in the corners waiting for us to find it. It loves playing hide and seek.
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Agha Hasan had lived with his widowed mother in the house given to them in charity by Agha Jaan, because he didn't want to divide their father's property between his sister and himself as yet. To keep it all intact for as long as he could was his wish. That's why he had especially built another house adjoining his own, and gave it as a gift to Agha Hasan's mother, when she had come back with her son after her husband died.
Eight years ago when she died, Agha Hasan bought the house from Agha Jaan after a painful process and made it his own property. Agha Jaan though succumbed, he did not step back from showing how much he disliked Agha Hasan's approach. But much to Agha Jaan's disdain, he didn't take a breather there, rather went on to ask for his mother's share from the established business.
There were no family feuds, all his own sons without any protest either joined the business, or if they didn't want to - in Agha Hashir's case - made no attempt to demand for their share. Agha Hasan's call therefore, was an attempt to divide the family. Poor Agha Jaan had to succumb to his demand because he threatened to approach through the court.
Moreover, Agha Hamdan's wife had Agha Hasan on her mind for her sister. Though when the proposal was put forward, Agha Hasan brutally turned them down.
Aunt Maida felt extremely insulted, and consequently the older couple was the first one to call off their ties with Agha Hasan. As time passed though, and he married of his own choice, and then married again and then again, and the news of the murder of his wives reached the house, everyone couldn't be more relieved.
I thought the elders were concerned for his mental state, because no sane person would carry out such horrendous actions. They ought to be. But then one Eid, Agha Hasan didn't bother paying us a visit. And with that matters for Agha Jaan reached a saturation. That was the point he took the decision and cut all ties with Agha Hasan, and forbade everyone from entering his house for any reason whatsoever, or to reach out to him. The door in the wall was bolted, and then a lock was slung in and locked.
Agha Hashir I felt was the one deeply affected, since he was good friends with Agha Hasan, him being the only one close to his age.
The world works in a strange way. People around you are just unpredictable and often times quite scary. And that's quite sad.
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