So we may feel unapologetically

Sanjeev Trikha

Love that brews between individuals cannot be perceived to bloom between nations, especially when Indo-Pak relations are concerned. On my trip to London in 2019, I booked a taxi to get me around the tourist destinations. Faizaan Ahmed was the name displayed on the taxi. A white-bearded man was at the wheels. I could not resist asking him, ‘Are you Indian?’ ‘No, I am a Pakistani with roots in Hindustan,’ was his prompt reply. ‘And I am an Indian having roots in Pakistan,’ I replied with excitement.

On hearing about my roots in Cheechawatni of Montgomery district, he, with a distinct spark in his eyes, told me that he also belonged to that region. Although I could not tell him more than what I used to hear from my father, he seemed eager to nurture the warmth of the incubated relationship. He regretted the sore relations between the two countries and seemed concerned about it.

On reaching the gates of the Lords cricket ground, I purchased entry tickets for him also. Some World Cup matches that year, including the final, were scheduled for this ground and preparations were on. He lovingly asked me to pray for the India-Pakistan final. ‘If it happens, you shall be my guest here, I shall arrange for the tickets,’ he said earnestly.

‘If you accept my invitation, I shall get shirts prepared, jointly flexing Pakistan and India flags. We both shall wear these shirts and be ambassadors of peace and harmony, and if that does not happen, we shall wait for the day when the final is played in India, then I shall be your guest. We shall be doing the same exercise there!’ he gushed. Riding high on emotions, I agreed to his plans.

As he dropped us back, he refused payment. On my insistence, he accepted the amount but the next moment, handed it over to my daughter as a ‘gift from Pakistani chacha’. The warmth of his love kept our hearts and souls cozy throughout the chilly weather conditions and provided us with moments to cherish.

The promise made to him regarding the final disturbed me. Would I be able to wear Pakistani colours, if at all, the fixture matures? The pragmatic mind seemed to be overpowering the hearty emotions.

If Amulya Leona, a girl of 19, is charged with sedition for raising the slogan of ‘Pakistan zindabad’ along with 'zindabad' for India, Bangladesh and Nepal, will wearing a shirt with India and Pakistan flags be easy on my soil? The micro-macro paradox did not spare even the pious bond of love.

India and Pakistan did not reach the finals then, but the love for the Pakistani gentleman won outright. Let us aspire for a better and warmer relationship between the countries so that Faizaans can be fearlessly invited and the ideas heartily brewed by them can proudly be worn on our sleeves.

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