My Nana (Maternal Grandfather), Janaab Basheer Adeeb Saahab is no more in this World.
Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un. Allah Jannat meiN aala muqaam ata farmaye.
Remembering his words, the way he talked, always a verse followed by a sentence, always smiling, always asking soft questions.....with smiles, with a light sense of humor.
Born in 1915, with a life spanning across 98 years, having seen and lived with his father and grandfather, the actual migrants of post 1857 era, he has witnessed the entire history of our city.
When he talked, I listened, I listened for hours, he knew, remembered and talked about everything from a village of a handful of migrants with hand looms to the city named as Manchestor of India after introduction of power looms; form Khilafat Movement to Freedom Fight to Independence Day; from 9th Sep 1969 floods of the city to politics of Aisha Hakeem, Shabbeer Seth and Nihaal Ahmed; supporting struggle for Martyr's names on the Qidwai Road Monument; from mentoring Newspapers to Authoring a couple of books on the history of city; he talked about everything. Like its story of yesterday.
He was not just a person, he was a Cultural Symbol of the city, an Era in himself.
He was not just a person, he was a Cultural Symbol of the city, an Era in himself.
And that Era is lost today.
When I met him on 13th Feb 2013, a day before my first travel to Australia, I asked him how is he? He smiled and recited a verse meant "all my senses, my hearing, my vision, all are gone. Like all things are packed and couriered, now I am bout to travel", I smiled and said "Nana, not so soon, you will make a century." He just looked in my eyes and said nothing, perhaps he felt, this could be last time I was meeting him in this World.
Remembering one of the very first lessons of life,
Nana Jaan..... Aadab.
Dada Jaan..... Aadab.
Paying respect to your Grandparents.
As my Paternal Grandfather already left us a decade back, now, when I will be home, I'll have neither of them to repeat that childhood lesson.......neither of them to pay respect to, and neither of them to Inherit Culture from.
It is a Different day.
