WE

In a renowned mobile store

‘Who are you? And with whose permission you are entering the centre?’ Shouted the peon on a lady

She was wearing a faded black gown. Only her eyes and shoes were visible through the Burka . She showed some papers to the peon and in a very low voice said that her phone was not working and wanted it to get repaired. The peon allowed her. She was speaking too less and just kept on showing papers and bills to the concerned people. Everybody ill-treated her because of her lack in communication skills and may be because of her, Burka.

‘Please, go to seat no. 5, he will take care of your problem. I am busy right now.’ Said a technical member to her and started surfing net. Although , the lady noticed him but did not say anything. She just marched towards the next table.

‘So, tell me. What is it? Why do you people buy such things if you are not able to handle it?’ Roared one of them

He gave a very strange look to the lady from top to bottom. Huh, the minority people will bother us now. What crap? Why don’t these people return to their own place? Each one of them is a terrorist. Making our own country unsafe for us and enjoying every bit of it.

‘Ummm…My phone is not working, so, I…..’ She did not even complete the sentence, when the person interrupted.

‘Oh! So you call it a phone? It’s a tab, you moron. I just wish you knew what you are using.’ He laughed ‘Now take this form and fill it’.

‘Ummm..I don’t have a pen so can you please…’ She said in a trembling voice

‘Oh No! So you have come here to get things done and you are not carrying a pen even! Hats off! Take this.’ He threw a pen towards her.

‘Thank you’. She was polite

‘And anyways, the papers are still incomplete. Where is the bill? Is your tab in warranty? Do you know about it? Do you have originals? Photostats and all won’t work. Make this  thing very clear in mind ’.He raised his volume again

‘Ummm…Let me see. Just a minute.’ The lady was a bit nervous and felt shaky.She checked the papers in her bag, and said that her phone, sorry tab, was in warranty.

‘Show me. I doubt you. Where is the date written? Let me see.’ He snatched the papers from her hand and accidently the paper was torn right from the place where the date was mentioned.

‘Where is the date? Your papers are incomplete and so now nothing can be done.’ He said without an inch of guilt.

‘But, but…ummm…you …’ She hesitated

‘What are you trying to say? Don’t you even dare? You were holding the papers too tightly. I was only trying to help you. Don’t you think it’s my fault? Clearly it’s yours. Now will I have to learn from people like you who have no dressing sense and instead of managing things, behave dumb?’ He roared.

Huh! The minority group bothering for no reason. Why don’t she just leaves? Is she not getting it that I am least interested to help her? And why should I? Why anybody would would like to help these people.

He threw the entire stuff on her face and asked her to leave. The lady left without saying a single word. May be she was used to such a kind of behavior because of her Burka.She did not even tried to protest or complain.

Everybody at the centre hardly noticed that she actually left without her problem being solved. The center was renowned and was least bothered about being complained or something like that.Everbody was at ease and their regular work.

A few days later another lady came with the same problem

‘Good morning mam.’ The peon addressed her this way.

She entered and looked for someone to whom can she could show her phone.

‘May I help you mam?’ Two people came running to her.

‘Ummm…My phone is not working. Can you please guide me, what I have to do? I mean the paper work and all?’She enquired

‘You don’t worry. The procedure is very simple. Have a look at this form. This is to be filled. Are you carrying pen?’ asked the technical person

‘Ummm…NO.I am so sorry. I just don’t have it. Can you please lend me one? She said and asked.

‘It’s perfectly ok mam.You don’t worry. I can fill it for you.’ While he was saying all this, he had already filled half of the form.

‘What about the bills and other papers? Like I don’t know if it is still in warranty or not.’ She said

‘Show me mam ,I will let you know.Ummm…This is a Photostat copy of the bill. But it’s ok. We will manage.’ He tried to be as gentle as he could

He took the entire stuff and took her phone for repairs. Every inch of work was being done by the employees at the centre. Soon her phone was in a working condition. She checked it and kept everything in her bag and went to the rest room handling other belongings to the peon. She returned in a few minutes in totally different attire.

 Everybody stood numb. Jaws dropped. Eyes wide open.

Yes. She was wearing a  burkha and yes she was the same lady.

While she took her belongings from the peon, and before leaving the centre said a few things to everybody sitting there.

‘Two days back I came to this centre with the same problem but nobody even bothered to listen. But that day I was wearing a burkha , and was looked  down upon. Today, this sari acted as a lucky charm for me. But let me make one thing very clear to all. Wearing a burka is not any kind of helplessness. It’s our culture and we love and respect it. You have no right to ill treat us on your own silly grounds. We are also a part of this nation. My husband is forced to work in the Arab countries, as nobody provided him job here. Providing a place to live is just  not worth if no respect is shown. There is no point in building the temples and mosques side by side, if in your heart you don’t respect our culture. Nobody trust us just because of the games played  by the people at the assemblies.A few white collar people are playing games to divide us and  are enjoying every bit of it. Open your eyes and try to read the real faces behind masks. Please treat us as a part of this nation and just once show trust on us. Then only you will come to know, what change we can bring to this country. We are not gaddars in any  form.’ She kept wiping her tears and continued

‘We all are two sides of the same coin. You all feel cheated; so do we.’

Everybody stood there with their eyes glued to the floor.

She was right to some extent.Yes; we do look down upon this caste and consider each one of them a terrorist. Don’t we?
The gate keeper gave her a small salute as a gesture of respect.But the lady left with tears in her eyes.

Teeja tera rang tha main to

Jiya tere dhang se main to

Tu hi tha maula tu hi an

Maula mere le le meri jaan