Abba - A Short Story

Today i decided to write a short story from what all pops up into my mind.

 The name is "Abba" - by Niranjan R. Bharati

   Tameer's shirt was drenched with sweat as he walked towards the horizon. He couldn't see anything other than sand dunes and the hot blazing sun which barely allowed him to open his eyes. His backpack felt heavier than before but he couldn't drop it. He had promised that he would return with what was in the backpack. He hadn't imagined that there would be no trance of his village after 2 decades but there was no road or signboards which could follow. Tameer couldn't even see a traveler who could lead him to his destination. He had now almost lost hope now. What else could he do?
       He had decided  twenty years ago that he would return to his village after he earns enough to help all the people of his village to live a better life. Now his body had stopped responding. Tameer fell down flat on the sand dune. The blazing heat of the sun forcing his eyes to close his eyes. 
      Five days had passed after he entered the desert with a camel and four other travelers but their destinations were different and one by one everyone left him with his camel. He had already been warned that his camel was a very thirsty one and had to drink water every twelve hours but Tameer was not able to go by these instructions as he had only brought two bottles. One with wine and another with water. The water had been consumed by the thirsty camel and Tameer tried to save his wine as much as possible. An oasis was the only thing both the companions had been expecting but for four days both remained thirsty trying to survive. The fourth day the camel woke up dead due to thirst and hunger. Tameer was almost in the same case, hunger had drived him crazy the thirst made him fall unconscious about twice a day. 
     Tameer picked up his bottle of wine and shacked it till the last few drops which were left on its inner surface feel into his dry mouth. 
'Would my end be like this?' he thought as he lay eyes closed on the sand dune. 'Would i die when i was suppose to start a new and beautiful life for others? Allah! What have i done that you have decided that i would die like this?'
Tameer remembered his childhood, how he used to play with his friends.
     "Tameer jan! Give that back to me!" Saleem shouted as he chased the young Tameer till he found that he had reached a dead end. Tameer quickly put the 100 Riyal (Arabian currency) note in his pocket. 
"Tameer! Give it back. My Abba would kill me if i don't return the money back to him." Tameer could see worry on his best friend Saleem's face. He had known Saleem since he was three years old. Even after ten years all the families in Uyayna village were fed up of their mischief. Even though Tameer loved to irritate others he was academically excellent. Tameer was also a great actor.
Tameer pretended to check his pockets and in shock exclaimed,"I don't have it Saleem jan! I think i dropped it when you were chasing me!"
"You are joking, right Tameer?"Saleem now looked really scared.
"No!" Tameer started searching even though he knew the note safely lay in his pocket.
"Why do you do this Tameer jan!" Saleem almost crying also accompanied Tameer trying to search for the 100 Riyal note which his Abba had given him for safe keeping.
Two hours had passed and Saleem lost hope. Tameer had an evil grin on his face. He thought that Saleem had suffered enough. He put his hand inside his left pocket to find it empty. Tameer was shocked. He had really lost the note but he lost it when he was pretending to find it.
Even after the young Tameer tried to explain the incident to Saleem's abba he got rewarded by a red cheek.
   Tameer now had a small smile on his face but slowly a tear rolled down his cheek. He then remembered the day he left Uyayna.
  Tameer hugged his mother and father  as he loaded his bags onto the camel's cart. Tameer's amma was crying a bucket full of tears while his abba just stood there without any emotions. Tameer turned his eyes to his younger sister Salini to see a tear roll down her eyes for the very first time.
"Take care Tameer jan." Saleem was now married but still they had been best friends.
"You too. And i will come back one day Saleem jan. I will come back and take all of you too to Dubai to live a happy life. When i would have enough money i will come so don't forget me brother." Tameer hugged his friend who he was going to miss a lot.
"May Allah be with you son." his mother said wiping her tears.
"Sahib! It is time to leave." the cart driver spoke still feeding his camel some grass.
"Yes. I am coming." Tameer turned to his abba. "Abba. I know i have done many mistakes but now i have got a job in Dubai because of your blessings. Can i get your blessings before i leave abba?"
"You always have my blessing Tameer but i am just saying that i hope you are taking the right decision. You are our eldest son. You can still stay here and take care of your old mother and father."
"I will come back one day abba and take you to Dubai where you will have a better life so don't worry." Tameer climbed the camel and after giving a final goodbye he went towards Dubai where he was going to start a new life. 
Tameer remembered that when he left Uyayna the trip wasn't as long as five days. His throat was again dry and he could feel his heart slow down. It was his end.
"Good bye world. Thank You for what all you have given me." he said as he lay silently on the dune waiting for Allah to call his soul. But other than Allah a familiar sound called.
"Tameer jan?!" Tameer recognized the sound very well. How could he forget the sound of this childhood friend.
"Saleem?!" Tameer opened his eyes to find a handsome man sitting on a fat camel . It was Saleem. Tameer thanked Allah as Saleem came down the camel and picked up Tameer and his bag.

"Water!" Tameer called. It was the only thing he could think of.
Saleem quickly took out his bottle of water and poured it into his old friend's mouth.
"Tameer jan! What are you doing here?" Saleem was oblivious of the fact that his friend who had not returned for twenty years would be found here.
Tameer explained what all happened. Then he asked ,"What are you ding here?"
"I went to the next village to sell some goods. You see Mahi, my wife passed away last year due to cancer. " his tone fell down.
"I am so sorry." Tameer really needed some sleep. HE put his head on Saleem's shoulders and slept.
Tameer woke up to find himself in Uyayna. Uyayna hadn't changed a bit. Tameer thanked Allah and leaving Saleem behind he directly went towards his house. Salini was sitting on the door step and when she looked towards Tameer she rejoiced.
"Brother! You are back! Amma! Look whose here!" she screamed as she hugged her brother tightly. Salini had grown so big.
After a while Tameer say his mother walk down the steps to see her son on the doorstep. She had grown old and her hair was completely white. 
"Amma!" tears rolled down Tameer's eyes as he hugged his mother to get no response other than a hug. 
"Amma! What happened? Where is Abba?" Tameer asked worried as he didn't get any response from his mother.
"Abba passed away two months after you left due to a heart attack." said Salini. "When Amma got to know what happened the shock made her loose her voice."
Tameer saw a tear roll down his Amma's cheek. Tameer couldn't believe it but it was the ugly truth.
Tameer held his Amma's hand and took her to the bed room where she quietly lay down. Tameer sat just next to her and brushed her hair as he cried trying to take in the great loss.
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