Sakina - The Maid (III)

Earlier, Part-I, Part-II

Samuel had some money saved, so his ego urged him to thank his friend for all the hospitality and move to some place of his own. But Iqbal refused to let him so. He suggested that Samuel should get a job first and then he may move on.

“Kion jana chahta hay tu? Kya yahan koi takleef hay? Idher he ruka reh. Mein apnay boss say baat keron ga aj. Shayed woh factory mein tujhay kaam day day.” Iqbal offered.

So it was decided and next day he had been given work of packing goods at the same factory where Iqbal was working. He felt really indebted to his friend and didn’t want him to disturb his personal life any more, so he silently got a home on rent and bade farewell to his well wisher. For Sakina it was a shock to reach at her house. It was more or less similar to Iqbal’s. She tried to express her disappointment but then realized that it’s not a time for it. It made her a little depressed too for the first time. Nevertheless, she was as hopeful for a better tomorrow as much as the dreams she saw with open eyes. She started to improve skillfully the condition of their house. Each day, after coming back from work, Samuel would be amazed by looking at the house. He admired her. But for him there were difficulties at work.

All his life he had done nothing but work in a stable. He knew nothing about the packing and he had to learn a lot. The quality assurance team at the factory was quite keen about the sophistication with which the goods were packed. They did not want any fault in a single folding even. However, he had been pointed out four times in the very first week. Iqbal had tried to make him understand the work and the demands of the company owners too. But he was not a good learner. The reasons were his over self confidence and arrogance. He did not like the other workers to tell him how to do it. He didn’t even like Iqbal lecturing him.

“Yar Malik ke ghar ko tu aik maheena pehley chor aya hay. Ab kon sa ghora kis nasal ka hay, kya khata hay, kitna bhaag sakta hay aur kitney mein bikay ga..... yeh sab kuch bhool ja. Agar tujhay koi baat batata hay toh suna ker aur usay khanay ko na dora ker. Her koi tujh se tang hay factory pe. Yeh dada geeri chor day ab....... ” Iqbal criticized him severely one day.

“Tujhay bohat kaam ata hay kya? Mujhay lecture mat dia ker tujhay keh dia hay mein ne. Mujhay pata hay mujhay kya kerna hay aur kya nehein” He booed him and stormed out of the room.

When he entered home, Sakina offered him water and asked, “Khana la don?”

He didn’t reply and went to lie down on the charpoy in the room. She followed him.

“Samuel, kya baat hay? Kya tujhay koi peraishani hay?” She inquired softly.

“Apni bakwas band ker aur kaam ker ja ke.....” He yelled at her and went inside the room.

She stood stunned there for a few minutes for it was the first time he talked to her like that and it came too abrupt. It came completely out of nowhere.

The next day he was refused to be given any more work at factory. Another customer had complained about the packing and it was traced to him again. Then again on Iqbal’s request, the supervisor placed him in to the loading section of the factory. It did not include any skill to learn but again there was an impediment here. Loading the goods needed strength and Samuel lacked in that. All the rest of the workers were good in physical health and he was facing difficulties in that but for the sake of running his home he continued it. Then the payment he would get was even lower than earlier. He would come home completely drained out but he had a treasure waiting at home in the form of his wife. She was very much of a consoling figure and his frustration would wash away once he would be in bed with Sakina.

Months passed by and finally it was time for which both of them were waiting for. Sakina gave birth to a tiny but cute baby girl. She named her Josephine after a character of one of her favorite TV soap. She got a doll in the form of Josephine to play with all day long. She came as a blessing to her lonely life at home. Samuel kept on working hard and it's been seven months now that he had been laboring like a mule. The work load had made his nerves to stressful. When he would come home, he would talk little to Sakina and she didn’t notice his behavior as she was busy in pampering Josephine all the time. So, all day long stress would exert itself out at night. Their love life had become more of a mechanical thing than actually an activity full of sentiments. Ironically, the fruitless attempt at night brought Sakina another pregnancy right after the second month of the birth of Josephine. She broke the news to him, somewhat with joy, but he was totally unfeeling.

“Samuel mein ne aj Azra khala ko bula bheja tha” She started.

(Azra khala was the same woman who carried out the birth of Josephine)

“Acha toh?” He inquired taking the glass of water from her.

“Woh... woh... khala keh rahee thein ke tumharay phir se paon bhari hay” She finally let it out.

“Oh acha.......”

That was his response – not condemning at least but so joyless. They slept that night thinking different things.

Two more months had passed. This time the baby wasn’t easy for Sakina, may be one reason was immediate pregnancy after the birth. Her health began to worsen day by day. Before the completion of the third month, they had to bear another calamity. The factory caught a fire and faced major loss. The board of directors decided to cut down the labor and Samuel being a weakling at work was sent to home.

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