Letter 08: Maqbool Bhat to Begum Farooq Haider
New Delhi
31st June 1979
Assalamu Alaikum, My dear sister, Iffat
I hope that you and brother Farooq are well. With Allah’s grace and mercy, the days of my life are going well with patience and gratitude and by your prayers and good wishes difficulties and hardships are reaching their destination with a content heart.
The memories of meeting with you ages ago are still fresh in my mind. The way you have fulfilled the right of hosting a guest with sincerity and love and the warmth and passion with which Farooq Bhai made brief stay heartwarming, all of it is engraved in my mind. I have still not forgotten little Prince’s stumbling voice and Azra and Mezu’s playfulness. It is my compulsion that has forced me to stay here away from my family. Although this new life in any aspect is not agreeable nor comfortable but when a question mark is raised upon a person’s belief and viewpoint, without caring about the finality of the outcome, one gets relieved only after going through difficult times.
Believe me, in these hard and pressing times of my life neither my belief nor my confidence has gone low, my Imaan (Faith) has not dwindled even by an ounce. If your prayers remain inclusive then this phase will surely pass with success and victory too. I was worried because
I hadn’t received any letter of well-being from your side since long. Ghulam Sahab and Hasrat Sahab remembered me on the previous Eid and recently even little Shaukat had composed a letter from Peshawar. I have sent my reply to him but do not know if he has received it. Iman Bhai is staying in London nowadays; I haven’t heard from him since long. He hasn’t replied to my letter either. Seems life has kept him busy.
Give my Salaams to all of your kith and kin. To Gogi Goshi… and all other relatives of Farooq Bhai too. Give my heartwarming love to the little prince, Azra and Munazza and my earnest wishes for little prince’s younger brother. I have forgotten his name, please do mention it in the next letter.
I hope this exchange of letters continues.
Your brother,
Mohammad Maqbool Bhat