The first Eid, we spent at home. We went to the river and asked my younger brother to set a location on InDrive for the Chenab River, preferably a viewpoint. However, he set a location that turned out to be completely deserted. We traveled by rickshaw for about an hour and a half. When we reached the riverbank, there was no place to eat or drink. We stayed there for about twenty minutes and then asked the rickshaw driver to take us back as well, because there was no network and even SIM signals didn’t work there. The rickshaw driver was a good man and didn’t even charge extra fare. After returning home, we had our meal and ate sweets.
The next morning, we prepared to go to Bhakkar. The bus left at 10:30 AM, and we reached Bhakkar around 2 PM from Multan. We had lunch there.
We stayed there for a week. Honestly, I didn’t want to stay that long because I don’t like being a guest in someone else’s house for many days. However, it was my wife’s wish to stay for a week, especially since my younger brother and his wife had visited Bhakkar many times, while we had rarely gone there.
We have an ancestral house (haveli) there, which belongs to my parents. A few years ago, it was given to my uncle to use. There is a room in that haveli where my cousin used to live. My uncle had permission to use the place because we live in Multan, I work there, and my father also retired from WAPDA there. My cousin had installed a big screen and a music system in that room.
There were some valuable items in the haveli, including old wooden beams used in traditional roofing, some brass utensils, iron materials, bricks, an iron hand pump, some household utensils, and a motorcycle headlight. Some of these items were stolen, and others were sold.
Before we went there on Eid, my parents had already gone to vacate the haveli. They had even opened a door from their house into our portion. They planned to get my cousins married and transfer the property in their names. When they asked for the place to be vacated, my uncle kept delaying and asked for two to three days’ time. Even earlier, when my parents had asked him to vacate the place for their sons’ marriages, he said his own house was under construction and he would vacate once it was completed. A year passed, but he still did not vacate.
My younger uncle supported us in vacating the house. He suggested removing their belongings and placing them aside. They eventually removed their items and took them to their own house. However, my elder uncle verbally abused my father and also insulted my mother. At one point, he even overturned a cart full of bricks and accused us of using force. My father then called a mason, sealed the door with bricks, and had it plastered.
My younger and elder uncles were not on speaking terms. The reason was that Uncle Hussain had tried to reconcile Uncle Nazir, Uncle Saeed, and Uncle Ameer. However, their reconciliation was superficial—they still held grudges against each other. Uncle Nazir even swore on the Quran that he would not reconcile. Because of this, Uncle Hussain and Uncle Nazir stopped speaking to each other.
At the funeral of my mother’s cousin’s son, Uncle Hussain pointed out my other uncle to me. Despite the fact that he had insulted my father, I went forward and greeted him. However, Uncle Hussain did not greet him. Interestingly, Uncle Nazir, who did not speak to Uncle Hussain, came forward himself to greet him when Uncle Hussain was greeting Uncle Ameer.
Uncle Nazir first sent Tahir Bhai with a wedding invitation card for Haris Bhai and Taimoor Bhai, but Uncle Hussain returned it. When asked why, he said, “You hold resentment against me, even though it was the actual owners who vacated the haveli.” So the card was taken back.
Then Uncle Nazir sent Farrukh Bhai to reconcile matters. He is a lawyer by profession and is used to twisting truth and lies. When he met my uncle for reconciliation, my uncle said, “Bring your father. This is between him and me. If he comes himself, I will end my anger.”
Later, Ahsan (my wife’s brother) fell ill after returning from duty around Maghrib. He has blood pressure and diabetes issues. His head was hurting badly due to high blood pressure. He took some painkillers on an empty stomach, but they didn’t help. His veins were visibly swollen. My aunt asked me to call Rescue 1122. I called them, but due to confusion, I initially went to the wrong location. Eventually, I guided them properly and reached home. By then, Ahsan had started feeling better.
Meanwhile, Farrukh Bhai arrived with his father. I was sitting beside Ahsan, so I didn’t greet Uncle Nazir. Farrukh Bhai criticized me, saying it was disrespectful not to greet an elder. Although he had come for reconciliation, he started a different issue to distract from the main matter and avoid making his father apologize.
He then began arguing with my younger brother. When my uncle arrived, Farrukh Bhai stepped back immediately. Uncle Nazir mentioned the wedding card again. Uncle Hussain replied sarcastically, “You yourself are the invitation.” They only invited us to the walima, which showed hypocrisy, as others were invited to all events.
I could have argued with Farrukh Bhai, but I stayed quiet because I understood his intentions. He had done something similar during my wedding as well—provoking me by asking why Uncle Hussain didn’t give me wedding clothes, and then telling my uncle why we didn’t receive gold. My uncle later mentioned this to him during the reconciliation attempt, exposing his hypocrisy.
I believe that one should avoid useless arguments. Always prioritize your mental peace. People will try to provoke you, but don’t fall into their traps. A wrestler who loses control of his anger always ends up losing.