Since the devastation of the Twin Towers, everything on earth seems to have undergone a change
Ever heard of womanhunt? No. Then, do not skip the preamble in the following paragraph as most of us do while reading a book. Read it attentively, and then go over to the paradoxical story.
Preamble: Since the devastation of two World Trade high-rise buildings in New York a few years ago everything on the earth has undergone a change. Emerging technologies have been restructured, attitudes have been altered, friends have become foes, and foes have become friends, syllabus in dependent countries has been redrafted, the relationship between haves and have-nots has been redefined. What is breathtaking is that new terminologies and expressions have been added to the dictionaries.
It is no more necessary to remember the year the World Trade Towers were blasted in New York. Just remember the month and the day of its occurrence, thus 9/11. Similarly 8/6 would remind you of dropping of first ever Atom bomb in the history of mankind on Hiroshima, Japan. You don’t have to remember the year Pakistan appeared on the map of the world. Simply remember 8/14. Without exploring the havoc men in arms, and men without the arms played with Pakistan that hastened its disintegration within the prophetic period set by Moulana Abul Kalam Azad, just remember 12/16.
Womanhunt is a by-product of 9/11. The wise among the thinkers engaged in constant thinking in the numerous think tanks in US and UK in their strategic war against terrorism believe the word ‘manhunt’ smacks of male chauvinism. Terrorism is not an exclusive prerogative of men. Women too have their stakes in this business. Thus, they gave us the word ‘womanhunt.’ In the age of Enlightened Moderation this is another move to put women at par with men.
Story: Four tough persons with sleeves rolled up to well-built biceps, and exposing their muscular forearms arrived at the apartment of KB Qarzai, Kadir Buksh Qarzai. Qarzai is not KB’s surname. It is derivative of local word ‘qarz’, loan in English. KB is a chronic borrower from all banks except World Bank and Asian Development Bank. He acquired the apartment in his occupation through house finance scheme of a bank. He is yet to pay at least 178 instalments for settling the loan. The car too he has bought with car finance loan. He borrowed heavily from the banks for purchasing furniture and other household items like beds, dressing tables, a dinning table, sofas, television sets, a home theatre, a refrigerator, a deep freezer, microwave oven, cooking range, and various kitchen items.
The clothes he wears are tagged with loans. He doesn’t hesitate to borrow from the banks for buying a pair of socks and an underwear. He often wonders when the banks would arrange for brides and bridegrooms on easy instalments!
KB Qarzai is a habitual defaulter. When he caught sight of four awfully tough persons at dead of night he immediately realized that the banks had evolved new product for shaking up the loan defaulters. KB moistened his lips, and said: “Well, friends I have applied for a loan from a bank for paying loan instalments of your bank.”
The brutes were men of few words. The taller and the heavier among them broke the silence, and said: “We are looking for your girlfriend.”
KB coolly said: “She deserted me long time ago.”
“We know that.” He asked, “Was she in anyway connected with Laden-bin-Osama-ibne-Tora Bora?”
“Not to my knowledge.” Dread ran through KB’s spine. He said: “She was a simple soul.”
One of the brutes spoke in Urdu, and said: “Don’t hide any facts from them. They have come from America.”
The tough brute asked: “Was she a frequent visitor to Afghanistan?”
KB replied: “I don’t think she ever went to Afghanistan.”
The tough brute spoke to the local brute, and said: “This man is not being honest. He is protecting her.”
KB interrupted, and said: “I am not protecting her, Sir.”
“You are.” The tough brute roughed up KB, and said: “Your former girlfriend Katrina spread hellish scenes of death and destruction along the US Gulf Coast on 8/25, and devastated New Orleans, Mississippi and Louisiana.”
KB shook his head in surprise, and said: “Sir, the name of my former girl friend is Katherine, and not Katrina.”
The brute asked: “Then why is she known by the name of Katrina among your friends?”
“It’s a mix-up of an English and an Urdu word, like ‘boriyat’ we have contrived from the word bore,” KB explained in an apologetic manner, and added: “Equivalence of avoidance in Urdu is katrana. When Katherine began avoiding me, my friends gave her a nickname, Katrina.”
The big brute looked straight in his eyes, and asked: “Is it because you objected to her involvement with terrorists that she parted ways with you?”
“Oh no.” KB shook his head, and said: “She was not that obnoxious.”
“Then, why did she abandon you?” The big brute asked.
“She did not reconcile with my chronic borrowing from the banks,” KB sounded sad and added: “In me she suspected a swindler.” The big brute turned his massive neck towards the local brute, and said: “Clearly, a human error.”
