51. OUR HOUSE WAS OUR PARADE GROUND

When it was close to evening, we would all freshen up smartly for the roll call and wait for dad’s coming back from his Office. He was a “nine -to- fiver” and largely he was on time. We would be very much closely controlled and would behave ourselves and keep ourselves very respectful to him and mom.  “Dizeplin” was the catchword, that often started spinning our head, and we would feel awkwardly sick. His very stature was a bit awe-inspiring to us. He was our OC, 2IC, ADJ and the parade commander, and our house was the parade ground. He would never expect us to be undisciplined and disorderly. When he was at home we would not shout, would speak in whispers. When he was at home, we would all sit together with him for the breakfast, the lunch and the dinner. This was the domestic policy, and it was mandatory. The standing rules of the unit.

Be it morning breakfast, midday lunch or the supper in the night, without dad’s launch we would not start partaking any of the routine. He would see if all of us were indoors and all that was prepared was on the mat before us on bistra for serving .There was no saying grace, but we would start every meal as every other work, good-naturedly, with Allah’s name... There was a sure saying   a glorifying thanks to the lord for having given us our daily bread and the right guidance. We would recite

 

Alhamdlillahil lazi at’amana wa saqana  wa kasana wa jaalana bileeman minal muslimeen wa da”aana ilal eeman wa hadana ila sirathil islam wa ila sirathim musthaqeem biwajhil quraan hamdan kaseeran tayyiban mubarakan feeh. This prayer came down to us from our great grandparents.