ALSphere Foundation
‘Ammi, where is Abba? Has he left with the camels? Who will play with me now! Why didn’t you wake me up when he left?
Little Amina flooded her mother with innumerable questions that morning when she got up and realized that her father, Rahmat had left for India to sell his merchandise in India. Every year he used to leave his home located on the outskirts of Kabul. He would then travel all the way to India and head to the main cities primarily to Kolkata, to sell the dry fruits and nuts, the beautifully hand woven shawls, and asafoetida. He would return almost after six months.
Before Samreen could explain her restless daughter anything, she rushed outside to look for the footprints on the sand. For days, she used to follow them thinking that she could meet her father by following them.
A few days later, Rahmat reached Kolkata and began to sell his merchandise moving from one alley to the other in North Kolkata. He wrote a letter to Samreen and Amina explaining about his well-being, he also wrote about his new found friend Mini. Amina was excited to learn about Mini, who was almost the same age as her and loved playing with her father and listening to his stories. She wrote to him saying
Return soon
With love
Your Amina
Rahmat read the letter and wrote back to Amina excitedly. Then he touched the paper with Amina’s hand print and continued with the chores of the day.
A few days later Rahmat received a letter from Samreen asking him to return home, as Amina was not keeping well. Rahmat decided to complete the sale of his remaining merchandise and rushed to collect the money that he had lent to some. He wrote to Samreen that he was returning soon.
A few days later, Mini watched Rahmat being dragged by the cops and a whole crowd gathered up surrounding him. As he saw Mini he said in broken Bengali ” khoki aami soshur bari jachhi. Pore dakha hobe .”( I am going to my in_ laws place. We will meet later).
Mini longed to meet and play with Rahmat but she couldn’t hear his foot_ steps again. Far away,in the outskirts of Kabul Amina noticed that Rahmat’s footprints were vanishing.
” His foot _ prints are turning lighter. I can’t see them clearly. How will Abba be able to return home ?”
Amina asked Samreen worriedly one day after Samreen’s letters to Rahmat were returned to her.
Mini grew up and learned the word Disappearance, in her class.
It is called ” La disparition” in French her teacher explained.
” My friend from Kabul disappeared forever.”
Mini told her teacher.
Both Mini and Amina waited for Rahmat, with different beliefs.
Finally, Rahmat arrived in Kabul and started from scratch to ensure that, his foot_steps never faded away.
