* پتہ کی پتھری *

 Uncle ...

Today, Tuesday, August 19, 2025 at 7:45 PM

I stopped for a while to smoke a cigarette to slow down. Anyway, I crossed the Shah Faisal Bridge, which connects to Millat Town, on foot, and walked through knee-deep water to reach the Shama Shopping Center after great difficulty. There was a light drizzle all the way. There was a rush of cars and motorcycles. Pedestrians were running here and there. Everyone had to go to their respective homes. -

I woke up with a puff of a cigarette and thought of going towards the Shah Faisal Colony Gate to exit Shahrah-e-Faisal from there. My eyes fell on the girl who was barely able to control herself and wanted to put her foot in the knee-deep water of the rain, so I called out to her... Oh, there is a sewer... Go from this direction.... Yes, Uncle, okay. She came close to me and then said, Uncle, will you drop me to the military hospital? Yes yes why not... Come on.. I said while gesturing with my hand and she started walking along with me in the water. I kept guiding her all the way, saying that there is a hole here, come from this side, stop here, follow me etc.

Yes uncle... Uncle thank you... She kept saying thank you uncle all the way and I kept saying thank you and then I myself fell into the water while saving her.... Oh my god at that moment she got very scared because of me falling. She didn't know what to do or not. She got brave and held my arm and supported me. I was completely submerged in water from head to toe. I had a file in my hand which had some prints and ten thousand rupees in cash and a bag and a mobile phone in the bag!

The file and the bag had water in it. She started asking me uncle, are you not hurt? No, no, I'm fine... Sorry Uncle, Thank you Uncle...

I turned the bag upside down and took out the water, took out my mobile. By God's grace, the mobile was working while Phil was soaked in water...We both started walking again. She was walking at the same time as me, sometimes ahead of me and sometimes behind me. The water was not decreasing. Somehow or the other, we reached the Fauji Shaukat Foundation Hospital. There too, the water flow was very fast. There was no light in the entire area. The guards were also standing on the side. Now she was looking at me with appreciative eyes and I was now in a dilemma that how could I leave her alone in this pitch darkness?!

Finally he pleaded uncle please that light that is visible in front...go with me till there...I replied let's go....

Look baby I advised never to show fear and anxiety in front of anyone this is the requirement of today's situation...Yes uncle...Thank you uncle...I started telling him that I had to go to that bridge in front but there is a traffic jam there I guess I won't be able to go to my house Gulshan Iqbal today because the water flow is very fast...Oh...it came out of his mouth but it's not a problem sometimes it happens in life

Where do you live? Do you work? Uncle, I study in university and live in Shah Faisal 3...I am an accountant in accounts...Today my wife had said that it is rainy season so take a leave but I had to do sales tax work so I could not take a leave Korangi Vita...it came...heavy rain started at 2 o'clock...Uncle thank you...she used to say it again and again every moment...I had decided in my heart that now it is impossible for me to go home so why not leave her at her house

I will spend the night roaming on the streets

Someone must be waiting for you so........go to your house

And then it happened when we reached Green Town square beyond the colony gate, some people were seen there who were standing at the stop, there was no woman there either

She started looking for a rickshaw from far and wide. There was no possibility in such conditions, what about a rickshaw in knee-deep water?? She was in touch with her family on her mobile phone all the way... She kept telling them that she had reached here now... My mobile phone's cursor was running due to being soaked in water. I had great difficulty sending 2-4 messages to my home to reassure them... The network was not working. Meanwhile, the child's phone rang. I couldn't hear her voice, while I was hoping that my voice would reach her. I told her that I was at Shama Shopping Center. Don't worry. I will leave as soon as the water flow decreases. It might be late. I kept sending messages to my home, but due to the network problem, not a single one reached me. I was sure that the messages must have reached me. The girl started looking at me with questioning eyes... Oh, I was shocked. Do you still have to go further? She said yes... Where? That number 3 Shah Faisal... I said without hesitation then let's go, it's okay, we both left again... Rain water and both of us were traveling at night and the streets were dark and the road was not lit in the entire area, instead of walking on the side of the road, we were walking in the middle, lest there be any gutter or pit... Finally, we came to a place where the water level was quite high and the flow was very fast... It was becoming difficult for us to walk. During this time, a person came near us and started guiding us. He seemed to be educated and Urdu speaking by his appearance and demeanor. He accompanied us till the end. He said to this girl *don't panic* so I was a little shocked. I mean... he said *don't panic* and got a little confused. He said, I mean that here different things are flowing in the water which are hitting your feet, so don't be afraid. The girl replied by saying yes... I was satisfied with the conversation that took place between the girl and him, they were both neighbors of each other. There were but one Now I was getting to know the other one... He said... Well, you live in the house of the PIA uncle... Yes... I am... This guy pointed to his house and told me that I live there, the house on the corner... I looked at the time on my mobile. At that time, it was 10:15 pm, that is, we had started the journey at 7:30 pm, about an hour and a half journey... This journey was from Shama shopping to here. Before that, I had done the 1-hour journey from Nadi Pul to Shama alone..... Anyway, we reached the girl's house. She was looking at me with appreciative eyes. This guy said to the girl, "Knock on the gate..." She was constantly waiting for me. Then he rang the gate of her house. Her mother opened the gate. Oh, your mobile and file. I took the mobile and file from the girl's hand. Her mother peeked out and saw... She pointed to her mother and told me that this is my uncle who has come to drop me off here. There was a general store right next to the house. I stopped at the shop. Her neighbor asked me, "Didn't you tell me before that you came all the way here just to drop off the girl?" He said with a mixed expression of surprise. I looked at him with a smile. "How could I leave this girl alone with you?" (I meant that I didn't know this guy and neither did the girl know her.) She was very scared and neither did the girl tell me, "Uncle, I will go now, you should go away!"

The girl went to her house. The neighbor asked me for water. "Yes, I want to drink water." He brought me a bottle of water from the shop and he said, "Uncle, you don't look well. Anyway, you came from such a long way." I don't think you will be able to go back... I laughed and said no no I will go no problem then he started explaining the way back going straight from the first street the water will be less there has been digging in places for maintenance there will be puddles... he then left I drank water and took a packet of biscuits from the shop... the shop owner also gave me a bag to keep the goods bottle my hands and feet were burning while putting my mobile in the bag it fell into the water... ha ha ha the shop owner said uncle hey you dropped your mobile again! I...uh...what should I say...I followed the path he told me, then slowly walked in the water up to my knees, reached the next street, there was no light anywhere, stopped at one place and sat on the mandir in front of the house... ate biscuits, drank water, smoked and then walked on. I crossed the next street too, the water flow was very fast there, it was quiet, some bikers were dragging their bikes...I saw a building on the corner, there were shops there, beauty parlor, non-food shop...etc. Some boys were standing there, they called out to me... Uncle, come here carefully, then a boy extended his hand from the top of the stairs and supported me. I thought it was appropriate to stop here until the water level decreases... Uncle, don't worry, stop here until the water level decreases, it is not appropriate to go further now...I took my mobile out of my bag, checked the time, it was 11:11 pm now, I will have to stay here till morning- I had made up my mind. There he sat on the stairs... The other boy told the little boy to take the bottle from uncle and bring water from his house. Uncle must be thirsty. I had drunk half the bottle of water. That boy brought more water. Thank God. I thought it was appropriate to stay at this place all night. It was 1:35 am. All the boys had gone to their respective houses. Now I was there. The night was dark and the sound of flowing water was there. There was no sign of any decrease in the water level... I was sitting quietly, watching the flow of water... Sometimes I could hear the barking of dogs from afar. I was safe because the water level was high and the flow was very fast. Sleep and hunger were not an issue... No problem.

I spent the whole night sitting like this. It was about to dawn. The night passed. It started to get light. The sounds of the call to prayer for dawn started coming. The flow of water had decreased. Now the water level had also decreased from 2 feet to about 1 foot. I checked the time on my mobile. It was 6:10 pm. As soon as it got light, I started walking towards home again and... I started walking towards Colony Gate Shah Faisal. I was hoping that I would get a rickshaw from there. After passing through more and less water on the way, after walking for 20 minutes, a rickshaw came just before Colony Gate. Before Nipa Bridge and near Alauddin Park, the fare was fixed at 600 rupees.

Finally, I reached home at about 6:35 pm.