‘Habea Sabenie

Dubea –Dubh’

Charcters:

            Habibullah Khan the messenger

            Lala Kasturi Lal –trader from Amritsar

            Pundit Kashi Nath-local silk trader

            Dedh-Yemberzal, mother of Kashi Nath

                       &

            Brij Nath Mam the Telegraph Master

Habibullah Khan from Babapora was an expert in the art of gold-work embroidery. It is an art of embroidery using metal threads. The term "goldwork" is used even when the threads are imitation gold or silver. The metal wires used to make the threads have never been entirely gold; they have always been gold-coated silver (silver-gilt) and even then the "gold" often contains a very low percent of real gold.

In Kashmiri language the thread is called ‘tilea’ and the artisan is known as ‘tilea dooez’.  Initially the ‘tilea’ embroidery was done only on the ‘pheran’ collar and sleeves of the Muslim ladies. Later on the work had demand from all the communities as it extended its field to pusmina shawls as well.

Habibullah Khan was extremely a gentle, handsome tall and soft spoken person. In his late forties he managed his entry into the Telegraph Department though a primary school dropout as a messenger. Now his embroidery work became part time job for him.

One day early in the morning in the interior of the Banmohalla lane Habibullah knocked at the door of kashi Nath to deliver a telegram in his name. The door was opened by Dedh-Yemberzal who came out of the lavatory in the courtyard.

Dedh: “Chea kues bha chukh (Who are you?). ‘Chey kiya gachee subhai subhaie’ and what do you want so early in the morning?

Habibullah: “Ye hebi che telegram Kashi Nath nie navea te yehie chum dinie” (This is telegram in the name of Kashi Nath and I have come to deliver it)

Dedh: “Hutbha yeatch kiya juldee asie chea aakh koker bangie. Su ha bha chuie venie shongithie. Sue kues anie seath kulea te tulie punditus nendrie. Ye ha bha gav sehea gonchie nueth kurnus beraber” (What was the necessity of coming so early that you came at the cock’s crow? He is still in deep sleep. Who will get seven heads to awaken him? It is tantamount to kissing the whiskers of a ferocious lion.)

Habibullah: “Chea kiya watie Kashi Nath. (What is your relation with Kashi Nath?)

Dedh: “Kiya bha goie. Sue haba chue mai nechuv; chey chie na yeti khaber. Trahi trahie (What happened to you? He is my son. Don’t you know even this much? Oh god! How ignorant are people!)

Habibullah: “Adhbhi teli reth chie ye telegram te yeli vethi  te ye dizzies” (All right then let you receive this telegram and pass it on to him when he gets up)

Dedh: “Hutbha bea draius tuchie munze. Mai heba chie athea chetie. Chea trav vunie ye kakudh mianis pheran chundus munz (I came out of the lavatory. My hands are impure. Let you drop this paper into my pheran pocket.

Habibullah dropped the telegram into the pocket of Dedh against acknowledgment and left.

After a period of four months Kashi Nath received a detailed letter from Lala Kasturi Lal. It read: “It is strange that you did not act on my instructions given to you telegraphically. You have caused a loss of more than one lac to yourself and an enormous loss to me by ignoring my instructions. I had asked to bid for all the silk yarn on auction by the Government Silk Factory @ any price up to Rs.60 per lb. If you could manage at a lesser price, the difference would be yours. Besides, you would get commission from me for my price at sixty. I will send you the money for the purchase. You shall not have to invest from your pocket. The silk yarn was sold by the factory @Rs. 40 an Lb.”

Kashi Nath started his jeep and straight way went to Brij Nath Mam the Telegraph Master with the complaint and threatened him with a sue for damages.

Brij Nath Mam perused his four-month old record and detected that the telegram was delivered by Habibullah against acknowledgement. He called Habibullah and asked him to recall if he virtually delivered the telegram.

Habibullah was confident about his sincerity to his work. He was sure that he must have delivered the telegram. He asked Kashi Nath about the topography of his house. Kashi Nath was fuming with rage. One could feel the degree of his rage from the vibration of his nostrils. While Habibullah was calmly concentrating on the four-month old incident and recalling the sequence, Kashi Nath banged the table of the Telegraph Master and repeated his threatening.

In the meantime Habibullah recalled the event and with confidence assured the Telegraph Master that he delivered the telegram to one of the family members of Kashi Nath.

Brij Nath Mam to Habibullah: “Are you sure that you delivered the telegram? Can you identify the person in the family to whom you delivered the telegram?”

Habibullah: “Ahuen Mahra. (Yes sir. I am sure that I delivered the telegram and I can identify the person to whom I delivered the telegram)

“All right, come along and board the jeep” said Brij Nath Mam.

Half an hour drive and the jeep came to a screeching halt on the roadside. All the three marched down the serpentine dingy lane of Chinkral Mohalla on the border line of Banea Mohalla and finally reached the destination.

The Telegraph Master was nervous but confident about the sincere work of his subordinate. Kashi Nath was still fuming. Habibullah was confident about his work.

Before the identification parade would ensue, Habibullah raised his finger towards Dedh.

Dedh: “Hutba mianee kueth rotnuekh-beie oie na kanh athie (Oh why do you entangle me. Could you not accuse any body else)”

Dedh blatantly refused the allegation. Kashi Nath supported Dedh. B N Mam was tense and quiet.

Habibullah, being an embroider; he was sharp in remembering the colour of ‘pheran’ of his customers. He pleaded that on the day of occurrence Dedh was in brown pheran.

Dedh: “Rotnuekh high mianie. Mai chunea kunhie brown pheran” (You are accusing me without any reason. I don’t have any brown pheran.”

Kashi Nath seconded his mother Dedh.

Habibullah looked around and identified the pheran hanging by a hanger on the wall. He said: “Let you bring down that pheran and check out its pocket”

The pheran was brought down and an innocent baby in the family was called to look for any paper in the pocket.

Brij Nath Mam heaved a sigh of relief and patted Habibullah Khan for his efficiency, sincerity and hard work.

Dedh said:”Khaber kiya jodugaree kuruen- panun paan moklovuen te bhea fasave nus”( Know not what magic did he play –got himself exonerated and me entangled.