Wristwatch The Machi Gher’

1960, I was a degree student at S P College. I requested my father to get a wristwatch for me. He promised to get me one. I reminded him a number of times. He never refused. He always said that he would get one for me. One day I said to him:" Look that coolie pulling that hand cart too has a wrist watch, Khazir watul cleaning the street too has a wrist watch, but not me."
Instantaneously my father said:” That is why I don't get a wristwatch for you. You are a Degree student and if I get a watch for you then what will be the difference between you and the coolie or that sweeper." I heaved a deep breath and lost all hopes of 'machie ghear'. After sometime one junk wrist watch came handy to me. It used to run slow . Despite my setting it right ,  it would run slow by half an hour  in a duration of two hours. Still I wore it and often turned my wrist to exhibit my wristwatch. Before  stepping of  the threshold of  the house of my pupil, I would again set it  right . Irregular as it was, I was always late to the next  and accused of irregularity.

In Zaindar mohalla, one Prem Nath had the privilege of having a wristwatch. He often used to come on road and look for the time to show off his wrist-watch. One eyed Mohammad Sidiq was notorious for calling names. He was named as Sidea Cone. He noticed the second nature of Prem Nath. He would as many times ask Prem Nath for time as many times as he  exhibited the watch . Finally he named Prem Nath as ‘Machie Ghaer’. Prem Nath had to change his route to escape being called ‘Machie Ghaer’.
Back to Degree student status:
Against the indigenous dressing table comprising of an irregular piece of mirror, hardly of the size of palm, plastered in mud plaster in the wall, I while combing my hair to prepare for college,  sheepishly said to my father: “I am summoned by Salam Saetch”. (Salam Saetch was our Mohalla President)
Father: “Why?”
“I am told that there was some complaint against me” said I.
Father: “Don’t go.”
I said: “In that case he may cause some harm to me.”
Father: “Don’t you know that you are a Degree student? Will you present yourself before a tailor? I will see him myself.  Don’t worry.
I heaved a sigh of relief and left for college with an air of a Degree student.
One day my eldest cousin said to me in private: “Look here. I am the only graduate among all relations from Tankipora to Dalhasanyar.”
I said: “Who denies? It is known to all from Tankipora to Fatehkadal”.
The cousin: “You give me your ‘kunea radio’. I will teach you Economics free.”
I said: “Not a good bargain. I will study Economics myself and not part with my ‘kunea radio’, the only source of recreation to me”.
‘kunea radio’ was the receiver part of a telephone. It was connected by a wire with its other end taken to roof of the house as an aerial. The next wire was attached with some piece of binding wire pointed to a piece of crystal to catch voice from the nearest radio station.