"Of heaven, fire and blood" - by Roman Ahsan

Of heaven, fire and blood

Published: January 3, 2010 |Daily Times |Boss Supplement

By Syed Roman Ahsan

The time is close to 9:30 AM. An executive is enjoying his last moments of a good night sleep it being his day off. Suddenly, he feels as if a plane has crashed in his backyard. He gets up horrified and rushes there amidst screams that come from the neighborhood to discover that the scene is undisturbed. Confused, he paces to the TV lounge and turns on the set where some breaking news flashes about a terror strike with a commentator taking the name “SB&B”. That man was me who had worked at that firm for five years which became the target of a suicide attack in March 2008, the office building being two kilometers away from my home. Since then, the overall situation in the country has not really improved rather we seem to be drowning further in chaos.

Our beautiful country to which we owe a lot yet really fail to contribute anything seems to be sinking in a sea of fire. Our hearts cry out when people die, when smoke arises from buildings, when innocent crowds are swept away in flames and when our brave soldiers die while being confronted by the satanic forces. The fear has gripped our souls making us forget the colors of life. Though we try to carry on with our lives normally, yet we know that there are no promises. Still we have to move on with courage and act as a strong nation which is being put through a test!

The persisting turmoil has affected the common man’s life most. It is he who has to pay the price. Whenever he leaves his home in the morning, he does so with the thought that he may not return safely that evening. The greatest tragedy occurs when normal and healthy people are left injured, with missing limbs or other precious body parts. They are forced to lead a crippled life then. Whether one is a bread earner, a student or a housewife, this reigns as the greatest fear in the minds. When a mother sends her lovely children to schools, she does so with the greatest worries. She relaxes only when they return safely in the afternoon.

Our enemies are trying hard to break up the country. If on the one hand there are suicide attacks backed by covert forces then on the other hand sites are being blown up by remote controlled explosives. Whenever a ghastly incident occurs, the first question that arises is whether it was a suicide attack or a bomb explosion. Whatever the case be, we need to be vigilant. The continuing state in the country has however left most of us immune. We proceed with our daily businesses normally because we are not the affected. Though we are monitoring the grievous situation of our homeland, are seized by anxiety and mourn whenever a terrorist strike takes place, yet only those who are directly involved in an incident are the ones that suffer. The catastrophes leave lifelong scars on the minds of the survivors. Many families get deprived of their heads, while others are left with beings that are rendered invalid for the rest of their lives. What they go through is only what they experience while the rest of us cannot imagine their suffering.

Considering that it has been more than three years that the traumatic conditions in the whole country are persisting, we have to really think how we, the common people can make a difference. Have we gained any lessons from the continuing situation? It is easy to blame the ‘jihadis’, the foreign secret agencies or the inside elements that are collaborating with them, but are we trying to improve ourselves as individuals? Have we learnt the value of our relationships with our close ones and are we trying hard to foster them? Have we started respecting our institutions more while doing justice to our duties? Do we now think of taking care of the elderly in a more proper fashion with focus on respect?

What about our businesses? Have we stopped lying and deceiving other parties? Does honesty matter to us more now? When we commute in our daily life, do we bother to identify the helpless beings that we see apart from the crowd of professional beggars? We do not even consider lying as something immoral as it has become our second nature. Have we learnt the beauty of telling the truth? Our tongues are still as sharp as before. Do we try to use sweet words filled with warmth now? Our attitudes nullify our purpose of creation. Have we become gentlemen and ladies now? Have we rooted out prejudice, jealousy, pride and selfishness from our hearts? We cry out to God whenever a terrorist strike happens, but have we tried to strengthen our bond with the Almighty?

If we seriously ponder, we are not that helpless in the present situation. We just need to think about changing ourselves and act brave while continuing our journey in this world. We owe this to the coming generations!