Chapter 3

“I see that I am walking and walking and I see the sun setting and I see the river flowing by and then I see a bridge on the river. I walk to the other side. On the other side I see a white cottage. Completely white. I walked towards it and see an old man wearing a sparkling white kurta pajama sitting there in deep contemplation. He looks at me and asks me to come towards him. His eyes tell me that he was waiting for me. This old man has a large white beard flowing in the heavy wind. and then I walk towards him and as I come close to him he suddenly holds my hand tight and asks me “Have you come for the treasure” I try to release my hand from his clutches but this old man doesn’t budge. I try hard and hard and then I wake up”
Tears were running from Haji’s eyes as he told his dream.

“And you have been seeing this every night”

“Yes every night. I want to go and search for this place. But I thought you won’t allow me too. That’s the reason why I did not tell you. You will think of it as foolish which I know you are thinking. But this dream kept coming again and again. I feared that I if I see it tonight I will walk out of the house in the morning and look for the old man waiting for me. And with the problems we are going through it’s just not possible.”

Kulsum had no words to express her confusion.

“I don’t want to sleep kulsum. I don’t want to sleep”

Kulsum moved her hand on his beard and said “if you see it tonight, you go. I won’t stop you.”

And Haji did see it again. The river, the bridge, the cottage, the old man, his hoarse voice saying “have you come for the treasure” and the firm grip of the old man on his hand. And Haji did get up. It was the Fajr time as the Muezzin called for morning namaaz.