The Desert Rose - Chapter - 11

The irony

Menon tried to sleep. But he was not comfortable. At 6-30 AM, Abdulla, the nathur, came running to his tent.

He said “sir, there is a wireless message from Jasbir Singh, your Foreman”. Jasbir had already returned to Ghusseli after their meeting at Jebel Ali. Menon rushed to the wireless station.

What Jasbir told him, stunned Menon. He was speechless and he sat on a chair and could not balance him. He left a note for Ibrahim with the nathur and got ready.

He drove his car at 160 km which he had never done before. At the Aweer roundabout he went straight and reached the Al-Ain roundabout. Then he turned left and sped across to Ghusseli. He straightaway to villa No: 28 which was designated for Baqer Ali. As he reached the villa, he could see a crowd outside and two police cars and an ambulance.

He rushed in and met Baqer’s younger brother, Mubarak Ali.

“It was at 5-00 A.M. My brother died. It seems to be a heart attack.” He tried to suppress his tears.

“They had shifted from the hut only yesterday noon time. He could not stay one day in his own villa” Mubarak sighed.

“We are going to shift his body to Dubai where we will complete all formalities and bury him"

The news knocked out Menon. He had lost a friend, a good human being. he went inside and paid his respects.

He could hear the wailing of womenfolk. He could recognize Gauri’s voice.

“Baqer Baba, why did you leave us? I loved you like my father and you, too, treated me like your daughter. I can’t believe this has happened.”

I got out. Mubarak spoke to me.

“Now, as her sponsor is no more, Gauri’s visa will be cancelled and she will be sent back to India. Or we can make her a visit visa and she can fly to Bahrain and come back on another maid visa. I will sponsor her”

Gauri heard this and she came out and said.

“No, I want to go to my parents in India. I do not want to come back”

Mubarak said”Fine, as you wish. We will make arrangements within a week. You can come to Dubai and stay with my family till you leave"

Baqer Ali’s physical remains were buried that evening. He had become history and slipped into oblivion in no time. That is the irony of fate.

It was a Friday that Gauri was to fly to Bombay in the night. The visa cancellation formalities were already completed. Menon went to the airport to see her off. He accompanied her till the immigration counter.

Her eyes were filled. She said “Engineer, why did we meet at all? The pain in my heart is twofold. One is the sudden demise of Baqer Baba and the second one is my departure from Dubai. I won’t be able to meet you any more in this life. I will have to live with your face and thoughts in my daily dreams. You know one thing, Engineer?” She stopped with a question and then continued.

“I had fallen in love with you the first day I met you. I knew that it was a wild dream to love you which would have never come true. The days when you were around in Ghusseli were the happiest moments in my life.” She sobbed.

“Anyway one cannot yearn for the impossible. I wish you all the best in your life”'. She burst out.

Menon was speechless. His heart grew heavier with every word uttered by Gauri. He cursed himself to have caused such agony to an innocent girl.

The immigration stamp was put on her passport, to depart from the country.

Gauri did not look back. She walked along and disappeared into the crowd.

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*******The Narration ends********

The Desert Rose - Chapter 10

The Target

Work at the Ghusseli villas continued in a war footing. Labourers worked like machines with utmost precision. There were three shifts daily. This was possible as the new group of labourers arrived as promised by Ibrahim Fardan. Menon slept hardly for five hours every night. So did Abdulla and Jasbir. Ibrahim used to visit at 6-00 A.M every day and stayed the whole morning.

In fifteen days, Menon was able to complete forty five villas in all respects. In another two weeks the remainder of the villas had to be completed. It was a real challenge for Menon. As the deadline approached there was more vigour and enthusiasm among everyone. Finally the D-Day arrived and Menon proudly announced to the Consultants by letter that all the eighty villas were substantially completed and are ready for inspection.

 The road section of Dubai Municipality completed the internal roads of the villa complex, the Dubai Electricity Company had completed the electric substation and installed the necessary transformer. Likewise the Dubai Water Department and Cable and Wireless also had finished their work.

The Ruler’s office specifically instructed the Consultants that they were going to take over the villas with immediate effect. Any further repairs, if any, could be completed during the tenure of the one year free maintenance period.

Keys were prepared with tags of villa numbers and room names. The last day of the revised contract, as ordered by H H The Sheikh, Menon drove to the Consultants’ office and met their Managing Director and handed over the keys to him.

“Congratulations Mr Menon. I knew that you would do that” the MD smiled.

“Thanks Mr Bhatia. It was with your co-operation”. Menon was humble.

The site was cleaned completely as H H The Sheikh was to visit the next day and hand over the keys of the villas to the local Arabs. A podium was constructed and chairs were laid over it.

H H The Sheikh arrived on time. Ibrahim Fardan greeted him.

“Mabruk, Mohandis (Congratulations!!! Engineer)” H H The Sheikh smiled while shaking hands with Menon. Menon felt so proud and tears filled his eyes, but he controlled his emotion. The local Arabs were standing in a queue to receive the keys. H H The Sheikh handed over the keys one by one to them while talking to everyone in between.

When the keys handing was over, H H The Sheikh asked Menon to go to him. He handed over an envelope to him and said ”Mabruk marrathani” (Congratulations again) and again shook hands with him and left the scene.

Ibrahim smiled at Menon. “I am leaving, too. This Thursday, come to my farm at Hatta. Six O’ clock would be fine. We will celebrate”. Ibrahim shook hands with Menon and left.

Menon rushed to his office. He was in a hurry to open the envelope given to him by H H The Sheikh. He washed his face and ordered a tea. Reddy, the office boy, obliged within a short time. Sipping the tea, he opened the envelope. There was a letter of Commendation from HH The Sheikh, praising the Company’s efforts to complete the contract one month before the stipulated time. Special mention was made about Menon’s hard work and management of the project. He was thrilled. He was more thrilled to find a demand draft in his name, of Dirhams 100,000/- with a note pinned, saying “for the hard work of Engineer Menon.” He wanted to share the happy news with Ibrahim Fardan.

He sped fast to his head office and divulged the news to Ibrahim Fardan.

“You deserve it, Menon, Congratulations!!! We will celebrate this tomorrow, Thursday at my Hatta Farm”. Ibrahim was full of glee.

The bank was only till 2.00 PM and Menon hurried to Bur Dubai to encash the draft. He gave a wireless message to Jasbir Singh to meet him at the Jebel Ali labour camp in the evening. 95% of the labour force working at the Ghusseli project was relocated to this camp and they were assigned to other projects in town. Only a skeleton labour was detained at the Ghusseli project for carrying out repairs, if any.

Menon reached the labour camp at 6-00 PM. Jasbir Singh was already there. He asked him to tell the labour to assemble at the central yard.

When all of them had arrived Menon said.

“The company is very happy to have completed the Ghusseli project before time. We thank you for the same. Without your hard work and sweat, we would never have been able to achieve this historic goal.”

With that, he handed over an envelope containing Dirhams 30,000/- to Jasbir Singh and said.

“Divide this equally among the workers” He gave another Dirhams 10,000/- To Jasbir Singh and said”This is for you”.

Jasbir Singh was flabbergasted. With tears in his hand he said.

“Sirji, this is just wonderful. The workers will do more hard work now. Thanks Sirji and I will be at your disposal 24 hours wherever you want me to work.”

He held Menon’s both hands and lifted them to his eyes.

Thursday evening, at 5-00 PM, Menon packed his bag. He called Fernando to meet him and handed over a Chivas Regal bottle to him. “You enjoy this tonight here. I am off to Hatta.”

He turned his car at the airport road towards Al- Khawanij. He turned right at the Khawanij roundabout and drove straight. At Aweer junction, he turned left and he was on the Hatta road.

After the lapse of half an hour, the landscape changed. The sand dunes gave way to brown stony soil with mountains starting to adorn the horizon. It was Hatta territory. There was greenery on both sides. Hatta always got ample rainfall and hence the vegetation everywhere. Menon whistled an old song of Hemant Kumar and sped at 140 km in his Oldsmobile car.

When he reached Ibrahim’s farm, there were more cars parked at the parking lot. Many of Ibrahim’s friends were guests on that evening.

“Namaskaaram, sir” Nathur (watchman) Abdulla greeted Menon. He was fully in charge of the farm. Abdulla was an old timer. He had reached Dubai from Calicut beaches by a launch, many years back. After toiling for years he became close to the Fardan family.

There were many tents erected at the central ground. Already Arabs have occupied some camps. Ibrahim came out and greeted Menon.

“We will start at 8-00 PM” he said.

The function started with a Folk Arabic dance with swords. Young boys were performing. Then was the turn of dancing by grown up Arabs with sticks. Many tables were arranged with different kinds of food on them. Some had already started their meals. A well-known Arab singer started to sing with his orchestra. Menon was reminded of the TV shows of this singer.

The dinner was sumptuous with innumerable delicacies. Menon could not eat much as he was not having his usual dose of appetizer drink. The proceedings came to a close at 1-00 AM on Friday. Everyone retired to the respective tents.

The Desert Rose - Chapter 9

The Bonus

It was exactly four months since the project was started.

Jasbir Singh was panting when he came running to Menon’s site office.

 “Sirji, the Sheikh is on site.” He was still panting.

Menon wore his helmet and literally ran. The Sheikh was standing at the villa 28. Bedouins were surrounding him. Baqer was speaking to him.

The Sheikh shook hands with Menon and said “Sabah - Al Khair, Mohandis” (Good Morning, Engineer). Kaif Haalak? (How are you?)

“Good Morning, Your Highness. I am good. Thank you, Your highness” Menon replied nervously.

The Sheikh took Menon in his Land rover.

He spoke in very fluent Urdu. “How is the work? I want you to specially take care in waterproofing the roofs of the villas. We have a very bad problem at Dubai due to leaky roofs. How many months are left for the project to complete?” He asked Menon.

“Two more months, Your Highness” Menon replied.

“No, I want all the villas completed in one month from today. I need to hand over the villas to my people before the start of the Holy Month of Ramadan. So you can plan accordingly. If you hand over in one month, I will sanction ten percent of the contract value extra as bonus.” H H The Sheikh looked at Menon and smiled. “So hurry up”.

H H The Sheikh dropped Menon at his office and left.

Menon ran to the wireless station and tried Ibrahim Fardan. He got him on the line. He explained everything to him. He was asked to go to the head office with Abdulla, the General Foreman for discussions.

Ibrahim was smiling when he met Menon.

“You love challenges, right? So do it.” He said

“Ibrahim, I need 75 masons and 75 helpers more for the finishing works, to achieve this target” Menon said.

“That won’t be a problem. I am still having a group visa of 200 persons. I will send a telegram to Bergosa to send the workers you want. O.K?” Ibrahim said.

“Make some more rooms for the new labour at the site” He instructed Abdulla.

The new workforce arrived after four days. The speed of the work was increased. Menon did not leave the site. Two cabins were brought from Dubai for Menon and Abdulla to stay on site. Ibrahim bought a plastering machine which would spray readymade plaster on to the walls and ceilings. Masons were trained to use the machine. Plastering time was much reduced and the finishing works consequently took less time than anticipated.

In the evenings, Menon would walk down to the Al-Ain road and would visit Khalifa Canteen. He would eat an early dinner and return to his cabin.

One evening while he was returning to his cabin, he noticed that Baqer’s Land rover was not at the hut. It was dusk time. He stepped into his hut.

“Good Evening Engineer” Gauri’s voice was as sweet as her face.

Menon smiled and wished her.

“Baqer baba has gone to Dubai to fetch monthly rations. He will come only after two hours.” Gauri said.

There was a pause.

Menon sat on the chair, while she continued.

“I was planning to talk to you for so many days. I belong to a village, Pochampalli, near Hyderabad. It is very famous for saris. Tourists come there daily to buy saris. The saris are special ones. My parents and brother also make these saris. I am the only one educated in our family. I took a degree from Hyderabad at the Avinash College of Commerce. My parents and elder brother supported me to complete my course.

One day, Baqer baba arrived at our house and he said he was looking for a house maid. I had a degree and if I go to Dubai, I might be able to get a job, I thought. So I requested my parents and brother to allow me to go to Dubai.

I never thought I would be staying in a Bedouin’s hut in the desert. Baqer baba is very good. He never touched me. Instead he gave me affection like a father. Twice a year when Eid is celebrated he would gift me ornaments and Indian dresses. Every month he would send a rupee draft of 2000, to my parents. I have not got out of this hut for the last five years” She cried.

“Can you help me to get out of this place?’ She requested.

Menon got very emotional at the plight of Gauri.

“Look, I won’t be able to do anything. They will put me behind bars if I make any attempts to do that. I am sorry”. Menon said in a helpless tone.

“After we shift to the new villa which you are constructing, Baqer baba said he would take me to my parents. But I don’t believe that. May be I won’t be able to see my parents at all”. She went to her room crying.

Menon felt very sad as he walked back to his cabin.

The Desert Rose - Chapter 8

 Wet Day

Menon woke up from his sleep as the aircraft jerked and it was descending. Water particles were rolling down the windows like transparent pearls. It was raining.

It was raining cats and dogs in Dubai. The winter rains had arrived on time. The taxi driver drove very cautiously as he could not see well in front and the rain thumped the windscreen and the roof of the car. The road turning right to Rashidia was fully submerged. The sand track had many pot holes and Menon was reminded of the roads in Kerala during the monsoon showers. The car turned left and negotiated an upward gradient and stopped at the gate. The watchman in his plastic raincoat came out. Menon opened the glass shutter and showed his face.

“Namasteji” he said and lifted the barrier gate. The yard of transport vehicles was fully filled with rain water and the taxi stopped at the back of Menon’s quarters.

The same day, Menon drove down to Ghusseli. He was restless as he wanted to know about the effect of rain on the construction work. On both sides of the road water had logged and spread over large areas. The sand track to the site was full of puddles of water.

Jasbir Singh met him at the site office. Workers had not assembled yet as their quarters were fully immersed in water in the heavy rain the previous night. All of them were working on top of the sheds trying to cover the roof with polythene sheets. Some of them were emptying the water from inside the rooms.

“Sir, today no work is possible. The sky is still overcast and more rains may fall”. Jasbir said.

“It is okay. Today will be a paid holiday for the workers. You may announce. Call me on the wireless if you need anything. I shall see you tomorrow” Menon told the foreman and walked back to where his car was parked. On the way Baqer Ali wished him “Sabah Al Khair, Mohandis (Good Morning Engineer)”.

He had a glimpse of Gauri through the window. She smiled at him and for the first time he was able to see her face as she had removed her veil. She was very beautiful with long eyes. She had thick and long hair. She continued smiling at him.

“Mohandis, please have lunch with us tomorrow” Baqer Ali invited him.

He accepted and drove back to Dubai.

The beautiful eyes of Gauri followed him on his way. He could not rub off her face from his thoughts as he had started to develop a special feeling towards her, unable to explain to himself of what kind.

He met Ibrahim at the office in Dubai. A fax message was received from Bergosa about the prospective arrival of the workers after two days.

The next day, work continued as usual at Ghusseli site. Rains had subsided the previous evening. At twelve noon, Menon walked towards Baqer’s hut. Three more Land rovers were parked near the entrance of the hut. As he went inside he was greeted by Baqer and his three friends.

“Today is my birth anniversary. We will celebrate it with a lunch.” He smiled.

I am 76 years now. Look at me, I am still young.” Baqer laughed out loudly. Everyone smiled.

Baqer went inside the kitchen and brought a large circular receptacle full of steaming rice packed like a pyramid. He kept it on the carpet. Mutton pieces were peeking through the hot rice. It spread a very appetizing aroma around.

All of them sat around and started to eat. Menon knew the custom and he had taken part in many Iftar parties during Ramadan.

“Mohandis, you are very slow in eating. Eat like us.” Baqer said.

He handed over to Menon a few pieces of boneless mutton from the rice lot. Menon ate all. My stomach is about to burst. Menon thought.

He thanked Baqer for the sumptuous lunch and went to his site office. As it was the lunch break on site, he dozed off for a while on his chair.