The Return of the Suitcase

Usuf Mir

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“Mukallam did everything within his means to provide his daughters with the best possible education. His greatest dream was to see all three of his daughters become doctors. Even after displacement, hardship and repeated setbacks, his daughters refused to surrender to adversity and worked tirelessly to turn their father’s aspirations into reality.”

Surat, Seerat, and Shohrat were three sisters. Surat was the eldest, while Shohrat was the youngest. Their father, Mukallam, was a schoolteacher who had earned considerable respect in his community. His honesty, dedication, and compassionate attitude toward his students had made him widely admired.

Mukallam belonged to a mountainous region blessed with dense forests, singing waterfalls, and lush green meadows. Far removed from the noise and distractions of city life, it was a place where learning and reflection could flourish.

His three daughters studied in different grades, and every evening after returning from work, Mukallam would personally teach them.

He did everything within his means to provide them with the best possible education. His greatest dream was to see all three of his daughters become doctors.

But fate intervened unexpectedly. Circumstances forced him to leave his home behind and begin a life of displacement. It was a difficult existence, requiring the family to move from one residence to another, sometimes twice a year. The constant upheaval disrupted their domestic life and made Mukallam fear that the dreams he had nurtured for his daughters might never come true.

Yet his daughters refused to surrender to adversity. They resolved to turn their father’s aspirations into reality, regardless of the hardships they faced. They worked tirelessly, studying day and night, and their perseverance eventually bore fruit. Two of the sisters became doctors, while the third attained a high level of education and distinction in her own field.

Although Mukallam found comfort in his daughters’ remarkable achievements, he continued to suffer because of the prejudice and resentment of certain relatives. They never truly accepted him, and the success of his daughters only seemed to deepen their sense of envy.

With time, life gradually stabilized, and Mukallam purchased a house in the city where his family finally settled permanently. Outwardly, he had managed to provide comfort and security for his loved ones, yet inwardly he remained troubled. Despite all the accomplishments surrounding him, happiness seemed to elude him.

A persistent fear gnawed at him from within. He worried that his daughters might become victims of broken engagements and failed proposals. This invisible fear consumed him like termites hollowing out a piece of wood. His daughters had grown up and reached marriageable age.

His efforts were now focused on arranging a suitable match for the daughter who had not become a doctor and who was over thirty-five. Many proposals came and went, but each one collapsed for one reason or another. Sometimes it was an aunt’s interference, sometimes a relative’s stubbornness, and sometimes mere excuses piled upon excuses.

Every failed proposal left another scar upon Mukallam’s heart. He could never fully understand where these invisible interventions originated or how they managed to disrupt his family’s life. He suspected many things, but he possessed no evidence. He encouraged his daughter to remain hopeful, yet he himself lived under the shadow of anxiety and fear.

At last, through the efforts of a friend, a marriage proposal was finalized with a respectable family living in a distant village. Both the young man and the young woman were satisfied with the match. Rings were exchanged, gifts were presented, and a wedding date was fixed.

Preparations were underway in both households when, one morning shortly after sunrise, there was a knock at Mukallam’s door.

His daughter herself stepped out onto the veranda. As soon as she opened the door, she was stunned.

Standing outside was a man carrying the very suitcase that had been gifted to the groom.

Mukallam instantly understood what he had feared for years.

But his gaze fell upon his highly educated and dearly beloved daughter, whose teeth had closed in shock, leaving her unable to utter a word.

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Author is former District Information Officer. He can be mailed at  yousufmir555@gmail.com