Late night I was sitting in the bus traveling from Lahore to Burhan Motor Way Interchange. Bus was running fast, my thoughts faster than that. My dreams were loaded in the large hold under the bus. I wasn't doing well in jobs so somebody told me I should start a business of my own. Proven to be a bad idea. It hurts when dreams breaks but even more when relations. Brother Shabir helped me to load a bundle of ready made garments on the bus from Lahore and I started my journey towards my city Hassan Abdal 400km away. No doubt Shabir was a nice guy.
It all started with a phone call of an acquaintance of mine saying that he knows a guy Shabir working in Sahiwal. Who has a job vacancy available in the company he is working for. It happened back in 2011 I was jobless and it was a computer data entry job with the salary of PKR ten thousand so I said yes. And next day I took a little savings of mine what I had, and left for Sahiwal with a small bag of mine in which i'd put some cloths and essentials for living in the city 600km away from my home.
So, long story short after reaching Sahiwal in about 7 hours Shabir received me himself and took me to the office. He was a clean shaved slim and tall guy, wearing casual dark brown pants with a same color shirts. It was a nasty small place with a green carpet on the floor and old painted walls. Paint was coming out on some places on the walls. A desktop P4 computer was placed on the carpet in a corner of the room right beside the old wooden room door. At the side of the monitor an ashtray was placed full with cigarette butts. There was a short fat guy working on the computer, Shabir introduced to me as Shah G. Shah G had great data to enter so he needed someone who could help him all the time. He told me where and how to enter their data.
Company was already in loss. Company's two young bosses always kept busy at phone and look very tense but I still keep doing my job. Shabir sometimes used to bring me tea or sweets. He was tense himself aswell. After a month the company got bankrupt and I didn't received even single month salary. Shabir came to me he was looking sorry. He said "you should leave for your home now. There is nothing more to do here almost everyone is already gone." He paused, and said "I can do something for you to get your salary, take the hard disk of your computer with you it has some value able data so later I'll try to get your salary with it. So I took the hard disk and put it in my bag but later I didn't feel its right so I returned that to one of the bosses. I asked Shabir that why he isn't leaving, his house was in Lahore about 200 km away from Sahiwal and it was in the way of my city. He said that he hadn't received his salary for months and don't even have enough money to pay bus fare. I said no problem you helped me by looking this job for me, what happened is not your fault. I have brought some money with me when I came here I'll pay for your ticket. He smiled and said "no no I don't feel good about it." But when I insisted he agreed. We left in a rikshaw to the Sahiwal Bus Stop. Shah G too left with us making rikshaw full with his heavy body.
Company was already in loss. Company's two young bosses always kept busy at phone and look very tense but I still keep doing my job. Shabir sometimes used to bring me tea or sweets. He was tense himself aswell. After a month the company got bankrupt and I didn't received even single month salary. Shabir came to me he was looking sorry. He said "you should leave for your home now. There is nothing more to do here almost everyone is already gone." He paused, and said "I can do something for you to get your salary, take the hard disk of your computer with you it has some value able data so later I'll try to get your salary with it. So I took the hard disk and put it in my bag but later I didn't feel its right so I returned that to one of the bosses. I asked Shabir that why he isn't leaving, his house was in Lahore about 200 km away from Sahiwal and it was in the way of my city. He said that he hadn't received his salary for months and don't even have enough money to pay bus fare. I said no problem you helped me by looking this job for me, what happened is not your fault. I have brought some money with me when I came here I'll pay for your ticket. He smiled and said "no no I don't feel good about it." But when I insisted he agreed. We left in a rikshaw to the Sahiwal Bus Stop. Shah G too left with us making rikshaw full with his heavy body.
We took bus from Sahiwal Bus Stop for Lahore. After reaching Lahore Shabir said goodbye to us and before he left i'd put PKR 200 in his pocket and asked him to get a taxi. He hugged me he was very emotional and he said " you are my younger brother you helped me a lot. Someday i'm gonna repay you, just stay in touch." We exchanged numbers and he left. Shah G too took his bus for Rawalpindi and I got mine for Hassan Abdal. Shabir called me on reaching home and asked me how it went. After a few days he called again. And he kept calling after every few days. We shared a lot of stories with each other. He told me many things about his family and he said that they are going to shift their house in a few days. After about a month Shabir called me and said "my brother this is the time to replay you. I've a contact in a ready made garments factory. They are gonna sell old fashioned garments in a very low price. You can get a bundle worth PKR 100,000 in just PKR 30,000. Wish I could buy this for you but you know my pocket condition right now. If you can arrange this money you can start your small business and latter you can grow it too far." He said last year he helped his two friends buy these garments and now they are running a great business. I thought its a good deal and when trusted brother was involved so no chance of risk.
But for a person who was living hand to mouth, thirty thousand was a big amount for him. But I didn't want to let go the opportunity this easy. So what I did, I borrowed thirty thousand from a relative of mine and took bus to Lahore. As usual Shabir received me but he said that he is going to Police Station his friend is in some problem. He said he can't go with me to the factory right now but I can join him instead. He introduced me to his friend Sheikh, who was also slim and tall with small beard. Sheikh had contact in garments factory. He was together with Shabir on his motorcycle. So I joined them and we three guys on a single bike left, it wasn't prohibited then. We reached police station and after spending sometime in front ground Sheikh went inside leaving us sitting on grass. When Sheikh came back he told us that their friend has already gone home and the case is solved. Shabir got very happy he was telling me that he has good contacts with police he'd helped many of his friends with their cases. He said that one time a friend of him had a fight with a woman, even his friend was on mistake but he make the woman suffer by his contacts.
We were in a hotel room talking. I'd all the money in my pocket. Shabir showed me his gold ring in his finger. He said you know bro I saved this ring because I was thinking if something bad happen to you I would sell this ring. After leaving Police Station at evening Shabir introduced me to the one of his other friend who was discussing with some guys to send them foreign on work permit. Sheikh left with the motorbike because Shabir said we can't go to Shabir's house which he said is out of the city, or to the factory this late. It was already late night till then, so we booked a room in a hotel. At the counter Shabir took his purse out to pay the bill for the room I stopped him saying i'll pay as it is my business we are going to launch. He smiled and said ok you give him your ID too for the registration purpose as its your business. I smiled back and gave my National Identity Card. After registration we went to our room where Shabir told me about his ring, it was nice of him.
In the morning Sheikh met us in the market he said he is arranging my order but it will be ready at evening we said no problem we will wait. We spend our time in markets after evening Sheikh came with my big bundle in the rikshaw. I opened the bundle inside there were all shiny shirts on the top packet in clear poly plastic bags, I was happy looking at it. Shabir said now you can pay him. I handed the money to Sheikh and Shabir helped me load the bundle to the bus. Bus left the stop after awhile. I was full of thoughts that how greatly this business is going to work.
Bus dropped me at Burhan Interchange. It was early morning there were a very few traffic on the road with no people around. I called a few taxi drivers but no one agreed to come there at that time. Sometime standing there waiting, a 80's model Bedford Van stopped by. Van conductor helped me load my bundle on. They dropped me on Silk Road at Abbottabad Chowk. I loaded my bundle on Qingqi Rikshaw and at last got home.
Shabir told me before that he is gonna help me to get a shop in Islamabad. After a few days I called him and asked him that you forgot about the shop. He asked have you opened your bundle already I said no not yet I was thinking that I'm gonna open it after I get the shop. He said he is gonna come to Islamabad for me tomorrow. Next day I went Islamabad at the place where he told me. There was a big ground at the outskirts of the city, in the middle of the ground an old camp was build. There were a big fuel tank outside the camp and a huge guy with big moustache was sitting outside. I heard Shabir's voice so I went inside the camp Shabir was lying on the carpet together with his another friend he introduced me as Jawad who he told me run a call center. Jawad was wearing a nice shiny dress, he was a healty guy about 25 with a bunch of hair under his chin. Shabir said owner of the this place is also his friend they buy fuel from truck drivers in cheap rates here and then sell it back to petrol pumps or other vehicles. Then he said its time to go, we hired a taxi and went to city. I stop them to pay the taxi fare I told them that you're my guest here and you came all the way for me so whatever we do here I'll pay for it.
We met Mr. Faheem in the city, he was Shabir's acquaintance. Mr. Faheem took us in his car to itwar bazaar to look for a shop. We were rounding half of the day but couldn't find any single shop. Then Mr. Faheem said he is feeling hungry so we went to Rawalpindi Savour Foods and had their special pilaf rice. Food was delicious I never ate at Savour Foods before. After coming out of the restaurant Mr. Faheem said for now we can go but he will keep looking for shop and will inform us as soon as he finds one.
I invited Shabir together with Jawad to spend the night at my place. They agreed so we took a bus to my house. I took them to Khanpur dam in the way, which is a beautiful place to visit. After reaching my house I made arrangements for them to stay for the night. I brought anything possible for them to eat until they said they are gonna burst eating today, everybody laughed at that. At morning they left for lahore, leaving me to think about the shop. I couldn't sell those garments without having a nice shop.
Sheikh called me from Lahore next day asking for some money to borrow. I told him you're like my brother as you're for Shabir but I'm sorry I don't have money to lend you right now. I'd only a few rupees in my pocket then. I called Shabir several times after that asking for the shop. Every time he said wait we are gonna arrange it its our responsibility, but he did nothing about it. After I stopped calling Shabir and started looking place by myself. I found a shop in Lalazar Wah Cantt with the help of one of my former colleague wiki, who also gave me a showcase from his shop to use. The shop I got was already a clothing shop named Tayyab Cloth Store. Owner of the shop Tayyab was a nice guy who gave me place in his shop on a very small rent which I'd to pay after a month. He was a really healthy guy with a big tummy and small curly blonde beard. I took my stuff loaded in a Suzuki Pickup to the shop. I opened my bundle and took a few shirts and pants from top and put them in my showcase and put the sing board Rs. 100 each.
Beside our shop there was Usam's grocery shop. Usam was short with a round face and small mustache. He was always smiling and would make you smile too by telling nice stories. A few of my shirts were already sold so I put some more stuff out of the bundle to display next came a woman she asked me to open a few shirts for her to show I opened a shirt but there was a hole at the back of the shirt so I put it down. I opened other one that two was damaged another one and that was damaged also. The woman said oh not very good stuff so she left. Then I opened my bundle and checked every shirt half of the material was damaged with some no back, some torn, some no collars and many pants with holes. And other material was very old except a few pieces on top of the bundle. I called Shabir right away and informed him what happened. He was sounding upset he said he is going to do something about it. I separated the pieces which were a bit ok and replaced the Rs. 100 sign with Rs. 50 a few more customers came and took some good looking stuff. Also wiki came and took some shirts but he didn't bother to pay anything. Then customers stopped to come so I replaced the Rs. 50 sign with Rs. 25. A few more days spent and a few more pieces sold away.
I took some good looking stuff to special sunday market (Itwar bazaar). All day spent in heat but nothing sold.
I called Shabir again He said pack everything and cargo it to me at the address of Lahore Railway station I'll pick it up from there. Everything remaining which was in a little good condition I gave to Tayyab as rent. Then said goodbye to Usman, packed the rest of the material and took it to Rawalpini Railway Station where cargo service was available.
After sending it back I called Shabir he said don't worry now I'll do my best to make it right. A week passed by and no response from him. I called him again asking if he received material yet. He said he has broken his foot and that's why he couldn't go to take it. One more week passed away then I called him again, he said he couldn't go because he wasn't feeling well and he had to take his sister to hospital also. I said last time you told me your foot is broken. He said oh it wasn't broken only misplaced. When next time I called his number was off. I hadn't had money to go Lahore looking for him.
I remembered Shah G and called his number I got at Lahore. After a few rings he picked up and he recognized me after a brief introduction. I told him everything what happened. He said a few weeks ago Shabir called him also asking to do a business together but he said no to him and h'd no more contact with him. He was lucky that he didn't believe Shabir. I could earn only 7000 back from 30,000. It was a big loss for me. It took me one year to return that 30.000. Then I left Pakistan and came to Saudi Arabia...........!
