The Lovely - Gul Rehman Chacha

The lovely Gul Rehman Chacha

Of all the men that work for us Gul Rehman or Gul Mur is the oldest in age and the length of time he has worked for the family.
Name: Gul Rehman or Gul Mur

Age:  Unknown. He doesn’t know how old he his, but he can take a guess from his memories of Partition.

He says that he remembers Partition so he guesses that he must have been 7 or 8 at the time – that’s all he tells me! My guess is 73

From: Abbottabad or Mansera

Abbottabad pronounced Aptabaad

I asked him a few questions about his past and his family but it's difficult to understand what he is saying as he speaks in Punjabi and very,very softly.

His memory of Partition in 1947, was sitting on the roof of his house underneath a walnut tree when the cry came out '‘the Hindus are coming the Hindus are coming’'. Everyone picked up whatever weapon they had to fight, swords, knives, axes, there weren’t that many guns around in those days. He was left at home with his mother while all the older kids went to fight.  He remembers a lot of Hindus living in the valley on one side of the mountain, there must have been a temple there too.

What do you think of Pakistan now?

''They have spread hate. Hindus and Muslims and Sikhs used to live together side by side - everyone minded their own business.''

 ''With 4 annas you could have roti and fill your stomach.''

I asked about his work and family.

His big brother worked for my grandfather's family in Amritsar before Partition, then joined the Navy. 

He came to Karachi when Zulfiqar Bhutto was Prime Minister, so that would have been in the early 70's.

More than 30 years on Gul Rehman still works for the Aga clan in various roles but now as the house duster and odd job man.  When we lived here in the 80's his younger brother Fareed worked in the house as the cook, so we didn't see much of him. Despite his age he still has to work, not sure why, as I am sure his three sons could support him. No one expects the job to be done super quickly or that efficiently but it gets done.

He was the 5^th of 9 children only a handful of them are still alive. He has three sons, one of them works for one of my Uncles in Dubai, another used to work for an Uncle in Riyadh but came back. His younger brother Fareed, also still works for us, but in the office.

Until two years ago he used to cycle to work, which would take an hour one way, in Karachi traffic. Its scary being in a car in Karachi traffic, but a biycle! Now he comes by a "Wagon", but he has moved further away and the journey takes an hour and a half one way.  His wife died several years ago but when he goes home he cooks for his single 27 year old, unemployed son.

The man is thick set and well built, but the most gentle being you would ever meet and I have never heard him complain about anything.

He sat for my photo like a model, keeping perfectly still. He has the most amazing face, deep lines from years in the sun, and the most gentle eyes.