Going through the odyssey of life, we come across many vicissitudes and every now and then we feel baffled and lost while finding our way. As we tread the path of destiny, we meet people and lose them too. We cannot control who we come across and we can’t keep those who choose to leave our path. On one of these turns I came across a little girl, who was beautiful, brilliant and exceedingly intelligent. Her name was Saadia Khan, daughter of Brigadier Akram and she filled my life with profound love and affection.
For many years I have wanted to write these words. I thought about it many times and sat down at my writing desk but every time I lifted my pen, a sorrow gripped my heart and words failed me as I did not feel up to writing the end of the story. Today, before it is too late, I feel I must pay homage to the friendship we shared and the love Saadia bestowed upon me. She had a charisma that was inescapable, and I am thankful for having met her, for she enriched my existence by just being a part of my life.
During one of my visits to PMA Kakul, I happened to meet Brigadier Akram who invited me and my friends to his house. During the dinner, quite unexpectedly, a very pleasing, cheerful and confident looking four years old girl walked into the drawing room, extended her hand towards me and said, “Salaam, my name is Saadia!” As I shook her hand, looking into her conspicuously shining eyes, I felt our difference in age, experience and demeanor just falling away. It was as if two kindred souls had met, recognized each other and made a promise to be part of each other.
Brigadier raised his children with discipline and encouraged them to imbibe everything that life had to offer. Saadia seemed to be soaking it all up and thriving in every aspect. Her eagerness for life matched his father’s, who himself was an outdoor man. While she inherited grace, aesthetic sense and artistic abilities from her mother, she was raised like an intrepid soldier by her father. At a very young age she was horse riding, skating, rafting, skiing, , playing the piano, excelling at school and already a trainer to teach outdoor skills to others. God had created her with special abilities. She was, despite all her qualities and achievements, extremely humble, loving, unassuming, caring of the young and the elderly, very generous and kind to the less privileged.
Over the years I met her many times and saw her blossom into a beautiful and accomplished woman, one with resolve with a never ending list of responsibilities she had taken on with zeal. She was an engineer, worked for the UN, mentored young female skiers in winters, went water-skiing on the weekends, took teams of young enthusiasts for trekking in spring and studied towards an MBA in her free time. When I think back, I am saddened at the thought that I never did anything for her. I never gave her anything to remember me by, a book, a pen… All I have with me are just a few pictures of her over the course of years.
On 13th April 2002, I received a phone call from an army officer who informed me that Saadia had been in a car accident and she was no longer in this world. These were very difficult words to hear and accept as I realized that I had been in love with this girl for almost twenty years. It took me two days to overcome my grief and sense of loss before I called the Brigadier. I don’t remember what I said to him, but I remember quite clearly that he spoke very calmly and explained to me in detail how the accident took place. As tears rolled down my face, I could not trace even a tremor in his voice. I realized then how strong and courageous the men of Pakistan Army are.
How does one continue to be close to a person posthumously? I am not sure except to say that people like Saadia live on even after they are gone. Her fragrance has stayed in mind and hearts of her parents, relatives, friends, class fellows, colleagues and even strangers who heard her exceptional attributes and innumerable achievements in such a short life. As someone said, Saadia’s life was like a flashing meteor, brilliant and brief, leaving behind and an aching trail in hearts and minds of so many. May she live in peace in Heaven! Ameen!
