The Family Man

Our office has a doctor assigned to take care of our medical needs and expenses.

This benefit is not extended to our children or wives. So, whenever my wife gets unwell, just to save on expenditure, I pretend that her symptoms are mine and get everything covered by the doctor for free.

Ten or maybe twelve days of treatment went by when the doctor told me that after much contemplation he had come to the conclusion that I was pregnant ... yet, he said, I don't need to worry because pregnancy of ten to fifteen days can be easily gotten rid of.

Merrily I went back home and thought that now that my wife is pregnant, I would soon become a father. Then, exactly after eight months, when instead of my wife I gave birth to a most beautiful boy, the office doctor said that “It would have been better if you had gotten rid of this pregnancy”.

Translated by Romana Brohi

What's in the name

I was not Mehman Nawaz. It’s just that my name was Ali Nawaz. In my childhood, when I was first told that I am Mehman Nawaz, I was surly surprised, but I did not change my name. From childhood till class six, I was repeatedly told that I am Mehman Nawaz but I did not change my name. In Matric, when my highly respected neighbors emphasized that “you are Mehman Nawaz”, I changed my name to Mehman Nawaz … and then they started sending the guests over to me.

I made my guests welcome. I made them sit on my eyes; I made them sit on my head. When more came, I slid outside into the yard. When I saw more guests coming, I went outside and stood on the footpath. Today I am on the streets and via newspaper, I announce to one and all that I hereby revert my name from Mehman Nawaz to Ali Nawaz and from today onwards no one is to call me by the name of Mehman Nawaz.

Translated by

Romana Brohi