The Last Train to Sehwan

 

The Last Train to Sehwan

The sun was setting behind the crumbling skyline of Karachi, painting the city in shades of orange a

nd dust. At Cantt Station, amid the chaotic orchestra of horns, shouting vendors, and screeching metal, an old man sat quietly on a wooden bench. His name was Babar Ali, a retired schoolteacher with eyes that had seen war, love, and far too many goodbyes.

In his wrinkled hands, he held a faded photograph of a girl—no older than seventeen—with a smile as bright as spring. Her name was Zulekha.

Fifty years ago, they had made a promise. If fate ever pulled them apart, they would meet again one day—in Sehwan Sharif, during the Urs of Lal Shahbaz Qalandar. That promise had been buried under decades of silence, marriage, children, and sorrow. But something about this year was different. Something deep inside Babar whispered, She’ll be there.

He boarded the last train to Sehwan.

The train was a rickety chain of metal memories, carrying a mixed crowd: a family returning to their village, a group of qawwals discussing melodies, and a few pilgrims reciting quietly. Babar sat near the window, listening to the rhythm of the tracks, lost in a swirl of flashbacks.

He remembered Zulekha’s voice—soft, yet full of fire. She was the daughter of a bookseller in Lyari, and he had met her when she came to his school for free evening classes. She had dreams of becoming a lawyer, of changing the world. But her family had other plans. One evening, without warning, she stopped coming. He waited for months. Then years.

Life moved on.

But her absence never did.

The train whistled through the night, slicing through Sindh’s darkened landscape like a forgotten poem. Babar dozed off, only to wake to a sudden jolt. The train had stopped at a tiny station surrounded by open fields and moonlight. A few passengers got off, including a young boy selling chai in chipped clay cups.

“Baba ji, Sehwan in one hour,” the boy said, offering tea.

Babar nodded and smiled. “Thank you, beta.”

As the train started again, he pulled out a small bundle from his bag—a set of white prayer beads, a note he never sent, and a silver ring he had kept all his life.

By morning, Sehwan had arrived.

The town was alive. Dhols thundered through the streets. Qawwals sang at every corner. Devotees danced in circles of devotion. The scent of rose petals and incense clung to the air. The shrine of Lal Shahbaz Qalandar stood in the center, its golden dome catching the light like a promise.

Babar, cane in hand, walked slowly through the crowd. His heart beat like a tabla, unsure whether it was fear or hope guiding him now. He stopped at the shrine’s courtyard and looked around.

People came and went—young, old, rich, poor—all seeking something.

But not her.

He sat by the marble steps, surrounded by joy, feeling suddenly hollow. Maybe it had been foolish. Maybe memories weren’t strong enough to cross five decades.

And then… he heard a voice.

“Babar?”

He turned.

There she was.

Zulekha.

Hair streaked with silver, eyes still sharp as ever, and a red dupatta wrapped around her shoulders like an old story. For a moment, time surrendered.

Neither spoke. They simply looked.

Finally, she smiled. “I thought you’d forgotten.”

“I never forgot,” he whispered, holding back tears. “I just… took the long way.”

They sat together, sharing stories of what was, what could’ve been, and what still remained. She had raised two daughters, lost a husband, and still ran a small legal aid office in Hyderabad. He told her about his students, his loneliness, and the letter he never had the courage to send.

The sun dipped low again, casting gold over Sehwan. Around them, the dhamal began—people spinning, clapping, surrendering to the divine.

“Shall we dance, old friend?” she asked, extending her hand.

Babar laughed, a sound that hadn’t escaped him in years. He stood slowly, took her hand, and stepped into the circle.

Two souls, once young, now weathered but still burning, danced in the courtyard of saints—where promises never die, and love, like time, always finds a way.