BY EMAN SHAHZAD
Tariq Mehmood was more than just a name of a journalist or a professor for me. He was the most caring husband and responsible father.
I had seen him as a quite soul with so much inside his heart and mind. He was a wise person no doubt but also the most capable person to be called a father. I say this because I had seen this side of his the most.
His love and care for his children mostly his daughter. The way he would always make her understand his decisions. Its easy to impose rules but making other person understand why you made them is what matters most. I loved the way he guided his daughter through every hardship.
Tariq uncle was an angel Allah sent to help others. He had helped me in so many ways and I had witnessed him helping others too. The reason I am not mentioning any incidents is because I know he would never have wanted me to. He was silent helper.
He had started picking me up and dropping me off at NUML just because I was his daughters classmate. He was on time but mostly his daughter would make him late which was fun.
Every morning, I would wait for his maroon colored Wagan R and as soon as I would spot them it was this feeling of excitement. The excitement because of all the fun and informative new things I would get to know.
Since I had always been an intuitive person he was the only one who I had observed to not just listen to me but answer all my questions with patience. I was excited for the car rides.
Sometimes we would just drive quietly and other times we would be talking about problems in our society. I would be searching things on the internet and then discussing them with him.
He was indeed a wise man and would always be two steps ahead of me. This man came into my life quick and then never left. His soul might not be here today but he lives with me till I die.
I still take up all his advices and think about what he would have done if he was here. He made me strong with his words and a great decision maker. He had such a peaceful personality that in his presence the surroundings became serene.
He had a tough life with having to teach students and then go to different places to cover news reports. I don’t know whether he was struggling or not because he had much self respect.
He would never share his problems yet solve everyone elses’. I was inspired by him even though I met him a year or so before his demise last year. His ethics and his rules and the way he stuck to what he believed in.
The way he would help his daughter understand why he said what he did. Or why he put a certain restriction on her. How he knew how to take care of not just his family but his work too.
Working as a professor and journalist. Requiring so much input yet he was so dedicated. He inspires me to be like him and to do the best I can for my family. To never let anything come between me and what I believe in.
He was observant and warm hearted. My mother asked him to not drop me infront of my house since our road was narrow. She would wait for me near my house everyday in the morning and afternoon.
Sometimes, I would be late and uncle Tariq would ask me to inform my mother right away because she would be waiting for me. He once asked his daughter Marium what my mother did and she replied that she is a house wife.
He then asked Marium to talk to my mother and ask her if she wants to continue her studies. He even added that he would love to enroll her in the university. I only got to know about this after his death and it bought be to tears.
My mother would have loved to continue her studies deep down. Its as if he could see right through her. He truly saw a person’s potential.
I wish I could write everything he told us. He was a genuine person and I am sad I might never find anyone like him ever again. May his journey ahead be pleasant and may we meet his soul again with that same smile blessing our eyes.
May Allah shower his blessings on all his loved ones and his family.
(Eman Shahzad is student of BS English at National University of Modern Languages, Islamabad. She can be reached at emanshahzad101@gmail.com )
