EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Begum Farzana Hussain (A Living Legend)
Note: This exclusive interview has been sent to us by Engr. Nageen Hussain, D/O Lt. Col. Syed Abdul Hussain and Begum Farzana Hussain
"Even if I had 10 sons, I will give them to Pak Army and Pakistan" – Family lunch, winters 2009
Born to: Capt. Muhammad Faqir Muhammad
Married to: Lt. Col Syed Abdul Hussain s/o Jailer Syed Abdul Rahim (Madras)
Mother to: Shaheed Lt. Col Syed Tahseen Hussain , Imtiazi Sanad (Military); Shaheed Capt. Faisal Bin Hussain
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A beauty with confident sea green eyes, bordered by wrinkles sat in front of me. Two adjectives for her would be ‘Decent’ and ‘Elegant’. She started speaking and I started wondering how it feels being a born celebrity and living that life. Oh yes, I am talking about Begum Farzana Hussain, one woman who genuinely proved to be the mother from this nation!
When asked to comment on her premarital life, her eyes sparkled with pride and she started:
“My dad, Capt. Muhammad Faqir Muhammad was from 18 Royal Garhwal Riffles, 16 Punjab Regiment of the British Army. He and my father in law, Jailer Syed Abdul Rahim (Hawaldar in Royal British Army) fought together in the Second World War. My father in law was taken as a POW in Burma while my dad returned. This happened in 1944.
In July 1944, I was born and as my dad’s diary states, we moved to Pakistan sometime in October 1947. My dad was posted in Malir cantt. Unlike today, back then Malir cantt was scarcely populated and we used to play with an airplane’s broken wing, which was lying in our backyard since day one. The memory of that wing still makes me feel how lucky I am as most people never get a chance of touching an airplane’s wing.
I got my elementary education from Karachi Grammar School (KGS). In the summer vacations after my matriculation, my dad was posted to East Pakistan. So, my mum and Dad went to East Pakistan while I and younger siblings stayed back with ‘dadi’ (paternal grandmother). I was a student of the Govt. College of Women, Frere Road, Karachi.
Exactly after two years, i.e. in summer vacations following my intermediate final exam, my mum and dad returned, along with them was my newly born younger brother.
One fine evening, while walking in the Nazimabad park, my dad met my father in law, Rahim uncle. Rahim uncle narrated how he returned after seven years of being a POW and then decided to come to Pakistan.
Rahim uncle had two sons and two daughters. His eldest son was in Foreign Service and was in Turkey while the younger one was a Captain in Pakistan Army. His younger son had been pet named ‘nanay jan’ (the loved child). Cousins younger to him used to call ‘bhai sahab’.
So, bhai sahab, just like dad was also posted in Karachi. In army life, get to gathers are a norm. Every weekend there is a party at someone’s place.
My dad was the mess secretary (as some might be misguided, a mess secretary is the officer in charge of the mess) of Services Mess (then was called Services club).So, we had parties packed weekend every week.
May be it is in one of these parties in which my charm struck the Captain (chuckle). Hence, Rahim uncle asked my dad for my hand for his son. And so, in September 1964 I was married to Captain S.A. Hussain (at Services Club only).”
She removed her specs and closed her eyes for a moment, as if relaxing after walking through all those years again. Her tone, reflected zestfulness and excitement that she must have felt during all those events. I inferred that the love that she was brought up with; the discipline that she learnt while her parents were away and the contentment of being lucky enough to enjoy all these happy moments are some rare blessings.
She called the maid to bring in tea. Maid walked in with a tea trolley that had a large and a small tea cozies, sugar pot, cups, tea spoons (wrapped in a table napkin) and saucers. Impressed! I was. She thanked the maid, and the maid left. How well trained her servant was!
She moved ahead from her recliner’s rest to pull the trolley closer. I motioned in a gesture to make the tea. She smiled and said, ‘I will do it, thanks’. And she continued, ‘the family of this maid is with me since my elder son’s martyrdom. She is in 9th class and goes to morning school. Her mum also works at my house ’.
I nodded. She looked outside the window as if is contemplating for my next question.
So, finding the moment appropriate, I asked, how was your post marital life?
Keeping the cup on the saucer absolutely soundlessly, she started again:
‘Hussain was a very loving husband. On our wedding he gifted me a Ruby ring which my daughter still loves wearing. I remember he asked me what do I want as a gift and I said ‘a world tour’.
At that time, a Captain’s salary was not enough to take his wife around the world. But soon after the wedding, we were posted to Murree, and living there was lovely. Hussain would always appreciate me by saying ‘the love of my wife is such that she has never served me cold food even in Decembers of Murree’. Back then, there were no microwaves! Hussain had gone to forward area (war zone) due to 1965 war. So, he was usually away from home and returned at odd hours and that too for a very short duration.
I remember, on 18th September, 1965 our first child was born in PNS Shifa Karachi. He named the son, Tahseen and was very happy.
I and Hussain both shared the passion of giving our children the best education.
His wishlist had just one wish and that was to live a perfect life. He always thanked Allah, for giving him a perfect life. To him the perfect life was a beautiful wife and a lovely child and a peaceful home.
I and Hussain have never argued. May be because we were clear on our domains! House was my domain and he never interfered in it. But I always sought his approval before making any change. So was disciplining the children. ‘Spoiling’ (as I would often tease him) the children was his domain.
Actually, we never argued because when he would be angry I used to keep my quiet. And when I used to mad at kids, he dint interfere. That doesn’t mean he wasn’t bothered. He used to calm me down later and express how sorry he is feeling for the child who had been beaten!
After Tahseen, we had another son, Taskeen and a daughter, Naureen. Today, I can proudly say that my husband never ever raised his volume on our daughters. He would always say, my daughters will go away one day and so I can’t be harsh to them. Extremely loving a father he was!
In 1973 we had our third son, Faisal. By then, we were posted in Lahore. Tahseen, Taskeen and Naureen were school going children and we had a Volkswagen! The driver used to drop them at school. In the lunch hour he would take French fries and juice to school. In the afternoon, I used to pick them myself.
Every weekend, I and Mrs Salima Riaz (wife of Captain Riaz) used to go for a movie in the afternoon, while our husband’s took the children to their mess. Waheed Murad was our hot favorite hero. We were a group of around 8 ladies, all wives of Army officers and member of the ladies club.
When Mughal-e-Azam was released, my batman got around 15 tickets. I remember that afternoon; we (15 ladies) picked our children early from school and dropped them at our husband’s offices. Our husbands took the children home and we went to watch the 3 o clock show. The reason for going early was the queue at cinema doors. Good, fear free days they were. Now, ladies can’t even think of going to cinema alone.
Our 14th wedding anniversary was very dramatic. Hussain gifted me two air tickets of England and said, we are going on a world tour. My jaws dropped open as I was amazed to see how well he remembered what I asked him for, 14 years ago.
I and Hussain flew to England and travelled by road or train around Europe. On our way back from England, we bought a Mark II. Our return was also a road journey via Afghanistan. It was amazing and adventurous!........
Cont....
Even if I had 10 sons, I will give them to Pak Army and Pakistan
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