My Mother — Page 39
Devoted Mother 39 standing first in Arabic Honours. I was awarded a scholarship for the study of Arabic in M. A. , but did not avail of it as my father had other designs for me. Left to myself I would have preferred to do M. A. in Arabic and become a teacher of Arabic. My father was more ambitious for me. He desired me to proceed to England for the study of law, be called to the Bar, and compete for the Indian Civil Service. I was only eighteen years old and there was plenty of time for all that. Hazrat Khalifatul-Masih approved and with his gracious permission the matter was settled. The decision bore hardly on who was terrified at the prospect of so long a separation, but she sought solace through steadfastness and prayer. Nevertheless, the parting—when it came—overwhelmed her. My father accompanied me to Bombay to see me off, which was a great comfort for me as I had never travelled further than Peshawar in one direction and Qadian in the other. The journey to Bombay was a new experience for me and also for my father. During my last weeks at home I had felt that he too was under emotional strain, but he kept himself under strict control. During the long journey to Bombay there was little conversation between us. In Bombay he accompanied me to the docks from the hotel and said goodbye at the foot of the gangway by extending his hand, without looking at me direct, and pronounced the custom- ary salu tation. He did not trust himself to the extent of saying anything by way of farewell, nor had he—at any time—offered me any piece of advice or given me any guidance. I knew that he was helping me with his prayers and would continue to do so. How bore up under the separation I learnt only on my return home more than three years later. I wrote home without fail every week and heard regularly in reply, but the