The Promised Son — Page 16
16 was in great demand by all around him. For this reason his children generally did not disturb him. However, there were many occasions where they managed to share moments with him. These moments were mainly centred around the few holidays that Hazrat Mirza Bashir-ud-Din Mahmud Ahmad ra took with his family. A number of these trips were to the beautiful Indian countryside and to Kulu Valley in particular. The Kulu Valley is situated very close to the River Beas. This valley was a haven for birds and they used to gather there in the thousands. Hazrat Mirza Bashir-ud-Din Mahmud Ahmad ra nat- urally had an immense love for all of Allah’s creations. He would often take two or three of his children at a time on a boat as close as possible to the birds without disturbing them. These boat trips often took many hours because Hazrat Mirza Bashir-ud-Din Mahmud Ahmad ra did not want to disturb the birds. They would stay close to the birds for a long time observing them in their natural habitat. Hazrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad rta was one of his children who was fortunate enough to go on these trips. He commented that on these trips he felt truly close to his father. Hazrat Mirza Bashir-ud-Din Mahmud Ahmad ra would also take his children for shooting and hunting. He himself was a skilful marksman and a proficient hunter. He would hunt only for the food his party needed and would then, on many occasions, set about cooking some of his prize for the family.