A piece of Pakistan's heart

I never met a Pakistani on a different soil. May be have encountered some in India, which I faintly remember. So when I bumped into Aamir Khan (hailing from a place near Lahore) at the shop of Hackescher Markt in the heart of Berlin, there was a strange inquisitiveness to know more about the person he is. For a moment, my rational mind went for a stroll around as I thought - “Is he really like us, the Indians?” The thought itself bowled me over, as if how stupid to have thought so at all. All humans are same, only our lifestyle differs! But talking to him brought an instant jubilation.

The moment he came to know about our group of journos from India, he opened his heart out. Aamir talked us through about the way he misses home and for three years how he's been struggling with the place. “It is difficult to manage being here,” he opined. But his sombre mood took a U turn on his lips, the moment we told him that we are journalists. He was jubilant, as if he now found a magic wand to get across to his idol – SRK. “I love him a lot and been crazy since Ramjaane days..,” he couldn't stop himself. He was not bothered about his other customers as if he world changed in a whisker. I asked him, dosti karna chahta hai SRK se? Tera naam kya hai... Aamir Khan, he uttered. “Aamir Khan!! ?? phir to bhool ja... wo to hone se raha,” I retreated. Hum kuch nahi kar sakte iss baare mein. Tu agar Aamir ya Salman ke alava kuch aur hota to kuch ho sakta tha...

Our friendly banter carried on and we talked. Ladies got fair discount on their purchase from him. While all were set to leave, he held me back asking me to do something and make his message reach SRK. I told him that I am in no way can access SRK. Yet just to ensure I could reach him or access him, I took his number and email id which I have tweeted to @iamsrk. Hope SRK visits Berlin (he is extremely popular there) and greets the man with a full heart for him. The affection for SRK among this young bloke is amazing. Well, it was time to leave and asked me to take a watch out of many that he was selling as a memoir, to which I sweetly declined. He held my hand and said smilingly: aap mujhse hatte katte to ho nahi ki kuch kar sakte ho, issliye lena to padega. With little more arguments, I settled for a wallet. He said, kam se kam paise rakhte ya nikalte waqt mujhe yaad to karoge.

I never heard such a line ever... appeared to be a fabricated cliché but it floored me. I had to leave and hope, if I could ever help him meet his star. Hope my stars help me out in doing so. We had to bid a goodbye with a hug and I carried back a heart that belongs to a place, which we tend to hate a lot, politically.