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Tour de Pakiland

My tour de France has come to a miserable end. Last week I set out on a visit to multiple cities in pakiland. The reasons for the visits were multiple social obligations. During the visit I had a chance to visit the friendships of my friends and relations of my relatives. Junaid and Usman were ever excellent hosts in Lahore and Murtaza and Uzair in Islamabad. When they are around you don't have to worry for anything. Everything comes taken care of courtesy all four of them. I also met Waheed, Fawad, Hussain and Ali. Life seemed to be back on the AKU track atleast for a day or two. Lahore visit was cut short owing to family commitment. The very same obligations took me to Islamabad. I had the chance of driving my family to Islamabad on the motorway for the first time. I was travelling without my license and that made me overtly cautious. Negotiated the deadly turns of the salt range quite successfully and managed to over take a few vehicles with my over loaded car. While on the motorway my father and me visited the ill doings of the engineer who planned that part of the road. Discussed why a tunnel could have been a better option and cursed the damned politician who used his influence in the then Govt. to cancel the plans of building tunnels. He had a few vested interests that were worth all the cursing that he will get from me and people like me.
Spent two days in the capital and one night with the capital hosts Murtaza and Uzair. Revisited a few moments from AKU and then bode farewell to everything and everyone. Saved more memories.
Visited my family in Islamabad and had a few hours of fun filled cricket with my cousins. Brought back the memories of days when this was a common occurrence. Had a chance to watch a few movies. Couple of them pretty amazing stuff. The media is waking up to the injustices in the world more than ever before. This world is crazy and complex and far beyond my comprehension.
While I was on the tour I received some very disturbing news from one of my dearest friend's life. That was upsetting and miserable.
Started the back home journey today in the morning. Soon did I realize that driver's seat isn't that comfy as it sounds from the phrase. It comes with its distinct package of responsibilities that I had no wits to comprehend. The leg of the journey on the motorway went pretty well. I was determined to beat my timing on the trip back home. That kind of got smugged in the last leg of the journey. We were all set to reach our place in 4 and half hours when car started giving trouble. Inspite of repeated reminders from my father I did not pay heed. The result was simple _ the car broke down some 30 kilometers from home _ its engine seized and gas kit blew. Oil leaked from every joint. All from over heating.
The damage to the engine is immense. Will cost my father quite some sum of money and 4 days of car-less-ness. If only I had not gone by the reading of the temperature gadget on the dashboard but acted on the instincts of my father.
So that is how my first driving test with my family went. Could have been better but I tried to fight against fate and the battle there can seldom be won. Difficult front and requires a lot more meditation and dedication than I do possess right now.
My initial plan, earlier this week consisted of a break from studies for no more than two days but here I am with seven days gone down the drain and nothing of them left to visit. Earlier today I had a lot of guilt on my mind to this effect and that made me hurry back home. As much as I wanted to hurry back home I got late. The journey became endless one and the damaged car added insult to injury.

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