At her house near Palace Cinema/Metropole Hotel:

By

Raju Jamil

I remember I use to walk by on footpath adjacent to what we now call Flagstaff House where this fountain is intact.One can still walk on that footpath.

I remember one evening when I was walking from Chinese Embassy side getting off the tram.. I passed by FS house where I saw Mohtarma Fatima Jinnah sitting by the side of this fountain. I waved at her and she waved back then I shouted Quaid e Azam Zindabad and proceeded to walk towards Metropole and Palace Cinema side when by the entrance gate a tall man stopped me and said “Madar e Millat Aap Ko Bula Rahee Hein..” All excited I went in where one of her labrador whizzed around me that I literally ran. She called the dog and waved at me to come. I stood before her and said “Adaab” on which she looked perpelexed yet responded saying how do you do? I responded. Then she called me nearer and said what did you shout from behind that fenced half boundary wall. I said Quaid e Azam Zindabad. She looked at me scornfully and said.. young boy you should shout Pakistan Zindabad. Now go..and smiled.
That episode played a huge impact on my life going forward. In 1963 I was 14 of age.
Alas…the era without selfies that one can only renember and jot down such memory leaving it for the reader to believe it or not.
Cheers—-Raju