Bibi found it difficult to hold herself together. Thanking him and Waheguru at the same time, she followed the officer and tried to keep pace with the help of her walking stick. The immigration officer saw his boss accompanying a female passenger. He stamped her passport without looking at it and let them through. The waiting area was still a good fifty feet away. Javed raised his hands and gestured to the brothers and the two women accompanying them. They came running and stood in front of the officer. The officer stepped aside, and Bibi came face to face with her sons.

‘Bibi, meet your children, Qasim Zaid and Karim Zaid,’ saying this he stepped back. The brothers were dumbstruck for a moment. And then, they stepped forward and hugged their mother. She threw away her walking stick and wrapped her arms around her sons. They held each other tightly and cried their eyes out. The onlookers started clapping, giving her a resounding welcome.

Bibi had nothing in the way of luggage except a handmade cloth bag. Escorted by her sons, their wives, grandsons and daughters-in-law, she went past the green channel. A long row of musicians was standing on either side of the red carpet laid by the brothers. They were playing the popular Hindi song, ‘Baharo phool barsao mera mehboob aaya hai [Shower flowers, O springtime, my beloved has arrived]’. The loader dashed through the crowd and tapped Qasim gently on the shoulder. ‘Sahib, here’s your Ammi’s walking stick.’

Qasim took the cane and threw it away. ‘From now on, we are her walking stick. She won’t need this any more.’

Amidst the bustle, they managed to reach their cars and were about to get in when the chief immigration officer came rushing up. ‘I believe that Bibi was deported from Muzaffarabad. I have spoken to the authorities. She is most welcome to visit her ancestral home and live there. And if she desires, she can stay for up to three months instead of a month. Necessary formalities will be completed soon.’ Qasim Zaid was speechless. He shook hands with Javed and thanked him. As their cars exited the airport, the crowd that had assembled outside waved at them.