The Hasla is typically a torque-style necklace, thick and rigid, cast in silver and sitting close to the neck. It belonged to Ilm Kaur, my maternal great grandmother, who died sometime in the year 1949, succumbing to an unknown illness.
Look at how time flies, we are now headed to the hospital to bring Kasturi and her daughter back home, and the little one will use the bed her mother used. That’s the story of how the fourth generation of my family has begun putting this teak-wood cot to use.
It was during the unprecedented turmoil and unrest of Partition that Babaji came into the possession of this beautiful Quran. From stories passed down, we know that he was given this by someone whose identity has been lost to time. But what is certain is that it was a symbol of faith amidst the tragic loss of lives and the pain of separation from one’s homeland and family.
The postcard is about 5.5″ x 3.5″ in dimensions. There’s a round black seal beside the stamp which reads “26 Mar 49 , 8 AM , Comilla”. That means it was posted at 08:00 am, 26th March, 1949, from the post office in Comilla.
The brass tumbler measures around nine centimetres in height and has a design of peacocks around it. Time and age have discoloured it and it is dented at the bottom. Somewhere along the journeys it has taken, it acquired this dent.
Receive a new story from somewhere in the Indian subcontinent in your inbox every week!