Bahawalpur is a beautiful city in South Punjab. Founded in 1748,

it was part of the former princely state of Bahawalpur. The state was ruled by the Abbasi family of Nawabs until 1955 when it was merged into Pakistan. A formal accord was signed between Nawab Sadiq Muhammad and the Government of Pakistan according to which the Nawab was allowed to retain the title and given a yearly pension of rupees 32 lacs till he died in 1966. The Nawabs left a rich architectural legacy, and Bahawalpur is now known for its monuments dating back to that period. The city also lies at the edge of Cholistan desert, and serves as a gateway to Lal Suhanra National Park.

I was born in 1930 in a remote village of Bahawalpur. My father was a servant in Darbar Mahal which was built by Nawab Bahawal Khan in 1905. My grandfather was a personal aide to Nawab Adnan Abbasi and was deputed head of all servants of the Sadiq Garh Palace and Noor Mahal. I was twelve years old when my grandfather died and my father brought me to his work place. It was there that I had the honour to meet His Highness Nawab Sadiq Muhammad Khan Abbasi. It was in the Noor Mahal that I first witnessed the mesmerising episodes of magic. It fascinated me so much that I outrightly decided to become a magician myself. My search for real magic took me to places which do not exist on world map. I met strange people and weird creatures during my wanderlust. I saw unbelievable things and went through many supernatural experiences. I am now spending last few years of my remaining life at my birth place which is not much different from how I left it about seven decades ago. Having nothing much to do, I have decided to unveil the secrets and lift curtain from the mysterious world of magic.

My name is Yousaf Jamal Shah and this is my story.

It was the summer of 1942. His Royal Highness liked me a lot. I was very young at that time. Though my parents were short, I had gained extraordinary height. My exceptional physical features and fair complexion with golden hair would gather many stories, few of which I heard from servants during my three years stay in the Noor Mahal. My mother had served in the royal palace before my birth. It was here that she conceived me. She was deported back to village to get rid of me but she decided against it. She was forbidden to return to the palace. It did not matter to me much as our customs and traditions accepted such malpractices. It was as such considered an honor for a woman to serve her master in any way he pleases. I was nevertheless resented a lot by other servants due to the privileges I enjoyed at the royal palace. I had access to every part of the state and had a special place to stay. I was only short of being formally declared as part of the large royal family. His Highness had accepted me and proffered me a kind treatment. After two years of hectic grooming, I was deputed as a personal aide to His Highness Nawab Sadiq Muhammad Khan Abbasi. I was only 14 years of age then but looked like a fully grown man. My mental intellect was exceptional too. His Highness had recognized the same since my landing in the palace and had asked the royal tutor to teach me English and Mathematics. In only two years, I outperformed the other children he had been teaching for the past ten years. I was also taught weapon handling and firing along with sword and knife skills that were part of the royal syllabi. After two years of rigorous training, I was put to test. I passed out with flying colors and was henceforth assigned to the personal security detail of the Nawab. Duties read out to me by the detail in-charge were mostly of administrative nature but soon His Highness started giving me his personal errands. It opened up new doors to my vision. I was captivated with the aura and riddles of the new world. I was most intrigued by the marvels of magic. It started a new phase in my life and pursuing the new unseen world sent me out on a journey of mystique, secrecy and enigma.

I was trying to sleep when Akbar came running into my room. My door was open. I never locked my door as His Highness often needed me at odd times. In just eight months as his personal escort, Nawab Sadiq had started trusting me more than his real sons. I was often given tasks which no one even knew about.

One morning, I was woken up by Akbar who was now shaking my shoulders violently.

“Get up Yousaf Shah, get up, get up.”

I was dead tired from last day’s visit to a village in Cholistan desert which took me exactly sixteen hours of camel ride. There, I met an old man named Nazir Bux and gave him the message of His Highness. It was a very simple message. Nawab Sahab had told me in a very discreet tone while sending everyone out of the room. When the room was empty, he looked at me and said, “Yousaf Shah, you are my most trusted man.”

“It is my honor, Sir.” I replied back with utmost respect while bowing down my head.

His Highness got up from his chair, came close to me and picked my chin up with his right hand. He would often talk to me in English especially when he had something confidential to tell me. While looking directly in my eyes, he said, “Take my best camel and go to Garhi Allahyar. Find a man there with the name of Nazir Bux and tell him that the time has come.”

I nodded my head and kept standing there as waiting for his next order. He then put his hand on my shoulder and said, “Go now. Any time you waste here will increase my sufferings.”

I immediately turned around and headed to the stable. I selected the best camel. Took some food and water and departed in next half hour. I made my first stop four hours later where I fed my camel and then proceeded straight to my destination. It was about sunset when I reached Garhi Allahyar. Finding Nazir Bux was easy. The first person I asked guided me to a nearby clump of trees. When I reached there, the sun was setting but there was still the fading light. I could see a wooden hut in between the two trees. I also saw some very old graves around there which sent chills through me. I was strong and brave but still had a mind of fifteen years old boy. A mystified stink was spread all around as well. I started having some very bad feelings but I had to complete my task. I got down from my camel and very carefully, proceeded to the hut whose door got ajar as I reached near it. I froze and my breath got stuck in my chest. Taking few seconds to normalize, I announced, “I am here to meet Nazir Bux.”

After some freaky silent moments, a trembling voice came from inside.

“Who sent you here?”

“Nawab Sadiq of Bahawalpur sent me.” I replied in a shaky voice.

Before I finished my sentence, a creepy person appeared before me. I was now really terrified. Nose on his face was extra-long. His eyes were so small that I could hardly see them. Rest of his face was covered with wrinkles. I so wanted to ask him his age which I guessed to be more than 100 years. The sun had now set and there was hardly any light. As I was still gathering myself, he asked in an icy tone, “Do you have any message for me?”

I was now a little bit focused on the task at hand. Instead of replying, I asked him, “Are you Nazir Bux?”

Without saying anything, he turned back and started to go inside the dark hut. He looked very old but was walking with a straight back.

“Time has come,” I said immediately after realizing that I may have to go inside.

He stopped, turned his head back full 180 degrees without turning his torso. In the dim dying light of the sun, I saw his stony red eyes. My vision got blurred. I suddenly had a feeling of weightlessness. I could feel my head spinning and teeth crackling. He had started walking again away from me. His head was still turned backwards with his eyes fixed on me. He entered the hut and the door got shut behind him. I kept standing there thinking for a while as to what all had just happened. After many moments of bizarre emotional rollercoaster, I returned to my senses. It was dark now. Rows of graves and howling sounds of dogs with a spooky creature in the hut in front of me, was spine chilling. I was sure that anybody else at this spot would have collapsed but was not anybody else. I was destined to do greater things in life. I had a strong heart and a resilient soul. I waited for a while and then thought of knocking on the door. My sixth sense stopped me and I turned back to my camel. I had conveyed the message and now it was time to return.

I travelled all night and reached Noor Mahal at dawn. I knew His Highness would be sleeping so I went straight to my designated room in the palace. Despite my best efforts, I could not get those red eyes out of my head. It was sometime after the sunrise, when I fell asleep and started dreaming about the same freakish creature that I had met last night, I felt my body getting jolted badly. It was Akbar making a desperate attempt to wake me up. Without opening my eyes, I turned to other side and asked in a very painful voice,

“What is the matter Akbar. I just returned from a long journey.”

“Nawab sb told me to wake you up. He is standing here with me,” he said in a bitter tone while still shaking my shoulder.

I jumped up from my bed. There was enough light in my room to see His Highness Nawab Sadiq Muhammad standing in the far corner of my room. I immediately stood up straight then bowed forward and said sheepishly, “I am sorry Your Highness, I thought you would be taking rest. That is why I did not disturb you after my return.”

I then lifted my head up. Nawab Sahab while still standing there, moved few fingers and Akbar disappeared from the room. He then looked at me and asked me to close the door.

I hurriedly walked up to the door, closed it and turned back. Nawab Sahab was still standing in the same corner. I went close to him and narrated the complete story of my meeting with the strange creature and giving him the message. I also confessed of not entering his hut as I was too scared to go after him. At the end, I said, “I don’t even know for sure whether he was Nazir Bux or not…!”

“He couldn’t be anybody else. He was Nazir Bux for sure. I am only worried that why he has not yet responded to my message.”

At that particular moment, I spotted a shadow in the window which was right behind Nawab Sahab. All I saw was a long nose and red eyes.

I was quick to point,

“He is here sir. I just saw him in the window.”

Nawab Sadiq turned back but he had gone till then. His Highness then did not waste a second more. He hurriedly reached to the door and said, “Talk this to nobody. You take rest now. I will need you tonight with full strength of your body and mind.”

I bowed down again and by the time I looked up,

His Highness was gone. I left the door ajar and went back to my bed wondering about my next adventure. I felt a bit scared but I was too tired to worry about anything. It did not take me long to sleep.