سونا اگلتی زمین

It was the best of the time, it was the worst of the time.
~Charles Dickens

It was the growing season of the wheat crop in the Punjab. Farmers had sown wheat in the spring season and they were waiting for it to fully ripe. Spring wheat usually gets ready and harvested in April and May, it's called Rabi season.

Farmers anticipate this time with enthusiasm and patience. They know that their hard work will be compensated after the wheat harvest. They will have plenty of it for the rest of the year.

If you ask any farmer in Punjab about their big financial and life plans, they will say: I'll do it after wheat harvestation or after Wadiyan (it's a Punjabi word). Because this time farmer's wheat goes into the marketplace for selling. People buy it in bulk and make farmers content with their wealth.

Source

Mostly farmers marry their children or purchase any property after wheat harvesting. This season is auspicious for weddings.

One such Farmer was Adbul Kareem who had the plan to make a dowry for his daughter's wedding in the winter the following year.

He had taken care of his crop during these 3months as he did for his children.

He sowed it at the end of the winter and watered it dearly during its sprouting and growing phases. In this phase water is required for the growth and average rainfall is more than welcome.

When the wheat turned into a golden brown color he became extremely happy anticipating good times ahead.

In Urdu:

سونا اگلتی زمین
Sona Ugalti Zameen

Before harvesting farmers participate in a festival called Vesakhi, which is celebrated in India, Pakistan, and other countries where there is a population of Hindu, Sikh, and in some sscenarios Muslims.

Abdul Kareem also took part in this festival on the 13th of April. People were busy doing the bhangra, greeting each other and thanksgiving.

Farmers also thank Almighty for their abundant crop and pray for its prosperity in the future.

He gathered with other farmers to harvest their crops together and to distribute them among the needy and poor afterward.

His family would bring food comprising wheat bread, Aloo(potatoes) Chicken, and kheer, for him and his helpers who run thresher.

Among his friends were also his daughter's future father-in-law. Both of these were waiting for the harvest season to end in a couple of weeks to strengthen their friendship by marrying off their kids.

It was the best of the time.

One night they came back from the field after a day's tiring work.

Their crop was almost ready, it just needed a warm environment so fully ripe.

However, temperatures above 30-32C could be too hot and will eventually damage the crop.

He was praying for a moderate temperature until he harvests it.

He woke up at night with the worst sound a farmer can ever hear during harvesting season.

Yes, it was the sound of thunderstorms and clouds ready to start pouring. He anxiously woke up and went outside to see the weather.

It was 1 am and rain started excessively and continued till the next morning.

He was worried about his crops and couldn't eat anything in the morning. He just prayed for the rain to stop but it didn't. It continued for the next 4days on and off.

The crops were damaged extremely, they were ready to harvest, but now they couldn't do it. It was damaged due to heavy wind, it was wet due to rain and would take many days to dry. By that time their ideal time to harvest would surpass and crop quality would deteriorate.

It will go into a loss in the markets, they will offer cheap prices to the farmer. A farmer's dream of having abundance was destroyed in front of Abdul Kareem.

Above all, he was worried about the dowry for his daughter's wedding. How will he marry her this year, next year was popping in his mind with 12 question marks. He had to marry her this year but he wasn't able to make his dowry.

Would his friend accept her without it?

It was the worst of the time

At this thought tears fell from his eyes and soaked in the soil of his crop, which was standing in front of him like an old and worn out item.

He wiped his tears and turned around to go to his home with lowered shoulders, but saw his friend, both looked at each other for a while.

Both of them took a few steps toward each other to embrace each other. Both cried while holding each other's shoulders.

Both knew each other's pain, both remained silent.

One friend was unable to tell the other that he couldn't afford dowry this year.

Another friend knew his friend's concerns in his eyes.

Very politely and dearly he said to him: I will accept your daughter's hand for my son without any dowry too.

Let's not make marriages a burden. Let's hold each other's back.

This is our pain, we both have suffered, and we will both get out of this like a warrior next year. We will pray almighty to make it abundant for us the next year.