 Akberali was
a study in contrasts. He could be very jolly or very serious. He
could be ambitious or he could be satisfied with his lot. He would
want to be with people or he would want to be alone. He could work
hard or he could be complacent. He was considered a bright student
and was an excellent writer in Gujarati. He was widely known for
his prose and given different circumstances might
have been a professional author instead of being forced into a
business to support a family. He was a keen sportsman and played
tennis, soccer, badminton, volleyball, hockey and cricket. The
story about his early futile romance is well known. He was heartbroken
when the girl was sent away and married to someone else.
In early 1937,
he was sent to Mwanza to help Fatehaly in the shop. He made friends,
worked hard and played hard, but he could not get over his love.
He was a very handsome man of 20, very well spoken and active in
all the Jamati "waras". He could deliver a speech at
the drop of a hat. The young girls in town would visit his shop,
and he would wallow in their attention. There was one particular
7 year old, whose father owned the soda factory opposite Akber's
shop. The girl was Daulatkhanu and her father was Allaudinbhai.
Akber took to visiting the soda factory and gradually started paying
Dolu more attention than other girls. He taught her songs and helped
with her school work, and when she fell asleep during Lailtul Oadr,
he carried her home. Allaudinbhai liked Akber and sought his company
on hunting trips or local business travel. When Dolu was 14 years
of age, she told Akber that she would marry him one day. Akber
told her not to be foolish as he had taken a vow that he would
not marry. Dolu was adamant; Akber would one day wed her. About
this time, some people advised Allaudinbhai that it was folly for
Dolu to spend so much time around Akber since he had no intention
of marrying and he would spoil Dolu's chances of finding a husband.
Allaudinbhai asked Akber point blank what his intentions were,
and Akber confirmed that he would not marry Dolu. Allaudinbhai
took the only course of action open to him; he forbade Akber from
coming to his house or having any contact with Dolu. This only
served to encourage Akber and Dolu to send each other love notes
in secret. Each would get jealous of the other if he or she happened
to pay attention to the opposite sex. Dolu was normally an obedient
child, a voluntary teacher at Aga Khan School and a regular at
Jamatkhana in her white frocks. On this issue, however, she stuck
to her guns-, she wanted Akber and no one else.
Akber was in
turmoil. He even passed up the opportunity to speak to Mawlana
Sultan Mohamed Shah during mehmani fearing that Mawla would raise
the subject of him getting married. Mawla raised the subject anyway
with Husseinaly, and advised that Akber should marry immediately
and went on to identify a girl, who was a girl guide and of whom
Mawla was particularly fond. Fortunately for Akber, she married
someone else. In 1946, Akber threw in the towel. He wrote to Rehmatbai
to tell her that he wished to marry Dolu; if, for whatever reason,
she disapproved of the marriage, she should never again raise the
subject of him getting married. Rehmatbai had no intention of passing
up this offer. She approved. They had a simple marriage. Akber
played his game of tennis, showered and walked over to Jamatkhana
to sign the register. He still refused to wear a tie, something
he did not do until 1961 when Dolu at last won him over. Dolu was
nothing if not persistent.
They lived with
Jafferaly and Nurbanu who were married in 1945. Nurbanu should
have been the junior wife, being the wife of a younger brother;
however, the younger and inexperienced Dolu was only too happy
to let Nurbanu rule the roost. It fell upon Nurbanu to teach Dolu
how to cook and look after the house. VVithin four years, Dolu
had given birth to two children. Nurbanu did not have any, so she
more or less raised the children, speaking Kachi with them. It
created the odd situation where Akber and Dolu spoke Gujarati with
each other, but Kachi with the children. They ended up with four
children.
Akber was as strict as Rehmatbai. If any of his nephews needed to be disciplined,
they were sent to Akber. He was also very strong willed. He would win a challenge
to suck a very bitter quinine tablet. He would walk 10 miles to a picnic while
the rest of the family went by car. He was also famous for his appetite. He
could wolf down 6O "puri" with potato curry or 50 jelebi at one seating.
He could be tough or weak. ln 1937,when Habib Bapa died, Janmohamed Bapa received
a telegram informing of the sad event and asking him to take care of Akber.
Janmohamed went
weeping to Akber to give him the news, and Akber started laughing.
Janmohamed was perplexed. Akber explained that he was laughing
because he could not understand how Janmohamed was going to take
care of him when he had broken down in tears. On the other hand,
Akber was completely distraught when Khatija and Jafferaly died.
He was a prolific
writer of letters and articles. He co-produced a publication called "Africa
Diamond Jubilee Special" in 1946 and presented it to Mawlana
Sultan Mohamed Shah. His other great love was music. He and Dolu
were good singers of ginans and ghazals. They both served in the
Council, with Akber going on to become President. They were also
active outside the Jamat, achieving the highest positions in the
Lions, Rotary, Red Cross and other organizations.
In 1979, having just finished receiving Mawla's didar in London, he was taken
to hospital suffering from high blood pressure and kidney failure and subsequently
died of a heart attack. Dolu then emigrated to Vancouver where she studied
and taught music, and played bridge. She passed away on
December 6th, 1995. |
