Pune: In May 1947 amid fear of communal riots, 15-year-old Reena Varma left her beautiful home in ‘Prem Gali’— a lane named after her father in Rawalpindi. She and her siblings were packed off to Solan for what was supposed to be a longer-than-usual summer vacation in the hills. Her mother who joined them later was certain that they would return home once things normalized. Partition changed all that and the family could never go back home.
It is yet again the month of May, and 75 years on, Reena’s dream to see the home her father built with a lot of love and all his savings in pre-partition India is finally about to become a reality. How 90-year-old Reena fondly referred to as Toshi (the nickname used by neighbors and friends in Rawalpindi) managed to find her house across the border is a gripping story. Two years ago while the pandemic was on, she posted about her childhood memories of her house and her desire to see it.
The story of this energetic grandma from Pune caught the attention of 'Sajjad Bhai' from Rawalpindi who tracked down her house and even sent her pictures and a video. Her daughter Sonali who lives in Gurgaon helped her to apply for a visa last year but her application was turned down. Not one to get disheartened, Reena made a video at the suggestion of a Pakistani journalist. It was this that came to the notice of Hina Rabbani Khar, the minister of state for foreign affairs in Pakistan.
A 90-day visa was recently issued to Reena who lives by herself in Pune. Reena is overjoyed at the idea of going back to her birthplace. “I don’t know who lives in our house now but am hopeful they will allow me to visit,” says Reena, who plans to visit Rawalpindi in July.
She is keen to meet all those who she came to know through Facebook such as the members of the India-Pakistan Heritage Club. Her memories of 'Prem Gali' named after her father Bhai Prem Chand Chhibber are still vivid. She still remembers Shafi, the family tailor who sheltered her mother when riots broke out on the streets. “She was hiding in his shop for six hours,” Reena says.
She bears no rancor, recalling her family’s Muslim friends with fondness. “We have never carried hatred for any community. There was fear and chaos when Partition happened. Girls in our lane had to hide in an army camp for safety. It was a very sad situation but I feel only love for what I left behind and cannot understand the hate one sees simmering in some people today,” adds Reena, whose family moved from Rawalpindi to Solan near Shimla and from there to Ambala, Pune and finally Delhi. As for her parents, Partition hit them the hardest.
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