Having said this.....let me share my unforgettable experience of visiting one such "chotti si duniya". https://twitter.com/FaysFacade/status/1300145347197579267

So I visited this place were these "special people" live for the first time back in December 2017.
I got the chance to visit it with a friend of mine. She had to do her research work and i went along just for fulfilling my desire to meet these "special" people!

As i entered, i had a bottle of coke in my hand... I remember some well-dressed people sitting on a side-walk. Wearing sun glasses. They looked perfectly normal. Talking and chatting just as we do.

So, one of them just addressed me
"Baji, mujhay bhi coke dayngi?"
and as i had forgotten at the moment where i was walking, i was about to give it to him when my friend just stopped me, "Oye! yoon dena allowed nahi hay. Remember where we are."
and i realized "Where i was!"

So i just told him that i will buy him a new one, and i walked further with that sense of guilt that i won't be able to fulfill my promise.
But anyways, then we went to the male-ward which was up the stairs. Where my friend had to collect some data.

She started interviewing one of them, he was a "schizophrenic". He told his story that how he started seeing the "super-natural" beings and his family deemed him mad and left him here.
His story literally sent a shiver down the spine.,,about how those beings talked to him

Meanwhile another man came and sat on the empty chair near us. He looked intrigued. He said "Baji! aap mujh se bhi baat karayn."
My friend was already busy talking to another person, and couldn't talk to him. So i started talking to him just to keep his heart.

The thought, that these people just need someone to listen to them was saddening.
Jesay aap kuch kehna chahtay hon aur koi sunnay wala na ho! Woh bhi saalon! iss karb ka andaza lga saktay hayn?
He told that he had been there for 25 years now. "Koi lenay nahi ata baji!"

to be continued....

Then we started talking to another person. He was going fine when he suddenly started looking upwards and talking to himself.
We asked what was he doing? Ad he said,
"Yeh daykhayn meray kaan kay peechay bluetooth hay. Mayn iss ke zariyay baatayn karta hoon."

We asked,
"Kis sey baatayn kartay hayn aap?"
And he said,
"Allah sey, Quaid-e-Azam se aur ye jo ooper jahaz chalata hay na pilot uss sey. Uss ko raasta btata hoon."

We said, "Acha aap Allah aur Quaid se kya baatain kartay hayn?"
He said, "Mene Quaid-e-Azam ke saath Pakistan bnaya tha. Abb Kashmir banaunga."
And we were awe struck.

Then...i randomly asked my friend "Time kya hua hay yar."
And instead he looked out the window and randomly blurted
"11 bajay hongay abhi."
And when we saw the time it really was 11:15 !
We asked aap ko kese pata?
He said, "Andaaza ho jata hay."

Then a man eating oranges randomly asked us if we wanted to accompany him. To which we obviously politely refused.

But the one that really touched my heart me was a man named "Muhammad Ali."
As soon as we entered the male-ward, their morning assembly was being conducted. Some were still sleepy and all were sitting on metal benches. A psychiatrist was taking their morning session.

I and my friend did not want to disturb them and so we silently stood in the back door and kept observing.
A man glanced backward at us and the next moment he stood up.

He silently walked towards the door where we stood...the psychiatrist asked him
"Muhammad Ali, aap kahan ja rahay hayn?"
He replied with, "Abhi aata hoon Miss" and left.

Believe me, a few minutes later he came back with 2 chairs in his hands and keeping them by the door he said to us,
"Baaji aap dono khari kyun hayn, bayth jayen." and went inside again
And i was moved to tears literally.
Such manners.
اور بقول ہمارے، یہ ہیں پاگل لوگ
افسوس

We visited their art class, music class and pottery class as well.
So much talent! wAllahi! And we have left it forlorn to rot away in seclusion.

Someone told me that thse innocent people really appreciate it when addressed by their name.

So the next time i visited this sacred place, i incidently saw Muhammad Ali near the canteen.
He Heat once recognized me and said,
"Baji kesi hayn aap?"
And i said "Mayn theek hoon Muhammad Ali, aap kesay hayn?"

Believe me i can't explain the child like joy that appeared on his face by being addressed by his name. As if taking pleasure in the only fact that someone remembers his name..in a world that to often forgets that they exist.

He said,
"Mayn bhi theek hoon. Ayen aap ko canteen sey kuh ley kay deta hoon."
And i said,
"Shukria Muhammad Ali, agli dafa sahi."
And then i went on.

تو یہ ہے ایک مختصر سا آنکھوں دیکھا حال اُس دُنیا کا جسے ہم عُرفِ عام میں
”پاگلوں کی دُنیا“ کہتے ہیں۔
یقین کیجیٸے وہ پاگل نہیں ہیں!
معصُوم ہیں۔ نےحد معصُوم۔ شفقت سے بُلاٸے جانے کے مُنتظر۔ یاد رکھے جانے کے قابل اور سب سے بڑھ کر قابلِ اُنسیت۔

جا کر تو دیکھیں۔ وہ دُنیا ہماری دُنیا سے بہت بہتر ہے۔ جھوٹ، مکر، فریب، لڑاٸی جھگڑے، بناوٹ سے دُور ایک سادہ اور معصُوم دُنیا۔ جہاں زندگی بہت کُچھ سِکھاتی ہے۔

او آخر میں ایک سوال ”اہلِ عقل“ کے لیٸے۔۔۔

”پاگل ہونے یا نہ ہونے کا پیمانہ کیا ہے؟ اور پاگل پن کی سرحد مُعتین کون کرتا ہے؟ کیا یہ سماج؟ جو خُود نیم پاگل، بلکہ پُورا پاگل ہے...!!!“