Sins of IK — The saviour

• The messiah of millions wallows in a new quagmire

The man had a solid run — both on and off the field. Born and raised like a prince, he reached zenith in all and every endeavour he ventured upon. Yes, dearest sirs and ma’ams, we are talking about Imran Khan the ace skipper, trusted philanthropist, and a charismatic political leader who has recently bagged the certificate of Sadiq and Amin from the Honourable Lordships of ‘Big Marble Palace’. The odds he defied to reach the apex were enormous if not astronomical. IK was roughed up by goons, hoodwinked by allies, left high and dry by trusted comrades, alleged of immoral trysts, labelled as apologist of Taliban and an utter failure at art of politics. He had not only surmounted every obstacle but came out stronger and wiser.

Larger-than-life persons like Khan are made, maintained and revered because they symbolise eternal ideas and inspirations of people who had been repeatedly wronged. The collective yearning for a deliverer makes us lionise exceptional individuals as demigods. The whole enterprise has, however, one downside. They always, eventually and without exception, fall short of our expectations. Human, alas, all too human, they overlook the dark side of being influential and famous. The mighty and known don’t possess the bird called privacy. In their lives the intermingling of personal and political is inevitable. Followers and diehard fans want to know everything and anything about the object of their reverence. In short, where there is John F. Kennedy there will be a worried Jacqueline Kennedy in tow while a mesmerising Marilyn Monroe will lurk in the shadows. Where there is a Bill Clinton, a Monica Lewinsky will capture the headlines and imagination of millions.

Larger-than-life persons like Khan are made, maintained and revered because they symbolise eternal ideas and inspirations of people who had been repeatedly wronged

The demons from their past are bound to unearth the skeletons in their closet. Be it Imran Khan or his rivals, things buried and affairs unfinished haunt and exact revenge. The sane thing is to not shoot the herald as doing so won’t make the news vanish.

We the onlookers, the bystanders, the spectators, the viewers of 21st century are hooked on gore and scandal. A national leader with an unsteady and rocky track record of marriages ties the knot in secret for the third time was sure to ignite livid frenzy on twitter, posts, reposts and tagging in memes and jokes on Facebook and a deluge of ‘in depth’ and ‘insightful’ debates shedding light on moral, individual, general and collective aspects of marriage entered in such fashion.

The masses were more curious about ‘when’ and with ‘whom’ IK will take the plunge rather than ‘whether’ he’ll give matrimonial bliss a third go. Well, happiness and success does not last long, goes the trite, clichéd line. And share the attributes of every every cliche ie being true and unavoidable. Will Khan find what is amiss from his life is a question best left to conjecture and prayers. However, I don’t remember seeing Khan in an apologetic posture before. The shy, silent, starry eyed Imran Khan of 80’s and 90’s and the ferocious, talkative and brimming with confidence IK of dharnas when it seemed as if he is in love with his own voice. Khan accused, belittled, mocked, ridiculed and questioned anyone and everyone who was not riding the spick-and-span bandwagon called PTI.

IK is braving a double whammy as the expose came within weeks of a verdict where he lost his wingman Jehangir Khan Tarin aka JKT. The irony is that the axe that axed Mr Tarin axed the arch nemesis of Mr Khan a few months back. The Lady Justice, blindfolded and all, left Khan in a dilemma. Either to celebrate his winning or mourn his BFF’s permanent disqualification.

It is most certainly not the last nail in the coffin of IK, the man has braved far deadlier, more noxious adversities. His acolytes are by his side and are least bit touched by the expose. His enemies have found new ammunition to cut him to size with. Master Dostoevsky had a very apt observation about human nature when he wrote that men revel in the fall and disgrace of the upright. And who could be more virtuous and pious than IK who solemnly believes that he is modern day King Lear who has been more sinned against than sinning.

Speaking of sin, dear reader. Sins, even if admitted and atoned for, are savage, unpredictable creatures. They hunt and haunt their creator with ferocity of Frankenstein’s monster. In hands of an enemy they are spears. In a friend’s bosom, a pernicious, volatile secret.

Let us wrap this piece up with an aphorism by Mark Twain, the great American wit, ‘Every saint has a past, and every sinner has a future’. What Twain did not remark on is what affects more, past or future, in shaping the life of a person who is saint to many and sinner to some.