breakdown, but she pulled through. After years of mourning, her mother, however, was finally beginning to take some interest in worldly things. Her health improved and she even started going for little walks dressed in European clothes. It was a huge relief to the children.
Thinking an outing would be good for her, Vilayat encouraged the family in the summer of 1933 to go to the south of France where the weather was warmer. ‘We explored the Massif Central, the Alps and the Côte d’Azur from Monte Carlo to Marseilles – Royan – Rochefort, Deauville, Trouville, le Havre, Dieppe. All these travels in a sports car,’ wrote Noor. 31
With Vilayat she travelled further to Spain. In 1934 they went to Barcelona and visited Pablo Casals in San Salvador. Noor was always closest to Vilayat and the two of them loved doing things together. The next year they went to Italy and toured Padua, Venice and Milan, attended operas and concerts, and Noor sent ecstatic letters home.
In one of her letters she wrote about the operas she had seen – Aida , Rigoletto , Trovatore and Puccini’s La Bohème . She wrote how in the middle of a performance of Rigoletto , someone recognised the Duce (Mussolini) and cried out ‘Il Duce!’ This led to pandemonium in the auditorium and on stage, with the actors swooning with emotion and the musicians almost dropping their instruments. Absolute silence fell, then a profound sigh of joy rose from the crowd and the opera was resumed. Noor and her brother were witnessing the early years of Fascism, but at this time Noor was clearly not politically conscious. The Duce, to her, was just a popular leader.
In the summer of 1937, when Noor was going through a particularly difficult period with her fiancé, Vilayat took her to Switzerland in the hope that a holiday would take her mind off her problems. In Switzerland, as with all parts of Europe, there were Sufi families they could stay with. They travelled to Geneva and Zurich, toured the Swiss lakes and mountains, went climbing and skiing and thoroughly enjoyed themselves. Vilayat was pleased to see Noor having such an enjoyable holiday, and later recalled that it was probably the happiest time they had ever spent together. 32 Brother and sister rented bicycles to explore the countryside. They would pause, lie on a mountainside, watch the clouds go by and talk about the future. Vilayat told Noor that he hoped she would finally break off her engagement and put the past behind her. He felt the relationship was draining her. Noor had come close to a breakdown – she was often tearful and could not cope with any stress or criticism. Vilayat tried to get his sister to take life a little easier, and warned her not to carry the burdens of the world on her shoulders. He felt this was sapping her of her vitality and creativity.
In Switzerland, Noor went rowing on the lake in Geneva. It brought back memories of her father. She understood how the peace and quiet of the lake must have inspired him to start a Sufi centre there. She met many of her father’s disciples and thought of his work and teachings a great deal. She even sang some of his songs to the children of other mureeds and was delighted to see how much it calmed them and put them to sleep. In the tranquil lakes and mountains of Switzerland she felt close to her father. She remembered how he would put her on his knees and say: ‘When Abba’s love is there, what fear is there?’ 33 She felt these words were like a consolation to her from him. Many years later, when she was incarcerated in a German cell, her father’s words would console her again.
The Swiss trip certainly helped cheer Noor up. Back home in Paris, she felt energised once again and now decided to take on another venture. She felt she was forgetting her Hindi and decided to relearn it. Vilayat and Noor began taking lessons at the Berlitz school and Noor also joined the École des Langues Orientales of the University of Paris, where she
Thinking an outing would be good for her, Vilayat encouraged the family in the summer of 1933 to go to the south of France where the weather was warmer. ‘We explored the Massif Central, the Alps and the Côte d’Azur from Monte Carlo to Marseilles – Royan – Rochefort, Deauville, Trouville, le Havre, Dieppe. All these travels in a sports car,’ wrote Noor. 31
With Vilayat she travelled further to Spain. In 1934 they went to Barcelona and visited Pablo Casals in San Salvador. Noor was always closest to Vilayat and the two of them loved doing things together. The next year they went to Italy and toured Padua, Venice and Milan, attended operas and concerts, and Noor sent ecstatic letters home.
In one of her letters she wrote about the operas she had seen – Aida , Rigoletto , Trovatore and Puccini’s La Bohème . She wrote how in the middle of a performance of Rigoletto , someone recognised the Duce (Mussolini) and cried out ‘Il Duce!’ This led to pandemonium in the auditorium and on stage, with the actors swooning with emotion and the musicians almost dropping their instruments. Absolute silence fell, then a profound sigh of joy rose from the crowd and the opera was resumed. Noor and her brother were witnessing the early years of Fascism, but at this time Noor was clearly not politically conscious. The Duce, to her, was just a popular leader.
In the summer of 1937, when Noor was going through a particularly difficult period with her fiancé, Vilayat took her to Switzerland in the hope that a holiday would take her mind off her problems. In Switzerland, as with all parts of Europe, there were Sufi families they could stay with. They travelled to Geneva and Zurich, toured the Swiss lakes and mountains, went climbing and skiing and thoroughly enjoyed themselves. Vilayat was pleased to see Noor having such an enjoyable holiday, and later recalled that it was probably the happiest time they had ever spent together. 32 Brother and sister rented bicycles to explore the countryside. They would pause, lie on a mountainside, watch the clouds go by and talk about the future. Vilayat told Noor that he hoped she would finally break off her engagement and put the past behind her. He felt the relationship was draining her. Noor had come close to a breakdown – she was often tearful and could not cope with any stress or criticism. Vilayat tried to get his sister to take life a little easier, and warned her not to carry the burdens of the world on her shoulders. He felt this was sapping her of her vitality and creativity.
In Switzerland, Noor went rowing on the lake in Geneva. It brought back memories of her father. She understood how the peace and quiet of the lake must have inspired him to start a Sufi centre there. She met many of her father’s disciples and thought of his work and teachings a great deal. She even sang some of his songs to the children of other mureeds and was delighted to see how much it calmed them and put them to sleep. In the tranquil lakes and mountains of Switzerland she felt close to her father. She remembered how he would put her on his knees and say: ‘When Abba’s love is there, what fear is there?’ 33 She felt these words were like a consolation to her from him. Many years later, when she was incarcerated in a German cell, her father’s words would console her again.
The Swiss trip certainly helped cheer Noor up. Back home in Paris, she felt energised once again and now decided to take on another venture. She felt she was forgetting her Hindi and decided to relearn it. Vilayat and Noor began taking lessons at the Berlitz school and Noor also joined the École des Langues Orientales of the University of Paris, where she
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