First Snow In Valley
One more misty evening in the valley and just at the brink of murky mountain a row of old falter and fainter houses made up of wood and mud, were set up there as if someone had deliberately put them at the verge. The slight lithesome smoke was coming out from those houses. It seemed the dinner was being cooked after the long day hardship at and around the mountain with cattle and collecting wood, which were burning in the wood stove. A crinkled sound of some old hit Hindi songs had played down somewhere far on radio in the milieu.“Akbar….take that lamb away from goat, it will drink all milk” said Ameenah, with vessel in right hand approached her son, who had freed the lamb to suck all the milk from the breast of goat.
“Hehehehe….Ammi let it first done with its appetite, see how small it is, it won’t drink much.” said Akbar, while trying to stop Ameenah by tugging on her left leg.
Ameenah held Akbar in hands, lifted him up, and kissed hard on his left cheek. Akbar giggled and kissed back, below the eyes of Ameenah, with little hands snarled in her hair. Ameenah kissed him again and set him free on ground. She looked around and set her hijab right, as little hands of Akbar removed it partly. She had hairs similar to the strings of silk. A trivial golden touch on hairs and a pink spot on either side of the face made her seem splendid. A dark black lining along the brink of her eyes made them seem more wide and beauteous.
Lamb had done with the feed of milk and seemed satisfied. Akbar drew close to it and it began running away, in all directions besides Akbar with open hands ran behind it. Ameenah touched the breasts of goat to feel if milk still left, but she found, no milk was left. Accordingly, she got up and cried, “Nafeesa,” appa (elder sister) of Akbar to look after him, as his was just 10 year old and went inside to cook dinner as the Khala and khalu of Akbar were coming for dinner.
Nafeesa came over and restrained Akbar from running by expanding her hands wide. She had blocked his way solely. Akbar tried to escape for the couple of moments but then he abruptly sat down with longing face. Nafeesa looked at him by imitating his face and swung around to catch the running lamb. She caught it and presented him. Akbar’s face showed up being on cloud nine and kissed the lamb on head. Now Nafeesa and Akbar both began playing with lamb, blithely. After couple of minutes, Akbar stood up and sought to pick up the lamb but he couldn’t, so grabbed the flapping ear of it, and began pulling in, as he was walking down inside the house.
Nafeesa was still outside looking towards the dark clouds encircling the valley. She seemed mesmerized by the surroundings. Her enchantment had arrested when her Abba called her name from the street he was coming in. She looked at her Abba who had been grinning from his black thick beard. He had accompanied by her Khala and Khalu, both had waved their hands towards her in the gesture not to run down and wait there until they reach there.
Nafeesa swung around and cried out, “Ammi, Akbar….Abba had arrived with Khala and Khalu. Come out fast.”
Ameenah had come out holding hand of Akbar and he was clasping ear of Lamb pulling it from behind. Until then Abba had also arrived after climbing the initial stairs with guests.
Ameenah bowed to welcome them, “Aadabh…. Aadabh” then hugged Khala with warm feelings. When they unleashed, Nafeesa bowed and said, “Aadabh Khala...” just like her Ammi. Khala replied to it same way and touched her head as though blessing for long prosperous happy life.
On the other hand, Khalu lifted up Akbar until his chest said, “Jahapanah you have gained a lot of weight since my last visit, now this old man can’t lift you up anymore.” and handed him over to his Abba. Akbar grabbed the thick black beard of his Abba and laughed.
All females went into the house and all males went into the shade set up in the open area outside the house.
Khalu said, “Ahmed, today’s climate is quite good, it seems there will be snowfall.”
Ahmed, Akbar’s Abba replied, “Yeah, everyone in the valley waiting for the first snowfall of this season and so the terror.”
Khalu said, after a long sigh, “Yeah why doesn’t this Indian government give us our freedom. We are not supposed to be part of India in anyways and it does not matter whether it is first snowfall or last. I have never passed any night without the sounds of bullets.” Khala got little agitated.
Ahmed replied, “No, I don’t think so, we are part of this huge country though we are Muslim but that doesn’t make us different from them, we are as free as others, it’s just we are little troubled because of other side terrorists who are sitting ready to cross the border after first snowfall.”
Khalu said in alerted voice, “Mind it Ahmed, they are not terrorist they are Jihadists, fighting for our freedom…they are the real fighters of god and one day they will bring freedom to you and me, Insha’Allah.”
Ahmed replied in calm voice, “I agree they are not terrorists, they are Jihadists, but they are wrongly inspired jihadists.”
Ahmed paused for a moment to look into the hard eyes of Khalu and continued, “We have to come out from our legacy for our coming generations” while touching the head of Akbar who was listening to their conversation with baffled expression.
Khalu looked down for a moment then said by directly looking into eyes of Ahmed, “But we are still not free. Look around, there are barricades and check post lasted everywhere since decades. We have never lived a single week without curfew. The Indian army frisks us every now and then as if we have bombs in our belongings, they don’t even leave our women. They are all infidel Ahmed, mind it.”
Ahmed protested, “No, they are not infidel, it’s just they have their own god but that doesn’t set ground for hate and by the way, the army, barricades, check posts all are here for our sake.”
Khalu put his entire hatred across in his last argument, “I don’t believe in these infidels. May Allah burn them in hell until apocalypse?”
Khala appeared with a tray consisting of cups of tea and a glass of milk, “As you said, now please stops this talk and has tea. I don’t know who is Fidel and who is infidel, I just want peace.”
Ahmed picked up the dropping words of Khala, “Insha’Allah Appa….I was trying to say the same. If peace would be there then only we can hope better future for our kids like Akbar and Nafeesa.”
Khala passed tea to Ahmed and Khalu and the glass of milk to Akbar. Khala returned to help Ameenah in cooking.
After tea, Ahmed looked around and said, “Let’s move in, cold is increasing and so the night is approaching.”
Before khalu and Ahmed could take single step ahead towards the house, Akbar had already run inside the house. Both followed him and spontaneously white feathers from heaven began swaying over their head. Ahmed looked at the face of Khala and smiled in mixed expression. He congratulates Khalu for the first snowfall of the season in the valley. They happily entered into house and kept door remain open to see the magic of white covering that had overlaid the valley slowly-slowly as if turning valley into heaven. It seemed the day had began rising by skipping the dark night in the form of white snow.
The mesmeric peaceful environment had soon filled with the heavy roar of trucks. They were army trucks. The rolling wheels came to halt on the freshly settled snow and thwacks of boots led off with clangor that was emerging from the guns, which were ready in the hands to slay whosoever come into view.
Apparently, Akbar saw soldiers jumping down the truck. Their faces had some kind of dark makeover and all seeming horrible. They began taking their positions and in haste, Akbar’s Abba came forward to shut the door as if he had made sure that no bullet would ever penetrate it an d whole family would be safe. Akbar was still seeing the deadly drill of soldiers from the little gap between the door sides. Ahmed snaffled Akbar’s hand, fetched him away from the door hastily, and lay down on the ground underneath the bed. Ameenah, Khala, and Nafeesa were in the kitchen. Akbar was laying between his Abba Ahmed and his khalu just like a Perl in the shell that shield it from outrageous sea.
All together, the silence had prevailed in the surrounding, everyone were counting his or her breath and waiting for the ugly nude dance of fire and death to begin. Khalu getting impatience and apparently said, “Ahmed, you told that Jihadists cross the border after first snowfall and if that was true then what the hell this army is doing outside?”
Ahmed replied, “That’s general saying, they can cross border, whenever they want.”
Khalu closed his eyes and chanted, “May Allah help them in beheading every infidel today.”
Ahmed protested, “Please, don’t wish such rubbish thing. Allah won’t fulfill your wish. The army out there is to protect us not to kill. I am sure there must be some terrorists hiding around, in our street.”
Khalu instantly said, “They are not terrorists.”
Ahmed replied, “Ok, as you wish, they are Jihadist. Now please keep the silence.”
Akbar listened to their conversation with closed eyes. Every word of argument straightaway went down to his memory. Soon a dreadful voice appeared vociferously with the sound of gunshot and then that voice had disappeared as though it had never been. Again, silence appeared of one second and then the human screaming disappeared in the storm of bullets, rockets, and grenades. Due to the constant snowfall and nearing night, it was difficult to figure out to whom they were firing. In the roaring sound of death, Ahmed picked up his son Akbar and took him to the other room. He opened the top of the empty strong metal drum and put Akbar there. He had kissed him before putting the cap on it and said, “Once this firing sound turns out silent then only come out from it until then close your eyes and chant the name of Allah.”
Ahmed somehow managed to reach the kitchen to see Ameenah, Nafeesa, and his Appa, they were sitting next to burning wood stove with frightened eyes and clasped each other’s hand. Ahmed’s eyes seemed so frightened off but he had showed his hand telling to keep patience and remain where they are. He went back to Khala who was still hiding under the bed.
Ahmed bent to went down under the bed. Suddenly three bullets appeared from somewhere and traversed through his heart, shoulder, and forehead, respectively. His bones broke away sounding if Ameenah had broken up firewood to put into the wood stove. He couldn’t even make any sound and fell down just like axed tree. After a while, a grenade landed on the bed and took away the life of Khala with his body. He died without knowing the fact that which side had fling it, Army or Jihadists.
Outside the house, few bodies were laying in the street, lifeless. Gun battle was still on. It was hard to tell who was firing on whom. Bodies of army personnel could be easily identifiable but it was hard to tell about the other bodies if they were indwellers of that street or the indwellers of other side who had come in the name of Jihad. Endless bullet shells had dispersed on the covering of bedding of snow. The precipitating snow had been slowly draping each body laying lifeless in the street in white-sheet. Ashes in black were burning hot and blood of red and black shades freezing in the snow with inerasable impression.
After hours of gunfire, lastly it all came to halt. Akbar sitting with closed eyes inside the metal drum opened them and tried to hear the gunshots wherever he heard no gunshots and could only listen to the crinkling sound of fire revealing from burning houses. Akbar stepped out from the drum after removing cap and walked to the place where initially he was hiding with his Abba and Khala. His Abba lay dead in the pool of blood that had somehow turning out black due to the fire around. Khalu was nowhere visible, only the burning piece of human meat could be seen and smelt out. Akbar’s eyes turned moist, his vision had glazed over. He turned around and ran towards the kitchen yelling, “Ammi…Appa….Ammi…Appa….Ammi….Appa….”
In the kitchen, he looked at his Ammi and Appa. Ameenah’s head was perched at the verge of burning wood stove. Her half face had completely burned down. Her Hijab was still on her head as though clung to her head after smolder. Few bullets or perhaps metal pieces had pierced through her bosoms. The moment Akbar looked into the remaining eye it turned out dead. Nafeesa, Akbar’s Appa laid in Ammi’s lap but it seemed she was drowned in the pool of blood.
Now Akbar hadn’t even dared to look at the body of Khala and walked away. He looked at the floor and saw some bullets, some bullet shells. He had picked up one shell and looked at it as if searching for something. When he found nothing, he dropped it off and picked up another one. This search of Akbar passed from one shell or bullet to another and went on it seemed there had been no end of it. After half an hour, someone entered the house in very alert manner. The person was in army dress, he looked at Akbar as an ordinary child. He called him but Akbar heard nothing and kept on checking shell after shell, bullet after bullet. This act of Akbar made soldier to look bemused. He looked around very carefully and then went to Akbar.
He asked, “Hey kid, what are you looking for?”
Akbar showed empty shells. He held it in his fingers and found it useless.
He again asked, “What are you looking for? Let me help you?”
Akbar replied, “I am looking for the bullet that had fired to kill my Abba, Ammi, and Appa.”
Soldier replied, “But they might have by any of the bullet.”
Akbar said by handing him over another useless shell, “No, Jihadists where firing on Army so their bullet had your name and Army was firing on Jihadists so your bullets had their name. Now I want to know that which side’s bullet had my Ammi, Abba, and Appa’s name.”
Soldier was left with no words. His lips just sealed down. He hugged Akbar and took him outside the trash. He made him sit comfortably next to a person who was reporting to the headquarters about the mission. He said, “Sir, We have gunned down 15 terrorists with minimal civilian casualty.”
From other side, “Good job captain, tell me civilian casualty?”
Captain replied, “Only one civilian house burned down as it was sandwiched between us and target. There are around 5 casualties and we have just saved one kid from that house.”
From other side, “Good Job Captain.”
Captained paused for a moment and continued, “Sir, send as much medical support as possible ASAP, our casualties are higher, 20 Jawans and snowfall is heavy.”
From other side, “Ohh…don’t worry Captain the medical support is on its way, over and out.”
