Love with a Stranger(Complete)

23

A car stops at the gigantic gates of a huge two storey house. A security guard comes to the window of the car and asks,"Aadab, what do you want?"
The guy from inside the car says,"Is Omar Sahab home? He had asked me to come today."
"What is your name?"
"Dr. Aman Sharif."

The gates open and the car moves in and stops at a side. He gets down and finds Omar sitting in the garden with another man. He waves his hand towards Aman, signalling him to join them.

"Asalaam 'alaikum!", Aman says to the men, after reaching them.
"Wa-alaikum assalam!", both men reply.
"Tashreef rakhiye.", Omar says.
Aman smiles and sits down.
Omar then says,"Let me first introduce you both. Doctor this is my very good friend and my mentor Mr. Gulam Ali Siddiqui. And Gulam Shahab, this is my new friend, Aman Sharif."
Gulam Ali is older than Omar, in his late 60s. He wears a Karakul hat on his head, a brown pathani suit, and a jacket over it. His hair has turned grey, he has white beard and wears round gold rimmed glasses.
They shake hands as the older man says,"Oh! So this is Dr.Aman. Aap ka shukriya, for what you did for Omar."

Aman smiles,"I did nothing. Anyone could have done the same in my position."
Omar says,"No. You really helped me. I never have these anaphylactic attacks as my staff is careful around me. I have severe allergies to peanuts and my staff ensures my food does not have them. I really don't get how it went into my food. How did such big blunder happen? I wouldn't have survived, if you hadn't injected the epipen right on time. "

'Of course you wouldn't have survived if I had not injected epipen. How could I let you die so easily? I need you. But before you thank me Omar, you need to think how this blunder happened in the first place. Well credit goes to me. Tujhe marne wala aur bacha ne wala main hi tha. I added peanut oil into your food and I injected epipen. You must thank me Omar..'
Aman smiles meekly thinking.

Gulam asks,"But why do you carry an epipen? Not all doctors carry them."
Aman replies,"No. It is for my personal use. I have severe allergies too from a lot of food items. I try to be careful but you may never know. If Omar Shahab's food can get tampered then, we common people are always at risk, right.", everyone laughs as he continues, "I always carry it with me. You should too."
They nod their head, as a man gets kawa for everyone.

"So where are you from?"
Aman says, "I am basically from Kupwara. But I was in the USA for the past ten years. "
Omar says,"He is really a great guy but has suffered a lot, courtesy Indian army."
Gulam Ali asks,"We are with every Kashmiri and our party stands with everyone who has suffered in the hands of the police and army. Tell me your story."

Aman says,"We have a house in the village of Keren. It is just next to the border with POK. We, I mean I and my younger brother Arman along with our waled sahab, Imam Sharif used to live in the town. Once my abba and my brother were visiting our village. I lost contact with them as soon as they reached there. After two days, I went looking for them and I found that the police had taken them for interrogation."
He pauses and then continues,"I went to the police station but they said, army had taken them to be interrogated. I went from one place to another but no one listened to me. Everyone said they didn't know where they were. After 5 days I got my father back. He was tortured and was mentally in a very bad condition. He didn't say or eat anything. My brother was still not released on the suspicion that he is with the terrorists. I.. found his body two days later. His body had torture marks and he was shot from behind... my father.. commited suicide the very next day.."

Aman covers his face after he says everything, sobbing silently. Omar gives him some water to drink.
Gulam Ali says,"Tsk. So bad.. This is the story of almost every family here. I am really sorry. So you left for the USA then."
"Yes.. I got a scholarship and went abroad to study in the USA. I got settled there. But now the hatred there is too much. I don't think I can stay there anymore. So I have come back. I will sell the house in the village and open a clinic in Srinagar."
"So you still have the house in the village? Omar, he can actually help us."
Omar nods his head as Aman looks at him with confusion.