Bordered

2. Bordered

If Chavi was chalk, Safia was cheese and it was a mystery how they got along so well. How they had grown inseparable and how they had bonded so well.

No one could really recall any particular incidence - nothing of what had brought them closer. Nothing could surface in their memory that could help them remember the starting point of a beautiful friendship. For them it had always been Chavi and Safia, Safia and Chavi - the two girls who spent every waking moment together.

People had known little of everything else.

But of course everyone in their village at some point of time in their lives had wondered how could two completely contrast characters get along for their personalities were vastly different. Where Chavi was shy, Safi was bold. When Chavi let things go, Safia stood for her rights. When Safia erred, Chavi helped and when Safia lost temper, Chavi was the peacemaker all right!

They always seemed to have each other's back. They were always talking about things they wanted to do. They had the right words the other needed to hear.

Somehow, it became the very reason why no one had given much thought when Safia had come home that night and had told them that Chavi, the daughter of the local sarpanch would help them out. They had brushed it aside thinking it wasn't important and they had paid a huge fine for doing so.

The very same night something unexpected had occurred!

Safia had already drifted asleep when she heard a ear piercing scream. It sounded quite close, too close for her liking. She jolted awake, resting her back on the wall, wondering for a moment what was happening. She couldn't understand anything. Nothing made sense and it took a few seconds for it all to come flooding back - British - Nehru - Jinnah - partition - India - Pakistan - moving away. Safia sat up straight, all sleepiness vanishing in an instant. She wondered if the attackers had come already. Her pulse quickened at the thought.

No!

Another scream echoed in her ancestral house, the house she shared with her extended family. Her mother soon came rushing into the room. "Get up", she screamed heaving her younger brother onto her hips and pulling her by her hand. "Come at once."

Never had Safia seen her usually calm and composed mother look so vulnerable. Never had she seen her mother's plait out of her shawl. Never had she seen her mother's eyes changing colour with fear. As far as she was concerned, her mother was the most bravest woman in the whole village but now, she could sense her fear.

She was astonished to see her role model barely holding on.

Safia was too dazed to react.

She silently followed her mother to the room where all the women of the house sat huddled. Her elder sister pulled her close with wobbling lips. Safia could not understand what was happening.

She was so shocked on seeing her loud boisterous family sitting like rats caught in their traps that she couldn't really think. It was as though her thoughts had been frozen, her brain had stopped functioning. She could not think for herself and so she let the others do it for her. She let them dictate what she had to do and she did just that.

They sat unmovingly, for how long they didn't know but each minute seemed to stretch like hours and a few thousand hours later, her uncle threw the door open. "Come", he commanded and they all silently obeyed. Not a word was spoken, not a question raised.

The women of the house were led to a truck and were told to climb in. They were instructed to stay still, to flee if they were caught and never let the enemy take them. They were told to pray. Do lots and lots of prayer and stay firm. Like all other women of the family, Safia too obeyed.

She got in, sat in the furthest corner of the truck and said all the prayers she knew with all earnestness. Soon she could see even the men of the house following them. She relaxed a bit, just a wee wee bit knowing everyone was safe but before it could settle in, the truck came to a stop at the station.

Her eyes flew to the train which was already starting to move. The sight of it led to the eruption of more panic and they all ran down the trail hoping to get in on time.

Safia followed the rest. Again.

She followed them as they boarded the train. She followed them and found a place. She followed them and chanted the names of the Lord, thanking Him for keeping them safe.

Safia was so invested in doing what the others were doing that only when the train picked up pace did it hit her and it hit her hard - she was leaving home. Leaving her place. Leaving her friend. She did not even have a chance to say goodbye!

Safia didn't know what she had been doing for so long. She didn't know where she was going or even if she would ever return at all. She didn't know a lot of things.

It hurt.

*****

The train has left. Do you think it will return again?