Into The Heart Of Kashmir: Heaven

Inadvertent Happiness

I called Fatima and asked her to visit me, she too wanted to meet me so she agreed and came in the morning at 10,'I didn't attend the lectures today, I had some work and had to meet you so I left', she told me.   I was so glad to meet her, after exchanging few greetings with Mamu, I took her to my room. I told her about all that had happened in the past few days, she was taken aback at knowing this especially about the communal notions, she said she was glad my parents sent me here and that I am safe. 
'Javed was asking about you, I know him since he is Bashir's childhood friend. Why was he asking about you? Is there any issue?'
This was strange to know, 'Why would I know what's the issue, the guy is stupid, is all I know, and yeah Rude as well'.
I tried changing the subject though I knew this would keep my mind occupied for quite some time. 'How are the music lessons going?, did Bashir talk to you?', I tried to know if things were back on track yet or not. She said nothing of that sort happened, they just attended in the same class and thereafter left.  'There is little left to be talked about now Sana, it's all over, I am trying my best to forget him, rest is all on Allah'.
I felt sad for my friend, she didn't deserve even a bit of what she was going through, she hadn't ever been bad to anyone, May be the strong ones are given the most tough situations to deal with, because God believes in their strength.
Sultana Bi came in with snacks and biscuits for us, I asked her to keep them on the table, which she did and left.
‘Tell me something Fatima, how did this character suddenly pop up? Is he here for some work or creating trouble?’, She didn’t understand at first who was I talking about,
‘ Are you asking about Javed?’, she said and I nodded, ‘He lives here, in Pulwama, in fact near your house, you might haven’t seen him ever because he left for his studies abroad and also he is not a pretty social person, he has a close circle of people with whom he stays in touch with. Honestly I found the fact that he asked about you, to be quite strange. He is never concerned about others except when they are in need of some help, he is a very good person, only if you are in need of something would you know, but apart from that he keeps to himself.  Did anything happen between you two? How do you even know him?’
I thought keeping things from Fatima would be futile, she would get it out of me sooner or later so I told her everything of the Day I got to know of dad’s illness. Whatever happened that day, I told her all. She said she knew about Dad’s illness coz Mumma told her, she had gone to our house in Kashmir today morning before coming here, that’s when Mumma told her this. She laughed at what happened between me and Javed,
‘ I know you Sana, so the fact that you could be walking without your eyes on the road is not incomprehensible to me, especially after what you heard that day, it might have affected you a lot, but why did you go and lecture him, on road and even In café, though it’s really funny. Javed must have had a good time with your lecture, he isn’t used to it so might have found it amusing.'
‘I didn’t know you would laugh at it Fatima, that’s the least you could do, this person is rude, why can’t you admit that, else who talks this way? He was teaching me manners, what does he think of himself?’
‘Alright stop being annoyed at this Sana, he wasn’t teaching you manners, he was teasing you by telling you not to look at a man’s face, I know him, I know the kind of a person he is, he can be anything but rude especially to people whom he doesn’t know.'

I still couldn’t come to terms with the fact that my childhood friend was taking his side, that she was being defensive about him, ‘You have changed Fatima, why are you talking in support of him? ‘
‘Alright there’s no need to be mad about it, I am your friend and you are all that matters to me, no please stop being annoyed at him, I don’t know what happens to you the moment we start talking about him’.

I called Sultana Bi and asked her to get Kahwa for us, it had been days since I had time with my best friend, she came in back soon with the tea, we talked about everything, from music academy to college. She told me I had missed out on a lot in college and that she would get her notes the next time she comes here, though she said she’ll talk to our teacher, it wouldn’t create problems in examinations. ‘ I think I should leave now Sana, else it would get late in going back home’.
I went downstairs with her to escort her till the gates, I hugged her and made her promise she would come back soon, she said she would come back in a day or two after which she left in her car. It was 3 pm by the time Fatima left, I thought of taking a nap so went to my room. I woke up and looked outside, the sun was going to set in sometime leaving a Orange blue hue to the sky. I stood there admiring the view outside, the sound of birds chirping and wind blowing gave it a heavenly look. It reminded me of one of the best lines on Kashmir, ‘Gar Firdaus Bar Rue Zamin Ast, Hamin Ast Hamin Asto Hamin Ast’, it fit just perfectly with the view outside. It had started to get cold, I grabbed my shawl and took the jar to refill it with water from kitchen downstairs. As I descended the stairs, I saw Shehzad Bhai talking to someone at the gate, the guy was being adamant on coming inside to see Mamu,  Bhai was trying to calm him down by talking to him. I stood on my heels to take a proper look over who was there, and things couldn’t get anymore wrong. ‘Why are you here, I said I was sorry for that day, what have you come here for? Complaining to Mamu like kids?’.
‘How couldn’t it be you, the spoilt brat niece of Uncle. Why didn’t it strike me earlier, the infamous Sana Kaul’ said Javed.
I had no idea on how he knew my name or Mamu, we hadn’t been introduced that well. May be he just stalked me, but why would he do that just for that one day, I hadn’t realised that I had been looking at him again. He laughed and snapped his fingers in front of me, making me wake up from my hypnotized stage. I felt embarrassed for doing it again, I was blushing hard, with my eyes on the floor, I told him Mamu wasn’t home and he’ll be probably late in coming back, I told him to come back the next day at morning before 8 if he has to meet Mamu. The last thing he said before leaving was, ‘You’re beautiful, I’ll look forward to meeting you tomorrow’. This made me blush even more and I ran back to my room upstairs to avoid any question from Bhai who just kept there listening to both of us.

Glossary
1) Kahwa- Kashmiri tea prepared using spices and nuts.

2) 'Gar Firdaus Bar Rue Zamin Ast, Hamin Ast, Hamin Asto, Hamin Ast'- This is an old saying regarding Kashmir which translates as- If there's heaven on earth, it is right here. Used by Emperor Jahangir and Amir Khusro as well( according to some)

Hello my beautiful people, I am updating after a long time, I just got free of my exams so I'll try to complete the story soon. Have fun in your life and when everything gets serious around you, laugh it off, for the time being, don't make life so serious, it's about so much more than the thing you're stressing about. Love yourself and set yourself free. 💖