Ibn battuta once said, "Travelling - it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a story teller". But, There always has a constraint in composing or telling all that you have encountered in a journey to a second person. Writers are sellers of their dreams. In any case, there is no such essayist who is sufficiently rich to plot precisely whatever he felt amid his trip. Feelings cannot be described in words. You should explore it, should experience and feel it.
This is not a travelogue though. This is something happened unexpected to me in one of my journey.
Each journey has a story to tell. Story of sorrows, of distresses, battles, joy and freedom.
Winter of 2014. Shahal, Shahid, Ranjith, Ivin and Myself. Kashmir trip appeared as a solution for our inquiry on the most proficient method to spent the three months after the College. It was a one week trip. We reached there on 17th evening of November. We checked out from the Airport and saw our taxi waiting for us. The cab driver introduced himself as Amin. We had booked a double room cottage somewhere near Srinagar and at that point of time what we really wanted was a bed to take a short nap. After a well needed sleep, we found ourselves at the lal mandal street. I checked the time. 4;35 in the evening.The road was swarmed with men in long thwab and a hood. There were various little shops on the both side of the street. shopkeepers remaining outside the shop are requesting the tourists to purchase their stuffs. I saw many people selling their stuffs on the road side. A wide plastic sheet on the road and their stuffs on it. My eyes fixed on a girl not more than 20 selling toys. A cloud of toys in front of her on the floor. She too was asking each person passing in front of her to buy it. We proceeded with our walk and the street lead us to a place where we saw nothing other than green earth before us. No shops, no people but the earth itself. The sun started to dim his light which made it extremely difficult for us to see the other end of the valley. The valley divided into Two as the upper valley and lower valley. I saw the mists touching the mountains on the upper valley. The sun was golden in color and was attempting to take cover behind the clouds. Clouds appeared to be dark and the sun behind it gave it more magnificence. Birds going back to their nests. A man with the usual Kashmir outfits driving a group of sheep to their shed. The tale of the great shepherd I heard a various times in the Sunday school classes rung a bell. We asked him whats at the end and he replied something in hindi which none of us was able to catch. The place was so beautiful that you will fall in love with it at the first sight.Its charm and magnificence are beyond the scope of mere words.
I'm not going to compose a travelogue here. I might want to say in regards to something I encountered alone in my trek. As per the plan, We had around four entire days to spend in Kashmir. In any case, truly, We didn't have a plan about how to spend there. The regular terrorist assaults and the political circumstances made this paradise a war zone over the past couple of decades. So we didn't have a clear plan as we knew that it would be extremely difficult to go according to the plan in Kashmir, or we believed so.
As I said earlier, some of our journeys differ from others in a unique way. You may face something you never thought in your best/worst dreams. We enjoyed our kashmir days. The first three days was beautiful as you expect from any place like kashmir.
On the fourth day, I told to my friends to carry on with their plans as I was planing to visit a place alone. I made my decision two days ago. When I called my father, on my second day at Kashmir. He asked me the the place and hotel we are staying. He easily recognize those places as he was there in kasmir when he was a soldier. He spent his 7 years here in this place, serving the country he liked. When i told him that it's not a hotel but a small cottage we are staying it was a huge surprise for him.
" It was a military cottage few years ago and i think the civilians took over the control of it when the entire betalian moved to another place." He said.
My dad was so excited to hear about the places he spent a huge part of his life. He suggested me to visit some places. I sounded very excited from the other end of the phone.
" If possible, go meet Sreekumar. He is in Sanat Nagar" Said my father in the middle of the call. And that was how I decided to spent a day in a different way. Sreekumar was my Dad's friend and I have seen him once when he came to our house with his family.
So, the things were very simple. I wanted to meet a friend of my dad. And if possible, I want to see his camp. There was no phone number. Of course, There is no net work coverage in those mountains. People has to come a long way down to make a call. I studied the route. I have to reach sanat nagar first. Their will be some military check points and none other than the locals are allowed to go pass it. Tourists must issue their PAN card or Government IDs to cross the check points.
" Dont forget the name. Lieutenant SreeKumar. Tell some one standing there on the check point that you need to meet Lieutenant Sreekumar. "They may ask your points of interest or may make you sit tight for quite a long time. On the off chance that you are fortunate, you can go inside and see him." My Dad said when I called on my way to Sanat Nagar. Bus services was very less and people usually opt for jeeps here. That too the private services were considerably less. Most of the people travels in goods vehicles here. I too find myself a seat on a jeep which carries vegetables. The front seat was spacious enough to accommodate one more person other than the driver and his assistant.
The driver changed from top gear to the second as our jeep went up. The street was truly intriguing. One needs to amazingly cautious to drive on those sort of streets. I felt the cool air around me despite the fact that I was at that point inside my coat. I saw the mountains from the distance standing against the blue sky, wearing green garments and touching the clouds. I heard the sound of a streaming water some place on the right half of the road. I saw a boy running behind a lamb. I looked to our right side and saw some little valleys too far underneath from the road. I noticed the culture changes as I moved from Kshmir brahmins dominated area to Muslim polluted places. The main vehicles came inverse to us so far was the military vans. that too not so frequent. I saw some soldiers standing in some isolated places. The driver raised his hand and said salam to them without reducing the speed of the jeep.
"Do you have any Id card ? " The driver asked
" Yes" I shook my head in reply. I tried to see from outside as our vehicle passed different landscapes. After an amazing journey for around 50 minutes he dropped me at where I wanted to be.
I looked on my right but I couldn't see any bus stop as he said. Whatever I could see was a metal rode upheld on two solid columns and an old man sitting toward one side of it. There was no rooftop, no floor yet only a rode and two solid columns. I moved towards it. The old man wore a red colored lengthy thwab. He took a gander at me,from my foot to hair, most likely thinking who this kid in these sort of garments.
I saw a group of soldiers standing far from the bus stop. I moved towards them and asked as my father suggested me to. It wasn't easy at all to talk to them. However I found a person who knows my language and with his help, I contacted him using the wireless handset. I waited there for around three hours. I looked into my phone. No signal. " How will I inform my friends if something urgent happens" I thought. I spent most of the time in the bus stop. The old man I saw earlier in the bus stop left the place now. My wandering came to an end as I saw a jeep approaching bus stop from the far end. A man in grey jeans and white T shirt got down from the jeep and I knew it was him. He too knew me.
He asked me to get into the vehicle and we found our way back to his camp little later. He didn't speak much, and whatever he said, he said it in a firm steady voice. We reached the camp after 20 minutes. I saw a number of greenish black tents and soldiers come and go through the openings of it.
" I tried calling you, but there was no network coverage" I said from behind as he led me to one of the tent.
" There won't be any coverage here." He said as he took his phone from the pocket. " This thing is of no use here. To make a call, we need to go to the place I picked you from"
I nodded at him. The tent appeared as an office from the inside. There was a table, few chairs and a table fan inside the tent. I looked around and saw some huge bags on the floor at the far end of the tent.
He Introduced me to his subordinates and I found an astounded look on the eyes of each and every individual I conversed with. People belongs to different ranks, different states and different religions. I spent the majority of that night with those officers outside the tent and scarcely saw my Dad's companion leaving his tent. everybody I saw their was happy. Or they seemed so. Playing football, giggling other's missteps, telling jokes while running. I pondered what makes them glad in this
war zone. My father's friend called me from the tent an hour later. He was out of his military shirt now. He wore a white T shirt and a military shading trousers. We talked for a great 40 minutes and he appeared like a friend through out those 40 minutes. He was a post graduate from NIT Trichy and quit his IT job 7 years earlier because of his love to his nation. His native was just under 30 kilometers from mine and I recognized the exact place as I have been there once.
At Eight O'clock, everyone moved to the tent at the most distant corner of the camp. This tent was a lengthy one. We moved inside and there I saw the soldiers sitting row wise. Dinner time!. I realized the situation. Some individuals holds their plate on their hands yet others kept it on the floor and having from it. There was no solid floor but a Dusty soil surface from which the grass had been expelled a long back. Officers organized some thick papers which typically comes as the protecting cover for electrical instruments on the floor and they got themselves a seat on that. The amount of dust on the floor moved freely on the air whenever a person walked in front of the sitting people. It totally felt ungainly to me to be there. I truly needed to flee from their. Eating any food in a dusty air like that was the slightest I needed at that point of time. Every individual has a glass with them and they set it on the floor. This dust on the air can make even the most pure water a polluted one within seconds. My Dad's friend came and took my plate from me, asked me to follow him. I did as such and ended up sitting inside his tent and eating food with him. I heard some sounds from the distance and I asked him what it was. His answer was only a grin and I was not please with that. I felt ignored, didnt bothered to ask once more. I completed my food and washed my hands. He came and sat besides me. " Those sounds are Gun shots. I think Pakistan has lost in a cricket match. Their soldiers fires whenever they loose " He said calmly. I opened my mouth yet couldn't let out the slightest peep. He saw me sitting stunned and proceeded. "Its a common thing here. You will here shots on eight out of ten evenings. We will reply with gun fires. its a protocol that has to be followed here. Soldiers at various pickets will fire gunshots to the sky. In kasmir, a day ends at 6 in the evening. Villagers will be inside their house before dark. That is the instruction given to them." He said and tapped me on my shoulder. " Don't worry. It will be over soon." I that. I didn't understand what he meant by saying that. Was it about the night's gunfire or about the frequent attacks from pakistan. I don't know.
One of his subordinate came and he pardoned himself from me. I sat there alone and wandered through the things he said. I was disturbed. I thought about the people there. The villagers, the women. child, the boy I saw running behind the lamb. People lives here in terror and uncertainty. How a village can live in a place where the night fires are a casual thing.
I thought about the countless number of nights these people spent in terror. I thought about the kids woke up and cried from their sleeps. How many sleepless nights might have been there fore those kinds. A big sound from the distance brought me back to the reality. I stood from my seat and moved into the tent. " When will it stop ?" I asked to the lieutenant . " It may take some time. Sometimes it may lasts for hours." He replied. " Not this gunshots I'm asking. When will this end forever?". I asked him. He raised his head, and smiled at me and said. " Soon" His subordinate was still there which stopped me from asking further questions.
" You can sleep there if you want" He said from behind. I turned back at him. He is smiling at me pointing his arm to his right. I looked to the place he pointed and found a folded rope bed at the corner of the tent. I looked around. The tent cannot' accommodate a bed. The space inside was filled with the military stuffs and the table and chairs. " I will arrange it for you" He said as he moved towards the corner. " No. Please don't. I'm thinking to leave now." I replied as I looked into my mobile to check the time.
He moved a step closer to me and grinned. " You cannot go out now. Even if you go, you will not find any single person out there other than some military vehicles. Stay here for the night. You will be on your way back to Srinagar before the dawn."
I moved gradually towards the bed and sat on it. He was still talking with his sub-ordinate. Little later, the junior officer started to leave the tent. He waved his
hand at me and I gave back the same. "Goodnight " I said, however my sound didn't turn out. I twisted my heads and investigated my mobile phone. I heard Sreekumar saying something in hindi to his junior officer. It seemed like a request and I was able to get something out of it. It was about collecting some water.
"How long you have been staying away from your family?" I asked Sreekumar
"Its been 8 months since I last met my family". He answered. I shook my head.
"Did you like supper" He asked me. I misled him that I liked it. He grinned at me for that. He knew I was lying.
" This is our life." He said " and it's not going to change sooner rather than later." He stayed quiet for few moments and suddenly skipped to different subjects. We discussed about my dad, the present happenings in our state. I was amazed to know from him that he is an atheist. Regardless of we were talking pleasant things, My mind was meandering through the things I experienced in this way. It was not the gunfire but rather the life of the soldiers made me sad. Eating food in a place which I can't think about.Everyone is eating the same. Commanders, Lieutenant, everybody. We talked till 10 and he called it a day at sharp 10'O clock. He wished me good night and moved towards his table.
I set down on the bed. Minutes passed. I didn't see him leaving the tent. I attempted to overlook the scene I found in the 'dinner hall'. I truly felt tragic for the soldiers. " My lord,Was it like this My father put in his 28 years in the army? , or at least his 8 years in Kashmir ?" Someone asked me from inside. An old memory rung a bell.
An occurrence which happened when My dad was home. My father was sleeping in his bed and jumped out of the bed because of a thunder storm. We teased him for that on a number of occasions. "Soldier who is afraid of thunders-tome" Said my sister once.
I laid there on the rope bed, my eyes opened, meandering through the happenings of the day. Memories from the past rung a bell. In my little village people used to sit under a big people tree, listening to the stories of Ajesh chettan. He is a soldier and he used to describe us his army experience at whatever point he gets back home for leave. The glamorous weapons and huge fights were so regular in his portrayals. Everyone listened him yet no one believed him. They considered those portrayals as spook stories. Much the same as an exaggerated air pumped fiction. I remember him saying about the day by day gunfire in Kashmir and I would bet my life to say that no one believed him that day. "Every day gun fires!! Unimaginable".
I don't know when I dozed, however when I opened my eyes, Sreekumar was there in the definite spot where I saw him last. He grinned at me and wished me a hello. A Good morning in the middle of uncertainties. I wished him back the same. " Get Ready. I will drop you there in Ananda Nagar. You will get jeeps from that point." He said. I checked the time. It's 8.21. I wondered how many officers in that camp knows the pleasure of sleeping till 8:30. " When did you wake up?" I asked him. We have a drill at 6 in the morning every day. Everyone must be there. I felt embarrassed. Individuals woke up at 5 and I opened my eyes at 8.30. I didn't answer anything.
I got myself prepared to leave the camp by 9.30. Sreekumar wore a white T shirt and a Levis. I couldn't see any other individual in that camp wearing the easygoing dress. I saw the same junior officer I saw the previous evening. He was remaining close to my tent. I said him bye and after that asked his name. It may not be a decent practice but rather I asked his name after I said him bye. "Srivastava" He answered. I shook my hand with him. " See you once more" I said. He grinned so did me. there was a portion of the soldiers watching us and I said bye to them also. Everybody raised their hands and waved towards us.
We reached Anand Nagar again. Sreekumar halted the engine and got out of his military jeep.I moved towards the bus stop, the same bus stop, from where he picked me one day ago. He remind me to check my belongings. The same Old man whom I saw here last day was sitting in the bus stop. He was listening to us. Sreekumar stayed there for another five minutes and got ready to leave
" Will you do me a favor?" He asked.
I replied " Yes" in a firm voice.
" You know, the postal services are not efficient here. And it is closed because of the heavy snow flow. So there is no guarantee that it will reach the place in the near future " He said as he took something form his pocket. A white postal cover folded into two. I looked at it.
" It's a letter to my Dad" He said. Please post it from your village. It will reach him on time.
" No. I will go see your Dad and give him this." I replied. He smiled at me." Tell them I'm fine" He concluded
It was really a hard moment for me. A graduate from NIT Trichy standing in front of me, smiling like a kid and requesting me to pass a letter to to his Dad.
" Sure. I will tell them." I replied. " You want me to tell anything else."
" No. Everything is there in the letter" He said.
We shook our hand for the last time and he stepped into his Jeep.
"Give that only to my Dad. Not to my Mom" He said me. I don't know why asked him that question then but I asked. " Are you not married ?". He didn't mention anything about his wife throughout our conversation.
" No. Let me get a location transfer first. Then we will think about the marriage." He replied and accelerated his Jeep.
I remained in that bus stop for another 10 minutes. The old man was still looking at me.
" Kaise ho bhayya" I asked him within my little knowledge in Hindi.
" He replied me something and I didn't understand it. I just smiled at it. I saw a Jeep coming from the far end and I stepped out of the bus stop. Jeep stopped in front of me and I occupied the front side seat. The driver accelerated the vehicle and it began to achieve it's maximum speed. I looked out, However couldn't enjoy anything from the outside. I realized that the gunfire stories in Ajesh chettan's narrations was true. I realized that the stories I heard from the soldiers in our village were not made up ones. I realized that, it was not because of his fear of thunders tome but because of his memories of Kashmir made my Dad Jump out of his bed.
I checked my phone. Network coverage was still not there.
" Aap tourist he ?" The driver asked me.
" Na. Baap ki dosth ne milne aya". I replied and looked out side.
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