My Wanderings 111
Short Story No. 62
The Bend in Jehlum
This is the tale of human sentimets on one side and that of demonic responses on the other. This is the tale of love affection, trust and sympathy on one end and that of Hate deceit and ridicule on the other. This is the tale of distress , desperation and resilienence on one way and that of opportunism and selfishness on the other.
The house of Rajeev Koul was located on the banks of River jhelum near habba kadal . His ancestors were living there for the last thousands of years enjoying the nice climate of valley and the company of all their friends and relatives who were living around the area. Mostly there were people of his own community living in the locality but some people from Muslim community were also living there who had purchased the houses of Hindus. Both the communities were living in peace and harmony. Rajeev was working in state govt. Department on a very high post . He had one fast friend and neighbour from Muslim community also, whose name Mohd.Amin . Mohd. Amin was not able to complete his education. It was Rajeev only who had helped him to get a job of peon in his department . Later on he was promoted to the post of clerk there.
In the mean time both the friends got married and had children. Rajeev was blessed with a son and daughter . Mohd Amin was also blessed with two sons and a daughter. The wife of Rajeev was a working woman and wife of Amin was a housewife
One day Rajeev was allotted a plot of land at Shivpora colony opposite badami Bagh area. Mohd Amin accompanied Rajeev to locate his alotted plot and to check the area . There, while making tour of the area , they observed that jhelum had a bend on one spot and it was making a U turn around Shivpora and then again flowing normally after making a small U turn again . Rajeev said to Amin," you see the bends and U turns in river appear so beautiful here , but such bends and U turns should not occur in relations. Amin nodded his head slightly in affirmation.
After some time a house was constructed on the plot of land and Rajeev shifted his family there . In the mean time Amin also shifted to Sonwar area along with his family ,to join his in-laws . The sonwar area was very near to Shivpora and their friendship continued .
Then It was after ten years, militancy started in Kashmir. There were selective killings of Kashmiri pandits and the community was threatened to leave the Kashmir or to face consequences . Many pandit woman were abducted ,raped and killed. Most of the Kashmiri pandits shifted to Jammu and other parts of India to protect their life and honour . Rajeev had also to leave Kashmir alongwith his family in emergency , with out any belongings as he thought that he will return to Kashmir after some time when the situation will be normal . He handed over the keys of his house to Mohd. Amin and requested him to look after his house in their absence.
Rajeev alongwith his family remained with some relatives in Jammu for a month or so and then shifted to a rented accommodation and started purchasing new clothes, utensils ,bedding etc.as he had not carried with him household goods when he shifted to Jammu. He had to admit his children in schools at Jammu and arrange for their tuitions also. Time passed at jammu most desperately, in scorching heat and with out any avenues to mitigate heat except fans.
It was two years after migration, Amin visited their rented house at Jammu. The two friends talked for hours about the situation in Kashmir. Amin advised Rajeev that situation in Kashmir Is getting from bad to worse . At the departing time , Amin casually asked Rajeev, " What have you thought about the disposal of your house at Shivpora?"
Rajeev sternly replied him back that he can not sell his house at shivpora with which his sentiments are attached.
After gap of six months Amin again visited his friend Rajeev at Jammu. This time he told them that lock of your house has been broken open and some militant like people are living there. It will be better for you to sell the house, otherwise you may loose the house for good. I know a broker who can sell your house through an attorney, which can be appointed by you . At that time Rajeev was in dire need of money as he had to send his elder son for training to pune . Therefore, Rajeev most reluctantly agreed to the request of his friend and made him the attorney of his property. The deal was struck at throw away prices and transfer of money had taken place. Actually Amin himself wanted to usurp the house of Rajiv and therefore, told him lies about the occupation of his house by militants . The title of the house of Rajeev was transfered to the wife of Amin under proper documents through attorney of the property.
Thereafter, Amin never visited the house of Rajeev at Jammu again. Later on Rajeev also understood about the real character of Amin , and he left to think about him altogether .
It was only after Rajeev's elder son had completed the engineering and got his placement in some private company, and his daughter was doing MBBS at jammu , he came to know about the news of his friend Amin .Rajeev was told by some other neighbour at Shivpora that one night Mohd.Amin's daughter was abducted by militants and married to the gun and the marriage was consummated by all the gun men together. Then after sometime she was divorced by these gunmen by making three fireshots from the same gun symbolic of teen talaq under sharia law . Then she was left at the door of his father at Shivpora. From that day onwards she always remained in depression and became a big liability for her family. After this incident one of the sons of Mohd.Amin also left his home and took gun to avenge the rapists of his sister. But no body knows his whereabouts from the day he left his home.
With the passage of time Rajeev made his own house at Jammu and he married both his children and they got settled at different parts of the country. Rajeev alongwith his wife used to visit their children for some time after the retirement .
It was quite recently when the situation in Kashmir improved to a great extent. Rajeev decided to pay a visit to Kashmir alongwith his wife to revive his old memories. . He stayed there in a Hotel near Indira Nagar and visited the highly revered pilgrimages like Kshir Bhwani , sharika bhawan ,Shankaracharya temple. He also visited some tourist places like pahalgam , Gulmarg, verinag etc.
One day Rajeev thought of visiting his old house at shivpora , where Amin was living now with his family. When they reached near house, they found a large gathering of men and woman around the house . When they enquired from the group of people near the house, they were informed that owner of house Mohd.Amin has died early in the morning . They did not enter the house , but waited outside the house until the coffin of Mohd Amin was carried out for doing his last rights. Rajeev touched the coffin of Amin and said towards coffin , " Amin my friend , you are leaving this world so early but you could not carry my house with you for which you betrayed my friendship."
No body could hear what Rajeev said in the noise of weeping and wailing of women and men . Then Rajiv left the place for good....
Life is pleasant , Death is peaceful. It is the transition that is troublesome.
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