In the beginning, at the time of my transfer to valley, I was very skeptical about the behaviour of my new colleagues , with whom I had to work and who were appointed in our place after the mass migration of our community from the valley in year 1990. But only after joining my duty in valley, I realised that our new colleagues, who mostly belonged to Muslim community, were not so bad as I had anticipated. They mostly appeared to me very obedient and meticulous in discharging their duties except a few and far between, which can not be ruled out in every type of society or organisation.
One of my colleagues, whom I remember now was Aslam, who was not so meticulous but very obedient person . He could never say no to any task alotted to him, whether he could complete it or not. But there are always fair mix of employees in any organisation and it's work does not suffer at the cost of one negligent employee. Aslam was very handsome and healthy young man , much junior to me in age and always adorning a smile on his face. He enjoyed eating good food and meat and hardly could say no to food when offered to him. On Eid days, he would take so much meat that he mostly extended his leave from office ,a few days more, as he often fell ill with Gout or any other ailment due to excessive eating . Once I also visited his house to ask about his welfare , when he did not return office for a long time after Eid festival. During my visit to his home I came to know that his father had died few years ago and he and his sister were living with their mother only . His sister appeared to me very beautiful and smart prima facie but she was suffering from depression as disclosed by Aslam to me. Aslam further told me that he has shown his sister to so many doctors in the valley but of no avail. Then I suggested him to get the consultation from one of the renowned neuro physicians in the matter, who was residing at jammu like all other migrants. Aslam readily agreed to my suggestion and implored upon me to arrange for the appointment with the Doctor.
I arranged his meeting with the Doctor at jammu using my resources and good offices , as it was very difficult to get that Doctors appointment within a short span of time. One day he came to jammu with his sister. At the scheduled time I also reached to Doctors clinic to help him. When he was called in by Doctor, I also accompanied him. The Doctor after examining his sister advised Aslam to meet him in the absence of patient. Aslam asked me also to join the meeting with Doctor. Then Doctor asked Aslam to apprise him about the whole history of patient. Aslam first hesitated to tell the truth about the reasons behind the depression of his sister. Then Doctor after observing his hesitation said to him," Mr Aslam, I have seen many patients like your sister from valley , who visit my clinic , for treating themselves : please tell me the whole story to enable me to treat your sister properly. You should not conceal anything from your Doctor , if you want that your patient is treated well". On hearing these words of Doctor, Aslam broke down bursting into tears and began to address Doctor directly,
Doctor sahab, I will not conceal anything from you for the benefit of my sister, so that she can be treated well. When you people left the valley for good, we became the soft targets of terrorists. They began to enter our houses in huge numbers and used to ask us for food, which we arranged for them happily , as we considered them mujahids and freedom fighters. We thought that they have left their country and reached Kashmir with great difficulty for our liberation. After taking sumptuous meals ,they would usually ask us to send our young daughters and sisters to their rooms for their entertainment . We most reluctantly had to fulfil their wishes as there was no other alternative left with us, because their guns and ammunition would tear us apart within minutes. We could only hear shreiks of our women folk who were being gang raped by them in front of us. Almost every home in valley faced the same problem and nobody was able to make any complaint against them. My sister also became fodder of their excesses and after sometime became pregnant .
One day my father died due to heart failure, as he could not bear the abuses they hurled upon his daughter and that too in his presence. Then I had to arrange for abortion of my sister in a far off place in jammu with the help of my some Hindu aquantaces living there. We were not exceptions , this was the tale of each and every home in Kashmir. These terrorists were sent by Pakistan with the allurement that they will go to Kashmir which is called heaven and can enjoy beautiful damsels there. Moreover, hurriat also preached us that they are Mujahids who have come to free us from indian tyranny . You should not hesitate to offer them your sisters and daughters, so that latter are purified and made sacred by them. No body could complain about these excesses . We all could only hang our heads in shame and never discussed about the problem with each other. As we all were helpless and let it happen for decades in the name of freedom. Many who revolted against this were either killed by mujahids or died their own death by heart failure or brain strokes. After hearing this harrowing tale from Aslam, Doctor began to write the prescription for his sister with shaken hands. He advised Aslam all about the care he should take for his sister. Then Aslam left for Kashmir with his sister and came back again Jammu several times to treat his sister with the same Doctor until I lost contact with him.
One day after my retirement from service Aslam met me at jammu near Residency Road . When I enquired about his sister , he told me that she is alright and married now with two kids . I was very happy to know about Aslam and welfare of his sister.
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