Chaos Chapter 8

 

Hooriya was sitting on her bed with a pen and a copy in her hand. On the top of page, "Chapter 1" was written and her hands were writing swiftly. Humanity's point of view had been started in her novel. 

"I glimpsed at different countries and my steps, for the first time, halted in the Central Republic of Congo. My heart bled and my eyes wept at the dreadful condition of Congo's people. The Second Congo war was going on at that time, which killed thousands of people in the region. It deeply hurts my heart that Congo, who is potentially one of the richest countries of the world with large mineral resources and with limitless water, has become the third poorest countries of the world. It's civilians who can be among the richest and powerful people of the world, are in starvation and in heavy fear. Their purpose of life is just to survive."

Hooriya's stance was broken with the ringing of her mobile. Irritation filled her being as she attended the call. 

..........................

News headlines were going on LCD and in front of it, Zonia and her father were sitting. Zonia's head rested on the shoulder of her father as she was gazing at different news. But, abruptly, she straightened herself and gazed at the news with wide eyes. 

"Patients of Dr. Shahid's hospital are protesting against this hospital. They are claiming that this hospital takes extra charges from them and doesn't give proper care to patients. They are claiming that one of the patients died in hospital but still, Dr. Shahid kept his dead body in ICU and kept on taking the bill from dead's family members. Some members of staff are also supporting this protest. Some doctors and nurses are also speaking against the hospital. Let's talk to them."

After it, Zonia saw some familiar faces on the screen. Her fellows were against Dr. Shahid, and was showing his real face to the world. In those faces, Zonia also saw the face of Dr. Zohaib. He was also playing his role in protest, and was asking for the action against Dr. Shahid. Relief flooded in her veins at seeing this view. A small smile crept on her face at seeing her friend to gain enough strength to raise his voice against evilness. Protest was going on, media was covering it and Dr. Shahid's doom was approaching him. 

.............................

After a week of that incident, she was sitting in the waiting room of another private hospital. CV was in her sweaty hands and she was waiting for her turn. 

She was reading her file while waiting for an interview, when she felt someone's presence. She turned her head and a wide grin adorned her face. Dr. Zohaib was sitting beside her with a file in his hand. 

"Hello friend!" He widely smiled at her. 

"Hello!" she replied excitedly. 

"Are you also here for an interview? " She asked with excitement while eyeing his CV file in his hands. Zohaib nodded his head. 

"And you are also here for an interview! May we both get selected here! " He said while excitedly eyeing her. There was no trace of previous incidents on their faces. She was wearing a pink colour dress and her hair was down. Light makeup was also on her face. 

"InshaAllah friend! We both will get selected here." She was hopeful for it. 

Silence remained there for some seconds and then, she broke silence. 

"I'm glad that you take action against Dr. Shahid. "  She said in a lower voice while staring ahead of her. 

Smile etched on his lips. 

"All credit goes to you". He said, frankly. 

Something twitched in her heart and she felt remorse at her behaviour. 

"I hope that I don't need to say sorry to you for my harsh tone on call. " She was still gazing ahead and was saying it. 

"No dude, In fact your action knocked sense into me. And I get courage from your action.Thank you so much friend." He politely replied. 

Zonia stared at him for some seconds and then, happiness started playing on her face. 

"Always welcome friend! " She said with a mock proud tone. 

At this, rich laughter erupted from their lips. 

"Zonia Khan" 

Receptionist called her name at which they halted their laughter. Her interview time had come so she stood from her place. 

"Best of luck! " Zohaib whispered.

She nodded her head nervously and went into the interview room. 

......................... 

It was morning time and the sun was shining brightly over the sky. Birds were chirping and animals on the road were moving here and there in search of shadow. Everything seemed to be burning in this weather. 

That morning, a taxi was moving on the road. In it, Farwa, clad in a grey dress, was sitting on the backseat with Humza who was clad in black button up shirt and pants. Humza was watching different videos on his phone, regarding their trip to Kashmir and Line of control. He was busy in that activity while Farwa was simply staring outside of the window. Soon, their taxi reached their destination, Lahore Airport. 

After almost an hour, they boarded the plane and took their seats besides each other. Farwa was on the window side and Humza was on the other side. Silence remained between them since they were together. 

Humza eyed the plane and chewed his lips. Some drops of sweat also materialized on his forehead. It was his first time in the plane and nervousness was sweeping in his veins. 

"Is everything alright? " Farwa eyed his tensed and sweating form and became worried. 

"Yeah" He muttered with a weak smile.

 Farwa eyed his condition with skeptical expressions  and then, something flashed in her mind.

"Aunty I'm fearful! What if this plane crashes and we all die." Ten year old Farwa was saying it to her Aunty. 

"It's okay Farwa, nothing will happen. Allah is with us, so we don't need to worry". 

Aunty's soothing voice reverberated in her ears at which a smile etched on her face. She again eyed his tensed form and took a deep sigh. 

"When I ,for the first time, travelled into a plane, I was nervous like hell." Humza snapped his eyes toward her who was looking ahead of her.

"My Aunty was sitting beside me and kept on saying soothing things to me. First experience can be a displeased one. But, after it, things will become smooth and we can handle them easily. My first flight was awful but after it, I'm always relaxed and composed during my plane's trip."

She turned toward his bewildered face and continued:

"From this experience, I came to know that we shouldn't be embarrassed in our first attempt. Nervousness is a part of human nature and always after our first attempt, we can become confident in that thing."

Humza was shocked at her advising and polite tone, but soon it washed away into the thankfulness. He smiled at her and muttered a "Thank you".

Farwa simply nodded her head and started doing her work on the laptop, which was resting on her lap. After some seconds, their plane started flying. And with it, they set out for their journey. 

                      .........................

After about 50 minutes, their plane landed in Muzaffarabad's airport. Muzaffarabad is the capital of Azad Kashmir. That beautiful valley is the part of the Paradise of this Earth. 

They both came out of the airport and waited for the taxi. Their wait soon finished and they found a taxi approaching them. Humza dealt with the driver and they both adjusted themselves on the backseat. 

"We have to stop at some places to interact with native people." Farwa said. 

"Okay. As you wish! " Humza said while adjusting his camera. 

Their car was racing on a road whose both sides had greenery. Giant trees and plants were on both sides. Chirping of birds was having a soothing effect on the nerves of people. Place was filled with peacefulness and the beauty of nature. 

Farwa rolled down her window and inhaled  the fresh air of nature. She glanced at the piece of Paradise on Earth. Enjoying its beauty, that realization hit her hard that such a beautiful place is facing bloodshed and cruelty of some so-called superpowers of this world. Pang hit her heart at reviving those scenes and news which were being shown in News. This beautiful valley was bathing with the blood of innocent Kashmiris. 

Before going to Line of Control, they decided to stay in a rest house. Because they had to interview some native people and they also needed some rest and food. 

Humza stopped the taxi in front of a rest house and completed all the formalities. They had to show their identity cards and had to fill in some other details on paper. Humza was busy there while Farwa eyed the premises of the rest house. In front of Rest house, a bar was present. After the bar, the river flowed and on the other side of it, Indian Occupied Kashmir was present. Farwa came near the bar and saw the other side. 

"We have the keys to our rooms." Humza came near her and said. She tore her gaze from the other side and took keys from Humza. 

"Let's have some rest. After that, we have to do some shooting here." She ordered and went toward the rest house. 

 

                  ........................

They both were sitting in the dining room of the rest house. After taking a shower and some sleep, they decided to have their lunch. Farwa was wearing a blue printed shirt with a white trouser. Her hair was down, resting on her back. 

"We have to visit nearby areas to have conversations with people. Lifestyle of Kashmiris, issues related to Kashmir dispute and its effect on their lives; these all should be discussed in the show." She said while eating pasta. 

Humza nodded his head, eagerly. They were talking normally without any hint of a previous incident. 

"This show will go great ma'am." Humza said excitedly.

"We don't just want to make it the best show, but an informative one. We have to spread the word of Kashmiris' issues and their solutions." 

Farwa said while staring into the space. 

"InshaAllah, we will do that Ma'am." He said with excitement.                     .....................

  "We are currently standing on the piece of Paradise of Earth. But unfortunately, this beautiful Paradise is facing cruelty due to the egos and selfishness of Politicians of different countries. Politicians and so-called superpowers of this world are playing with the lives of Kasmiris. For these people, Kashmiris are not important but their egos are. On my back side, you can see an area of Indian Occupied Kashmir. And, I'm currently standing in Azad Kashmir, which is under Pakistan. Today, we are going to meet different Kashmir's people and will listen to their point of view about this issue."

Humza was focusing on her camera. They were standing outside the rest house. When she completed her sentence, Humza shut the camera. Editing and other things could be done afterwards. 

"Everything okay? " She asked. 

"Yes ma'am " he replied with a smile. 

"Okay then, let's go toward the residential area to find someone to talk." She said while patting her face with tissue. 

Humza nodded his head and they both started moving toward Kashmiris. 

                 .......................

"My relatives are in Indian Occupied Kashmir and we are here. It is nearly impossible for us to meet them because there is no road, no pull that connects both parts. We are only a few feet away from them but years passed and we can't see each other.”

A middle-age man was telling this to Farwa and Humza while eyeing into the camera. 

"Now and then, the fight on the line of control keeps going on. Army men die in that dispute but no politician cares about this. They just want this dispute to keep going on to get votes.”

Another native person was telling them. Anger and pain rippled in her body at the thought of their pain.

……………………...

They both were sitting on a bench situated on the side road. They had interviewed two people and were now sitting in the shadow of a tree. Sweat was prickling their body, making them annoyed. And with it, aching of heart and anger in veins were also having their effects on them. Solemnity had also enveloped Hamza's form but now, he wanted to lift his and her spirits. 

"Have you ever tried gola ganda?" 

Humza suddenly broke the silence causing her to snap out from her thoughts. 

She glanced at a vendor, who was standing in between the street with a golla gunda cart. Children and youngsters had gathered around him and he was giving them golla. Seeing the golla gunda, a memory flashed in her mind. 

Five year old girl, clad in school uniform, was sitting on the steps of the building and was eating gola gunda. Eagerness and happiness was on her face. 

"Miss Farwa? " Hamza's polite voice snapped her out of the memory. 

"I have never eaten this thing" She lied in an attempt to mask her inner turmoil. 

"Then, you should try it. It is a heavenly thing in such warm weather." Humza said with a grin and went toward the vendor. 

Farwa kept on staring at the vendor while her mind kept on roaming in the past. 

"Uncle please give me one." Five year-old girl extended five rupees toward the vendor. 

"Farwa, you will catch the flu if you keep on eating it that much '' Rebuking of her mother reverberated in her ears.

Severe pain consumed her heart, causing her vision to blur. But then, she quickly composed herself and ignored the brokenness of her inner self. 

"I love mix flavours. So, I also bring something similar for you." Humza came near her and said with a smile.

 

"That's fine. Thank you." She politely said while taking golla from his hand. She took one bite, and another memory flashed in her mind. 

"Make one mix golla for my daughter." Male figure was standing near the cart and saying it. 

Vendor nodded his head and made one. Four year old girl was standing near them and a smile flashed on her face while taking the golla. 

"Miss Farwa? " Hamza's voice again snapped her out of her thoughts. And she felt grateful at this because, these memories were overwhelming her.  

"Yes?" 

"Your golla will melt. Please start eating it." He said while taking bites from his golla. She stared at her golla and the whirled of memories consumed her mind. She took the bite and that taste filled her inner self with bitterness and pain. 

"Human mind is an extraordinary thing. Any familiar smell, any familiar taste or thing can take you into past moments. Nausea can hit you and it has the power to make a person's moment either cheerful or bitter." She thought with helplessness. 

She took another bite and with it, her heart started weeping. Memories of deceased loved ones broke her steely nerves, causing to lose control of herself. 

Humza, while eating, glanced at her face and froze at his place. His eyes widened and mouth slightly apart because he saw a sheen of tears in her eyes. 

"Are you okay?" He panicked.

"Yeah" she said while ducking her head causing her hair to make a curtain around her face. It was her only way to hide her expressions and emotions. 

Humza anxiously glanced at her. Different scenarios and reasons flashed across his mind, and a lot of questions came on the tip of his tongue, but he decided not to ask them.

"Do you like it? " He asked, tried to divert her attention

She nodded her head, inwardly feeling angry at herself for weeping in front of him. 

"I love this thing.  The vendor used to come in my street for the last thirty years. And I almost always bought golla whenever he came. My mother used to scold me for eating a lot of gollas because I got a sore throat very easily. I had faced her slipper many times due to this golla ." 

He told her with an awkward grin. Easiness and friendliness was in his tone, which she appreciated. Fit of giggles erupted from her mouth at his last sentence. 

"Oh my God!" She said while giggling. Humza smiled at her laughing face. That fair skin face, black pools, smiling lips with perfect furrow in the centre, thick honey walnut hair curtaining her face; Humza noted this beauty for the first time. 

"Keep smiling! " He said instinctively but then realized his mistake. 

Farwa stopped giggling and stared at him with a creased forehead. She narrowed her eyes at him. 

Humza quickly straightened up and focused on his golla. He became nervous because of his outburst. For the remaining time, silence remained between them.                        .......................

Farwa was sitting in the lounge of the rest house, massaging her temples because of tiredness. Humza placed the coffee in front of her. 

"Tomorrow, are we leaving for LOC? " Humza asked her. 

"Yes" she nodded her head. 

"Hmm. I think we should set our today's recordings. It's time period will be equal to our one day show. We have to do a complete another show at LOC." Humza informed her at which she nodded her head. 

……………….

Their car was now moving toward the Chakothi Line of Control. 

They both were sitting in the back seat and were staring outside. Beautiful scenes of nature were in front of them. The nature outside was settled into the patchwork of hills, beauty, greenery and mourning of birds. 

After a long drive, their car stopped near the LOC. Humza dealt with the driver and Farwa looked around for the best place to record her opening paragraph. Chakothi area was full of nature's beauty with hills protecting it. This village was near the area of Line of Control. Beauty and peace was spread throughout the valley but, there were also bloodshed stories hidden in the beauty of nature. 

They spotted the area which was near the line of control. Humza set the camera and Farwa took her mike. 

"We are currently standing near the Line of control. On the other side, there is Jammu Kashmir and this area is Azad Kashmir. In our today's show, we will meet and talk to different natives of this area and will ask them, how is life near the line of control? We will also meet some army officers here and will have a conversation with them." 

Humza shut the camera. And they both started roaming there. 

"Life sometimes gets uncertain and hard in this area. Whenever shooting started, we all became afraid and started praying for our lives. We have also lost our brothers, children and other family fellows in this war. Bullets come out of nowhere and we lose our fellows due to it. Army men tried their best that none of us come under the bullet but sometimes such unfortunate accidents do happen.

An old man was saying this to Farwa. Camera was on and this thing was getting recorded. 

After talking with a couple more people, they both were sitting in a small hotel for lunch. Table was in between and they both were facing each other. 

"So many heart broken stories in this region!" Hamza said while shaking his head with sadness. 

"War is the most brutal thing humans have ever invented." Farwa said with gloominess. 

"We should hear these stories and ponder over them without any prejudice or sense of nationalism. We all are humans and humanity binds all of us together. People of both sides are suffering in this beautiful valley just because of the play of power and control of some people.” 

Humza said at which Farwa nodded her head at him. 

"You are right. Humanity will surely be weeping in such areas." Farwa took a solemn sigh and said. Heavy and gloomy silence hung upon them. 

                   ......................