A Try

In January 1996 after completing his exams, Maqbool decided to move to Delhi to help his brother in the family business. Little did he know that the move to shift the bases would land him in the biggest trouble of his life.
On 17 May, 6 months after landing on the Indian capital, Maqbool was taken to custody and allegedly accused of Lajpat nagar bomb blasts, the blast had killed many people and created ruckus in the Indian minds.
“I was a kid back then in fact I had just passed my 11th standard examinations. I was a fun loving boy and king of romance like Bollywood actor Shahrukh khan. Even in my wildest dreams, I hadn’t thought that I would land up in a prison for my alleged role in the blasts, that I had never been part of. It was more of a Bollywood to me than reality.  I was ruined of my youth and career by the so called largest democracy of world.” says Maqbool.
Today in my office where I work as a peon, I see myself in that Tihar jail, and there is a certain reason behind it, people who were studying with me are today big officers, engineers, professors, people who would ask for my help during exams are ahead of me  in every aspect only thanks to the flawed Indian judiciary. The judiciary where only 3 out of 834 total witnesses gave witness against me, two of them policemen and still I spent 14 damn years in that dreaded jail. That jail where criminals from all over world are inmates. For me every jail from Srinagar to Jammu is a five star hotel when compared to tihar, tihar is the worst I wouldn’t want even my worst enemy to land there Maqbool sighs. Tihar is the hub of the biggest criminals, and it is up to the individual what he wants to be, he has to choose between being good and extreme bad, says Maqbool. Either you end up being a big criminal living with the criminals there or you become closer to your lord. I chose the latter and became closer to my lord.  Inside the jail there is neither night nor day, I literally cried for 3 months continuously.  The jail officials and big criminals there have a nexus and are equally involved in larger crimes outside says Maqbool. You suffer even in the jail for only mistake of being a Kashmiri. Hadn’t it been for my other mates who were relatively elder to me I would have died of the trauma and pressure of other inmates. They later became literal kings of the jail.
  Today when I look back at the events that took place during my trial, I laugh on the biggest democracy. I spent more than 20 days in different police cells of Delhi, first at Lodhi road special cell than at Nizamudin police station. In the special cell all the other accused would tell the police men that I was innocent, and I had no role in the blasts but they would seldom listen to them or me. But the policemen would always tell me that I would be released soon. I was taken to court after some 20 days and on chalan they mentioned that I was taken into custody on 17 June and they had found the evidence against me on the same day. Such was a mockery that they took me to the court on a two wheeler without any chains or handcuffs. It was a mockery in my view they had an accused terrorist on a two wheeler, then in the court a gun was pointed on my back and i was asked not to speak, the judge didn’t ask me anything I was made to sign a paper and that was it. What followed was usual visits to court and routine continued till 2010. I lost my youth, my father, and my sister while being in jail, now they have given me this damn job as compensation. Is this enough? No it is not, says Maqbool. Now the only thing that drives me to live is the fact that when I die there will be a huge number of people in my funeral procession.  And I will be buried at the martyr’s graveyard that is what gives me sense of pride.

75 word short story

When Maqbool was in school his mother would make it sure he had his lunch, and infact she would walk miles only to make sure that her son had a filled stomach. Now at 75 Fatima cant even take 5 steps to answer nature's call. Fatima is on death bed and is thinking about her son who must not have his lunch for a week now,    that is what happens to anyone who is taken to that dreaded interrogation center. Now on her death bed Fatima rues being a mother.


By Saqib hussain 

A TRUE STORY

It is a baby boy said sara, Allah bless him he is so cute said his other aunt hameeda. Look at the hair it’s so beautiful. The cheeks are chubby and soft.  The atmosphere around is so joyous everyone at home is happy and gay .Congrats Nisar, said nisar’s mother, you are a father of a baby boy now. Hearing the news nisar ‘s  happiness saw no bounds. He hugged his mother and went to the hospital to see his newborn.

Are you happy asked nisar, yes Alhamdulillah I am very happy and lucky to be blessed with a baby boy replied  “noor, I hope and pray to Allah that he becomes a doctor one day. No he will be an engineer like his dad said Nisar. Oh stop the argument and let time decide what he becomes intervened Mustafa, the eldest brother of Nisar and uncle of the newborn suhail.

suhail is the light of the eyes of his family members. He is being treated like a prince by the whole family including the aunts and uncles of both sides. His attractive looks and behavior is giving him more pampering. He is just 1 year old but is already the heartthrob of the whole setup. noor is the most happy of the lot. It’s as if she has found a new partner in her son as in Nisar is mostly away and busy with his work.

Mama is the word that suhail speaks hearing the words noor bursts into tears, it’s the first word he spoke murmured noor.  Wish Nisar was here thought noor, listening to his son’s first word he would have been the most joyous. Mashallah said sara may devil’s eye never have an impact on my suhail placing an amulet around his neck and reciting a few verses of the holy Quran.

suhail has turned 3 today and it’s time to get him admitted into a school contemplated noor. Standard public high school will be the best choice as it’s near and even his cousins study there, they will take care of him and make him feel at home said Mustafa. Yipee now I will be with suhail whole day thought nahira the eldest cousin of suhail. Its school time get ready my cutie pie said noor to suhail. suhail was not happy and cried the whole day that first day. At lunch his mother would come to his school to make him eat the food. And it would then continue till he turned 12 .     

suhail has topped this year as well said nahira to his cousin I am sure he is going to be a Doctor. Yes he will and I have full faith in Allah and him. You know he was fiddling with his uncles stethoscope and was acting like a doctor I bet he will be a great doctor one day said Asif his cousin. Yes even his teachers were praising him and they believe he is an asset for their school said mustafa.

Its 103 degree Fahrenheit sighed nisar, stop crying, I had told you not take him with you to the wedding, I knew he would fall ill. I had no option but to take him there it was my cousin’s marriage after all sobbed noor. He needs three days rest and don’t send him to school doctor advised. Missing the school was the most painful thing for noor more than the suffering of suhail. Wake up my son its school time again. suhail is completely changed now he talks less takes less interest in studies and doesn’t wrestle around with his cousins. This thing is giving sleepless nights to noor little did she know that her son had developed a stuttering problem. suhail can’t talk properly. He can’t talk nonstop now. His tongue has developed a problem now.       
    

Its 13th march and it’s raining cats and dogs in Srinagar. noor is busy with the daily chores, suhail is at school,. Somebody is calling yelled rahman the butler at the house. He wants to talk someone in the family. Hello who is it? Its abdul  sattar from the roads and buildings department. We have a bad news for you nisar has met an accident and is currently admitted in SKIMS. What? Replied noor; beep beep and line is disconnected. noor couldn’t bear the news and falls on the floor.    

There is hue and cry all over, everyone at the funeral of Nisar is crying, after all he was only 39. The world of noor is ruined. She is in shambles. She has lost everything as in the husband holds most prominent place in every woman’s life. She has lost her soul mate. Nisar is no more he is dead in an accident on the national highway.  Though there is a speculation that he might have been killed by his counterparts as in he was going to be chief engineer.

Don’t do this to yourself  please think about suhail what will be the impact on him said mustafa. He is already depressed due to his stuttering problem and now the death of his father will almost make him go crazy. Yes I will live for him sighed gul wiping her tears. It’s his matric examination as well. I don’t want him to make this and excuse. I want him to pass with flying colors.  

The result of matric examination is out and suhail has achieved 70 % marks. I will take medical as my subjects. I want to be a doctor. Yes my son that has been my dream since your birth and I am sure you will make me proud one day. He had taken keen interest in his studies after the matric results and the results were showing. He has qualified the common entrance test and has bagged himself a seat in the Medical college of batra.      

The atmosphere at home is joyous again after a long time. The news has catched fire and has reached every relative. The stutter is a medical student now .  

Its 12 am and phone of sahil starts ringing. Sahil is cousin and a dear friend of suhail. I am depressed and want to finish my life sahiil said suhail. Why ? are you mad replied sahil . I am standing on the tawi bridge and I am going to jump off it. But why? you idiot! are you  out of your senses yelled sahil his heart pumping fast as if it might come out of his mouth. Yes I am said suhail and the phone gets disconnected.

Its 15th july sahil and suhail have caught up at pari mahal. What had happened to you that day enquired sahil. As if a mad dog had bitten you fumed sahil. Be in my shoes and then you would have known what it takes to be stutter  replied suhail sobbing. Stop bro I am sorry but you have a mother and you should have thought about her before even thinking of that drastic step. Do you even realize what would have happened to your mom. She lives only for you. Yes I know but my life is like hell when I talk girls make fun of me. Last week a patient laughed at me while I stuttered. You know that time I really wanted to die suhail said. Look bro nobody is perfect even I am not. You should really think of those who cant even talk. Yes you are right I will change now, and live for my mom said suhail. though he had plegded to change the feeling of bieng a stutter had given him a cause to ponder so much so that he started taking anti depressants.   
  

It was 12th may the news of suhail’s death had reached here. At his home people were saying that he has committed suicide by jumping into mansar lake. The atmosphere at home was very melancholy. Everyone around was seen crying right from the family to friends. noor had lost yet another part of her life. Her life is ruined , she is screaming asking yelling “why me God what have I done”. Her screams and crying make your heart wrench and only a heart made of stone can hold on their tears. “ina lillahi wa ina ilahi rajioon.”

suhail couldn’t cope up with the embarassement of being a stutter. A bully from a girl had been the reason of ending his life. He was high on anti depresaants and this thing had made him loose his concious. His body couldn’t be found for 6 months this inturn had brought in hope for the family,hoping against hope,and believing in th so called peers had given them a ray of hope. On 10th ooctober his body was seen floating on the mansar lake. This day was another setback for noor. This was the end of a boy who after 3 months would have been a famous doctor. The stuttering doctor had lost it. May God fogive him for what he did.

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A painful delight

Yeah! you were a beautiful dream but why did u make me scream.Yea h! You brought happiness dreams and light but i was better of whth my plight. Yeah! you made me cheer and live without fear but actualy you had no value for my tear..Yeah ! You tought me how to love but only to make me bow. Yeah! You made my heart like the glowing nile but it was only to create a turmoil..Yeah! You made me gain the killing pain and everything went into vain!

YOU

You were the sun that shined and made me fly. You were the moon that brightened my sky. You were the clouds that guarded me from ply. You were the angel that made me feel the bliss as if it was a divine kiss. You were the feeling that made me know joy of the esctasic feeling believing it was all kneeling. You! You were my life not knowing you werent in my clife. You! You were a soft heart not knowing you would tear me apart. You! You were my soul not knowing your only intentions were to befool. You! You made me try and try to fly not knowing it would eventually make me only cry cry and cry!...