REVISITING THE SUMMER OF 2015

I had to go out, to drop one of my relative at her home. It was 9 at night. It was only dark,
silence, rain and terror that had fallen all over the streets in Sopore which is in the north of
Kashmir. I jumped into my car, was about to reverse it, a sound came like something is being
crushed under the tyre of my car. I ignored at the first attempt and continued. After sometime
I felt it necessary to check what was wrong with the tyres because the creeping noise was
getting heavier and heavier. I came out of the car. It was still raining. I looked at the tyres and
realized that one of them was punctured. “No need to fix it this time.” I told myself because I
knew that it would probably work for a bit longer. Still I was looking for some workshops so
that at least I could pump that tyre but unfortunately it was the peek odd time and everything
was shut closed.

That time I wanted to stay back but my nerves were getting more involved into the
atmosphere that they drew me to the cold dark weather. I was aware of the conditions what
could happen if a small mistake happened. I knew whatever has to be done it should be done
with perfection because the margin of error was very less. One small mistake and I could
have been easily surrounded by the men we dread not to see.

Firstly, it was about 9 in the night. Secondly, it was heavily raining and lastly, it was the
unfriendly environment that was terrorizing everyone from some couple of weeks.

Not even a single car was there except military forces all over. I knew the present situations
of Kashmir very well, so without any attention attracting act I continued. After I had dropped
my relative at her place, I felt the need to change the tyre as it was getting worse and I was
also losing grip over steering wheel. I stopped the car at the roadside near a cellular tower in
front of a lofty street lamp. I got out, looked as far as i can over the both sides of the road.
Movement later I realized that I have parked the car at a sheer wrong place. I had parked near
a cellular tower. The cellular towers were the target of those unidentified gunmen who were
trending killers in Kashmir those days. I knew it. Military Cars were moving all over. They
might have looked at me but none came to me for investigation. Realizing the scenario, i
didn’t made any move. Ignoring everything I continued to change the tyre. I had never
changed the tyre of a car before but I had fully knowledge of it on how to do it. It had started
to rain more heavily. I felt every drop of rain that fell on me. I concentrated at my work only.
As I jacked the car fully up some strange and haunting thoughts came to my mind. What
would happen if the tower near me gets attacked or blasted? What would happen if firing
starts? Will I ever be able to fix the tyre? All those people getting disappeared tales came to
my mind but somehow, I kept my cool. I waited for some 5 minutes thinking all this suddenly
I took the tyre and started to fix it. It took me about 20 minutes to fix up everything.

Yes, I fixed it. I had accomplished. I had done what my ego wanted me to do. I did it when
my nerves were being tested. Yes, I was in solitude at the roughest time of the night. But I did
what was being expected out of me by myselves only.

Without wasting much time, I sat back in the car flee back too home.

Outside was the same old dark, rain and terror…

Syed Nayer®