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- Story Listed as: Fiction For Adults
- Theme: Drama / Human Interest
- Subject: Courage / Heroism
- Published: 05/06/2018
Patriot
Born 1949, M, from Kashmir, India.jpeg)
Patriotism
Zirsha
(In the land of Balochistan)
Night patrolling on a mound by troops went on. It was a mountainous forest country. Search-lights scanning wide areas continued. Rapid gunfire heard in distance. The troops were alerted and returned the fire.
Just some one kilometer away from this spot of border line, where the troops were stationed, Hashim and his men surreptitiously cut the trees. They would react to the slightest sound. They were armed.
Sun beating mercilessly down. A crowd of men, women and children scamper away in fright.
Hashim riding on a horse canters towards a hut and stops. Hashim dismounts. He carries a gun. He is visibly angry.
Hashim cries, “Dilavar, come out of your hut. Face me, if you really are the legitimate child of your father. I ask you come out; I have come here to detach the connection of your body and soul. My bullet is impatient to pierce your body”.
Reshma comes out holding a gun in her hands and pointing it towards the Hashim. She too cries, “You swine! What do you want?”
“I want your father. The scoundrel has helped police in confiscating my timber and now the bloody coward has hid somewhere. I will not leave him. So this time I have you”, Hashim makes unwelcome advances.
“If you moved further ahead, I will shoot you there and then. You can test it also”, Reshma says sarcastically. “Had my father been here, he would have come out to spit on your face”, she adds.
Hashim still steps ahead. Reshma fires. But the bullet misses the target and punctures a nearby tree.
“I want to keep you for myself, so I will not harm you”, Hashim laughs and moves towards Reshma. Reshma steps backwards. She is visibly worried.
Suddenly, someone roars behind Hashim, “Go back Hashim, or else you will see that my fire never misses, and you too know it very well.”
“O’ Hayat!!” Discovering Hayat there and also holding a gun, Hashim gets surprised.
“Perhaps, my presence here this time is unbelievable for you?” Hayat said sarcastically.
Hashim: “Not unbelievable, but of course, surprising!” Then pointing towards Reshma, he adds, “Reshma is written in my fortunes, you are just a wandering wasp whose death is destined through my gun”.
Hayat shoots and the bullet pierces the arm of Hashim.
Hayat: “I have just jotted down the date of this meeting on your arm. If there is a time when we meet again, my bullet may stamp your dirty head with your last date too”.
Hashim spits on the earth in anger and disgust, then mounts on his horse, presses his heels into him, and gallops him and the horse is off the ground.
Reshma, a teen aged girl, lived with her father in a border village near the boundary line of the country. It was a beautiful place. Snow draped mountains, verdant meadows, gigantic pines; it all looked like paradise on earth. It was a marvelous scenic landscape, which could send anyone into ecstasies.
Words would escape to describe the beauty of Reshma. She was so beautiful and charming, which made hearts dance and souls twirl in excitement. She was like a nymph from the heaven’s above. Whosoever would see her, would find themselves trapped in the world of colors. She was also strong and robust.
Reshma would usually be busy with the formation of different nature costumes along with co-teenagers and sing patriotic songs with admiration to the beauty of her country.
Reshma created uproar in the heart and mind of Hayat, who was a well-built and handsome guy.
Hayat was loved by the people of the area because of his compassion and sympathetic approach towards poor and needy people. The love of Reshma had engulfed his heart and he was emotionally attached to her. Reshma knew that, but she had no such feelings in her heart for Hayat, though she too regarded him very much like other people of the town.
The next day of the encounter between Hashim and Reshma, Hayat came to the house of Reshma and told her, “I guess your father has not done well by inviting troubles for you and him. He should have not informed the police about the smuggled timber”.
“Do you mean he should have not helped police against a dreaded criminal who is looting the national property?” Reshma questioned.
Hayat: “I mean the enmity of Hashim has created more dangers for your family which keeps me worried for you”.
Reshma: “You talk cowardice, Hayat!”
Hayat: “I am not a coward. Hashim is a dreaded criminal. That is what I wanted to tell you”.
Reshma: “Instead of terrifying me by his dreadfulness, it would have been better to stab me”.
Hayat: “I never wanted to hurt you”.
Reshma: “You must know, my existence does not comprise bones, blood and flesh, my life is concealed in the soil where I am raised”.
Hayat: “I am worried for you, Reshma. I cannot bear any harm to you. That could break me!”
Reshma: “I regard your emotions. But what the emotions you nourish for me in your heart, shall not bear a fruit because I have no such feelings for you. It will be in your interest to control your passions”.
Hayat: “I want to marry you, Reshma!”
Reshma: “I have not yet given any thought to my marriage”.
“But your age demands now for that thought”, Hayat remarked naughtily and left.
Hashim, a timber smuggler, had terrified the whole area. No one would dare to confront that dreaded smuggler. He was very dangerous and highly influential too. He would harass the inhabitants of the locality and tease women. He was involved in series of crimes. He had bad intentions for Reshma.
Reshma was conscious of that.
The presence of Hashim in the town and his unwelcomed visits to Reshma’s house had made Reshma to feel insecure and unsafe. It was only Hayat there who was capable to tackle and confront the Hashim. So circumstances forced Reshma to think about Hayat.
In the meantime, there in the village began the preparations of a festival. So almost all locality too was involved in those celebrations.
During that village festival, Reshma fell in love with Sikander in the first sight, and he with her also. Sikander was a smart, tall, good looking, strong and a handsome man; a street vendor.
Actually, Reshma, with her friends, while passing through the village pavements, crossing green fields and streams, while they walked along the brooks were humming a typical folk song. The beauty of the festival and other adornments in this behalf had engrossed her and she did not notice that someone (Sikander) was coming on the opposite side. Sikander carried a big bag on his shoulder which contained different goods for sale in the festival. Reshma accidentally collided with Sikander, and when they saw each other, both fell in love in the first sight.
Reshma, “Sorry!!”
Skinder, “Don’t worry…”
Other girls moved ahead, there remained then Sikander and Reshma only.
While Reshma stepped forward to join her friends, Sikander said, “I would like to tell you something!”
“Sure”, Reshma seemed impressed by his physical appearance.
Skinder, “Your voice is so sweet!”
Reshma smiled, “Yes, I know that. Anyway, thanks.”
Skinder, “Then you would know it also that you are gorgeous?”
Reshma, “Have you halted me here for this very proposition?”
Skinder, “Talking to you was just a pretext; actually I wished to look at you closely”.
Reshma, “It seems you have come here from some faraway place, that is why I forgive you. I may warn you that such a behavior and style of talking from strangers can’t be tolerated here”.
Reshma advanced her steps to the other side and wanted to move, then Skinder asked her, “I wish to know the name of the girl who cautioned me of my behavior”
Reshma, “My name is Reshma. Besides being gorgeous, I am dangerous also”.
“My name is Skinder, and I am not dangerous”, Skinder responded smilingly.
Resma too smiled and moved ahead.
Both, Reshma and Sikander came close to each other. They loved each other terribly.
Time began to pass swiftly. Their love amplified with every passing day. Finally, both decided to marry.
In the dead of night when everything seemed in solitary state and strange sounds were heard, there were some mysterious movements behind the bush. Sikander appeared from the bush holding a revolver in his hand. He walked cautiously ahead. Any slightest sound would alert him. He was visibly apprehensive. He was drenched in sweat. After covering some distance, he entered a hut where he met Hashim. Hashim seemed waiting for Sikander. She warmly received Sikander. They held some secret talks.
Before Reshma would tie the knot and was symbolically bonding and securing her marriage, she came to know that Sikander was a spy of an enemy country and had taken up the profession of street vendor to camouflage his real deed. Reshma was terribly shocked to know all that about him and her dreams shattered. She came to know that Sikander was in touch with Hashim and he had harbored him there. She was deeply upset. But she could not erase her love for Sikander from her heart. Sikander had gone so deep into her mind and heart.
On the other hand, Sikander also felt unsafe because many of his co-fellows were either rounded up or killed in the encounters.
Sikander wanted to quit and leave Reshma’s country. Sikander took Reshma into confidence and asked her to accompany him to his country and promised to marry her there in his country. Reshma, after some reluctance and resistance, agreed to the proposal. She handed over all her money and ornaments to the Sikander.
When Hashim came to know that Sikander had left the village and was fleeing towards the other side and police were in search of him, he too decided to cross over the border. He galloped his pet horse wielding a gun. But before he could join the Sikander or cross over the border, he encountered Hayat who was coming from opposite side, very much in his pursuit. He too was riding on the horse with a gun hanging on his shoulder.
Hayat asked Hashim, “You cannot leave the village Hashim. You have to surrender before police”.
Hashim responded with fire. Bullet missed the target and Hayat had a narrow escape.
Gun fight continued for some time and finally a bullet from Hayat hit the head of Hashim and he fell down and succumbed to that shot.
In the mid of night, both Sikander and Reshma quit the village. Reshma left for the new destination in a disinterested mood. On reaching the border in early hours of the day, she glanced back to the snow capped high mountains and crazy glaciers of her mother land. Before they could cross over, the melodious voice of nature loved birds of her village came in her ears as if calling her not to move to the other side. The nightingale’s voice caught her mind and heart. Her childhood memories flashed back. She imagined as if the surrounding nature was fantastically beautiful and an atmosphere pervaded with mystic shades of love and she walked singing and dancing. She felt her existence was vanishing in the beauty of nature. She visualized as if she passed through the lakes and green lands. Waves seemed to her dancing with shimmering jewels of light, mountains covered with snow and clouds rolling themselves into fantastic forms. Multicolored butterflies and varieties of beautiful flowers with an exquisite design emerged in her vision. She stopped spontaneously and cried hysterically, “I won’t leave my country………”
It unnerved Sikander. He became pale and nervous. He prayed to Reshma, “Reshma, don’t cry please. Otherwise we will be caught and killed. It is a matter of just two hours we will land on the other side. We will be safe and happy there. I will give you all the joy you wish while we reach to the other side”. He began to console Reshma.
Reshma refused and asked him to return her belongings.
Sikander turned down her demand.
“It is getting late. Every single moment is precious. Staying here for further moments is dangerous. It could cost my life”, Skinder stated.
Finally, he decided to leave her there and began to step forward hurriedly.
Reshma cried, “Stop. Don’t move”.
Sikander paid no attention to her cries and warnings.
She again cried hysterically, “Sikender, don’t move please. You surrender before police.”
“Reshma, you seem to have lost your sanity. We are tigers, we don’t surrender. We give our life for our land and mission, but do not give in. My commitment towards my country is more precious than my life”, Sikander responded.
“You are a traitor”, Reshma cried.
“For you, but a hero for my people”, Sikander replied.
“I too can give life for my land. I too love my village. I too am supposed to defend my people. I too am a patriot”, Reshma retorted.
Sikender did not answer and began to run fast.
Reshma implored and cried, “Please Sikender, don’t run. You surrender before police”.
Sikander cried, “You have turned mad Reshma, still you can come to me”.
Reshma in utter rage flung her pick-axe against the Sikander. It hit his backbone and deeply wounded him. He cried and fell down. He bled profusely and died.
Reshma wept bitterly and fainted.
(Actually, this is a play I wrote long back and was telecast from Television in 1988.)
Patriot(Nazir Jahangir)
Patriotism
Zirsha
(In the land of Balochistan)
Night patrolling on a mound by troops went on. It was a mountainous forest country. Search-lights scanning wide areas continued. Rapid gunfire heard in distance. The troops were alerted and returned the fire.
Just some one kilometer away from this spot of border line, where the troops were stationed, Hashim and his men surreptitiously cut the trees. They would react to the slightest sound. They were armed.
Sun beating mercilessly down. A crowd of men, women and children scamper away in fright.
Hashim riding on a horse canters towards a hut and stops. Hashim dismounts. He carries a gun. He is visibly angry.
Hashim cries, “Dilavar, come out of your hut. Face me, if you really are the legitimate child of your father. I ask you come out; I have come here to detach the connection of your body and soul. My bullet is impatient to pierce your body”.
Reshma comes out holding a gun in her hands and pointing it towards the Hashim. She too cries, “You swine! What do you want?”
“I want your father. The scoundrel has helped police in confiscating my timber and now the bloody coward has hid somewhere. I will not leave him. So this time I have you”, Hashim makes unwelcome advances.
“If you moved further ahead, I will shoot you there and then. You can test it also”, Reshma says sarcastically. “Had my father been here, he would have come out to spit on your face”, she adds.
Hashim still steps ahead. Reshma fires. But the bullet misses the target and punctures a nearby tree.
“I want to keep you for myself, so I will not harm you”, Hashim laughs and moves towards Reshma. Reshma steps backwards. She is visibly worried.
Suddenly, someone roars behind Hashim, “Go back Hashim, or else you will see that my fire never misses, and you too know it very well.”
“O’ Hayat!!” Discovering Hayat there and also holding a gun, Hashim gets surprised.
“Perhaps, my presence here this time is unbelievable for you?” Hayat said sarcastically.
Hashim: “Not unbelievable, but of course, surprising!” Then pointing towards Reshma, he adds, “Reshma is written in my fortunes, you are just a wandering wasp whose death is destined through my gun”.
Hayat shoots and the bullet pierces the arm of Hashim.
Hayat: “I have just jotted down the date of this meeting on your arm. If there is a time when we meet again, my bullet may stamp your dirty head with your last date too”.
Hashim spits on the earth in anger and disgust, then mounts on his horse, presses his heels into him, and gallops him and the horse is off the ground.
Reshma, a teen aged girl, lived with her father in a border village near the boundary line of the country. It was a beautiful place. Snow draped mountains, verdant meadows, gigantic pines; it all looked like paradise on earth. It was a marvelous scenic landscape, which could send anyone into ecstasies.
Words would escape to describe the beauty of Reshma. She was so beautiful and charming, which made hearts dance and souls twirl in excitement. She was like a nymph from the heaven’s above. Whosoever would see her, would find themselves trapped in the world of colors. She was also strong and robust.
Reshma would usually be busy with the formation of different nature costumes along with co-teenagers and sing patriotic songs with admiration to the beauty of her country.
Reshma created uproar in the heart and mind of Hayat, who was a well-built and handsome guy.
Hayat was loved by the people of the area because of his compassion and sympathetic approach towards poor and needy people. The love of Reshma had engulfed his heart and he was emotionally attached to her. Reshma knew that, but she had no such feelings in her heart for Hayat, though she too regarded him very much like other people of the town.
The next day of the encounter between Hashim and Reshma, Hayat came to the house of Reshma and told her, “I guess your father has not done well by inviting troubles for you and him. He should have not informed the police about the smuggled timber”.
“Do you mean he should have not helped police against a dreaded criminal who is looting the national property?” Reshma questioned.
Hayat: “I mean the enmity of Hashim has created more dangers for your family which keeps me worried for you”.
Reshma: “You talk cowardice, Hayat!”
Hayat: “I am not a coward. Hashim is a dreaded criminal. That is what I wanted to tell you”.
Reshma: “Instead of terrifying me by his dreadfulness, it would have been better to stab me”.
Hayat: “I never wanted to hurt you”.
Reshma: “You must know, my existence does not comprise bones, blood and flesh, my life is concealed in the soil where I am raised”.
Hayat: “I am worried for you, Reshma. I cannot bear any harm to you. That could break me!”
Reshma: “I regard your emotions. But what the emotions you nourish for me in your heart, shall not bear a fruit because I have no such feelings for you. It will be in your interest to control your passions”.
Hayat: “I want to marry you, Reshma!”
Reshma: “I have not yet given any thought to my marriage”.
“But your age demands now for that thought”, Hayat remarked naughtily and left.
Hashim, a timber smuggler, had terrified the whole area. No one would dare to confront that dreaded smuggler. He was very dangerous and highly influential too. He would harass the inhabitants of the locality and tease women. He was involved in series of crimes. He had bad intentions for Reshma.
Reshma was conscious of that.
The presence of Hashim in the town and his unwelcomed visits to Reshma’s house had made Reshma to feel insecure and unsafe. It was only Hayat there who was capable to tackle and confront the Hashim. So circumstances forced Reshma to think about Hayat.
In the meantime, there in the village began the preparations of a festival. So almost all locality too was involved in those celebrations.
During that village festival, Reshma fell in love with Sikander in the first sight, and he with her also. Sikander was a smart, tall, good looking, strong and a handsome man; a street vendor.
Actually, Reshma, with her friends, while passing through the village pavements, crossing green fields and streams, while they walked along the brooks were humming a typical folk song. The beauty of the festival and other adornments in this behalf had engrossed her and she did not notice that someone (Sikander) was coming on the opposite side. Sikander carried a big bag on his shoulder which contained different goods for sale in the festival. Reshma accidentally collided with Sikander, and when they saw each other, both fell in love in the first sight.
Reshma, “Sorry!!”
Skinder, “Don’t worry…”
Other girls moved ahead, there remained then Sikander and Reshma only.
While Reshma stepped forward to join her friends, Sikander said, “I would like to tell you something!”
“Sure”, Reshma seemed impressed by his physical appearance.
Skinder, “Your voice is so sweet!”
Reshma smiled, “Yes, I know that. Anyway, thanks.”
Skinder, “Then you would know it also that you are gorgeous?”
Reshma, “Have you halted me here for this very proposition?”
Skinder, “Talking to you was just a pretext; actually I wished to look at you closely”.
Reshma, “It seems you have come here from some faraway place, that is why I forgive you. I may warn you that such a behavior and style of talking from strangers can’t be tolerated here”.
Reshma advanced her steps to the other side and wanted to move, then Skinder asked her, “I wish to know the name of the girl who cautioned me of my behavior”
Reshma, “My name is Reshma. Besides being gorgeous, I am dangerous also”.
“My name is Skinder, and I am not dangerous”, Skinder responded smilingly.
Resma too smiled and moved ahead.
Both, Reshma and Sikander came close to each other. They loved each other terribly.
Time began to pass swiftly. Their love amplified with every passing day. Finally, both decided to marry.
In the dead of night when everything seemed in solitary state and strange sounds were heard, there were some mysterious movements behind the bush. Sikander appeared from the bush holding a revolver in his hand. He walked cautiously ahead. Any slightest sound would alert him. He was visibly apprehensive. He was drenched in sweat. After covering some distance, he entered a hut where he met Hashim. Hashim seemed waiting for Sikander. She warmly received Sikander. They held some secret talks.
Before Reshma would tie the knot and was symbolically bonding and securing her marriage, she came to know that Sikander was a spy of an enemy country and had taken up the profession of street vendor to camouflage his real deed. Reshma was terribly shocked to know all that about him and her dreams shattered. She came to know that Sikander was in touch with Hashim and he had harbored him there. She was deeply upset. But she could not erase her love for Sikander from her heart. Sikander had gone so deep into her mind and heart.
On the other hand, Sikander also felt unsafe because many of his co-fellows were either rounded up or killed in the encounters.
Sikander wanted to quit and leave Reshma’s country. Sikander took Reshma into confidence and asked her to accompany him to his country and promised to marry her there in his country. Reshma, after some reluctance and resistance, agreed to the proposal. She handed over all her money and ornaments to the Sikander.
When Hashim came to know that Sikander had left the village and was fleeing towards the other side and police were in search of him, he too decided to cross over the border. He galloped his pet horse wielding a gun. But before he could join the Sikander or cross over the border, he encountered Hayat who was coming from opposite side, very much in his pursuit. He too was riding on the horse with a gun hanging on his shoulder.
Hayat asked Hashim, “You cannot leave the village Hashim. You have to surrender before police”.
Hashim responded with fire. Bullet missed the target and Hayat had a narrow escape.
Gun fight continued for some time and finally a bullet from Hayat hit the head of Hashim and he fell down and succumbed to that shot.
In the mid of night, both Sikander and Reshma quit the village. Reshma left for the new destination in a disinterested mood. On reaching the border in early hours of the day, she glanced back to the snow capped high mountains and crazy glaciers of her mother land. Before they could cross over, the melodious voice of nature loved birds of her village came in her ears as if calling her not to move to the other side. The nightingale’s voice caught her mind and heart. Her childhood memories flashed back. She imagined as if the surrounding nature was fantastically beautiful and an atmosphere pervaded with mystic shades of love and she walked singing and dancing. She felt her existence was vanishing in the beauty of nature. She visualized as if she passed through the lakes and green lands. Waves seemed to her dancing with shimmering jewels of light, mountains covered with snow and clouds rolling themselves into fantastic forms. Multicolored butterflies and varieties of beautiful flowers with an exquisite design emerged in her vision. She stopped spontaneously and cried hysterically, “I won’t leave my country………”
It unnerved Sikander. He became pale and nervous. He prayed to Reshma, “Reshma, don’t cry please. Otherwise we will be caught and killed. It is a matter of just two hours we will land on the other side. We will be safe and happy there. I will give you all the joy you wish while we reach to the other side”. He began to console Reshma.
Reshma refused and asked him to return her belongings.
Sikander turned down her demand.
“It is getting late. Every single moment is precious. Staying here for further moments is dangerous. It could cost my life”, Skinder stated.
Finally, he decided to leave her there and began to step forward hurriedly.
Reshma cried, “Stop. Don’t move”.
Sikander paid no attention to her cries and warnings.
She again cried hysterically, “Sikender, don’t move please. You surrender before police.”
“Reshma, you seem to have lost your sanity. We are tigers, we don’t surrender. We give our life for our land and mission, but do not give in. My commitment towards my country is more precious than my life”, Sikander responded.
“You are a traitor”, Reshma cried.
“For you, but a hero for my people”, Sikander replied.
“I too can give life for my land. I too love my village. I too am supposed to defend my people. I too am a patriot”, Reshma retorted.
Sikender did not answer and began to run fast.
Reshma implored and cried, “Please Sikender, don’t run. You surrender before police”.
Sikander cried, “You have turned mad Reshma, still you can come to me”.
Reshma in utter rage flung her pick-axe against the Sikander. It hit his backbone and deeply wounded him. He cried and fell down. He bled profusely and died.
Reshma wept bitterly and fainted.
(Actually, this is a play I wrote long back and was telecast from Television in 1988.)
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