The chilling cold seeped through the many layers of clothes I was wearing. I rubbed my hands to keep them from freezingā¦ My nose had turned reindeer red, and I snuggled it inside my muffler. It was cold!
We all had hoped the snow would fallā¦ the previous year had been a difficult one with no snow in the cityāresulting in water problems throughout the year. We hoped that this white blanket would cover us soon ā promising plenty of water for the year and a break in the harsh spell of cold.
I kept walking, stamping my feet as I walked, to keep them warm. All round the city was deserted ā muddy and cold. I walked past an old man smiling cheerfully ā his face red with cold and his pheran[1] hiding the kanger[2]ā¦ I wish I had brought mine with me.
* * * * * * * * * * *
āThese people should have home delivery of āchot[3]ā!ā I mumbled ā¦ as I walked on to the Kandur[4] shop. The aroma and the warmth of the shop reminded me that I was hungry and freezing.
It was warm inside the shopā¦ I saw the kandur shaping the dough into āchotā, putting it in the tandoor[5] and taking it out ā almost simultaneously. I marveled at his ability and envied his feet right next to the tandoor.
āManzooraā¦. Pack 10 for me..ā
Manzoora smiled back, and kept busy with his work, passing on bags of āchotā to those who had come before me. As my order was ready, I walked out with the hot āchotā in my bag. I looked up at the sky almost involuntarily ā when will it snow?
* * * * * * * * * * *
I walked past the āband[6]ā watching the marvel of nature around me. The trees were naked, the soil which used to be lush and green was brown and barren, there were no birds singing and chirpingā¦.even they seemed to be upset and gloomy today ā¦ everything looked brown and deadā¦
And I thought.. soon after the spell of winter has broken.. it will be all green and beautifulā¦ thoughts of future made me smile..
Just then .. I was almost about to slip and it brought me back from my musings of future to the stark naked ugly reality.
Thinking of what I would do today after going home.. I walked onā¦ when I saw a crowd of peopleā¦
Somebodyās corpse was just thrown by the army vehicle ā¦. People were looking around trying to ascertain who he wasā¦ some sighing, some with tears in their eyesā¦.
He had been shot.. shot many timesā¦ āand then in the news they will say, he died in an encounterā, I thought, disgusted and sickened.
The dead body lay thereā¦ abandoned and pitiful. There was blood all over the pheran.. his face seemed smashed.. I couldnāt keep my eyes on itā¦ It was too gruesomeā¦ a shiver ran through my spineā¦
It was a normal occurrence.. something that I shouldnāt react too emotionally atā¦. I couldnāt afford to get worried by this.. there were many things that I had to do todayā¦ and I have seen the whole drama repeat so many timesā¦ I shook my head in disgust, wondering who would be nextā¦
And just when I took the last glance at the scene… making my mind to move onā¦ move on with my lifeā¦ the first flakes of snow fellā¦. I was hypnotizedā¦ I couldnāt move… I watchedā¦. Watched how the snow was covering all of usā¦ our pain and our misery in a white shroud.
* * * * * * * * * * *
[1] Long overall worn in winter
[2] Kanger: a pot full of coal used in winter to keep warm
[3] Kashmiri bread
[4] Baker (specifically makes traditional bread)
[5] oven
[6] river bank
