Episode 2: The Paradise has a Heart

Roja was relieved when the result of her COVID test was negative. Although she had no symptoms and always took the necessary precautions while travelling, she was still nervous about the test. Now, she was officially free to roam Srinagar and it was indeed exciting. A car had been arranged for the duration of her stay by the owners of the homestay. The driver had already called her and informed that he would be waiting for her in the parking lot. Prepaid SIM from other states do not work in Srinagar. Only post-paid SIM cards and prepaid sim cards locally bought in Srinagar function in this beautiful city. Luckily, Roja had a post-paid SIM card, thanks to her father. He had strictly advised her to always have a post-paid connection.

As she walked out of the Sheikh-ul-Alam Airport, she called the driver. Within a couple of minutes, a fair, clean-shaven handsome man appeared before her.

‘Namaste madamji, I am the driver that Wahib saab sent’, he said with a smile.

‘Namaste bhaiya. What is your name?’

‘My name is Zayed. Please let me take your luggage.’

She handed the trolley to him and they headed towards the car. Their conversation was in Hindi and he spoke with so much warmth, that she instantly felt at ease while talking to him. After driving out of the airport, they crossed the Border Security Force (BSF) check post and then entered into the city. It was indeed intimidating to see armed men in uniform at almost every corner and junction. An uneasy feeling crept into her because she was aware of the unrest in Srinagar. Although Roja knew that the army was to protect people, she looked at a few children on the street and thought what it would feel like to grow up seeing these men every single day. Would the people fear them for a lifetime or would they simply get used to their presence? There was only one way to find the answer, to live in this city and experience life.

Zayed enthusiastically pointed at the key tourist attractions as they crossed each one of them. Roja was glad to see that the Dal lake was not frozen and boating was allowed. She would certainly visit the lake but not today. It was already quarter past five in the evening and the temperature had begun to drop significantly. The home stay was about 20 km from the airport and she wanted to reach before it was completely dark. On the sides of the roads there were traces of snow.

‘Bhaiya, will it snow again today or tomorrow in Srinagar?’

‘We cannot predict that madam. But I don't think it will snow again for the next few days in Srinagar. Although there will be snowfall in Gulmarg and Sonmarg.’

If her flight had taken off on time, she would have gone for local sightseeing in Srinagar for half a day. Since the flight was delayed, she had to cancel her plans for the day. For the duration of her stay, she planned to visit Gulmarg, Pahalgam, Sonmarg and explore Srinagar. Only time could tell if she would be able to cover all the places, given that she was at the mercy of weather in those extreme conditions. In the hills, the weather could change drastically in a matter of minutes and if you are lucky, you will have a good day.

The homestay was how it looked like in the pictures. Simple and modern two-storied light grey house with adequate space around it. There were some plants in one part of the front yard but they looked dried with no leaves. In fact, no trees or plants bore leaves in Srinagar during that time of the year. There are lovely pictures of Kashmir on the internet with lush green trees and lovely flowers. But the winters are a complete contrast, with nothing but white snow and skeletons of trees. Yet winter in Srinagar was indeed charming.

She rang the bell and a middle-aged Kashmiri lady opened the door. Her pink cheeks, fair complexion and embroidered woolen salwar suit complemented the warmth in her eyes.

‘Hello, welcome, please come in,’ she said with a broad smile on her face. She was followed by an elderly man who was probably in his sixties.

‘Hi Roja, I hope you had a comfortable journey,’ he said and greeted Roja. His voice was slightly different from how he sounded over phone

‘Hello uncle, the journey was good but now I am feeling cold,’ she said almost shivering.

‘Oh yes, please come in but kindly leave your shoes outside. The carpets are very expensive,’ he said casting a glance into the living room.

Although Roja was worried that the shoes might get damaged in the cold wet weather, she left them in the shoe- rack outside the house. As she stepped inside, a flight of majestic stairs leading to the first floor greeted her eyes. The entire floor was covered with exquisite carpets and she instantly liked the ambience of the house. There was no way she could even imagine walking on that beautiful carpet with her boots. The hosts led her to a room at the end of the living room. As soon as she stepped into it, she could feel the warmth. There was a metal box on the floor and a long metal pipe extended up to the roof. It was a modern fireplace and there was wood burning inside the metal box while the smoke was carried out through the long pipe.

"Roja!"

The voice touched her heart before it reached her ears. With ashen face, she slowly managed to turn her head. A pair of fierce black eyes were staring back at her. She was about to break into a cold sweat. In the moment that followed, she could barely utter the name that had adorned her lips a million times in the past.

‘Agnivesh…’