Mayhem in Paradise

By Tarif Naaz

Mayhem in paradise is a tragic tale of the people, who suffered due to political turbulence. The novel begins with the love story of Huzaf and Vanshika. Huzaf, a Muslim boy, falls in love with a Hindu girl, Vanshika. They promise to love each other forever, but before they could keep their promises, some forces fuel insurgence in Kashmir.
Vanshika’s family migrates to Jammu. She resists but her family doesn’t listen to her and in the stillness of night, they leave their home. Huzaf visits Jammu to find out his Vanshika, but fails in tracing her out and returns disappointed.
Huzaf ’s sister, Asra, is raped and murdered, this incident changes his life and he takes the gun against India for revenge.
Through the love story, the ugly face of violence that caused untold mayhem in Kashmir has been revealed in simple and eloquent manner. The plot of the novel is so strong that it will hook you till end.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Notion Press
• Release date: Feb 20, 2014
• ISBN: 9789383808335

Book preview

Chapter-Eleven

Chapter-One

On that autumn morning, the breeze stealthily stole a kiss on Vanshika’s beautiful face that made her smile in her sleep. She slowly opened her sleepy eyes, when a beam of morning light disturbed her sleep. She woke up, yawned and stretched her arms out of the duvet that she had put on. Suddenly, her eyes fell on the wall-clock, the hands of which had stuck to eight twenty. Looking at the time, she leaped out of her cosy bed and rushed to the bathroom. After taking breakfast, she quickly finished her morning chores and began to get ready for going out to meet Nazia, this was what she had told her mother.

Nazia was her classmate and a friend since her schooldays. Having graduated from women’s college, they together joined the University of Kashmir and coincidentally together fell in love with two boys, who were also pursuing their PG in the same university. Nazia, healthy and beautiful, always putting a smile on her face, was in love with Saif, a tall handsome boy who belonged to an affluent family. But Vanshika, being a Hindu girl, fell in love with Huzaf, a Muslim boy. In fact, it was Huzaf, who chased after Vanshika and persistently followed her and left no stone unturned to convince her that love knows no religion. It wasn’t a cakewalk for Huzaf to make Vanshika accept that religion couldn’t deter them from being tied up in the eternal knot of love.

The first time Huzaf saw her in the departmental library, when she was filling in the library form. Before he could see her completely, she disappeared. Next day, when he entered into his classroom, he found her on the front seat in the girls’ row. Huzaf smiled as if his half wish was fulfilled. He kept surreptitiously watching her in the class, but didn’t dare come close to her. Vanshika was completely busy in her own world. She even couldn’t notice that someone in her class was constantly and sneakily watching her. Huzaf so many times tried to talk to her but couldn’t. Sometimes Nazia was accompanying her, and sometimes he couldn’t muster up courage. Ultimately he requested Saif to convey his message to Vanshika through his girlfriend. Saif at first suggested Huzaf to drop the idea because of her religion. He told him that it was impossible to achieve her. It would be a waste of time, loving a Hindu girl couldn’t get approval from the conservative society. But love doesn’t understand logic. Huzaf stated repeatedly that he could not afford to drop the idea. Looking at Huzaf’s disappointment, Saif sent her a message through Nazia about Huzaf’s friendship offer. But she plainly refused to accept his proposal. She was virtually a golden girl, a typical proverbial golden girl, who never dreamt of crossing her limits. She very well knew her boundaries and was not ready to do anything, which might have an adverse effect on the reputation of her parents. To have been in love, that too with a Muslim boy, was out of the question.

Vanshika was a lone daughter of Veer Ji, who was working in a private firm as sales manager. They had a small family, residing in Rainawari, a place settled on the Shore of Dal Lake. Veer Ji wasn’t a wealthy man, but despite his meagre income, he tried to provide his lone daughter a good education. Vanshika knew that, and she always used to adjust her needs to suit the income of her father. They had a small house amid some huge buildings around, but Veer Ji was respected by one and all in the vicinity because of his affectionate nature. He had taught and scrupulously passed those principles to his daughter, who was equally abiding by them.

Huzaf himself was a serious boy, and was reputed to be intelligent in the eyes of his classmates. Even his teachers enjoyed his company. At one time, Nazia, Huzaf and Yaseen, their classmate, were assigned a task of preparing a presentation on inflation, which was to be presented in the class within a week’s time. It was a good opportunity for Huzaf to convey his feeling to Vanshika through her friend. Whenever he saw Nazia and Vanshika together, he was approaching to them in order to be close to Vanshika. Nazia knew it, and wanted to help him. But Vanshika never gave him a space. Even most of the time, she was leaving Nazia alone with Him. But he never lost hope, and always kept trying to persuade her. He sent many beseeching and touching letters to her through Nazia. But she never touched those letters; it was Nazia, who used to read the letters loudly, when they used to be alone in the university garden. Nazia placed stress on every word to let Vanshika realize how much he loved her.

But she thought him a flirt. Once she said to Nazia, I would never be trapped in his woven net. However, destiny had to tell a different story. For a long time she remained hesitant in accepting Huzaf’s proposal. But Huzaf remained firm in his decision and kept knocking her heart by sending letters through Nazia, which had some effect on her. She struggled within herself, but as time went by she began to take him seriously, and by and by he acquired a place in her heart. His constant following infused into her a spirit to rebel against herself. Finally, he succeeded in persuading her to accept him as her boyfriend. She never knew when she trespassed and when she fell in love with Huzaf. Perhaps this is the beauty of love, it doesn’t knock. It just creeps in slowly and steadily.

Her first meeting with Huzaf, arranged by Nazia, was in the chinar Grove of the university. It was a pleasant day. The university was busy in its usual hustle and bustle. Vanshika and Huzaf bunked off their class in order to meet under the shades of chinar, quite free from human disturbance. They had to have a new experience – an experience that is called love. Vanshika’s heart was noisily throbbing; her heartbeats could easily be heard and counted. It seemed as if she was going to commit an unforgivable sin. Usually she wore her hair in two long braids, but that day she had left it loose, falling to her lower back. She put aside a string of hair that fell on her face. She was frequently running her beautiful hand over her glowing face to put her long silky hairs on one side. She was feeling a bit uneasiness and uncomfortable with Huzaf. Huzaf understood her state of mind and managed to make her feel comfortable. He took her beneath a tree, placed almost in the middle of the grove. They sat there quietly for some time, when Huzaf finally broke the ice by asking her, Why did you avoid meeting me?

Who told you that? she replied, and continued to avoid his eyes.

Nazia, who else.

Then why did you insist?

I do not know why, but perhaps I am in love with you. This time Huzaf’s voice almost choked. It proved very difficult for him to get these words out of his mouth.

Perhaps – it means you are not sure, she teased.

I mean – I feel uncomfortable when I do not see you here. I spend hours in the bus-stand and avoid many buses so that I can travel in the same bus in which you will be boarded. Just a glimpse of you makes my entire day happy. If this is love then I am in love.

Why do you want to see me, when you know I am a Hindu, and this relationship, if it develops, will never come to its conclusion.

Huzaf thought for a moment and then said, Love has no religion. Nor it should have any religion. I don’t understand why we mix relations with religion?

Vanshika perhaps wanted exactly what Huzaf said. After a short pause she said, But in Kashmir, marriage and religion are inseparable. How can you go against the set social norms? She wanted to extract some more confessions from him.

Yes, I can. For you, I can fight against all odds, he replied.

How can I believe you?

You have to.

She was inwardly delighted, but didn’t express her consent. Perhaps this is a woman’s way of making love. They don’t confess easily.

She said to him, I can’t trust you. In fact I don’t believe in love, for your sake, I can be your friend only. But don’t try to get any other meaning from it, friend means only friend.

Even though it was a very brief meeting, this meeting bestowed them with the joy of love. The opportunity made Huzaf feel as if he was on the top of the world. Huzaf seemed satisfied with the thought that Vanshika had become his friend. He thought her acceptance of friendship a stepping stone towards the beginning of love.

Nazia was waiting for Vanshika at the bus-stop. When she saw her, she giggled and asked her to tell the whole story that had happened between them. Vanshika told her word by word what had taken place between them. Nazia was enjoying every word of her love story. She was happy that her friend had met a decent boyfriend.

That night he, thinking about Vanshika, smiled many times with himself. For him, finding Vanshika was like a dream come true. He repeatedly listened to Mehdi Hassan’s Ghazal,

Duniya kisi ke pyaar mei jaanat se kam nahi

Ik dilruba hai dil mei jo huuro se kam nahi

On the other side, Vanshika hugged her pillow dreaming of being engaged with Huzaf. She was rolling in her bed and trying to recollect every word that Huzaf told her. She was smiling on the movements when she teased him. How Sweet! she smilingly exclaimed. But his religion could become a daunting obstacle, she thought; she frowned, heaved a deep sigh and said to herself, God forbid. There were some doubts in her mind whether the moralistic society would accept their love or respect their sentiments. But the pleasure of love was so strong and dominatingly sweet that she forgot about the repercussions of making love with a Muslim boy.

For the second date, Huzaf had to wait for some two long and painful months. Vanshika had made clear that he should not talk to her in the university campus because she did not want to become a story. Huzaf had accepted it, but his heart was not willing to obey his promise. Promises are perhaps made in haste or out of emotions, that is why people do not afford to keep them. He grew more impatient as never before and was always seeking the opportunities to sit close to her, unnecessarily approaching Nazia, whenever he found them together in the canteen or library. He would always steal a look at her from a distance. Vanshika called it nonsense and was accusing Nazia of all that mess. She wasn’t happy with the attitude of Huzaf. But Nazia always managed to pacify her. Huzaf could not control his irrepressible urge for Vanshika. He kept approaching Nazia again and again for another date. Finally Nazia helped him by arranging a meeting with Vanshika at her home.

Nazia’s parents had to attend a marriage party on Saturday, which she conveyed to Vanshika and Huzaf, and made a plan for them to have a date at her home. Vanshika at first refused, she was nervous. But Nazia insisted, Come on. He loves you. Finally a date was fixed, Huzaf was happy and said to himself, Yes!

He finished ironing his clothes, listening to music on his tape-recorder and dreaming of his dream-girl. He was talking to himself while rolling on his bed. He was repeating the sentences that he was going to tell his beautiful friend. He couldn’t sleep that night. He lay on the bed, closed his eyes, but sleep was nowhere near to him. Time was passing slowly – very, very slowly. He wanted to pass the night in a single blink, how come, it was trying his patience. He went to the window. Looking outside, he was accosted with an illuminating full-moon. Now he began to stare at the moon, which was playing a hide-and-seek game, hiding under the clouds and then appearing again, then hiding again and then appearing. Within few minutes, he was completely engrossed in it. Suddenly he muttered few verses, which he repeated with himself so many times, and then wrote them down:

Kitne he Sitaro mei nikla hai juda chand,

Ik chand se chehre pe hota hai Fida Chand.

Ik barqi tajali hai ya noor-i-mujasum,

Ya surkh se chadar mei hai lipta hova chand.

He felt asleep, while uttering these verses.

Early in the morning, when birds began chirping, he opened his eyes. It had rained – and that too heavily. Everything was wet – roads, trees, houses, the rain had sodden everything. When he opened the window he saw sparrows’ nimble movements, some were busy in making love, some were taking baths and some were aimlessly perching from one branch to another branch. But the playful movement of the birds couldn’t get his attention, he had been worried about his date, which had almost become spoiled. He thought whether he should go to Nazia’s home, and if he did go then would Vanshika come? Anyway, he did shave, brushed his teeth and took a bath. He had decided to go to Nazia’s home, even though the chances of Vanshika’s coming there were grim. He put on his blue jeans and self-printed white shirt. He was looking handsome.

There was a gentle knock on her door, Nazia opened the door and smiled, and warmly greeted Huzaf. Nazia was alone in her home, she said to Huzaf, Please come in. She took him upstairs to show him her own room. Huzaf’s first question while entering into her room was, Has she come.

No.

But …

"Aray, She will be coming."

They were alone in the house. Huzaf blushed and said to himself, How foolish am I? I shouldn’t have come too early. God knows when Vanshika will come. To kill the time, Nazia brought her photo album, in which her collection of photos was arranged according to the time they had been taken. While running through the album, he saw a school group photograph, which had been taken when they were reading together in school. Huzaf took the album in his hand and began to find Vanshika in the photograph. After not much effort, he could recognize her by her gorgeous full lips. Vanshika had thick pinkish beautiful lips. Meanwhile, there was a knock at the door. Nazia rushed down to open the door, and Huzaf here taking the advantage of being alone, kissed Vanshika in the photograph. It is a sin. I shouldn’t kiss her in her absence, he said to himself, and smiled.

Vanshika came in and greeted Huzaf. Nazia playfully said to Huzaf, Here is your Vanshika.

He lowered his eyes as if he had not heard Nazia. She went down to bring tea for them. There was silence in the room. They didn’t know how to begin the conversation. Both of them were new in the field. He had planned to say many things to her, but when she actually came in front of him, he forgot every word that he had intended to tell. All that he had planned eluded his mind. Nazia brought the tea, and she began to make tea for them, but Vanshika insisted on pouring it out herself. She poured out tea for Huzaf, Nazia and herself. Nazia played a very active role in joining them in conversation. They talked about university friends and laughed heartily over each other’s jokes and comments. After finishing the tea, Nazia wrapped up the cups, tea sheet and plates to wash them up. It was simply an excuse. Nazia wanted to leave them alone. When she went down, a drizzling rain had begun. For sometime everything was utterly motionless. There was a silence, a mesmeric silence, which was narrating their love story, through the gentle tapping on the windowpane. Love is a wordless unspoken poem, which is spoken without speaking. He was totally transfixed by her singular beauty, staring at her with regular intervals, and sometimes she also stole a look at him, without uttering a word. In the awkward silence, she was adjusting her dress time and again as if a bird preening its feather. Finally Huzaf told her, Why don’t you sit here? She obeyed unquestioningly, got up and sat down just beside him. Rain was pouring down. Huzaf, gently rubbed her hand with his fingers. I don’t believe that you are with me. It wasn’t easy to convince you, said Huzaf and slowly he slipped his hand into hers, and gave it a gentle squeeze to convey his message of love. "Vanshi I love you. I love you more than anything. I don’t know how