THE MOVIE HAD GOTTEN INTERESTING BUT OMI WAS BUSY SAVOURING THE CHICKEN AND DRINKING WHISKEY.THE HERO WAS ABOUT TO LEAVE HIS FAMILY FOR GOOD WHEN HIS GRAND DAD TELLS HIM “A GRANDSON IS THE RE-INCARNATION OF HIS GRANDFATHER”.I WAS WONDERING IF SOMETHING LIKE THAT COULD BE TRUE. “ITS TRUE U KNOW ….TANU IS THE RE-INCARNATION OF MY UNCLE”.SAID OMI.
I JUST SMILED IN A CONVINCING MANNER BUT INSIDE THOUGHT THE POOR OLD MAN WAS DRUNK. EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS MAN AMAZED ME. THE WAY HE WENT AROUND DOING HIS DAILY CHORES AND SPECIALLY THE WAY HE TOLD ME ABOUT HIS PAST. WHENEVER HE TOLD ME ABOUT HIS GOOD OLD DAYS IT SENT SHIVERS DOWN MY SPINE, SHIVERS OF AMAZEMENT AND SHIVERS OF DISGUST. OMI HAD WEALTHY ANCESTORS AND THE ROOTS OF HIS FAMILY TREE WERE PROBABLY IN AFGHANISTAN.HE ALWAYS LOVED TO TELL ME ABOUT ALL THE GOOD FOOD HE ATE WHEN HE WAS A KID.
HE FELT IT WAS DUE THOSE DAYS AND THAT FOOD THAT HE WAS STILL GOING PRETTY STRONG .OMI LOVED THE WAY THE WAY HIS MATERNAL GRAND FATHER WOULD STIRR MILK IN AN IRON POT SPECIALLY FOR HIS GRANDSON AND GIVE HIM HIS DAILY ALLOWANCE .LIFE WAS GOOD HE WOULD COMB HIS HAIR AND TUCK A PEN IN THE POCKET OF HIS PATHANI SUIT .BENEATH THAT INNOCENT FACE WAS A CHILD WHO HAD CERTAINLY LEARNED THE MEANING OF PREJUDICE AND IDEALS THAT STAY WITH A PERSON FOR ATLEAST A LIFETIME. OMI ALONG WITH HIS FATHERS BROTHER, A MAN IN HIS EARLY FORTIES WENT TO VISIT THE KHANS WHO STAYED IN THE NEIGHBERHOOD .
THE KHANS BELONGED TO A DIFFERENT RELEGION ANND OMI WOULD NOT EAT IN THERE HOUSE AND MANY OTHER PEOPLE OF THOSE TIMES SHARED THE SAME OPINIONS IN RELATION TO PEOPLE OF OTHER RELGIONS. OMI`S UNCLE DIDN’T SEEM TO HAVE A PROBLEM BUT OMI WOULDNT BREAK BREAD AT THE HOUSE WHERE THE KHANS LIVED . THE KHANS ON THE OTHER HAND ANTICIPATING SUCH A SITUATION OFFERED FRUITS TO OMI WHICH HE READILY ACCEPTED.OMI WAS NOW IN HIS TEENS HE WAS STUDYING AND HAD JOINED A GROUP WHICH WAS FORMED TO SAFEGUARDED THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO BELONGED TO HIS RELEGION.
FIGHTS AMONG PEOPLE OF DIFFERENT RELEGIONS WERE NOT UNCOMMON BUT THOSE PEOPLE WERE NOT BE BLAMED.HE WAS GIVEN TRAINING AND EVEN WENT ON MISSIONS WHICH WERE BASED ON REVENGE.HE ALWAYS WONDERED WHAT A GAVE A MAN THE STRENGTH TO KILL ANOTHER MAN.AT THE GROUP MEETING HE DISCOVERED SOME THREE MEN BELONGING TO HIS RELEGION HAD BEEN KILLED.
HE AND A BOY CALLED KALU WERE ENTRUSTED WITH THE RESPONSIBILITY OF UPHOLDING THEIR HONOUR AND TO TAKE REVENGE. KALU WAS SHORT AND LEAN BUT WAS KNOWN TO HAVE REFLEXES OF A HAYENA .OMI AND KALU PUT A TURBANS ON THEIR HEADS, FAKE BEARDS AND KOHL IN THEIR EYES.THEY WALKED INTO THE FORBIDDEN LAND AND STARTER WANDERING ABOUT CASUALLY.THEY WERE LOOKING FOR AN EASY PREY AND TO AVOID SUSPICION WENT ON TALKING AMONG THEMSELVES AS IF THEY WERE TWO RUGULAR MEN GOING ABOUT THEIR DAILY BUSINESS.THERE WERE MANY PEOPLE AROUND ON THE MAIN STREET SO THEY STARTED WALKING THROUGH THE TIGHT LANES. THEY SPOTTED A MAN TURNING INTO ANOTHER LANE .KALU RECOGNIZED THIS MAN AND TOLD OMI THAT HE BELONGED TO THE RIVAL GROUP.KALU SENSED THAT OMI WAS PROBABLY SCARED AS HE HAD NEVER KILLED A MAN .
“LOOK ALL YOU GOT TO DO STAND HERE AND TELL ME IF SOMEBODY IS COMING”.
OMI WAS RELEIVED AND WATCHED FROM A DISTANCE AS KALU CAUGHT UP WITH THE MAN .EVERYTHING WAS HAPPENING SO FAST ….
“HEY YOU’’SHOUTED KALU AND THE MOMENT THE MAN TURNED KALU LUNGED AT HIM SLIT HIS THROAT JUST ABOVE THE ADAMS APPLE.BLOOD SPURTED OUT AND THE MAN IT SEEMED WAS GOING INTO SHOCK , KALU GRABBED HIM BY HIS COLLAR AND RESTED HIM AGAINST A WALL THAT WAS WITNESS TO ALL THAT HAD HAPPENED .OMI MEANWHILE TOOK OUT HIS HANKERCHIEF TO CLEAN ALL THE BLOOD THAT SPLAT ON KALU’S FACE…
“WE’VE GOT TO GET OUT OF THIS PLACE FAST”
“BUT WHAT ABOUT ALL THIS BLOOD ON MY KAMEEZ ?’’
“ TAKE OFF YOUR TURBAN AND WRAP IT AROUND
YOUR KAMEEZ..WE HAVE A CHANCE WITHOUT THE TURBAN BUT IF THE BLOOD SHOWS ..IT WILL CERTAINLY BLOW OUR COVER “
THE MAN LAY DEAD AS OMI TOOK ONE LAST LOOK AT HIM… THE SHADE OF RED ON THE DEAD MAN’S SHIRT HAD DARKENED.
“HURRY UP OMI ’’
“:YES” AND FROM ONE BYE LANE TO ANOTHER THEY WALKED AS FAST AS THEY COULD BUT DID NOT RUN AS THAT WOULD ATTRACT ATTENTON . NEWS TRAVELS FAST AND THEY COULD HEAR THAT A GROUP OF MEN WERE SHOUTING FOR HELP .
MAN AFTER MAN GATHERED ONLY TO WITNESS THE SCENE AND CALLED OUT FOR MORE MEN MEAN WHILE THANKS TO THE JUNGLE OF BYLANES AND THEIR INABILITY TO OPENLY MAKE A RUN FOR IT OMI AND KALU HADNT MADE MUCH DISTANCE AND HAD JUST REACHED THE MARKET.
NOW A STARIGHT STRETCH OF ROAD JOSTLING WITH PEOPLE WAS ALL THAT SEPERATED THEM AND THEIR LAND WHERE THEY WOULD BE SAFE.EVEN DURING ALL THIS HYSTERIA OMI COULDENT HELP BUT THINK ABOUT REACTIONS OF HIS FELLOW MEN IN CASE HE RETURNED SAFELY.HE WOULD BE REFERRED TO AS A MAN AND A MAN WITH OPINIONS .KALU WAS BUSY ADJUSTING HIS TURBAN TO HIDE THE BLOOD STAINS WHICH HAD STAINED THE TURBAN IN ONE CORNER.
“HALF A MILE MORE AND WE’LL BE SAFE”.
OMI NODDED.
