The Ballad Of Ashique Hussain Pir

Ashique Hussain
In Prison cell, cold and cruel
Dwells in Darkness
No hope finds way to him
He knows not the moment
Past present or future
Time stopped
At 10 Pm on that fateful day
Of 12 July 2009
When Amina died

Amina
She was the first blossom of season
In the open vistas of Aura valley
As bubbly as water of mountain stream
Those flow from fresh snows of Shamshabari
They met,
Four years ago
At the Urs of Muqam Shahi
And fell in love.




She died
“Raped By Armed Forces of India”,
shouted Huriyat Hawks
her brothers said
masked men in camouflage fatigues
entered their house
at Night
and forced their lust
On their sister
killed her when she resisted
they tried to stop them
but they were beaten
and in the struggle
one dropped a mobile phone
And a Voter Identity card
One of the military man
Ashoque Hussain Pir

Ashoque Hussain Pir
Woke up in his barrack
And had his morning tea
In a weary state of mind
He had a sleepless night
Of helplessness
He dialed Amina
On his mobile
Got no response
Dialed again

He walked up to the “langer”
Smiling at his collogues
forcefully
He had picked up his plate
When the Adjutant called for him

“You Killed Amina?”

Time stopped for him
Ashique stood stunned
With no earth underneath his feet
He did not resist
Nor did he spoke
He felt he did not breathe

He was handed over to police

“He walked out of the Camp at night
The Jamaities alleged
With connivance of his friends
Raped Amina and fled
Everyone believed them
He should be punished
Indian Army should be withdrawn
Armed Forces Power Act should be repelled
Kashmir Should be liberated
Pakistan Zindabad


A thousand dreams
Of unison
Raveled the two in love
A cozy home
Cherub children
Togetherness all above

Amina wanted to study hard
Ashique paid her fees
He bought her Phone
He gave her his voter ID
To procure a SIM

But Aminas’ brothers did not like these
They wanted her to marry someone
Who had promised them some land
She resisted this
And told them blunt
Ashique will be her man

they locked her in the house
she hide the phone wih her
and when she found
moment was ripe
she dialed Ashiques number
she exhorted him to rescue her
as early as he can
………………………………..
Ashilque was restless when he got the call
He knew not what to do
Amina was in trouble
he speculated what he can
His hands were frost bitten
To cross the fence at night
His mates were aliens
To trust them blind
Her village was far
And walk to her
Dilemma dismayed decision

Aminas Brothers
Heard her speak to Ashique
Broke open the door in Rage
Shouted her
And gagged her
On her slaps and punches rained
She kept calling
Ashiuqe for help
Till she berthed he last

When she fell limp
Her brothers realized
Called a compounder
For her to revive
But it was too late
And the lovers fate
Was written
With blood and deceit
To save themselves
With Huriyat then
Conspired the cheats


………………………………..

(There was a violent unrest
In the Tregam bowl for fifteen days
The post mortem established there was no rape
And circumstances raveled that it was unlikely for Ashique to move out,
Some of the family members acknowledged that it was her brother who killed her.
The issue is held in abeyance
Ashique is not cleared of charge
And realizing the technical glitch Huriyat has backtracked
And the Politicians are insuring that the case is not progressed further ).

Ashquie
Still in Jail
Has come to terms
With his Zombie self
he lives
to be dead
he is dead
to be alive