With discontent heart, she decided to divert her mind by cleaning the mess created in the room. Little did she know that cleaning mess of her room will not clear the mess that was created in her heart. Locked inside the storeroom she decided to empty the forgotten drawers of her grandmother’s chest. One by one as she pulled out the old memories of her grandmother she found clothes, books, jewelry, and the photo album. While surfing through the photographs of the past she got the glimpse of her grandparents’ life. Their happiness and journey were safely kept in the depths of the cupboard. For a while, her mind was diverted from her unfulfilled love story to the picture-perfect story that was there in front of her eyes. For a few moments, she was transported in their age. Thinking how easy love and life was back then, she started keeping the belongings back in the treasure box. While keeping it again on the shelf she got hold of few torn pages kept inside a cloth. She took them and started having a glance over them. Those were the memoirs of her grandmother’s diary. After arranging them according to the date scribbled at the top of the page she started her journey to the past.
January 8, 1946
Like every other normal day, I went to school and he was waiting for me in the corridor. I once again fell for his smile! His charm and big brown eyes had cast a spell on me ever since the day we became friends. He caught me watching from behind the veil of my dupatta. Having known him from my childhood, I was drawn to that contagious smile. We passed by each other with a smile that was enough to convey what our heart covets.
“Not all come in your life to stay, sometimes they want to leave and sometimes we push them to leave. But when you find that very smile you were looking for in your life, do everything to make them stay.”
April 8, 1946
Today, the dinner party did its magic. After having dinner our parents departed to their world of staple discussion: the political situation prevailing in the country. But our frivolous souls were looking for an escape. When we somehow managed to come outside the house, we both were lost in dwelling silence of the ever-beautiful night in the cloak of stars.
“You know it is real when silence and eyes are enough to articulate.”
June 3, 1946
While frequent meetings were taking its toll on our hearts, our college life was having its perennial high. We were amidst all humdrum and Independence revolution. Where on one hand we were going frenzy with all our might to get our country free from the British, my heart, on the other hand, was in the transit of getting enslaved by him.
“Cupid find its own ways to make us realize the magic of his wand in the most unusual times.”
September 26, 1946
Where my father and his father were true followers of Gandhi’s ideology, we both had a completely different take on the movement. We indulged ourselves in all sorts of activities and marches a student can participate in. Today, during the freedom procession near our college gate, we were charged upon by the British soldiers. Many students fell prey to the lathi charge and were severely wounded. Having sensed the sensitivity of the situation he asked me to leave, whereas he himself received my share of deathly blows…
December 1, 1946
All the bloodshed and attempts by the British were not able to instate fear in us. From the past five months, our attempts to make our country free have been more forceful and wild than the previous one but today’s incident made me numb. When he was stuck with a lathi on his head and was bleeding profusely, my whole world came shattering in front of my eyes. When even after putting my best to reach him I was pushed back by the crowd, I felt a part of me dying. Though we both together faced this narrow escape and saw a silver lining, I will not be able to forget the feeling I had when I saw him drenched in blood.
March 13, 1947
So, the fate of India is hence decided. We have to leave Lahore for Amritsar. Last night few houses and shops in a nearby street were put to fire but slowly macabre of human existence is picking its pace. We must leave our house! Only one hope keeps me hold onto myself and that is I will be having my family and him around. His words, “We are in this together. No matter where our destiny might take us, we will make our home wherever we go” makes me trust our destiny for yet one more time.
“Love might not detangle the ties, but it may give you patience and will to try one more time.”
July 21, 1947
Today morning, our caravan was attacked again! When we were moving in our Exodus, we heard the shouting and slogans from behind and within five minutes world came shattering upon us once ‘again’. He held my hand and we ran towards the open ground while the maniacs were busy butchering people. We didn’t know where our parents went but after 5 km down the road when we joined a remaining lot of people and inquired about our parents, someone told he saw them last when they ran for their lives. If alive they might join again, if not they are amongst few who lost their lives for the soundless echoes.
August 5, 1947
Amritsar
I went to Sri Harmandir Sahib today again in a hope to see his face in the crowd. That the only place where I can find him. Ever since I lost him in the last attack on us few kilometers before the LoC, God is the only hope I have. Where in the second attack I lost my parents, in this I lost my only strength. I’ll go again tomorrow and all the coming days of my life until I meet him or death.
Hold my hands and take me through the lonely woods.
Where sand is all set and stones untouched.
Hold my hands and take me through the bloody ties,
Where people do not kill for soundless echoes.
Hold my hand and take me to the world unknown,
Where the sound is of love and silence is of faith bestowed.
With a deep breath, she kept the pages back in its place. She knew they met because she saw their happy smiles every day. But how they met and what happened next is still a mystery. Though for her few torn pages were not enough to tell the full story, but those came as a revelation to never let go of hope and love. She decided to give a try again and save her relation from the glitches of ego and doubts, for love never comes easy.