The tension is palpable on the national highway. Two boys, about 19 years old, stand by the roadside, waiting for a car. They’ve been waiting for a long time, but no vehicle has stopped. Finally, after much waiting, a Maruti 800 pulls up in front of them and offers them a lift. The boys get in, sitting quietly in the backseat as they begin to talk.
As they drive on, the Indian Army stops the car because their convoy is passing through. After about 15 minutes of waiting, the convoy ends, and the Army allows them to continue on their way. At this point, one of the boys, with a sense of regret, comments, "Kashmir has now become like Palestine."
The driver, who overhears this, turns to the boys and says, "The situation in Kashmir is about to get worse than Palestine. You all enthusiastically celebrate 15 August, waving the Indian flag, and now you say Kashmir has become Palestine."
Hearing this, the boys fall silent, exchanging glances that seem to say it’s better to keep quiet.
The car continues on its journey until they are stopped again by the traffic police. An officer asks the driver to show his license. The driver hands over some documents, but the officer demands that he step out of the car. The driver complies, and the boys watch as he reaches into his pocket, pulling out some money, which he tries to hand over to the policeman. The officer, visibly angry, shouts at him. The driver then pulls out more money and speaks to the officer, who eventually lets them go.
The driver returns to the car and starts it up again. After driving for a while, one of the boys asks, "How much did it take to convince him?" The driver replies, "200 rupees." The other boy, disillusioned, comments, "His conscience was sold for just 200 rupees—what hope is there for him to serve the people?"
At this, the driver laughs and says, "If 200 rupees hadn’t worked, I would have shot him right there. I have a gun with me—I was a militant. I spent 11 years in jail and was only released three years ago."
Hearing this, the boys are both shocked and terrified. They exchange glances, their eyes expressing more than words ever could.
Soon, their stop arrives, and one of the boys asks the driver to pull over. The car stops, and the boys get out. They walk away, speaking in low, anxious tones, the fear of what they just experienced still fresh in their minds.
Nasir Hussyn