Saama ~ POV
This chapter Is dedicated to all the Shaheed students of APS aka Army Public School that is marking their second year today, 16 December. A day, that stole the parts of mothers, fathers, brothers, and sisters' hearts. A day that left them torn apart forever.
To my Cousin,
IMU
Who fought those demons with his bare hands. A day that cannot be forgotten because you have and you always will live in our hearts.
Let us make a dua for their beautiful innocent souls.
*Note that this chapter is inspired by this incident.
I clutch the thin strap of my handbag as I walked into the APS school.
The hallways are bustling with students of every age as the cold wind blows in. A sudden nervousness settles in within my heart as I saunter toward the help desk to guide me to the auditorium, where the career talk is held.
A middle-aged man with a peppered beard greets me with a salam. I smile back genuinely as he welcomes me heartily without me bothering to introduce myself.
"Miss Saama Zaboor, the author of "the four sisters". What a piece you have written" he praises me as I smile back at him.
"Thank you for the warm welcome," I said as I brush my hand over my fixed hijab.
"Shall we".
He gets up and pushes the chair back to get up to reveal his belly that is sticking out in the shirt and pants he is wearing. He takes his coat from the hanger and fishes in.
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"Choosing a career is like choosing a life partner".
Everybody in the auditorium erupts into laughter as I pause to let their laughter die out.
"No no no" shaking my head negatively.
"This is no laughing matter, just like you choose a girl, who is right for you that is how you choose a career that is right for you.
A career and partner is something that you choose one time. It is certainly a big decision in your life that cannot be undone.
If you choose a career carelessly just because others think that it is right for you then it is like having a partner that you have to be with without any emotions.
So choose a career that is right for you. You need to have a burning passion for whatever you choose whether it is being a doctor, actor, or writer like me. A career that will satisfy you later in life. A career that will make you fall in love every minute like a girl.
So, don't let others hold you back and bring your confidence in yourself to shatter in whatever career you choose...be it anything as long as it makes you happy.
There will be people along the way that will definitely try to bring you down from the ladder of your career".
The sudden firing stops me from voicing my thoughts as I was about to dismiss each one of them with a signed copy of my novel as to maybe it will evoke the writer within them among the many boys that look about the same age as Hamza.
Fear sets in as the shots become near and a guy that has caught my attention during the talk gets up to subside my fear by letting me know that it is army drilling since we are close to the base.
He puts on rubab music on his I phone and begins dancing maniacally. He comes up to the stage and ushers everybody even me to dance to the music that is being drowned by the gun firing. I laugh as everyone gives in to his crazy request.
He makes his way while dancing to the auditorium entrance. He stops at the foot and looks back at me with eyes that I think will haunt me forever.
I smile weakly as I get down toward where he is now looking.
Before I could see, what he was looking at. He comes back and bolts the wooden door.
He shouts and screams at everyone to hide as it is not the army drilling but rather we have been ambushed by a terrorist.
In fear, everybody begins to run here and there while I stand in between them like a statue. I look at the blue-eyed boy who shouts at me to go, he is here to protect me. For the first time, I feel something that I can't seem to describe at the moment.
I run to him and ask where and how can I help these kids to hide.
"Behind the curtain, there is a changing room. You could hide some kids there and also move these blocks of steps that lead to the inside of the stage...just hurry...they will be here any minute. ..we can't lose to them".
I nudge my head positively as I guide the kids, who seem to function better than me under the stage to the inside. I push them in furiously as I want to save all of them.
The thud at the door panics me and I stop In my tracks. It seems like there is one person behind that door as one gun is being banged. I usher the other kids behind the curtains and hand them my book to at least distract them.
There are still more kids left to hide but the terrorist has now begun to shoot through the door.
I panic as the door comes off its hinges. I froze as I sense my legs giving out at any moment. The boys begin to encircle me in a protective manner and to which I question their stupidity.
Their response shocks me "you are our guest and it is our duty to protect you". I begin to argue, and just then the barbarians shoot the blue eyes kid in front of me in the stomach. He locks his gaze with me and flashes me a smile. He winks at me before he gets to shoot again but this time at heart.
The barricade of boys around me becomes smaller as they get killed mercilessly without any aim. A splash of blood hits me in the face and my legs give out as I fall down to the ground with a thud that is filled with fresh blood.
I take off my scarf and tie it around the boy who had fallen down beside me with many bullets adorning his arm. I try to push him in between the rows of seats, just then there is a rain of bodies toppling over me.
My breathing becomes shallow. My vision narrows and focuses on whatever I am looking at. The strong urge to cry, to shout, to let them stop whatever they are doing gets a hold of me but I know that would be a foolish thing to do.
I bite my bottom lip so hard that I could feel the blood coming out. The steeliness fills my mouth. I swallow my blood-filled spit as I feel the kick of a human on my legs that sends jolts all the way up to my body. The waves of jolts become harder and I hold my breath as I let them kick me like an inanimate object to see if I am alive.
The excruciating pain in my legs rushes to my head as I sense myself going unconscious.
YOU ARE READING
She will always be the one
Romance"Zaabit Bhai!! What are you doing?" I begin to walk back as his sturdier figure became close. "You aren't supposed to be here, Zaabit Bhai" I begin to scream because for the past few weeks since I have arrived back. He never came this close to me. W...
