LOVE STORY OF A TERRORIST

LOVE STORY OF A TERRORIST

nce upon a time, in a small village near Pulwama, South Kashmir, lived a terrorist called Firdaus Ahmed, belonging to the terrorist tanzeem, Hizbul Mujahidin.

He was of 25 years of age and a well known local terrorist in the area. Why he became a terrorist? Doesn’t matter! What matters is that Firdaus was in love!! Love with a girl of neighbouring village, an Anganwadi worker, his school time crush. Their love was talk among the young girls and boys of that area. A perfect love story?

But wait, how can a love story be complete without a villain or an Anti- Hero?

There was a villain or an anti hero. It was a young Captain of Rashtriya Rifles, a specialised unit for fighting terrorists (and killing them too!). As in charge of the villages’ area of this blooming love story, he wanted Firdaus dead or surrendered.

Firdaus used to find some time from his “Job” to meet his beloved in the lush green apple orchards. For both the world was a paradise within the paradise of Kashmir, but the fear of death hanged on their thoughts. Their future and dreams seemed uncertain. They used to discuss about their future which didn’t seem to have happy ending. Slowly it didn’t seem very romantic to be a terrorist and a lover.

In the meanwhile, the captain increased pressure on the father and brother of Firdaus. The villagers adviced the captain, to make life a living hell, for parents of terrorists. Firdaus’ father and brother were called to the Rashtriya Rifles camp repeatedly, humiliated and harassed. This was to done by captain to put pressure on Firdaus to either surrender or come out in open.

Firdaus’ father was jokingly called “Mujahid ka Khush naseeb baap”. The word khush naseeb was a pun intended. They were pressurised to make Firdaus surrender.

Photo from Shutterstock

This humiliation and harassment of his father and brother began to hurt Firdaus. He had two choices either to attack the Rashtriya Rifles camp, especially the captain and become “shaheed” or surrender. That was exactly what the captain wanted. Firdaus began to contemplate surrendering, but it was easier said than done. Surrendering was an act of betrayal for Hizbul Mujahidin.

Any terrorist doing so faced backlash in the form of getting killed himself or any of his family member. He survived death during an encounter with security forces under the captain. In that Firdaus lost his close friend, another terrorist. He literally saw him bleed to death. That was the last straw. Firdaus decided to surrender. He told his beloved to contact the captain for surrender. she contacted the captain through a villager who was captains friend, shabir.
There was a fear that Rashtriya Rifles would not want him alive and may be “encountered”. Shabir met Firdaus on behalf of the captain and convinced him to surrender.

He surrendered……..he was sent to jail……. …Hizbul mujahidin shot his brother in leg. His beloved’s job as an Anganwadi worker was terminated. Other terrorists started making advances to her. Both the parents were a big joke in the villages……. stigma of being a “surrenderees” relative began to haunt them.

Firdaus in jail was heartbroken. After his release from jail… He married his beloved…. but the charming girl was now a tired broken women. The life they dreamed together was nowhere seen in reality. Daily chores took over all romance …. poverty and fear of revenge by Hizbul Mujahidin always stared at their face ….

Well .. all love story don’t have an happy ending …especially of a terrorist.
What happened since then ………
That’s another story ……………….!

–OBVIOUSLY OBLIVIOUS

(The Author can be reached in uuvaachmedia@gmail.com)
(Fiction)