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relief work in pakistan.miss home. |
its strange when one wishes to die is it poverty, suicidal,self apathy or the lost of pride as the beeline queue of people begging to have a sack of rice from its sworn mortal enemy,uncle sam, forlorn looks and deep eyes looking into emptiness like the coming of autumn those green fields will turn to brown wilted and weary as winter creeps slowly among the mountain top these wiill be a painful routine for most of them dr sharif was busy talking to his contact he needs to get a permit for me to enter swat valley as he continues negotiating on his nokia i looked around the hospital\ther's calm and peace\green leaves and beautiful flowers he came with despair face 'the army may or may not grant you the permit sab.they need few days to decide,'dr sharif said in weak voice i paused from my sightseeing i looked around and tried to find inspiration i looked down on the ground, those barren ground i have travelled many miles to be here i faced him 'sir,if i want to go ..would you help me?,my voice whisper soft but loud enough for him to hear 'sab..this is for Allah..i will take you anywhere you want to go'. chalo...we go to mingora my face lighted up i know the risks yes i have family these are just some of the hard decisions that i have made over the years i have to go there and see for myself it may seems like a piece from tom clancy but these are realities that i usually face on the ground as the corolla zoomed we left the hot plains of peshawar and headed to malakand dr sharif said to me in his normal mannered voice sir..you must look forward do not look at the guards you dnt say a thing and u dont hear a thing 'i'm a deaf mute sir'..we broke into laughter in that case, i will pretend sleeping ok thats gd, i will say that you are a doctor from karachi.. i was already in my korthi that traditional garb that pakistani men wears huge pants and flimsy shirt but i like its airyness yes i will be a pakistani k we r nearing the check point before you reach it, the car moved zigzag slowly along the concrete barricade that were put on d road constatntine wires guarding the perimeters i looked around as stubborn as ever guards piercing eyes behind sandbags with rpg muzzles jutting out ready to shoot if need be sentries with AKs in on mode armored jacket then i slipped into my sleeping mood i heard dr sharif and suhil, the driver went out the car i could hear they are saying doctors doctors few times then a salam the door slammed and we were on our way a minute later i opened my eyes and asked dr sharif what did u say i told them that we are doctors and we are carrying laboratory chemicals and need to carry on moving hehehehehe ..smart chap he said again, you come here with the blessing of Allah,i have no fear now we can go in peace but its difficult to take pics\ there are many sentries police and army personnel moving around my hand itchy to flip my camera but that would compromise the safety of everyone no foreigners have enter swat 90% of the refugees have gone home but there are still army operations over the mountains choppers and trucks jeeps zoomed past the street with sirens blaring no wonder there are more depression case always in constant fear green mountains guarding on all sides it is far cry from the brown barren peshawar it is still hot here but i can imagine how serenity is the town when its winter i found out later that there was a suicide bombing 2 blocks from my hotel so theres curfew everyday people hurriedly buys goods and items during the day by 7 the streets are empty like a street in one of those ghost movies deserted not a soul its shoot on sight so quiet the town becomes a lonely place to be its just painful and sorrow lingers as i looked at the mountain twinkles lights beeping like morse code you may be tricked to think those are stars they are houses up in the mountain so magical and beautiful i stood at the balcony enjoying the quietness i just missed home very much like a changing of the season i hope spring will come earlier when im home and my loved ones could read those morse code twinkling among the stars that i miss them very much ill be back home soon good nite and sweet dreams |