The winter season is on here in the Valley of Kashmir. Cold has taken over the whole valley, and life has almost come to a halt. Children, however, are enjoying this phase as the weather has remained dry and there are no traces of precipitation yet. The temperature has gone down very sharply, and the weather is very different from what it used to be earlier. Children who are enjoying their winter vacation are making the most of this time, because not only are they on holidays, but these holidays have turned out to be even more special due to the dry days. They have enough time to spend outdoors in playgrounds, playing cricket and other games, and they are truly making the maximum out of it.
People here in our area, or rather across the whole of Kashmir, especially those living in rural areas, have finished all their work related to agriculture and horticulture. Now it is the time to stay idle, doing nothing but sitting in the sun throughout the day, and spending whatever they might have earned throughout the year. Construction work and other sectors have also come to a halt.
Just a few days before, my father came in, and as he entered the room, he looked grim. I could see sadness on his face, which was quite conspicuous. As soon as he started talking, he told me that one of our neighbours had lost his son in an accident. At first, I wasn’t able to process it in my mind, but soon a face appeared before my eyes. I thought it might be the elder son, the one who worked and supported his family. However, just a few minutes later, my mother entered the room with different news. She told me that it wasn’t the elder son, but the younger one, who was just 13 or 14 years of age, and had gone to his sister’s home.
His sister, or we can say his brother-in-law, owns a copper factory in the industrial area of our valley, and the boy had gone there for a visit. Somehow, he got caught in the conveyor belt of the blade that cuts copper plates or metal sheets, and he lost his life there. It was something that I couldn’t digest at all at first, but soon after confirming the news from other sources and social media, we were all in shock. We couldn’t believe it, because he was a minor with no knowledge of how such equipment can turn hazardous and endanger life. He had mistakenly gone near the belt and lost his life.
This incident turned our whole area grim, and everyone was in shock. Whenever I remember the boy’s face, I recall a child who used to ride a bicycle and always smiled when you looked at him. He had beautiful hair falling on his forehead, big eyes, a round face, and chubby white cheeks. He was just starting to grow up and was about to enter a phase of life where he could begin to differentiate things.
Later, we heard that his body was taken by the authorities to the hospital to ascertain the cause of death, and the police also took cognizance of the incident. It was a time of grief for our entire area, and the news spread like a forest fire. Every corner of the valley seemed to fall into silence.
The next day, the body reached his village, and I also went there to be part of his funeral. There were so many people; I couldn’t have anticipated such a huge gathering. Everyone was sad, crying within, and completely helpless. After paying condolences, I along with my friends went to offer his Namazi Janaza, which is the Islamic way of asking Allah’s mercy for the deceased, and it is the last rite before burial. People from all corners of our area had come to pay their tribute and bid adieu to the noble soul.
