"How?"
"A bullet" I look down, hoping he'll drop the topic.
"Why" he seems to not get the clue.
"My dad was a doctor. Even though the place was full of warfare, he tried to make other's lives better, even if it meant giving up his happiness. He simply lived to make others happy. One day an Indian soldier was wounded badly not far from where we live. He came to our home somehow, and begged my father to save him. My father complied and did. He had a big heart, my father. My mother had implored him not to, for the militants in the area issued a threat against anyone who helped the Indian soldiers. My father told her that people are people, and it's humanity to help others who are in need. Somehow the militants found out that my father was assisting a soldier. They stormed in one morning and shot him- point blank. And that soldier that he was assisting ran away."
"I'm sorry Aisha. That soldier was a coward," he says looking serious.
"There is no need, I was only a baby when it happened. They made my father an example of what happens to civilians if they try to help the soldiers," I smile as I look at him, "or take help from them."
He starts to laugh "And here you are sitting next to and conversing with an Indian soldier. I guess they don't lie when they say that an apple never falls far from the tree."
I laugh along with him. It is true, an apple never falls far from the tree. Oh what a day it has been! It started out with me simply just going out to feed my goats. A few hours later I find myself with an Indian soldier who is intent on saving my life. I look around and take in my surroundings. Dhruv and I are in an area which is virtually unnoticeable. We are surrounded by a fort of sandbags in the midst of tall evergreen trees, which means that we are closer to the mountains than I thought we were. I try to recall how I got here. I travelled approximately five kilometers to come to the grassy hilltop. With Dhruv, I travelled approximately another six kilometers to this hideout. So that means I am eleven kilometers away from home. By walking eleven kilometers will take us about three hours, then again that's only if we are lucky. I look around me and notice that the sun is setting and it's becoming chilly, but the gunshots still haven't stopped.
"What are you thinking about Aisha?" Dhruv's voice breaks me out of my thoughts.
I look up at him to see him intensely studying me "Oh nothing much, just thinking"
"Well I am bored, so let's play a game" he says. I get excited, a game?!?
I beam at him, "What game are we going to play?!?"
"I want us to get to know each other, so let's take turns asking each other questions and answering them truthfully" he replies.
This seems interesting. "Ok I'll ask you a question first" I tell him. "What is your family like?"
"Well my family is situated in Jaipur, although we have Bengali roots. My mom and dad died when I was seven in a car crash. I was left to care for my two younger sisters with my aunt and uncle. Now both of my sisters are in college studying to become doctors" he smiles to himself, nostalgic. "You remind me of my sisters, Aisha. They have this insane need of wanting to be right all the time- even when they are wrong. Stubborn but sweet. You guys would be best friends and-"
"I am NOT stubborn" I butt in indignantly.
"Hey, I called you sweet too though" he says and I pout "Ok, I'm sorry Aisha. I shouldn't have called you stubborn. Should I have called you bull-headed instead?" I glare at him. "Ok
headstrong?"
"No" I mulishly reply.
"Ok fine, would you prefer to be called determined instead?" He asks me laughing.
"Ok whatever, it's your turn. Ask me a question," I say.
"What would you do if you could do anything in the world?" he asks.
What would I do? "I would go to school, learn how to read and write. And then I would want to become a teacher, and give others the opportunity that I wasn't given." I stop, realizing that as we were talked, our surroundings had become eerily silent. No sounds of gunshots whatsoever. "Dhruv, they have ceased firing, I can go home right now."
