Taken away

Introduction

"I've had enough! How much longer ammi?" said Irfan, a boy of 15 to his mother, who had not been able to pay his school fees for the third time,

"Irfan beta, I am trying my best, try to understand. I promise that in a week we will be living a much better life than this..." and their house rent already had been due since years. Irfan had to work over-time doing odd jobs, that hardly got him any money. He had been a very talented and intelligent guy but couldn't come up because of his economic problems.

They lived in Kashmir, about 20km from the Pakistan border. Often Indian soldiers would patrol through to ensure that there was no breach in the border. One day, Irfan's mother came running inside the house. It was a Sunday, and Irfan was shocked to see his mother bearing the terrified face. He had been with her in most horrific circumstances like the one where his father was beaten up by the neighbors for accused of stealing the bangles of the landlord's wife. His father was killed in that incident, while he and faheema, his mother made a narrow escape.

He instinctively asked his mother what had happened. She was so much in shock that he could hardly make out what she was saying. Suddenly he heard gun shots in the neighborhood. He had a bad gut feeling and pushed on to his mother asking her what was going on. She came to her senses, and told him to get away as quickly as he could.

She held his hand and told him to get away as fast as he could if he wanted to live! Irfan obeyed her and escaped through the back door. He heard his mother scream in extreme pain from the back, but he kept running, just then he heard a gun shot fired right at his leg, he started feeling giddy and soon collapsed