“Haq Force is funded by Awaami to disrupt any opponent and disturb elections,” Atharva’s voice finally echoed. “They demand that Kashmir be ceded to Pakistan. Their enemy is the one that prevents it. The one preventing it is either India, or… another separatist group that demands something different for Kashmir.”
“Like an independent state.” Adil sat up. “JKFA.”
Samar shook his head. “They are extinct.”
“Yes,” Atharva agreed. “But their fringe groups are not. We don’t need a full-blown war between the two factions. Only enough pests to keep Haq Force occupied, even when they get paid by Awaami. Samar?”
“Hmm?”
“That which we can only know on a need-to-know basis can do this?”
“Yes.”
“But gradually. Smoothly.”
“Hmm.”
“In the meantime, I want to create an imagery across the rest of India. Official letters of complaint to the Home Ministry, the Defence Ministry and the Ministry of Culture, along with a nationwide narrative. A new party has formed in Jammu & Kashmir that is professing for India, Indian identity and oneness. It is being subjected to oppression by separatists and the current regime. Robin Hood and the Sheriff.”
“And the money for it?” Adil asked.
“I am having conversations with some Pundits from the UK. I will speed those up. If funding comes in pounds, we have an advantage in conversion.”
“But we said we don’t want any influence…”
“My conversations with them are subject to return of Pundits to the valley, which is an agenda in our top five anyway. Right now, we need an inflow of money. We will not sell our souls to the devil but we have to get practical. Without money or might, what happened today will happen again. It’s time to up the ante.”
“I agree with you.” Samar crossed his arms across his chest.
“I will speak to Qureshi, and then rope in Amaal. If we are to expand on our funding, then she will need to step up and take over a lot more responsibility than she already has.” He grabbed his mobile and unlocked it, presumably dialling Qureshi.
“Hello, Amaal… I am sorry to disturb you so late. Were you asleep… hmm… I know you are unwell and still managed the event… it was an event well organised, everything considered… everything is fine now… yes… no, three… they are at the SMHS Hospital… no, but we are… It’s alright, take some rest at home… can you manage a few hours’ of calls tomorrow?”
Then he fell silent. Samar eyed him, waiting for the bomb to drop. She was leaving, and rightly so. This was not a place for a single foreign-raised girl like her.
“No problem. We will make sure you are comfortable. Good night.”
He disconnected the call and set his mobile down.
“What happened?”
“She said she is feeling much better and will be back to the office tomorrow.”
“That’s it?”
“What else?”
He shrugged. “I am surprised she is not running out of Kashmir after what happened today.”
“She doesn’t seem like she will run at the first sign of adversity. She is very much here.”
Samar didn't know if he should snub her foolhardiness to live in this marsh of grenades or laud her courage to make it better.
8. Big setbacks often have a way of clearing your focus…
Big setbacks often have a way of clearing your focus. It is not as of it wasn’t clear before, but when the chips fall down all at once, and you are faced with a do or die, a new layer of clarity emerges. Amaal had discovered that on the day of Badamwari firing. Up until that morning, this, her stint at KDP, had been a means to an end for her — build a career in Srinagar, earn a life, and maybe, one day, convince her parents to come back and build the home of their family here again. It had all been about her, them.
And then she had seen a little girl under Samar’s hand, blood gurgling from her neck, writhing to stay alive. She still could not close her eyes at that thought, afraid she would see the visual again. That had opened her eyes wider, bringing in a lot more light and clarity into her narrow vision. She had realised that night in her lonely flat in Nehru Nagar that 1. Kashmir was really not safe, even after twenty years. 2. The Amaal inside her was not here just to rebuild her own house. 3. KDP was a party worth standing behind, not just for the work that she got to do there but for the work that they were about to do. And 4. Atharva, Adil, Qureshi and Samar were men she would endorse in any room, strive day and night to push to the helm of this state’s affairs.
