Nazir Jahangir
Sometimes, we are curious to know as to what are the reasons responsible to motivate a writer to write a book? What drives him to write and then assemble its works, and publish a book?
The answer is simple.
Like everyone else, writers also go through hardships, struggles, sufferings and agonies. Of course, they enjoy some delightful events also in their life.

A writer is a sensitive soul, even a slight prick affects its consciousness, while even elephantine incidents do not matter as much to others. To alleviate its own troubled emotions and assuage its ruffled feelings, a writer yearns to share its experiences, sorrows, traumas, tragedies, losses, or even joyful memories and events with readers.
Writers want to communicate with others, to stimulate interest from the reader and to reflect their inner situations. This way the massive weight and heavy burden on their souls and minds, which can be distressing, lightens, and they find relief.
Collection Of Kashmiri Short Stories!
Cry, greater than two less than three!
I invite you to delve into the premise of my upcoming book titled “Daaie Aalav.” This book is my 19th publication and the 5th collection of my Kashmiri Short Stories.
Let me give you a brief overview of this forthcoming book, which comprises my Kashmiri Short Stories. I am delighted to introduce it to you.
Now, allow yourself to step into my shoes for a moment as I tell you about my book, “Daaie Aalav”!
“Daaie Aalav” is a term commonly associated with a mysterious creature known as the “Waaie Woph,” which is said to emit a peculiar cry that is greater than two but less than three times. You may be curious about what this cry means, being greater than two and less than three times.
During my childhood, I heard from my elders about a mysterious creature called the “Waaie Woph” that roams around deserted houses in the middle of the night, crying “two and a half times.” This means it completes its sentence, “Waaie Woph, Waaie Woph,” twice, and on the third time, it abruptly stops or leaves the sentence unfinished, crying just “Waaie…”.
“Waaie” has various connotations in Kashmiri language. It can refer to beating drums, like the “Tumbaknari,” a clay instrument commonly used by women during wedding functions. “Tumbaknar Waayin!!”
“Waaie” is also expressed as an exclamation and regret.
Furthermore, “Waaie” signifies numbness in Kashmiri.
Infact, it is the context which offers meaning to a word. I have said it before also that a word has a complex structure. It is compound of many ingredients. The context can transform the perspective of a word in different ways.
Why this mysterious or imaginary creature is associated with the name “Waaie Woph,” I do not know. Things do not inherently come with names; it is we who assign names to them. Whether the “Waaie Woph” is real or a product of imagination, I cannot say for certain. However, it is certain that someone either witnessed this mysterious creature or invented it. The reason behind its name “Waaie Woph” might be derived from its cry sounding like “Waaie Woph,” which led to this phonetic representation.
It was said that the “Waaie Woph” was larger than a cat but smaller than a dog. According to beliefs, this enigmatic creature would visit deserted and abandoned places during heavy snowfall and emit its peculiar cry, completing its sentence twice and leaving the third repetition halfway. It was also said that the “Waaie Woph” wore a cap-like structure on its head, possessing magical powers similar to those we associate with “Aladdin’s lamp.” If someone managed to snatch that cap from the mysterious creature and placed it under a vessel filled with water, the “Waaie Woph” would become subservient to the person in possession of the cap. It was believed that the creature known as the “Waaie Woph” has a fear of water and would not risk submerging its cap under a vessel filled with water to avoid getting wet.
I am eagerly waiting the arrival of the “Daaie Aalav” for a long time and have isolated myself in a secluded house, waking up during snowy nights in anticipation of the “Daaie Aalav” of the “Waaie Woph.” Ironically, I have encountered numerous creatures, most of them appearing human-like and resembling the images I have formed in my mind of the “Waaie Woph.” However, none of them uttered those long-awaited “Daaie Aalav” that my ears are still longing to hear…!!
Nazir Jahangir is a noted journalist and writer.