The camera focused on the incoming dignitary as he fielded questions from the press. He replied in his own language, which no one understood.
The camera again shifted to an arriving plane and crowds cheered as they saw a green flag with a crescent fluttering on top of the plane. The men and women went into raptures as they deciphered the PIA logo embossed on the tail of the plane. The multitude surged forward raising slogans. “Pakistan Ka Matlab Kya? La ilaha illallah.” The baton charging soldiers brought out their guns and fired into the crowd. The camera shifted to the plane and a fully uniformed General Akram Khan Bhatti appeared at the top of the staircase. He saluted the men and women awaiting his arrival and descended the steps in martial fashion. The Wazir-e-Azam received him and introduced him to his colleagues and nobles. The chief of APNPC breaking protocol pushed the Wazir-e-Azam to a side and embraced the general. The multitude of men and women continued to be restive. The soldiers went on firing into the crowd and the camera shifted to the general replying to a question. He said, “The great leader’s dream has to come true. We cannot leave our jugular vein in the hands of our enemies.” The camera shifted to another incoming plane. As it taxied and the door was flung open a dhoti clad man sporting a khadi jacket and a white cap appeared and with folded hands saluted those present. The Wazir-e-Azam and his men received the man as he came down with hesitant steps. The multitude of men, women raised slogans, “Azad Hindustan Zindabad”. The camera focused on the Mahaballi as he spoke to the press. “Bapuji had seen a ray of light and I have come to inaugurate a new power project.We will also inaugurate the work on a railway line connecting Jammu with Uri. Jai Hind.”
The planes continued to arrive and the dignitaries, the bidders, the prospective lessees also continued to arrive as Ajab Malik reappeared on the small screen announcing a chhakri by Gul Akhtar and party. The direct telecast would be resumed as the bidders assembled in the international convention complex on the bank of picturesque Dal Lake for the greatest auction on earth.
Gul Akhar’s chhakri came to an abrupt end. The small screen went blank for a few moments. At last Ajab Malik’s face appeared on the screen. The camera zoomed and the location came in view. Ajab was standing on Boulevard road with the international convention complex in the background. The camera again focused on Ajab Malik and he began to describe the atmosphere around the auction site. “It is a lovely morning. I can see the beautiful Dal Lake watching the proceedings silently. The Zabarwan hillock stands with baited breath. The chinar trees are listless as international bidders assemble in the complex. As you can see, children in school uniforms line the entire boulevard. As a motorcade passes they wave their little hands.”
The camera then focused on the little children with blank expressions on their faces. They mechanically lifted their hands as a new motorcade appeared. Ajab then announced that now the telecast would resume from within the Convention Complex where the action was about to begin. The camera shifted to the inside of the complex. A large and capacious hall came into view. There stood a large round table with all bidders seated around it. Kashyap stood on a raised platform with the backdrop of Kashmir. A small working table with a hammer lying on its top was placed in front of him. Kashyap cleared his throat, tested the microphone, signaled his assistants who stood on either side and began, “Ladies and gentlemen, we are witness to the making of history. Today you shall decide the fate of this Paradise on the earth. I am not giving you any statistics. All of you know the importance of this priceless property. The terms and conditions have already been circulated. As we begin this auction, we will allow every bidder to stake his claim to the property. I invite Miss Robin Hood to stake her claim.”
All the bidders cheered as Miss Robin Hood stood up and began, “After the end of the cold war, we are the only remaining power in the world and it is our responsibility to take care of the underprivileged. Our heart bleeds when we see small children weaving carpets. We cannot allow this. Therefore, in order to stop this and also felling of trees and protection of ozone layer we lay our claim to this piece of land. We have already quoted our price and we intend to get it or else we have the veto power.”
Miss Robin sat down. Kashyap thanked her and called the next bidder.
“Maharaja Kern Rajput Hazir Ho!” TheMaharaja got up and reciting a few shlokas in Sanskrit came directly to the subject. “We have a sale deed, duly attested and certified. We have the strongest claim to the property. We must not be ignored. We are ready to double the lease amount, I mean, what we had paid then, we will pay double the amount today. Thank you.”
As the Raja sat, Kashyap called comrade Rinchan. He stood up and talked incessantly in his own language. No one understood a word. He bowed and sat down. The auctioner thanked him and called Mahaballi to lay his claim. Mahaballi straightened his cap and stood up. “Namskar! With folded hands here I stand in front of you. We are ready with an economic package and a political package. Each package is a bundle of packages. The economic package has a power package, an employment package, a food package and so on, whereas the political package has election package, political process package, 370 package, Autonomy package, 52 package, 75 package and so on. We are the largest secular democracy in the world and we humbly declare that we will continue to defend Kashmir against the raiders, against the proxy war, dhanyawad.”
Kashyap thanked the Mahaballi and called Mulla Nateg Shirazi, who got up and reciting holy verses began, “The Satanic verses cannot be allowed. The greatest Satan will be opposed. Death to Satan. We will see to it that the revolution reaches every village and every home. We have a mission and we will accomplish it. Come what may Kashmir is part of the great crescent. It is the tip of it. We will have revolution here.”
As Mulla Nateg Shirazi was speaking, Miss Robin Hood stood up and shouted at the top of her voice. ‘We will not allow any rogue state to participate. We will use all our might to silence this voice.”
Mulla Nateg Shirazi, not to be outdone, responded more vehemently,
“Marg bar Shaitan, marg bar shaitan-e-buzurg.”
Death to the Satan, death to the greatest Satan.”
Miss Hood had by now lost her cool. She picked up her satchel and running through its contents brought out a lipstick. She applied fresh make up on her dry lips and then tossing the stick towards Mullah Shirazi said, “This is a ballistic missile. It will split your guts.”
Mulla Shirazi snatched the briefcase from the hands of comrade Rinchan, opened it and brought out a matchbox. Bringing out a stick he threatened, “If I drop this stick all of you will melt. This center will blow up into the air and all will be over.”
Comrade Rinchan looked aghast. Mahaballi stood up and so did Maharaj. As they tried to run away, Mulla Shirazi came in their way. They fell on each other. The matchbox fell to the ground.There was a big bang and the screen was covered with smoke. The camera shifted to Ajab Malik. As Ajab Malik looked towards the convention complex, it went up to the sky and split into thousands of pieces. The loud bang shook the earth. The placid Dal water went turbulent and the Zabarwan hills reverberated as the debris fell into the lake. Little children ran towards Ajab Malik and surrounded him. After a while, all was quiet. Ajab Malik took a look at the debris floating on the surface of water, and addressed the children, “Come children! Let us clean the Dal.”
……..Concluded
An excerpt from Ayaz Rasool Nazki’s book SATISAR, THE VALLEY OF DEMONS published by Vitasta Publishing and the book is available on www.vitastapublishing.com
