The Dead is Back Home
The
Dead is Back Home
Written by: Ghulam Hussain Mohib
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Note: (the story is
written in fiction style but this based on a nonfiction real story of an
incident of blast in July, 2010 at Ekkaghund market of Mohmand Agency FATA
Pakistan, In which was died over 100 people)
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Javed was a poor but
hardworking and an honest man of his village. He had to vend vegetables to feed
his children. He had seasonal vegetables of various shades to buy from the
farmers and sell them out in the nearby market. He had thus to meet his
household needs.
After several months of stay off, Javid arranged for buying onions from the village farms, keeping in mind the market demands. He had great expectations linked with his deal as it was apt to give him enough to accomplish with his children's wishes.
Arif, his son aged 16, demanded of him a mobile phone where his 10 years old daughter Noreen asked him of fashionable dress. His little children Irfan and Gul dreamed of toys to play with. While looking at his wife, he learnt her silent questions and pledged of a fish-party as he was done with selling the onions. At dawn, Javed hired a truck and, after loading onions in it with the help of his son and a labourer, drove out to his destination i.e. Peshawar. On his way he had happy thoughts pouring in that he would sell his onions in better prices and by that profit buy more of the kind as there were farmers in the valley who had grown the crops in large parts. Lost in his thoughts he was happy that by then he would earn enough to meet his requirements and demands of his children. Javed reached the market and sold out his onions. The family waited for his return hoping that he would bring things of household needs and the ones he was demanded of by his children. After 5 hours since Javed had gone out of home, the news spread across the neighboring skirts that a blast had occurred in Ekkaghund bazar carrying the lives of many. The whole of the village turned aggrieved fearing the lives of their members as the bazar was at a length of 20 kilometers from the village situated on the way to Peshawar. Javed's family members and relatives tried his phone which was off to be contacted. Fearing Javed's life his family members accompanied other villagers to Ekkaghund. Reached there, they observed the doom where every corner was filled with dead bodies and pieces of human parts. The smell and smoke of destruction had spread all around with people in haste to search for their dears. The area was locked up by the security personnel. Once determined, the deceased would loudly be announced so that the relatives might get it home. In the rush Javed's son, Arif, and little brother Nasar were searching for his whereabouts. In the meantime, someone named a burnt headless body as Javed reading his CNIC. Arif and Nasar rushed there and confirmed his identity with screams of loss. They took home the headless dead body. Javed's home turned broken with cries of mourning like the rest of others in the village. Javed was buried followed by three days of rituals. The government announced 5 lake rupees for the deceased where the area observed three days of mourning as per local traditions. On the fourth day of the blast, a man arrived Javed's home after saying salam and entered his room. The family members pursued him and were astonished with his appearance as some cried that Javed's ghost had come back where his children raised slogans that papa had come back. Filled with mythological fears, all his family members came out of home and let the rest of the villagers know about what was happening. The man, Javed in real, narrated his story that as he came out of the market after selling onions, all the amount, worth PKR 0.2 million, he had, was stolen by someone including his CNIC from his pocket. As he had borrowed those onions from the village farmers, and in return had nothing to pay them back, he found a solace in fleeing to Rawalpindi While in Pindi, he got to know about the blast in Ekkaghund and thus came back to inquire about his family. His sons and other family members got happy and told him that he had to fear nothing as they had recovered all, that he was lost with, from the pocket of the deceased.
After several months of stay off, Javid arranged for buying onions from the village farms, keeping in mind the market demands. He had great expectations linked with his deal as it was apt to give him enough to accomplish with his children's wishes.
Arif, his son aged 16, demanded of him a mobile phone where his 10 years old daughter Noreen asked him of fashionable dress. His little children Irfan and Gul dreamed of toys to play with. While looking at his wife, he learnt her silent questions and pledged of a fish-party as he was done with selling the onions. At dawn, Javed hired a truck and, after loading onions in it with the help of his son and a labourer, drove out to his destination i.e. Peshawar. On his way he had happy thoughts pouring in that he would sell his onions in better prices and by that profit buy more of the kind as there were farmers in the valley who had grown the crops in large parts. Lost in his thoughts he was happy that by then he would earn enough to meet his requirements and demands of his children. Javed reached the market and sold out his onions. The family waited for his return hoping that he would bring things of household needs and the ones he was demanded of by his children. After 5 hours since Javed had gone out of home, the news spread across the neighboring skirts that a blast had occurred in Ekkaghund bazar carrying the lives of many. The whole of the village turned aggrieved fearing the lives of their members as the bazar was at a length of 20 kilometers from the village situated on the way to Peshawar. Javed's family members and relatives tried his phone which was off to be contacted. Fearing Javed's life his family members accompanied other villagers to Ekkaghund. Reached there, they observed the doom where every corner was filled with dead bodies and pieces of human parts. The smell and smoke of destruction had spread all around with people in haste to search for their dears. The area was locked up by the security personnel. Once determined, the deceased would loudly be announced so that the relatives might get it home. In the rush Javed's son, Arif, and little brother Nasar were searching for his whereabouts. In the meantime, someone named a burnt headless body as Javed reading his CNIC. Arif and Nasar rushed there and confirmed his identity with screams of loss. They took home the headless dead body. Javed's home turned broken with cries of mourning like the rest of others in the village. Javed was buried followed by three days of rituals. The government announced 5 lake rupees for the deceased where the area observed three days of mourning as per local traditions. On the fourth day of the blast, a man arrived Javed's home after saying salam and entered his room. The family members pursued him and were astonished with his appearance as some cried that Javed's ghost had come back where his children raised slogans that papa had come back. Filled with mythological fears, all his family members came out of home and let the rest of the villagers know about what was happening. The man, Javed in real, narrated his story that as he came out of the market after selling onions, all the amount, worth PKR 0.2 million, he had, was stolen by someone including his CNIC from his pocket. As he had borrowed those onions from the village farmers, and in return had nothing to pay them back, he found a solace in fleeing to Rawalpindi While in Pindi, he got to know about the blast in Ekkaghund and thus came back to inquire about his family. His sons and other family members got happy and told him that he had to fear nothing as they had recovered all, that he was lost with, from the pocket of the deceased.
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