1.

Sehmat was the only child of Tejashwari Singh and Hidayat Khan, a

successful and rich Kashmiri businessman settled in the Valley for many

decades. Tej, as Tejashwari was fondly called, belonged to a rich Delhi-

based Punjabi Hindu family.

Hidayat and Tej fell in love during her visit to Srinagar. On a cold

winter afternoon Tej was walking around the serene surroundings of the

Himalayan paradise and, on an impulse, entered one of the boutiques

selling pashmina shawls. The beauty of the designs was such that they

pulled her towards themselves and soon she was looking through the

many that were displayed inside the shop. Tej was wondering what to

take back to Delhi for her friends, when a pleasant voice drew her

attention from behind.

‘May I help you?’

Turning around, Tej found herself looking into the light-brown eyes of

a stranger. He was tall, about an inch or two above six feet and wore an

off-white Pathani suit. She was struck by his openness and simplicity.

Smiling, Tej asked him about the famed Kashmiri shawls on display.

The man moved about the shop with a quiet authority, which made Tej

believe that he was the owner of the sprawling emporium. After selecting

a few delicately woven pashminas, Tej made for the cash counter to

settle her bills.

‘Are you visiting Kashmir for the first time, Ma’am?’ His voice was

now soft and inquiring.

She stopped to respond.

‘No, I have come here before and it is always peaceful and soothing,’

Tej replied, a slight smile playing on her lips. Wanting to hear more ofhis rich voice, Tej went on to tell him about her holiday and how she

loved the Valley.

Conversation between the two flowed easily. Soon, they introduced

themselves to each other. ‘I’m Hidayat,’ he said.

‘And I am Tejashwari. My friends call me Tej,’ she responded.

‘Can I call you Tej?’ he was quick to ask.

‘Please do,’ she replied, clutching her packet of shawls and moving

towards the payment counter. She glanced at the bill, looked at it again,

and then at Hidayat questioningly.

‘Can’t make profit from friends, can I? Hence the discount,’ he

responded smiling.

Hesitantly, Tej paid the money, thanked her host and headed for the

large door of the emporium. A slow warmth filled her heart as she

walked out. Somewhere deep inside, she was surprised that a brief

meeting with a complete stranger could arouse such strong feelings in

her. With a sinking heart, Tej realized that this could be the last time she

would see him or hear his alluring voice.

Hidayat stood at the door of his shop with a bemused expression on

his face. He could not hold himself back. He addressed her again, the

door chime tinkling in the background. ‘Can we meet in the evening? I

could take you to some interesting shops to select souvenirs to take back

home.’

Tej found her voice caught in her throat.

So this was not the last time she would meet him?

Silently, she nodded. Her heart was wildly beating as she walked

away. There was a strange excitement in her heart and a desire to meet

him again. She walked some distance, then stopped and turned back to

look at the boutique, only to find Hidayat still standing at the entrance,

waving at her. She lifted her hand in acknowledgement and moved on.

The melodious door chime was still ringing in her ears when she entered

her hotel.

That evening, Hidayat rushed through his daily chores of balancing

the shop accounts and locking up the emporium. He arrived at the hotel

well before sundown and found Tej reading a magazine in the plush hotel

lobby. That she was surprised to see him at the hotel was visible on herface. Knowing that her parents would not take kindly to a stranger taking

their daughter on a guided tour, she hurriedly went up to him and asked

him to wait while she convinced her parents about a short trip to the

marketplace by herself. She was able to do that and in a few minutes Tej

was back in the lobby, her face slightly flushed.

Slowly the two made their way to the marketplace. They took a

leisurely walk around the lake, dodging tourists. Their slow-paced walk

was often interrupted by locals who greeted Hidayat, some even asking

him for his advice on investing in business and personal matters. It

seemed strange to Tej that a man so young was so sought after by not

only those his age, but by older people as well. Tej realized that Hidayat

was not only respected but also loved by the folks in the city.

They spoke about mundane things at first. However, with each passing

minute they became more and more comfortable with each other and the

initial awkwardness disappeared. The sun was beginning to set and

knowing that it would soon be time for her to go back to the hotel, Tej

picked up a few scarves at random, paid for them, and they continued on

their way back. She knew she would have to show some kind of

purchase to her parents.

In the brief time they spent together, they exchanged much more than

conversation. Looking into Tej’s eyes, Hidayat could feel that she was

not indifferent towards him. His heart was crying out to confess his

feelings to her, but he did not want to scare her. Could he dare to tell her

how she had captured his heart when she had walked into his shop that

morning? Would he frighten her by his admission? What if she disliked

him?

Engrossed in conversation, they did not realize that they had walked a

long distance and left the marketplace behind. They were now at the far

end of the famed Dal Lake that lay blissfully placid, away from the

hustle and bustle of the shops. The sky had spread a riot of colours in

orange, pink and hues of purple. The trees around it stood like mute

witnesses to the beauty and beyond them stretched the hills. A chill in

the air added to the romance of the surroundings. Tej had visited

Kashmir several times before, but on this occasion, Hidayat seemed tohave transformed the lake into a poet’s romantic verse. When they

parted, they felt as if they were leaving something behind.

That night, as Tej prepared to go to bed, she replayed the day’s

incidents in her mind. She felt that she had connected with Hidayat at a

very special level. Not wanting to lose a friendship that had just begun,

she decided to request her parents to extend the vacation. The next

morning, over breakfast, Tej convinced her father to stay on in the Valley

for a few more days. Then, pleased with herself, she slipped out of the

hotel and quickly walked towards Hidayat’s shop as was agreed between

them the previous day. This was the first of their series of secret

rendezvous. When Tej’s vacation drew to an end, they exchanged

addresses, and Hidayat promised to visit her in Delhi.

It was difficult for them to stay apart, and Tej was overjoyed when she

received a letter from Hidayat informing her about his visit to the capital.

She began counting the days to his arrival.

Soon that day arrived and they met. From then on, the two met every

day and talked for many hours. Hidayat discussed his business and

Delhi’s fast-paced life compared to the idyllic and simple life in

Kashmir. When he left for the Valley, the bond with his lady-love had

strengthened. The two continued to exchange letters that seemingly

spoke of only the weather and other unimportant topics as each tried to

read the unsaid words between the lines and interpret them.

It was scorching hot in Delhi when Tej and her mother left for Kashmir

the following summer. This time around, Tej and Hidayat spent more

time with each other, sharing their dreams and aspirations. They had

known each other for a little longer than a year and words between them

flowed effortlessly, so did their feelings. But both kept quiet and avoided

the all-important issue as they were not sure how the other person would

react.

Kashmir was alive with colours and birdsong for the young couple.

Even Hidayat, who had lived most of his life in the Valley, began

admiring Kashmir through the eyes of a poet. The days passed swiftly,

and he realized that soon he would have to reveal his feelings. It had tbe now or never. So a week before she was due to leave, Hidayat took

her for a boat ride around Dal Lake. He was nervous, looking for the

right words as he rowed the boat. He looked at her and found her

admiring the view, oblivious to what was going on in his mind.

‘You love this place, don’t you?’ he asked.

She nodded. ‘I am sad that this vacation is coming to an end.’

‘How about staying here forever?’

Tej looked back at him questioningly.

He did not answer immediately. When he spoke, there was a quiver in

his voice, ‘I want you to stay. I love you and want to cherish our bond for

the rest of our lives. Tej, I have loved you ever since you walked into my

shop last year. Please don’t misunderstand me. Have I scared you?’

Not knowing what to say, Tej’s eyes were fixed on the wooden plank

at the bottom of the boat. She was stunned into silence.

Hidayat immediately began to feel guilty and wished he had not said

what he did. Panicking, he addressed her again, ‘Have I said something

to upset you? Please don’t be angry. It’s just that I have never felt

anything like this before! Please don’t misunderstand my motives. I just

know I love you.’

Tej looked into his eyes. Somewhere deep inside she had felt the same

attraction and was happy that he finally spoke about his feelings.

Clearing her throat, she whispered softly, ‘I feel the same way too . . .’

Her face turned pink as she blushed, shyly smiling.

It took a lot of self-control on Hidayat’s part not to whoop with joy.

Instead he looked at her, his face filled with expressions of joy and relief.

Taking her hands and clasping them in his, he said, ‘Thank you, Tej, for

filling my heart with such love!’ Tej could only smile in return. She had

also begun to worry by then. Being the only child, her parents had

pinned lots of hopes on her and had been looking for a suitable match.

She was aware of how her parents were focused on finding a match only

from the Punjabi community. And here she was, courting a Muslim boy,

that too from a trouble-torn state like Kashmir.

Oblivious of the ensuing battle inside Tej’s mind, Hidayat rowed the

shikara with ease, enjoying the boat ride more than ever before. Each

time the oar cut the water at a perfect angle, it gently pushed the boatahead; the water droplets falling from the wooden blade back into the

lake. Seated in front of her, it was impossible to keep his eyes away from

Tej’s beautiful face. ‘I love you,’ he said repeatedly until Tej too

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