Flames OF Paradise - Season 1 - Episode 14

Episode 7 years ago

Flames OF Paradise - Season 1 - Episode 14

The next day dawned, foggy and damp, with nearly everyone tensed. They did not want to talk to the police administration as this would definitely irk the JEA people, and the police would dissuade them from going. Nitin also thought that as they were about to finish their documentary portions, they should get it over and done with before leaving Kashmir. The dramatisation of some scenes were left which they can plan and finish separately, even in Delhi. Snigdha, by habit carried her small sling bag with some bare necessities, her comb, etc. As an afterthought, she carried another shawl and covered herself with that. Today she had dawned a maroon coloured Phiran on a loose Patiala salwar, with thermal inner wear and her soft leather pumps. She had tied her long hair with a dark dupatta in a Kashmiri style, with the knot behind her head. Only her gold studs were peeping out of her small ears. She had stuffed a pair of woollen gloves inside her purse and was ready to face anything.
As they approached the village, Snigdha’s sharp eyes observed that the population was thinning gradually, fewer habitation visible, wooden houses getting fewer and fewer, and the road lined with thick trees going deeper into the forest. A dark, dingy village loomed large in front of them, a single petromax lamp hanging from a tea shop near the opening of the village, few people sitting huddled over bonfire with the kangdi they carried inside their voluminous Phiran. The fog nearly all but swallowed them, but for the golden embers of the bonfire which flickered on their faces. Their SUV stopped near the tea shop.



Suddenly, out of the dark, few armed figures separated from the shadows and came towards them. Snigdha’s heart started beating with anticipation and fear and she felt Ruby’s fingers clutching her arm. Nitin got down and spoke with them in undertones. Nitin returned soon and asked all of them to get down as they had to walk down a few steps to reach their destination.
Nitin pressed her shoulders reassuringly and covered both the girls protectively from the armed men by walking with them.


They entered a hut, with wooden floors, surrounded by trees. Inside the hut a few men were sitting on the floor. One burly man was sitting on a wooden chair, a pipe of hukka in his hands. A rickety TV and an old-fashioned VCR was kept on a stand.


Nitin went closer to the man in the chair and lifted his hand in a salaam and introduced himself. An interpreter translated for the man in the chair who barked his reply in a grating voice.
‘Janab, we have digitally recorded the interviews which can be seen on your TV after we connect it through a cable. We can’t use the VCR as we have not recorded on a video camera with tapes.’ Nitin explained patiently in Hindi to the chief’s interpreter. Chief nodded after a long silence without saying anything.


While Nitin was connecting the playback of the camera to the TV, Snigdha quickly scanned the room. The dimness in the room obstructed Snigdha’s view of all the people, but her swift survey revealed that the man with the rose was not there. Young men in the age of 20-30 were standing around the man who looked like the leader. Mostly, everyone looked aggressive, some had beard, some had stubbles, faces were fully or partially covered and everyone had a gun hanging from their arm or shoulders. Some were wearing traditional pathan suits, whereas some were in jackets and scruffy denims.