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Saturday 28 October 2017

A BIKE RIDE FROM ISLAMABAD TO KHUJRAB PASS WITH A CHINESE FRIEND- EP 11 buried hate n born love- a novel

EP 11-Buried Hate n Born love

A BIKE RIDE TILL KHUNJRAB PASS
‘Are we going to ride on bikes till Khunjrab pass. This is the reason I love you, dude,’ Li was super excited to see the bikes, loaded with necessary things in the way.
‘I have planned to start the bike ride from Gawadar from our CPEC project, but due to shortage of time, we are starting it from Islamabad. It's a gift for my Chinese dude. I knew you would love it,’ Nofil told him the details while checking the bikes.
‘I’m ready, dude. Just go on,’ Li checked his bike and sat on it.
ADVENTURES OF DAY 1
The bike slipped after heavy rain near Chilas
They left for Manshera at 8AM. The warm and humid weather of Islamabad in the month of July left behind as they moved forward to off shoots of great Himalaya systems. They were enjoying the journey when suddenly it started raining heavily when they were near Chilas. They both wore rain coats and decided to continue their journey. In no time their clothes were badly wet, as rain coats couldn’t resist against the heavy and consistent rainfall. The road was too much slippery now.
STUNNING BEAUTY IN HUNZA VALLEY

               They were driving carefully, but suddenly Nofil’s bike hit the rolling stone on the road and slipped. He couldn’t control it to fall down. This accident left him with the severe scratches on his knees and arms.
‘Are you OK?’ Li hold the Nofil and took the bike on one side of the road. 
‘Don’t worry, I’m fine,’ Nofil checked his bleeding scratches.
‘Oh, its clutch plates are broken and one handle turned bad,’ he got up and reviewed his bike.
‘Yes, I have seen this. We should see for any mechanic now,’ Li was also looking at the bike.
They hardly managed to reach Dasu before dark and booked a hotel there to stay at night.
NIGHT AT DASU


 ‘We’ll look for any mechanic in the morning,’ Nofil washed his wounds and applied a tube on them from their first aid box.
‘I think we should see a doctor too. My all joints are tired of riding a bike for the whole day after a long time,’ Li looked Nofil serving his wounds.
‘After taking some rest we’ll be fine,’ Nofil smiled, took a pain killer and went to deep sleep.
ADVENTURES OF DAY 2
LI WAS MISSING, NOFIL GOT UPSET
                 It was about 7 am when Nofil woke up. Li was not on his bed.
‘I saw him talking to a boy on the road, and then he left with him,’ one man on reception told Nofil.
‘What, who was that boy? Was someone chasing us? Is Li kidnapped?’ Nofil’s mind got stuck with horrible thoughts. He ran outside the hotel, but…..
Nofil came outside the hotel. It was a main road. The road was busy because of office and school time in the morning. Some shops were opened at road side. ‘Do you see any Chinese man passing from here,’ Nofil was asking from each shop and people around. ‘No, we haven’t seen any. We have just opened the shop or we just came here,’ similar answers were mounting Nofil’s fret. No one knew about him.

‘Oh my god, it is just my irresponsibility, I should report at the police station. It'll disclose to media...No, I should call the boss... He would do something. No, I should search myself first,’ Nofil was looking at his mobile in confusion and was searching here and there when he saw Li coming from one side of the road with almost 13 years old boy, on the bike.
WE ARE NOT STRANGERS

‘Look, dude, your bike is fit now, thanks to this boy. He…,’
‘Where did you go, Li? Do you have any idea what happened, if anything bad happens to you? We’re going back right now.’ Nofil couldn’t control his anger.
‘I got up early and came outside to walk. I met this boy and he told him about his uncle’s workshop after hearing about our accident. You know his uncle opened his workshop just for me and repaired the bike. The people are very helping and nice here. I’m sorry to bother you, but I didn’t want to disturb you because of your injuries,’ Li tried to calm Nofil down by explaining him the situation.
‘Those injuries were just minor rashes for me. You should get me up. One stranger offered you the assistance and you went with him without thinking a second,’ Nofil was still concerned about him.
‘He is not a stranger,’ Li replied calmly.

‘What! Do you know this boy?’ Nofil pointed to that young boy amazingly.
‘No, but I know you and other Pakistanis working with me. I know your love, hospitality and concerns about us.’ Li’s tone was confident,
‘Li I know you….but Li doesn’t do this again please. Don’t go anywhere without letting me know,’ Nofil pressed his shoulder after a pause and looked in his eyes for assurance.
‘OK boss, can we start now, I’m dying to see the gateway to my home through mighty Himalayas,’ Li sat on the bike.

DASU TO GILGIT          
 After a breakfast they were again on the road to Gilgit from Dasu. Nofil was calm now, but he decided to be more vigilant for next time. High mountains, beautiful sceneries and waterfalls, making their way from the road to flow down mesmerized them. The temperature was falling rapidly with the increasing heights. They stayed by one waterfall to wear their jackets and to get some pictures. Nofil sat at one side and Li took out his selfie stick to take his pictures when he saw Nofil sat at one corner playing with water and looking at him.
'CPEC' BIND THE TWO NATIONS
                       ‘Do you remember the time when we finally launched CPEC few years back,’ Li sat beside him and threw the stone in water.
CPEC GAVE OXYGEN TO PAKISTAN

Nofil looked at him, but not answered.
                      ‘There were frequent bomb blasts at every corner of your country. Chinese engineers were under severe threats from terrorists. I myself came across a terrorist attack when you saved my life after a long encounter. No any foreigner was ready to come and invest here, but we stayed here. We continued our work. We started new projects, all over your country. You know why? We saw belief and struggle in the eyes of your people. You were trying hard to get rid of nightmare of terrorism and look, you have done this. A misdeed of a very small minority can’t change the positive aspect of the whole nation. Our all weather long friendship is based on mutual respect and accordance for each other. We believe you and always stand by you. Now when the conditions are going favorable, why are you worried?’ Li was very serious.
A JOURNEY TO DAWN
  ‘I remember each and every moment of your confidence and buoyancy upon us. You started the road and we started our journey to dawn of peace and prosperity. Each and every person of my nation is united to keep your confidence upon us and to complete this project, but we’re anxious about the evil eyes around us, which are trying hard to spoil our ride to a glorious future. We don’t want to take any risk that’s why we are more careful and vigilant,’ Nofil got up and walked to his bike.
‘We should leave now,’ he called Li.
But Li was trying to cross the waterfall through small rocks which were immersed in water.   ‘Li doesn’t get your clothes wet. It’s getting cold now, come back and lets go,’ Nofil called him.
            ‘Oh yes, look I crossed it,’ Li cried in joy and walked towards his bike and checked his mobile.
AT LAST, YOU FIND HEAVEN IN THE WORLD BUT…..
‘I think, mobile signals are weak in this area. No one called me since yesterday,’ he looked at Nofil.
‘Then, you should be happy that finally you find a heaven in this world where Chen can’t disturb you,’ Nofil smiled.
‘I’m talking about mom not Chen,’ Li replied annoyed.
                  ‘You know, mom already talked very to the point after my attitude on dragon festival,’ Li explained.    ‘Don’t worry, mothers are like this. They get hurt very soon. She’ll be OK,’ Nofil consoled him.
‘I shouldn’t be too rude. This Chen has overwhelmed my parents’ thoughts, but you’re right, she is the only source of comfort for my parents in my absence.
Look, she has gone to Shanghai to attend a seminar. They both were upset,’ Li told him.
                ‘Oh, Chen is out of the city,’ Nofil nodded his head and started the bike. They again left for Gilgit. It was evening when they stayed and freshen up at one of the restaurants at Gilgit. Nofil called his mother and told her about his health.
             ‘Dude, why don’t you call yourself instead of waiting the call from your home?’ Nofil again looked him gazing at his mobile’s screen.
          ‘Yes,No,I’ll call later on,’ Li answered in confusion.
          ‘Why don’t you admit that you’re waiting for Chen’s call for last two days,’ Nofil asked seriously.

‘She is out of the city, she might be busy with her work, but I’m not going to call her at any cost. This is what she always wanted. She’ll addict me of her attention and then will play with my sentiments,’ at last Li disclosed his feelings without admitting that he was actually looking for Chen’s call to share his expedition and thrill via bike.
NEGATIVITY OF NATURE
‘I don’t believe, this negativity is a part of my friend, who is a big fan of understanding psychology and respecting the emotions of anyone. I think, you should change your immature behavior towards her,’ Nofil advised him.
 BACK TO RIDE ADVENTURE TO HUNZA VALLEY
        Then they refueled their bikes and left to the Hunza Valley, as they decided to spend that night Hunza Valley.
After two hours they reached beautiful fairy meadows of Hunza. It was full with local and foreign tourists. Li and Nofil bought camps and settled in the green lawns of fairy meadow.
ADVENTURES OF DAY 3
CAMPING AT FAIRY MEADOWS, HUNZA
 Cool, calm and beautiful horizon showed its face on lush green grass of fairy meadows. Nofil came out from his camp after offering Fajr prayer. He listened to Li talking in Chinese with children staying there in another camp. Those children were taking Chinese classes in their school. Li was getting excited talking to them.

Ni hao ma(how are you?)
 Wo hen hao(I’m fine.)
 Ni jiao shenme mingzi?  (What is your name?)
 Wo de mingzi shi ai ha mai de (My name is Ahmed.)

 One of the kids told his name excitedly.
 Pak Cheen dosti Wang woye, Wang woye, Wang woye, Zindabad Zindabad.

They all were singing loudly. Nofil also joined them. The families around were taking pictures with Li.  After breakfast, they left for Attabad Lake but Li’s bike got punctured after a short distance. They left Li’s bike on the local workshop and decided to move on a single bike. In no time they reached the blue mirror like Attabad Lake. There were boats and giant rafts to carry the passengers along with their vehicles. They transported their bike first and then joined other people on another boat. It was a thrilling experience. Some of them were scared, but most of them were shouting with thrill.
It took almost 1 hour to cross the lake and they reached Sost. They visited the Sost bazaar and bought gifts for their families. They also visited the immigration point there and planned to visit china via road using this border, some other time. Again, they stayed that night in a camp in Sost.
DISAPPOINTING INFORMATION ABOUT Bilal MALIK
It was about 8 pm when they were setting their beds in the camps when Nofil got an email. There was some information about Bilal Malik from his sources, but it was not confirmed.

‘It is very disappointing. Anza will definitely get hurt after knowing the fate of her friend. I should verify this information before telling to her. It may affect her work,’ he thought of his spy friend after reading that mail. He replied the email and went to sleep as they both were excited for the adventures of day 4 when they finally had to meet their destination.
CURSED MOUNTAIN
                                    ‘Let her go, doctor. She is a mad woman. Shama Jan will manage her.  That part of the mountain is cursed. Many people killed there during the Afghan war. If someone goes there he got a poisonous snake bite or slipped to death in deep cracks under those rocks. Gul Jan lost her husband and two sons who went to Afghanistan and never came back. She always ran here in search of her family as this part of the mountain is close to the border.
‘What are you saying? If there would be snakes then they would bite her or Shama? Stop the jeep at once.’ Anza came out the jeep and ran towards Gul Jan to hold her.
ADVENTURES OF DAY 4 TILL KHUJRAB PASS
Magnificent view of Khunjrab pass
 At last, next morning they were again on one of the wonders of the world, the highest Karakoram highway connecting Pakistan to Kashgar in China. They were wrapped in muffler, gloves and jackets tightly. The temperature dropped to -3. They stopped at Khunjrab national park and then continued to their destination again. Oxygen level was getting very low because of high altitude. They were almost 4000 meters above the sea level. It was difficult to move up the bikes and other vehicles because of low oxygen. There excitement was at a hype when suddenly heavy clouds covered the area. It was impossible to see anything around. All vehicles had to stop there in wait of weather to be clear. After waiting for two hours they all were asked to move back because of expected bad weather ahead....
PAK CHINA HIGHEST BORDER OF WORLD

It disappointed them badly. They turned their bike and started to move back slowly and reluctantly. All people screamed with joy when the clouds disappeared suddenly and the view was clear
Li got emotional to see the way to his home. he was about to pass that pass, when security officers stopped him.
'Next time we'll visit China through this pass, if we had enough holidays we could have our visas from Sost,' major Nofil understood his emotions....TO BE CONTINUED  
  






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