It was really very astonishing, how fast the time had passed without even making any noise and how slow was his train of thoughts moving, lazily over the rails of memories making so much noise, so much noise.
He felt as if he was pulled up to the surface by someone, from drowning in the deep sea.
"Yes, it is quite cold", he replied in a very assertive tone, feeling the chill in the wind which was blowing with its full fury as if it was out on a REVENGE-MISSION.
"Sorry, if I have disturbed you, but I thought, may be you too feel hungry. Don't you?".
His eyes groped in darkness, in the direction from where the sound was coming and tried to make out the figure which was calling him, putting questions to him, one after another, one after another.
He smiled, to himself, maybe, since in that darkness nobody would have seen the smile on his swollen lips, broken face and bruised eyes. "Anything I can do for you?", he asked, and continued, "Tell me and I will not hesitate in helping you in any way", he was laughing.
"No, no it's alright, I just felt lonely and .......... ", the old man replied , "What is your good name, please?"
"Hussain, and yours?",
"Fo�d. By the way, your voice seems to be of a very young man, what is your age?"
"Who is this guy, even at this moment not satisfied?" he thought, but replied, "27 years 4 months and hummmmmm 2 days",
"Now can U plz leave me alone....???" He was about to say but kept quite, again smiling to himself.
What was he loosing....nothing.
All the day he had listened to the heartrending, painful voices coming from the old man's cell, with each blow either in his stomach or in his face or under his old ribs. This was a punishment he was getting for trying to save his family, his 8 years old daughter, from some animals who thought that, 'It was their turn now to take a revenge and to have the taste of what it is like when you kill helpless men, women, children, young and old, in cold blood, not only with guns, but also with knifes and daggers. In fact they have a right to do so, to do anything, anything which may reach any height of heinousness. After all, they have suffered and lost so much in the hands of a mad maniac some years back, and also they have lost some of their angels like Anne Frank, whose diary has guided them through years, for how to mutilate the humanity, how to cause injury in the weak points in human body, how satisfying and pleasurable it will be when you orchestrate the naked dance of death everywhere and to inflict terror in the minds of an oppressed community, how to grab, what belongs to others, how to steal others dreams.
"I thought your stomach was full from the punches and kicks you received all the day, right?" he cracked a joke and laughed in very strange voice as if some liquid was oozing out of his throut . The old man too laughed.....but.....only for a moment or two..... Then there was silence, deep silence in those dark cells. The old voice was heard again,
"When were you brought here?"
"May be two days back".
"I see so still it is one more day for you to enjoy, right?" now it was old man's turn to laugh.
In that reply, Hussain sensed that these old bones had'nt yet gave up, and still have the same spirit to fight back........
"What are the charges against you?" the old man asked again, oiling the fire.
"Yes, what are the charges against me???" he asked to himself but was not able to recall anything.
By each moment, the pain in his broken legs and hands was increasing. His young, handsome body was totally distorted. He was lying there for hours and hours. They thought that for security sake instead of putting him in chains, why not to break his hands, legs and his neck. No need of any locks, no need of any officer on guard, no need of any ramshackle, just break his bones. By the way, he will be a dead man by tomorrow and dead men don't need legs to walk and hands to work.
His nostrils were burning with the smell of his own rotten blood on the floor. So much of saliva, phlegm,pus, and , blood has been running out of his motionless body all the day. It was really astonishing how he was still able to laugh.
"Hey old man, can you fetch me a glass of water, plz?" he called in a very jolly tone as if nothing has happened.
But there was something in his voice which sent shock waves in that bag of old bones. The old man started shaking with fear. He came dragging his old body towards the iron bars and holding them, he cried, "Ya Hussain,Ya Hussain, what has happened to you, my boy, what has happened to you. I know you are not alright, I have heard them saying, that today is your last day. Tomorrow you will be free, free forever. My boy, please talk to me. Please for God's sake. Tell me something. You will feel light. At least share some of your burden with me. Else you will not be able to die in peace."
"What shall I tell you? There is nothing. And by the grace of God, I am satisfied with my life and I will die in peace."
"Ok at least tell me what are the charges against you?"
"No, first you, you tell me what are the charge against you?"
After a big sigh, the old man looked at the ceiling,
"I was a farmer, olive farmer. I was living with my wife, an eight year old daughter and a seven year old son. Then a day came when we were forced by a superior race, to leave our own land, our own houses, and our own country and take refuge in another country which was again ruled by butchers and cannibals.
I don't know how many years have passed since 1982, when our camps were trembling with fear helplessly, our female folk holding their breaths and small babies in their arms. We heard a military command out side of our camps, "Yes, start now, ready, steady, go, 1...2...3... O'my merciful God.......... O'my merciful God...in the name of God who is most kind and merciful".....O'loving God, are you seeing what is happening with these 5000 helpless refugees, men, women, girls, boys, babies, elders...........how beautifully and systematically they are being slaughtered in the name of civilization, in the name of culture, in the name of controlling the rebellion, in the name of controlling terrorism......God, dear God you are seeing all these, right? You are playing audience, right?
I was dragged and brought here in these dark dungeons as an item of entertainment for masters. They test each and every new technique on me before applying it to the young boys and girls who are dragged and brought here every day in hoards. I have seen 100s till now like you, one shot in the head and the painful, acing, tender body rest in peace, forever. I don't know when my lucky day will come and I will be free of all these pains. Only One shot, one shot is enough right directly here..." he was pointing with his finger in the center of his forehead. "