" The Indian Army conscripted Ghulami for ten years. When he returned he was not the same person. He looked 100 years old, like a moving skeleton with a long white beard. We hardly recognized him."
Abdullah went on, " That is when Neeha was raped by her father."
I turned my eyes away from my friend. Was I, a born writer, actually beginning to regret asking him to tell me this story?
Abdullah sighed, " In those days Neeha used to go to Mosque to learn the Holy Quran. She always kept her head properly covered. Her father encountered her at the mosque. When he was taken away by the army, she was two. Now she was twelve he did not recognize her. He also experienced severe memory loss he probably did not even realize that he had a daughter."
" Still "
Abdullah persisted with the story. " Neeha ' s crying brought tears to the eyes of the most stonehearted people of the village. I am sure that even God in Heaven was weeping. When Ghulami discovered his victim ' s identity, he was driven out of his mind with remorse. He disappeared into the barren mountains and was never seen again.
" I went on with my life. I forgot about what happened until one night when I saw Neeha in a dance club. And now you will see Neeha for yourself."
Soon after, the emcee announced Neeha ' s arrival. Tears sprang to Abdullah ' s eyes. " She is still so beautiful!" he said.
I was amazed to see how well Neeha danced. Her every step seemed to hold the breath of life. With a delicate, untroubled style, she aroused the emotions of the people. Her style perfectly combined both both beauty and art, both the promise of heaven and assurance of pleasure. She was amazing. She was wonderful. Her eyes held a feeling of hope and charm. My mind went back to the time when she was raped.
On the way to the bar to see Neeha, Abdullah wondered if Neeha would dance as she did the last night he saw her. To his surprise, she captivated his very soul.
After the show Abdullah introduced her to me. " He is a writer. He has a rich heart and great love for life and arts."
But does my base love for money and fame surpass the loves my friend has mentioned? I
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