Hamraaz- Pt 1

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"Darya! Subah subah kaha nikal gayi?"

A huffing Zaahira asked to the empty cottage that they had been residing in since a week. Her cousin had a creative mind of her own and somehow, Darya smartly managed to pull her and the two of their other siblings in between the cold mountains for two weeks of nature expenditure.

Nature expenditure!

What did these cold, snow covered mountains even hold? Maybe unwanted flu, common cold and high fever but apart from that, Zaahira could not see a reason to be here in the first place.

"Mujhe kya. Main toh chali sone."

A small yawn escaped Zaahira's lips as she looked one last time to the main exit of the house and with sleepy steps, walked back to her room without a care of the world around her.

Meanwhile outside the warm wooden cottage, Darya sighed in bliss as her boot clad feet led her to a destination unknown. The snow crushed under her feet, making crunching sounds and often, she felt her boot submerging in them but that amused a happy Darya even more. Her face held a mischievous smile as she picked a little bit of the snow in her woollen glove covered hands and her eyes looked up once again towards the empty forest around her.

Her eyes surveyed the area, her magnificent camera hanging proudly around her neck, the canon EOS 5DS/R gleaming proudly with its black colour in the midst of the white environment. Her once excited eyes were now getting anxious as she searched for a serene view to capture it for a lifetime. Feed it in a world where time never moves, where no one could alter the natural beauty of the place around her.

The snow in her hands didn't seem to be melting any time soon and just as she was about to throw it back on the ground, her eyes met the beautiful white tailed fawn that had stopped by the tree trunk to give her a curious glance.

Her mouth parted in anticipation as her fingers slowly, carefully reached out for her camera. Her heart ran with impatience as she placed a hand on her camera lens and held it slightly up to her face. Her knees skilfully sinking into the snow covered ground while her eyes didn't dare leave the animal in front of her.

"Just a little more."

She whispered to herself and looked through the lens. The fawn was still giving her a skeptical look. The little thing had its head tilted a little to the side as it looked at Darya who was smiling softly to herself.

It took a lot of courage to remain naive in a world so cruel. She didn't know whether to classify animals as lucky beings who didn't encounter the manipulation and hatred of the world or to pity them for the tortures that are inflicted on them almost every hour.

"That's right. Pose for me."

It seemed as though the animal had almost understood her as it stood straighter. Its eyes stared right back at her. The doe-brown eyes looked like a reflection of innocence and that's when Darya clicked her masterpiece for the day.

Looking down at the picture that she had captured, she smiled enthusiastically and squealed in glee at how beautiful it had turned out to be but her sudden reaction filled with noise was enough to alarm the fawn as it raced back deeper into the forest.

"Arey yaar!"

Darya clicked her tongue in dismay, regretting her sudden display of excitement and with a sullen look, went behind the fawn with cautious steps, hoping to find more beauty within these snow covered lands.

She hummed a soft tune under her breath as she walked in the midst of the snow covered trees that looked peaceful and serene. Her smile reached her eyes as she traced the numerous patterns on the white sheet beneath her feet. The footprints of her boot mended with the white canvas as she lost herself in the endless beauty around her.

It had been a few hours since she had gotten out of the cottage. At 6 in the morning to be precise. She was never a morning person but the excitement of what the place around her held, didn't let the young woman sleep properly the whole night and hence, she found herself covered in thick jacket, boots, gloves, muffler and a woollen cap and before she knew it, she was standing a few feet away from her temporary residence.

"The snow glows white on the mountain tonight

Not a footprint to be seen

A kingdom of isolation

And it looks like I'm the queen"

She sang to herself as she lightly kicked the snow. Yes, the song might now be of nursery kids but she had always had a soft spot for it. Maybe because it was based on the snow or maybe it was just the fact that the song had given her the confidence to ignore the judgments around her.

What was photography?

Was it even worth being made a profession?

How much would you even earn from it? It would take ages to master the skill.

Photography? But isn't that a field that only men indulge in?

Society had a weird way to group things, even if they were as pitiful as calming hobbies and professions that mostly were based on one's interest. Oh how the world had its biggest one, its words and judging gazes that altered a person's way of thinking more than the individual him/herself.

Darya shook her head and looked ahead. Her lips had stopped their melodious humming and she almost stopped breathing when she saw a small herd of the white-tailed deers. They seemed like a small family enjoying the trip in the snow covered lands and Darya softly backed away, making as less sound as possible while she got her camera ready.

"Masha'Allah."

She murmured as she saw the fawn rubbing itself on the female deer's legs and how the mother deer bent down to comfort it.

Humans or animals, emotions were something that were embedded in one's soul, something that you were born with but alas, if only the world was kind enough to let you live with it.

Darya had almost captured the scene when she felt the three deers stiffening in their places. Their ears moved at an alarmed pace and Darya visibly frowned when they ran away deeper into their inhabitants.

"What the-"

Her words got stuck in her throat while she stilled in her place. She had just heard-

A gunshot.

"Shit! Shit! Shit!"

She whispered to herself in panic as she slowly backed away from the place. The gunshots hit like sharp shards in her sensitive ears and she winced every now and then. Her palms raised themselves to block the violent sounds but they were only partially successful in doing so.

Her legs were quick to race into the direction that she had come from. Her camera dangling dangerously around her neck but her fear had got the best of her. She aimlessly ran, her eyes half shut due to the anxiety that was reaching at a dangerous peak within her but before she could lose her senses completely, a soft yelp from her left side had her looking up.

Her eyes turned wide as she saw the fawn, maybe the same fawn that she had clicked the picture of injured, laying immobile on the snow, it's leg bleeding profusely and it didn't take a genius to guess what had actually happened.

Before Darya could make a move to help the poor animal, she heard rustling near the trees around the fawn. In her state of panic, all Darya could think of was to hide behind the small bush near the tall tree and so she did just that.

Her eyes peeked from behind the grassy barrier and her heart almost stopped when a man clad in the army uniform emerged from behind the trees. His face was covered with a light blue cloth and only his eyes were visible. Head to toe, he was clad in the military uniform and a gun lay in his hands and by the position of it, Darya was sure that a shot or two were fired from it.

Anger coursed through her body at the thought of him being the reason for the young fawn's pain but her anger filled eyes quickly turned wide as she saw the man kneeling near the whimpering creature and petting it's small head in an assuring way.

"It's alright little thing. The pain will go away now."

He whispered to the fawn and Darya stilled when her ears registered the deep voice that seemed to be less in use. She watched silently as the man removed a small pocket knife from his shirt pocket and brought it closer to the fawn's injured leg.

Darya closed her eyes when she heard the pain filled voice- of what might be a scream- from the fawn. Her hands instantly covered her mouth as she waited and waited and waited.

Slowly, after what felt like an eternity, she opened her eyes, looking right at the scene in front of her that seemed to have taken a 180 turn.

The army man had torn a part of his uniform, and gently tied it around the bleeding wound of the fawn. A bullet covered in the fawn's blood lay by his side as he aided the wounded animal, murmuring words of appreciation every now and then.

Darya felt her heart stutter at the sight in front of her. A man so caring was a rare sight to see and before she knew it, her camera had aimed at the scene, her fingers gripping the edges of the lens and with a click, the scene was secured.

The image of a full grown military man treating a helpless animal who couldn't even voice its pain.

Darya smiled softly, her eyes moving away from the image and as she looked up, she almost felt like a deer caught in the headlights.

Oh the irony!

Her panic filled eyes looked into the soldier's who was staring right at her. In an attempt to take a better picture, she had disclosed herself and got out of her mini hideout.

The military man narrowed his eyes at her and Darya gulped before chuckling nervously and getting up from her position.

"Ahm, hi?"

She told to him and the soldier now looked more than amused and his hand that was still petting the fawn didn't stop it's movements as he watched the young girl with interest.

Darya shifted her weight from one foot to another and the silence around her now felt suffocating as she groaned before taking in a deep breath and staring dead into the army man's eyes.

"BYE!"

She yelped loudly and without looking back, raced back to her cottage that felt like miles away from her current location. Her feet kept running, disturbing the serene silence of the snow around and before she knew it, Darya stood panting by her cottage's doorway, her hands holding tightly onto the door as she threw it open, successfully alarming the people within the home.

Zaahira's bewildered eyes looked at Darya who was still breathing harshly but before anyone could ask what was wrong, the eldest cousin gave her verdict.

"We are leaving. NOW!"

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Nothing, absolutely nothing can compare to the satisfaction that I'm feeling right now! This has to be the best 1st chapter of a story that I have written up until now and maybe, just maybe, it might have to do something with the excitement that I had been feeling since the time the plot for this story kicked in.

Ahh, do leave your thoughts about the chapter and provide me the needed relief. Sar par exams hai mere and rather than solving a formula or two, here I am, sitting and typing chapters after chapters.

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