A Tale of Two Nations

Not sure why am I missing my Grand mother, May be the rainy day forces me to think of things which often a bright sunny day takes away from you!!
My Grandmother was kind and wonderful women! she has seen tough days in her life, especially when Pakistan was carved out of India, many people know it as a partition of India Pakistan which begin after the British Empire was some what forced to leave India. People were Happy!!! after all it was freedom after many Centuries (Little they knew that they will become slaves to politicians). My Grandmother who lived in a village was very happy to know that finally freedom was on their way, She was a young women with three children eldest being 6 years and youngest a year Old, mood was jubilant every where. Joy came with a limited life as the Gossip was that Muslims were demanding a separate Nation of their own.
Kashmir being the center of Civilization where people from different religions lived for centuries without much religious and cultural differences, in fact their culture begin and ended with Kashmiriat which had no room for violence. It was all going to end, as the religion has taken over the cultural heritage of Kashmir and Muslims (not all) were blood thirsty for any one who was not a Muslim so the saga of Murders, rape, Arson begin with a large contingent of Kabali (Tribals from West Pakistan) assisted by the newly formed government of Pakistan, advanced to capture the Valley of Kashmir. They had clear instruction to invade it any cost and the cost for this was the lives of Innocent women, children and helpless parents. 
My Grandfather was in India Army and was posted in Srinagar which is little over 100 miles away from the villagee,  there was no connectivity by road, My Grandfathers Brother packed all of his family and loaded them on the horses and left for Srinagar, My Grandmother had gone to fields as usual  and by the time she got back half of the village had left for the safer destinations, She was disoriented and did not knew what to do as all the males of the immediately family were gone with all the valuables, she was left with 2 children, a Year old and a Three year old. Few villagers who were still there with a hope that everything was going to be alright but soon they discovered that large groups of Sikhs (sikhnet.com) were coming down the Hills and moving towards Srinagar, They were warning everyone to pack and move as the Tribals have started killing all the Sikhs on their way and they were the lucky ones who could save their lives, they shared the sob stories of their survival as Tribal were not only looting their properties and wealth but also raped young and old alike, some Sikhs fought for their pride but were done to death while the rest were sent on horse backs to inform the Sikhs on the way to head to safer places.
After listening this almost all the villagers decided to Pack and head towards Srinagar  including my Grand mother. She was carrying two children and tracking hills to save her two little ones. Being a women and weak she was not able to keep up with group so every group kept passing her. She remembers and mentioned that those were said the terrible days, " People wanted to help you but they were helpless as every one was trying hard to save their loved ones" she mentioned that a group of Sikhs who came face to face with Tribal on a hillock fought them furiously but they were too few and just had few swords against the guns, so they were all chopped to pieces and the women and girls were raped and killed, My grandmother was fortunate to slide of a large hill to save herself and two kids. She was lost had little sense of direction, was hungry, kids were thirsty, she kept walking following the stars and moon.  She mentioned that her 3 year old was very wise and would walk a little but walking miles and miles was a daunting job for those little legs, so my grandmother had to carry both of them, she walked she ran without rest whole evening and night.
She finally found a group of people next to the bank of a river resting from the all day and night walk, she was relived she went towards the river on reaching the bank she found it to be steep so she told her 3 year old to hide behind the bush and not move till she gets back with the water. She went down to quench her thirst but her heart to stopped to the familiar cries, it was group of Kublai Muslims along with locals who attacked the tired and resting group, all were killed except few who were left dead but woke up with hand or limbs, She was scared for her 3 year old who was hiding right above the clif, she knew he was very obedient and she will find him right behind the Bush after all the Mehim was over.
She gathered her courage to come out of the river, she saw bodies of men and women chopped into Pieces some were still alive without arms and legs while the rest were headless. she started looking for her son behind the bushes but could not find him anywhere, she stayed whole night looking for him in the same area. She searched all the dead bodies to see if the three year old was killed by the hate mongers, In the process she found a five year old and a three year old sobbing girls who were sitting right next to the dead bodies of their parents.

My Grandmother was tired of looking for her son and finally decided to head on towards Srinagar to save 1 year old son and two girls who were left behind. She kept tracking despite the fact she was hungry thirsty and carrying almost three kids and all alone. On her Journey towards safety and peace she saw an old Muslim man, it was early in the morning and she started crying knowing that this would be the end of all of them, she had almost surrendered but to her surprise the Muslim man took her to a vegetable field and told her to hide there for the day time or she along with kids might get killed. He was helpless to provide her any food but told her she can eat any amount of vegetables and fruits from the field. He was sympathetic and regretted what people were doing on the name of religion.  My grandmother along with three kids hid themselves inside the hay, they could see groups of looters moving towards Srinagar, it was understood they were going to take over Kashmir from the Princely state of Jammu and Kashmir. They were all hungry but survived on green vegetables and water, whenever 1 year old was crying she would close his mouth. They made it through the day and started their journey to the safe city or Srinagar. She tracked whole night all by herself along with the kids and made it to Srinagar.
My Grandfather was waiting and he had almost lost the hope of her survival as almost every one else has reached Srinagar and no one had seen my Grandmother on their way. Millions of people were killed so it was obvious to loose hope.
She barely made it to Srinagar where Indian Army was stationed to receive all the refugees, seeing them she felt safer and collapsed, My grandfather was there and he took her to relatives home in Srinagar. My Grandfather never asked her about the Three year old but when my Mom was born they named her after the three year old.
I remember she always had his name on her tongue, even she would call me by his name, she had to correct herself almost everyday, she never forgot about her son though many decades have passed. whenever she started sharing that story she would cry after every 10 minutes, she was never able to tell the whole story but it came in bits and pieces. I grew up with those memories but I never saw hate in her heart for any Muslim.
Once I asked her Granny How come you are so kind to all these workers (who were all Muslims) she replied I wonder if Kulla (her son) is still alive and converted to Islam by People who saved him?
She lived a happy life of 85 years with a nail in middle of her heart which was the Gift of India and Pakistan to Millions of People who lost their loved ones in the hateful air of Partition.
She would always say if her son is alive he be 60 years old he would have his own kids, I wish I can see him just once and tears roll down her eyes. She made sure to celebrate each of his birthday by Distributing sweets in the temple. She never had desire to go back to the area where she lost her beloved son but she always went there with a hope that may be he will be still there even when she was 80, almost 55 years after the partition.
This is just a lonely story of my grandmother there are hundreds and millions of such untold stories which were never told. I hope all those who could not live together in this world because of the religious differences can live in the other world with peace and Harmony.