The Distant Lands
By Palwasha Emaan Khattak & Zainab Sajjad
Hava learned to read the moods of the fields long before she learned to read words. At dawn, when the earth still breathed coolness, she could tell by the way the wheat bent, whether the day would be forgiving or harsh. The fields surrounding her village stretched like a golden sea, filled with wheat, whispering secrets only the wind seemed to understand.
This village, small, dusty and so much rooted in its traditions was slowly changing and modernizing itself though most people pretended not to notice. However, the people here were welcoming to other people, always meeting outsiders with joy and courtesy and ready for serving tea or food.
In the evening, as mobile phones were now owned by almost all the inhabitants of the village, young boys gathered near the banyan tree and Tik Tok dances were rehearsed where folk songs once echoed. Besides the comparatively new gadget like mobile phones and tablets, a farmer’s machinery like tractors used to growl confidently across the village streets and lands. Threshers roared during harvest season, coughing dust into the air making work faster and somehow lonelier. Yet, the old carefree spirit of the old village life was still palpable in this village as the village elders insisted on customs the way one insists on prayer without questioning why.
Faith still shaped the rhythm of life here, quietly but firmly.
Hava belonged to this rhythm, she was observant in a way that made people mistook her for being shy. She noticed every small detail of anything that people rushed past. Adam, her elder brother, was the product of this village and land, sturdy, both serious and witty, a kind of man the village trusted. One afternoon, Hava was scrolling through her phone and found a very unusual video, it was different from the kind of content she usually watched. She saw something like a copter spewing flames, then smoke on the ground and then buildings reduced to bare bone and ashes. Being not that much conversant with English language, she only comprehended that it was from war between Russia and Ukraine. She called her brother and showed him that video. Adam glanced at the screen, then looked away. He after seeing the video told Hava, not to pay attention to such videos. “It’s a war in distant lands.”. Adam said it gently and Hava nodded but the images stayed with her.
Then finally, the most awaited day arrived when everyone was happy and celebrations started. The fields glimmered like a vibrant ocean, golden waves of wheat swaying under the rays of the sun. The air smelled of earth and grain, warm and comforting, carrying the sound of harvesting machine from the distance. The women were working in the fields dressed in bright and colourful outfits with beautiful embroidered dupattas, laughing and singing songs with joy. Children playing and moving here and there happily. Men gathered nearby, sharing bread and stories, their hands were tough with hard work yet gentle as they greeted guests. Tradition lived there, not in a static way, but in a vibrant and proud manner. The air was fresh and joyful.
Hava was witnessing all of this from the side of the field, her bare feet pressing into the soil that had raised her as surely as her mother had. She was looking at the children playing happily. Suddenly, she heard a new sound heard from distance that was not normal. At first, it was faint, with metallic quality. Then, a bird made of steel with multiple fangs appeared. People stopped and started looking up at the sky to observe that sound and that strange metal bird, its sound then became loud and ominous. Hawa’s heart tightened. The creature above them had no wings of feather, only metal blades spinning with a purpose. A sudden crack then split the air. Hava now remembered the resemblance of this metallic bird with the one she had seen in the video. The wheat plants trembled with the air generated from the rotating wings of this bird from the hill as the bird. Then a villager cried, the Drone. At this moment, the metal bird spewed fiery metals that shook the earth, and the villagers’ uncontrollable screams came out. The laughter and joy turned into mess and panic, songs died mid-note. Hawa turned and saw Adam faltering on his legs.
The village watchman, who had joined the harvesting ceremony, having his old radio in his hand, heard the announcement that the neighbouring country had attacked the motherland. Adam was now having blood from forehead, and seeing him, Hava lost consciousness. The last thought in Hava’s mind was that Adam was wrong about the war in the distant lands, as the distant lands were no more distant.
Sohail Majeed is a Special Correspondent at The Diplomatic Insight. He has twelve plus years of experience in journalism & reporting. He covers International Affairs, Diplomacy, UN, Sports, Climate Change, Economy, Technology, and Health.
