Mr and Mrs Curfew

"...Once upon a time there was a crow and there is still a crow and once upon a time there was a curfew and there is still a curfew with an add-on of 'undelcared curfew'. But one thing common in all is that they are black. The former is physically while the latter is black physically, literally, spritually and actually.

The people in Kashmir have again been made to take a prolonged forced rest from the routine of earning and protesting for their rights. The people are not even allowed to move few yards out from residences. They are so much concerned about rest of people that they want all the family to sit and share the moments: many a times of hunger, starvation and death together. The rest at home is so important that they can kill or injure any individual trying to break the norm. So, is the concern that even people are not allowed to go to the funerals of those who get killed for breaking the set rules of higher concern of theirs. It is actually a forced marriage of people with their homes. They say it transforms homes into contemplating temples for peaceful future. The preconcived transformation never takes place.

They call it curfew if announced publicly and people call it 'undeclared curfew' if not announced. Mr Curfew is very strict and disciplined according to his own rules. He kills anybody who tries to defy orders. He does not do it himself. He has whole machinery in his support. Mrs Curfew (the undeclared curfew) is equally strict and has imbibed all the qualities from her hubby. However at times she (read undeclared curfew) tries to play pranks with people and allow some movement but then catch them again in the middle of nowhere and after that rule of her hubby applies.

The duo married long after 1990. Mrs Curfew had a long name: 'imposing section 144 strictly' in 1990's that still remains her offcial identity but then people loved to call her by new name of 'undeclared curfew' as the new millenium began and she got married. Mr Curfew was very famous much before his marriage. Many politicians had the previlege to have 'Mr Curfew' as suffix in their names. And why not so, Mr curfew did wonders for many politicians in Kashmir history. He was and still remains the choosen '007' for all the so-called mainstream political clans. Mrs curfew fell in love with the fame of Mr Curfew. The two started working in tandem after marriage.

The couple have an unrelenting and extraordinary control over millions of people. They are celebrities (of course the Gabbar, Mugambo and Dr Dang type) at least in whole of Valley and many other parts of the state as well. Every child knows the name of this famous duo. The couple at times have made the elderly inmates of a house to use the pottys of children in rooms. The two can make you sit at a place for weeks together without questioning. And how can one question. It correponds to questioning one's own life. Mr curfew has ordered and executed killings of dozens together in 90's without caring about age. But after marriage the couple seems to have taste for youngestors. They kill one by one and love to see others wailing and crying for sometime and then kill another. The couple has turned sadist. The system that follows them has shown the same sadist characteristics.

Hey this sadist couple has a taste for games as well. They like indoor games specially. But carrom is their first choice. Mr curfew literally introduced the game in 1990's here. Mrs curfew then not married too had her share in introducing game to the people of the Valley. Almost every kashmiri household that could effort some multiples of Rs hundred (which meant almost everyone) bought a carrom board in 90's. After a long gap of many years when the couple had gone for prolonged honeymoon and could be seen on special occasions, the game too was on its low. But it has picked up again. 2008 was the revival year. The dusty boards have again come out of the store rooms of homes.

The black and white eighteen disks representing the real happenings outside were battle ground of ideas and aspirations and continue to be so. The us and them were always defined in the colors of black and white disks. The queen disk still remains the cherished goal. People burst out all anger, hatred and alienation against the couple and the system by simulations in the game. The game is still the same and same are its founding couple. But the edges of the carrom board are rough now. The playing field soaked with blood and covered with wrinkles is aged with the passage of two decades. The rebound and angle shots are not that perfect now. The striker many a time disobeys the player now. However the discs are all new. Fresh ones. But us and them are same. The new disks have convinced the edges to help the player now. Although on both sides. The striker is also managing to obey. Us and them have again started a game. Winners are to be crowned. The prize money has increased manifold as lot has been done in preparation this time. The couple has the same sadist attitude. And the game is on.

Mr and Mrs curfew are the happiest couple living around and enjoying impunity. All of their wishes are fulfilled to the best of it. However the life span of the couple is yet to be defined. The counting is not done in years, but regimes, era's, elections, fate and many a time tempraments of them decide the lifespan of the deadly duo. Wait and watch what happens to the couple and GAME as well..."