Short Story: Pigeonhole and Pilot by Ayaz Nabi Malik

In this short story, Ayaz Nabi Malik shares the dreams and desires we manifest in our minds and how life can challenge them in the blink of an eye.                                                                                          

Squeezing life out of merry children, thereby reducing and limiting their merry making spaces to the confined mud walls of their thatched houses, goes off the winter and is replaced by spring that announces its bang arrival with renewed life and vitality. The almond blossoms sprouting out on deep, dense and crispy almond trees on Daemdaer Waedr, the flat large chunk of land atop the hill, near Kashmir’s only commercial airport, bestow it a heavenly look. The wanton children come out on routine and climb uphill to enjoy every minute, post their school hours, amid these glowing almond trees and are lost in the world of their own, before Samad Rishi, the casual village Mozin, prayer announcer, announces Magrib Azan, the evening prayer call. Soon the Azan strikes the ears of the children, they descend the hill precipitously to return to their homes. Jibran, the only son of Samad Rishi, is the last one to descend, apparently reluctant to return home.