A Ruin that was once the Abode of a Happy Kashmiri Hindu Family

"If seeing this house gives you a haunted feeling, it's not entirely wrong, as anyone might feel the same. However, its condition tells a poignant story of sorrow that has brought it to this state."

"Although l'm not a writer, I recently visited Kashmir and during a temple visit in a village near Baramulla, I passed by what seemed like a very ancient ruin. Upon inquiry, my local guide informed me that it was a house abandoned by Kashmiri Hindus due to terrorism in the 1990s, still standing untouched. Despite no one occupying it, it seems to stand there, perhaps waiting for someone to return, even after all these years."

Seeing this, I can imagine that thousands of homes in Kashmir might be in a similar state, left empty overnight as Kashmiri Hindus had to abandon their dream homes due to terrorism. It's heart-wrenching to think about the experiences they must have endured, leaving behind their aspirations and becoming homeless in an instant.

I stood there for quite some time, engulfed in sadness, pondering whether those who once lived here ever thought about returning. If they did, their initial hope might have been that, if everything gets better, they will surely come back home. But will that day ever come?

Written by Rudra

rudraraina30@gmail.com