Chapter 6: The First Attack

The chapter begins by highlighting the escalating conflict in Kashmir, which leads to a shutdown that lasts 270 days. The atmosphere is tense and volatile, with insurgents actively resisting the Indian military presence.

While Imran is playing cricket with local children, the owner of the abandoned Tickoo house (a Pandit family home) returns, escorted by troops, to collect his belongings. As the owner and soldiers begin loading his possessions, two insurgents launch a surprise attack. The streets quickly erupt in gunfire as the insurgents fire their Kalashnikov rifles at the soldiers, marking the first attack on the army in Natipora. The attack causes immediate chaos, with Imran and the other children fleeing in terror. Ab Jaan, Imran’s father, hears the gunfire and rushes to close his shop, narrowly escaping through a back street. The violence escalates as a truck driver is killed and a soldier is run over by the vehicle. In retaliation, the troops take out their frustration on the Tickoo man, beating him severely and setting fire to his belongings. The army’s rage soon spills over to the rest of the neighborhood, as they begin to burn shops and houses, punishing the civilians for the attack. Many families flee, but Imran's parents, Haleema and Ab Jaan, stay behind, locking their gate to create the illusion that they’ve left.

With the attack underway, Haleema and Ab Jaan are consumed with fear for Imran, who has not returned home. They hide in their house, terrified that the troops will break in. Haleema, suffering from illness, struggles to control her breathing while Ab Jaan clutches the Quran, praying for their safety. The tension is palpable as soldiers search the area with floodlights, coming dangerously close to discovering them. At one point, a soldier bangs on their door, but by a stroke of luck, they are not discovered.

As the night drags on, Haleema and Ab Jaan grow increasingly anxious about Imran’s fate, but by morning, they are relieved to find him safe. Imran had taken refuge in a stranger’s home during the attack, and though shaken, he managed to survive the night.

The aftermath of the attack is devastating. Ab Jaan's shop is destroyed in the retaliatory fires set by the soldiers. The contents of the store—biscuits, soaps, cigarettes, and other goods—are burned or melted beyond recognition. The loss is not only financial but symbolic of the destruction the conflict has wrought on the family's livelihood. The next morning, the army, still angry over the insurgent attack, begins to search the neighborhood, interrogating and beating residents. When they arrive at the Joo house, Major Aman Lal Kushwaha, the officer in charge, accuses Ab Jaan of harboring the insurgents. Despite Haleema’s pleas for mercy, the major shoots Ab Jaan, killing him in front of his family. His cold execution sends shockwaves through the neighborhood, with the community gathering to mourn his death. Haleema is inconsolable, unable to comprehend the tragedy that has befallen her family. Imran, too, is in shock, unable to fully process the loss of his father.

Ab Jaan’s death becomes a symbol of the larger suffering in the community. His funeral is attended by thousands, with mourners lining the streets, chanting slogans of resistance and mourning the loss of an innocent life. The atmosphere is one of deep sorrow, with women wailing and men weeping openly. The communal grief underscores the collective trauma experienced by the people of Natipora, who are caught between the insurgency and the military crackdown.

A BBC reporter named Izhar Ahmad arrives in Natipora to cover the tragedy, underscoring the significance of Ab Jaan’s death in the broader narrative of the Kashmir conflict. The chapter highlights how the news of the violence is broadcast to the world, offering a glimpse into the international attention that the Kashmir issue is starting to receive.

The chapter closes with more tragedy for the community. Shafiqa’s house is raided by the troops, who beat her elderly husband and threaten to abduct her daughter Rukhsana if her sons do not surrender. A month later, Shafiqa’s younger son, Shaheen Bhat, is captured by the army, while her elder son, Imran Bhat, remains at large. The cycle of violence and retribution continues, with no end in sight for the suffering of the people of Kashmir.