Chapter 7: The Raid

Imran is unable to focus on his exams, consumed by grief over his father Ab Jaan’s recent death at the hands of the military. He reflects on how his father would have rewarded him with gifts, perhaps a new bicycle or wristwatch, for his performance. But instead, Imran finds himself lying awake at night, haunted by the image of his father’s grave, surrounded by irises. His grief begins to transform into a desire for vengeance.

One night, just as Imran manages to fall asleep, a commotion outside wakes him. Terrified, he hears soldiers shouting his name and wreaking havoc on their surroundings. Initially confused, Imran quickly realizes that the troops are looking for someone named Imran and fears they may have mistaken him for someone else, possibly Imran Bhat, an insurgent. His heart races, and he experiences overwhelming dread. Imran joins his mother, Haleema, who is also wide awake, listening anxiously to the sounds outside. She tries to comfort him, though she is equally terrified. As the noise grows louder and the troops approach their door, they both brace for the worst. Haleema pleads with the soldiers from inside, trying to explain that only she and her son are home. However, her pleas are ignored as the soldiers threaten to break down the door.

When Haleema finally opens the door, the soldiers force their way in, led by Major Kushwaha, the same officer responsible for Ab Jaan’s death. The troops ransack the house while Imran, fearing for his life, tries to escape through a window. However, the soldiers stationed outside catch him, dragging him back. Imran cries out for his mother, but the soldiers are relentless. Major Kushwaha orders an informant—referred to as ‘the cat’—to confirm Imran’s identity. The informant, a tall boy in a khaki trench coat with a masked face, silently nods, sealing Imran’s fate. Haleema desperately pleads with the soldiers, begging for her son’s release, but her cries fall on deaf ears. The soldiers remain unmoved, even as Haleema accuses them of killing her father and now taking away her only son.

Imran is forcibly dragged towards a military jeep, screaming for water, while Haleema clings to him, refusing to let go. Her shawl and sandals fall off in the struggle, and her neighbors, now awake and watching from their windows, witness the scene in helpless horror. Haleema’s pleas continue as she begs the soldiers to release her son, insisting on his innocence. Despite her efforts, the soldiers throw Imran into the jeep and drive off, leaving Haleema collapsed on the road, devastated.

After Imran is taken, the local baker, Amm, is the first to come out and console Haleema. Other neighbors soon follow, and Shafiqa, Haleema’s friend, pulls her into her lap to comfort her. The women of the neighborhood gather around Haleema, collecting her sandals and shawl, while they try to calm her. Despite their efforts, Haleema remains inconsolable, muttering in grief that she is a ‘perforated soul,’ referring to the loss of her father and now her son.

Haleema spends the rest of the night in torment, imagining the soldiers torturing Imran, beating him with their jackboots, and leaving him cold and shivering in a military camp. She feels deep regret for not being able to offer him even a sip of water before he was taken. This internal torment leaves her sleepless as she croons and sobs throughout the night, unable to find solace. The night is filled with eerie silence, punctuated by the creaking of the house and the small sounds of the environment, reflecting her internal agony. Shafiqa and her daughter Rukhsana stay with Haleema throughout the night, offering her comfort, but they too are exhausted and eventually fall asleep just before dawn. Haleema, however, remains wide awake, haunted by the thought of her son’s suffering.