"Beyond The Hill"

 

Look at that, are you seeing a ship deep in the sea? He asked with the gesture of his finger to his friend who was sitting next to him on a long but small wall of stones at the seashore. His friend came from another city to meet him. He came here two days before now both friends did come to visit the sea.

 

"Yeah, I'm watching". He replied without turning his head towards him and still watched deep in the sea.

 

"When I was a child I used to come here many times especially when I wanted to be alone. I cherish this spot, I liked to see far a ship from sitting here. In this tranquil silence with a little bit of noise of seawater and a whistle of the horn of the ship coming from the deep water, I felt a lot of pleasure. I used to think weird to see the ships, I used to make dramatic situations much time, For example, I thought if the pirates take over the ship now then a sudden strong storm come, similarly, if I am in the ship and the ship sinks due to storm then I reach in an Island and sudden this ship will vanish automatically. I love dramatic situations. Many times I use dramatic situations in my daily life. That's why I like the genre of drama in literature. He did debate a little and told him details.

 

"Yeah, I know you started writing dramas in college." His friend replied.

 

He kept Continue his talk, "I decided here at this place in my childhood that I'll be the playwright."

 

Well, what about Sarah, where is she? As far as I guess, you guys were getting married. His friend changed the topic.

 

Yeah, we wanted to. But God didn't want it.

 

What happened? He asked again.

 

Her parents wanted to marry her to another person.

 

You didn't try to agree on them?

 

He took a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket, picked out one cigarette, lit it with a lighter, passed the cigarette pack towards his friend, and took a long drag, then stated, "I tried hard but they didn't agree."

 

So, where is she now? Or is she married or still single? His friend also burnt a cigarette.

 

I haven't any information about her.

 

They were talking right now then they saw a boat coming towards them from the sea. The boat was covered by four-sided and had one rooftop. It seemed like a little ship. There was none a man was seen in the boat from the outside. After a couple of minutes, the boat stopped at the seashore, two men got out of the boat. They both have a very large height, a strong body, a wide chest, and look fearful and dirty even from a distance. One of them has a big mole on his right cheek. When they neared them, a man of mole took off the gun from his back and pointed it at them. He asked with a loud voice, "who are you, and what are you doing here in this lonely place?"

 

Both friends got up. "We came here just for a walk to the seashore." One of them replied.

 

"He is fibbing, they are the men of the police and have come here to spy on us." One man said.

 

"Yeah, they definitely are spying,

take them with us." Another man suggested, then they shouted at both friends, "move towards the boat"

 

"Please understand if you get a mistake we do not a spy. We are just visitors." Both friends cried but they didn't listen to them and took them on to the boat. Inside the boat, there was an under-room. They threw them in the room and tied them. After that, they locked the door and went back up. As soon as the door was closed, the room was filled with darkness. There was just a little window from where the light was coming inside the room. Then they observed the room. The room was almost empty. In the corner, a circle tube was lying there along with it there was a small wooden box, on the box, a dirty blanket was laying. On the next corner, there was a rope. The room was dark, dusty, and cold.

 

"Where are we stuck? Now, what to do?" One friend asked.

 

They have misunderstood us. If we convince them that we are not spies then maybe they will let us go.

 

They waited for the next three hours. After that, they listened to voices of footsteps on the upper part of the boat. And then the door opened, they threw two girls and went off after locking the door. Now the sun almost had set so the darkness in the room was raised. Both girls were young and beautiful. They were looking like they didn't sleep for days. Both were wearing jeans with kurtas. One had long hair but the other girl's hair was short and cut. When the boys saw them carefully one of them shouted shockingly, " Sarah, you… what…what're you doing here, I mean… how… how…you…" He couldn't complete the sentence.  "I also do not believe in seeing you here "Salman."  The big-haired girl spoke.

 

Yeah, I don't believe too, we were sitting on the seashore. They kidnapped us since they understand we're the men of the police. And we were spying on them here. But how are you here? Salman replied.

 

They didn't kidnap us. We were kidnapped by some other men two days before. I figure they did sell us to these men now they are taking us to go somewhere else in the boat. We don't know where this place is since they had covered our eyes with black cloth. Sarah told them all details about their kidnapping. Salman got worried to listen to this, he said, "you're in your city. But it means these people are not ordinary, they are dangerous." Salman expressed his concern.

 

"Yeah, I also think so," Sarah said, and then she turned to the other boy, "If I'm not wrong you're Fahad.

 

"Yeah, I'm Fahad your badge mate." The boy replied.

 

“She is my cousin Tania”. She gestured with her finger to the second girl. Then she stated with Salman again, “So what should I do now? Can we contact the police”?

 

How can we contact the police? They snatched our mobile phones and our wallets, so how would we contact the police or any other person in this boat.

 

Half an hour passed similarly then they heard some voices upside the boat. And after a couple of minutes, the boat started and headed towards the unknown direction.

Where would they be going to take us?" Sarah asked with fear.

 

Maybe they're going to an island or some other similar place. This time Fahad replied.

 

The room had been filled with complete darkness, it seems that there had been night outside. Almost one and a half hours later the boat stopped. They all looked up curiously and fearfully. Their throat had been dry. Perhaps they kill them or they prison them forever. Finally, the door opened and a torchlight lit up the room completely. A man shouted with a disgusted voice, "stand up and move outside." They four fulfilled his order,  climbed the stairs, and left the room. Now they came to the upper part of the boat. Then they came down from the boat, glanced at their surroundings and it was completely dark. Just can be seen there, where a thin line of light of the torch was going. Behind them, until far away a black sea was spread. Under their feet, there was wet sand and in front of them where the light was going only the bushes were seeing. They had been walking for fifteen minutes then there was a forest. There was a path going far into the forest. Silence like a graveyard was spread all around, Just a voice of locusts was coming from somewhere. Above on the sky stars were shining, the moon was nowhere, pieces of clouds seemed somewhere. They entered the forest through the light of the torch. They were seven people, two girls, and two boys, and three men who were kidnappers. All kidnappers had held the guns. Forest was looking very fearful in the darkness. Four friends felt a lot of fear.

 

"Water! I need water. Please give me water." Tania requested water.

 

"Keep silence. Otherwise, I'll shoot you." One of the three men threatened her 

 

“Give her water”, the second man said.

 

“But”…

 

“Don't take the worry, give her water. At least, it's our area. It is no danger here”. The second man interrupted him.

 

Then the caravan stopped for a while, the first man gave them a bottle which he hanged with his shoulder. Both boys and girls drank water then they headed towards their destination again. After fifteen minutes they reached the open ground. It seems that this open ground is made to cut the trees since it's surrounded by trees and bushes. It was cleaned for some reason and that reason has appeared soon because there were a lot of small cottages built with wood. They stopped in front of one row of small cottages. There was a guard there, one kidnapper whispered to the guard and the guard gestured with the hand then they went to the backside of huts. At the backside, there was another cottage but it was a little bit big from the others. They opened the door, threw them in the cottage, and went off. But this time they untied their hands. The cottage was very dark and cold. Just a single-window was there which was made of iron rods. The hut was fully empty, not a single thing was there. Sarah said as sobbing, " where are we stuck, what would we do now?

 

“Yeah, these are very dangerous people, they will kill us”. Tina said with fear.

. Salman consoled them.

 

Be patient! They will not kill you. After all, they have brought you here for some reason. If they wanted to kill you, they would have killed you already.

 

But Salman, they can kill us both because they think we are the men of the police. Fahad expressed concern.

 

Yeah, perhaps, if they did believe that we're spying on them then they must kill us. Salman replied.

 

They had been talking for a while then Tina and Fahad were asleep. But Sarah and Salman were still conversing.

 

So, did you finally get married? Salman asked Sarah.

 

Huh. What do you think? Sarah didn't answer and asked him a question.

 

I guess you would have married till now?

 

How did you guess this? Sarah asked again.

 

Because your parents wanted to marry you somewhere else that's why they didn't agree to do your marriage with me.

 

Yeah, this is right but I'm not married until now. My wedding is next week.

 

Oh, congratulations. Salman said sarcastically.

 

You're angry until now?

 

Huh. Angry. Salman chuckled sarcastically.

 

Why don't you understand it was not possible.

 

Why? Why was it not possible? And… Salman said this a little loudly.

 

Shhh. Slowly. If anyone listens, so...Sarah interrupted him, Try to understand no one would agree to our marriage.

 

But we could try, we could persuade them.

 

It was not possible ‘Salman’. Why you don't understand. It had been written in our destiny. It was our destiny we couldn't do anything.

 

It was not our destiny if we tried then maybe... But you didn't do anything yourself nor you didn't let me do this.

 

They had been talking for a while then they fell asleep. They opened their eyes when the sun peeked into the cottage through the window. They felt a lot of tired. After five minutes the door opened and a man entered, he said in a hoarse voice, "if you want to use a toilet then you can, just ten minutes you have after this I would close the door again. The bathroom is on the right side from here, now hurry up." They all used the washroom one by one and then a man closed the door again and went. They all sat back silently and after five minutes the door opened again. Another man entered the room he gave them a bag, closed the door, and went off without saying any word. They saw into the bag there was a breakfast for them. After this whole day was passed but no one opened the door again. In the afternoon the door opened, a man ordered them to come out. They all got out then the man said, "you can walk here for half an hour. I'll come after this and listen, don't try to go towards the hill, he gestured with the finger at one side there was a little hill. Then he went off. They glanced at their surroundings and there was a forest spread in a large distance. The sun is almost trying to hide behind the trees. On the backside of their cottage, there was a row of some small cottages which they watched at night. They had been observing all the time. Right after half an hour, the same man came, prisoned them and went.

The next three days they did the same thing. Surprisingly they didn't ask or tell anything to the girls and boys. They didn't know why they kidnapped the girls. They also didn't inquire about the boys though they caught them as a suspect that they are the policemen and spying on them. They didn't try to get any information from them. On the third night, Salman said, " I observed at the hillside, I guess there is a way to leave out from here. I guess we can escape if we cross that hill."

 

"How can you say that?" Fahad asked.

 

Because you listened to a man he especially warned us not to go there. And I saw their vehicle come and go to that side, today also two loaded trucks came from there,  I believe there is a path from where they come and goes. They took us from another way but they use that way."

 

"Yeah, You're right. I also saw the vehicles going towards the hillside." Salman agreed to him.

 

But how we can escape, we don't know exactly what is beyond the hill. And we also don't know which places the guards are hiding. Sarah said.

 

Tina agreed with her' " yeah Sarah is right and don't forget we're on an island perhaps if we cross the hill but how can we cross the sea."

 

Maybe we would find the way if we should try, if we cross the hill then maybe we would find. Salman persuaded them again.

 

"No, it is too dangerous, they will kill us if we are caught. We should wait, if God would want then we'll be free one day." Sarah said.

 

"You've said it before. Every time you say it, but you know the result." Salman reminded her.

 

Every night after that they would argue like this but they never tried to cross the hill.