A girl who went to Kashmir and never came back

You will be wondering what this heading means.

Which girl and why she didn't?

This is a title, which I carry among my knowns and my friends.

And I carry it quite happily.

Faridkot

So yes, this is my story, my personal experience in kashmir which never let me come back.

Kashmir

A place that I always says remain close to my heart and it will remain in future too, no matter what, no matter what,no matter where ever I be too , in future.

This post, made me think, Is it a prank or I'm being made a mere source of entertainment.

What was the reason?

Was I the reason ?

No.

My experience in kashmir was the reason, that I never came back.

1. The people of Kashmir and all the misbeliefs i held.

Before being there, I had so many mis- beliefs about Kashmir and its people.

You can say it my narrow mindedness but I owe it all to the media and their false content.

We met Irshad bhai and then we came to know how much these people respect other religions as much as they do theirs.

His words immediately after we sat in taxi after landing down:-

" Aapko pehle mandir le chalte hain,

Apne naye safar ki shuruat Aashirwad le k hi karna."

How much we believe about Muslim community is all just misconceptions we have held!

Coz be because we have never went to kashmir earlier.

2. Their language

The time the person right infront of you greets you with Assalamu Alaikum,

You just get flown away with love and respect for that person.

The words of Islam are just love. As lovely as the heart speaking them.

In the modern world where we just say Hi ,hello and hey and namaste and Sat Sri Akal are used only in special occasions,

It's Kashmir that has well preserved it's legacy.

'Assalamu Alaikum' is used as a traditional greeting among Muslims which means 'peace be upon you' and its replied by saying 'walaikum assalam' meaning 'and upon you, peace'.

Kashmiri is quite a lot different from a Hindi and Punjabi so difficult to speak as well as understand.

But I really tried my best.

Punjabi hoon - so acche ke saath saath bura bhi sikhh k hi aayi hoon * gaalian*

3. Their concern

I bet Kashmir is the only place where you will find people working not just for earning money but working to provide you the best experience of Kashmir.

Within no time, we didn't even come to know, when Irshad bhai, Abid Bhai and Wasim bhai became one who's contact can never be deleted.

Just describing an instance :- 2 days back Irshad Bhai call me , after hearing the news of Punjab,

And he said just these few words

"Assalamu Alaikum Saloni

Sab khairiyat Wahan...

Mama papa thik hai,

And then he ended with Allah Reham Kare"

Such is their concern

4. A New Saloni

It will be quite hilarious for you but not for me.

Honestly, Saloni who went to Kashmir and Saloni who came back from Kashmir are two different individuals. The way I used to think the way I used to take my life, all have changed. I have become a person I always wanted to be. But which changes that have came in my life are ones which are acceptable to some but are not acceptable to many. But it doesn't matter. Actually matters is that are you happy with those changes.

And yes I am.

I wrote about it earlier also:- Read here

5. The beauty of Kashmir

Well said, "If there is a Paradise on earth, it's here , it's here."

The scorching heat of Punjab and Flat Terrain with so less greenery, stand in high contrast to the cool and soothing climate and hilly snow peaked mountains of Kashmir.

Waking up in these mountains , in the lap of nature - The feelings you get adjust unexplainable.