The Slithering Destiny...

Early 1990s:

Jordan:

“There was a little kid with many dreams in eyes, hopes in heart and projection in mind. He loved to go school, he liked to play with friends and was attached deeply to the place where he lived. Since the day he grew up & started understanding, he used to listen from his parents about a place from where they belong to.

So, that was not his motherland where he was born, his parents kept on talking about another land which was even more beautiful. Lot of emotions still happy and satisfied in his life, busy in chasing his dreams.”

2015

I met Feras

I was in Bengaluru for my NGO work. I reached office in morning and came across many new faces. I had met many of them in previous meets, however one new guy’s I met who looked quite welcoming and striking. His features were sharp and I could sense he is not an Indian.

I stepped ahead greeted him, a smiling face, glowing eyes and with warm gestures he said “hi Rita, how are you. I am Feras from Jordan. This is my first visit to India for this project. I heard from people that you are coming today for meeting.”

He further asked me about my flight, job and about my stay in Bengaluru.

I was surprised with the way he was interacting, so friendly and made me so comfortable. More than listening to his questions, I was observing his gestures and his approach which was really worth appreciating. However, we started working on same project and later he moved to Delhi for the same. We used to meet once in a week for project discussions.

One fine day I was reading about an interesting country sharing borders with Jordan which is famous for historical places, natural beauty, holy places and several other interesting facts but unfortunately suffering with political issues, disturbed economy, war etc. I asked Feras if he knows anything about this place as was his neighbor country.

He smiled, he listened patiently to whatever I said and replied “I know everything about this place, ask me what you want to know”

I was perplexed and mockingly asked him if he is google and knows everything.

He then told me about his past that he stayed there for 7 years, it was his home country. He had to leave his home, his relatives, and his friends and left the country as the conditions were becoming crumbling day by day.

He told he was only born and brought up in Jordan, but misses his home country a lot and wished to go back if the situation gets to normal.

1995

The boy was in his ancestral home, a huge house with massive rooms. Everything there had layers of dust. He found few old black & white pictures lying there on a rack. He realized, that this was the place about which his parents used to talk about. He belonged to this beautiful country. But now it was a new journey with ups and downs, however beautiful in every manner. When your roots are connected to a place than inevitably feeling of belonging arises.

1997

Homeland

FERAS: With little strange things and hurdles life was moving. Once, while playing in lawn with friends suddenly he heard his friends shouting, run and hide yourself. He turned around and saw big trucks full of soldiers coming towards them, till the time he could realise what was going on, his friends who were familiar with the situation dragged him inside house. They asked him to sit quietly. First time in life he witnessed such kind of dramatic incident. He hide himself in the corner of bed because of unidentified fear and danger.

At the age of 7, he was not able to figure out the situation though, but soon became familiar with such small hide and seek games between them and Army.

However, these instances became a part of his life and now accustomed to such situations. Occasionally, hearing bombarding and firing while coming back to home from school was not a strange thing and he started becoming expert in hiding and protecting myself.

Every day, his Mother used to wait for her kids with tears in eyes and hands folded to praying God to send her kids safe back from school.

2002

Years later, after he left his homeland sitting in his home, tears in eyes reminded him of those 7 years which he spent in his land.

His father had promised his grandfather that he will definitely go back to his home land once everything will be normal. He even fulfilled his promise but something happened and he was forced to come back to Jordan leaving behind all memories.

What had happened?

Destiny forced them……

One noon while coming back from school with his sisters and aunty, they were stopped by soldiers and were asked to go back, 5 small kids under 11 yrs of age. Their home was in opposite direction, but firm orders left them with no option, soldiers said they don’t bother and pushed them behind. After sometime, the soldiers left and then kids silently proceeded towards their home, they had a sense of relief that they were allowed to pass the security check and go home. By that time, it started drizzling. After few minutes while walking they heard a heavy disturbing sound, they turned back to find a tanker that was coming towards them. They were shocked to see that, frozen with fear they started running, tried to knock few doors but no one opened. Drizzle turned to be a heavy rain then, after struggle and fully drenched with heavy bags, they stopped in front of a small building and tried hard again to knock door, but all efforts failed and by that time tanker coming closer and closer.

They turned and saw a cruel death in front of them. They all were shivering with fear, it was a dreadful moment. Feras recalled all the lovely moments he spent there and thanked Allah for beautiful journey he had till date, also felt sorry for parents for leaving them alone, felt helpless being unable to do anything for his sisters to save their life. He thought that may be this is the age determined by God for him.

After a while, they saw that tankers were moving away and slowly went far away from visibility. They were all crying and were relieved to see themselves alive, it was like a nightmare as everything was going to finish. First time they felt a real terror, and later on then these incidents continued in different ways.

Finally promise of staying in motherland got faded because fear of losing kids.

So, they decided to move back to the place where Feras was born, Jordan.

A New life, new challenges, new hope.

2015

I had a mixed reaction on my face. Hearing to his story, I got goose bumps and could make out the connection of Feras with his country. It was really painful and sad, I felt pity on him for all the glitches he has gone through. I saluted to his gestures, his way of living and positivity he brings in.

While talking to FERAS I imagined a little kid in front of me and I asked a question “why the hell you were going to school in such a situation there? He replied: “To live, to survive, to see my country free, to get a good higher education, a good job. EDUCATION was my weapon to live, survive and grow. I was not afraid of death, may be Allah destined it for me but living without education and with fear, NO.”

He didn’t chose to be a native of that country, it was decided by god but he choose to love his country and choose to be brave and fight with situations...

That was what his thoughts with which he grew.

He saw people dying, getting killed in front of him, saw the pain and fear of losing life.

What if he would have left school or if these incidents would have made a negative impact on his mind, he could have opted a wrong path, may be like many others he would have been ruined his life with other innocent lives connected to him. Fortunately his deeds and dreams kept him positive and today he is living a far better life with dignity. Today he has achieved most of his dreams and many more of way to get achieved. We often read about the war victims and jump to conclusions.

We all are same, nobody chooses to be a victim, but these are the circumstances which are destroying lives, civilizations, nature and peace of this beautiful world. Everyone is getting hurt and affected, none of the side remains happy and with peace.

FERAS is one of the most charming person I ever met, music lover, foodie, adventurous, happy face with so many horrible experiences hidden and locked within.

This story is dedicated to all those little Feras’s who lived their life under such horrible experiences yet successfully fight and come over all odds.