I was in Pakistan finally.India and Pakistan have been political enemies since their violent Independence in the year1947.I had been very excited when I set out for the journey .I was curious as every Indian would be and every Pakistani would be as well about being in the hostile territory .My excitement was beginning to turn to apprehension as I read about a suicide bombing that had happened the evening before at a mosque in Karachi.To make matters  worse it started raining .Wali Ahmed Khan ,one of the co-coordinators of the Indo-Pak Literary Mela and his wife  had promised to pick me up from the  PTDC LDBS Terminal in Lahore.I had been waiting for over an hour now .There was no sign of Wali .I tried to call him .The mobile was out of coverage area .The phone at his residence just kept ringing and ringing .I started to get seriously worried .The bus station was beginning to look deserted with only an old lady and a bald man probably in his fifties .Though it was noon ,it began to look like an advancing evening .The drizzle turned into a downpour .Wali was not to be heard or seen yet .The old lady kept staring at me .It made me so uncomfortable .Her kohl darkened eyes in a ghoulishly white wrinkled face ,the tear in her left ear left behind by heavy earrings ,the red betel-nut stained cracked lips-the more I observed her ,the less human did she appear .Lightning completed the sepulchral effect.

I forced my gaze away as she turned her face towards me .Her black burqua which draped her shrivelled existence was just the garb for the occasion .I am a rational ,yet she looked so paranormal as to challenge my faith in rationality.Lightning streaked the sky .Peals of thunder vibrated through me .It took all the courage I had not to burst into tears .Suddenly there was another sort of commotion .People ran across the street helter -skelter .”Bhago ,bumb phat gaya !!!!!!!!!”(Run ,there has been a bomb blast), screamed a handsome blue-eyed blonde fellow as he and a group of men ran past us .I could hear women scream and saw some of them running by clutching their veils or their children.I really began regretting my journey to Pakistan .I suddenly missed home ,warm rotis and hot curry ,my favourite serials ,my family .I wanted so badly to be home .The bald man and the old lady whispered something ,and as they began to leave they turned to look at me . The man seemed as if he wanted to speak to me .I lowered my gaze and looked away.He hesitated ,looked at the old woman .She walked up towards me and said,”dukhtar (daughter ),It is not safe for you to be here alone. .Where do you come from ?Where would you like to go?We will drop you if you want us to .