16th of February 2013, Saturday.
“I’m late! I’m dead-meat!” I shrieked when I looked at the clock telling 6:45 p.m.
I had plans with friends to go to movies; A Good Day to Die Hard. We have been desperately waiting for its premiere and finally the ‘good day’ arrived to watch the ‘die hard’. We had tickets for 7:30 p.m. movie so I had 15 minutes to get ready and catch a bus to my friend’s house. Stumbling, I went to my room and started rummaging through my closet to get a decent dress when I heard ‘Someone’ calling....
Someone: Hey, Listen!
I ‘ignored’ the voice and kept myself busy.
Someone: You there, I’m talking to you.
Me: (with a frown) umm... What?
Someone: Any plans for tonight?
Me: Yeah, going to movies.
Someone: (astonishingly) Movies?
Me: Didn’t you hear? Gotta go now.
I felt annoyed.
Someone: Hey, Listen!
10 minutes to 7 o’clock! LATE! LATE! LATE! Now I was getting furious.
Me: C’mon! I’m getting late!
Someone: (pleadingly) Hang on. I really want to say something.
Me: (thumping my foot on the floor) Argh. K. Go on!
Someone: Did you watch the Television today?
Me: Not really.
Someone: Heard about the news?
Me: (indifferently) Yeah.
Someone: There was a bomb blast in Quetta an hour ago.
A few seconds passed then I tonelessly answered.
Me: It’s a daily routine.
Someone: 80 people died and 200 were injured.
Me: (loudly) It’s always happening! It’s no big ‘D’ for deal! I gotta go now!
Someone: (The voice protested) It ‘IS’ a big deal! Your country is burning! Your people are getting hurt, but there is no one to put an end to it. People are in pain! They need help!
Me: Well, rescue people will take care of that!
I answered in an attempt to shut that voice.
Someone: What about their losses? About those loved ones, they lost.
Me: Look dude! Everyone has to leave this world sometime.
However, even I wondered if my theory was true...
I went to the washroom, and splashed cold water on my face. After putting on my dress, I stared at my reflection in the mirror. I figured some uneasy expressions on my face and splashed some more water.
I walked out in to the room.
Someone: (huskily) You didn’t even twitch a muscle on this news of mass-killing.
Me: (monotonously) Because, I guess, I’m used to of it.
Someone: (pleadingly) Isn’t it rude to say?
Me: Look! I’m getting late!
I hurried to grab my bag and get rid of this pleading voice.
Someone: Do you have any feelings for all those kids who lost their fathers in this?
Me: (sarcastically) Thanks to God! I’m not one of them.
Someone: What about mothers who have lost their sons and daughters?
Me: (trying to mimic a giggle) I’m not a mommy! So, tell me, how can I feel their pain?
It felt like I was trying to convince myself instead of answering that voice.
Someone: But you have a family and their families are ruined!
Me: (stuttering) My family is fine then... then...why should I care?
I knew it was rude to say but I just blurted it out.
Someone: But they are like your brothers and sis –
I glanced at the clock. It was about to strike 7 o’clock! God! I was getting late!
Me: Look! Stop bugging me! You are talking as if I’m the one doing this killing!
I shouted at the top of my lungs trying to hush that voice.
Someone: I’m not accusing you of doing this, but I’m accusing you of being ‘ignorant’!
I was already very late so I grabbed my phone and texted my friend:
“@ ur corner in 15 min.”
Then, I picked up my bag and started for the door.
Someone: How can you be so cold?
And again I ‘ignored’.
Someone: Your hero; your Dad. What if he becomes the next victim?
I stopped where I was, unable to take any further step. My heart started thumping loudly.
Someone: Your loving Mom – or your siblings, what if they get injured next time?
I wiped perspiration from my forehead, unable to answer.
Someone: What if you become the next one to lose someone around you?
The thought struck me. I wanted to shout but I lost my voice. I wanted to run but my legs felt wobbly. All I managed was to utter a cry.
Silence captured a few minutes. But, not for too long.
Someone: Today that kid lost his father, today that sister lost his brother, today that mother lost her kids, and tomorrow it might be someone else’s loved one!
The voice was as gentle as it could be.
I think a world of my family and seeing everything from this perspective stunned me. It hit me like a ton of bricks! That voice died and I started to feel hollow, a cold and a mean person!

In a busy market, near a school, in a liquid bomb-blast, 80 people died and 200 were injured. For 4 days, the mourners protested peacefully with the dead bodies laid beside them. They refused to bury them because they wanted this mass killing to be noticed and to be stopped! However, all they received are words; words from officials, words from T.V. anchors and mere words from the UN president.
I don’t ask where are the officials, or the humanitarians, who let these bomb blasting in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iraq happening. I don’t ask where is UN’s aim to maintain peace and security. I don’t ask about the peace makers and believers. We are believer of Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him); the greatest peacemaker hence all I ask is where is our ‘conscience’? Sleeping in a Never-Never Land? Well, tell it, it is about time to wake up and raise its voice.

I glanced at my watch, 7:15 p.m.
I picked up my phone and texted my friend:
“Cancelled my movie. Got a more imp thing to do!”
I switched off my phone. Then, turned on my laptop and started writing:
“16th of February 2013.
“I’m late! I’m dead-meat!” I shrieked when looked at clock telling 6:45 p.m.
I had plans with friends to go to movies; A Good Day to Die Hard. We have been desperately waiting for its premiere and finally the ‘good day’ arrived to watch the ‘die hard’.”