A mighty bird circled above a tree guarding its nest. Snow-capped mountains of the Himalayan range stretched in the horizon for miles dividing the continent. They loomed over crevices, ravines and valleys as they stretched upward reaching for the sky. Sheltered by the high mountain range, the valley boasted green prairies, translucent lakes, colorful wildflowers, gurgling rivers, succulent apple orchards and mountainside wild life and the settlement of Kashmir under the Raj. Within this valley a bustling city, Srinagar flaunted a large lake nicknamed “the jewel of Srinagar”. The jewels in Dal Lake were numerous and diverse. Floating gardens drifted parading their lotus blossoms and lily pads. Long Shikaras speckled the lake as they rowed people to floating hotels and houseboats, scenic gardens in the far banks or just for a serene cruise. Tiny islands boasted the Chinar trees with their hollow trunks.
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Shiv stood at the bank of the lake that featured the Moghul gardens. His eight year-old legs took him aimlessly through apple orchards and walnut trees. He explored in the crevices of the Chinar trunks and sat cross-legged in the hollow center, pretending to meditate. Before the sun started its low descent to rest its head on the pillows of the mountains, Shiv ran to his large, bustling house. He dashed through the open gate of the boundary wall and stopped in the courtyard where his father stood with his six brothers and their children.
Shiv looked up at their worried faces then turned towards the screams coming from the room with the closed door. The door opened and his mother stepped out. Without meeting anyone’s eyes, she dashed into the kitchen and ran back into the room. A few minutes later, the door opened again and one of his aunts stepped out, ran to her room, and returned with something tucked under her sari. She slipped back into the room from which the screams were louder and more frequent. Then a cry. Shiv looked up. It was the cry of a baby. His mother slowly stepped out and walked towards his oldest uncle. “It’s a girl,” she announced.
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