Shabrina is so bored, it’s over the limit of her boringness. Just imagine! It’s been a week they were in Pakistan but his father is super dooper busy with his business partner and… his complaints. What she always does is just walk around the luxurious hotel where she lives at Blue Area of Islamabad. Islamabad is so different with her imagination when she was heading Pakistan.
She imagined that Islamabad would be as crowd as Jakarta, but it’s absolutely different! Everything is regulated nicely, and she never found the boring traffic jam in here. There are no giant and luxurious malls, just supermarket with distro. But this is what makes her bored, she wants to feel the real Pakistan.
Well… actually she’s not like that bad luck. Sometimes she went to visit some places in Islamabad with daughter of her father’s partner. Her name is Sarwat Tariq. Sarwat is a funny innocent and sweet girl. She is so proud of her name that means wealth, she said that her father’s business got improved so fast since her mother born her. Although her campus is quite far from Blue Area, she’s so kind to take Shabrina get around Islamabad after she finished her lecture. But Sarwat can’t always accompany Shabrina everyday as she has to go to campus.
Finally Shabrina decided to visit Peshawar.
“Peshawar? yaar, are you sure? I mean, I had never been there yet. Yeah… I know Taliban is ended, but baba said that it’s not as safe as Islamabad. I personally had never been there. But don’t you like Islamabad? I will take to the other amazing places in here,” suggested Sarwat with her English which is mixed with Urdu accent.
“if we are in England or Singapore I’ll be okay to let you go out of town alone. But it’s Pakistan! And Peshawar?? oh noo.. no… what if Taliban suddenly throw bombs to your hotel?? Or they will kidnap you? And make you as hostage? Why do u have to go to Peshawar? isn’t there any good places in Islamabad… oh my god!,” that’s the response of her father when she said that she wants to go to Peshawar. :-p
But Shabrina is the miniature of her father, once she wants something no one will stop it. And finally she is away to Peshawar with Sarwat and her most trusted driver Mr.Prince. Mr.Prince also find a little motel for her. It’s not as luxurious as her hotel in Islamabad but it’s quite comfortable.
This morning, Shabrina can’t get back to sleep again after subuh like she always do in Islamabad. The day seems running so fast in Peshawar for her. Perhaps that’s because of her happy feeling. Quickly she finished her bath and wear Shalwaar Kameez which she has bought in Jinnah Supermarket some days ago. Shalwaar Kameez is a traditional clothes of Pakistanis, it’s look like muslim clothes which is used to be worn with muslim girls in Indonesia. It consists of three parts, knee-length top, long loose pants and practically Duppata or scarf. Almost all women in Pakistan wear these clothes.
Shabrina stepped out of the hotel, Peshawar’s sunshine greets her friendly, quite warm and sunny but the air around her seemed less agreed with sun rays. The air should be warmer with abundant sunshine like this, but somehow the air was not hot as it looks. Shabrina doesn’t have to hire a taxi because based on the map, the location of Qissa khawani is not too far from her hotel. Mr.Prince and the hotel’s receptionist also said that Qissa khawani can be reached only by foot.
The city in front of her eyes is now very different from the Blue Area Islamabad. People are poured on the road, the buses with unique ornaments and truly eye-catching, and rickshaws (she more likes to call it bajaj), which are stopped by the driver completing the crowd of the city. The smell of kabob, pakora and fruit infiltrate into her nose, adding excitement to keep walking into Qissa khawani and the old city of Peshawar.
Shabrina continues to walk and sometimes sees the map in her hand until she reached the Qissa khawani, a very famous traditional market in Pakistan is in front of her eyes. It’s said, the father of Shahrukh khan also came from Qissa khawani. Qissa Khawani itself means “The Story-Teller as there’s a local roman of Adam and Khani in this area. Shabrina yet to know the story. Qissa khawani is truly traditional market, with a variety of shops and vendors. It reminds her to Johar Market in Semarang. Sellers are very eager to offer the wares with pasthu language which Shabrina does not understand. It’s quite different with the most traditional markets in Indonesia which most of the sellers are women. Most of the sellers in here are men, whether they sell clothes, fabrics, foods and even fruits. They look very good at bargaining.
The morning turns to afternoon, and temperature is increasing. Various kind of smell has increasingly entered the shabrina’s nose. Smell of fuel, and all smells that have made her so curious to get around become the reason her headache. She keeps walking until she found a tea shop that looks quite comfortable and clean for the rest.
She ordered a cup of Kahwa, because it seemed to be the most favorite beverage of people around her. While waiting for her Kahwa, Shabrina tries to see those around her now, most of them are busy with their own world. Except one.
The man who is sitting across her table, He is looking at her carefully as if he was not sure that the one who is sitting in front of him is a woman. But when Shabrina looked at him back, he looked away. Weird man, thought Shabrina. Maybe he just realized that he is seeing a foreign girl whom disguised as a pakistani by Shalwaar kameez.
Her Kahwa is coming, she began to inhale the smell. Milk, Tea? She drinks it by a little, hmmmm .. Teh Tarik! Shabrina cried inside, but it’s different with Teh Tarik she had ever enjoyed in Malaysia. Didn’t know what’s mixed inside, but shabrina really likes this tea. Not yet finished enjoying this pakistani tea, suddenly a man who has been looking at her from across the table comes to her table and sits down in front of her without permission.
”How’s the Kahwa?," The man asked her.
"Good, very delicious," replied Shabrina with a simple smile. The man smiled back.
"Are you alone here?" Asked the man a little probing.
"No, I'm here with my brother, he was buying something outside," lies Shabrina. Of course she can’t trust people so easily and she didn’t know how people in Peshawar yet.
"Good ... the best place for a woman is in her home. Not good for young girls like you are walking alone in this city," he seemed to have a specific purpose. Do not know what it is.
He smiled once again. He doesn’t look like a criminal, like his words. He is young, maybe three years older than her. His face could get mark for 80 ..looks like a Bollywood actor, Aksay Kumar. Hahahahaha... and uniquely Shabrina is familiar with his face.
"My name is Sajjad, you?".
“Shabrina".
"You ...," they said together.
"Hehehe .. you say first, "said Shabrina.
"Nahi .. ladies first, "Sajjad denied.
"Okay ... how do you know if I’m not a Pakistani?" Asked Shabrina as he asks her with english.
"Hahahahaha ...," Sajjad laughs. But Shabrina just looked at him suspiciously.
"Okay ... your face is almost similar to Pakistani, with shalwaar kameez, kahwa ... but you're still not a Pakistani girl," said Sajjad that makes her slightly annoyed and once again threw him suspicious look. "Pakistani girl are very different with any girls in the world," said Sajjad. "They have special characteristics that can’t be explained by the words", he smiled with satisfaction an end to his explanation. That smile is more like a flirty smile for Shabrina.
Shabrina spends her kahwa in one gulp and immediately left Sajjad to pay and straight out of the store. Just a few yards she walks out, that man following her and stop right in front of her. She suddenly stops walking and face Sajjad.
"What do you want from me?" Snapped Shabrina.
"Mujhe maaf karo ..." said Sajjad. From Sarwat, Shabrina knew that it means I'm sorry. "I didn’t mean to offend you," he continued. "I was just kidding ..".
"It's okay .. very funny, but I must go now, "said Shabrina responds it.
"where will you go?," asked Sajjad.
"it’s not your business", said Shabrina walked away.
Shabrina no longer see the figure of Sajjad. Thanks God! ... what a crazy camel!. Then she made her way into the gates of the Old City of Peshawar. it’s different from the old cities in Indonesia which are usually consist of whitewashed buildings with typical of Dutch building, the buildings in this area looks really 'old'. And the Clock town, which is similar with the Clock she ever saw in England, little bit contrast with the buildings around it.
Shabrina keeps walkin arround the old town with a map in hand while occasionally capturing the uniqueness of this city by her camera. She is too much enjoying what she saw that she isn’t aware that there are two men was following her. Both men continued to follow Shabrina until they are now in quiet place but still she is not aware of it.
Suddenly, a man pulls his hand from behind. Immediately, she is shocked and tries to release the grip, but his power is strong enough to resist her strength. The man holding her hand in one hand and pulled her walk away and turn to the crowd place. She almost cried out when he realized that the man who pulled her is ....
"you?!," Cried Shabrina.
"Han .. mein," said Sajjad which means, yes ... me, with a strained expression.
"get your hand off my hand or I’ll scream!," Threatened Shabrina.
"Not before the two men had disappeared."
Shabrina doesn’t understand what he was saying, before she asks anything to him. Sajjad had carried her into a teashop and order a drink, once again, Kahwa for both of them. He was staring at the door to windows back to the door to windows again with strained gaze through his sharp eyes. Shabrina spechless by this ‘surprise’, shocked and scared. Who is actually this man?
Our kahwa is coming, Sajjad downed his kahwa in one gulp. Then He watches her carefully as when he looked at Qissa Khawani. The more he looks at her, the more his eyes get sharpened. Shabrina hates the way he looks.
"Why are you following me?," Blurted Shabrina.
"Where is your brother?," asked Sajjad.
Shabrina speechless, she has lied about her brother to Sajjad. Shabrina is about to open her mouth to make one more lie. However, Sajjad stop her by raising his hand as sign ‘enough’.
"stop your lies!" Said Sajjad. "You come here alone, you're staying at the Khyber Bazaar. You're supposed to be in Islamabad because your father is worried if something bad happens to you and it would've happened if I had not pulled you over here. "
"Who are you?" Shabrina is amazed by his explanations. How could he know it all.
Sajjad takes a deep breath to control his tension. "My name is Sajjad Tariq, I’m the second brother of Sarwat. She is very worried about you, therefore she asked me to watch you. I studied at Islamia University so I can keep an eye on you this weekend,"said Sajjad.
"I'm fine," said Shabrina.
"Hahahaha ... you're a little stubborn and stupid. Listen. I watched you since you were out of the hotel, I asked you to chat to make sure that you're the right one. I followed you silently into the old town, until I realized, but you do not, that the two men followed. But you just keep walking to the quiet place and you're still not conscious. At that moment I pulled you, "said Sajjad.
Shabrina suddenly feels embarrassed by her attitude, Sajjad's right, she's stubborn. Then she remembered all the things that Sarwat and her family have been done for her while she was in Islamabad to Peshawar. Shabrina never thought that her father's new partner, that she knew just a week, very cares about her.
"Well .. I will get you around the town today. But tomorrow you must go back to Islamabad because of the cooperation of our fathers got the deal. I'll take you to Islamabad, "said Sajjad arbitrarily determine when will her journey end. However Shabrina doesn’t refuse it, don’t know why, she just agree and drink the rest of her Kahwa.
Dea Anindya
2011 copyright
