"The Journey Within"

by Rabia Javeed (Pakistan)

A leap into the unknown Pakistan

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There was a sound of mighty splash amidst the farfetched water body, cocooned by the bluest sky from the top with fluttering swarm of birds. The sound was made by a human body entering into the undiscovered depths of water from a cliff. There were similar sounds of new blooming experiences, echoing on the docks of Khanpur Dam. A few lives were afar on boats and their faces were lit up with impish glee while the rest were under the trance of nature; not being sure about the reality of life. It was a journey of unknown self-discovery, within a tour that had a destination. Afar from the dreadful noises rising from urban localities, Rabia experienced her proximity with nature under the depths of water until she was rescued or maybe otherwise *chuckles*. I could recall the images of wind playing with her hair while she pleasantly pushed it off just to visualize the emerging serenity. Nearby, local children with happy freckled faces waved her on the way up. There was more to their faces then just freckles. It was the unknown desire to liberate, hidden under that disguise of tattered clothes and clay smooches on their hands and feet. She could feel the harsh realities of life seeping inside her being aware of her privileged self. If I rewind the whole journey, it was my physical-self traveling through the unattended beauty of my country to delve into the unknown. The jiggling trees, gigantic carved mountains, abandoned small huts were witnessing the foreign faces appeasing from their aesthetic beauty. In that split of a moment when I jumped into the layers of oceanic water in an attempt to cliff dive, my soul traveled to the unknown while my physical-self struggled for the oxygen. The blue mesmeric hues that I could see were divine and inexplainable. Amid the sounds of nature, Rabia had an awakening journey. The way back to the home just passed by with the speed of the passing cars leaving her car behind. There were only distant lights and blurred visions. The malevolence of nature disturbed her to the core whereas the benevolence of it appeased her longing to explore more. In her quest to find “Rabia” she had to take the “I” along; just the way she did it here.