She is a teenage nomadic girl from a mountainous region of the Swat Valley. Her journey is as hard as the mountains. She lives with her family, goats, sheep, and their guardians, the dogs. Her hut-like house seems like a royal castle to her, as all her loved ones, cattle, dreams, goals, and desires reside in that hut. Weather and temperatures change in her mountains just as her homes change. From one corner of the country to another, her life revolves around two destinations where she, along with her family and cattle, migrates twice a year. From the remote mountains of the North to the vast plains of Punjab, every climate and landscape witnesses her majesty, courage, and strength.
Her birth was an ordinary event for her family, as rapid births are very common in her remote mountains, and couples often have around a dozen children like her. She is one of eleven children born to her parents. She didn\’t attend a single class of formal school education, yet this harsh world has taught her countless lessons in innocence. She spent most of her time with sheep and goats in the pastures. Now, she can understand the secret language of her cattle and nature. She is more connected to the natural world compared to modern humans. Torches, keypad phones, and solar batteries are the only forms of technology used by her family.
Her courage and strength are evident during migrations. Her family, along with their cattle, migrates with seasonal changes for better feeding. Their adventurous journey begins from the North, taking them over a month to reach the fertile plains of Punjab (the land of five rivers). They walk hundreds of kilometers on foot, enduring rains, storms, difficulties, illnesses, and obstacles. Each new journey teaches her new lessons.
On the way, she takes care of her cattle as family members. They eat whatever they find along the way. Sometimes, she has to compromise with her hunger, as their caravan can\’t afford to stop and eat due to fears of rains and storms. Along the migratory route, they have no shelter. Whenever they find enough cover to protect them from stormy rains and moonless nights, they stay with their cattle. Resting beneath the shadowy night sky always fills her mind with new memories.
Sometimes she has to walk through shadowy nights to reach her destination, and at times she finds herself traveling for days without rest. They control the flocks of cattle with their secret language, consisting of clicks and whistles. A single whistle produced in a special way is enough to bring back a runaway sheep to the flock\’s rhythm.
Whenever she sees another girl in a school uniform, she desires to go to school too, but she can\’t. She likes to travel in vehicles, but only a few times is this desire fulfilled. She desires to wear clean and new colorful clothes, but this desire is only fulfilled sometimes after years. She uses the same pair of shoes for years. However, she never complains about her unfulfilled desires and hardships. She has been taught to adapt to new challenges and never complain. Patience is her sole strength in every hardship.
As a teen, she dreams of marrying a young, smart partner, as marriages are often held at very young ages in their world. After marriage, she and her partner will own their own flock of cattle and travel long distances alone. The thought of marriage always brings a cute smile to her face. She may soon have her own children and will teach them all the lessons she learned from her mom. This desire also means she will face far more complex challenges in the future. Whenever her family talks about her marriage, her virtuous innocence stands as the sole barrier, preventing her from expressing her likes and dislikes.
Her life revolves from mountains to fertile lands. This age-old migration process will continue for an unknown timeline. Her children will follow her, and their children will follow them. She is the sole hero of her adventurous journey, and this suspenseful tale is worth reading. There are still dozens of uncovered secrets about her life that will soon be unveiled. She was a teenaged nomadic shepherd girl with her flock on the way to her destination. I saw her looking after her flock carefully with her secret language. Her sinless innocence compelled me to write this piece as a tribute to her. She is undoubtedly a symbol of strength and courage.
(Ubaid Sahil is a student and columnist. He can be reached at ubaidsa9@gmail.com).
