By then, Bibi had become an evolved soul. She accepted Virk’s passing away as part of destiny and tried to move on in life. She was sixty-four years old by then but in good health, capable of looking after herself. Like her father, she too started a free education programme for underprivileged girls. She used all her money and savings in providing the village children with whatever help and care they needed. She was alone but never lonely as she immersed herself in the life of that tiny hill village. Soon, everybody came to know her as ‘Badi Bibi’. Most villagers, especially the children, couldn’t even recall her full name. ‘Bibi’ became a title, synonymous with motherly kindness.

11

Even in her quiet, religious life, Bibi never forgot her children whom she’d been forced to leave behind. And now that life had rendered her alone again, she was filled with the memories of her boys. She longed to see them. When hostilities between India and Pakistan ceased and peace prevailed, she applied for a Pakistani visa to visit the Sikh holy shrines. This would be her reason to visit. She believed that as long as she had God by her side, she would be okay.

Staying at the far end of the Valley and therefore not having easy access to consulates or even basic connectivity, she used the services of an agent who had befriended her at the gurdwara. The broker offered to arrange a visit to Pakistan and convinced her of a trouble-free, month-long trip. In return, he demanded a whopping fee of twenty thousand rupees and promised to deliver the passport and visa to her home within a month. A gullible Bibi believed him and agreed to make the monetary arrangements.

Over the next two months, she sold her remaining jewellery and took up numerous assignments, including designing bridal dresses for Kashmiri girls. ‘It’s of no use to me,’ she told Arif who protested against her decision to sell the last of her heirlooms. As the word spread, almost the entire neighbourhood found unique, subtle ways to contribute. Bibi’s small apartment soon turned into a makeshift designer boutique for the village women. However, the old wooden staircase to her house couldn’t bear the weight of so many people and soon gave way. The women asked their respective husbands to help and, without wasting any time, all the carpenters of the neighbourhood were summoned. The repair work was timed with Bibi’s daily visit to the gurdwara. In just two hours, the old structure was replaced with a new one. It was also given a fresh coat of green paint. Bibi was deeply moved by the kind gesture of the villagers and thanked them profusely.