Between two mountains

Unal’s father turned to his wife said quietly: “ But I had told you, we didn’t have to come here “. Then he said to his fellow-villagers: “ The day after tomorrow there will be my son’s ceremony of the last bell ringing. We must buy new dresses for him. Or I would never come here.”

– 

What can I do? You don’t want to sell red raspberries, – the neighbor who sold red raspberries smiled cunningly.

Unal’s mother didn’t know what to do because of anger. She couldn’t calm herself. ” See, who live in my nice village? Shameless! Rascals! Dishonest!”

Policeman’s car was seen from far….

The neighbor who sold red raspberries, was confused, turned back: “ Unal is a good boy. He must put on new dresses at the ceremony of the last bell ringing.” – saying thus he took out money from his pocket. He reached out the money to Unal’s father, said to the boy standing near him: “ Take these buckets my home, we may cook jam.”

–Don’t stand here. Go home, – he said to Unal’s parents.

Unal’s father took the empty buckets, began to go towards home. Mother was following him muttering to herself….

***

Today is the day of last bell ringing ceremony. Unal put on his snow-white shirt, black trousers, shining shoes bought by his parents a day before, and directed towards the school in the side of the wide road. The other pupils also went out from the yards of home built at the roads, took steps in the direction of the school.

When Unal entered the school yard, firstly, with his eyes he looked for her lover Paknur. There was smile on the faces of all the pupils gathered in the school-yard. Soon the ceremony of the last bell ringing would begin. Paknur was standing in the front rows on the stairs leading to the school. She was shining as the

best chandelier sold in the south bazaar.

Unal was standing in the behind rows and looking at his lover. He would have a talk with Paknur after the last bell ringing. He would open her his heart, would tell him how deeply he loved her. He would tell her that he would also choose the group of foreign languages at the test examinations. He would tell her that he didn’t want to be a teacher any more, he wanted to live in a foreign country together with her. He would tell her that he also wanted to have a villa and a car like “ Lamborghini” for to travel together with her.”

The official part of the ceremony of the last bell ringing began. The teachers and excellent pupils spoke. The director summed up the ceremony, and declared that the last bell would be rung soon. The bell ringing couldn’t be heard because of the booming sound of the turbo motor of the car coming towards the school. All who were in the school yard turned back and looked at the gates of the school. Unal also was watching the car. One side of the car of Abisalam could be seen there. One door of the car was opened and then was shut. Nobody could see who opened and shut the door. Unal watched the gates for a while. Then the stern voice of the school director made all the pupils to turn in the direction of the school.

While turning back Unal couldn’t see his lover Paknur in the place where she stood. He looked around the school for some time, he looked for his lover Paknur. Anxiously he passed through the pupils and went towards the stairs leading to the school. Paknur wasn’t there. He approached to Paknur’s friend Shahrizad who was there.

–Didn’t you see Paknur?

– My God! Don’t you know? I thought that you knew…

– What? What did I have to know?

–Yesterday Abisalam’s parents arranged an engagement to Paknur. They wanted for the ceremony of the last bell ringing finish. Just a moment ago Abisalam took Paknur, went to the north. They say that their wedding will be there, in the north after some days.

Unal struck dumb. He was astonished. He couldn’t hear what she told then, he ran towards the exit door of the school. The wide road at the school gate was empty. There was seen nothing except the big trailers passing through the customs house. Unal was staring at the north, couldn’t realize why Paknur did thus. At that moment a big trailer passed at him whistling.

The sound of the whistling dispersed his thoughts, he looked at the trailer. On the trailer there was the picture of a dark red raspberry ….

Between two mountains

Captain Masud Ibrahimzade looked at the painted reproduction of Taj- Mahal palace which was hung on the wall of his working room. He was again dreaming about those far years…

The bank of the river Jamna. The pearl of India, a miracle, the length of which is seventy four meters, Taj- Mahal palace. Four small and one huge dome built of white marble seem much whiter against the background of the blue sky. Millions of people from different parts of the world visit India to witness this miracle with their own eyes.

The guide girl with smile on her face was narrating the story of Taj- Mahal to tourists gathered at the palace.

…This palace touches the hearts not only like an architectural memorial but also with a love story behind it resembling the tales of one thousand and one night.

Jahan Shah who lived in the XVII century married to the most beautiful nineteen year old girl Mumtaz Mahal.

Like each Eastern ruler who respected himself, Jahan Shah also had his own harem. But he fell in love with Mumtaz Mahal and he didn’t want to see any woman except her. The French philosopher and traveler Fransua Berne who lived in India for about twelve years wrote in his diary that Mumtaz Mahal was like the heart of Jahan Shah, the Shah trusted only her.

Mumtaz Mahal was always side by side with her husband during military marching and journeys to distant countries.

They lived together seventeen years, they lived a happy life. From that happy marriage they had eight sons and six daughters. The most beautiful girl of the world Mumtaz Mahal suddenly died near Burhanpur after giving a birth to the fourteenth child.

Jahan Shah was distraught with grief, the life lost its meaning for him. Shah was down in the dumps, his hair became gray. He declared two year mourning in the country.

Six months passed after Mumtaz’s death. The Shah decided to perpetuate her memory and with this purpose he brought his lovely wife’s grave from Burhanpur to Agra. In India, during the rulership of the Great Moghuls, Agra like Delhi was considered the capital of the empire.

Taj- Mahal palace was built within twenty two years. Two thousand people were involved in construction of the palace, marble used for building of the palace was brought from three kilometer’s distance, from Rajputan quarry. An architect from Shiraz, Isa Khan justified the hopes of grieving Jahan Shah – the white minarets of Taj- Mahal palace shone glittering like gold under the beams of the hot south sun. The interior of the palace was decorated with the graceful eastern ornaments, with the nabati designs. The irreplaceable attributes of the Moslem architecture – the ayahs of Holy Koran, were engraved on the walls of the palace

On the opposite bank of the river Jamna Jahan Shah decided to build another palace which would be the twin of the Taj- Mahal tomb, it was intended to be personally for the Shah. The new tomb that wouldn’t differ from Taj- Mahal tomb would have only one difference. It would be built from black marble.

But the Shah’s wish remained only a wish; in 1658 his son dethroned him. By the order of the dishonorable son the Shah was thrown to dungeon, where he spent the rest of his life. From the small window of the dungeon Taj -Mahal could be seen…

After eight years, in 1666 Jahan Shah died. They buried him near Mumtaz Mahal with whom he had lived for seventeen years…

***

The telephone in his office rang. The chief of the Criminal Investigation Department was speaking from another end of the receiver:

–Hi, Buddha, where are you?’– said the imperious voice of the chief.

–I am not Buddha.

–But who are you?

–“I am a mountain between two worlds.”

–Maybe again you dream over India? Where on earth have you been?

He was upset with rough treatment of the chief, but suddenly he remembered that soon he was going to retire. There was no use of arguing in vain.

–My chief, I am in my office. You dialed the phone number of my office.

–Hurry! Come over here! Don’t argue with me!

The office of the chief was in the distance of five or six steps’ from his room.

The young investigator of the procurator’s office and another employee – Safarov, were in the office besides the chief himself. He moved forward and stood just next to Safarov. The tone of the voice of the chief became louder:

–Together with the mister investigator you will head to search the house of the woman named Khadija. Help the investigator. But keep an eye on Khadija so she doesn’t do any tricks. She is one of a kind swindler.

He had heard much about Khadija. She was one of the most famous crooks of the city. Each time while he thought about Khadija he was struck dumb. If he, the captain for years, wanted to borrow a hundred manat, everyone around would find excuses not to lend him any. Maybe that was why during his life he never borrowed money and because of not having money he never lent money to anybody. However, people trusted that swindler woman and lent her hundred thousands of monies. Someone lent her money to buy a house, the others for a better job, and others lent to start business. But only after some time they understood that Khadija deceived them.