#encounter i kashmir

[gujjukathiyawadi]

Shopian Encounter: शोपियां में मारा गया जैश ए मोहम्मद का आतंकी कामरान उर्फ हनीफ, सुरक्षाबलों का अभियान जारी

Shopian Encounter: शोपियां में मारा गया जैश ए मोहम्मद का आतंकी कामरान उर्फ हनीफ, सुरक्षाबलों का अभियान जारी

श्रीनगर: जम्मू-कश्मीर के शोपियां जिले में शुक्रवार को सुरक्षा बलों और आतंकवादियों के बीच हुई मुठभेड़ हुई। इस दौरान सुरक्षाबलों ने जैश-ए-मोहम्मद का एक आतंकवादी मार गिराया। आतंकवादी की पहचान कमरान भाई उर्फ हनीस के तौर पर हुई है। मारा गया आतंकी कुलगाम और शोपियां इलाके में काफी सक्रिय था। पुलिस अभी भी इलाके में तलाशी अभियान चला रही है। गुप्त सूचना है कि इलाके में 2-3 और खूंखार आतंकी छिपे हो सकते…

[bwaldorf]

ramasha do you have any bollywood movie recs?? 🎤

omgggg em im so honored you thought of me!! 🫶🏼🩷

tbh i've sorta been on a journey of watching more bollywood (and south asian cinema in general), since there was a huge chunk of my life where i just never really kept up with releases and was sorta discouraged from watching it so my taste isn't the Most diverse (in terms of genres and years) but i'm working on it 😭 that said, here's my attempt at giving you a lot of different options, so hopefully there's something here that strikes your fancy hehe :3

lots will be under the cut bc im a huge YAPPER.... sorry. also, some of these haven't really aged that well and are sometimes more of just a nostalgic fav and/or ones i think are iconic so... take some of these recs with a grain of salt

some of my bigger personal faves:

om shanti om (2007) — it may hit more if you have a bit more exposure to bollywood cinema and its industry bc it references it a lot, but i still think it's an enjoyable movie regardless! (yes i am biased bc this is one of my fav bollywood movies ever + a huge nostalgic fav. plus SRK and deepika padukone.. can't go wrong there!)

haider (2014) — this movie is SOOOO good! i highly rec it 💞 it's an adaptation of hamlet, set within the backdrop of the 1995 kashmir conflicts. this is actually a part of trilogy of shakespeare adaptations by the director: the other two are maqbool (2003) which is macbeth and omkara (2006) which is othello

main hoon na (2004) — another SRK nostalgic fav

ghajini (2008) — it rips off christopher nolan's memento but i think it adds a lot of its own stuff too and i have a soft spot for it 😭

andhadhun (2018)

kahaani (2012)

tumbbad (2018)

amar singh chamkila (2024)

3 idiots (2009) — the most likely one that non regular bollywood watchers will know and deservedly so imo

gully boy (2019)

hum saath saath hain (1999) — okay not objectively the best movie.. but its a hugely nostalgic and comfort movie for me and i think its great if you wanna watch something that's heartfelt and doesn't have a ton of high stakes conflict

maine pyar kiya (1989) — same as above ☝🏼 i watched this one a lot as a kid

jab we met (2007)

devdas (2002) — worth it for at least the beautiful cinematography, costumes, and gorgeous talented cast

fanaa (2006) — plot is kinda messy at times but it was a real angst machine for me as a kid 😭

photograph (2019)

sir (2018)

bulbbul (2020) — tw for a rape scene though. sorry for the spoiler but it was genuinely really harrowing for me to watch so i think its important to mention

misc other movies i've seen:

qala (2022)

dil bole hadippa! (2009) — admittedly, i haven't rewatched this one in a long time so i can't totally say it holds up. it's a rip-off of she's the man, but … better….. TO ME. yes im speaking from nostalgia bc this is the one i saw first

badhaai do (2022) — this is technically a 'sequel' to the similarly titled movie badhaai ho (2018) but they're actually total standalones

gangubai kathiawadi (2022) — i have such mixed feelings about this one but it's a movie that really stuck with me ever since i watched it soooo yeah

raees (2017) — SRK looks unbelievably fine in that movie. need i say more?

koi mil gaya (2003) — it's a mix of both ET and close encounters of the third kind... but in my very biased, nostalgic opinion: better 🫣 there's also a few sequels, but i only really remember seeing krrish (2006)

josh (2000) — another entry to the SRK looks super gorgeous in this movie 😭 this is basically a desi west side story

go goa gone (2013) — not the best to me, but its a bollywood zombie movie! which was a very new concept to me in that industry so ofc i had to throw it in there

chennai express (2013)

mohabbatein (2000)

dilwale dulhania le jayenge (1995) — had to include this for SRK reasons and also bc it's a massively impactful movie in the industry so i'd be remiss not to

andaz apna apna (1994)

ek ladki ko dekha toh aisa laga (2019)

jaane tu.. ya jaane na (2008)

aaja nachle (2007)

munna bhai mbbs (2003)

gangs of wasseypur - part 1 (2012) — i've only seen the first one in this series but if you want a somewhat slower, meditative, gangster movie this one def fits the bill

what's your raashee? (2009) — can't remember how well this ages (i think it was pretty mid?) but the concept is fun! priyanka chopra plays 12 girls: each personifying a different zodiac sign as the main guy tries to find his soulmate 😭

taare zameen par (2007) — you'll also see this listed as 'like stars on earth' sometimes

amar akbar anthony (1977)

don (2006) — villainous SRK? sign me up! he actually has multiple movies where he's this sorta antihero/"antivillain" type character. and even a few where he's a straight-up villain. i've been trying to get through all of those bc i just love his range

anjaam (1993) — an example of the aforementioned thing ☝🏼 SRK plays a genuinely terrible guy here, and i love how it actually challenges a lot of the tropes that bollywood tends to use in its romances and shows how creepy and stalkerish they actually are (despite it being typically framed in the narrative otherwise)

partner (2007) — i recently found out it was basically ripping will smith's hitch 😭 i haven't seen that one so i can't say which is better, but if you enjoyed that one, you'll probably be into this one too. it's very unserious and not the Best. but i watched it a lot as a kid

aaja nachle (2007)

roadside romeo (2008) — okay this is a very unserious, low budget animated movie rec. it's soooo so silly and dumb but if you're in the market for smth like that, this is an amusing one for that

welcome (2007) — i gotta rewatch this one bc i don't remember a lot but it seems like a lot of tomfoolery and shenanigans

my name is khan (2010) — another one i gotta rewatch for its politics but i figured i'd throw it in regardless

black (2005)

kal ho naa ho (2003)

kuch kuch hota hai (1998)

sholay (1975)

hungama (2003)

some from my watchlist that i haven't seen yet:

(as if this list needed to be any longer.... but anyways! including these bc i think they seem promising/interesting and i think they introduce More variety of genres/time periods than the ones before)

ijaazat (1987)

thappad (2020)

udaan (2010)

merry christmas (2024)

chhoti si baat (1976)

hindi medium (2017)

the lunchbox (2013) — heard LOTS of good things about this one!

lipstick under my burkha (2017)

neerja (2016)

queen (2014)

rajnigandha (1974)

kaagaz ke phool (1959)

anand (1971)

paheli (2005) — it's a mainstream bollywood remake of duvidha (1973)

baadshah (1999)

monica, o my darling (2022)

madhumati (1958)

raaz (2002)

satya (1998)

highway (2014)

oh darling! yeh hai india! (1995)

pyaasa (1957)

sardar udham (2021)

awaara (1951)

shree 420 (1957)

kaminey (2009)

mahal (1949)

chandigarh kare aashiqui (2021)

bunty aur babli (2005)

talvar (2015)

duplicate (1998)

lootera (2013)

mughal-e-azam (1960)

baazigar (1993)

trapped (2017)

fire (1996) — a hugely significant movie in explicitly showing a wlw relationship in bollywood. i believe it was the first in that regard?

stree (2018)

piku (2015)

english vinglish (2012)

umrao jaan (2006) — there's also an earlier version of this movie with the same title that came out in 1981! i haven't seen either yet so i can't say which is better

jodhaa akbar (2008)

darr (1993) — big movie for villain SRK enthusiasts if that interests you too like it does me 🤭

zindagi na milegi dobara (2011)

dil dhadakne do (2015)

dear zindagi (2016)

special 26 (2013)

badla (2019)

mardaani (2014)

raman raghav 2.0 (2016)

peepli live (2010)

drishyam (2015)

[evyonagray]

I've been recently obsessed with this, and i just needed to share this with all of you...

Summary

"Echoes in the Valley"  is a tale of healing, resilience, and the transformative power of human connection, reminding us that even in our darkest moments, love has the power to illuminate our path forward.

Echoes in the Valley by bonsaiwrites.

Our protagonist, Sakhi, in a chance of faith, finds herself on a solo journey to the snowy mountains of Kashmir, on her way to meet her online friend, Pihu, for the first time in person.

Her journey is filled with both wonderment at the view around her and the sense of kinship she feels with the people she meets on this journey, including the handsome stranger she met on the train a few days ago.

This is a story about a chance encounter that lead to a once in a lifetime kind of friendship, and friends that, with time, eventually become like family.

Its about finding yourself in a completely new place, surrounded by strangers. looking around and realizing your not alone because these people who you hadn't even known the name of a few days ago have provided you with their friendship, their understanding, and the sense of belonging you had been searching for.

[baby-dragons-art]

The halls of Barad-Bur

{Encountering the very last person she wanted to see in the last place she wanted to be.}

Sauron X OC

《Short story from the tale of Sauron and the Haradrim Rejha》

Read more below

"We have waited too long." Nedir said as he stood rigidly, the weight of his burden heavy. The members of the garrison shifted in silent agreement. It had been too long...

An hour or so had passed since the envoy of Haradrim were ordered in this corridor to await further instruction. Each carried a precious load of iron clad chests, bundles, and sacs, all filled to the brim with offerings. Harad was a loyal subject of Mordor. But loyalty was not always enough to secure the protection and graces of their benefactor. Harad had other resources besides fighting men and Oliphaunts.

Kashmir, insence, rare spices, ancient Harad text and lore all this and more were given as tribute for the favor of Mordor. It was a great honor for this garrison of 15 to ensure the safety of Harad in this way. But it was a heavy burden and not without danger.

Rehja readjusted the sac over her shoulder. The load she bore was an assortment of rare spices from various regions of Harad. The scent of which was so pungent that it wafted about the corridor. It was not an unplesant smell. Earthy tones that hid a sharp sting on the tongue were highly sought after with her people and clearly with Mordor. Were she anywhere else, the scent would have been pleasant.

However, the corridor the garrison stood in was anything but comfortable. The hall was long. Too long. It stretched to the left and right into darkness where no light could reach. The obsidian walls carved masterfully, stretched upwards and over like a cage. Their height seemed immeasurable, arching high above.... adorned with watchful horrors.

Beasts of some unknown dread prowled down the walls, perminelty snarling. The detail was prestine. The effect, horrifying. Rehja refused to look up into the black skulls or glanced above to whatever hellish scene were carved to torment them.

Nedir paced uneasily. They should have been seen by now, delivered their load, and be gone. Though this garrison was an ally and servant to mordor, that did not guarantee their safety in every situation.

This was Barad-dur and not just the lower levels but the palace wings. They were scum of the earth in this place. Inconsequential. He shuddered a thought at tales of the servants that stalked these halls. Men... changed by magic. Different. Wrong.

Sighing, he carefully placed the chest in his hands down and looked back on his people. "Not long now." He reassured. "Not long. When we have delivered our offering, we shall make camp in Odûn and celebrate properly." He said, nodding as a small hum of encouragement emminated from the group.

"Yes. The skins of wine will do, I think. Then tomorrow we will make the-..."

Nedir was interrupted when a stark waft of air and the sliding of rock against rock broke the silence. From the side wall, adjacent them, doors of immense height opened unto darkness. None had noticed the doors until they opened, astonished how doors of such size had been so close but obscured.

Nedir looked back, startled but cooed for his people to remain calm. They were an example of Harad, regardless of who they met, it was imperative all be at their best.

From the doors walked a tall cut of darkness that seemed to guide across the floor. This individual was unlike the palace stuards Nedir had seen before. They were not lavishly dressed or absurdly decorated in finery. No. Not a guard, not a nazgûl, not a uruk.

Simply black. Black upon black robes covering the entirety of the person. Only small glints of gold hinted at embroidery within the fabric and upon a crown that rested atop the dark veiled head. This pillar of shadow walked toward them yet did not pay them mind, almost walking past the group completley.

No one in the party spoke or made a move. However, perhaps at the strong, allurings cent of their burdens, the individual slowed to a stop and raisded their head.

Now Nedir could see. An encounter far more dangerous than any he had anticipated was before them. The moment the individual turned and looked back on his people, a soft but clear glow eminated from the veil. It cast two lamp like hues of red that beamed down on them, almost casting a halo like glimer about the head and crown.

Nedir only needed to witness those lamps behind the veil to fall on his hands and knees in an instant. He uttered one word in their own language that caused his people to reverently put down their burdens and bow to the floor as well.

"Anattar." Nedir dared not speak the given name, not here, not here, not before /him/. Sauron.

The robed figure stood still in the corridor, the fiery eyes looking individually at the group, appraising them and their many gifts. Rehja kept stone still on the floor, her heart in her ears as she dared to open her eyes and watch from under her brow. She could see nothing but the floor, it's reflection and the warm casting of light that shifted over them. When the light fixed on her, she closed her eyes immediately, not moving an inch.

An eternity seemed to pass in mere seconds. She could hear heavy footsteps and the hiss of fabric slithering toward her. An oppressive heat grew to her left side, growing like a wild fire. Something brushed against her, shuffled with in her sac, then drew back.

The heat and foot steps slowly moved away down the corridor until, at last, they were well away from their hearing. Nedir was the first to raise his head. Then, slowly, the rest of his people lifted their gaze. Rehja sighed anxiously, rubbing sweat from her brow as she looked at her garrison. None were harmed.

At her side, she saw her sac had been opened, and smaller sacs from with in littered the floor. Gasping, she reached in and took inventory of what was there. After a moment, she announced with shock, anxiety, and slight distaine.

"...He took the saffron."

[mrprettywhenhecries]

all that glitters [b.h]

✧ a stranger things/bioshock au ✧

one. | a fated encounter

Billy Hargrove ✘ Win Lewis (OC)

✧ Inspired by @b1tchy3lf's Not a Bang, But a Whimper series ✧

☞ w.c. 2.8k words ☞ warning(s). canon x oc pairing, f!oc, mention of plastic surgery, flirting, incredibly niche crossover lol, not much this chapter honestly ☞ a/n: I've been obsessed with Steph's nabbaw series since she told me the premise and I couldn't help imagining Win in the Bioshock universe. So when she asked demanded I write it and gave me the prompt for the plot how could I say no?

[ masterlist ] [ win lewis bio ]

Rapture, 1955–

When young Rapture newcomer, Win Lewis loses her job, she thinks her luck’s taken a turn for the worse, until a new employment opportunity brings her and diver, Billy Hargrove, together. With plasmid use on the rise, the two formulate a plan to get rich selling stolen ADAM on the downlow. However, every up has it’s down and when the young couple’s scam gets discovered, they must fight to escape the underwater city before it can become their downfall.

Rapture.

Rapture was supposed to be a dream come true.  A city under water, a technological marvel, a haven for those with ambition.

No limitations, no restrictions.  If you worked hard enough, you could achieve anything your heart desired.  The true American dream.

Having lived there for several months now, Win was starting to have her doubts about all that, but it certainly was beautiful.

“Win, dear, are you working or gawking?” 

Joyce Byers’ cheery voice snapped her from her reverie and she gave a jump, turning away from the large window that looked out into the gorgeous shifting blue of the bottom of the ocean, a school of colourful fish swimming by.

“Sorry, Mrs. Byers,” Win murmured, smoothing her dress and flashing an apologetic grin.

“If you can’t pay attention out on the sales’ floor, I’ll have to put you in the back,” Joyce warned, though her smile never faltered and Win had to fight not to roll her eyes as the woman turned away to see to something else.

Win let out a sigh and went back to stocking the racks with the newest arrival of dresses, letting her fingers linger over the silky fabric and wondering what they’d look like on her.  Discreetly checking one of the price tags, she let out a hiss.  There was no way she could afford any of them.

She’d come to Rapture with her father, a scientist recruited to work with the renowned geneticist, Bridgid Tenenbaum, and while it sounded prestigious, he was merely a research assistant with a meager salary.  Their home in Rapture was modest, but nothing like he’d made it sound when he told her about the job.  It didn’t feel much different from their life on the surface, except here it seemed everyone looked down their noses at everyone else.  The only real thing Win had going for her was her looks, which in Rapture was important.  The way some people went around getting surgery every other week without a second thought made her shiver.

She looked at the dresses on the rack.  If she had something like that to wear, maybe she’d finally be able to get that singing gig at the Kashmir.  They’d said she was a dime and had the chops, but to come back when she looked the part.

If she could just slip one of the dresses into her bag…

She’d nicked smaller things before and hadn’t been caught, mostly jewelry, or anything small and easily concealed.  She’d never taken anything that big before.  She chewed her lip and formulated a plan.

As her shift came to an end, Win slipped into the back room where she’d stowed one of the dresses.  She quickly pulled it from the hanger and was in the midst of shoving it into her bag when the door opened and she froze.

“What are you doing?” 

Win didn’t need to turn around to know who had entered, recognizing Carol Perkin’s voice and the way she smacked her gum — very unladylike.

“Nothing,” Win replied as casually as she could.  “Just getting my things to clock out.”

Slipping her bag onto her shoulders and clutching the strap tightly to her side, she turned around and tried not to wince at the knowing look on her coworker’s smug face.

“Looked to me like you were putting a dress in your bag,” she said, raising her eyebrows as she placed her hands on her hips.

Knowing she’d been caught, Win licked her lips, thinking quickly.  She knew Carol had taken things too, but she’d looked the other way, never ratting the other woman out.  She wasn’t a snitch.

“Look,” she began, shifting her weight, “we both know you’ve nicked things, Carol.  So why don’t you keep your mouth shut and I’ll do the same.”

Carol studied her for a moment, as if thinking it over before a wicked smile crossed her pinched features.  

“You can’t prove that,” she said, reaching for the telephone on the wall, her eyes never leaving Win’s as she brought the receiver to her ear. “But I can, and I think Mrs. Byers would be pleased to know we’ve caught our shop lifter.  She might even give me a raise.”

Win’s stomach dropped as the other woman punched in the number to Joyce’s office, gleefully ratting her out.  Though they were supposedly friends, it was in name only.  She should have known Carol would have jumped at any excuse to snub her. 

Now all she could do was wait helplessly as their boss arrived with a peacekeeper to escort her out.

Joyce stood by the door, arms crossed over her chest, a disappointed look on her face.  “I wouldn’t have expected this from you, Winrey,” she said as the peacekeeper—a large man with a thick mustache and a permanent frown etched on his bluff face—searched her bag, pulling the glittery dress from its confines and holding it aloft.

Mrs. Byers shook her head, her expression tightening.  “You were a decent employee,” she murmured while Carol grinned smugly, slipping away to spread the news of Win’s disgrace, no doubt.  

“I hope you know I can no longer employ you,” Joyce continued, tutting to herself.  “Get her out of my shop, officer,” she said, turning her attention to the peacekeeper, pinching the bridge of her nose as the man grabbed Win’s arm and hauled her forward.

“There’s no need for that!” Win hissed, attempting to jerk out of the man’s grasp.  

“No offense, but I gotta make sure you don’t make a break for it, doll,” he grumbled as they neared the door to the front.

“Please,” Win pleaded, shooting him an earnest look.  “I swear I won’t run.  Just—just let me leave with a little dignity?” 

She glanced at the badge on his chest, reading his name.

“Please, Hopper.”

The peacekeeper looked at her before sighing and releasing her arm.  “Alright kid, don’t make me regret this.”

Win nodded, silently thanking him and held her head high as they talked side by side through the store to the entrance.  She could feel curious eyes on her as she made her walk of shame, but she carefully avoided them.

As soon as they were out of the store, she let out a long breath, deflating slightly and Hopper glanced at her from the corner of his eye.  “You ever steal before, Miss—?”

“No,” Win lied, keeping her eyes ahead.  “Lewis,” she added, answering his unspoken question.

Hopper snorted doubtfully and Win couldn’t help but turn to gape at him, surprised at his bluntness.  He merely grinned bemusedly at her, reaching into his breast pocket to retrieve a brass cigarette case, taking one for himself before offering her one.

“Where d’yeh live, kid?” he asked, snapping his fingers to light her cigarette for her and Win stared at the flame that danced above his finger tips.  Taking a pull from the cigarette til the cherry burned bright, she blew the smoke out and told him her address.

“What, gotta walk me all the way home?” she asked, a little petulantly and the peacekeeper chuckled.

“Yeah, that’s right.  You tellin’ me you don’t like the pleasure of my company?” he joked, shaking the flame away after lighting his own smoke.

Win shrugged.  She supposed it could be worse, at least Hopper seemed like a decent fellow, not like some of the peepers who took their job too seriously, letting the power of their position go to their heads.

“You know, you’re lucky old lady Byers ain’t pressin’ charges after that stunt you pulled,” he mused.  

“Yeah, lucky,” Win muttered, bringing the cigarette to her lips.  “Still need a new job though.”

Hopper glanced at her as they stopped at the transportation hub, waiting for the bathysphere door to unlock and swing open.

“Maybe you should’ve thought about that before stealing,” he pointed out, nudging her inside the submersible.

“Maybe I shouldn’t have gotten caught,” Win muttered.

Silence fell as they traveled down a level, Rapture sprawling out before them through the porthole, the lights of the neon advertisements on the sides of buildings flashing by.  An Andrews Sisters’ song played softly through the speakers before the familiar grinding of metal signaled they’d arrived at the next station.

“You handy at all?” Hopper asked suddenly as they neared her and her father’s apartment and Win frowned.

“What?”

Hopper turned to look at her, dropping the butt of his spent cigarette to the ground and snubbing it out with his boot.

“Maintenance is always looking for people,” he said, hiking his trousers up.  “Seems like there’s more leaks sprung every day.  Usually they only employ men, but if you’re handy and mention I sent you, they might consider it.”

Win peered at the man, studying him shrewdly.  “Why would you help me?” she asked and the peacekeeper shrugged uncomfortably, clearing his throat.

“I dunno, kid,” he said, his voice a little gruff.  “Just don’t look a gift horse in the mouth, alright?”

Win nodded slowly, digging her keycard from her bag.  “Thanks…” she murmured, still unsure what to make of the man.

“Yeah, sure.  Just keep out of trouble, okay?  Keep your nose clean,” Hopper said, tilting his hat to her before lumbering away.  

Win watched him go before unlocking her door and stepping inside.  There were definitely worse peacekeepers.  She’d gotten lucky.

—

When her father had returned from his shift, Win didn’t have the heart to tell him she’d lost her job, determined to find something else before letting him know, to soften the blow, and the next day she took Hopper’s advice and traveled down to the engineering sector in Hephaestus to inquire about a job.

Win had traversed most of Rapture, but she’d never been this far down before and she tried not to gape at the massive machinery that flanked her as her shoes clicked across the metallic floor that gave way to glass as she entered a sealed off passageway that snaked along the ocean floor.  Men in coveralls and diving suits passed her, giving her strange looks, but she ignored them, walking a little faster.

It turned out Hopper was right.  Though the man she’d spoken to—Ed something or other—was skeptical at first, as soon as she brought up Hop’s name he seemed to change his tune.

“You know how to sew?” he asked as he led her through a winding labyrinth of machinery filled rooms, steam leaking from vents and puddles of water here and there.  

“Uh, yes,” she answered, distracted by the amount of leaks there seemed to be down there.

“Good,” Ed said, grabbing the smallest uniform he could find from a rack next to a long row of lockers.  “We need someone to repair the diver’s suits whenever they wear out and to keep the tools and parts room organized and inventoried,” he explained, thrusting the coveralls into her hands.

“Doesn’t sound too hard,” Win murmured, watching some of the workers slip past to get into their lockers.

“Good.  You go get changed and I’ll show you to your station,” Ed said, nodding to a changing room.  “Don’t wanna get your nice clothes ruined.”

Once she’d been shown her duties, Win set about familiarizing herself with the storage room which was to be her office, as it were.  A row of diving suits that needed mending hung from a rack near a desk with a sewing machine, while along the rest of the walls were rows of tools and spare parts in differing states of disarray.

“Looks like I’ve got my work cut out for me,” she murmured, running her fingers along one of the dusty shelves.  At least down here she wouldn’t have to put up with snooty high society types looking down their surgically altered noses at her.

“You the new girl?”

A voice at the door made her jump and Win quickly spun around to face the man who’d spoken.

“Uh, yeah,” she replied, sucking in a breath as her gaze settled on one of the most beautiful men she’d ever seen, leaning in the doorway.

His caramel blonde hair was slicked back in a messy wave, a few strands out of place against her forehead, and he wore a grin that was framed by a neat mustache and thin close cropped goatee that lined his sharp jawline.  Blue eyes like ocean waves watched her from beneath a cocked eyebrow sporting a fierce split, sparkling with amusement as her gaze traveled down his broad shoulders and smooth chest, shown off quite nicely by the stained tank top he wore, the bottom half of a diving suit hanging loose around his waist.

A tattoo of a laughing skull, a lit cigarette hanging from its jaw adorned his right bicep and a single golden pendant hung round his neck, resting against his sternum.

The man chuckled and Win quickly tore her eyes away, her face warming when she realized she’d been staring, and quite obviously so.

“What, uhm, what can I do for you?” she asked, clearing her throat as he stepped closer, his own eyes roaming over her form appreciatively.

“My suit needs patching,” he said, unzipping it further and stepping out of it.  “Think you could take a look at it for me, doll?” he asked, holding it out for her to take.

“I suppose,” Win snapped, though her lips curled slightly.  “Where’s the leak?” she asked, glad to have something else to focus on, though she could still feel his eyes on her.

“Right here,” he said, showing her a small tear in the arm.  

“That’s not too bad,” she mused, reaching across her desk to grab a needle and thread.  “I can mend this while you wait, if you want,” she offered, threading the needle.

The man shrugged and leaned against her desk.  “Got nothing better to do,” he drawled, watching her.  “So,” he said after a moment, “you got a name to go with that pretty face?” 

Win nearly stabbed her finger with the needle as she pushed it through the thick oiled fabric.  “Winrey.  Winrey Lewis, Win for short,” she answered, hoping he hadn’t noticed her near mishap.  

“Win,” he mused, as if savouring her name, and she looked up at him.  “I like that,” he said, his low voice sending a shiver through her.

“And do I get the pleasure of your name?” she asked expectantly, a hint of sarcasm tinging her voice and his grin grew wider.

“Since you asked so nicely,” he teased.  “William Hargrove, but you can call me Billy,” he answered, holding out his hand.

“Billy,” Win repeated, taking his outstretched hand to shake.  “Glad to meet you.”

“The pleasure’s all mine,” he drawled, voice like honey, winking as he brought the back of her hand to his lips.

“Charmer,” Win huffed, her cheeks practically burning.

Billy shrugged, reluctantly letting go of her hand.  “I’ve been called worse.”

“I’m sure you have,” Win muttered, returning her focus to his suit.

“Can I ask you something?”

“I suppose.”

Billy leaned back, pulling a crumpled pack of cigarettes from his pocket.  “What brings a pretty little thing like you all the way down here?” he asked, placing a cigarette between his lips, the scent of cloves filling the small room as he lit it.

“You want the honest answer?” Win asked, glancing up at him, catching him staring and he nodded.

“If you feel like telling it.”

She swallowed, contemplating. “I got fired from my last job,” she finally answered honestly and Billy’s eyebrows rose, a sarcastic whistle leaving his lips.

“No shit?  What for?”

“Got caught stealing,” Win answered, shrugging, and Billy barked a laugh.

“You’re a bit of a bad girl, huh Winnie?” he drawled, though he sounded almost impressed.

“Maybe I am,” Win replied evenly, her eyes flicking to his defiantly and he sucked his teeth, ashing his cigarette in the glass ashtray on the desk.

“I think you’ll do just fine down here,” he said and Win couldn’t help the strange feeling of pride that seeped through her chest at his words.

She merely grinned in response, however, tying off the thread and snipping the excess as she finished sewing up his suit.  “All done,” she said, tossing it back to him.

Billy studied her handiwork and let out a sigh.  “Guess that means I better get back to it.”  Shoving his boots back into the oversized suit, he pulled it up, slipping his arms into the gloved sleeves.  “You doing anything after work?” he asked, lingering by the door.  

“No, not really,” she answered slowly, biting her lip.

Her answer seemed to please him.  “Come for a drink with me?” he offered.

Under that lidded blue eyed gaze, Win could hardly say no, and her answer earned her a roguish flash of white teeth that made her glad she was sitting, lest her knees give out.

“Good, see you then, doll.”  With a wink he slipped back out the door, leaving Win alone with her thoughts and her burning cheeks.

Maybe this job wouldn’t be so bad after all.

☞ taglist. @heartbreak-sandwich @afestivelegend @alwaysstuckinsecondgear @super-unpredictable98 @elliethesuperfruitlover @cherrycolasteve

[uzumaki-rebellion]

“Black Boys Bloom Thorns First: Volume 4, Chapter 64″

Need to catch up? You know you do for this long-running epic series. Masterlist HERE.

"Oh, let the sun beat down upon my face And stars fill my dream I'm a traveler of both time and space To be where I have been To sit with elders of the gentle race This world has seldom seen They talk of days for which they sit and wait All will be revealed"

Led Zeppelin – "Kashmir"

Llotliso met N'Jadaka at the entrance of his expansive office. She handed him a cup of red tea.

"They are waiting for you inside your inner office, King N'Jadaka," Tlotliso said.

"T'Challa, Nakia, and Shuri will be here soon. Show them in the minute they arrive. This is off the record, too," he said sweeping past her.

He drank the tea and stepped into his private think chamber. Yoneli and Sizani stood and watched him stride toward his chair.

"Sit, please," he said, holding out his hand.

"This must be serious to call us in without the elders," Yoneli said.

N'Jadaka stared at them a long time before leaning forward.

"How close is Wakanda with the Atlanteans?" he asked.

Sizani glanced at Yoneli.

"Has something happened?" Sizani asked.

"Answer my question," he said.

He kept his voice curt.

Yoneli mirrored his body language and leaned forward too.

"They are not Atlanteans. That is what the outsiders call them," Yoneli said.

"Captain…" Sizani said with an agitated breath.

"He is our new ruler. King T'Chaka is dead," Yoneli said.

"But the truce—"

"What truce?" N'Jadaka asked.

A knock at the door broke his attention.

"Come in," N'Jadaka said.

Tlotliso opened the door letting T'Challa, Nakia, and Shuri enter quickly.

"Tell us everything," N'Jadaka said.

Yoneli looked at everyone in the room, then lowered her eyes.

"Wakanda and the Talokan people have a truce to not speak of one another… ever," Yoneli said.

"Talokan?" N'Jadaka said.

"That is what they call themselves. In the ancient fables, there are texts written about people living under the seas of other lands. There was a skirmish two decades ago between our nations. We were doing aquatic warcraft tests far out in the Atlantic Ocean and they came to the surface to confront us. King T'Chaka ended the possibility of war by framing a truce that would keep both of our countries a secret as long as we respected their domain and avoided crossing the waters at particular coordinates. They do not want to be found, nor do they want to interact with surface dwellers."

"Who is their leader?"

"King T'Chaka met with someone alone away from the battle cruiser after your family escaped. We were only told that those people would stay below the surface unless they were threatened again," Yoneli said.

"They have underwater structures to live so deep?" T'Challa asked.

"Those people breathe the water. I only saw two who came to the surface," Yoneli said.

"What did they look like?" N'Jadaka said.

Sizani spoke up.

"Blue… they had blue skin. Wore very little clothing and had strong-looking bodies. The men I saw riding whales… they wore water masks…to help them breathe above the surface."

"Are they human?" N'Jadaka asked.

"Yes. At least they looked human. We traded soldiers so that King T'Chaka could go speak to their leader. We kept two of their people on the battle cruiser."

"Are they advanced like us?" Shuri asked.

Shuri was already on her kimoyo swiping through ancient texts looking for mentions of a hidden sea people. Atlantis was what N'Jadaka grew up with. He was curious to know what his ancestors called them.

"King T'Chaka returned to us with the edict that we would not mention seeing them or interacting with their kind. If the outside world ever became aware of them, our country was to remain silent," Yoneli said.

"But T'Chaka started flapping his gums about them when he became a bigger political player… T'Challa, what do you know about them?"

"My father only spoke of attacks when he engaged the U.N. and their troubles encountering them," T'Challa said. "I was never told about a truce or a meeting with them long ago. But he did say there was a growing problem after he began a long tour of America. That is when he started warning the world about messing with unseen forces without diplomacy. He was big on uniting other nations in peace. I didn't understand why he cared to mingle with the U.N. so much. Before he was assassinated, the attacks that were attributed to the Talokans…"

"Talokanil," Shuri said.

She presented a page from an old text on her kimoyo beads.

"There isn't much here. I will search for more," Shuri said. "The writing here tells of several fabled cultures outside the continent, and the Talokanil are mentioned in passing."

N'Jadaka grappled with the information.

"If their name is written in our books, then we have encountered them long before King T'Chaka ever did. The U.S. and Europe started blaming HYDRA, Russia, and some rogue mercenary units for the global water attacks. The Talokanil were thought to be a made-up ruse to fool people… muddy the waters of who was actually behind it," N'Jadaka said.

T'Challa folded his arms and looked at N'Jadaka.

"I was in a meeting with my father once in New York where some other foreign groups were accused, too," T'Challa said. "When my father died, whatever he knew went with him. There was pressure to get through the Sokovia accords and when I took the throne after him, the U.S. was heavily funding the Department of Damage Control in a joint venture with Stark Industries. They cleaned up messes and kept things as quiet as possible. The Talokanil were probably tucked away as a scapegoat to cover for someone else. Probably the Americans. Underwater people are not a true threat—"

"But why would T'Chaka make a truce with a powerless people?"

Yoneli looked away from him. N'Jadaka stepped to her. Taking in the captain's stressed energy, he reached out and held her shoulders.

"What is it, Yoneli?" N'Jadaka said.

"The king…King T'Chaka… that time at sea… he came back afraid. I have never seen him that way before. He wanted us to forget those people," Yoneli said.

N'Jadaka turned to Nakia.

"When The U.S. delegation comes here, we will make your formal introduction as Wakanda's ambassador and you will attend the general assembly in September back in the states. Stick close to the C.I.A. reps," N'Jadaka said.

"Agent Ross is always present," Nakia said.

"We'll use him. He thinks he's Wakanda's best buddy. Keep making him think that. I'll give orders for our War Dogs in port cities to start gathering any intel they can find about Talokan. Shuri, I need you to do a deep dive too. Pull in some of our best historians to help if you need them," N'Jadaka said.

He used his comm tab to bring up an image of a globe.

"If they scared King T'Chaka, then they must have an army down below that can do some damage," N'Jadaka said.

"Maybe that's what the Americans near our waters are looking for," T'Challa said. "All the sonar testing… underwater earthquakes. They're searching."

"What ships do we have that can pass as a research vessel?" N'Jadaka said.

T'Challa moved next to him and pulled an image from his kimoyo.

"We have the Sea Leopard. It has full submersible and camouflage capabilities," T'Challa said.

N'Jadaka and the others studied the ship. The charcoal gray vessel was sleek and curved like a bullet.

"I want that ship ready to go in three days," N'Jadaka said.

"In the middle of the conference?" T'Challa said.

"I want to find these people before the rest of the world does," N'Jadaka said.

"What about the truce?" Nakia asked.

"I'll respect it until I see what we're up against. Then I'll change the terms and conditions as needed. I don't want to take a wait-and-see approach. If the Talokanil spooked T'Chaka… we need to meet and find out why before they're discovered by someone else," N'Jadaka said.

His kimoyo beads lit up. Sydette's avatar spun on his wrist.

"My kids are up. T'Challa, notify our generals. Nakia, get in touch with Agent Ross and butter him up. Reveal your new status… let him think he has insider info about us before his bosses do. Shuri—"

"Research… on it," Shuri said.

Shuri paused before heading out of the door.

"Should we push back our sparring session until after lunch?" Shuri asked.

T'Challa tilted his head and smirked. N'Jadaka grinned.

"You two have been practicing your fighting techniques?" T'Challa said.

N'Jadaka swung his hand around playfully and T'Challa ducked, offering a counterattack that pushed the king back.

"We've been working on some moves in the gym. Gotta stay on top of the game," N'Jadaka said.

He stopped playing and huddled with his cousins.

"We won't discuss any of this with Ramonda. She's working hard on the conference and I don't want anyone outside of this room worrying about anything else."

"Agreed," T'Challa said.

"When the Sea Leopard launches, I want you on it with our best soldiers," N'Jadaka said to T'Challa.

He watched his cousins and Nakia leave. Outside of his inner office, Tlotliso waited for his instructions.

"You can go home. Thank you for stepping in on short notice until I arrived," he said.

"Not a problem," Tlotliso said.

She grabbed a sweater and started to vacate the room.

"Everything okay?" he asked.

"Yes, your highness. I have some things going on at home... the usual family stuff," she said.

"See you next week then."

"Yes, kumkani."

She left him quietly. He returned to his inner office and regarded Yoneli and Sizani.

"Is there anything else I should know about T'Chaka's meeting with Talokan?" N'Jadaka said.

Yoneli's lips quirked.

"Do you remember the whales that sang to our ship? The ones you swam with alongside your father?" Yoneli said.

"Yes."

"I do not believe their singing was to entertain themselves… not from what we saw after your family left," Yoneli said.

Sizani's forehead creased and she tapped the side of N'Jadaka's desk.

"My king," Sizani said, "those whales… they were calling the Talokanil. Those people… they communicate with sea life. The whales led them to us."

Yoneli nodded her head in agreement.

"When they left us, the whales stayed behind… as if they were watching our movement," Yoneli said.

"Then that will be our cover as we search. We're going whale hunting," N'Jadaka said.

N'Jadaka's children were delighted to have him to themselves.

He cooked them waffles with strawberries and they ate outside on his terrace before heading off to swim in the palace pool. They entertained snail races in the royal garden, then watched boats pass through the river in the middle of Birnin Zana. He rattled citizens when he walked with the children to a favorite river café that served the best coffee and tiny teacakes. The children wore dark shades and his Doras watched nearby with Kora. They crossed the small wooden bridge that led to the floating café and the owner stood there thrilled and honored to meet his little ones up close.

Their lunchtime was spent eating batter-fried sandwiches stuffed with fish and pickled cabbage while strolling through a bazaar. N'Jadaka watched with pride as his children spoke Wakandan with a fluency he was only beginning to master effortlessly. With the creamy yellow sun beating down on them, he took in the mix of old and new structures throughout the heavily trafficked city center. Wakanda reminded him of Rome. He could walk two steps and see modern structures, and two feet away, there appeared an ancient building that existed when Queen Shuriyah walked the earth. The old and new stood together in harmony.

He ruled everything.

The shy glances from citizens and the sly snatchings of holo pics of him spending time with his children was something he wanted the people to see more of to humanize himself among them. There were still many who cursed his name in quiet corners of the land, who smiled in his face and sharpened knives behind their backs. No one would dare touch him in public though. Any and all dissent would come from the shadows once he became relaxed on the throne.

Sydette couldn't stop smiling so hard at being with him and Joba. The three children together became a unit of unlimited energy. He couldn't keep up with questions and simultaneous discussions on different topics from all three. After returning to the palace, he released the children to Kora for their nap and changed into abada pants and a thin yellow t-shirt. He left his home and headed for the private gym. It took up a floor on a lower level with advanced equipment and an indoor track and lap pool. The Dora Milaje shared the space during the week, to practice safety drills with the royal family or used it during their breaks, but on the weekends, the Udaku family used it privately. The 360-degree views opened up the space to lots of sunshine.

Shuri waited for him there, dressed in skin-tight purple athletic leggings and a tank top. She stretched on the floor, then did a few body rolls on the mat with her knees tucked into her chest. Jumping up, she held her arms in a defensive position and watched him saunter toward her. N'Jadaka turned on some soft drumming music from the Merchant Tribe on the ceiling speakers that had the perfect tempo for the ass-whooping he was going to give her.

"Oh, you need a soundtrack for this beating you are about to receive from me?" she said, circling him.

N'Jadaka lunged forward and dipped low, swiping his leg against her ankles. Shuri backflipped barely avoiding contact and jabbed her fists into his chest before he palmed the side of her head and threw her across the room. She shook her head and shrugged her shoulders. Crouching down, Shuri struck his left temple and he let her get a few licks on his midsection before he caught a foot against his right cheek.

"You did not see that coming, cousin. That one I learned from Aunt Califia's old vids. There is more on the way!"

She dropped to her knees and punched him in the gut once more, scrambling between his legs to throw off his balance as he reached for her hair.

"Cheater!" she said, smacking his hand away from her high bun pinned with shiny blue clips.

"You said you wanted a dirty fight," he teased, jumping up and down.

Shuri had speed like his mother and a knack for finding weak points in his defense when his guard was down. There was a boisterous tenacity in her fighting style and he appreciated her ability to switch up her technique when she realized certain combinations of hand and leg strikes didn't work on him. Her eye-hand coordination was tightly focused on countering the capoeira he slid into easily.

They play fought for an hour and rested on their backsides next to each other. Sharing a bottle of water enhanced with recovery herbs, Shuri studied his face.

"I found someone from the Birnin D'Jata University to help me root out more details about the Talokanil. They were known as the 'Amanzi Umhlali'… water dwellers who lived beyond the sunset. I was told that in the olden days, our elders witnessed sightings of them that were mistaken for the reborn children of Mama Wati, our water Goddess. A long time ago, women who had stillborn children would take them to the sea and give their remains to the water in the hopes that their babies would be reborn and return to them. Unfortunately, the little that I have found myself is just mythical tales. Nothing is rooted in factual details. All we know for sure is that they originate in Central America," she said.

"Keep me in the loop. You find anything, no matter how ridiculous it sounds, let me know right away," he said.

"I would like to travel with T'Challa on the Sea Leopard."

"I need you here."

"This is a scientific expedition as much as it is a military one," she said.

"Fury is still sending data and I need you on top of that."

"You know I can do more than one thing—"

"T'Challa can handle any threats from the sea. I need you checking for mofos coming from space."

Shuri laughed.

"What is so funny?" he said, nudging her shoulder with his.

"You have more than you bargained for taking the throne, N'Jadaka."

"Looks that way."

She patted his back and helped him stand up.

"I'm going to shower and take a long break," she said.

"Good. Stay out of your lab today. Give your big brain a rest."

He jabbed his finger on her forehead gently.

"Not too much rest. The Talokanil have me curious… and my father… he was not one to fear anything. Wakanda was a fortress in his mind. Nothing out there should scare a man like him."

"Rest," N'Jadaka said, pushing her arm to leave the gym.

"I want to go up and see my little cousins first," she said.

Grabbing her gym bag, she pointed at him.

"Give me ten minutes to shower and change clothes. I'll come with you," she said.

She scurried toward the changing room and he tapped his kimoyo. Shuri already had reports compiled for him from the university that covered the origins of Mama Wati and the connection to the Talokanil sightings centuries ago. Stepping over to the window he took in the royal garden until Shuri came back out smelling like lemon cookies. She wiped away her body butter on her arms and checked her own kimoyo before they walked out together onto the elevator.

"Have you heard from Disa?" Shuri asked.

"No. Why?"

"Nothing important."

"Seems like everyone has been asking me about her since she went up the mountain. Y'all worried about something?"

"What is there to worry about?" she asked.

"Her new boyfriend."

"I wouldn't call him a boyfriend…"

Shuri reflected on her words and clammed up. They stepped onto his floor.

"What would you call him?"

Shuri looked him in the eye.

"Her co-worker—"

"People don't have to tip-toe around me. I know she likes, Adebiyi. That's her type. I'm not surprised."

"He's a prickly fellow, but overall, I find him a hard worker and very knowledgeable about his craft. I've met him a few times. He tends to stay in the background."

"That's where I'll keep that situation… in the background."

"I upset you."

"Nah. She's been looking forward to going there. Not just to be around him, even though I know that's part of it. I want her happy and she likes being with Ayomide."

"I am glad that you are still friends with her despite everything you deal with in your personal life. It cannot be easy for you—"

"Baba!"

Sydette had the front door open before his Doras could step aside to let him reach it.

"I'm back with you know who," he teased.

Shuri hugged Sydette who pulled her over the threshold.

"Oh… my…" Shuri said.

She took a long gaze around his lower floor.

"I have never been inside of this place when everything was uncovered… beautiful," she said.

Riki and Joba ran downstairs and jumped into Shuri's arms. They tackled her down to the floor and she rolled around with them, testing their arm strength and agility.

"Where have you been?" Joba asked.

Shuri took a seat on a carved wooden chair with wide armrests.

"Working in my lab," Shuri said.

Riki slapped his own forehead.

"Aw, that's all everyone does… work, work, work. No fun here anymore," Riki said.

Riki balanced his arms on Shuri's knees.

"Perhaps for winter solstice, we should plan a family trip out on the boat again," Shuri said.

"Yeah!" Sydette squealed.

"Show me the rest of the new home," Shuri said.

Joba pulled Shuri's hand and the other two children followed further into the next room. N'Jadaka climbed the stairs and headed to his bathing room. His kimoyo lit up and he checked for a message.

Disa sent him images of the exterior of a forest temple overlooking a mountain range. He read the note attached to it.

"It's beautiful here. So much to see. I'm getting plenty of ideas to challenge my original sketches. Kiss and hug Joba for me. Disa."

He smiled and a warm peace came over him.

After showering and changing into loungewear, N'Jadaka padded down to his home office and went over his opening speech to the people he handpicked from all across the globe to join him inside the motherland. While listening to his children run back and forth outside of his workspace as Kora fussed after them about making too much noise near his room, he made some changes to a few sentences. He stopped and opened his comm tab and pulled up pictures of his mother and Aunt Lia together in Brazil the last time they were together. Their faces told the story of struggle and the promise of a better tomorrow. N'Jadaka had the power that they could only dream of having. Tucking his hands under his groomed beard, he stared at the two women. He thought of his father arming War Dogs and the careful planning it took for him to build a secret army for over a decade. The takeover of the world had to be gradual and the grassroots had to be in control in every city they moved in. Backlash, jealousy, F.B.I., and C.I.A. plants would try to derail his plans. Unlike Black liberation movements of the past, N'Jadaka would not create a cult of personality where one individual became the face of an entire struggle. On the outside looking in, it would appear that way since he was leading the initial charge. However, everyone who joined with them would become their own leader with communal goals. There was no place for the next Jesus figure to come and save Black people. Every territory would become the savior of itself. That meant churches would have to be left out of the equation. Too many Black men pimped the church for riches and prestige, muling the labor of Black women who followed them and propped up the institution. No one from any religious organization was invited to Wakanda. White gods and grifters were not welcome there.

He left the images of his mother and aunt floating above his desk as he continued working on his speech. His strongest appeal would be toward women, but he also had to deal with men coming there who had good hearts but patriarchy hardwired in them. Twyla's tour would help break those men in. Once they saw a country led by Bast that flourished with female leadership and brilliance, they would have to shift old thinking inside of themselves. Too many men thought they respected women until faced with working for them. He used to find himself acting out of pocket with women, even the ones he loved because patriarchy and bullying the weaker sex were taught to everyone and difficult to actively unlearn. He recognized it in his life too often than he cared to admit. That was a trait he wanted to keep Riki from falling into as he grew up. He felt the same way about helping Sydette and Joba recognize the behavior toward themselves at a young age and speaking out against it without fear of retribution.

Two days.

In two days, the diaspora would arrive and see the promised land. More than milk and honey flowed throughout Wakanda.

There was a knock on his door.

"Come in," he said.

Noxolo walked in carrying a sealed gold envelope.

"This was just delivered," Noxolo said.

She handed him the envelope and left the room.

He sliced across the wax red seal with a letter opener, and read the contents from the Council of Elders. They would allow the outsiders to witness the Mama Wati celebration in Birnin S'Yan. He was surprised they would give permission. Tapping his kimoyo, he contacted Twyla. Her image popped up quickly. He showed her the official paper.

"The council granted you the right to organize a Mama Wati tour," he said.

Twyla took a deep breath.

"This is huge," Twyla said.

"Will you have enough time to put together transportation… maybe lodging?"

"BiBi and I will make it into a day trip with a picnic above the bluffs. They can see the ceremony up close on the beach, but then we'll move them a respectful distance away so families can keep their intimate rituals going afterward. Oh, Big Man, you made my day!" Twyla said.

"They trust you, Twyla."

"I won't let you down," she said.

"I know you won't."

N'Jadaka worked on going over all of the non-disclosure and non-photography agreements every visitor signed in order to visit the country until dinner. The palace kitchen sent up comfort food of mashed green banana and a savory beef stew with lentils and yellow rice. He ate with the children inside the dining room as a light summer rain planted water drops everywhere. There were virtual reality games played around the lower floor until Kora took the children away for their baths. He plowed back into his work and fell asleep at his desk.

N'Jadaka woke up in his bed with heavy eyelids pressing down on him. Alone in his room, he checked his kimoyo. The children were fast asleep in their rooms and the sun was due to rise in minutes. He rose and went to his balcony for prayers to his elder gods and ancestors. Burning incense and a small white candle near his body, he prostrated himself on a prayer rug, pressing his forehead onto the cool silky threads.

Bast and Ogum stirred inside of him and he sensed the presence of his ancestors watching from beyond.

The day had arrived.

The energy around him snapped with frizzy intensity as he stood up and watched the scheduled arrival of six half-cruisers carrying two thousand diaspora kin. He allowed the cruisers to pass directly over Birnin Zana and the palace so the visitors could get the awe-inspiring splendor that he had the first time he flew into Wakanda. Back then he had been on a rampage. At that moment, he was calm and collected.

The half-cruisers were flanked by military escort ships as they floated toward their housing for the conference.

"Morning," Marisol said.

She walked onto the balcony and handed him tea.

Dressed in her own ceremonial white clothing, Marisol stood next to him and also looked at the ships flying away.

"I will keep the press and other non-staff away. The delegates need full immersion by themselves," he said.

"Will you need me here later this evening?" she said.

"No. The nannies will help with the kids and we can have dinner together with the rest of the family."

"This was all worth it, wasn't it JaJa?" she said.

"Yes."

No matter what may have transpired in over three decades, N'Jadaka knew he was where fate planned for him to be. Ignoring the whispers that fermented in the shadows of the palace, the hushed words of resentment of a foreigner sitting on the throne, he would smash the faces of the enemies within Wakanda into the ground where they would grovel at his feet. Never had he felt more Wakandan than when he watched aircraft filled with hand-picked African-descended people meeting their future. History would be written in their blood and bones from that day forth. Their influence back in their own lands after it was over would guarantee the sun would never set on Wakanda because the diaspora would be in alignment with them.

Warlords in countries all over the world dreamed of empires and vast armies to do their bidding. N'Jadaka wanted peace for the diaspora. Comfort. Rest. How could people enjoy life when they couldn't even live properly? The things that made him happy as a child were being with his family when there was no stress. No worries about food, housing, or danger coming for them. His people would finally have the tools to create the life they wanted in their respective communities.

War would come.

Black Wall Street. The New Jewel Movement. The Black Panthers. Patrice Lumumba and the Congolese National Movement. The Move Organzation. Malcolm X. Martin Luther King Jr. Angela Davis. Assata Shakur. Medgar Evers. Jean-Jacques Dessalines and Marie Sainte Dédée Bazile of the Haitian Revolution. Queen Mary Thomas. Nanny of the Maroons of Jamaica. Ganga Zumba in Palmares. Nat Turner. Charles Deslondes and the Louisiana Slave Revolt. Flore Bois Gaillard and the Battle of Rabot in St Lucia.

Everywhere on the planet where Black men and women sought freedom in ways that worked for them, they were met with force and/or death by white supremacy and upheld by the Black people beholden to whiteness for their own personal gain. There was never a time in history where Black people encountering white people had peace. Never. Even when Black people were isolated and successful in their own community, as they were in Tulsa Oklahoma, white people envied them and burned their world to the ground with the laws of the land protecting white supremacy.

No more.

N'Jadaka took a deep breath and rested in the power of his spiritual protectors. The diaspora would have peace and he would burn down the worlds of their enemies this time around. Wipe them from the face of the earth as a warning to anyone else feeling bold enough to challenge the new world order. If they just so happened to be Black or non-white in the service of white supremacy, they could catch hands too.

Ogum sat high in his chest. Bast positioned her power above his head. His ancestors flanked him with an invisible thread of verve. It was time to lead. Time to do king things.

He ate a simple breakfast of grits and glazed peaches. After dressing in his finest black tunic and robes, he let Marsol twist his locs into a high bun. She prayed over him while smudging him down with blue Wakandan sage. He wiped a small dot of oil from the Temple of Bast onto his third eye and admired himself in a full-length mirror.

"Ready?" Marisol asked.

He nodded and followed her out of his quarters. Surrounded by his security team, he boarded the Royal Talon Fighter. T'Challa greeted him inside and they all flew together to greet their guests.

The moment he stepped out of the Talon Fighter and onto the hotel grounds his heart thudded faster. He wiggled his fingers at his sides and the kinetic sparks of energy transference were already tingling across his skin. Aneka opened the double doors of the hotel's grand conference room and the rush of energy that passed over him from the people inside nearly blew him off of his feet. Thunderous applause broke out with shrill cries of joy all around them. A standing ovation went on for ten whole minutes as N'Jadaka took long strides to the podium. Two thousand shiny and exalted Black faces made enough noise to shout down the sun from the heavens. He glanced over at Marisol and tears glistened in her eyes. T'Challa's face held an expression of immense understanding and compassion for all the people there.

To the right of the podium was a section created for his transition team that had now become his royal cabinet members. They stood there stunned at the reaction to his walking into the room. Council Elders were also present and sat up on a dais behind him, overlooking the opening meeting. The history lesson he gave them about the people in that space guided their ability to take in the importance of the diaspora being there. Zinzi kept wiping her eyes and clapped her hands with the people. N'Jadaka held up his hands to quiet down the guests but they continued to clap, hoot, stomp their feet, and holler his name. No… not his name… Wakanda's name.

The energy they sent him flowed into his chest where Ogum soaked it up.

"Please… sit…." N'Jadaka said, waving his hands down.

They wouldn't stop.

From the corner of his eye, he watched his grandparents being ushered in by Shuri. They took seats reserved for them on his left side facing the podium. The zeal in the room struck them hard, especially his grandmother. Umama held her head high as she glanced around at all the people. Finally, after much coaxing and prodding, the applause and noise died down and the people took their seats in comfortable chairs. The backdrop behind him and the elders gave the guests a glorious view of the landscape. As if on cue, a herd of giraffes strutted by and the trumpeting sound of a braying elephant blasted in the distance.

"Welcome to Wakanda," he said.

The audience laughed and clapped again.

"Today is a blessed day that I get to share with each and every one of you here. The journey has been long—"

"Amen!" someone shouted far in the back.

The audience laughed and clapped again.

"I am King N'Jadaka Udaku-Stevens. Son of The Master Hammer Califia Stevens of Oakland, California. Son of Prince N'Jobu Udaku of Wakanda. American by birth. African by descent. Like all of you here, I am a child of the African Diaspora. A child of the stolen and enslaved. We are the Lost Tribe. I stand here to welcome you home. Brothers and sisters of the diaspora, look upon this place and be renewed…"

N'Jadaka spoke with the flair of a Baptist preacher and the fiery confidence of his mother whenever she rallied up a crowd. He relaxed the audience into the global importance of the work they were about to dig into. They were the experts and Wakanda was there to listen and support. Forty minutes in, he turned the mic over to Queen Ramonda and her welcoming speech was full of passion. She was a tremendous orator and the audience sat mesmerized listening to her. Next came brief introductory speeches by the Council of Elders followed by a nervous Twyla who spoke of the itinerary changes due to the addition of the Mama Wati celebration. As the others spoke, N'Jadaka watched the audience. The meeting was long, but no one showed signs of fatigue or boredom. He took to the podium again and closed out the first gathering. The guests would spend the rest of the day relaxing, acclimating to the time change, eating delicious meals, and mingling at a mixer later that night. They would tour the country for the next few days and then the serious purpose of their being there would begin.

The joy in the room was infectious and healing. He thanked everyone for coming and trusting the process of reinventing a future they could control. The Dora Milaje surrounded him as he took the time to shake the hand of everyone who wanted to touch him. Some could barely look him in the eye from the force of his aura radiating power, while others hugged him, much to the annoyance of Aneka and Noxolo. A few only reached out and touched the hem of his tunic, too afraid to touch his skin directly. One older woman kept shaking her head, her eyes glancing around at everything before she gently clasped his hand in hers and patted his wrist.

"I don't know what this is going to be in the end… but God bless you brother for bringing me here,' she said with a shaky voice.

Outside in a garden gazebo, a small band played music that shook some hips and made fingers snap. Across from the gazebo was a buffet brunch and folks were famished. They filled plates and relaxed around tables as peacocks strutted by hoping food fell on the ground.

N'Jadaka said a quick hello to his grandparents, and Disa caught up to him.

"That was a fabulous opening."

"A long ways from that old raggedy speech I gave about Chocolate City back at M.I.T.," he said.

She laughed.

"Hopefully those dudes turned into worthwhile human beings like you. You were great," she said.

"So… your trip was good," he said.

"It was. Did you get a chance to look at the other pictures I sent you?"

"I did. But you know anything you come up with is always going to be stellar."

She wanted to say more. He felt it.

"Proud of you," she said.

She gave him a hug before rushing off with his older relatives to eat in a private section away from the main groups of guests. He looked around as he moved with his security to leave the hotel.

There she was. Talking to a group of maternity doctors near a water fountain.

Yani fixed her eyes on him and waved him over toward the small group.

"King N'Jadaka, this is Dr. Ida Bryan from St. Thomas, Dr. LaShawn Dixon from Miami, Florida, and Dr. John Alcindor from London, England," Yani said.

All three doctors nodded their heads and shook his hand. Dr. Bryan kept shaking her head like a nervous tick.

"I told you he doesn't bite," Yani joked with her mentor.

"This is almost too much, King N'Jadaka. Thank you for choosing me to take part in this,' she said.

N'Jadaka leaned forward and kissed Dr. Bryan's cheek, startling her. He held onto her hands.

"You saved my daughter's life," he said.

Yani looked away quickly, the memory of that time still close to her heart.

"Will I get to see Princess Sydette?" Dr. Bryan asked.

"Later in the week," he said.

"I never dreamed that a patient of mine was from this place… Yani was always special to me, a serious student… I'm so happy to be here," Dr. Bryan said.

Yani didn't contradict him about Sydette. Once the children were in the palace, they became his full responsibility under Udaku family rules. She had to abide by them too as royalty.

"Make sure you all get some food to eat. You had a long trip to get here," he said.

"It was so cloak and dagger," Dr. Alcindor interjected. "I can understand why you used the secrecy to get us all out of our countries. Wakanda is… I can't even find words."

"You've barely seen it," N'Jadaka said.

His words thrilled them.

"Would you like to eat with us?" Dr. Dixon asked.

"I wish I could, but I have more business to tend to at the palace. I'll see you all tonight at the mixer," he said.

Yani lowered her gaze as if she were disappointed. He casually looked over her outfit. It was an orange off-the-shoulder wrap dress. She always looked gorgeous in orange. Her brown skin popped with that color and he suspected she wore it to make that happen with the summer sun.

"It is an honor to meet you in person, King N'Jadaka," Dr. Alcindor said.

"Enjoy yourselves," N'Jadaka said.

He regretfully left Yani's side and headed for the exit where the Royal Talon Fighter and T'Challa waited for him. Glancing back, he caught Yani looking at him. He waved to her and she waved back, moving behind the other doctors toward the buffet line.

T'Challa stood with Shuri at the Talon Fighter. Nick Fury grinned at him with his foot on the open ramp.

"Looking for me?" Fury asked.

N'Jadaka shook his hand.

"Come take a ride with us," N'Jadaka said.

Fury grew nervous staring at the Doras and part of the Onyx Squad behind him.

"Relax, man. You're about to see something cool,' N'Jadaka said.

Fury's body stayed coiled and ready for anything. T'Challa's Black Panther suit shot across his body as they walked onto the Talon Fighter. The view of the hotel shrank below them as they headed toward the coast.

"Where are we going?" Fury asked.

The speed of the Royal Talon Fighter worried Fury. His eyes darted about watching every move on the aircraft. They swooped down toward the rocky barrier that separated Wakanda from the country next to them higher up on the eastern coastline. In twenty minutes, they floated above the choppy water of the Indian Ocean that the Wakandan's called Mama Wati's home turf.

"What is that?" Fury asked, gazing down at the pristine shine of the Sea Leopard.

A floor exit chimed loudly and T'Challa, dressed as the Black Panther, stood over it. He pounded his fist against N'Jadaka's and the floor swirled open. T'Challa dropped out of the aircraft and landed on the Sea Leopard below. Shuri's expression stayed sour and N'Jadaka squeezed her shoulder.

"You'll have your chance to be on it once we find what we're looking for," N'Jadaka said.

"I will hold you to that, cousin," Shuri said.

"Mr. Fury, that is a ship on the hunt for whales," N'Jadaka said. "Talking whales that spy for people down there."

The dark churning waters hid so much from the surface world.

"What people?" Fury said.

N'Jadaka studied the face of the ops. Creased brow. Deep lines on his cheeks. The downturned lips hid an irritated scowl. Fury looked genuinely confused. N'Jadaka's gut sensed no deceptive smokescreen to deflect. He moved past N'Jadaka and observed the Sea Leopard with jealous eyes.

"This place never ceases to amaze me," Fury said as the Sea Leopard shimmered in bright neon blue lights and disappeared on the water.

N'Jadaka glanced over at Shuri and she stepped next to him. Folding her arms over her chest she gave Fury a withering look. It was hard to trust a man who lived a lie most of the time.

"What people are you looking for?" Fury asked.

"Americans," N'Jadaka said.

Shuri stared at him and he tilted his head to warn her about saying anything to Fury.

"They'll always be on your ass," Fury said. A smirk crossed his face.

"Come with me," N'Jadaka said.

They walked to the back of the Talon Fighter and N'Jadaka dragged images from a digital folder of beached whales on Wakanda's rocky shoreline.

"Sonar tests are killing marine life and encroaching on our people's fisheries," N'Jadaka said.

Fury looked at the dead animals and shrugged.

"Not my department. Cut the shit, king. Why am I out here?" Fury said.

"You're my guest. I'm giving you a private look at our naval reconnaissance missions."

Fury didn't believe him, but he was still interested in their military hardware. The man had been in the C.I.A. for a long time. Their interactions had been honest although tense at times. He was already privy to what N'Jadaka planned for the diaspora. The spirits within him instructed him to wait. There was no rush to show an entire hand at that moment.

"Your speech today… to all those people… inspiring," Fury said.

"I meant what I said."

"I don't doubt it. Being a king of all of this… having your cousin as the Black Panther… another cousin being a brainiac… you are in a position no Black person on earth has ever been in. How must it feel to be the one?"

"There is no one. There's no me without we. Believe that."

"Can you even fathom the risk you're putting all of those people under once they go home?"

"Nigga, what have you done in your life but work for the enemy? Your entire career has been spent sitting on a fence. You know what we have faced all over the world, but you chose…willingly…to work for the enemy—"

"You did the same—"

"I had no choice!"

N'Jadaka's shout alarmed Aneka and Noxolo. They stepped behind Fury.

He waved his hand to them and they moved back.

"I was made an orphan by forces you never had to face. I chose to learn the enemy so I could free my people, and today that time has finally come. Don't you ever think that I'm like you. I am reaching out to my people and you… you're a pawn who thinks he has a little power. Bitch nigga moves," N'Jadaka shouted.

He pushed up on Fury.

"Look at you. No real family. No connections to anyone outside of the work you do. Every night I see my children and know what they will be up against and I choose to make a way for them and others out there who were like me. I never grew up in a world of hope after my parents were killed. As king, I bring hope to the masses. When I die… for real this time… I know that I stood for something, and the Black world will benefit from it—"

"The world isn't just for Black people," Fury said.

"Then let those people stand up for themselves instead of sucking off of our labor. I'm only here for Black and Native people—"

"Selfish," Fury said.

"Who stands up for us? Huh? I say fuck everyone else except for who I look out for. The problem with Black people is that we carry everyone on our backs. Fuck that. We look out for our own this time… just like everyone else does."

"The power in your hand…" Fury said, shaking his head.

"Get with the winning team old man," N'Jadaka said.

N'Jadaka's kimoyo lit up. Joba's avatar floated above his beads.

"Excuse me," N'Jadaka said.

He turned away and tapped his kimoyo.

"Hey Joba," he said.

"Riki won't let us play with his cow game board," Joba whined.

"No, Baba! They played it already. I want to play with it by myself!" Riki insisted.

"But you need more than one person to play it," N'Jadaka said.

"I wahn to study it without them!"

Riki snatched the board from Joba's hand. Sydette stepped in and grabbed it away from him.

"He's being a rude brat!" Sydette shouted.

"No, I'm not!" Riki yelled.

Kora rushed into the playroom and took the board game away from Sydette.

"I am so sorry they disturbed you, King N'Jadaka," Kora said.

"Put the game away on my office desk. I'll talk to them when I get home," N'Jadaka said.

"Yes, kumkani," Kora said.

"Wait! Baba that's not fair!" Riki moaned.

"I'll talk to you when I get home—"

"Baba—"

"I said when I get home. Go work on your language lessons for today."

Riki stomped away from Joba.

"Bye, Daddy," Joba said.

Her image winked out and N'Jadaka turned back to Fury. The man had a grin on his face.

"It's not every day that I see a powerful man, a king, discipline his children in the middle of a military operation," Fury said.

"I'm going to be a father no matter what I'm doing."

"I see that," Fury said.

Vid screen charts of the ocean lit up orange above the Talon Fighter workstation table. A 3D image of the Sea Leopard appeared. The Black Panther's avatar came into view.

"We have crossed the international boundary and will release sea drones within a two-hundred-mile radius at the last location sonar was detected from the Americans," T'Challa said.

"Station the ship at the coordinates Captain Lebohang set. Meet me back at the palace before the mixer tonight," N'Jadaka said.

N'Jadaka walked back to the front of the Talon Fighter where Noxolo flew the aircraft. Aneka and his Onyx Squad members kept their eyes on Fury.

"Take us for a quick pass across the water," he told Noxolo.

The Royal Talon fighter raced across the ocean less than ten feet above it. Somewhere out there was trouble waiting to happen.

"Whoever is out there, we'll find them," he said to no one in particular.

Chapter 65 HERE.

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[blackswaneuroparedux]

There are two phases of enjoyment in journeying through an unknown country - the eager phase of wondering interest in every detail, and the relaxed phase when one feels no longer an observer of the exotic, but a participator in the rhythm of daily life.

- Dervla Murphy

There are few better literary gatherings than the Immrama Travel Writing festival in Lismore, County Waterford. Huddled quietly on the banks of the River Blackwater at the base of the Knockmealdown Mountains, Lismore is a scenic enough spot but on the face of it an unlikely magnet for the global travel writing community. Yet for two decades a string of stellar travellers including Michael Palin, Jan Morris, Paul Theroux, Kate Adie, Ranulph Fiennes, Terry Waite and Pico Iyer have made pilgrimages to this small rural town three hours south-west of Dublin to share their stories.

What draws notable itinerants from around the world to this rural backwater on the fringe of Europe is the special status it holds for writers and lovers of travel literature. Lismore was the hometown of the remarkable Dervla Murphy, who died on 22 May 2022 at the age of 90.

Here are six must-read books by one of Ireland’s greatest travel writers and explorers. They are all in print and currently available from Eland Publishing, one of my favourite publishing houses of travel writers and explorers, past and present.

1. Full Tilt: Ireland to India with a Bicycle (1965) Dervla’s debut recounts an epic ride to India. Setting out from Lismore in 1963, she travelled via Europe, Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan on her trusty bicycle, named Roz, facing 50ft snowdrifts in the Turkish highlands and some punishing pedalling through the heat of the Himalayan summer.

2. Where the Indus Is Young (1977) A vivid travelogue detailing Dervla’s somewhat extreme winter hiking trip through Baltistan, in the northern Kashmir region, battling temperatures that dipped to minus 20C. She was accompanied by her daughter, Rachel, then aged six; the only person Dervla ever deigned to travel with.

3. A Place Apart (1978) At the height of the Troubles, aiming to put aside the sectarian loyalties that might have come from her own family connections to the IRA, Dervla cycled to Northern Ireland to try to unpick the situation, creating a travelogue that features revealing interviews and exchanges with locals on both sides of the divide.

4. Wheels Within Wheels (1979) In the autobiography that followed seven travel books, Dervla notes: “Even at 16, I had a strong premonition that I would never marry. Possibly the predictability of the average marriage put me off; it was the antithesis of my ideal unplanned existence - travelling, writing, not knowing what was going to happen next year or next month or even next week.”

5. Through Siberia by Accident (2006) Due to a painful leg injury, Dervla had to rethink her planned trip to Ussuriland, a Russian outpost free of anything remotely touristic, to explore the vast territories of Siberia instead. There she found humbling hospitality and generosity from local hosts during a journey of self-discovery and contradiction - human warmth and kindness against a bleak, unforgiving backdrop.

6. A Month by the Sea: Encounters in Gaza (2013) Over the summer of 2011, in her 80th year, Dervla spent a month in the Gaza Strip in Palestine. Described by Irish novelist Colm Tóibín as a “a wake-up call to the world”, Dervla’s determination to understand how Arab Palestinians and Israeli Jews might find resolution gives voice to those rarely heard in the region and offers a unique insight into a place shaped by isolation.

[godza]

time to recommend things to you. just some manga/comics i like. vague villainess theme

the holy grail of eris - mystery, fantasy, supernatural. from md: Constance, the daughter to a Viscount whose only value is her honesty, and Scarlet Castiel, the most reviled villainess of the era who was sentenced to death ten years ago. When the two people who were never supposed to meet encountered one another at a night party, the story that should have ended with Scarlet's death began anew. Although their relationship only began out of mutual interest, they soon became true partners in an effort to unravel the mysteries of a grand conspiracy borne out of the past, that still has a vicious grip on the present. (soooooo good for no reason. just some girl and her girlboss ghost)

i was planning to become a loyal sword - drama, fantasy. from md: To save her younger sister Aria from her illness, Cassmire Crisis became a mercenary, wielding a sword and shedding blood to pay for her medicine. But when Cassmire suffers a fall one day, memories of her past life as Aria’s wicked stepsister come flooding back. Rather than take up the role of villainess again, Cassmire vows to protect Aria this time. But with Aria doomed by the story to face only hardships, Cassmire must pick up her weapon once more to become her sister’s loyal sword! (kashmir could beat any of her suitors in a sword fight. she experiences familial love. she is self sacrificial. shes a girlboss)

resetting lady - gore, thriller, fucked up romance. from md: I entered the world of a novel suddenly. I thought that I could return to reality by falling in love, but death was what awaited me in the end. Defenestration, strangulation, poisoning, drowning, and burning to death... Even after dying a hundred times and returning, the novel still doesn't end... Karen Haier, who greets her 117th birthday trapped within a novel, now decides to become a murderer. (regressor goes rogue and starts killing. tw for anti romani racism

ok thats all i have... for now. there will always be more.

[madarinj]

Indian Army Hits Back in Jammu Kashmir I Doda Encounter Pakistan Plans ...

[kimskashmir]

"We will avenge death of our soldiers": LG Manoj Sinha on Doda encounter

SRINAGAR — Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha expressed his condolences to the families of the soldiers who lost their lives in the Doda encounter and called upon the people to unite in the fight against militancy. Earlier, four Indian Army soldiers, including an officer, were killed in action during an encounter with militants in Jammu and Kashmir’s Doda district. “I am deeply…

[novumtimes]

In visuals: Terrorists shift focus to Jammu region

No civilian or security personnel had been killed in any terror-related incident in Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi since 2012. That changed on June 9, when terrorists killed nine pilgrims and injured 41 others – a clear signal that the Jammu region is the new focus of Pakistan-sponsored terrorists. According to data compiled by India Today and the New Delhi-based Institute of Conflict Management (ICM), 42 civilians and security forces have been killed in 29 incidents of terrorism in the Jammu region, nearly twice the number of such deaths in the Kashmir division since January 2023. The South Asia Terrorism Portal of the ICM shows 24 civilians and security personnel fell victim to terrorism-related incidents in Anantnag, Srinagar, Baramulla, Kulgam, Pulwama, and Shopian districts of Kashmir until June 13, 2024. At least 42 civilians and security personnel were killed in Jammu region compared to 24 in Kashmir between January 1, 2023 and June 13, 2024, data shows. During the same period, 17 civilians lost their lives in Rajouri district, and 25 security personnel laid down their lives in encounters and ambushes in the Poonch, Rajouri, Kathua, Reasi, and Udhampur districts, the data shows. As many as 53 civilians and 29 members of the Army, CRPF, and the Jammu and Kashmir Police were injured in terror-related incidents during this period. The terrorists’ strategy to shift the battleground to J&K’s Hindu-dominated Jammu division became evident when terrorists gunned down five people in Rajouri’s Dhangri village on the first day of 2023. Two children later died in an IED blast planted by the terrorists. Nearly a dozen armed personnel lost their lives in the ensuing months-long anti-terror operations in the jungles of the Pir Panjal range. The nation was up for another grief when terrorists ambushed and killed five soldiers in Poonch in April 2023. The attacks have since continued and expanded into more districts following the June 9 attack this year. DECODING ENEMY INTENTIONS The question on the minds of many Indians is: Why are terrorists targeting the Jammu region? It has become difficult for them to operate in Kashmir due to a crackdown on the terror ecosystem and funding. Additionally, the forests of the Pir Panjal serve as a natural hiding space for intruders. “Obviously, Kashmir is difficult to go to today,” said Lt Gen (retired) Syed Ata Hasnain, who commanded the Srinagar-based Chinar Corps. Strategic affairs expert Sushant Sareen said, “The center of gravity has shifted to this region. We should have woken up to this many years back.” In an interview with India Today TV, Lt Gen Hasnain said terrorists chose to attack the pilgrims’ bus in Reasi at a time when Narendra Modi was taking oath in a grand ceremony in Delhi to send a message. “One or more layers of (Pakistan’s deep state) decided that they needed to convey a message to the world that while the NDA government may be talking about its achievements, it has not got Jammu and Kashmir under control,” said Lt Gen Hasnain. Published By: Ashutosh Acharya Published On: Jun 14, 2024 Tune In Source link via The Novum Times

[maxhunt0616]

Exploring the Magnificent Ahmad Complex in Kashmir: A Journey Through Time

Nestled amidst the picturesque landscapes of Kashmir lies a gem of historical significance - the Ahmad Complex in Kashmir. This architectural marvel stands as a testament to the rich cultural heritage and intricate craftsmanship of the region. As a traveler, immersing oneself in the timeless beauty of Ahmad Complex offers a glimpse into Kashmir's glorious past and leaves an indelible mark on the soul. Join us on a journey through this majestic complex as we unravel its secrets and delve into the history that defines Kashmir's identity.

Ahmad Complex: A Glimpse into Kashmir's History

The Ahmad Complex, located in the heart of Kashmir, is a remarkable architectural ensemble that encapsulates the region's rich history and cultural heritage. Comprising a series of magnificent structures, including mosques, tombs, and gardens, the complex is a masterpiece of Mughal and Persian-inspired architecture.

One of the highlights of the Ahmad Complex is the stunning Shah Hamdan Mosque, dedicated to the revered saint Mir Sayyid Ali Hamdani. This exquisite mosque, with its intricately carved wooden interiors and majestic facades, stands as a symbol of spiritual devotion and architectural excellence.

Adjacent to the mosque lies the enchanting Khanqah-i-Moula, a revered shrine that holds deep religious significance for the people of Kashmir. Built in the 14th century, this sacred site attracts pilgrims and devotees from far and wide, seeking solace and blessings amidst its tranquil surroundings.

As you wander through the labyrinthine pathways of Ahmad Complex, you'll encounter a myriad of architectural wonders, from the ornate tomb of Mir Shams-ud-Din Iraqi to the serene gardens of Chashme Shahi. Each structure within the complex tells a story of bygone eras, reflecting the rich tapestry of Kashmiri history and culture.

Exploring Beyond Ahmad Complex: Unforgettable Experiences in Kashmir

While the Ahmad Complex stands as a testament to Kashmir's glorious past, the region offers a plethora of experiences for modern-day travelers to enjoy. From romantic boat rides on the serene Dal Lake to adrenaline-pumping adventures in the snow-capped mountains, Kashmir has something for everyone.

For honeymooners seeking a romantic escape, Kashmir offers an array of enchanting destinations, including the picturesque town of Pahalgam and the tranquil shores of Wular Lake. Adventure enthusiasts can indulge in thrilling activities such as snowboarding and skiing in Kashmir, and river rafting amidst the breathtaking landscapes of Gulmarg and Sonamarg.

No visit to Kashmir is complete without experiencing the timeless charm of its cascading waterfalls, such as the majestic Aharbal Falls and the captivating Krishansar Lake. Whether you're seeking adventure or serenity, Kashmir's natural beauty never fails to captivate the soul.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, the Ahmad Complex in Kashmir stands as a testament to the region's rich cultural heritage and architectural prowess. Exploring this magnificent ensemble offers travelers a unique opportunity to delve into Kashmir's storied past and immerse themselves in its timeless beauty. Combined with the myriad of experiences awaiting in Kashmir's breathtaking landscapes, a visit to Ahmad Complex promises an unforgettable journey through history and culture. Join us on an adventure through Kashmir's wonders and let the Ahmad Complex be your gateway to an enchanting world of discovery.

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Kashmir Great Lakes Trek: Discover the Pristine Himalayan Beauty

Introduction: Overview of Kashmir Great Lakes Trek

The Kashmir Great Lakes Trek is a mesmerizing journey through the picturesque landscapes of the Kashmir Valley, offering unparalleled views of pristine lakes, towering mountains, and lush meadows. This trek is renowned for its natural beauty and is a must-do for avid trekkers seeking an unforgettable experience in the Himalayas.

Key Highlights: Scenic Beauty and Landscape

One of the standout features of the Kashmir Great Lakes Trek is its breathtaking scenery. Trekkers traverse through verdant meadows adorned with vibrant wildflowers, pristine alpine lakes reflecting snow-capped peaks, and dense pine forests teeming with wildlife. Each day on the trail unfolds with new vistas that leave a lasting impression.

Difficulty Level: Terrain and Physical Challenge

The trek is graded as moderate to challenging due to its varied terrain and high altitude. Trekkers encounter steep ascents, rocky paths, and river crossings, requiring good physical fitness and endurance. Proper acclimatization and preparation are essential for a successful trek.

Best Time to Visit: Seasonal Considerations

The ideal time to embark on the Kashmir Great Lakes Trek is from July to September. During this period, the weather is relatively stable, with clear skies and mild temperatures, making it conducive for trekking. The trails are also accessible, and the landscapes are at their vibrant best with blooming flowers.

Route Details: Itinerary and Trail Information

The typical itinerary for the Kashmir Great Lakes Trek spans around 8-9 days, starting from Sonamarg and concluding at Naranag. The route covers iconic lakes such as Vishansar, Krishansar, Gadsar, and Satsar, each offering unique scenic delights and camping opportunities.

Camping and Accommodation: Overnight Stays

Camping is an integral part of the Kashmir Great Lakes Trek, allowing trekkers to immerse themselves in nature's embrace. Basic campsites are set up near the lakes or meadows, providing a serene backdrop for evenings under the starry sky.

Flora and Fauna: Biodiversity

The trek showcases a diverse range of flora and fauna native to the Himalayan region. Trekkers can spot rare Himalayan flowers like the blue poppy, primula, and potentilla, along with sightings of Himalayan marmots, ibex, and various bird species.

Cultural Insights: Local Traditions and People

The Kashmir Valley is steeped in rich culture and traditions. Trekkers have the opportunity to interact with warm-hearted locals from Gujjar and Bakarwal communities, experiencing their hospitality, cuisine, and folklore.

Safety Measures: Precautions and Tips

Safety is paramount during the Kashmir Great Lakes Trek. Trekkers should acclimatize properly, stay hydrated, and heed the advice of experienced guides. Carrying essential trekking gear, including trekking poles, first aid kit, and emergency supplies, is crucial.

Equipment Needed: Essential Gear and Packing List

Packing the right equipment is essential for a comfortable and safe trek. Some must-have items include sturdy trekking shoes, layered clothing for varying temperatures, sunscreen, sunglasses, and a reliable backpack.

Embark on the Kashmir Great Lakes Trek for an awe-inspiring adventure amidst nature's bounty. This trek promises unparalleled landscapes, cultural encounters, and unforgettable memories, making it a bucket-list experience for outdoor enthusiasts.

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

1. Is the Kashmir Great Lakes Trek suitable for beginners?

The trek is recommended for experienced trekkers due to its challenging terrain and high altitude.

2. What is the starting point of the Kashmir Great Lakes Trek?

The trek typically starts from Sonamarg in the Kashmir Valley.

3. Are permits required for the Kashmir Great Lakes Trek?

Yes, trekkers need permits from local authorities to undertake the Kashmir Great Lakes Trek.

4. How can I reach Sonamarg, the starting point of the trek?

Sonamarg is accessible from Srinagar, the capital city of Jammu and Kashmir.

5. What is the best way to prepare for the Kashmir Great Lakes Trek?

Adequate physical fitness, prior trekking experience, and acclimatization are essential preparations.

[go4explorewandernexplore]

Solo Trip to Kashmir: A Journey of Serenity and Adventure

Embarking on a solo journey to Kashmir unveils a tapestry of serenity and adventure woven into the very fabric of this enchanting region. With each step, the majestic landscapes of Kashmir unfold before the traveler's eyes, painting a portrait of breathtaking beauty against the backdrop of snow-capped peaks and verdant valleys.

As I traversed through this picturesque terrain, I found myself immersed in moments of tranquility, surrounded by the soothing melody of flowing rivers and the rustle of leaves dancing in the gentle breeze. Trekking along winding trails, I discovered hidden gems nestled amidst the emerald forests, each offering a glimpse into the raw magnificence of nature.

Yet, amidst the serenity, the spirit of adventure beckoned, leading me to explore the untamed wilderness that lay beyond. From exhilarating hikes to encounters with the local wildlife, every moment brimmed with the thrill of discovery and the joy of embracing the unknown.

But beyond the landscapes and adventures, it was the warmth of the Kashmiri people that left an indelible mark on my journey. Welcomed with open arms, I found solace in the genuine hospitality and kindness of the locals, who shared their stories and traditions with boundless generosity.

From savoring the rich flavors of Kashmiri cuisine to delving into the depths of its vibrant culture, each experience was a testament to the resilience and spirit of this remarkable land. And as I bid farewell to Kashmir, I carried with me not just memories of adventure, but a profound sense of peace and gratitude for having embarked on this unforgettable journey of serenity and discovery.

[vikartaa]

2 Terrorists, Including IED Expert And Sniper, Killed In J&K Encounter

The Pir Panjal forest has proved to be a challenge for the security forces in the last few years Srinagar: Two Pakistani terrorists were killed in Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri after a 24-hour-long encounter between security forces and terrorists. Four Army soldiers were killed in the gun battle in the Kalakot forests of Rajouri, while another injured soldier died today. One of the terrorist has…

[republic-world]

Emotional Farewell: Rifleman Ravi Cremated with Full Military Honors in Kishtwar"

A soldier's family in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar was preparing for his marriage in December but fate had something else in store as the braveheart laid down his life fighting terrorists in Rajouri district.

A soldier's family in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar was preparing for his marriage in December but fate had something else in store as the braveheart laid down his life fighting terrorists in Rajouri district.

The mortal remains of Rifleman Ravi Kumar Rana, the son of the soil, was brought in a decorated military vehicle from the border district of Rajouri to his home town Kishtwar, where thousands of mourners gathered to bid him a tearful adieu on Thursday.

Rifleman Rana of 63 Rashtriya Rifles made the supreme sacrifice in the service of the nation during an encounter in remote Narla village of Rajouri district on Tuesday. Two suspected Pakistani terrorists were also killed in the gunbattle which continued till Wednesday, also claiming the life of Kent, a six-year-old female Labrador of the Army's dog unit.

Emotional scenes were witnessed at the house of Rana at hilly hamlet Wasnoti-Galigarh, 15 kms from Kishtwar town, where his fiance joined the mourners and burst into tears.

"I have not imagined such a fate which has shattered my life… Had I known about such a happening, I would have met him for once and talked to him but could not do so as a respect for my family," she said amid wails from the family and friends.

The body of Rana was supposed to reach his home town after a wreath laying ceremony at a military garrison in Rajouri on Wednesday but bad weather did not allow helicopter operation and later his tricolour wrapped coffin was dispatched by road.

The body of the fallen hero reached his house by midnight and later it was taken in a procession to a nearby cremation ground Thursday morning amid high pitch sloganeering in praise of his sacrifice, nation and the Army. Anti-terrorism slogans also rented the air.

The cremation took place with full military honors, including a wreath laying ceremony and a gun salute. Kishtwar Deputy Commissioner Devansh Yadav, Senior Superintendent of Police Khalil Poswal and several politicians also turned up to pay their respects to the deceased soldier.

"The preparations for his (Rana's) marriage were in full swing when we heard the unfortunate news of his death, leaving all of us disheartened," Rajinder Singh Sen, a relative of the slain soldier, told PTI. He said Rana turned 26 this year and his marriage was scheduled for December 2.

"His father Subash Chander Rana is a farmer, having a total of four sons. His elder brother is also in the Army presently posted in Punjab. Rana had joined the Army about eight years ago and was a brave man," Sen said.

He said the popularity of the soldier can be judged by the participation of people in his funeral procession. "You can see all the eyes are moist over the loss of the braveheart." Paying rich tributes to the slain soldier, retired soldier Shiv Kumar said it is very unfortunate that terrorists have once again started their activities, which were evident with the killing of three Army and police officers in another encounter in south Kashmir's Kokernag. "Stern action is needed to be taken against terrorists to end this menace," he said.

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