In My Father's Shoes

The shoes that once carried a father's story now carry the next generation in the valley, with every step a lesson in life.

- Bashir Ahmad Dar

As a child, I often tried slipping my small, stout feet into my father's shoes. It was a game, an experiment, and a secret ritual I believed connected me to him.

Evenings in our home in Anantnag were filled with moments I could read like a clock. I would hide behind the wooden fence in our courtyard, peeking through the narrow gaps, waiting for the familiar sounds: the creak of the main gate, the tuk-tuk of his shoes on the dusty floor, and the faint scent of leather carrying traces of the day's labour.

Each sound signaled his return, the arrival of Baba, and with it, the world felt safe.

When he finally entered, I would move with care, almost like a cat, and slip my feet into those large, rough shoes. They carried dust, dreams, unspoken desires, and the evidence of toil.