The Meal That Told the Truth

I went to eat with my friends, expecting a simple meal. What I found instead revealed a truth so unsettling that it still haunts me.

- Nusrat Hassan

That day began like any other. The sky over Srinagar hung heavy with an air of exhaustion. My friends and I were on our way to campus, passing through the crowded streets, each of us carrying the fatigue of early classes and relentless deadlines.

We decided to stop for a meal near the varsity gate, where small restaurants cater to students and workers.

The eatery looked ordinary, the place you pass by without a second thought, except today it became the stage for something much bigger.

We ordered chicken. Nothing special, just an attempt to restore our energy.

When the food arrived, we ate without hesitation. But within two bites, everything changed.

The chicken was wrong, slimy and heavy. It tasted as if it had already died twice before reaching my mouth.

A sour, rotten smell wafted up. My throat burned, my stomach recoiled. My friends’ faces mirrored mine: a mixture of shock, fear, and disbelief.