Women in woods

As for Zoon, she has two daughters and both are living happily with their husbands now. “My husband who was a carpenter now looks after the small piece of farmland that we own while I stay here with animals,” says Zoon. “If you ask me for a reason that why I am staying here in this jungle when I have a house in Brenwar, I have no reason at all. Maybe it is out of habit that I am staying here. Or maybe I am fed up of the mundane life that Brenwar offers,” says Zoon.

They don’t even sell the milk they get from the cows. “Unlike other herdsmen we don’t earn anything from our stay here. It is just a way to connect with the nature,” explains Zoon.

Last year, before Khatoon’s husband’s death, they had decided to call it a day and never to come back to Heyjin. But it was on Khatoon’s request that Zoon agreed to spend one more year in Heyjin. “She (Khatoon) was really shaken when her husband died. I just wanted to make her feel comfortable and there couldn’t be a better place than this to forget your worries,” says Zoon.

When asked how they spend their day in this jungle without anybody around, Khatoon says, “Our life is simple. All day we collect wood from the jungle. We don’t have to worry about food as we stock everything.”

Despite old age both Zoon and Khatoon still trek most challenging hurdles in Heyjin. They know the jungle like back of their hands. “We used to camp at far off places like Korag-Discal. But now our age doesn’t permit us to go too far. This year we decided to stay here for the entire season,” says Khatoon.

For most of the summers, Zoon and Khatoon stayed all alone in Heyjin as other herdsmen moved to the higher grazing fields deep into the jungle. “There is nothing to fear as long as you don’t disturb the wild life. There are wild animals but we are used to this life now,” says Zoon.

Zoon remembers how she used to accompany her grandfather who earned his living by taking care of sheep owned by people living in far off places like Srinagar, Baramullah, Ganderbal, etc.

Even during peak militancy when these pastures were frequented by both army and militants, Zoon and Khatoon did not miss a summer. “There used to be huge number of men-in-uniform in upper reaches a decade back. But now things are back to normal,” says Zoon.

Zoon and Khatoon say that there are many stories about army men staying at Gujjar Kothas during 90’s but they have never experienced anything personally. “There are stories, rather legends about how herdsmen were harassed by army or how sheep used to vanish during night but we were always fortunate not to experience any such thing,” says Zoon.

For Zoon and Khatoon, Brenwar is like a metropolis city where life has picked pace unexpectedly. “When we were kids there was no road connectivity to our village. One had to walk miles to reach the Brenwar. It was like an extension of Heyjin then,” remembers Khatoon.

But things started changing after state government identified Brenwar as a potential place to generate hydro-electricity from Doodh Ganga stream. The project was allotted to a non-local who laid pipeline across the meadows of Heyjin for the power station. “It has ruined the natural look of this place,” says Zoon while pointing towards huge pipeline that runs along the meadow deep into the jungle. “It is an eyesore,” adds Khatoon.

Brenwar which is known for its fine quality walnuts is often referred as the dead-end village of Budgam district. There are just nine private sumo taxis and one big passenger size bus that play between Chadoora and Brenwar daily. But none of them actually takes you to the main village. These vehicles stop some two kilometers from Zoon and Khatoon’s house in Brenwar. One has to ascend almost a mile to reach the old Brenwar area.

There is hardly any traffic playing on Brenwar roads except that of a newly christened mini hydel power project.  The narrow dirt road which is meant only for heavy vehicles ends at Brenwar village almost dramatically. The only sound that is heard in Brenwar is that of Sang-e-Sufaid Kul (Doodh Ganga stream) that separates the village from farmlands and orchids. Sang-e-Sufaid Kul originates from the heart of Pir Panjal Mountains near tourist resort Yusmarg.

The narrow road that leads one out of the village and into the wild meadows is decorated with small wooden shops on either side. These shops, which look like expensive sets from a period movie, actually keep Brenwar buzzing with life and activity. During winters when all agriculture related activities are put to rest, people sit on wooden porches outside these shops and indulge in heartily gossip about city life and all. But entire village wears a deserted look in summers as people are busy tending to their fields.