Fifty-eight km away from Muzaffarabad is Chakoti on the Line of Actual Contact. Uri is just 10 km away, Baramulla 51 and Srinagar 121 km. It's strange waving to the Indian post on the other side. Pakistanis who are with us say they also would like to see the day when they can wave to a Pakistani post from the other side.
On the way back we stop for lunch at Chinari village. A crowd gathers to watch us. An old man who says he is 84 years of age grasps my hand in a surprisingly strong grip. His beard is dyed black and he wears a splendid headgear. He is no isi spook. Born in Chinari, he has lived here all his life. It was a touching moment. The old man said: "Yeh Allah ka kaam hai ki hum aapko dekha aur aap hamein dekha. Zindagi mein kuch pata rahta nahin (I saw you and you saw me...it's all Allah's work. In life you can't say anything)." As we stand on the road, only one thing appears certain: I'm on the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad highway, shaking the hand of an old man whose name I do not know and the distance to Srinagar is considerably less than 183 km away.
