My Afghan Novel

[Al Hanif]

This is the first part of my Afghan Novel.

Whenever I have the time, I will come here and continue the story.

It isn't a real Novel as English is not my mother tongue.

It's just a mini-series of stories, because I have time to waste and it's been several years I haven't written.

I don't even know what is the title yet.

And as I am writing these lines, I don't even know what the story will be about either.


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It began like this. I never said anything. Nothing.
It's Ahmed Khan who made me talk. Ahmed. A student. We decided to meet after Dhur in a coffeehouse in Khost. He wanted to talk to me. I am now listening to him.

"Let's not stay outside" he told me. "Come in"

I enter with him into the coffeehouse. Here. There was no one in the streets, because of the heat, no cars, nothing. When it's cold in December, there is no one either, it's him, I remember, who told me about this : "People in Khost always look very busy, but actually, they are just having a walk, the proof is, when it's too hot or too cold, you don't see them in the streets, they all take refuge into coffees or in the mosques."


We took two seats at the rear of the room. Then the discussion went back to President Najibullah, who will be here tomorrow to inaugurate an exhibition on textiles, it was written on the Official People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan's newspaper : the "Parcham".

He went explaining that a group of rebels planned to assasinate him tomorrow and that this group needed someone able to manipulate explosives.

I immediately understood why I was sitting here, why he asked me to meet him today and why he didn't want us to stay outside.

I was the best chemistry student in Khost university.

The next hours were the most important of my life. I had to take a decision.

The meeting was tonight in a basement behind the taxi station.

I told him I'll be there but wasn't sure if I would actually participate.

But this is when our discussion ended because we heard a big BOOM coming from outside.

We went to see what happened and we saw dozens of trucks coming into our direction.

It was National troops entering into the city.

They came to "securize the event" of tomorrow.

[tor_khan]

Replace "coffee" for "tea".

[Al Hanif]

10pm, night prayer just finished. Men are leaving the big mosque for their homes.

Being at the appointment will be a lot harder than I imagined.

The city is completely surrounded. Guards are everywhere.

Two of them are beating a man who was transporting two big boxes on his motorcycle.

But I have an idea. As I was watching the crowd coming out of the mosque, I saw Kakay, a taxi driver, who is also a long-time friend.

I decided to cross the street to ask him : "Salam my friend, I need your help tonight". "Can you take me into your taxi until the station ?".

He asked me why I wanted to go to the station and I told him that "one of the guards asked me for my papers but I don't have them so I ran away and now they are searching me".

Of course, it wasn't true, but at that time, it was the simplest idea that came into my mind to convince him to hide me into his taxi until the station.

He eventually accepted to take me and I entered into the trunk. He threw everything he found on top of my body : one large wood board, plastic bags, shoes, mechanical tools, one spare wheel.

The journey to the station will be tough and I am preparing for all the bumps.

He turns on the engine and we take the main road that leads to the station.

20 minutes later, the car stops and I hear a voice. A guard is asking Kakay to open the trunk.

Kakay said :"I have nothing in the trunk, just random objects"

But the guard insisted so Kakay took out of his wallet 2 dozens of Afghanis and placed it into the guard's hand.

"Here you see, there is nothing at all" he said.

"I see, I see" the guard answered while counting the bills. "Now get out before I change my mind"

We eventually arrived in the station. I promised Kakar to give him back his money as soon as I'll be back home.

The house was not very far from the station but difficult to localize because hidden by long bamboo stems. I eventually found it with the help of my flashlight.


Here I found the right house. There is no sound at all, except that of the water stream nearby.

I am in front of the door. Three more steps and I enter into the unknown.

There is no sound. No light.

I open the door and enter into the house.

Complete darkness.

But a few seconds later I hear the sound of a lighter.

Someone is lighting up a gas mantle.

As lightness increases into the room, I see a dozen of men looking at me, all of them were completely shaved, except one, who had a moustache.

But I immediately saw that there was a problem. They were all dressed exactly like the guards. I realised that I have been caught into a trap.

Ahmed Khan was a Soviet agent.

Two men caught my arms and tied my hands with duct tape.

They installed me on a chair and approched the gas lamp.

The moustache guard, who also had a big scar on his face, approched to me and said : "This night you will experience your worst nightmare".

[Al Hanif]

"Sher Khan Mandozai" I answered when the moustache guard asked me with a threatening tone "What is your name ?"

My parents named me Sher Khan after Sher Shah Suri, the legendary founder of the Sur Empire. I always felt that my name was an omen that my future will be extraordinary.

"You know what I want so give me what I want" said the guard with the thick moustache

"What do you want ?" "I didn't do anything at all. Leave me alone." I answered

And this is when I received a huge slap on my face. It was so violent that my lips started to bleed.

"I want names" "Give me the names of your accomplices and we will release you" he said while lighting up a cigarette

"But I am not a rebel. I don't know anyone. I came here out of curiosity"

"Hahaha ! You hear this !" he said. Behind his big smile, appeared his big yellow rotten teeth tainted with nicotine.

"Bring the electric wires and the battery" he ordered to one of the other guards nearby who immediately opened the door and went outside.

The chief then crushed his cigarette on my chest. The pain was so extreme that I almost fainted but I did not scream. Probably because I knew it was only the beggining.

A few seconds later, the guard arrived with the electric wires and the battery.

The chief placed one of the wires on my right feet and asked again "are you sure you don't want to give names ?"

"I am not a rebel" I repeated

His hand, on the verge of inflicting me an electric shock was interrupted by the sound of a car engine coming in the direction of the house.

"Who is this" said the chief guard

"It's one of our cars" said one of the soldiers looking at the window

"Hide the battery and the wires" said the chief "and clean up the blood on his face" he screamed

The car stopped in front of the house.

Two men came out of the car and entered into the house.

One of them was Russian and the only person around me who was not dressed with a military suit. The other one was a Pashtun guard with a beard and long hair. On his military suit was written the name "Amir".

The Russian was a Spetsnaz agent who came to supervise the security and give advices.

He saw me and said "Is this Sher Khan Mandozai ? We have a lot of work tomorrow, so do not waste your energy with him"


I was shocked to see that this Russian man knew my name. I was even more shocked when the Russian man ordered to transfer me in another place tonight.

Two guards untied me and put me into the car.

I was sitting next to Amir who, all along the road, started bragging about the fact that he tortured several Pashtuns and even killed some.

It was pretty obvious that he became a higher ranked soldier because of his achievements.

We eventually arrived to the police station where I was placed into a room with a strong smell of cigarettes.

I was completely alone for 10 minutes, attached to the seat with handcuffs.

When the Russian man arrived with a cup of tea and two slices of bread. Followed by Amir the soldier waiting next to the door.

"How are you doing Sher Khan ?" "I am sure you are hungry" "I brought this especially for you" said the Russian agent

"Soldat Amir, take off his handcuffs, he needs to eat" he added

"I have a deal with you" he said while Amir set my hands free

"I know how bright you are" said the Russian. "We have a laboratory in Russia that lacks bright minds like you and I would like you to work for us"

[Admin Khan]

Interesting. *Subscribes to the thread*

[Joey_Gladstonezai]

"Soldat Amir, take off his handcuffs, he needs to eat" he added

"I have a deal with you" he said while Amir set my hands free

"I know how bright you are" said the Russian. "We have a laboratory in Russia that lacks bright minds like you and I would like you to work for us"