Loal Kashmir: Love and Longing in a Torn Land (2025) by Mehak Jamal is not just a collection of stories but it is a heartfelt tribute to the silent resilience of people who continue to love despite living in a land torn by conflict. Set against the hauntingly beautiful yet volatile backdrop of Kashmir, Loal Kashmir captures the delicate emotions of longing, separation, and hope through sixteen true-life narratives that are as moving as they are unforgettable. These are not tales of grand gestures or perfect endings, but of quiet courage and deep emotional bonds that survive amidst fear, curfews, and communication blackouts. The stories of this book reveal how people continue to love, dream, and hope even in the most difficult times.
Loal Kashmir brings to life the intimate struggles of lovers who are constantly interrupted by political unrest and societal uncertainty. Each story, whether it is about a bride waiting for her husband, a young man whose love letter never reaches its destination, or a couple trying to meet during shutdowns, echoes the same question: how do you express love when your world is constantly under siege? What makes Loal Kashmir even more powerful is its ability to show that behind every news headline, there are real people with real emotions and people who dare to love even when the odds are stacked against them.
Loal Kashmir draws its strength from its simplicity and honesty. Written in clear, evocative language, the book avoids melodrama and instead focuses on the quiet pain and beauty of everyday life in the Valley. Structured across three symbolic timeframes; Otru (day before yesterday), Rath (yesterday), and Az (today). Loal Kashmir reveals that for many Kashmiris, time stands still, yet emotions continue to evolve. The stories feel timeless because the pain and love they describe are ongoing, refusing to be locked into a specific moment in history.
Loal Kashmir is a deeply emotional read that shows how love is not just an escape but a form of resistance. Through Mehak Jamal’s sensitive storytelling, the book invites readers to see Kashmir not only as a place of political turmoil but as a land where human connection, longing, and affection endure in the most unlikely conditions.
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Availability and Formats of Loal Kashmir
Loal Kashmir: Love and Longing in a Torn Land by Mehak Jamal, published by Fourth Estate India on January 17, 2025, is available in multiple formats. The hardcover edition is 364 pages and priced at ₹389. The Kindle edition, which is easy to carry and allows adjustable reading, is available for just ₹336 making it a great option for readers who enjoy digital convenience. The audiobook, narrated by Pallavi Paranjape, is free with a 30-day Audible trial, offering a powerful and emotional listening experience. This book can be purchased from leading platforms like Amazon India, HarperCollins India, Goodreads, The Dogears Bookshop, and Audible. Whether you prefer reading on paper, screen, or listening on the go, Loal Kashmir is available in a format that suits your lifestyle.
About the Author: Mehak Jamal
Mehak Jamal is a filmmaker and writer from Srinagar, Kashmir, known for her compelling storytelling that delves into the complexities of human relationships amidst conflict. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Creative Arts in Film from the Srishti Institute of Art, Design and Technology, Bangalore (2016).
Her short film Bad Egg premiered at the 19th Indian Film Festival Stuttgart in 2022, winning the German Star of India – Audience Award. The film has been showcased at various international festivals, including those in Melbourne, Madrid, Chicago, Atlanta, Washington DC, Kerala, and Dharamshala.
Mehak co-wrote the feature film Love Hostel, produced by Shah Rukh Khan’s Red Chillies Entertainment. She has also contributed to web series such as Never Kiss Your Best Friend Season 2 on Zee5 and is currently writing for platforms like Disney+ Hotstar and Amazon.
In 2022, she was selected as a Writing Fellow at South Asia Speaks, a literary mentorship program, where she developed her debut book, Loal Kashmir: Love and Longing in a Torn Land, under the guidance of journalist Rahul Bhatia. The book, published by HarperCollins, is a collection of true stories exploring love and longing in Kashmir during times of unrest.
Mehak has also served as a script supervisor on several notable films, including The Sweet Requiem (2018), Chuskit (2018), and The Disciple (2021), which have received critical acclaim.
Currently based in Mumbai, Mehak continues to work on film and writing projects, bringing stories from her homeland to a broader audience.
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Key Themes Explored in Loal Kashmir
This debut work by the Kashmiri filmmaker and writer offers an intimate portrayal of how affection persists even when communication is severed, and connections are tested by political turmoil.
- Cross-border Love: In Loal Kashmir, love often crosses not just emotional but physical and political boundaries. One story explores the relationship between a Kashmiri woman and a Palestinian man. However, this cross-border love feels oddly voyeuristic and lacks emotional depth. The connection between the lovers, despite the distance and improbability, is not convincingly explored. The book does not adequately address where such resilience in love comes from, especially in such extreme circumstances. This leaves the reader questioning the emotional truth of such a bond.
- Cancelled Weddings: Love in Loal Kashmir is constantly threatened by the weight of political conflict. Weddings moments typically filled with joy and portrayed as acts of resistance. In one powerful moment, a bride-to-be reflects on her fiancé’s memory of a 1980s wedding, where even the pounding of meat was done in silence under surveillance. This highlights how celebrations in Kashmir are often shadowed by fear and restraint. The recurring theme of cancelled or muted weddings shows how the idea of normalcy is repeatedly disrupted.
- Exiled Lovers: Many of the love stories in Loal Kashmir are marked by forced separation. Lovers are exiled either by migration, political conflict, or societal pressures. Jamal occasionally includes updates on where these lovers are now, as if trying to offer closure. However, this narrative choice raises questions about the intended audience and the book’s obligation to them. The stories rarely explore how lovers maintain bonds across time and space leaving the emotional cost of exile underdeveloped.
- Migration and Loss: Migration in Loal Kashmir is not a new event but a continuing reality. Stories show how leaving one’s homeland is not just physical displacement but also emotional fragmentation. Exile becomes a slow negotiation with grief. These tales reveal that even in seeking safety or opportunity, individuals carry their longing with them. The storytelling is at its most effective when it focuses on this ongoing loss as in the story “Matador,” where a Kashmiri Pandit grapples with identity and betrayal in a region where everyone is trying to survive.
- Love under Surveillance: Surveillance is a constant in Loal Kashmir, shaping even the most personal expressions of love. In the story “Love Letter,” a young boy is caught during a military crackdown while carrying a letter to his beloved. Surprisingly, the soldiers make him read it aloud, not out of cruelty, but as a break from their own exhaustion. Still, this moment is unsettling because it flattens the deep power imbalance equating the soldier’s fatigue with the humiliation of the boy. Such scenes reflect how love becomes exposed and vulnerable under watchful eyes.
- Repetitive Trauma Due to Ongoing Conflict: Time in Loal Kashmir feels frozen. Though the book is divided into sections labeled yesterday, today, and the day before yesterday, the stories live in an eternal present. Trauma is repeated in different forms internet shutdowns, militarisation, crackdowns creating a sense that nothing changes. This repetition reflects the emotional fatigue of those living through it. While some stories succeed in capturing this reality with depth, others lean too heavily on documentary-style explanation, which at times dulls the emotional power of the narrative.
- Love Amidst Silence and Separation: In Loal Kashmir, love is portrayed not merely as an emotion but as a resilient force that endures despite the barriers imposed by conflict. The stories illustrate how lovers manage the challenges of curfews, communication blackouts, and societal restrictions. For instance, Javed’s experience of being caught in a crackdown while carrying a love letter underscores the vulnerability of personal expressions in a militarized environment. Similarly, Khawar and Iqra’s reliance on handwritten letters during a communication blackout exemplifies the lengths to which individuals go to maintain their bonds.
- The Intersection of Love and Identity: Loal Kashmir also explores the complexities of identity in a region marked by religious and cultural diversity. Stories like that of a Pandit boy adopting multiple identities to continue his relationship with a Muslim girl highlight the societal pressures and risks associated with interfaith relationships. These narratives reveal how love often challenges and transcends entrenched societal norms, offering a nuanced perspective on the interplay between personal desires and communal expectations
- Resilience in the Face of Adversity: The characters in Loal Kashmir embody resilience, demonstrating how love becomes an act of quiet defiance against the backdrop of repression. Their stories are testaments to the human spirit’s capacity to find connection and meaning even in the most trying circumstances. Whether it is a couple proceeding with their wedding during a lockdown or individuals maintaining relationships across borders and barriers, these accounts underscore the enduring nature of love.
- A Chronicle of Unheard Voices: By focusing on personal narratives, Loal Kashmir brings to light the often-overlooked human experiences within the broader discourse on Kashmir. Mehak Jamal’s storytelling provides a platform for voices that are frequently marginalized, offering readers a deeper understanding of the region’s emotional scene. The book serves as a reminder that amidst political debates and media coverage, the everyday lives and loves of individuals continue, marked by both hardship and hope.
In essence, Loal Kashmir is a compelling exploration of love’s persistence in a land fraught with conflict. Through its heartfelt narratives, the book invites readers to witness the strength of human connections that endure against all odds.
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Powerful Quotes from Loal Kashmir That Reveal the Depth of Love in Conflict
These moving quotes from Loal Kashmir by Mehak Jamal capture the raw emotions, silent strength, and deep longing experienced by lovers separated by shutdowns, surveillance, and unrest. Each quote offers a glimpse into how love survives even thrives under pressure.
- “Woh waqt koi aur tha.” (“That was another time.”)
This quote captures the central irony in Kashmir. It reflects how the past and present blur in Kashmir, where time feels repetitive due to ongoing conflict. Although characters say “that was another time,” the harsh realities they faced then are often still present today. This shows how Loal Kashmir explores the cyclical nature of pain and longing in the region.
- “They wanted the world to remember how bravely they had fought, but equally how fiercely they had loved.”
In Loal Kashmir, this quote highlights the duality of the people’s experience while they endure conflict and struggle, their capacity for love remains strong. It shows the book’s purpose: to share stories of both bravery and deep emotional connection, emphasizing that love is a powerful force even in a torn land.
- “The soldiers… wanted a break from the crackdown as much as Javed did.”
This line from Loal Kashmir reveals a complex human moment amid conflict, where soldiers and civilians both feel exhaustion. It challenges the typical narrative by showing a brief, shared humanity in a tense situation. The book uses such moments to deepen the understanding of life in Kashmir beyond black-and-white portrayals.
- “Out here, they were all Kashmiris first.”
This quote from Loal Kashmir reflects how survival in Kashmir transcends religious or ethnic divides. It underlines a theme of unity amid conflict, where shared identity and hardship sometimes override differences. The book shows that in extreme situations, people’s common humanity shines through.
- “In Kashmir, there is always someone in the background playing his own game.”
This powerful statement from Loal Kashmir captures the underlying tension and complexity of life in the region. It suggests that unseen forces constantly influence the lives of individuals, shaping love, loss, and survival. The book uses this to highlight the unpredictable and controlled nature of existence in Kashmir.
- “Then he said the one line that Beena would remember forever; a line that she cherished and that still gives her goosebumps; a line she remembered during those days of uncertainty leading up to the wedding. It’s the line she tweeted before the Wi-Fi got cut, and the line that she saw, weeks later, had been retweeted hundreds of times and had even been featured in a Buzzfeed article. Sakib said in a soft voice, ‘I will walk to you if I have to.’”
This quote from Loal Kashmir captures the depth of emotional commitment in the face of uncertainty and disconnection. Sakib’s promise reflects how love in Kashmir is not only emotional but also physical a determination to overcome curfews, shutdowns, and fear. His words, shared online just before the Wi-Fi was cut, became a viral symbol of unwavering love in conflict. Loal Kashmir shows how even small words carry powerful meaning when spoken during turbulent times.
- “What had gone through their minds when they were away from one another? What were the first words they uttered when the phone lines worked again?”
This emotional line from Loal Kashmir speaks to the pain of separation and the intense relief of reconnection. In a region where communication is often cut without warning, lovers are left with silence. The quote captures both the loneliness and the joy of finally hearing a familiar voice. The book gently asks what love sounds like when it has been held in silence and what it feels like when that silence finally breaks.
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Why You Should Read and Buy Loal Kashmir
Loal Kashmir: Love and Longing in a Torn Land is a moving collection of real stories of love, pain, longing and hope of the people of Kashmir. In a place where conflict and silence often take over, this book shows how love still survives in constant fear. It shares true accounts of lovers separated by shutdowns, families waiting during curfews, and messages lost in communication blackouts.
What makes this book special is how it focuses on the human side of Kashmir. Instead of just conflict, you will read about emotions we all understand love, loss, waiting, and dreaming. Through storytelling, Mehak Jamal gives voice to people who are often unheard and reminds us of their courage to feel deeply, even in difficult times.
The book has received wide praise:
- “A debut at its finest” – Sonia Faleiro
- “A breath of fresh air” – Neerja Mattoo
- “Heart-breaking and subversive” – Rahul Bhatia
- “Subtle [and] uplifting” – Anuradha Bhasin
- “Traverse[s] polarities of beauty and tragedy” – Farah Bashir
- “A poignant, timely love letter to all the heartbroken and hopeful Aashiqs of Kashmir” – Mirza Waheed
- “A fierce insistence on loving turns into another weapon in what is no less than a battlefield” – Sanjay Kak
If you are looking for a heartfelt, thought-provoking read that shows the emotional strength of ordinary people in Kashmir, Loal Kashmir is a book you should not miss. It will make you feel, think, and remember.
Final Thought
Loal Kashmir ends not with answers, but with echoes; echoes of love stories interrupted, of longing that lingers, and of pain that quietly continues. Mehak Jamal does not try to solve the conflict or explain it away. Instead, she lets the silence, the heartbreak, and the stolen moments of connection speak for themselves.
What makes this book stand out is its honesty. It does not dramatize or decorate; it simply presents real people trying to hold on to something beautiful in a place that keeps breaking. From weddings under curfew to love letters read out during crackdowns, each story feels both deeply personal and universally human.
In the end, Loal Kashmir is not just about Kashmir. It is about what it means to love in impossible situations. It is about memory, survival, and the quiet courage of staying soft in a hard world. This book leaves you with a heavy heart but also a deeper understanding of how love can persist even when everything else is lost.
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