Chintan and Shiraz wrap up their productive email exchange with a hope that others will take up the baton

From: Chintan Girish Modi ([email protected])
To: Shiraz Hasan ([email protected])
Date: Fri, 21 Sep 2012
Subject: Khuda Hafiz

Dear Shiraz

Chintan Girish Modi

Now that our ‘Conversations’ series is coming to a close, I feel a bit wistful. I am going to miss the joy of writing to you every week, and waiting to read your letters. However, before we wrap this up, I’d like to tell you how great it has been. And not only in terms of a symbolic friendly exchange between an Indian and a Pakistani.

I think this exchange of letters created moments for us to step out of those identities and connect with each other as people with a bunch of shared interests and much hope amidst the madness that goes on around us.I am filled with much gratitude towards the Aman ki Asha platform that hosted these conversations, particularly the editor Beena Sarwar who encouraged the idea and kept us going despite the delays on our end, given our hectic work schedules. I am also grateful to everyone following these conversations in print and online; of course, to you, my friend, for participating in this with such joy and regularity. And for helping me get to know more about a country I feel a close bond with.

Hope to see you in person, Inshallah.

Much love
Chintan

From: Shiraz Hasan ([email protected])
Cc: Chintan Girish Modi ([email protected])
Date: Mon, 24 Sep 2012
Subject: Re: Khuda Hafiz

Hello Chintan,

Shiraz Hassan

How are you doing? I just reached back from Lahore and checked your letter. Our ‘Conversations’ via these letters are going to end this week. I was really a nice experience to share thoughts with a friend from across the border and I must thank Beena Serwar for providing the platform of Aman ki Asha to share the thoughts between people from Pakistan and India. Conversations must continue and I hope we’ll soon read letters from more friends from India and Pakistan.

I was really a memorable experience. Sharing my thoughts with you and other readers about the culture, heritage, politics, literature and much more. I was pleasure to read your letters, knowing about how things are going in India, your thoughts about Pakistan and hopes for long term peaceful relations. I also hope people who read these conversations also enjoyed them, and found in them a different perspective of both sides of the border. Let’s hope for a better and more peaceful South Asia. We must keep working for it.

Best regards, hope to meet you someday.

Shiraz

Shiraz Hassan (@shirazhassan) is a journalist, photographer and researcher in Islamabad.Chintan Girish Modi (@chintan_connect) is a schoolteacher, writer and researcher in Mumbai.