Watching cinema scope movies in Peshawar does not come without some hazards unique to this historical city.

I had heard about an old cinema in Peshawar from yesteryears where cinema owners had contrived to make several holes in the cinema roof. Story had it that these holes would come handy, once the movie-watchers (mostly tribesmen) were excited by some emotional scenes and would take to aerial firing to give vent to their emotions.

My Charsadda friend also knew of a cinema where the screen was tattered by indiscriminate firing by movie-watchers -- once again mostly valiant tribesmen - wanting to express their solidarity with the hero, who was being constantly wronged by his villainous opponents.

These somewhat ludicrous traditions of Peshawar cinema were from good old days, as modern day has seen almost all cinemas in Peshawar rocked by bombings, causing heavy loss of life and property.

It was with these mixed feelings of bemusement and fearful expectancy when I took to Badar Munir Road, near Kabuli Bazar in Qissa Khawani area of old Peshawar city for exploring the cinema scene. I was informed by my friend that it was in one of the two cinemas on Badar Munir road, Picture House and Tasvir Mahal, where he had many years ago watched Pashto classic love story, Yousaf Khan and Sheher Bano.

I was pleasantly surprised to learn about this folk love story in Pashto, which, according to my Charsadda Khan, was just as powerful as Heer Ranjha of Punjab or Sassi Punnu and Umer Marvi of Sindh. I was also excited to learn that it was in the movie titled, Yousaf Khan and Sheher Bano that the legendary Pashto hero, Badar Munir, had made his maiden appearance. My proud Pashtun friend was also adamant that unlike the flute-playing Ranjha of Punjabi love story, the legendary gun of Pashto lover Yousaf Khan would much rather sing death song to his treacherous adversaries.

Unfortunately, none of the two existing cinemas in Kabuli Bazar was presently showing this fascinating love movie from golden days of Pashto cinema.

However, that only fuelled the passion of my friend who then and there announced that we would be travelling to Kara Mar hills in the sleepy hinterland of Swabi where this love saga unfurled many centuries ago. "Pashtun are just as passionate about love as they are about revenge and animosity and that is what I am going to show you in Kara Mar hills", announced Khan as he put me in his car to visit the scene of famous Pashto love story, Yousaf Khan and Sheher Bano.

Leaving Mardan and passing through Baghdada area, we reached our destination, Shava Adda which I thought was a Hindu name, but was immediately corrected by the Khan of Charsadda telling me that Shava means Shisham tree in Pashto.

However, Hindu mythology or not, the moment we left our vehicle, the beautiful spell spun by the picturesque landscape of Kara Mar hills near Shava Adda convinced me that a more befitting spectacle for enactment of this love story could not be imagined. Shava Adda bazar and village exist amidst towering hills of Kara Mar range on one side and endless, fertile green fields dotted with rows of towering poplar trees on the other side.

I was informed that Kara Mar had a central role in the love story so we would be travelling right to the foot of this range, wherefrom we would try to follow the sequence of events in this historic love story. My friend had arranged our meeting with some local elders at the foot of picturesque Kara Mar hills where I was to be told this traditional love story of Pashto origin.

Yousaf Khan belonged to Tulanday village while Sheher Bano hailed from nearby village Shera Ghund which literally meant packs of tigers (or maybe leopards). Shera Ghund existed in close proximity of Kara Mar hills which abounded in those days with game of all variety. During winters, tigers and leopards from adjacent hilly jungles would come to Kara Mar range hence the name Shera Ghund.

Yousaf Khan was a renowned shikari (hunter) of the area who would regularly pass through Shera Ghund area on his way to his hunting grounds in Kara Mar area. Lore has it that Yousaf Khan and Sheher Bano met at a water collecting point and Cupid faithfully knit the hearts of the hunter and comely lady for all times to come.

Notwithstanding the typical shenanigans of jealous rivals and relatives, the saga continued until one day, Yousaf Khan had the misfortune of going for hunting in Kara Mar hills with his jealous rivals. Finding this a golden opportunity to avenge their hatred against Yousaf Khan, his wily companions threw him down a steep precipice where he was perilously entangled in a pine tree. Thinking him dead, his faithful dogs ran back to Shera Ghund village, and by their incessant barking, had Sheher Bano running to the dangerous precipice for rescuing his beloved from the dangerous hilly labyrinth.

Village elders shared all these details with us as we sat near a beautiful natural water spring, Pamanay Cheena, in the foothills of Kara Mar hill range. I was informed that this was the same water spring where the two lovers had met for the first time.

This water spring is accredited with great healing potentials, which some believe is a testimony of the truthfulness of the love story.

A more picturesque setting for a love story cannot be imagined than the one around Pamanay Cheena, where the valley opens as a big bowl full of beautiful olive trees and unending strips of green fields. As you run your eyes along these olive-covered plains, the landscape suddenly changes, as towering hills on borders of Swabi and Buner close this valley as a great amphitheater. The western side of this great hilly amphitheater is closed by Kara Mar hills starting near the water spring with miraculous healing powers. Melodious chirping of Seesee and Partridge was evidence that even to this day the area abounds in wild birds and animals.

To my Charsadda Khan, these birds were actually singing homage to the spirits of the two lovers even after a lapse of around five centuries.

After hectic climbing, we finally reached the pinnacle of Kara Mar hills where we came across mounds of stones signifying the lasting legacy of Yousaf Khan and Sheher Bano. Being a sensitive topic, my Charsadda Khan was very careful in his inquiries to the local elders who even in their advanced ages did the hectic climb with a lot of agility.

Our local hosts explained that there are different accounts of the two lovers’ deaths. One of the accounts has it that both were happily married and Yousaf Khan died afterwards while undertaking a perilous hunt on the wish of his wife Sheher Bano. According to another one, fed up with treachery and villainous antics of his cousins, Yousaf Khan had sought service with Emperor Akbar who was amazed at his bravery. Taking him to be dead, his treacherous cousins were on the point of arranging a new marriage for Sheher Bano when Yousaf Khan got wind of these villainous designs and reached Shava Adda as the head of a contingent of Imperial Army. There, impersonating as a Sadhu, he learned all about the treachery and with the help of his troops, settled scores with all enemies. This was followed by the lovers’ brief reunion, after which Yousaf Khan was once again lured into the same creepy ravine to finally meet his tragic death. Sheher Bano could not stand the travails of life without Yousaf Khan and soon breathed her last.

Both lovers were apparently buried atop the Kara Mar hill where a mound of stone is all that remains of the two lovers.

These last accounts of the loving couple were narrated by an aged elder who had walked ahead of us in that extremely trying terrain.

Unlike Ranjha or Majnoon, Yousaf Khan from Kara Mar appeared a class apart who would not mind changing his love songs with crescendo of bullets from his gun. I could clearly discern an air of pride as Khan of Charsadda continued translating Pashto accounts from village elders in Urdu for my benefit.

When we finally took our leave, our aged guide said something in Pashto to my friend, Khan of Charsadda which sent his eyes sparkling with a strange joy and pride.

He remained silent throughout our journey from Kara Mar to Swabi road where suddenly our vehicle came to a halt. And it was there that I realised what were those parting comments from our elder host on Kara Mar hills. I suddenly realised that I was standing in front of a mausoleum of Shaheed Karnal Sher Khan of Nishan-i-Haider fame, close to Shava Adda. My Charsadda Khan with a fixed gaze explained that he was ordained by our elder hosts to take me to the final resting place of this most valiant soul from Swabi who had sacrificed his life in the love of his motherland.

"Love is a centuries old passion in our part of the world and it takes all shapes. Boundless love for motherland transformed Karnal Sher Khan in a one man army whose valour was acknowledged even by his enemies," said Khan.

I could see the common thread of love and valour running through hills and vales of beautiful Swabi land and as I got back inside our car after offering prayers at the martyr’s grave, the radio in the car was playing a Pashto love song from the old Pashto movie, Yousaf Khan and Sheher Bano.

Khuwala Mey Rasha Da Khunda oh Raze Di (Come to me, my beloved; these are days of mirthful joy)