I saw her at my sister’s wedding. She wasn’t the most beautiful there but I couldn’t help myself imagining my future with her. Like a typical guy, I approached her while she was alone and asked her for some dance together which she readily accepted. I noticed the spark in her eyes and her constant gaze that was struck on my eyes just as mine on hers, that moment made us realize that we were meant to be together. We met at a couple of functions after that and grew closer.
Every day we met over coffee. It was love, I could sense that in her eyes. I wanted to propose her for marriage, tell her the names I thought for our children. I decided to wait till Valentine’s. Two days before Valentine’s I was asked to report back to my duty on LOC and serve the nation. But this time, it became harder for me to leave. Not because I wanted to be with her on Valentine’s but because I wanted to be with her forever. I had planned everything from red roses to heart shaped balloons and a surprise gift along with a letter that would tell her how much I loved her. I made sure that she receives all this whether I may be there or not and that my love for her gets immortalized in her memories forever. I knew that I couldn’t be a part of those priceless moments and see her reaction because for a soldier the nation comes first and rest can wait, I left for my duty as per the orders.
I called my sister while on the way and she informed me that she was successful in giving the surprise to my love, I told her that I’ll be back in a month and will tell the parents about my plans of marriage. Then I decided to wish my Valentine and ask her about the surprise. I called her, she told me that she didn’t expect this and was crying since then. I asked her, “Will you marry me?” but I couldn’t hear a reply because of a loud explosive sound…
The next I opened my eyes, I saw that she was surrounded by the roses, the balloons, the gift and my letter. She was still crying, this time not because she was happy with the surprise but because she was told that I had left her… forever.
I never wanted to leave her, I loved her, I wanted to marry her, but I couldn’t understand what was happening. I could see her, but she couldn’t see me. I could hear her sobbing, but she couldn’t hear me. I kept on asking her, “Will you marry me?”, waiting for a reply but she couldn’t hear me. She was crying watching the news, the news said “40 JAWANS MARTYRED”. The news flashed the pictures of my mates and me. I couldn’t understand what happened. I heard her saying that she couldn’t hear my last words properly because of the loud explosive sound. I kept on repeating, “Will you marry me…?”, but she couldn’t hear me…
The loss faced by the families and the loved ones of the CRPF jawans martyred in the Pulwama attack is irrecoverable and the pain which they are going through is unmatchable. The loss that the nation has suffered is being witnessed across the country in the form of despair, gloom and an ardent desire for revenge and justice for the sons of mother India. They were soldiers, they had a right to live. Those who were martyred had the right to love their families and a right to get all the happiness that future had in store for them. The cowardly act had no right to take away those precious lives. They fought for us while we were asleep. They had their loved ones waiting for them, not to see them wrapped in the flag they went to fought for. Their family is of 125 crore Indians which they never met and yet never failed to protect as a father, a brother and a son.
This time 125 crore people felt “Jab hum baithe the gharo me, wo jhel rahe the goli…”. These jawans will continue to live in every heart to keep the “Josh high” for achieving a better, harmonious and peaceful India where all are respected equally irrespective of their gender, caste, religion or colour, where all women feel safe and where there is no corruption. Let’s pledge to become an India for which these brave souls gave up their lives. Jai Hind!
