Eyes Of Enemy

 Eyes Of Enemy

It was the arrival of rainy season in 1971 and the first shower of that season hits our Military Base at Jhansi (U.P). The aroma of earth wandering around and suddenly I was called my senior, Subedar karamveer Singh in the barrack. I am soldier Rab-rakhha, relatively new to army though, I had joined army almost a year ago, after the completion of my matriculation, and after training, I was posted to Jhansi Camp as a soldier of Great Indian Army. I am 17 year old.

I appeared before Subedar karamveer Singh and did a salute, “Jai Hind Sahibji”

Karamveer singh replied, “Jai Hind Rab-rakhha, how are doing?”

I replied, “Everything is fine Sahibji.”

Karamveer asked, “So how are enjoying the first shower of the season.”

I replied, “Very good Sahibji ….it induced the remembrance to appear into my eyes all again.”

Karamveer smiled and asked, “Are you married?”

I replied, “Yes Sahibji.”

Karamveer inquired, “How many years?”

I replied, “Don’t remember Sahibji …I only got married when I didn’t even know my name.” and therewith Subedar karamveer Singh and I, both started laughing. Karamveer suddenly stopped laughing yet a smile still persisted on his face and asked, “When did you last visit your village and family.”

“Not a single time since I joined, Sahibji,” I replied.

“Good now forget for the coming 6 more months at least as well, as I have got orders for your transfer ….you have been posted to Kashmir near LOC” and with that doom Karamveer handed over the posting letter to me.

Without opening it I asked, “Sahibji, when I have to resume my duty over there?”

Karamveer replied, “Coming Sunday…you have 4 day and don’t forget to take the warm clothes from canteen its very cold place.”

I replied, “Ohk Sahibji …..Jai Hind” and with “Jai Hind” I walked off from the eyes of Subedar Sahib.

After four days, I was standing in a deserted cold barren valley and the frost effect of weather freezing my whole body including my private parts. I was acting as If I was kid out there and everyone were considering me that very only excluding Captain Javed khan.

When I resumed my duty, Captain Sahib called me up and asked, “Since how long are you in army?”

I replied, “Almost One year, Captain Sahib,”

He enlightens his cigarette and asked, “So how do you like this place?”

 I replied, “It’s very beautiful out there Captain Sahib but I have never experienced this much of cold in my life.”

I continued, “I don’t know Captain Sahib how you all survive here? I am not used to it.”

Captain Sahib replied, “Don’t worry you also get used to it, just like us.”

Captain Sahib rested his hand on my shoulder and spoke in advising manner, “Always remember, don’t ever look into the eyes of enemy.”

He continued, “By the way, you are assigned to company 2, and company 2 guards the last check post at the border. So go and meet Subedar Rajaram and he will let you know about your duty.”

I replied, “Ohk Captain Sahib….Jai Hind.”

He also replied, “Jai Hind” and with those words, I left the barrack.

I looked for Subedar Rajaram and found him preparing the company 2 ready for the duty at last check post.

On his back I asked, “Rajaram sahib?”

He turned around, “Yes...”

I said, “Jai Hind Sahibji…I am Rab-rakhha from Jhansi Camp recently posted here and assigned to Company 2 for duty.”

He looked at me from top to bottom and replied, “You are indestructible”

I asked in perplexed manner, “Why Sahibji?”

He replied, “Because your name is “Rab-rakhha” that mean god saves you,” and all the soldiers standing out there started laughing.

Now Rajaram sighed, “So coming with us to the border?”

I replied, “Sahibji, no one asked me and even I haven’t yet issued my sniper and equipments for border.”

Rajaram replied in surprise, “So you are our Sharp-shooter.”

He addressed one soldier, “Joginder….go and get him ready for the border and also get him issued his sniper rifle and required equipment, we will move for the border in 30 minutes.”

After 30 minutes, I again met Subedar Rajaram, ready to move to the border. We proceeded to the border and on our way to border, I asked Joginder, “Captain Sahib told me not to look into the eyes of enemy, why so?”

Joginder replied, “I don’t know …he use to say this to everyone. Leave it, don’t take it seriously.”

Finally, we stepped down from the truck next to our check post and the already existed soldiers stepped up inside the truck, as soon as we walked inside the bunker and held their positions.

Rajaram made me familiar with the area by standing next to our bunker. He advised not to take a single step ahead from the bunker else, the enemy from the next bunker would shoot you down.

I asked, “That Banker is belong to enemy?” while point my finger towards it.

He answered, “Yes.”

I said, “That’s so much close, if I fling a stone from here it will surely bleed the head of enemy.”

Within few minutes, we all were on our respective position inside the bunker. I was so excited to look into the enemy bunker hence over looked and found out one enemy soldier directly looking at me.

At first, I thought for the words of Captain Javed Sahib but then I also looked at him with the same manner. When I looked into the eyes of that enemy soldier, I found him more like a friend than an enemy did.

I passed a smile to him and reciprocally, he did the same. He was looking relatively young from the other personnel inside his bunker.

Soon the Subedar Sahib tuned Vividh Bharti on Radio and a smile appeared on everybody’s face. After couple of minutes Subedar Sahib asked joginder, “Oye..Joginder… I guess we all are feeling the urge for tea.”

Joginder smiled and replied, “Sahibji …I guess you only feeling the urge,” and all started laughing lightly.

Joginder prepared tea for all of us and soon all who were inside the bunker holding their respective cups of hot tea. Now I looked at the enemy bunker again and, my eyes crossed with the eyes of that same enemy soldier, and I lifted my cup of tea as if showing my compliments. No one observed this activity of mine as everybody were busy listening to Subebar Sahib who was cracking jokes of his native village.

Slowly 2 I became use to the cold and my companions suggested me how can I defend myself from this deadly cold by rubbing Rum at my feet and hands before going to duty. A daily routine of exchanging gesture with that enemy soldier had started. One day I found him standing adjacent to the wall of his bunker, holding piece of paper and sadness prevailed on face. It made me sure that something wrong had happened to him.

I instantly called Subedar sahib and said, “Sahib, look at that enemy soldier…he is looking sad.”

Subedar sahib looked at him for a while then replied, “He must have got this piece of paper as letter from his family or wife…you know Rab-rakhha …I personally admire this soldier from the enemy bunker however I shouldn’t feel so as a soldier but as a human being no one can stop me feeling so.”

Subedar sahib continued, “He passes gesture to everyone but we avoid it as per Captain Sahib Orders.”

Subedar Sahib asked, “Do you exchange gesture with him?”

To prevent myself from the scolding of Subedar Sahib I denied saying, “No …I only exchange gesture with the gun barrel of enemy via my sniper”

Subedar Sahib smiled and took hold of his position.

With the course of time I developed a sense of friendship with that Soldier, we daily used to lift our cups of tea in welcome gesture. Sometime, he also consoled me from his eyes whenever I missed my family and got frustrated with the hectic duty at border however, my companions were also to do the same to me whenever they found me sad.

Time was walking with its velocity and the winter had shown its face with the first snowfall. However, in the streets of politics things were running so hot just like the summers of Delhi, and the clouds of war also came along, and Captain Sahib increased the number of soldiers in each company to safeguard the Post. Captain Sahib also shifted to our bunker with us from the base. As the stress was swelling up on our head and conversely our smiles, jokes, and laughter were squeezing down.

Finally, one cold night when the noise of breathing was merely there to distract the prevailed eternal silence and soon a sound of fire appeared with which a bullet just snuffed it near to my right ear and passed through the head of Joginder’s head and hit the wall. Therewith, the attentive soldiers also began firing in retaliation. Within moments, havoc prevailed down in the environment and the moments ago eternal silence disappeared somewhere in the valley due to the heavy sounds of firing.

Soon everybody took their positions wherever they got place to counter fire. For few moments, the Captain Sahib was not visible to anyone and Subedar Sahib holding his LMG and firing on the enemy bunker fiercely without any aim in that moonless night.

In a while, someone dragged me from the back and I saw one other soldier taking my position. I was lying down on the ground and saw Captain Saahib Standing on my head with two Machine guns. Apparently, captain Sahib relinquished one Machine gun and to hold it before it hits my chest I dropped my Sniper aside.

Now while keeping my head low under the cap, I followed Captain Sahib holding machine gun in left hand. After few moments, I found myself outside the bunker cling to the wall with four other soldiers.

Captain Sahib instructed us, “You three slip away in the right side, take advantage of the rocks, darkness and take on a safe position somewhere at the left side of the enemy bunker in three minutes and start engaging enemy when we start firing from the other side until that wait at your position.”

Suddenly, Captain Sahib opened one box of ammunition, which had lots of magazine and hand grenades. Within moments, we emptied the box and laden with the tons of ammunition and  we sneaked out in the moonless night as per instructions.

While sneaking out I asked one of my ahead soldier, “Was it pre-planned?”

He replied, “Yeah…it was pre-planned.”

I asked my next question, “then how come you know about this and I didn’t?”

The same soldier whom I was following answered, “Because, initially, joginder was part of plan however the first enemy bullet converted him into martyr and Captain Sahib dragged you out in the darkness accidently.”

I again fired question, “and what about Subedar Sahib?”

He again replied, “As per plan he will engage the enemy in face to face firing.”

Finally, somehow we found a place to take our position and waited for Captain Sahib to open the fire. However, soon I saw few enemy Soldier sneaking out the same way we did and I opened the mouth of my Machine gun on them and due effect my firing put us all into trouble. Enemy started firing in our direction in frantic manner. Although we were safe at our position and soon the direction for enemy firing changed its course from our side to another side and that means Captain Sahib had made up his position at the opposite side of the bunker.

Now as per plan, we engaged enemy from three sides and soon we pushed them at the back foot, now the enemy was only fighting for their survival and to break the left out resistance, we started moving closer to their bunker to hit the last nail at their coffins.

While moving closer to their bunker, a bullet appeared from somewhere and passed through the chest of one who was leading us and soon within couple of moments few more bullets hit his body with one bullet passed through his neck and hit the flesh of my shoulder, I was lucky enough that it didn’t hit the bone. However, in between the leading soldier had turned into martyr and directly descended on me as I was following him.

I tried to drag him but another soldier said, “Leave him, we need to reach the wall of bunker” and pushed me forward.

The body of martyr was laying on the ground and few more bullets hits him as if trying to confirm his death. I looked back at his body and due to anger blood appeared into my eyes with the blend of tears. Now I didn’t look back and we two left out soldiers keep on moving forward. Finally we made up to the wall of bunker and then I touched my wounded shoulder to check the wound and my hand turned out red due to the bleeding, I also realized that the blood traversing through my forearm and finally kissing the land of cold barren valley. Now my both the hands were greased out due to my own blood and made it difficult to properly hold the Machine gun.

I put my gun down and furiously rubbed my palms on the ground surface to make them rough so that I could properly hold my gun to do the final assault. My companion soldier took out two grenades and flings them in a way so that they would fall inside the bunker however only one fall reached the bunker and that too failed to burst although the second grenade burst up just outside the bunker and this created havoc inside as well as outside the bunker.

Now we two were left with one option to start firing in uncontrolled manner however soon I caught a glimpse of Captain Sahib and this made me feel little relax. Now I signaled my companion to provide me cover and enter the bunker as soon as I do so.

I replaced my gun’s almost empty magazine with the full one and took position of enter the bunker. Finally, I entered the bunker with a roar coming out from my mouth and gun as well and within moments, my companion followed me as per agreed instructions. Four enemy soldiers remained in the bunker and I quickly gunned down two of them.

Now I turned around and pointed my gun at the soldier whose fired bullet collided with my left out shoulder from back and for couple of moments we both froze out at our position with our guns, only the mild smoke was coming out from the barrel  and no bullets. The blood was visible in the eyes of both. However, our fingers were on the trigger not to pull the trigger but to hold the trigger from being pulled.

Meanwhile my companion gunned down the last remained enemy soldier.

Soon I heard a yell, “Rab-rakhha, shoot him down.” And I turned my neck around to look in the direction of voice. The voice came from the mouth of the Captain Sahib, who just entered into the bunker with his gun barrel pointing me.

Captain Sahib again yelled, “That’s my order” and simultaneously he hits me from his gun barrel to push me aside. Now as soon as Captain Sahib’s gun’s barrel hits my forearm, my finger unknowingly pulled the trigger and when I started falling down due to the force of Captain Sahib’s strike, few bullets which were resting in my gun’s magazine came into motion. First bullet hits his chest and as I was falling aside second bullet passed through his neck and before touching the ground the last bullet that came out from my gun’s barrel turned him into dead body as that bullet passed through his  forehead.

Now we both were lying on the ground, the only difference was that he was dead and I was still alive with few wounds on my body and those were visible to everyone standing out there. However, no one was looking at the wound that was caused due to the death of that enemy soldier but somewhere he was friend of mine. In the name of Country, I killed one enemy and in the name of humanity, I killed my own friend whose name was still unknown to me.

I sat down near to his body and looked at his face, the face was dead however, a smile was still there, and somewhere that smile was asking me the question, “why you killed me?”

Now Captain Sahib came closer to me, whispered in my ear, “I told you not to look into the eyes of Enemy,” walked away outside the bunker, and informed the base about our win over enemy.

Within few hours, all the dead and wounded soldiers sent to the base camp after initial first aid. After being discharged from the military hospital, I was sent to my village and then I never came back on duty, I never touched any gun. Even today that face preoccupy me in my dreams asking the same question again and again but still I don’t have any answer. I still don’t know his name, for me his name is “Enemy Soldier” and only his dead but smiling face and inquisitive eyes are alive in my memories. Subedar Rajaram was right, “god saves me” however God charged me a huge cost for doing such favor to me.