Stories About Life

SERVICE

I reloaded the gun and held my breath. My heavy breaths were loud in my ears in this dense forest. As the trees rustled breezily leaving the pitch-black darkness free to my eyes, I turned to look at my buddy. He was the person I always turned to when I had to relax my mind. But in this pitch-black dark forest for which our eyes had gotten so used to I only saw the short plant that was breathing in our necks. The audible sigh made me escape an emotional drop of tear which I hadn't know that I was holding back from falling.

Though I had said the forever goodbye to my buddy with his blood-soaked chest pressed tightly by my hand and his head which was heavy due to the service of the country on my lap I still remember the last words he uttered as his shuddering breaths tried to leaves his nostrils. "Machan, don't leave them machan. Kill them all machan. Kill them", as he uttered the words and his eyes began to drift my breath held tight. But he opened his eyes again as though remembering that he still had a duty left to be said he muttered again. "Tell my family I am sorry machan. For leaving without completing my duty. For leaving before him. Tell them I am sorry. And lastly kiss my chooti duu for me machan. Show my love to her machan. Don't leave them machan. Kill h-".

Time was a cruel thief and before he could finish his sentence death had welcomed him to his unworthy hands. The war beaten land had covered my heart's flesh with a wall of metal chunks and I only had to wipe away an imaginary tear though my heart was heavy with burden and unpromised promises I shut my buddy's eyes and lifted him to the camp.

Though it had been six months from this uneventful happening I can still fell my buddy's lifeless form over my shoulder. It's been a long time but still I wasn't able to fulfill my unpromised promise. Being in the war front hadn't made me able to have a holiday for a long time and I don't think that even having a holiday and resting on a comfortable bed will make the always constant firing noises to go from my head. Its always loud in my ears though I am in the war front or not. I sighed again and faced the front line as the buddy in my memory had given me his knowing smile and reassuring nod.

As we moved forward with less noise a sudden revolting sound issued form among the trees in front of us and we started firing. We fired left and right with the sound of empty bullet falling to the ground echoing in our ears. I ran front with my eight man team and fired. I did not want to leave the unworthy sons and daughters alive who had been a part in putting my buddy's life end in half.

I moved to my left and kept on firing. Dead bodies were falling down like flies before my eyes. A wicked smile crept up my face. They had to pay the price. They had killed my poor buddy and now they had to pay the price for their deed. Though being in the war had toughened us to the highest we still had that soft spot that was reserved to our loved ones.

The dark night was ablaze with the gunshots. The silent night was deafened with the constant racket of the bullets. A bomb blasted here and there and luckily enough for me I was yet on my feet. I couldn't even go near the blasted area as that would result in making my spot weak in strength. I kept on going forward thinking that 'if this is the last day for me I am brave and strong enough to face it. But I will not go alone. I will go taking many with me and yet I will face the grim reaper with a proud smile on my face. Proud that I have done the expected duty to my country. Proud that I am dying in this war field as a brave soldier who faced the death bravely on its eyes'. My head was filled with motivated thoughts even though I felt my fingers go numb by shooting constantly. But I didn't have a second to dawdle. Its my country at stake here.

All it took was a second. A sudden ringing in my ear and a loud blast made me fly back in surprise and land painfully over my right leg which I knew was bent in an odd angle. As the loud shouts filled my ears and the pending duty I had to do to my country I felt a growing pain in my leg and my eyes darkened.