A Thousand Years

Chapter 9

SUMAN's Point of View Continued 

After I gained consciousness, I sat in the hospital room trying to let reality sink in. I was in shock and it all felt like a nightmare. Shravan was captured by a dangerous terrorist group and the army didn't know where he was. Yes, I was scared but this wasn't the time to be weak. I need to be strong...for him. I need to find out his whereabouts and know that he's safe. But more importantly, I had to trust Shravan because he knew I was waiting for him so he will come back to me.

I joined my work the next day because, even though this was a difficult time for me, I would not let my personal life stop me from fulfilling my duty as a soldier. Shravan would expect the same of me. I heard two officers nearby talking as one said, "So, what do you think happened to Major Malhotra?" Shravan was all that everyone was talking about these days.

The other officer shook his head and set down his tea, "That terrorist group is very dangerous. They will hold an unrealistic ransom that the Indian Army cannot fulfill. He will be tortured till no end and will eventually be killed. It's just so tragic." I clenched my fist and took a deep breath. Control Sumo...believe in Shravan and don't lose hope.

The other officer spoke, "Really, it is sad. Major Malhotra was one of the finest officers the Indian Army had!" I couldn't hold back my anger anymore.

I walked up to the officer and slammed the table. I clenched through my teeth, "IS! Major Malhotra IS one of the finest army officers and he will come back! Nothing will happen to him." I turned and walked away as the officers looked at me with shock.

I tried to contact higher authorities to inquire about Shravan but I had no luck. I was not from the same regiment as him so they were reluctant to give me any information. But, I did not give up. A close friend of mine, who worked in the archives department, secretly gave me access to previous files on Kashmir and the terrorist group in question. Perhaps, I would find a lead that would help me find Shravan. I wasn't able to access the current files for the mission as they were only accessible by a few top army generals. I knew that accessing classified files was illegal and I was putting my whole career on the line but I would go to any extent to find my Shravan. After doing dense research, I was sure of one thing. There was much more to this mission than we knew. It seemed like the details were purposely hidden.

It was late at night and I was sitting in my office at the cantonment studying the files. I heard a knock and quickly hid the files. I opened the door and my Junior handed me a letter from Kancha:

Dear Suman,

I hope you are taking care of yourself. I know this news about Shravan must have hit you hard. But, I know how strong you are. Here is something that will keep you hopeful for his return.

- Kancha

The letter included a picture of me and Shravan from the wedding. He was throwing flower petals at me and laughing. We looked so happy and in love. I hugged the picture and a tear rolled down my face. I was trying hard to hold myself together but I felt so restless all the time not knowing where he was. I reminisced about our sweet moments from the wedding. I thought of when I last saw him at the airport. My heart felt so heavy watching him leave. Suddenly, something unusual struck me as I recalled that memory. Shravan mentioned not coming back again and then quickly changed the topic by playing it off as a joke. Did he know something? Was he going to tell me something about his mission?

Six months passed by and everyone had moved on. There was still no update on Shravan but I didn't lose hope. Everyone, including Kancha, kept telling me that it was time for me to move on but I ignored them. After a lot of hard work, I was able to contact someone in Shravan's regiment who had accompanied him on the mission. "Captain Rakesh, thank you for helping me."