Shera ✔ A Short Story

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"𝑲𝒂𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒊 𝒕𝒐 𝒎𝒆𝒓𝒊 𝒉𝒂𝒊 𝒎𝒂𝒈𝒂𝒓
𝑯𝒂𝒓 𝒔𝒂𝒇𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒑𝒂𝒓 𝒏𝒂𝒂𝒎 𝒕𝒖𝒎𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒂."

⚜

"FIRE!"

Gunshots erupted from both sides of the battleground. Bullets whizzed in the air, hoping to hit at least one from either of the two parties. Fighter planes and choppers buzzing and circling around the area. The frequent booms and blasts from the explosives echoed.

Under the chill, November morning sky in Kashmir on a mountain top, fought two very old enemies, India and Pakistan. Their war, over winning the state and making it one of their own, despite many others had both nations shook. All ears awaiting the call of victory, mouths busy sending prayers for the soldiers invested in the fight.

Raj, who usually wouldn't care and step before the enemy had something holding him back today. A voice, that so sweetly had told him 'Allah hifazat kare aapki.' while tying the black thread around his forearm before bidding him farewell. The voice that changed his outlook on life, from careless and waiting for a bullet, or worse, a bomb launched in his direction, had him watching out for himself too along with his mates.

"Durga Mata ki jai!" The group of men yelled, cheering themselves up after Raj, their Captain had given his orders to each one of them. Clamming his eyes shut, he takes in a deep breath before glancing over his shoulder at the last standing bunker on the Point 4365 of the mountain. Taking his position, the trigger of his snipper clicked as he loaded it ready to rain bullets.

'Hum jald hi milenge aapse.' (I'll meet you very soon.)

The voice echoed in his ears, giving him the boost he needed before switching to Captain Shera mode. Turning on his knees, he aims for the narrow gap between the stones lined up at a distance and pulls the trigger. Without a second's halt, he shoots under the cover provided by his junior but there was little success. Pausing to take a breath, he unclips the mini pouch on his chest, pulling out a grenade. Unlatching it with his teeth, he slightly raises from the ground tossing it as close to the bunker as possible. A loud booming sound erupts, numbing their senses briefly. Seizing this opportunity, he crawls closer with three of his men following behind, getting a better aim at the men who were still in the dominant position.

A shooter from his unit, shouldering a large bazooka manages to pull the trigger just in time, turning the place into flames and ashes. Raj motions for the firing to stop with a closed fist, getting to his feet and examining what was left of the last standing bunker to see if anyone was alive. A victorious smile makes its way to his lips, as he hauls in joy. His team cheering and hugging each other, congratulating them for the historic win.

"Mubarak ho, sir! Kashmir humara hua." One of his comrades beamed at him.

(Congratulations, sir! Kashmir is ours.)

"You did it, sir!" The other one said.

"We did it." He corrects him with a pat on his back.

"Congratulation Captain Rajveer," The Colonel salutes, then shaking hands with pride emanating from him. "You've made us proud once again."

"Thank you, sir! Agar meri team na hoti meri saath to, aaj hum jeet nahi pate." Colonel nods his head with a wide grin on his face.

(Thank you, sir! If it weren't for my team, then we wouldn't have won.)

"I understand. This day, along with the victory, marks 13 years of your service in the Indian Army. Aur mujhe ye kehte hue garv mehsoos ho raha hai ke, aaj ke din tum apni jeet ke saath ek aur cheez ki khushi manaoge. Tumhare Captain Rajveer se Major Rajveer Shikhavat hone ki khushi." Raj couldn't be any happier. His chest swelled with contentment as stood straighter, while the Colonel pinned stars onto the flaps on his shoulders.