by David Singh
The trigger was jammed. ?
After Meetha had left, Malik spoke in his radio at frequency 88. 'Bilal.' 'Janab.' Came the reply.
'Where are you?'
'I am just reaching the camp janab, in another five minutes.' Camp! Its nest you bastard!
He chewed every word, 'where—exactly—are—you—now?' There was a long silence.
'Hindustani kuttey! (You Indian dog!) You better surrender. I
promise, I'll deliver your dead body unharmed to your people later.' No reply.
'Okay, you wish to die like a dog? So be it. My men will hunt you
down in a while, you bastard.' On the other side, Samarjeet knew that if he replies he will fall into the trap of letting this man, probably their commander Nissar Malik, blackmail him into showing up or he would kill Kaushik.
Malik came out of the tent and moved to the edge of the valley. He saw that his seven commandos had already moved down towards the chopper to fly.
Where the hell is that Indian dog!!!?
?
CHAPTER FIVE
A shocked Vijay Kumar tried squeezing the trigger once again. It didn't budge. He gave a scrutinizing look to the safety module. He remembered turning the safety catch to on position. He closely examined the safety catch again. Then it dawned on him. The safety catch had three operable positions: first position blocking the firing pin but keeping the bolt free to move, second position had locked the firing pin as well as the bolt. Third position released both the firing pin as well as the bolt, bringing the rifle into firing position.
He had shifted the safety catch from the second position to the first one. Firing pin was still locked. He brought the safety catch into third – firing – position and put the eye back behind the telescopic sight. He saw that the five men ahead had already advanced further reaching near the chopper. He braced the rifle and pulled the trigger. With brief recoil and a loud crack, rifle smoothly coughed up the first shot. Through the sight he could clearly figure out that bullet hit none of the men. It probably penetrated somewhere into the snow. Crazily blowing wind and thin curtain of snow drizzle had made it extremely difficult for him to hit any spotted target. He bolted the rifle.
Suddenly he heard someone speaking on the radio. It was probably the enemy's commanding officer who had first enquired from Bilal where he was. He had figured out that Samarjeet, who was posing as Bilal, refrained from speaking in return to the question. Then Samarjeet was advised to surrender. Still, after receiving silence for the reply he ended up threatening Samarjeet that he would be hunted down by his men soon.
Vijay tried the second shot. Same result. He quickly bolted the rifle again for the third shot noticing that the men on his target were now looking around themselves in all the directions. He took the aim of the leading man's body mass and pulled the trigger. Pretty bad shot! The bullet flew into the body of the chopper somewhere.
He bent his head down, left his position, ran to cover the distance towards the second position identified earlier on his left and quickly got down. Now he was pretty comfortable with the rifle. They had set Kaushik's stretcher down and lied flat on the ground. Whatsoever little chance of engaging any target was there was no more now. But he had to keep the diversion up.
This time, leaving all his haste, with all his patience, slowly he took the aim of one of the heads and gently squeezed the trigger. Bullet again missed and got lost in the snow. Desperately he shook his head and again searched a better spot to hit any target when he noticed that one of the men, presumably their leader, was talking on the radio.
He heard it clearly on his earphone too. He was saying, 'Asghar start the chopper. Get ready.'
Next, what he saw through the telescopic sight first shocked him for a moment then he was forced to smile. He saw two of the seven men's head exploding like watermelon and one hit in his back. Chopper's pilot Asghar was shooting at them frantically.
No! It is not Asghar.
Then he smiled. Now he knew Samarjeet's exact location. 'Bravo Captain sahib!' he murmured.
?
A sudden shot of a sniper rifle from the cluster of small hills in far North made Malik start. 'So there is the bastard, trying to snipe my men from behind those hills!' He growled and then addressed his pet aide standing beside him, equally shocked, 'Wali! Take your two best men and grab this bastard. Don't kill him. Disable him and bring him here. I want to meet the daredevil.'
After Wali had left, Malik raised his binoculars in the direction of the far hills. He looked through to locate any movement, any barrel peeping from behind any stone structure, anyone moving stealthily. Nothing!
Whoever he is has no experience with sniper rifle that too in such a wind and snowfall. But seven targets were too many to hit randomly. He may get lucky with further shots.
He turned the binoculars in the direction of the chopper and saw his commandos lying flat on the snow to avoid the shots. Next moment what he saw made his jaw drop in shock. Through the binoculars, without any trace of doubt, he witnessed two of his seven precious SSG men's heads exploding like watermelon and one hit in his back. Chopper's pilot was shooting at them frantically.
'He is not alone! He is not alone! There are two! Two! Ya Allah!' He wasn't pulling his hair off was a miracle.
? Keeping a rifle aligned straight on a target from inside a confined, compact pilot's cabin was too cumbersome. That compelled Samarjeet to resort for his handgun. He had already replenished it with a fresh magazine.
Through the window he could see the seven men approaching the chopper now. It was a great respite however to see Kaushik on stretcher carried by two of the seven men. Kaushik was awake with a grim face and tired eyes. The shots from Vijay's side were all missed but that gave him a good cover as a way of diversion. Saving Kaushik was the first priority now. They can put a gun at Kaushik's temple and force him to surrender. In his position, he could take not more than half of these men – three or four – at one go. The two men carrying Kaushik were his prime target as they were lagging behind the other five men due to the load they were carrying. He set his wrists on the edge of the cabin's window, steadied the gun, brought the head of one of the two Kaushik's carriers in line with the aiming pin and slowly squeezed the trigger. Without waiting to revel on his feat he shot the other one the same way. Both slumped in the snow, heads exploded, definitely dead. Meanwhile the other men had lain down to the ground keeping themselves out of the fusillade served by Vijay. Shooting a prone man is most difficult but, anyway, he tried. The bullet entered in the back of one of the five men ahead. From this distance he couldn't tell if the man was dead or just wounded.
He turned the barrel to the next target.
?
The only safer location was below the chopper – Meetha thought. He was completely jolted at the sudden death of his fellow men. Two – Naeem and Rashid, who were carrying Kaushik on stretcher, had slumped down dead around Kaushik and one – Asad - was hit in the back incapacitated for how long, Allah only knew. Now Jaffri, Sheikh and Mohtashim were left and he, being the leader, had to quickly salvage the situation.
He calculated hurriedly. Now he knew that they were wrong. Not one, but two of the enemy soldiers had got away. One is in the chopper now and the other was in the far hills. They all had their guns drawn out now.
'Move below the chopper.' He advised, 'Jaffri! You and Mohtashim crossover to the chopper from below it and Sheikh and I'll move from this side. On my signal you two begin shooting thus giving us chance to enter the chopper from our side. You will distract him and we two will take him down. Now move.'
In this moment of utter crisis they all had forgotten about Kaushik who was wounded but not disabled.
? Malik's heart had sunk deep as the horrifying reality dawned on him. He had never imagined that his certain triumph would turn into an unbearable ugly debacle just in no time. A few minutes back he was boasting to Kaushik and now half of his key soldiers were killed. It was all, that young lousy lad Bila
l's, fault. He must have had underestimated his quarries. Mere thought of failure made his body burst into thin layer of sweat below his protective jacket suit. He rushed back to his tent and switched on the master transmitter. He tuned the device to one of the five code-division multiplexed frequencies to Rawalpindi.
'Hello! Crescent to Asteroid. Crescent to Asteroid…' He spoke into the microphone.
Immediately, General Majid's voice came over, 'Asteroid receiving Crescent. What is it?'
'Janab! Nest is burning. Mother Eagle needs be here.'
'Crescent, what are you talking about? Mother Eagle can't soar at this time. Dragon is crouching to strike with fire. This was not the dream. Asteroid was supposed to hit the dungeon from tail. How can eagle soar like this? And till the dungeon's gates it was Crescent's responsibility. Crescent had assured of hundred percent dream come true. Eagle is waiting for dive not to soar. Are you getting? Eagle can't soar. Out of question!'
Crescent was Malik and his team. Asteroid referred to Joint Armed Forces Command Headquarter in Pakistan. Mother Eagle was Pakistan's bomber planes which Crescent was requesting to soar – take off – and open fire from Turtuk's side which JAFCH had refused outright. They told Crescent that Dragon that is India's Bofors Cannons will shoot them down. Mother Eagle can only dive – attack from Kargil side after Thoise and Batalik is captured. Dungeon's Gate was Thoise Air Base in Ladakh. Dungeon's tail was Kargil.
Malik, robbed of his speech, gave a desperate look to the device as if the voice from the other side would change the decision next moment.
'What went wrong Crescent?' General enquired.
Malik described in as much coded language as possible. For a while, incredulous silence blended with static emitted from the speaker. Then came the response, 'retreat Crescent! Skip the party.'
Party meant mission.
'I have come too far to retreat. Now I can't turn back. If I get four Eagles I can still…..'
'Eagle is no joke Crescent!' General snapped, 'you know that.
Remember? I had already warned you that this is insane and foolish. You better get back. That's the final word. Take the straight way back home.' General referred to LOC.
'Straight? They have their Dragon's one eye watching every inch of the straight way. We can't take that.'
'That is the safest way. At night Dragon goes blind. Leave everything and return. This is an order. Come back, immediately. Reach trekking camp site near asshole.' The other side disconnected.
Asshole was coded reference to Askole village in Baltistan on Pakistan land across LOC.
He heaved up his survival kit on his back and called up Usman to issue his final order for evacuation when sudden blasts, clearly originating in the valley, shook his tent. For a moment he stood still as if paralysed with shock then he heard a roaring rumble. He felt as if someone was pushing him aside. His eyes spread with terror when he realized that the ground below his feet was crumbling.
?
What would I do if I were them? Where would I go? The moment Samarjeet asked himself he understood why he could not see the other four enemy commandos. In a flash he calculated the situation. They were right below him, planning to attack from either side of the chopper. The situation was getting out of his favour and control. The only option left now was to destroy the root of entire contention - this chopper.
How? The grenades from Ibrahim's collection! He retrieved all the five grenades from inside his jacket and contemplated his move.
Five seconds after pulling the pin. For two grenades, one second each to pull the pin. Three seconds to open the cabin's door and jump off. Now or never!
Which side should I jump? After the chopper is destroyed the four commandos, out of frustration and desperation, will kill me and Kaushik. I better jump towards Kaushik's side. The time has come to die for you Kaushik sahib and my beloved country!
He took a deep breath, prepared himself mentally to be riddled by several bullets and replaced the third and last magazine. With a jerk he opened the left cabin door, pulled the pin off the two grenades, tossed them on the chopper floor and jumped off the door with all his might, assuming the stance of a diver with his gun held forward and downwards in both the hands, trigger squeezed permanently, letting the gun fire the rounds automatically.
No one fired at him. No bullets hit him. Before touching the ground, force of the deafening blast threw him a few feet farther away. His jacket caught fire. He landed on his stomach on the soft white snowbed and turned on his back to extinguish the flames watching a monstrous inferno in front of him. Quickly, he pulled out one of the remaining three grenades and lobbed it into the conflagration. It was not possible for anyone right below the chopper to survive. Another blast ensured that that possibility became nil. He propped up with his gun ready to shoot and remained in that position to spot any movement in front of him.
He saw two men lying face down just a few feet away from him. After one whole minute, seeing no further movement of threatening kind, he slowly got up and walked in Kaushik's direction. He saw the silhouette of his commanding officer propping up off the ground a few steps ahead. Feeling a sudden surge of renewed energy he reached near Kaushik and saluted. 'Jai Hind Sir!'
The silhouette, instead of acknowledging, lifted its right hand slowly. There was a gun held up, muzzle staring at Samarjeet. Before he could figure out anything the gun in silhouette's hand fired twice.
? It was too late for Malik to realize that he was standing right above the centre of an earthquake. With a loud crackle, his tent came down all over him. Panic stricken, he tried fighting his way out of the entanglement which had turned him blind. As he thrashed about his limbs desperately below the heavy tent, a deafening crash was heard just ahead of him. He felt as if someone pulled him down into a pit. There was no one. It was the ruthless gravity. With great deal of effort he got rid of the tent but he found himself no more standing on the firm ground. The snow had turned into freezing quick sand.
No! How could it be quick sand? It was, in fact, something far more lethal. The blasts have caused an avalanche. He was going to be buried alive.
? The bullets rang past Samarjeet behind him somewhere. He turned back and saw one of the enemy commandos taking the bullets in his head and neck. The dying man was Asad who was only disabled temporarily after getting hit by Samarjeet's bullet in the back and was feigning death to attack Samarjeet from behind. Asad's dead body slumped into the soft snow without a noise. Kaushik had just saved his life.
'PVC Captain Samarjeet Sapru. Thank you for what you have done for the country.' Kaushik brought his armed hand down and addressed Samarjeet in a voice weak yet brimming with rejuvenated enthusiasm. Samarjeet understood that Kaushik had taken away the gun of one of his dead carriers.
PVC is acronym for Param Veer Chakra conferred to the soldiers for their exceptional act of valour against enemy. Kaushik had cleared his intention to recommend Samarjeet's name for the award.
Kaushik tried standing up when a faint noise rose up in the air rapidly turning into shaking drag of an aircraft engine approaching overhead. The noise then replicated into several engines roaring in unison.
'Post 9 has been alerted?' Samarjeet wondered. 'IAF is here…..' But there was another rumbling noise blended with the roar of aircrafts. They both looked into the direction of enemy camp. Entire hill was crumbling like a huge brittle cookie. Samarjeet's firework was too much for the patient snow. That was one avalanche worth watching.
'I will always regret that I could not kill Nissar Malik myself.' Kaushik said.
Scores of dozens of Indian soldiers were swiftly rappelling down all around them, from the hovering aircrafts.
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CHAPTER SIX
Somewhere in North Pakistan Highlands
It had been over a week. A surprised face was what Islamabad exhibited shamelessly as if Turtuk insurgency was breaking news and vehemently opposed India's allegations of ISI's sponsorship to this foolhardy mission of Al-Qaed
a.
Completely oblivious to the treacherous games of cross border politics and defence, the old lady was sitting in her cozy, single room shack, warmed by smouldering coal in the earthen inglenook beside the opposite wall. Despite challenged by her hearing, she told herself that she had heard a thud on the door. Slowly, taking her time, she stood up, approached the wooden door and opened it.
What she saw shook her all over. The dead body was lying, in the snow over the threshold, at her feet. A sacred verse escaped her lips and she bent down to examine the dead man. Instantly she noticed the shallow breath in the frozen, faded dummy. In years she had not carried such a weight. Being too old to dump the body on the warm bed, she dragged it beside the hearth before tugging over the blankets.
Five days of tireless care and feeding brought the colour on traveler's face but, still, he seemed to be in delirium with long faint breaths. It was the sixth clear morning as she finished feeding the stranger the regular warm broth when his eyelashes flickered.
She stared at him expectantly then smiled and said. 'What the hell have you been doing in this cold desert young man? Lost while hunting? But don't worry; another week and you will be alright.' The emaciated, weak young man gave her a faint smile with a look of gratitude in his emerald green eyes.
?
Late August 2009
Army Headquarters, New Delhi
'Major, myself Retired Colonel Veer Bhadra Singh and except some very high officials in government and defence no one else knows that we are meeting.'
Former Captain, Major Samarjeet shot a puzzled look at the veteran sitting in front him in the brightly lit lawn. Samarjeet's specially granted long leave of six months was over. Turtuk incident had made him an international hero. Owing to the severe wounds in the arm, Shinde had been relieved from his duties with a remarkably handsome compensation specially approved by the high command. Vijay, on his request and by out of way approval, had been promoted into sniper division. He had reported back to the Turtuk village post with the telescopic rifle, with which he could not hit a single target, in one hand and Wali's bleeding head in the other. Samarjeet was hoping to meet Varun Kaushik after his vacation was over but he was summoned to the headquarters with no reasons disclosed. As he reported to the headquarters at 10 AM sharp, he was immediately told to see one Retired Colonel Veer Bhadra Singh sitting in the lounge.