Another day break and am happy that there is no OK report to be given to my CO and that I have no Seek Encounter party waiting outside to be briefed nor there is some pending job awaiting my immediate attention. With my eyes still not fully opened I saw my wife standing there with a cup of tea dressed to go out. Oh God I said I have to go to railway station to drop her. She is going to Mumbai for some official work. As I was getting ready my six year old son came to me and says ‘Dad, today I want you to bath me and drop me to school’. With great difficulty I was successful in convincing him that I had to go to railway station to drop his mother and that his granny will give him a special bubble bath.
0620 and the train leaves at 0710. I had precisely 20 more min to hit the road if Sheetal has to board the train. As I was wearing my shoes I gave a customary glance at my fish tank and found something missing. My 12 inch Golden Koi which is so prominent in the six feet tank was not seen anywhere. As I approached the tank my heart leaped out the Golden Koi was floating on the water with other fishes. God what has happened? I opened the lid to see what has gone wrong; a warm air hit my face, fearing some thing really bad I put the tumbler in the tank and took out sample of water and found it to be pretty warm, enough for even humans to be uncomfortable. Sheetal by the time got ready and came to the drawing room ready to leave. As she was leaving for Mumbai I didn’t want her to give the disturbing news of the tank tragedy and just told my maid to add cold water in the tank so that at least those that are surviving should not die.

After dropping Sheetal at railway station I came home. The water was being changed which took another hour or so. After getting ready I came to office and the moment I reached office I got a call from Sheetal asking how the tank tragedy happened and ended the conversation with the compliment that my mother said that I did not shout on any one and I was totally cool which was very uncommon cause I really get charged up if something goes wrong with the fishes. As I hung up the phone I thought over the compliment am I the same guy whom the men use to really fear ……………………
It was 13 Nov 0630 hr, just one day before I had come back from leave, I finished briefing my men and was leading the column with my team. The daily morning drill was to occupy the hospital picket and just 20 feet across the road there was another picket which was on
a shop, which was closed for security reasons.
The usual drill was to put a cordon around the village and occupy the heights as depicted in the picture by blue triangles.

On the fate full day as the search was about to start and the cordon was getting in position the militants opened fire from the south side of the road before we can react the militants fired a Rocker Propelled Grenade (RPG) which landed two feet in front of me and exploded with a sound which I can not explain in any words and in seconds I was totally covered by explosives powder and painted in silver as if some has put silver varnish on me. Immediately a second RPG was fired by the militants, which hit Gnr GRJ in between his legs taking the both thighs from inside. In seconds there was bullets flying everywhere and I was shouting at my top of voice at the radio operator to pass on the radio to me to pass on the instructions to my men in the cordon. Time went and the men in the cordon gunned down the militants in the paddy fields. But before that the injured were to be evacuated to hospital and were to be taken in the vehicles cause there was heavy blood loss. Already my more then half
Strength had already left to their respective places in separate direction and there was no extra men power, which I can use to cover up every thing.
By the time the reinforcement came my men had already killed the fleeing militants in the paddy fields (Shown by RED TRIANGLE). Four of them were killed. How lucky I am to be alive today the RPG fired and exploded in from of me but I am alive.
Bollywood isstyle what say??
Well not exactly there is some thing called as a safety fuse which takes some time to activate the main charges which are the real lethal ones which causes the grenade to explode in Splinters which are fatal to mortal souls like me.

Why such time delay??
This is just to safe guard the firer other wise he himself will get killed hence the time delay.
What exactly happened was when it hit the ground the grenade did not explode completely but the grenade broke open by the momentum with which it hit the ground and the blast was that when it was fired the rocket action of the grenade which gives it the forward thrust creates the shattering noise which freezes the blood of any soldier.
What I was then a strict soldier a disciplined man, a man who had responsibility of the state, his men under command, the commission honored by the president, the responsibility of being the commander of a Rashtriya Rifle Company the savior of the North, the force which broke the militant might into pieces the force on which Country will be proud of……………………….. Now a injured soldier who has been softened by time and circumstances but the principles are same the fire is still there only thing is the time and place is not right nor the opponents right to be the same roaring fire. ……ir Sir Sir , Maam is calling you’ ahh yes now things are different here but the flame is still there no panga leneka as they say a injures=d tiger is more dangerous then a fit one ;-).

What all memories can rain bring !!

A normal day working in my office oblivious of the weather outside which was raging with all fury it had. I went outside for a stroll to see every where water which was showing how heavily it rained. Sipping coffee I was enjoying the cool breeze which was hitting me on my face. Suddenly I felt a very severe pain on my right arm and saw my white shirt's sleeve changing colour to red and then I realised that a tin sheet which was flung in the air by the strong winds landed on my arm which caused the injury.
The blood and rain brought back some pain full memories .......was the first light of 06 Feb and it was a usual long operation of o4 days and 03 nights in the famous Delta forest . The jungle was new to me and the men accept two of them were new . They were from the Bravo Coy. After a unsuccessful operation my feet though tired were moving fast cause I had to reach my Coy location[loc] and move on foot to Battalion[Bn] head quarter from where I was suppose to take vehicle and move to Srinagar which was some 90 KM South of our Bn loc. I was to going on leave to attend my son's Birthday. As I was enjoying the thoughts all of a sudden we came under heavy fire from the ridge on the West side of the nallah. The foliage was so thick that it was difficult for us to pin down the attack which was coming on us.All of us were quiet and trying hard to make out something to fire at.
After some time Baljeet the Rocket launcher (RL) guy saw some movement and without any warning got up and fired a RL round with help of RL no 2 Gnr Sukhdev. The moment the RL was fired I became momentary deaf and I thing that is the reason that as on date I have problem of hearing and also with High volume blast. Immediately after that there was splinters of wood every where due to the back blast of the RL which is power full enough to kill a man there and there itself. After a bloody two hr firing when every thing was silent and I was taking the check of my men three of them were injured with two of them seriously . They were to be evacuated immediately but in a jungle where the foliage is thick it becomes very difficult to do so and then there is always a threat that few more militants must be waiting on some track laying a ambush for us. Our reinforcement were already started from the Delta Coy and I can imagine the men who had just reached their loc after their Jungle operation as to what their mind set must be. But the call of duty and that too when they know their brothers in arms are injured they are more then willing to go on another rescue mission.
I was with 18 men . Sent a Section strength with the casualties and i with 8 men was waiting for the reinforcement to come along with some refreshment cause the tension and firing and blood made me so hungry and the smell of forest with the Blood soaked in it . The explosive of RL having its own smell ...................... ahh my friend was busy tying the handkerchief on my hand and the smell of Cappachino was strong enough to make me realize that now I am in Heaven .........those were the days when without food and water we use to fight for our men and carry them in jungle on the slippery ground where one cannot walk with fresh legs we use to find the pace with dead legs too........... and now God help
Rain what all you bring with you....

Friends are one who brings fair weather around.

Yet another day with a beautiful weather, felt really excited about the work ahead and was humming a song heard over and over again for God knows how many time at my hostel.

Opened the mail box and was happy to see my friends message there . What a perfect beginning of the day I said to my self and started my work with a big smile as they teach in the art of living classes.

Time went by and my mind wandered to the beautiful time I spent in my OGs and Combats. Opened the chat box to chat with a long lost friend , only to find a message that the friend is no longer alive. Lost the friend in the ambush of time laid by the militants of words, enemy of knowledge and friendship. Lost one more I said to my self,what a beautiful day it was and know how miserable it was to me . The world around me changed and the beautiful weather became the most hostile cause I lost my friend and what is the value of life without a friend.

Many a times I saw the old correspondence though it brought momentary joy, the void it Left was so horrible that I finally decided to get rid of all the old correspondence and just remember the friend as the friend whose mere thought can change the atmosphere of my mind and thoughts.

Really a friend is the one who by mere thought can change the world around you.