"Hey Isha!"
"Hey! You seem tensed. What is it dear?" An amiable voice from the other end said.
"It's nothing. Just the work here. Although, I love it, it stresses me out at times."
"Yeah, I know. Happens. And i also know you will get through all of this, won't you?"
"Yeah, I will," a smile flickered on his face.
"How's Rashi? How's she doing with her new school?"
"Yeah. She's trying her best, but, you know the transition from SSC to ICSE board isn't an easy one," she said, worried.
"Yeah right. What is she doing by the way?"
"She's at school."
An awkward silence filled the line. Neither knew how to continue or what to say. Though, miles apart they were close enough to sense each other's heartbeat, close enough to know what the next person might be thinking.
"So, your birthday's not a week away now! I've got a surprise for you," he smiled, breaking the silence. He envisaged her surprised and gay face. How will she feel? She surely will be happy. But... I don't know, he thought.
"Don't tell me you're coming!" He could feel the excitement and hope in her voice.
"You know dear, I can't help it. It isn't in my hand to return whenever I want," he said, dejected. "I'll tell you after my mission here. Okay. Bye. Gotta go."
He waited. Ever so slightly, he wished her to say Love you Uday and hang up. But he didn't want to leave either. Neither did she.
It was her birthday. Everything was perfect. They didn't tell her family he was coming. When he entered through the door, a sense of love, affection and pride filled her. She rushed towards him, hugged Uday with all the energy she could conjure and with misty eyes she said, "I Love you Uday."
She cried.
They didn't let Rashi see Uday. She was too young to see her daddy in a coffin and her mother whimpering.
They never shared their final goodbye's or the last words of love and affection. Uday fought to death for his country, in the surgical strike he went to, after talking to Isha. She expected him on her birthday but not in a worden case.
Our lives are gazillion times safer than the one's on the border, fighting for the country, fighting from the bacteria, infiltrating our territory, fighting selflessly. We bawl on the lives lost of our family members in a natural disaster. Imagine the pain of your son, your brother, your father, your husband, your mother, sister, daughter, wife being killed by one of those rivals you don't want to face ever in your life.
We dedicate various days to love and all those unnecessary events. Let us spare two minutes of silence from our busy life to pay tribute to the sacred lives on the border, protecting us.
.
.
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Happy Indian Army Day!
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