MERA BARATH MAHAN

Hello everyone… Your krishna is back with a new OS on the eve of Independence day!! Happy 70th Independence day to all!!

“Where are you?” She messaged third time

“Reached…” I replied her hesitatingly and stepped on the elevator…Maa tujhrre salam song ring aloud on my phone… Today is Independence day na… Pseudo patriotism!! I checked the phone… She called me this time…

“Come to ccd @ crossword… 4th floor” she mentioned!!

“Okay” I replied and went to crossword searching her… There she is… Reading book… Sipping coffee… Lost in her own world… Nerd… That word aptly suits her!! But she looked different in white knee length floral frock with boat neck!! Wow!! I know about girl’s fashion… I appreciated myself!!

She looked like a barbie girl with spects!! She changed… She isn’t round as before… Perfect curves are seen in the dress which is hugging her… She is s*xy… I must say!! She slowly raised her eyes and glow filled her eyes!! I blushed a little but controlled myself!! Without looking at her I sat on the chair opposite to hers…

“Hi..” She spoke slowly…. I don’t know why but my heart missed a beat!!

“Hey… Ssup??” I questioned her covering the nervousness!!

I’m good!! “What about you?? How’s everything going in your life?” she questioned with a soft voice.. Her concern is clearly shown in her words..

“Everything’s going good!!” I tried not to show that I’m melting towards her!! Am I melting really?? I don’t know… But I cant.. I shouldn’t fall for her!! I should avoid her.. Make everything clear so that she forgets me and move on ln her life!!

“You wanna order something??” She spoke interrupting my thoughts..

“Yeah one espresso.. What about you??” I asked her for formality

“I don’t need anything!! Till now I had 2 cups of espresso over a novel!!”

“Ohh.. I will get one for myself” I said and ordered an espresso for me with a samosa!! I came back and waited for her to start the conversation.. But she looked everywhere except me!! I understood that I should start now.. But how?? I looked at the book she was reading!! “TALE OF TRUST AND BETRAYAL” read it loud.

ohh.you wanna read this one?? This is the best fiction I ever read!! The story is a bit similar to ours!! She started now!! I became alert.. She spoke slowly.. In this novel, girl and boy are childhood friends… Later the girl falls for him.. But after knowing about her love he avoids her!! She waits for him for 7years.. Later with the help of other friends they both become friends..

What happened next? Did he love her? I asked with curiosity

I don’t know.. This novel has much more mysteries in it!! Stuff like Re-incarnation, hypnotism… And This is just first part of the trilogy!!

“Intresting” I said taking a good look at the book!!

Yeah!! As interesting as our life is… She said!!

I didn’t understand whether she said sarcastically or in a general way!! “Means??” I questioned her to know what is trying to convey!!

Sanskaar I don’t want to beat around the bush!! I love you… I know that you don’t love me… But can’t we be just friends??

I’m amazed seeing her courage!! I mean it takes a lot of guts to propose a guy!! That too Swara was a conservative girl… Her love towards me gave her strength I thought!! I replied her hesitatingly… “Swara I know that you love me… But I don’t want you to wait for me!! I hope you understand me…You deserve a better person… I’m really…. “She didn’t let me complete

Sanskaar… There is no need for sorry!! And yes I understand you… That’s the reason I remained silent all these years!! I won’t force you… But I can’t stop myself from loving you!! I request you not to ask me something which I can never do!! And I won’t disturb you every now and then!! She said looking straight into his eyes!!

Well, Stop hypnotizing me with your eyes!! Let’s be friends… I said forwarding my hand!!

Friends… She said and held my hand with her fingers which are shivering!! I laughed and held her hand tightly!! I could sense her happiness reaching near me as a vibration!! I’m happy now seeing her happy!! Everything was fine and good!! Untill I heard a massive explosion sound!! The glass of the coffee counter broke due to the heavy sound and glass pieces pierced the skin of the people who sat near the counter… Swara was trying to call me but her voice faded in front of many cries from the ground floor!! Smoke occupied all the room!! Before I could understand what’s happening I saw few people coming inside with black dress and black scarf covering their face entering inside and taking the people who are safe as hostages…

My eyes searched for Swara… She was lying on the ground near the counter… I don’t know how she went there… May be because of the impact her chair was pulled back near the counter and She is hurt now!! I was scared now… The people with black masks checked the people whether they are alive or not… They are shooting the people who are already dead to ensure that they are not acting to be dead!! They came near us… I found no other way except to become their hostages… When a man was about to shoot Swara… I shouted… “She is alive… Please don’t kill her… She will be your hostage!!” He checked her pulse and declared that she is alive… Still the other one asked to kill her as more number of deaths will help them in getting their demands approved!! I’m shocked hearing this… I can’t let her die… I immediately shouted… “No… No… She is a govt. employee daughter… Her father has many contacts with politicians… If you take her as hostage government will fulfill your demands easily!!

The mask man thought for a while and took me and Swara as hostages along with 10 more people… They tied our hands tightly with iron chains and dragged us to the ground floor where there are about 50-60 more people tied with iron chains and all the entry and exit ways are blocked!! There are infants, small children, some are with their parents and some are without parents, young girls, aged people, few men… Everyone is praying for their safety…

Right now I’m concerned about Swara… I know I revealed about her background which will land her in problems… But, that’s the only way to save her… I should do something to save her… Because of me she is in this situation today!! I’m the one who postponed this meeting thrice giving lame excuses… I should’ve met her earlier… Then we both won’t end up in this terrible situation… I cursed myself until I saw the masked people collecting mobile phones from us… I thanked my mom for forcing me to take a normal Nokia phone along with me… I immediately put it in silent mode and dropped it in my pant and gave mine and Swara’s smart phone to the person who came for collecting mobile phones and I also dared to ask him water so that I can wake Swara!! He kicked me with his left leg… While the other person calmed him and warned me not to communicate with them unless they ask us to!! I nodded my head in agreement and tried to wake up Swara!!

Swara… Swara… Wake up… Open your eyes… It’s not your bedroom to sleep… I whispered slowly in her ears… Suddenly a man threw a jug full of water on her face to wake her and took her along with as soon as she woke up!! He instructed another man to take care of us… While I slowly took my phone and texted my best friend Laksh … “Lucky I’m in a grave danger… Terrorists took me and Swara as hostages… Don’t call me… There are about 10 masked people with loaded guns… They have plastic explosives too… They tied about 60 citizens in the parking… 1st floor… Please pass this information to the police immediately and rescue us- Sanskaar” After sending this message I deleted this and dropped my phone in my underwear again!! I started praying God that Lucky will see the message soon and comes to save us!!

I started thinking about terrorist activities and how I reacted earlier… I always blamed government for not taking proper action against them… I also blamed the hostages saying that they should act wise when they are with terrorists… Now I understood the situation!! An extruder entered India that too on Independence day… it’s obviously our fault… It’s neither politicians fault nor police dept. fault… It’s common people’s fault who choose wrong people as their rulers and the corrupt people who didn’t let the correct officers to work… It’s a chain reaction… We did wrong in this system by not being responsible and it came back to us!! I remembered incidents where I jumped signals, I went in wrong route, I bought a duplicate sim card to flirt with unknown girls, I hacked others Facebook accounts to peep into their personals, I bribed police to escape from punishments… Whatever I did may be small mistakes, but they all paved way for this major mistake of terrorism… My thoughts broke hearing Swara’s cry!!

If you’ve courage then kill me… Don’t blackmail my father!! She shouted…

What the f**k… this girl doesn’t want peace I guess… I immediately shouted “Swara… Co-operate with them… Please…” I tried to go to her… But a masked man stopped me… The guy who was with Swara came near us and pointed gun at me… Ask your father to talk to ministers… That minister has no value for your lives… Let me send him a gift… Only then he will listen to us!! My legs shivered thinking about death!! That too like this… I don’t want die I cried… But no sound came from my mouth…. “No… Leave him…. I will do whatever you want me to do!! Please… Don’t kill him!!” Swara is on her knees pleading him!! I heard a bullet sound… Kabooomm….

My heart stopped for a second and started beating again! I slowly opened my eyes and found a child lying on the floor dead… They didn’t kill me… They killed a kid… A small kid!! His mother was frozen to see him like that!! He was a cute little kid… He didn’t do any mistake still he is murdered… I fell on my knees and held the kid in my hands… He died with a smile on his face… I burst into tears… I never cried like this!! Swara ran towards me and cried hugging me… But not a drop of tear was seen in his mother’s eyes… The masked man took the kid forcefully from us and kept him in a gunny bag and sent him to police… Swara shook the mother to bring her to reality… She wanted her to vent her pain out!! But she said nothing!! She is holding her grudge against them!! She wanted to kill them… I decided to kill them with my own hands now!! They will pay for every tear!! I calmed Swara and told her my plan… She said that she will be with in this fight!! This is time for me to pay back to my country… I said to myself… “MERA BARATH MAHAN”

I waited for a correct moment… I communicated with the rest of hostages and make sure that no one panics for our actions!! The moment came… All the terrorists went to talk with government and left one to keep an eye on us… Taking advantage of the moment… Swara started acting like she is suffering with fits… He came near Swara when Swara… Me and the mother of the kid immediately closed his mouth and stabbed him with iron rods available nearby and I wore his clothes and tied black mask to my face and made him wear my clothes and laid him beside Swara…. After the talks they came to us and informed that by seeing the kid’s death they accepted for their demands!! My blood reached its boiling point… But, I controlled myself and acted as one of them!! I spoke to one of them in their language and took him aside and killed him the same way and this time I made one of the hostage who is similar to terrorist wear his clothes…

This way I killed about 4 of them and took their weapons… Suddenly the leader of them came angrily and shouted… How dare you all to cheat me and send message outside… Everyone looked at him blankly… But, I understood what he was talking about!! He showed me a news report where in the details which I sent to lucky are leaked to media!! He saw me getting panic and came near me… Before he could come near me everyone ran towards him and the citizens in the terrorist clothes fired on him!! He died on spot!! I loudly shouted VANDEMATARAM… VANDEMATARAM… Swara and others joined me shouting VANDEMATARAM and killed the others… the women who lost her child started crying loudly and danced for the terrorists death!! By listening the firing sounds police force entered inside and saved us!! When they were about to aim at me and other people wearing terrorist clothes… Swara stopped them and explained them the whole thing… Everyone appreciated me for my courage and patriotism!!

The medical team dressed our wounds and media took interview about the attack!! We walked outside of the mall where there are no people and saw Indian flag waving beautifully!!

I held Swara’s hand and asked… “Will you marry me??”

What?? Sanskaar are you fine?? I mean we became friends today only!! She continued… And I shushed her…

Swara… when I faced death you were with me… Won’t you be with me to live the life?? I asked her holding her face gently…

But we both are different people Sanskaar!! She questioned me…

“You know what Swara… Our India is a country with different states, languages and religions… When all Indians can stay united no matter what… can’t we both overcome our differences??

“I never expected you to be so mature Sanskaar…” She replied with proudness for me in her eyes!!

Swara… As we take seven vows around sacred fire I take our Indian flag as witness and vow you be with you forever no matter what… Will you be with me in that??

“Yes… I will be with you forever!!” She replied with tears in her eyes!!

I looked into her eyes and said “I love you Swara… “

“I love you Sanskaar” She reciprocated the same love…

“We love our country…” we said together looking at the waving flag!!

JAI HIND!!