By M S Nazki
-But there are many in Kashmir who in the past did not have a smile on their faces!
-The fact was and is that a torrent blew away the smiles of the children!
-But now they are back, Courtesy Indian Army, Jammu and Kashmir Police, Civil Society and the J&k administration!
-Honestly speaking I just had a picture to write this story with a soldier and a child smiling!
-Not many lines to write about but the picture took me to an incident that happens to be from Khem Karan (Punjab)!
-Ravdeep was a kid in those days! I was a grown up young man in unifiorm!
-That was the first day I entered their house! Her mother Rajveer Kour had put several Photographs in a frame! She pointed at one and that was of her husband!
-I asked her who killed him? One of Gurbachan Singh Manochal’s man’! My reply was he will not live for long !
-Suddenly her daughter came to me, Ravdeep, ‘Are we friends and will you live up to your promise! My reply was we Army officers live up to our promises! She tied an arm band which later in life was to become a Rakhi! I have only one sister Ruby, the second one was to be Ravdeep’!
- When we were about to leave, thirteen of us had breakfast! It was typical Punjabi ‘Khada Sarson (Mustard) Ka Saag and Maize bread’ ‘Maa Dahi kahan Hai, I asked’! ‘Chitta Makahan Teh Pah Ditta….Mutta ho Jayega’! I’m still 66 KGs as far as weight goes! But the promise I never forgot!
We killed Minna, a terrorist! ‘I asked her if he was the killer, The kid’s smile was filled with sorrow filled words, ‘Yes this man killed my father who was in uniform’! I was not in uniform at that time as I was proceeding on leave!’
By the way, from the picture with the story I can only imagine one thing and that peace begins with a smile..! The soldier in the pic knows the same! He also knows the reason someone smiles. Be the reason someone feels loved and believes in the goodness in people.
And obviously the soldier must have hummed this song from Dharmendra starrer Jugnu, ‘Chote, Chote Nanne Munne Pyaare Pyaare Re, Bachche Sab Ki Ankhon Ke Tare Re!’ And that probably and precisely the reason as to why the child is laughing his heart out!
Finally I will conclude the story by saying even if you cannot change all the people around you, you can change the people you choose to be around. Life is too short to waste your time on people who don’t respect, appreciate, and value you. Spend your life with people who make you smile, laugh, and feel loved. Surely Ravdeep is now a lady though single mother always smiles even when the situation is grim! Last but not the least our unit avenged her father’s death! Though I Was not part of the encounter Dilly (Dhillon lead the team!)
