Brave Enough by Abubakar Parvez (the beach read TXT) 📕

            It was a rainy morning in the month of August. Sky was dull with wide stretch of cloud cover and the monotonous gray made every heart crave for the faint streak of Sun. It was the time when Squadron Leader Arun Gandhi set his foot on his motherland after fifteen years of imprisonment in Pakistan jail as a war prisoner. That was an awaited moment as top brass officials and army recruits and many other people were present to greet the chivalrous Kargil Soldier at the Delhi airport. Piercing his eyes through the blistering camera flashlights, he was frantically searching for someone but to no avail.

             It was the press conference in which he recounted the several incidents that led to the crash of his MIG21 fighter jet and its landing in Pakistan territory. "I had lost all hope of being able to return back to my motherland. I often used to wonder when that moment of return would come but now that I've returned, I am too inarticulate to express the depth of my feelings.", said Arun while he was lost in his thoughts and he answered the questions about mechanically. As soon as the conference got over, he rushed to take a flight to Lucknow where he expected to find his family. The three hours flight journey made Arun more impatient as the perpetual remembrance of the happy memories of him along with his family made his heart ache. As he reached home, he began thumping at the door which was equivalent to the thumping of his wild heart. His excitement knew no bounds but destiny had something else in store for him.

  All his excitement got dampened when an unfamiliar gentlemen opened the door. " Sir! Who are you? What are you doing in my house? Where is Geeta? Where is my daughter Sona?", asked Arun throwing a catechism like questionnaire to the helpless man standing at the door. Getting Arun a glass of water to drink, the man introduced himself as Aman Sharma who had bought the house from Geeta's parents. It was from Mr. Sharma that Arun got to know the whereabouts of his family. He informed, "Geeta lost her mental balance after hearing the news of your death. She is in a mental asylum in Agra while your daughter stays with your in-laws"

            Gathering all the bits of information, Arun hurried to take a train to Agra. The eight hours train journey seemed like eternity as Arun was constantly reminded of Geeta's smiling face. He recalled all the best moments he spent with her in which they used to enjoy rainy evenings and walk along the muddy lanes casting footprints. He also remembered that how the rumble of the thunderclaps used to frighten Geeta and how she used to hug him tightly out of fear. The past memories flooded his visions while tears came streaming down his face. "How would Geeta and Sona be? ", wondered Arun while he was on his way to Agra. As soon as he reached Agra, he went to his in-laws place and was utterly speechless to find his daughter grow into a teenage sixteen year old girl. That was the first time he saw her daughter as by the time she was born, Arun was gone for his posting to Ladakh. He was too overwhelmed to see her daughter after such a long time and at the same time Sona was also speechless to witness her living father whom she knew to have been dead since her childhood. It was a surprise for other people too.

  Soon getting over with surprises, Arun collected the address of the asylum where Geeta stayed. As he went to the asylum, the staff there was too cooperative to arrange a special meeting for Arun and Geeta. While Arun waited there impatiently to have a glance at Geeta's smiling face, she looked questionably at Arun with a frown when she was brought in supported by maids. The frown in her face literally killed Arun but gathering all his wits he began talking to her. He started reminding her of the several times they have shared and while talking, he showed her a locket that she had gifted him earlier. Geeta took the locket in her hand, saw their snap together in it and memories came rushing back to her as she uttered, "A.. Aaa.... Ar... Arun" and tightly embraced him. All the yearnings and longings that was at bay since the last fifteen years came down rushing like a midsummer stream. There were tears in every eye that witnessed this sweet reunion. 

            Geeta was then and there discharged from the asylum and after completing the formalities, Arun and Geeta prepared to leave. No sooner did they come out of the asylum than it started pouring heavily. It seemed that even the celestial were rejoicing with the newly united couple. Geeta was immediately reminded of how they used to enjoy the rainy evenings. To revive the memories, they did the same. Arun and Geeta walked over the lanes and the thunderclap made Geeta jump for Arun's embrace. While they were busy walking along the loose muddy track, the wind and rain still rejoicing, covered their footprints that the couple casted out of sheer curiosity. 

Hope You Like It. 

Signing Out, 

Abubakar Parvez. 

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Text: Abubakar Parvez
Publication Date: 07-21-2016

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