#WritcoStoryPrompt31
The loud blast startled us all. On its heels the plane nose-dived. "Jump out now!"
The squadron leader opened the hatch. It looked like a gaping gateway to hell. One by one the soldiers jumped into the dark abyss. I was the last to go.
Slowly we walked, the night was dark but the flashes from the missiles giving us clear path.
One by one many of my colleagues were dead till we reached the secure location.
It was my first time in the army. I was a paratrooper,we have been given special training but the fear of death never goes out from my mind.
As sun began to rising the noise slowed down, bodies here and there was giving a breakfast to the birds.
Horrible it was!!! This is when the first time I saw her. She was on the enemy side.
But her beauty wasn't her mistake. She was beautiful way beautiful that I can describe.
She was trying to take the shelter as her clothes ripped off. Not completely but she seems like she is modest.
Hussain! Hussain come here you idiot my captain shouted.
What are you doing staring an enemy? Shoot her,he shouted.
Sir, but she is not an enemy. She doesn't have any weapon.
Oh! you stupid fellow. He shouted again at me.She doesn't have any weapon but she is brave enough to distract you.
I was blank for a moment. He has a point,I thought. In between our conversation she managed to escape. And the look in my captain's face didn't let me spelt for few days.
Every night starts with the same sound. Blast and screaming. Every morning birds have their good meals.
Humans have left that place but the place wasn't empty. It got replaced by carnivorous. Every now and then we see different types of wild.
Birds started building there nests. The place became a forest within few days.
The village was near to the forest, locals always had their interactions with wild. But it's been a month until I saw her.
It was my duty to collect the belongings from the dead bodies and mail it to there relatives. Every morning I go and search for the bodies with heavy heart. It was always in my mind that what if I get her body any day. What will I do?
But time went on after seven or eight month I saw her again but this time not alone.
She was with someone, I think he was the same guy with whose help she managed to escape.
Now the life started to go normal. Slowly but it was getting on track.
It was dawn when near our camp someone I saw was trying to kille her self.
I rush there and tried to stop her. Hey! my name is Hussain I said.
Don't come forward or I will shoot myself.
Oh! you really want to shoot yourself? I asked.
Yes, ofcourse she replied. Ok!! but if you shoot yourself you will be dead. Oh idiot I know, she replied, that is why I want to shoot myself.
But there are other ways to kill yourself,less painful and far easy way to go.
What are you? she shouted like she wants me to show her empathy.
Someone is trying shoot herself and you're giving advice.
Oh,no,no,no if you want to shoot you may shoot,but that's my gun you are using.
If you're dead, I might be questioned.
She threw the gun back at me and sat down.
My name is Neena she said.
Ok, Neena can I sit beside you. What? why? you got your gun you may leave. As I began to walking,she started walking too.
For few miles we didn't spoke a single word. And then she started checking my back. She was hungry. ofcourse!! I gave her a pack of chocolate. And then we seperated. Next day morning she came again we sat and shared some words. Every word from her mouth was like a pearl coming out. Hey, where are you,I am saying something, she repeated in her tone. The more I am with her the more I was getting closer to my enemy.
Only my captain knew I liked her. But he never said anything to me. Only advices me, don't forget your job.
After meetings we fell in love with each other so badly that we were ready to die. But the cost of living is not so cheap. Death is not an end.
My love for her was overtook by my profession, for which I got paid too. She got captured by the enemy side, traumatized and brutalized. I was sent back to my nation. I left my job, went there to search her again but couldn't find her. I didn't know what happened to her.
I never got married. After many years someone from my enemy side wrote a book on that. What happened in war,what they earn what they loose and many things. Book got so popular that it reaches to me.
I don't know the person who wrote this. But the moment I began to reading it was like I was living in that period again. I heard some noise outside my house. I was a hero whole media was outside my home.
Everyone had the same question, what happened to Neena?
And I was quite, speech less. My eyes were filled with tears,body was shaking and I could barely speak.
Oh my Neena, oh lovely Neena!! I began my story. Neena was actually a painter her drawing was amazing, she was from the noble family but the war took everything from them. When first time I saw her,she was trying to save her only younger brother but he got shot.
I show them some painting, beautiful they were. She drew my pictures amazingly beautiful.
I told them we spent a lot of time together and in that moment she got expectant.
When Neena got captured and I was sent back to my base I went again there but I got caught too. I spent 8 years there as a war prisoner. They took everything from me but I didn't open my mouth about her. Because family name is important. After brutalizing Neena they left her and she some how managed to met with her family again. The person who helped her escape in the beginning was her maid.
Later on she became nurse and she knew me. Neena has told everything about me to her,she also showed my pictures. That is how she was able to recognise me.
She treated me well and warned me never try to meet her. As my life and her life could be in danger again.
After eight years I got released and returned to my nation. I went there again but couldn't find her again.
I keep receiving telegrams and letters from unknown,that she is ok and doing well.
She never got married too.
After 25 years still we are separated and waiting for each other. But one question still remains who wrote the book. Sure it was not her maid. Writer name was also not printed, no photograph, nothing only one thing was written at the back."Little idiot Hussain". It's been so many years and I don't even have a single photo of her.
She was my daughter who wrote the book, my eyes filled with tears,I cried like a baby,I cried and cried till my tears got soked up.
She managed to cross the border and was sitting among the reporters. She wanted to know as if I also love her mother like she do. We went to the hotel and there I met my Neena. Lovely she was like a blossom,as always, oh my Neena!! I couldn't control myself and fainted in her arms,she repeated the same line oh you stupid Hussain and took me into her arms.
My daughter was standing there and was crying. I called her and we sat down.....

© Fareed Ahmad khan