An Army man

Sunanda was trying hard to find an I/V line on his arm, It had break out of some kind which was horrible, his whole body, with such break outs. She was in officer casualty. She knew Sajjad Ahmed since the time she was there. He would not twitch, twist or turn in pain, he was stoic.

"Every year this is difficult, Aren't they. ?". she asked him.

"Like a remembrance to commemorate these wounds come out of no where and make it all feel a reality again and go ". He replied

"A stress induced one. . . Sunanda told though you won't agree. "

"It took an year in the dark dungeon no light, no sound other than of crickets, rats, it had just a man's space. To know another is alive we would just make thudding sounds, by six months there was no thudding heard back". He said it with deep felt emotions.

Sunanda knew he was captured during the time of invasion. He was a Major then and he was now talking about those invasion Era 

She listened with deep reverence to the real life hero, who lay before her.

She just told, "war is a plague or rather rabies, people bite our own. It is like zombie apocalypse, you forget their own, their neighbors and the torture ensues. There cat and mouse play starts. "

He smiled at her, "your country stood with us, there were nurses like you who never ran to own country but worked in our hospital under threat. . . brave ones. "

"They too would stand in the long queue to get kubz and water. "

He continued 

"At gun point my children were tortured, my wife and daughter raped. . . those men had no limits They were taught so. They ransacked the country They destroyed everything, we tried our best, to fight them back, they were barbarians and we went by the rules. "

Sunanda finally fixed the drip, the officer slowly started easing with pain killer spreading in his veins and arteries, but she thought what would wipe away his vivid trauma what would answer those unexplained suffering he was put through. She knew he did not remarry never had any children after Kuwait invasion of Iraq.

He always worked for the country, the progress of the army, their care, the development of hospitals, constructing satellite units at the border which was always unsafe.

He would tell her, "beautiful, I can't pronounce your name. . . so to me you are the beautiful "

Sunanda would smile.

One time he told "do you think they spared our little boys, they would shove hard Pepsi bottle at their back let them suffer and watch them cry. . . it was beyond human an act. "

"I still could feel the looming smell of chemicals being inside the dungeon, the lonely cell under earth for the most brave among us. . I wonder How am I still alive, when American troop came, the bullet on my leg got me infected till thigh. "

Sunanda knew her eyes were filled with tears. He caught her hand and told ", no beautiful those are tears of pity, empathy or sympathy what ever, your smile is all I need, at my valour, I am an Army man. . "

"How do you take it? all she asked

He said "Love for one's mother land, a military man's life is written for the country. He must be ready to protect, save, guard the meek and destroy the cruel. . . some what like God. . . . eh. ". he laughed at his reply.

"When war is waged, between two countries, or one invade other common man is put to suffering. There is no end what he faced and Army took wow to keep them safe at the cost of their life. They don't belong to one family or to a person, they belong to the nation. "

"Should I salute you General?" Sunanda asked in a play mode 

"Your each move is full of respect and professionalism and that is enough beautiful. "He told.

She would see him walk past the main entrance and she often walks with him while he is about to leave he would say, every soldier they need a care taker like you. . .

"I understand General ". she told.

He never shows any feeble feelings but with all might keep each step and seem to protect the soil that nourished him still in his each breath. He was an Army man. . .