Her Incomplete Journey

“Run! All of you! Run! We will always stick together! Do not worry! We are a family! Granger, get the kids to the basement! I will come!” he said.

We were scared. Bewildered. Everything happening around was just… dubious.

“Honey, what about you?” asked Granger.

“I will come. Do not shudder. Be brave, honey.” Commanded our soldier.

“Mommy they are coming! They are coming! What to do?” screamed the kids

“Hide down in the basement, kids. Polly, make sure Molly is safe. Trance, keep them safe. You’re in charge.” Spoke Granger.

“Mom, you? Will you be safe?” asked the young teen.

“I’ll make sure I’m alive to be there for you guys. Now go.” Said she.

Trance, Polly and Molly ran to the basement.

“Honey, what on Earth are you doing?” asked the jumbled soldier.

“You told me to be brave. And there are different kinds of it. One example, making sure your family is safe and get into violence with the bad guys if they trouble you. Another one, never giving up on your loved ones.” Claimed our heroic woman.

“Love the attitude there! Do you think you can handle it till the end?” chuckled he.

“Yes I can, and I will.” Ordered Granger.

It was time. They could feel their footsteps close. It was them. The bad guys.

“Armed?” asked Brayden. And our battle-ready woman said “Prepared.”

Gunshots fired through the glass windows. It was the enemy for sure. And they were in the mood to kill.

“Why are you doing this!? Don’t you care for families? What’s the real problem?” screamed Granger.

“Easy there. They might be further antagonized. Leave them if they are willing to fight” calmed Brayden

Someone spoke. It was in a foreign language they couldn’t understand.

“Um, what do you think they are speaking?” asked Granger.

“Get me, my translator,” said Brayden

They listened carefully.

“We belong to Pakistan. Some problems arose with Indian soldiers. And we got the news that your husband is a soldier and he’s an Anglo- Indian. Please bear with us. We would only give them life imprisonment.” Said the bad guys’ leader.

“Why the heck you want to deal with soldiers for some problem? Are you nuts?” asked Granger.

“Ma’am Please. Some Soldiers from India have attacked us without prior information about war. We lost around 30, 00,000 soldiers in the war. So a deal has been made that in concern and apologies from India’s side, they agreed that they would settle the problem by giving life Imprisonment to all the soldiers in accordance with the loss. So please bear with us.”

“You heard them. It seems like I must go.” Said Brayden

“Are you crazy? What about the kids? What about the family?” asked the concerned wife.

“Shh, it’s okay. Visit me, ok? Take care of the kids. I know you will. You are brave. I know it. I know it.” Consoled Brayden.

“Can’t we talk about this to them? I am worried.” Said Granger.

Brayden kissed her forehead to calm her down. “I am always there.” He said.

A few minutes later, gunshot firings were heard. It was the first signal. A few minutes later, another one. They spoke again

“If you miss coming in the third signal, I will shoot you down.” The voice said.

“I am not abandoning my family, you heartless wretch. I will stay with them till the end!” yelled out the Brave Soldier. And he was shot down.

His family mourned after those merciless beasts were gone. His wife, Granger, was the one who missed him a lot. The kids were upset too. Trance was given a huge responsibility to take care of the family.

The family completed the last rituals of the late soldier. The nation saluted him. Didn’t know one small piece of the bullet could take down a life.

Granger visited their old classroom in High School, Where she first met her valiant soldier. His desk was still there, now decorated with flowers and leaves, and isolated in a corner. All the fun drawings he used to carve was there too. She then went to her desk, which was ornamented with one small rose Brayden gave her while alive. And also the quote he always liked to use to describe her was also engraved- “YOU ARE BRAVE. AND I KNOW IT”

Tears rolled down her eyes. She had no one to turn back to. A chill autumn breeze flew into the classroom and played with her hair. And she felt a small pressure of a hand, the texture she would never forget. And she was calmed down. She knew her love was with her till the end. “We stick together. We are a family” Those words always kept ringing, reminding her of her own courage.