Land Of The Setting Sun

April 16th 1942 during the peaks of world war 2 like snow-covered glaciers in the Himalayas, the empire of Japan along with the Indian liberation army or free India movement lead by both General Masakasu and leader of the liberation movement Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, invaded British India from both the east and crossing through the rough, turbulent terrain of the Tibetan plateau, steamrolling through like a stampede.

That day and the weeks that followed was fierce fighting in the North of the country, riots across the nation supporting the Japanese, Kamikaze pilots diving down on the ships of the Andaman and Nicobar islands creating shores of fire, and even militias targeting government offices and even British civilians in the country's many cities. By November 25, 1944, The British had capitulated miserably and the sun set in the British empire. Lord Mountbatten and Archibald Wavell, the leaders of British India who fought effortfully at the battlegrounds in the Kashmir mountains and the dense moist Burmese jungles, were executed a month later after the surrender in the red fort in New Delhi.

Known as the Christmas massacre to many as national television brought it live to the 350 million Indians who were about to be the subjects and citizens of the emperor of the land of the rising sun, that touched all corners of the Pacific. The war wouldn't end until 1946 with the Axis victory of world war 2. What followed in the many months and everlasting time, just like everyone else in the world, the people of India saw numerous changes to their once peaceful country. Fleets of ships like schools of sharks full of soldiers from the Empire docked in the bays of the coastal cities. The Japanese Raj was formed from the ashes and ruins of the old British India. The Japanese language and culture was also introduced to India's cosmopolitan community, Indians treated like second class citizens just like under the British, and horrific scenes of millions of refugees fleeing to the country in trails of tears and sorrow from the Nazis in Africa and the Middle East, escaping slavery and escaping genocide in their homelands. Trails and packs fleeing for their life from bloodshed and such brutality.

The year is 1965. The population of 600 million Ambitious and loyal Indians were divided on the continuing foreign occupation of the country. Though many say that the Japanese brought Justice, development, and prosperity to the country and brought it back out of the abyss deep in the sea, they are gilded golden heroes to them, others say they are slimy murderers. The Japanese like the Tyrannical British rule with an iron fist with regular shootings in the alleyways, the constant fear of actions and informers or mudlickers mingling in the innocent population and the Military police or the Kempeitai constantly monitoring the streets like a street cleaner on the street, or a security guard protecting the many artworks in the museum, lastly is the unfair segregation that everyone has to endure all the time. How has life changed under Japanese rule for the people?

April 12, 1965, in the bustling coastal city of Mumbai. Ships to the rest of the empire and to the country bustling in the main harbor and people rushing like cheetahs to their workplaces. It was the rush hour at the crack of dawn. People were headed to the Metro and many took the many buses that were eagerly waiting for them in the bus stops on the streets. The Kempeitai patrol the streets, as usual, ensuring nothing goes wrong. Children rushing like an African Safari stampede to School. Huge planes flew to and from the bustling city in rocket speed to the other world across the sea. "Tanvi, wake up. You are going to be late for school" were the first words Tanvi heard from his dream. He was still droopy, but he knew he had to deal with it and get ready, after all.

Mrs. Sukhumi (his history teacher,) punished him for being a minute late to class. He got up and as fast as he could and like a lightning bolt, got dressed and packed his school bag with many books from Japanese and Hindi dictionaries to Indo Japanese history and the Art of war book. He soon. Sometimes when he wore his uniform he felt disgusted and thought. "why would anyone accept this devilish uniform when it is hot like lava outside. He soon sat down in a rush at the dining table where his parents and his older brother Arjit and sister Ananya were now finishing their breakfast.

"What is for breakfast mother?". Rice with Natto and Paneer curry. As he sat down, he felt the eyeballs of his brother and sister shooting lasers at him and communicating with each other on another tedious prank. Tanvi hated pranks. The worst one he experienced was a living dirty lizard, running with its grimy little feet on his face like it was a slippery floor, who knows where this lizard has been. He jumped out of bed and slipped on a mag and crashed like a car into his desk. It ended up with him sitting in his rough mat bed chewing strange herbs like chewing tree branches. He soon finished his breakfast and soon Tanvi, Ananya, and Arjit made their way to the bus stop.

On the way, they saluted the Kempeitai soldier who like a hawk with fingers ready to trigger the Asikara rifle. They soon passed a billboard or news board for the residence giving rubbish propaganda from English to Hindi to Japanese like "hail to the emperor" or "support victory against communism". The billboard even had archaic propaganda on the fall of the Nazis when they collapsed in Europe in 1952 even when they were successful in taking over the continent in a few years. He soon made his way to the bus stop when he was hit with a big pat on the back " hey there lizzy" It were his closest friends Hiroji and Luna. "They soon sat down together in a nearly packed bus stop with many kids the eye can see big and small siting, standing and studying while waiting for the bus to school. Hiroji soon interrupted the silence "So have you prepared for today's Science test?" "yes, pretty much everyone has" replied Tanvi as casual as ever. "I finally went to bed early, I was studying this test for such a long time" moaned Luna. "What time?", "1 am, and I also had to study the Koran, can't just abandon that responsibility".

The bus soon came early and like a crowd for a special event, the students stormed into the bus, as always, the bus driver said Japanese first. It was 7 am and everyone was soon arriving at the Mahanjar community school and rushing to their classes go avoid doing squats or being caned for 10 minutes straight. Soon their Sciences teacher Mr. Hideki arrived. "Konichiwa students".

"Konichiwa Sensei Hideki". "Please sit down the test will soon begin, make sure you put all of your belongings and bags at the corner. Everyone soon placed their bags in an ordered manner liked an alienated organised room. The test was soon handed out and everyone was facing a dragon. The test was set to be difficult for them. While the Japanese students boasted on how easy it was. Everyone else found it really hard to do. But Tanvi and Luna despite not being Japanese like their friends never gave up and still excelled. After school, Everyone was excited to leave. Though Hiroji and Luna saw this as normal, Tanvi saw things at a different perspective

He viewed events on the streets such as soldiers pointing their guns at civilians forcing them to perform chores. Ordinary civilians on mostly his kind harassed and bullied and how he always had to give up his seat and his ticket to a Japanese passenger if they ran out. He didn't understand why he was treated this way "aren't all people equal?". Even if he said this phrase, he would immediately be sent to the principal. It happened to a close cousin "Fahid" once and he got suspended for a week. He then thought, is this how life will be like forever, Is this a perfect society?

Sometimes he would just sit in his room and look out into the night sky and wonder. Can things change, Can things and life become better? Can it be different from his Mum and Dad working late producing propaganda, state censored news at the Daily News or work as a librarian at the local library. He also wondered, what was beyond the large sea that ended the path of Japanese India. People always said that they would be killed if they left the country, but he saw a new world out there to explore.

As he stared into the setting sun down the bay of Mumbai, He thought about the endless questions about this perfect India the people of the land of the rising sun created. Is it really that perfect? "No one in this world and nothing in this world is a god or a professional for sure" is the one thought that he knew every day.