Reminiscences Left By

The sky was streaked with gentle strokes of light blue, with a few dark shades here and there. The soft white snow that lay on the leaves of the pine tree, added a majestic charisma to the whole scenery outside the window. The lady sitting on the armchair had barely finished passing the thread through the needle, when the doorbell rang.

"Not now!!!" She said indignantly. "Not when I had finally managed to put it in!! "

Grumbling angrily, she strutted to the door. " Good Morning, Mrs. Reddy!!" 

The young lady gave a weak smile on seeing the lad. What was he doing here at this time of the day? "Your uncle is not here right now. He is currently posted in -"

"Pulwama ...in Kashmir. Yes I know Aunty. I just..."

The boy looked troubled, his brown eyes fidgeting around a certain point above the lady's head. "...I just wanted to tell you something-"

"Oh yes!!" She whispered cheerfully. "He called me right now .....told me what a beautiful place Kashmir is. Rajesh has caught a cold by the way...I told him if he could ask his captain to give him leave ....but He was indignant...told me 'Why would this mere cold of mine stop my Mother from getting protection?' ...and I won't complain either... who is first, oneself or Motherland?? So at present all I have to do is finish this needlework and-"

She turned towards the window, where the sky had turned a faint hue of violet.

"-and wait for his return." She completed with a smile that seemed to slash through the boy's heart like a dagger prepared to kill. 

"I....just wanted to-"

"No sit here now, you've got time, haven't you?" 

"Yes-but-"

"No buts dear. I know what you're going to tell me."

The boy almost fell off his chair. "What??!!"

"Yes." 

The boy looked at her face for the first time. Slowly, her smile evaporated in thin air, while the light faded out of her eyes. It seemed as if she was trying to hold herself in....to Not let her true emotions show up before the world.

"He'll be coming today." she said quietly, as a single tear flowed down those rosy cheeks. "They told me....told me I could see him one last time."

"And your son?"

Her eyes pierced into the brown ones, and the lad had a feeling that he was being x-rayed. "Oh yes!" she said, her lips curving slightly to form a small smile. "He''ll be giving his name for the Indian National Army this December...I... I will be proud of him if he does."

"But, how can you send your son to face the same fate as your-"

"My husband hasn't put down his arm and stayed back at home." she said fiercely, her eyes red. "He has fought....fought for a hero... and for whom? Not for himself...not for his family....He has fought for his Motherland. "

"But you'll have to live as a wido-"

"My dear," she smiled sarcastically. "Staying as the widow of the man who has sacrificed his life for his mother land is definitely better than living with a person who can only sit around at home. And I think...I have made my decision, you are absolutely free to make yours."

As the young boy turned to leave, he caught a last glimpse of the woman, her tearstained face overcome with pride...

shining against the backdrop of the dark hueless sky. He smiled, as his lips muttered silently,

"Vande Mataram."