“Come on let’s go!”

  “How are you so exited? Weren’t you saying that your back hurt just this morning?’’

  “Ah, don’t be silly, why aren’t you excited? we are going to hold real guns! And learn to use them, and shoot with them, and- and-‘’

  “Whoa, calm down.” Rabeena laughed while chiding me lightly, given I had been ranting excitedly since about half an hour. Why won’t I? We are going to learn to use a gun starting today!

  Though we had a field exercise yesterday, simulating a terror ambush, and an injured mate.(a log), and my back hurt from lifting up that log for so long, and my scratched knee burned, I got my period this morning, with heavy flow, nothing could keep my excitement about learning to shoot. I had been grunting and panting through the whole morning drill, now all the pain had gone away. Now I was going to learn how to fire a gun! Plus my stomach is also full.

  I realised Rabeena was fidgeting. “ You Okay?”

  She shook her head uncertainly. After finally sharing her story that night Rabeena had changed quite a bit. She now talked more freely, and shared her feelings often. Yet she hesitated to say what she felt at the moment. She simply stood with a look of uncertainty in her face, and sweat tricking down her neck in the sun.

  I put a hand on her shoulder. I could guess what was playing in her mind. “New things are supposed to be scary, but that does not mean we will shy away from learning something new.” I said slowly.

  She turned her head, looking at me. Her big eyes were even bigger, like a scared deer. Though it was mean, but I found myself chuckling at that expression. That earned me a frown. “Come on now. I know holding a gun in your hands might not be something you had ever imagined in your life, nor have I. But now since it’s inevitable, there is nothing good in feeling anxious.”

  “Easy for you to say. You are not scared of anything.” She grumbled.

  “That is so not true.” I said in a feigned offended tone. Then I smiled, “You think I am not scared? Oh! I am very much scared. But at the same time, that anxiousness, that elevated heartbeat, the heightened pressure? It all excites me at the same time of making me feel afraid, or uncertain. And I somehow love the way my heart races whenever I am scared. That is the only difference between what you are feeling and what I am feeling.”

  In the mean time, Deepak came up, bouncing on his toes excitedly. “Hey!”

  “Hey!”

  “Aren’t you excited? We are going to hold real guns!”

  I chuckled. “See Ruby, even the youngest one here is excited.”

  “Have you heard the news?” He went on, as Rafique and Nitesh strolled up seeing Deepak bouncing up and down. “Hey, what’s up?”

  I smiled at them and again focused on our little excited brother, “What news Deepak?”

  “You have not read today’s newspaper?” He asked, a little disappointed.

  “No, was really not in the mood this morning.”

  “Uh-oh, you missed such an amazing report”

  “Which one are you talking about? That report on the terror ambush? About that sepoy ranked jawan?” Rafique interrupted.

  “Would someone please tell us what exactly you are talking about?” Ruby said, confused and frustrated much like me with all the vague words.

  Deepak gave a sheepish grin, “Sorry, I was kinda amazed. So, there is this checkpost near Doda, the kind where Jawans usually check passing cars for possible threats.”

  “Okay,”

  “You remember yesterday it was sort of cloudy?” Nitesh said, “It was raining heavily in Doda. Plus lots of fog.”

  “Uff.. Come to the point!” I said, they are being very slow.

  “ Okay okay, Let me tell you in short, then you read the report later for details.” Rafique picked up the story, “The Check post was extremely undermanned. Only a few jawans, none very senior. There had been a terror ambush on the car of a BSF IG.”

  “What? Is he alright?’’

  “Yeah, well that’s the point. IG sahab was off duty, on a trip with family. His 6 year old daughter was with him. The terrorists flung bomb at their car.”

  “Please tell me the little girl’s okay.” I prayed,

  “Yeah, they all are fine. Thanks to a Jawan posted there. He sort of single handedly brought the situation in control.”

  “Really?’’

  “Yes. And he is by rank a sepoy. When the terrorists flung the bomb at the car, he was the first one to respond. Th report said he ran straight to the burning car and brought out IG sahab and his family. And that’s not even the best part. The report said that he handed IG sahab his own gun to increase man power and ran straight to the place where the terrorists were hiding with only a grenade in his hand.”

  “Can you believe it? There were a total of 5 armed terrorists. And this soldier just ran straight to their mouth, and killed them.” Deepak finished.

  This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.

  “No way.” I gasped, “ Just a single grenade? And nothing else? Straight into the line of fire? What’s his name?”

  Now Nitesh hung his mouth. “The report didn’t mention. Maybe for safety purposes. But he is from our regiment, JAKLI. Now that does makes us feel proud.”

  “Also, there is one more thing:” Deepak lowered both his head and voice mysteriously.

  “What?” I said, mimicking his tone, both grinning.

  “The IG Sahab at whom the bomb was flung? He is our Subedar Rathore’s own cousin brother.”

  “Really?”

  The gossip would have gone further, but then a sharp whistle cut through the air to signal the time of our brand new weapons training.

  “Here goes nothing.” I whispered in Ruby’s ear as we fell in line, gravel crunching under boots.

  * * * * * *

  As it turned out, the first day was not for firing guns. Rather, the first 2 days passed to learn the specifications of the weapon, what each part of the gun is called, and of course, assembling and de-assembling of the weapon.

  When Tanisha took the rifle in her hand the first time, the cold metal sent a shiver of thrill through her whole body. Raveena took up hers gingerly, nervous sweat glistening on her forehead, but slowly her grip steadied.

  Tanisha fumbled to assemble the rifle the first day, and earning 5 laps in the sun for not being able to do it even after being shown thrice.

  But soon, everything settled, and they found their rhythm with their rifles. By day three, Tanisha could easily assemble and dissemble her rifle with steady hands. Raveena was able to pick up her rifle with confidence, Nitesh’s hands did not ache holding the rifle up for long during drills. And they all could recite well what each part of the gun was called and what it did.

  Then it was time to learn firing.

  With thumping heart they all lined up in the shooting range, watching how their instructor held the gun and aimed. And then BAM!

  The loud sound pierced through Tanisha’s eardrums, ringing for a long time. When she felt the ringing will not stop forever, the booming voice of the instructor drowned it out. “ Always keep in mind. FINGERS OFF THE TRIGGER WHENEVER YOU DON”T INTEND TO SHOOT ANYONE DEAD. I REPEAT: FINGERS OFF THE TRIGGER UNLESS THERE IS A NEED. UNDERSTOOD?”

  “YES SIR!” they shouted in unison. It felt good. Jolly almost, contrasting to the exhaustion they all were feeling.

  Tanisha picked up her Rifle, took position and aimed. Finger hovering just above the trigger, waiting for the command.

  “FIRE”

  Tanisha’s heart did a little flip when she pressed the trigger.

  The sudden flash of light, the sound of the bullets shooting out from the rifle, the sulphureous smell of burnt gunpowder, it all was tremendous. But more tremendous was the hard recoil that hit her chest, knocking out her breath.

  She stumbled back a step, flabbergasted. She had heard about recoil, but did not imagine it was so strong.

  Tanisha looked around, flustered, finding nearly everyone in the same flabbergasted condition as herself. Then she heard a laugh, a very amused laugh. They collectively turned their heads to find the source of the sound.

  The instructor was laughing. “So? How did it feel? The thrust? Was it too much for you softies?”

  When everyone lowered their gaze, not speaking a single word, the instructor stopped laughing, and walked up in front of them, “The recoil you just felt? It’s not just simply physics. It’s a reminder.

  “We pick up the guns to protect our beloved nation. And more often than not, we fire them at fellow human beings. Terrorists, yes, but humans all the same. Every bullet you fire, will tear through someone’s flesh, and that pain will always echo back to you. The recoil of the rifle is the reminder of that pain, so you never forget the stakes of pulling the trigger. That kick against your shoulder must always remind you of the responsibility you have picked up alongside the rifle.”

  Suddenly the rifle felt heavier in her hands, it’s metal cold against her fingers. Up until now, shooting had seemed like a test of strength and skill, but at that moment, she started to feel the gravity of carrying a rifle over her shoulders.

  She held up the rifle again, readying herself for another fire.

  When she pulled the trigger, the recoil hit her again, but this time she sucked it all in, not just the force of reflex action, but also the underlying meaning and responsibility.

  By the 8th shot, the recoil started to hurt lesser, and the bullets were poking holes in the cardboard bullseye target in the front.

  The day went on with holding, aiming, breath control, and handling recoil. And afterwards when they returned to their dorms, there was a strange feeling of purposefulness along with extreme exhaustion.

  The next day, they learned grouping, that is firing several shots at one go.

  It first started with rounds of 5, then increasing up to 8, then 10.

  After 3 rounds, Tanisha hit one bullet very close to the target, that made her heart leap a little. She was learning.

  But the instructor delayed the command for a fourth round of fire, instead he walked along their line, checking posture. Suddenly, he stopped right beside Raveena.

  He read her name tag with squinted eyes, “Dubey?”

  “Yes sir!” Rubina responded with as much voice as she could muster. She did not like the idea of being singled out.

  But much to her dismay, instructor sahab stayed beside her, sizing her up, and at the same time, he kept staring at the target Raveena was shooting at.

  Kya galti kardi maine, hey Bhagwan!

  Mere samne aake kyu ruk gayee yeh, mujhe hi ghur raha hai har koi.

  Kya karuu mai aab?

  Please please mujhe nikal mat dena! Her heart grew faster with every passing second, and the rifle that had started to feel like a part of her, felt foreign again.

  [[ what have I done wrong, oh God!

  Why did he stop in front of me? Everyone is staring at me only.

  What do I do?

  Please, please don’t throw me out.”]]

  “Dubey! Fire a round. Group of five. Shoot.”

  Raveena inhaled sharply, calming her nerves. She can’t afford to screw it up.

  She held her rifle steady and pressed the trigger. Bullets shot out from the nozzle, aimed straight at the bull’s eye at front.

  And following her fifth bullet when she lowered her smoldering gun, easily visible were the holes she had managed to make in the target, two of them very close to the bull’s eye.

  She felt relived, her firing was good.

  She lifted her eyes from the target, towards her instructor. But his frown had not gone away.

  “Again.” He boomed.

  Raveena obeyed. But the instructor’s frown only seemed to get deeper. “Kab se sikh rahi ho?”

  “Sorry sir?”

  “I asked, from how long have you been learning shooting?”

  “Yesterday?” Raveena was hellishly confused, so confused she forgot that she was nervous, “We all started to learn yesterday. You taught us holding and handling recoil?”

  “DON’T LIE!” He yelled, making Ruby, and everyone around her flinch. “How come are your shots are so precise then?”

  Ruby was trembling under the instructor’s intimidating glare. “I am not lying sir.” She managed to say. Why is being precise a problem? Wasn’t the whole point of firing a rifle, is to learn aiming?

  Even though Ruby thought his frown could not get any deeper, it did. He called forward another soldier, whispered something into his ear, sending him running off.

  A few moments later, he came back with a cardboard bust under his arm.

  He went to Ruby’s target, took down the bull’s eye, and set the bust in it’s place.

  “Dubey! Group of 8, straight at his chest.”

  Ruby’s confusion and nervousness made her 1st two bullets veer far off. Then she took a breath, got a hang of it, and completed the group with 3 bullets close into the center circle, two more an inch away from it.

  “Another. At the head.”

  She did as she was asked, extremely aware of the large number of her batchmates gawking at her.

  This time too, 4 out 8 hit the target.

  “Really you have no experience with shooting beforehand?” Instructor Sahab asked again, after she was done. By this time, Rathore sir has also arrived there.

  Raveena shook her head.

  Instructor Ji let out a breath, and then smiled, wiping down his face. Then he turned to Rathore Sir, “Rathore sahab, looks like we have got a natural.”

  * * * * * *

  “Why?......

  “What did he mean by natural? NATURAL?

  “Tanishaaa, answer me.” Raveena frantically shook Tanisha’s shoulders. She had been going about the same topic since the training has dispersed for the day.

  Tanisha simply giggled at her silly frenzy, making Raveena shake her again, “Tell meeeeee!”

  Tanisha chuckled again, “Why are you so worked up? It’s amazing.”

  Raveena slumped her shoulders, sitting on the bed, and tucking her knees under her chin. “I don’t know what to do with the information.”

  “What is there to do?” Tanisha said, gulping down a painkiller for a pause, “Just practice, practice and practice. Make sure you use the gift that is given to you, and hone your raw talent into unmatchable skill.

  “Now Relax. You did amazing today, and I know it in my heart, you will continue to do so. You are a blazing fire Ruby, why afraid to burn bright?

  “You are born to burn down every obstacle thrown in your way, or must I say, shoot down. This is just the beginning of what an astonishing woman you are going to be.”

  Later that night, while Tanisha was going through her textbooks, her mind wandered distantly.

  Whilst I had been trained since my childhood, given every possible opportunity and let to chase my dreams,

  Ruby belongs from a place where simply getting an education created familial trough.

  Yet, Ruby is the one gifted with a natural talent, which bloomed the moment her hands picked up steel.

  It’s unknown what number of such gifted, natural talents are there in this country. Most of them could not find a way out like Ruby did. Their god-gifted talent never discovered, and eventually dead beneath a kitchen smoke and oil exploited pallu.