FlashFiction 2009, Third Prize Uday Krishna

A Martyr!

The national times [4th page, extreme right] 15th August.

In an act of bravery that saved peak 5 in sector 7 from enemy clutches, Sepoy Arjun Pratap met a soldier’s death in the battlefield. The peak 5 is retrieved now back to the nation and both the countries have abandoned the war and that, leaves the enemy with a chunk of the captured territory.  

Arjun Pratap, a sepoy of the Rajput rifles, along with four other of his comrades (Major Vijay Rana, Sepoy Ayub Khan, Lt. Malik Raza and Sepoy Tarun Raj) broke open into the ‘enemy captured’ territory at 2 past midnight on 13th August. After a fierce gunfiring that lasted for a strenuous four hours of time, Sepoy Arjun Pratap despite the loss of three of his comrades carried the mission single handedly to slay two of the enemy soldiers and accomplish his mission, before embracing death. Sepoy Arjun Pratap was shot to death by the last ‘enemy man’ in a one-to-one gun battle, which even took away the enemy’s life.  Major Vijay Rana, who was severely injured in the battle, has recommended Sepoy Arjun Pratap for the gallantry award.  

Ceasefire has re-affirmed diplomatic relations across borders and the respective heads of both countries have promised to repeal the prior plan of actions for the war. Sepoy Arjun Pratap got married to Sulekha in 1998 and they are parents to twins- Abhay and Mandira. The martyr’s family has been promised Rs. 1 lakh and pension as per his current allowance. 

The National Times [4th page, extreme right] 15th August,

Sepoy Abdul Qayyum, sacrificed his life for the nation in peak 5, sector 7 in the north-eastern border area. Although, the peak 5 was captured by the enemy, the brave soldier managed to stop the possibility of enemy’s forward movement into other territories occupied by the soldiers of our country.

Major Azam Mallik, Major Reeth Bahadur Singh, Sepoy Abdul Qayyum and Sepoy Mazumdar had to face an ambush that lasted for a grueling four hours. While Major Reeth and Sepoy Mazumdar met death halfway, Major Azam Mallik survived even after being struck by four bullets. Sepoy Abdul Qayyum, lost his life in a one-to-one gun battle with an enemy soldier, not unless he managed to hit a bullet onto the enemy’s body that left the enemy dead. 

Sepoy Qayyum is left with a wife Sharmeena Banu, a 2-year old son Shanawaz and a 7 year-old daughter Sara. The government has assured the martyr a gallantry award and his family a grant of Rs.1 lakh along with pension. Armistice has abandoned the ongoing war for the moment, with each of the country taking home the respective territories leftover in the current scenario.