At 4:30 in the evening in Shimla, on July 3, 1999, the clouds were heavy, and amidst the rain, an inexplicable sadness and pain seemed to hang. It felt as if the clouds themselves were shedding tears. Just then, as if weeping along, the telephone in the Pratap House rang. But with the sense that no one was home at that moment, after three rings, Kulwant Singh descended from upstairs and picked up the phone. The voice from the other end asked, "Is this Lieutenant Pratap Singh's residence?" Kulwant Singh replied, "Yes, I am his mother, Kulwant Singh Chauhan. May