UNIQUE AURA
It was the month of November. It was ten o'clock at night. In the plains, November is considered a month of mild winter. Mild sunshine comes out during the day, and the weather becomes slightly cold by evening. But in Kashmir, it is quite chilly even in November. Sometimes snowfall also starts.
Parvez Rasool was lying on the bed in a quilt in his house in Gulmarg. He was trying to sleep. Just then there was a knock on his door. He was surprised. Who could it be at such a late hour on this cold night, he thought to himself.
He got up and opened the door. He was frightened to see three young men with rifles in front of him. It did not take him long to understand that they were terrorists.
"We want to talk to you." One of them said in an imposing tone. He was probably their commander.
"Tell me what the matter is?" Parvez Rasool said. The matter is important, so it cannot be discussed standing here. Please let us in. Let's sit and talk." The same young man said looking at Parvez Rasool's face.
In compulsion, Parvez Rasool reluctantly opened the door and made the three of them sit in his room. Then he turned to the same young man and asked, "Tell me what you want to say?"
"Look, you must have understood that we are associated with a terrorist organization and are engaged in the campaign to liberate Kashmir. We need your help in this noble work." The young man said in a flat voice, "What kind of help?" Parvez looked at him with questioning eyes.
The young man said with mystery, "Look, we have come to know that you are the personal attendant of the SSP of the range, S.K. Singh. You carry tea, coffee, breakfast, and lunch tiffin for him. He trusts you a lot and never gets the food items brought by you checked. We want to take advantage of this."
"What kind of benefit, I don't understand." Parvez Rasool asked looking at the young man.
"Look, S.K. Singh is a courageous police officer. He is a big threat to our mission. He has killed many of our colleagues in police encounters. Because of him, our network is not able to be active here. It is very important to remove him from the way. We have made an action plan to kill him and we need your help in that." The terrorist commander said looking into Rasool's eyes.
"What? Plan to kill SSP sahab. Parvez Rasool jumped up as if a bomb had exploded somewhere near him." I cannot help you with this. This would be a betrayal of SSP Sahab. No, I cannot do this. How did you even think that I would support you in this crime?" Parvez Rasool said in an agitated tone.
The terrorist commander made a gesture and his companions pointed their rifles at Parvez Rasool. Parvez Rasool's face turned pale with fear.
The commander said in a harsh tone, "You have to do this work. If you refuse to do this, then with one signal from me, you and your two sons and your wife's bodies will be found lying on the ground."
Parvez Rasool's entire body was trembling with fear. "I need some time to think." These words came out of his mouth with great difficulty.
"Our order is final. There is no time to think about it. You have to answer yes or no right now. If you don't do this, be ready to face the consequences."
It was as if Parvez Rasool had been bitten by a snake. He remained seated like a statue for a long time.
The terrorist commander softened his voice and said - Look, you have to do this work at any cost. We will give you twenty-five lakh rupees for this work which is equal to your ten years' salary."
Parvez Rasool had no choice but to say yes.
For the safety of his family and the greed of twenty-five lakh rupees, he agreed to say yes. He said, "I am ready to do your work. But tell me what I have to do?"
This will be told to you in two-three days. Then he signaled something to one of his companions. He kept a bag in front of Parvez Rasool. The terrorist commander said, "There is ten lakh rupees in this, keep it. The remaining 15 lakh rupees will be given on the day we come to tell you the work.” After this, the terrorists left. While leaving they warned him not to tell anyone about this. Even after their departure, Parvez Rasool was sitting like a statue for a long time.
Parvez Rasool’s wife was also awake and was listening to everything while sitting inside. Both of them were thinking among themselves for a long time. They were not able to understand how to deal with this sudden disaster.
After two-three days, in the morning he was going from home to the office. The office was two kilometers away from his house. But due to it being a hilly road he had to go to the office on foot. At one place the road was narrow; there were bushes on both sides. Parvez Rasool was going to think something. Suddenly four-five terrorists came out from the bushes. Seeing them Parvez Rasool was stunned. Before he could say anything the same commander said, “You go to meet the SSP every day in the afternoon. You take Singh's lunch box from his quarters and place it on his table."
"Yes, Rasool said with great difficulty. Today you have to place this bomb in his lunch box. The time on the bomb is set to exactly 2 o'clock. The SSP is very punctual. He has lunch exactly at 2 o'clock. Today, as soon as he opens the lunch box, the bomb will explode and he will be blown to pieces.
Parvez Rasool's entire body was trembling with fear. He wanted to say something, but due to fear, the words could not come out of his lips after handing him the bomb, the terrorists again disappeared into the bushes.
Parvez Rasool was as if paralyzed. He stood there like a statue for a long time, then he walked towards the office. He thought that the only way to save him and his family was to do what the terrorist commander said.
In the afternoon, when he brought the lunch box for SSP Sahab from here, he removed the bowl of kheer from the lunch box and placed the bomb in its place. The bomb was very small in size, so it easily fit in the lunch box.
He took the lunch box and placed it on Sahab's table. His heart was pounding. He was having a lot of difficulty in controlling his emotions.
It was five minutes to two. SSP Sahab walked towards his table to have lunch.
Suddenly a thought flashed in Parvez Rasool's mind like lightning, 'What are you going to do Parvez Rasool! You are going to betray the officer who trusts you the most. The officer who sacrificed his life last year to save your wife. The officer who is brave, honest, and always puts his life on the line to protect his country. He is the officer who is always at the forefront of every mission. And then you are betraying your country. By doing this you will not even get a place in hell. Parvez Rasool! You will be called a traitor. People will spit on your name.
The chain of thoughts was not stopping. Parvez Rasool's whole body was drenched in sweat due to excitement.
He saw that SSP Sahab had reached the table and he was about to open the tiffin. Parvez Rasool looked at the watch. Only two minutes were left for two o'clock.
Suddenly Parvez Rasool shouted, "Sir, don't open the tiffin, there is a bomb in the tiffin." SSP's hands stopped where they were.
Parvez Rasool quickly ran towards the table. He swiftly picked up the lunch box and threw it from the window into the lake below. By then it was two o'clock. Suddenly there was such a loud explosion that the glass of the office windows broke and the water of the lake kept boiling for a long time.
All this had happened in a moment. SSP S.K. Singh was standing shocked and watching all this.
"How did you come to know about this bomb?" He asked Parvez Rasool in a harsh tone.
Parvez Rasool told the truth about the incidents that happened to him in the last three-four days.
S.K. Singh was an experienced officer. He found truth in Parvez Rasool's words. Then suddenly a thought flashed in his mind like a flash and he said, "Parvez Rasool, your family may be in danger. We have to reach there immediately."
S.S.P. S.K. Singh immediately came into action mode. He divided the police force and Rapid Action Force present at the headquarters into four groups and ordered three groups to comb the terrorists.
He took one group and went with Parvez Rasool towards his house. The terrorists had not yet reached Parvez Rasool's house, due to which his family was safe. S.K. Singh feared that the terrorists would come to Parvez Rasool's house sooner or later, so he ordered the force to take charge and remain in action mode at all times. He was leading from the front.
S.S.P. S.K. Singh's fears proved correct. After one and a half hours, the terrorists surrounded Parvez Rasool's house and started firing indiscriminately. They were accusing Parvez Rasool of treason and were talking about teaching him a lesson.
Meanwhile, police and Rapid Force personnel were present and fully alert at Parvez Rasool's house. They started firing back on the orders of SSP S.K. Singh. Firing continued from both sides for two-three hours. Meanwhile, two terrorists were killed by police bullets. The remaining three terrorists escaped.
S.S.P. S.K. Singh told the entire matter to the police and action force personnel combing the jungle and ordered them to remain fully alert and surround the terrorists. After several hours of firing, two terrorists were killed and the remaining one surrendered.
S.S.P. S.K. Singh patted Parvez Rasool's back. Parvez Rasool touched his feet out of respect. All the clouds of doubt in Parvez Rasool's mind had now cleared and his face was glowing with the unique aura of patriotism.
