A wreath of flowers, a candle peace march, a humble prayer or a gallantry award is all that we can think about as of this day. But for them, those gone by, and the ones they left behind, the sound and sight of fireworks, the realization of a terrorist bloodbath and those last few words they heard from their beloved, would be etched in soulful eternity.
26/11 is just another number, isn’t it? How many of us would honestly remember this day over our weekend`s social plans or box office releases till the newspapers screamed about it early this morning? Well, even for them, its gona gradually move from headliners on the first page, to a column in the bottom left of the same page the next year, and 50 words in some non-existent corner as a space filling tactic 10 years hence. True, time and tide wait for none, so do memories, they are quickly erased.
What was it with the fetish of ending it up on the 11th month note that left one of the busiest metropolitan cities in the world paralyzed? If any of you folks are the likes who have played Counter Strike or games akin to those, killing seems to be fun at the click of a mouse button, and here we were, 2 years ago, being experimented upon in the same fashion, the only difference being it was "US ALL" in live flesh and blood as targets of one of the most horrendous terror attacks of our times.
We always crib about police atrocities, about their negligence in respect of acting up to situations; about a bollywood movie scene mockery where cops arrive last (they have been doing so in every single movie, and will continue to till the industry exists!!). That apart, just takes a moment and think about the families of those who protect you in their Khakhis as comparatively the most ill-equipped police force on earth!! They have kids like you and me waiting for their fathers to get home, they have a spouse who breaks into a sweat every time the phone rings in her others absence, praying, with an unfruitful attempt at times, murmuring, “This is not about what I think it is, everything must be fine”. They have parents, who, how much ever they might say otherwise to the world, know deep within that the life of their child, sometimes the only one and the only bread winner, is more important to them than the latter’s duty towards the Nation. Truth sucks, I know, but that’s just the way it is, at least for the most of us.
It’s a rare occasion where I fall short of words to describe a particular feeling, and I confess, today is one of those. How much ever we pray, praise or falsely pride ourselves as the citizen of this country, it remains a fact that you and me are least bothered. A job, a salary, a party over the weekend, a celebration with friends, hangout with our loved ones and caring a hoot about what has gone bye is the order of the day.
It takes balls to be the one whoz sacrificed. If you disagree ………….. Let know how many of you have a YES for the following ? Be honest !
- Let a dad, a mother, a sister, a brother or a close friend get randomly killed by a group of maniacs on the street?
- Let a close one move out as a part of an Ops team to kill those loosers who are on a rampage, knowing for a fact that your fella never comes back after that day?
- Wait for a gallantry award in the family, as a matter of pride, for which it`s okay for you to lose a close one in the forces? A caution, I don’t, by any means whatsoever, imply this to the ones who have. Just a simple question it is !
- Let a "Kasab" trial go on and on and on and on for ages till that guy gives up on age?
- One day, wake up to know that every chap above 18 has gota serve 5 compulsory years in the forces defending our borders? No life guarantee again!!
THINK!!
What I`v penned down must’ve been my weirdest stuff ever, no connections, no flow, no story - just a LAME BLOODY CONFUSION OF SORTS!! Confused I Am!
Them, the COPS and compulsorily the rest of their security clan have the balls and the courage to do it, to face it and to bear it all. I could only say, what those guys have done for us and the Nation, deserve more than a medal, more than a memory, more than a march and more than monetary compensation. They deserve RESPECT , more, when they are ALIVE !! R.I.P !!
