War Hero

The atmosphere was calm and quiet. The sky was very clear without any patches of clouds. The Gulmohar flowers from the trees on either side of the road leading to the briefing room kept falling in the morning cool breeze. The lullabies of small birds that circled the flowers to suck honey were very prominently heard in the silence prevailed. For attending the daily briefing, all aircrew of the station and other small units started trickling down to the briefing room one by one. Most of them were either wearing the ‘G’ suit or flying overall. After a while, exactly at seven o’clock unit commander Wing Commander Mukerji and Officer in Charge Flying entered the briefing room. With respect, everyone got up and wished them ‘good morning’. After that, other unit commanders also came and took their seats.

Flight Lieutenant Gupta, the officer in charge Meteorological Department, came in front of everyone and took permission from Officer in Charge Flying and other Unit Commanders and started the day’s briefing. He explained about the weather condition all over India with specific detailed importance to local. He clarified everyone’s queries and withdrew after satisfying one and all in that room. Once the senior officers left the room, the Flight Commander Squadron Leader K N Singh asked four officers to remain there as he had to brief them separately on the day’s flying activity. He explained to them all about the formation flying that was planned to be conducted by all of them. The formation was planned to be led by him. The names of officers who were to form on either side behind him were readout. They were briefed in detail with the height and the distance to be maintained from one another with precision. The activities to be performed at various stages of their formation by each one of them were also explained. Though everyone was conversant with the emergencies, he was particular to repeat each such situation and reminded them of the actions to be performed by them to come out safely. He even reminded them of the aerodromes to be contacted for landing in case of an extreme emergency. When the briefing was over, few officers shot out their doubts and he patiently cleared them all.

Flight Lieutenant Prabhakar adjusted the ‘G’ suit and picked up the helmet and walked to the tarmac with all other officers. From a distance, he saw all fighter planes on the tarmac shining in the morning sun. He moved close to the allotted plane and carried out the mandatory routine checks. Fully satisfied, he moved to the ladder and climbed up and took his seat inside the cockpit. After carrying out all essential checks, when he was fully satisfied with the performance of the plane, he looked at the technician standing on the side, at a distance. That technician went running to the plane and closed the hood and removed the ladder. He removed the choke from the front side of the wheels and raised his thumb indicating that everything was in order. The plane was ready to move out. As directed by the leader, he moved his plane slowly forward. The technician gave smart salute wishing him to come back safely.

Each plane entered the runway as directed by the leader and took off. The last one to take off was that of Prabhakar. As briefed, after flying for a while, each one of them started coming closer to get into the formation. Keeping the leader in the front, each one of them got into the formation maintaining the height and distance from one another. When all were in proper formation, the observers in the flying control expressed their happiness over their efforts and capability. After flying in the formation for a while, they started peeling off one by one and carried out eye-catching performances such as rolling, pitching, and diving. That was a wonderful performance and the observers all around the flying control and on the technical area appreciated them vehemently.

When pre-planned tasks were over, one by one sought permission from the flying control to land. The leader was the first one to land and others followed. Prabhakar was the last one to get permission to land as he was the last to take off. He pressed the landing gear switch. But, the usual green light when the wheels were down was absent. The red light kept glowing indicating that the wheels were still not down. The indication made his two or three heartbeats to miss, but without showing any panic, he informed the flying control of the particular situation he was facing. He followed the drill to be carried out in such situations to bring down the undercarriage. But, all attempts went futile. There was no total failure of electrical or hydraulic systems. All other systems in the plane were functional. That made him more confident and he thought of ways to bring down the aircraft safely. The very thought of the huge loss to the exchequer if the aircraft crash-landed made him feel uncomfortable and he thought of ways to save the aircraft somehow. When all his efforts failed, he informed the ground of his inability to bring down the aircraft safely. Air Commodore Sinha who was informed of the emergency, came to the flying control and instructed Prabhakar to fly around till the fuel tank was emptied and then carry out belly landing on the grass, by the side of the runway.

Prabhakar kept flying over the airfield. During this time, all arrangements to meet the emergency were being made on the ground on a war footing. Crash tenders and an ambulance with a doctor and all essential medicines for first aid were ready near the flying control, ready to move to the site at short notice. All emergency arrangements as per the air force procedure were taken with precision and all were ready to meet any eventuality. Officer in Charge Flying supervised every preparation and expressed satisfaction. When the fuel in the tank was about to be over, Prabhakar informed the flying control of his descent for a belly landing. Suddenly, the countenance of one and all in the flying control changed and the anxiety-stricken eyes got glued to the horizon with the mounting heartbeats. They started praying to close their eyes waiting for the ear breaking sound of the approaching plane. The plane was sighted by their naked eyes. Everyone’s eyes were glued to the incoming aircraft at low speed. That touched the grass on the outer side parallel to the runway and kept moving forward. All crash tenders and ambulance moved fast towards the runway. The plane kept moving. That was to stop only by friction as the wheels were not out to apply break. Suddenly, a minor fire was observed on the rear side of the plane due to friction. The aircraft was moving forward. Due to everyone’s prayers, the plane came to a halt. Immediately the fire tenders got into action and started spraying the form over the entire tail portion of the aircraft. The form covered the plane thus stopping oxygen and within seconds, the fire was extinguished. Simultaneously, water jets sprayed over the plane helped to cool the surface. Meanwhile, another vehicle moved towards the aircraft with a ladder and one technician climbed up to open the hood of the plane. When Prabhakar was seen coming out, more people started gushing forward in anxiety, but Officer in Charge Flying stopped them for fear of possible explosion. He wanted to avoid any casualty, in case of an explosion that could not be ruled out after belly landing. Not heeding to the warning, Prabhakar’s friend Flight Lieutenant Sudhir moved fast to the aircraft and helped him come down the ladder. Sudhir continuously kept inquiring about his health and kept touching his different body parts to ascertain everything was in order. Prabhakar kept trying to recover from the great shock he suffered from the belly landing, but he felt his tongue was not taking his commands. He hugged Sudhir and sobbed. His eyes got filled, but he immediately regained courage and looked at everyone around with a smile. The doctor and medical assistants helped him to lie down on the stretcher and immediately carried him to the ambulance. Though Prabhakar kept repeating to his Commanding Officer and Officer in Charge Flying that he was perfectly alright and there was no necessity to take him to the hospital, the medical officer insisted that he was to be kept under observation and took him to the army hospital immediately. Sudhir accompanied him in the ambulance.

The whole station was happy that nothing untoward had happened to Prabhakar. In the majority of belly landings, the damage to the aircraft and the pilot used to be of a higher order. The fire due to friction and burn injuries to the pilot was of routine affairs, but due to good luck, nothing had happened and everyone thanked God for that.

Prabhakar tried to get up from the stretcher. ‘For what you people are taking me to the hospital? I am perfectly normal.’ He begged.

The doctor smiled. ‘I know that. But we have to carry out a complete check-up to ensure you are perfectly normal... It is a usual check-up after the belly landings.’ He chuckled.

‘No doctor. Please.’ He looked at Sudhir and said. ‘Why don’t you try to make him understand? I am perfectly fit.’

The doctor looked at Sudhir. ‘For that, we all thank the almighty. But, certain procedures are to be followed. That is mandatory. We can’t avoid that.’

XXX

In the hospital, the doctor who examined Prabhakar could not find anything unusual. Still, he was admitted there for the sake of observation, for one day. After some time, the unit doctor and his assistants left the room. Sudhir also did not stick around there for long and left saying he would be back after lunch.

While Prabhakar was dozing off, he heard someone knocking on the door. He opened the eyes and saw Sneha, the daughter of Air Officer Commanding of the air force station, Air Commodore Sinha, entering the room with mild smile and anxiety.

‘What happened?’ She stood by his side and inquired with anxiety.

Prabhakar smiled. ‘I was experimenting with land aircraft without wheels.’

Sneha shook her head and smiled. ‘Then, was the experiment successful?’

‘That’s why I am lying alive.’ He grunted.

‘Good. That means all future aircraft can be manufactured without undercarriages.’ She looked at him with a forced smile. ‘Due to someone’s good luck, nothing happened to you. Otherwise…’

‘Otherwise?’

‘Don’t make me say otherwise.’ She pretended anger and said. ‘Nobody even thought of informing me of this. I came to know of this as my father informed the hospital superintendent. My father informed him in the morning, but that person informed me only now. Sooner, I came to know of this, though many patients were waiting for me, I left the hospital without telling anybody and rushed to see you.’

‘You did not take the permission from your hospital superintendent?’ He chuckled.

She looked a little perplexed. ‘No.’

Prabhakar smiled. ‘Sometimes when you go back, your name would have been struck out from the register.’

Thinking for a while she said. ‘If so, I don’t care. If not there, I am sure to get a job in any other hospital. There is a great shortage of doctors everywhere.’ She moved close to him and lifted his legs and hands and examined him. ‘The moment I came to know of the belly landing, under my imaginations I saw a different Prabhakar. Half burned face and broken limbs.’ Suddenly she corrected. ‘Oh, no. I was just joking. I was very confident that nothing would happen and you would come out scratch-free.’ She moved her hand over his head and smiled.

‘Oh, good. Did you start joking also? But, before cutting a joke, please be kind enough to inform.’

‘For what?’

‘Then, I will be prepared to laugh.’ He chuckled.

She showed mock anger and murmured. ‘There is a limit for teasing me.’ She expressed her displeasure.

After some time the doctor entered the room followed by the nurse. Prabhakar turned his head and eyes to that doctor and introduced Sneha to him. ‘Doctor, this is doctor Sneha. She is working in Batra hospital.’

That doctor wished Sneha. Is she your wife? When she is with you, our visits are not required.’ He smiled.

Those words brought a broad smile on her face. Her face shined as if a thousand watts bulb was lit. She looked at Prabhakar expecting him to react with his comment that ‘very soon that would get materialized’. But, she had to turn her face with disappointments.

The doctor gave some specific directions to Sneha and left the room.

Sneha continued to sit in that room reading a novel. Frequently she got up and recorded the blood pressure, pulse, and temperature. Towards the evening, Prabhakar said looking at her.

‘Why don’t you go back home? It is getting late. Your father may not like it when he comes to know that you had been spending the whole day with me.’ He showed uneasiness.

‘That’s ok. Today I am supposed to be on duty for twenty-four hours. In the morning, before leaving for hospital I had mentioned that to both daddy and mummy.’

Prabhakar looked at her with mock anger. ‘That means, you tell lies.’

She smiled. ‘Otherwise, survival is difficult. One can tell at times minor lies, provided that doesn’t harm anyone.’ She looked into his face. ‘Don’t you tell lies?’

He hesitated for a moment. ‘If you ask me…… Yes. Sneha, is there anyone who doesn’t tell lies? If anyone claims otherwise, either he is telling another lie or he is insane.’

Both of them laughed.

The entire night she spent in that room lying on the divan with the sincere intention of looking after him. In the morning, the doctor came and examined him in detail, and finding everything alright permitted to go back to the unit. After receiving the discharge order, she held his hand and walked along with him to the portico. Asking him to wait, she ran to bring her car to the portico. She opened the car and made him sit in the front. He was against the way she was caring for him like a child, and many times he resisted her personnel assistance on his every movement. Often, he tried to keep her hands away from his body, but she kept insisting complete rest without violent movements at least for a day or two more. She drove the car slowly and left him in his room. Before leaving that room, she said.

‘Don’t think of going to the unit for a day or two. You need to complete the rest. I will come back in the evening. If you do not observe what I said, I will behave like a doctor and scold you.’

Both of them laughed.