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According to the latest blog, war is said to be the intense armed conflict between two political parties.
But no one ever answers if there is a need for a war. The point in fighting against each other just to prove a point. The idea to destroy one another to make the world a better place.
Living in harmony and peace flies out the window, when one puts the word out in the open.
But what did those poor kids know about wars? All they wanted was a barbie doll or an old train in their hands to get them going. But could their parents afford it when they had wars raging against one another?
What was the need of war, anyway? So that one could claim something was theirs, costing all their soldiers?
Men and women running in their bare feet as the smoke from the bomb spread across their street. Kids crying in the corner, their snot running down their nose to their mouths. Old citizens hiding in the basement of their house, praying the almighty that He would take their lives way before next bomb did.
What was the countries gaining when both the parties lost lives that couldn’t come back? Without the men, whom was the country going to rule?
But who dared to say these to the ones in power? Even when the head of the department knows this bitter truth. Wars are as common as the flu and let’s face it, we cannot escape it.
Such was the case for Raj when he had accompanied to the battle field with his father. He was only ten years old and had just begun to understand this world when his mother died giving birth to his younger sister.
Unfortunately, death had consumed his sister too. With his father at the border fighting for his country, Jayavrindh, there was no one to take care of the little boy back where it was safe.
So, when it came down to leaving Raj in an orphanage or with the stingy relatives, Lieutenant Kamal Chaudry decided that it was high time for Raj to understand how the world worked. He had submitted the permission slip to the higher officials to let Raj stay with him in the battle field.
Being in the top in his military had it’s own perks and the Lieutenant was making sure that he was getting all of them. He had said that if that couldn’t be arranged, he would resign and settle with his son. And that had done the trick.
With his brilliance and thinking, the government wasn’t able to lose him and in the end, it had granted what he wanted. They had agreed to shift the boy with his father and held no responsibility if something were to happen to the kid when he stayed.
Kamal had understood and had nodded his head about it. If the boy was being killed, let God forbid, it was when he was with him. And when Raj was with him, Kamal was sure that nothing could harm the boy.
Soon, after the cremation ceremonies, Kamal had gotten a transfer certificate from the boy’s class and had packed up his bags.
“Where are we going, pa?” Raj asked as his father packed the bags. “Are we going to aunt’s place? I don’t want to go there. She’s mean.”
Kamal laughed at his son’s words. Meena was mean and he could agree to that. “No, honey.” He smiled, running his rough hand over Raj’s head. “We are going on a trip. Do you like to have one?”
“Trip?” Raj’s eyes grew large.
After being depressed about his mother, he had only seen sad faces all around. Even his school friends were giving him the pity faces and Raj was tired of it. He wanted a change. His dad’s words were like a log he had found in the infinite sea.
“Yes! Let’s go!” He clapped and jumped. “Will there be a train? I always wanted to go in train. Can we go in train, Dad? Please?”
“Our trip is going to be better than that.” Raj’s father assured him. “We will go by airplane. Is that okay?”
“Airplane?” Raj jumped again, happy about the idea. Only one of his friends had gone in a plane and if he was going, he knew it was a big deal. “Yes!”
“When you reach there, Raj, it’s going to be very cold.” Kamal said, hoping that it wouldn’t kill the enthusiasm of the kid. “And it is going to be a long trip. Will that be okay?”
“Long trip means no school?” Raj asked, hopefully.
Kamal laughed at his son’s innocence. “No school, but I will be teaching you and you should be learning.”
Raj could only nod his head. He wasn’t listening properly for he was in ecstatic mood. No school meant no homework. He didn’t have to see his headmaster when he often forgot to do his work. He ran the entire room, wearing a cape as he pretended to be a super hero.
“Yes, yes, thousand times yes.” He shouted as he ran in circles.
Kamal caught his son when he completed all the packing. He had all the arrangements done to leave early in the morning before anyone would tell him how crazy his idea was. He had lost his wife and that made him realize how he had taken time for granted.
He had always worked hard for his family. But now what was left? His son. He didn’t want to leave him alone in this world. Moreover, he didn’t want his son not to know him before it was time for him to leave.
“Come on, son.” Kamal said. “Get some sleep. Tomorrow is a long day.”
He pressed his lips to Raj’s forehead, wondering if he was making a mistake.
