59

Next complete week Lt. Dharini was busy with analyzing the documents, the Signal interception reports, the intelligence agency reports.....!  Every new piece of information was throwing some light on a different angle of the infiltration episode. 

The Herculean task of joining the dots was the top priority.  She was amazed with the amount of prior warnings the intelligence agency had issued and also the interception reports hinted at the probable infiltration.  She wondered why the proactive action was not taken....!

The cease fire and peace talks  between the two Countries were going on and at the same time the incidents of infiltration during hard times of winter were putting pressure on the defense.  The double standards were evident.
 
"Why can't we just attack and thrash it out once for all?" she wondered.  The political interest and the international pressure tactics bugged her.
 
"Anyway.... My job is to guard the border and I will do that honestly... " She had set her limits....!

"High level talks in Delhi...!" Major Vikram whispered and she looked up in surprise.  "We need to go!" he informed further and she looked at the other members. 

"All of us..!" Maj. Vikram winked.  She nodded.  "When?" she asked in a whisper leaning towards him.  "Now!" he said.  "What?" she almost yelled.

"Yes, Lt. Dharini...We are leaving now!" Vinit said looking at her, measuring her for her reaction.  She collected herself and nodded. 

"Yes Sir!" she said.  "So, get ready in half an hour..!"

They were in the Delhi Command Office and the burden of work increased.  Maj. Vinit was absent in most of the meetings.  He was into the inner circle.  She could only see his glimpses sometimes... !

"Lt. Dharini... !" Brigadier Ranaut had arrived.  She stood in attention.  He gave her the envelop.  She took it.  "Khemkaran..." She understood...!  "Till next orders...!" she looked up.  "Tanks ...!" she gaped.

"Yes Sir!" she came back to her position.  Brigadier Ranaut gave a nod.  "Open it!" he ordered.  She still was clutching the envelop. 

"And....Recommended for gallantry award..." he said smiling pleasantly.  She looked up with blank face and then a tight salute from her said it all.   She turned and marched out trying to control her emotions.  Maj Vikram intercepted.  She grinned brightly.

"Congratulations....!" he pulled her closer.  She came back to her senses.  "Only recommendation...!" she said reasonably.  He held her hand...

"Let's celebrate...!" he said and she looked at the time.  "Dinner...!" he whispered and she nodded looking down. 

"Hey... did you hear that?" Maj Vikram asked brightly and she looked up to find Maj. Vinit staring at her sternly. 

"We are not here to enjoy, Lt. Dharini..!" he reprimanded sternly thrusting a file in her hand.  "Three hours..!" he ordered handing over the instruction sheet and turned.

"Damn you, Vinit...!" Maj. Vikram yelled behind his back and Vinit turned looking scornfully at the duo.  Dharini had already started reading the instructions holding the file tightly.

"I got to start...!" she murmured and marched out of the door.  Vikram ensued to help her.  By the time they both finished, it was evening and Maj. Vinit was at their table demanding the file.  Vikram handed over the file brightly and said... "And if you excuse us, gentleman... we are on a date...!" he winked at Dharini and she turned pink.  Maj. Vinit looked at her and marched out.  She gaped.

"Don't bother... !" Maj Vikram nudged her and she smiled.  "So, get ready...!" he said. 
"He is so friendly....!" Dharini was impressed by Maj. Vikram... "And helpful too...!" she remembered her day in DRDO working under task master Maj. Vinit.  "Humm..." She sighed. 

"Where?" Maj. Vikram asked brightly. "Officers Mess...!" she replied grinning in her olive uniform...
"Huff...." he sighed and gestured at the half ton vehicle.  She smiled hopping in.  "We are still on duty...!" she said looking at his uniform and he nodded. 

"This postmortem is bugging...!" he frowned.  She sympathized. 

"Next week... Kemkaran..." she said seriously and he applied sudden breaks.
"What?" he was shocked.  "Yes! Tanks...!" she informed.  "Where?" he asked aghast.  She merely looked up.

"Oh!" he looked away.  "Week's training in Ambala... and then Khemkaran..." she informed.  He didn't react.  Suddenly they both fell silent. 

"Can I?" Maj. Vinit had pulled the chair and she looked away nervously.  "Farewell date?" he asked Vikram.

"You knew it...!" Vikram accused and he nodded.  "Yes.. Tanks division... Maintenance... !" he informed eying her reactions.  She kept her face straight.  They had their dinner silently. 

"Ok. Good night!" Maj. Vinit held out his hand and she gave him a dead fish shake.  Vikram swore under his breath for spoiling his date...looking at his smirk and Rini turned her face. 

"You know, he is from my batch... best cadet.. we call him hawk..!" Vikram looked at his back.  "He suddenly appears from nowhere and kills the pray...!" She couldn't agree more.  "He is a hawk...!" she thought. Vikram kept talking about Vinit through their journey back. 

They saw him quite a few times during next week and he seemed to be very busy not even returning the greetings.  She found him around during her breaks but refrained from interacting.  Vikram was always with her....

**********   ***********

"Damn this oil can...!" she was inside the tank.  She adjusted the turret hatch propelling herself precariously over the turret.  She made her way inside the chamber with her data sheet.  This was a new Tank for her.  An Israeli Merkava, Specialist of Counter-Terrorism combat.  She marveled the Technological finesse of this Tank.  The Rear Door and Rear Corridor to carry and Embark the inantry... She was fascinated by its advanced ammunition round system.  She meticulously opened the oil container opening the sprocket ring... This was comparitively a smaller Tank with perfect camouflaging capabilities.  It could render itself invisible from a very short distance.  "SB : Safe Borders..." they had nicknamed it.  She smiled opening the sprocket ring which connected the road wheels... The exposed engine compartment was perfect. 

"You know? This Engine component is the heart of any moving machine... Everything else is replaceable...!" she spoke loudly to her co-mechanic.  "I marvel sometimes.... This Engine...I mean... If this breaks down....!" she lowered her voice sensing the engine coming alive.  The vibrations made her uneasy.  She looked around.  "What is it?" she propped herself out of the Hatch and held on to the Turret Seat tightly.

"Stop it...! We haven't finished yet..!" she yelled the instruction.  The Tank had started moving. She again peeped into the Periscope chamber and jumped inside.

"What the hell you think you are doing... Stop moving..!" she shouted.  The tank picked up speed.

"Bhulla.... Bhulla... " she called for her co mechanic.  He was nowhere to be seen.  She peeped into the 360 degree periscope to see her team out in the desert.  Within a fraction of second she counted the team members.

"This means I am the only one inside the tank... and the tank is moving...!" She panicked. 

"Stop... Stop...!" She yelled banging on the driver's chamber....! The Tank moved.  She could see the barbed wires on the border and the oil in the can spill all over.  She desperately wanted to stop the maneuver... she ran back to Engine compartment... It was roaring into action... She couldn't do anything...

They saw the Tank approaching at an alarming speed and the high alert message relayed to all the observation posts.  The troops alerted and Enemy forewarned... The support gathered.... There was aggression from India for the first time... The border was only a few of miles away... Any missile from the enemy would blow the tank away... the camouflaging ability was at field test.... the gunmen from the other side of the fence could only see the heap of sand moving... "Sand storm?" they wouldn't know...! But they were ready for the attack.  Their defence mechanism alive... the troops took their position to counter attack....!

"Stop it... Stop it...!" she kept yelling on the deaf ears.  She tried to open the Driver's chamber.  She didn't know who was inside....! She picked up her rifle ready to strike.  She had no other option....! "Do or Die..!" she closed her eyes.   "Sena Meddle posthumous...!" she blurted.  The tank had not stopped....!!