“Mother when will Daddy come?” Little Trisha asked her mother Seema. “Next month we have our school annual day. All the parents are coming. Daddy did not come last year also. He had promised that he will definitely come this year. Do you know I am participating in two dances this time? If Daddy does not come I will not dance.” Trisha was just six year old, a smart and talkative girl. Her friends called her chatter box. An all-rounder, she was good at everything, studies, sports, singing, dancing, public speaking, dramas. Whatever she did, she did with interest and perfection. She was very popular among her friends. Her teachers loved herand her mother was proud of her.
Seema was a house wife, a house maker as they call it nowadays. She was proud to have married a military officer ten years ago. She had two children Karan, a ten year old boy and Trisha. Karan was a mature and responsible young man who took care of his sister and even his mother in absence of his father. Whenever his father came home on vacation, he told them stories about tough life at border. He told them about the extreme heat and cold conditions; how sometime bullets would fly across the border; how he had rescued an officer who was badly injured in durng a cross border firing; and how they ambushed a group of militants, who were trying to enter our country. Karan was proud to be the son of a military officer who was protecting the nation. But little girl Trisha did not understand all this, she did not understand why people fight and kill each other. She loved her father and wanted him to be with her always.
“Mom, I will be late today. We have dance practice.” Trisha told her mother as she climbed on to the school bus. “Good morning Trisha” all her friends welcomed her. They loved her and desired to be her friends. After the dance practice, Monica, her friend said admiring her, "Trisha you dance so well, this time will your parents come to school day to see your dance?” Trisha was happy to hear Monica praise her. Monica was her best friend and also best critic. “My mom and brother will surely come but I don’t know about my Dad. He is at the border, protecting the country you know? He can’t just leave the borders unprotected and come.” She repeated what her brother Karan had told her. “I am proud of my father,” she added further. Though Trisha was proud that she was daughter of a military officer, somewhere deep inside her heart she had a strong desire that her father to be there with her mother at school functions and see her dance like all the other parents do.
Trisha reached home a little late that evening after dance practice. Her friend Monica’s father dropped her home. After dinner Trisha slept beside her mother. “Mother! You know Monica my best friend, she told me that I dance very well,” Trisha told her mother whispering in her ears. “Yes dear, I know you dance very well. We are all very eager to see your dance on the annual day.” Her mother replied. “Monica wanted to know will Papa come too?” she asked. Seema replied after a pause, “Yes, he has promised but you know he is in military he can’t...” “I know he is in military, I have been hearing the same thing for last two years.” Trisha suddenly interrupted not allowing her mother to complete her sentence.
She was fed up of hearing the same excuse answer again and again. She loved her father and wanted him to be with them. But her father never came to school just because he was in military. Unable to get an answer to her questions she asked her mother,”Mother, why did father join the military?” Surprised by the unexpected question, Seema did not know how to answer. After a pause shereplied, “Your father joined the army because he loved his motherland and you should be proud of him.”
“Mom I am proud of my father, but you know my friend Anu, her father is an officer in Government department, she daily comes in a big Govt. car with her father to school. Our head madam also respects him so much and tells the class teacher to take special care of Anu as her her father is a big officer. Mom you know Laxmi my senior, her father, they say is not even 10th standard pass but she also comes in bigger Govt. car. He wears a white Dhoti and a cap on his head, does not know how to talk in English but always insists that her daughter should talk in English. Every week he comes to school to meet the HM. Mummy all these fellows why did they not join army? Don’t they love their country?” Seema was silent unable to answer her daughter. She closed her eyes pretended to be sleeping. Little Trisha also slept unable to understand why her father joined army and kept thinking about it. She sometimes thought that her father should also have been like her friends fathers, a government servant, bank employee or some college professor. How nice it would have been to spend every day evening with her father. She saw girls of her age playing in park with their parents. She missed her Papa and sometimes cursed him for not being with them.
She missed her father very much. She knew how her mother had to struggle to do all the house hold work and also outside works. She was unable to understand when her father has sacrificed all this for the sake of his country why was he is not respected in the society like other officers? Why did mom have to struggle for everything? Little Trisha was caught in the web of question marks. Suddenly her mother said, “Trisha bus is coming, let us go.”
Days passed by. Trisha was busy with her dance preparations. The school day was coming closer. The dance teacher had given full responsibility to Trisha to guide her group. She had full confidence in her and said, “You girls are doing very good, concentrate on the rhythm and just follow Trisha.” Everyone was waiting for the annual day which was just few weeks ahead. Trisha was hopeful that her father will surely come this time. He has promised me, she told her mother. She asked her brother, “Bhaya ! Father will come no? Her brother was her friend, philosopher and guide. She could always rely on him. He was more practical and matured. Karan replied after a deep thought, “Yes he may come this time. Situation is also calm now a days at the border.” Trisha was happy she was sure that her father will come. She devoted herself in perfecting her dance so that she could give her best performance.
The annual day was just a week ahead. Trisha was getting impatient. She repeatedly asked her mother about her father’s visit. Her mother had no definite reply. She just said he will come. She could feel her mother was tense and worried. Just a few days before the D Day, Trisha saw her brother sitting in his room watching news seriously. She went to him and asked, “Bhaya, just three days are left to my school day are you sure Dad will come?” Her brother was serious, "Trisha, did you not hear the news? Even after assuring peace during recent talks neighbour's troops have again started cross boarder firing. I am not sure whether father will get leave to come. Trisha’s little heart was broken. She did not want to believe her brother. She said, “Father has promised me that he will come. I am sure he is going to come.” She left the room with moist eyes. She had lost interest in her dance practice. Her teacher asked her why was she always lost in thoughts. Trisha could not reply but her lovely eyes turned moist.
After a couple of days Trisha and Karan have gone to school. Seema was alone at home; suddenly the telephone bell started ringing. The sharp sound of the bell disturbed her. She was always afraid to lift the phone. An unknown fear gripped her. Slowly she went near the phone and with great hesitation lifted the phone. “Am I speaking to Mrs Seema Rawat?” a strong clear voice enquired. “Yes” Seema replied in a feeble voice. “Madam I am speaking from ministry of defense, Just now we have received a message from Rajasthan boarder that your husband commander Vishwajeet Rawat fought gallantly with the militants and foiled their attempts to cross the border. In the firing he was seriously injured. Brave Jawans of his regiment brought him to the military hospital. But in spite of our best efforts we could not save him. Madam we are proud of your husband” he was talking praising her husband but Seema had collapsed. She did not hear a thing. Suddenly there was total darkness. She was lying on the ground unconscious. The officer kept on shouting "Hello! Hello!" And on recieving no response, he disconnected the line.
Seema was lying unconscious for a long time. She did not realize what had happened to her, was it all a dream? She wondered. She looked around, the telephone receiver hanging from the cord told her it was not a dream it was a reality. She did not know what to do. Being wife of a military officer she was supposed to be prepared for all this. Her husband has also told her to be ready. Anything may happen any time he usually said. She was not worried about herself but her children, especially Trisha, who was always talking about her father. She asked too many questions which disturbed her. She decided not to tell her children anything.
Trisha came from school in the evening and asked her mother, “Mom did you get any phone call from father, is he coming?” Seema replied her with a blank face,” Yes I had received a phone call. Your father is coming home shortly and he will never go back.” She could not control her tears and started washing her face to hide the tears. Karan did not ask her anything may be he had heard some news. He just went inside the house avoiding her mother’s glance.
Today was Trisha’s annual day, the day she had been waiting for. She was getting ready to go to her school. She was excited; her mother had told her that her father will be coming. She was sure that her father would be thrilled to see her dance. She was waiting for the calling bell to ring. At last the bell rang, little Trisha ran and opened the door. His father was not there, she was surprised to see two officers standing there in full uniform. Behind them were four army men carrying a box which they unloaded in front of her house. Her mother, brother came out too; the military officers were explaining something to her mother. Little Trisha understood the situation in a moment. She turned back and said “At last my father has come to stay with us, I love you father I am proud of you. Today as I dance, I know you will be watching me and please bless me.”