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| Encounter with a “terrorist” | | |
IT was a rainy, chilly winter night in January, 1989. Terrorism was at its peak in Punjab and whole of north India was under the grip of fear due to terror-related incidents at the behest of Punjab terrorists.
It was past 10 pm and hardly had I settled in my bed to sleep when my telephone rang. The call was from one of my cousins who was connected with some Hindu religious and political groups and had remained associated with the RSS for a long time. His house was situated at a distance of about 400 yards from my residence. This area was thinly populated at that time.
On the telephone he told me that his callbell has been pressed several times by someone. Fearing some trouble he did not open the door but he saw through his window but could not see anyone outside his residence. He told me that he had made a call to the police control room and they promised to send the mobile police van at the earliest.
After a few minutes he again rang me up and told me that his callbell had again been pushed and he apprehended that it could be the act of a terrorist. I told him that armed with a rifle I will reach him within minutes.
My wife Kiran on hearing this got restless and told me that if I venture out she will not allow me to go alone.
I picked up my licenced single-barrel gun and loaded it and put on the gown and a cap on my head and an extra muffler to save myself from the chill and rain. I stuffed some extra cartridges in the gown pocket. My wife picked up an umbrella and she armed herself with a stick and a torch.
I mustered courage to meet any eventuality and tried to recollect the lessons learnt by me during my training as cadet of senior division NCC and my attachment with the army for three weeks when I had operated a self loading rifle (SLR) and even a light machine gun.
Soon thereafter we left for my cousin’s house and on the way my wife, true to the tradition of a Bharatiya Nari, told me that she will not allow me to suffer any physical harm will walk ahead of me.
I did not enter into any argument with her and we both hastily but cautiously reached near the residence of my cousin.
Sure of an encounter with some ultra I strengthened my grip on the gun and put my finger on the trigger. But when we reached our destination and pointed a torch on the gate of the house we broke in to a loud laughter. We found a donkey outside the house of my cousin which was standing near the callbell. As it was raining and water drops fell on the donkey’s head and face it moved its head to shed extra water from the face. The long ears or mouth of the donkey may have touched the callbell which sent the shivers down the spine of the houseowner who apprehended the act of some terrorist or antisocial elements who wanted to harm him.
I pushed the callbell and called my cousin out and told him that we had caught the “terrorist” but did not disturb him as he was shivering with cold. We again broke into a loud laughter and returned to our home without any bloody encounter with any terrorist.
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