The Encounter

Raindrops are falling sharply on the tin sheets, covering a cold, damp classroom, making it difficult for students to listen to the teacher. This evening school of the valley is the only hope and a melting pot of thoughts for the women in this troubled area. Rain, dense weather, Madhumati river flowing above the mark, nothing can stop these 12 women from attending their School. Huddled close to the teacher to understand the math problem better, they will be in school for another two hours before the army jeeps would drop them back to their homes in the nearby villages. Major Shruti Sharma, Indian Army, Education core accompanies these women home. This School has been her project. Morning for children and evening classes for women. 
She is on a mission to open up minds in the valley to the world outside and make them feel secure,  aware and connected. 

Beautiful wooden homes, paddy sowed in fields, colourful, healthy flowers all around the place, river Madhumati on one side and Asia's biggest freshwater lake Wular on the other, all this surrounded by lush green mountains, is Bandipora district in North Kashmir. It's peaceful and quiet today, at this hour in the evening. People finish their chores before dusk in this part of India and get inside their homes. The streets are well lit but empty; It's probably dinner time for most.    

But In the thick forest of Bandipora, few Lashkar men are waiting for the right time to move ahead and strike at the army base on the banks of Madhumati river. They breached borders from Pakistan via Gurez valley a week back and have been hiding and walking towards the Bandipora army base camp. With Ak47's in their hands, grenades tied to their waists, they decide to barge into a house in a small remote village on top of a small hill. "This hut is a good location to monitor the movement in the army camp," said one of the six men. Choosing a corner house away from the cluster of huts they Banged the door; an old woman opened the door; She wasn't very shocked to see them. She gave way, they came in, an old man was lying on the bed, he looked at them but said nothing. The couple sat in the corner without a word, as 6 Lashkar men took over their house.

After Commander, Hizbul Mujahideen, Burhan Wani died on 8 July 2016 in an encounter in bamdoora in Anantnag district, peace from the valley has vanished. Hizbul supporters are pelting stones on the army, where ever they see an army movement or a wagon. Lashkar is supplying terrorist to fuel the separatist mission. Youth joining Hizbul are sharing their photos on Social Media. The situation is unnerving. 

Its 7 pm, the class has wrapped up in school and women are boarding the jeeps. 2 jeeps with two armed guards each and Major Shruti Sharma in the front, they set out by 7:15 pm. Major Shruti, a communication specialist, has been working in the area. It has been a little more than two years, and she has her own set of informers. As the jeeps leave the base, Major receives a call on her cell phone, she knows the caller, before picking up she requests the women in her vehicle “Koi awaaz na karen” (be quiet everyone).

She picks up the call, doesn’t speak, as she tries to concentrate on the voices, she can hear quite a few of them, but one of them is distinct, like a leaders voice. She could hear him say "Jab camp main dinner time hoga tab hamla bolenge" (we will attack the camp, at dinner time). “Abhi chup chap betho” (Sit quietly till then). There was silence after that, just a little hustle bustle of the feet moving on the floor, Major cuts the call and commands her driver to take both the jeeps to the first drop off point.

On her way she calls the base, reports the call to her Commanding officer. Soldiers around the area are alerted, a platoon leaves the camp in batches, using all the other exits except the main gate. They know the area like the back of their hand, with Lt.Col Surender Singh in command they reach the village within 5min.

Meanwhile, the 2 jeeps, reached their first drop off point. Major Shruti asks everyone to get down. “Aaj raat hum sabko yahin rehna pad sakta hai, ghabrayen nahi fauj aapke saath hai” (Tonight we all will have to stay put here, please do not worry Army is with you) Major Shruti tells the ladies. The house belongs to Hamza and her husband Ali. They quickly make space for all the women, they all move inside. Ali helps the army jeeps to be parked in the yard and locks his gates.

Major Shruti moves to the roof of the house with her men. As they take their positions, a complete blackout happens. Electricity supply is cut, the communication system, cable TV everything is blacked out in the area. The Camp, House, Villages and all the Streets are pitch dark, even darker is the shadow of the mountain, in the moonlight. It has stopped raining, Birds, trees and air have frozen in time, the silence in the valley is deafening.

Lashkar men realise that the army has been tipped off. Their commander Hasan asks them to take positions and wait, but Rashid, the youngest in the group, is agitated, he looks at the couple and without even a second thought shoots them point-blank. The gunshots echo in the valley. Women in the house start praying, Major Shruti shuts her eyes and remembers the old couple, thanking them in her heart for their bravery.

The cross-firing began between the army and the Lashkar men. A few soldiers moved closer towards the hut. After a few rounds, there was silence, Lt Col Surinder commanded his team to move ahead, “Campany aage badho, sabko khatam karenge, koi bachke nahin jane paaye” (move forward, we must kill all of them). A grenade came crashing right beside the group of soldiers marching up, no causality, another one on the platoon behind, Col took a quick look, figured out his men are ok and ordered counter fire. Grenades and firing went on for about two hours before, the hut went quiet.