Page 220 - Musings 2020

“Ah”! I exclaimed with delight, “We are finally rescued”. The thumping hearts had hardly
regained their lost serenity when the helicopter shook with a sudden blow thus petrifying the
15 ‘creatures’ sitting inside.
“Take out your seat belts, grab your parachutes and jump off the chopper one by one when I
ask you to do so”, the pilot instructed the startled victims, anticipating the prospect of a
terrific wham.

“Hey young man, it’s your turn first”, the pilot said to me. The pilot instructed me about
how and when to open the parachute and then said to me “Have faith in yourself, go to the
edge, and just jump off the chopper. Good Luck”. As instructed, I went to the edge and then
looked down at the 625 feet void that existed between me and my mother Earth. I was
appalled experiencing a shockwave run through my nerves.

“No, I can’t do it”, I screamed. My brother gave me a push but I managed to keep myself in
position. I could vividly feel my heart thump through my chest. My brother pushed me again,
I repudiated, but this time ‘I could not stop myself from falling off the newly inducted
Mil-Mi-17-V5. My brother gave me a hefty shove, thereby propelling me into a terrifying
peregrination with the clouds beneath’.

I stood aghast, flying with the carefree birds, accelerating at an above normal rate. I opened
my parachute at the right time and reached the land of Ukhimat safely. Slowly I saw others
landing safely near that region. “Thank you, Pilot bhaiya”, I exclaimed with amazement, as I
saw the last victim landing safely. Everybody was pleased and thankful to the pilot. I thought
to myself, ‘The pilot rescued everybody, but how will he manage to…’

‘Bhammmm…’, a loud sound of a stupefying explosion accompanied by an unbearably
bright light interrupted my thought process. All that was enough to tell me what had
happened. The pilot had merged with the soil below, losing his physical body forever but
gaining eternal respect in the eyes of many for his invaluable sacrifice.

The story of this unselfish sacrifice was worth a mention on 26 January, 2014 by the Prime th
minister of India thus motivating millions of audacious hearts.

It feels gratifying to know that such unflinching humans exist even in today’s world of
self-obsession, egocentrism, and indifference. Even today, when I think of that incident, tears
start flowing through my cheeks ending their momentary voyage in the soil beneath, thanking
somebody lying there for the altruistic renunciation that ‘Saved 15 And Inspired Millions’ .

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