Captain Emaan
I make my way around the camp to get to my superior's office. I saw it coming though, the decisions that I had made throughout the mission were completely emotional, which could have resulted into a bigger mishap for us then intended.
Haider, our youngest worker at the camp informed me that I need to report to our supervisor urgently. Haider could sense the tension in the air as soon as we got back from the mission but instead of inquiring about it, the young teenager tugged to my side happily, as his favorite soldier had returned alive from the mission.
"I could tell him that you are asleep." Haider said innocently sitting on the camp bed next to me. "or that you are in the cafeteria, or that you are-"
"It's okay Haider, I can take care of it." cutting him off, I assured him, more likely tried to assure myself.
"But what if he shouts at you?" Haider asked with his expressions widened at the thought.
"He can shout you know. He is the boss." I replied pulling his cheeks which resulted in the young boy blushing.
"You should be the boss Emaan. You are way cooler than him. And you know all these weapons, their names, and how to use them." Haider got up excitedly and said the same thing which he tells me every time. "You are more brave than any one here."
"Sush you little mouse, or we would get in trouble..." "...for telling the truth." I whisper to him.
Haider laughs at my response.
"Is it possible-" as I was leaving the room, I hear one more of haider's never ending questions.
"What?"
"Is it possible to get into trouble for telling the truth?" he completed his question and looked back at me.
Questions like these are is the reason that not a single person in the entire camp lets Haider stay in their room for not more than 30 seconds. You could always see his eyes shine the brightest when he was lost in his thoughts or during the pause when he has just asked a question and all his attention is on the awaiting answer that he'd hear; An answer that would be the end of the battles of questions that raged war in his head. Haider has a beautiful mind, he's smart for his age infact he'd been always the brightest growing up.
I think that what happens when you go through something like Haider did, you look the world in a different way.
"When the truth you tell isn't the kind of truth they want to hear. Perhaps a truth so harsh that might rip their insides apart. A truth that might make them question their very existence. A truth that holds such pain that they wished that they had died before knowing it. And to answer you question, Yes you can get into trouble for telling the truth." I exit the room, leaving haider to process what he just heard.
And as I hold onto the door knob of the superior's office, I wonder if my truth would be any good.
The insides of the office per usual felt cold. Cold like death.
Death.Abdul Kareem's death.
The thought struck me hard that for the first time, I felt weak in the knees. Dragging myself across the room which felt bigger for some reason, I expected to see all the soldiers from our mission there but to my distress, Major Yusuf was the only one.
His back towards me and his front facing the only window in the entire room. Two large glass window swung open that viewed the deserted area that surrounded our basecamp.
"Captain."
"Sir-" I nod in response and stood still with my hands behind my back.
"At this moment, I am not even sure if you deserve to be called the captain." he had turn around and I immediately felt the mock in his voice.
"One decision to another, You have acted childishly." He took two steps towards my direction only to stop and continue. "You were instructed to camp far away from the village as possible and yet somehow the villagers were aware of your presence, you were asked not to indulge in any kind of conversation with the villagers and yet you let them visit you frequently and not to mention-" Major Yusuf stops momentarily to breathe, which I believed was to gather more mockery in his tone as possible..
"You make friends with one who turns out to be a terrorist and UNDER YOUR ORDERS, his bloodied body is brought back to this camp to rot!" stressing on how the orders were directed by me, Major Yusuf's voice rises high and he's left puffing.
"I brought him back to bury him." I reply, my voice barely audible enough.
"What?!" He questions with one eyebrow shot up.
"Abdul Kareem's body will be buried here." I look back straight into his raging eyes.
"On whose orders?!" He yells.
"Mine." I reply calmly and with that I salute him and turn around to leave.
"Emaan don't even try to cross me." I hear him as I approach the door. His voice cold and harsh, just like how the room felt when I walked in.
"It's Captain. Captain Emman, Sir." I reply, not even bothering to turn around.
Jogging back to my camp bed, I wondered if Haider would be still awake or not, So I might get some sleep for myself.
It's been a long day. Who knows what tomorrow will bring. If even there would be a tomorrow for me? A soldier could only wonder. Thoughts like these cross my mind, as I close my burning eyes for sleep.
YOU ARE READING
The Pak Squad ( A Military Tale)
Action"Brother Aslam".." Muzammil whispered to his brother-in-law, who is busy going over the security arrangement with his fellow security officers. "Mhmm.. what is it Muzammil?" Major Aslam, turned his neck slightly asking him. "Who are those officers...
