My heroic hubby.

I cursed the time I had decided to visit my village. I wished I had not had a quarrel with my husband. But it was too late. As the water darted closer, I clutched my son tighter.

My husband and I were extremely excited for the summer holidays. There were several places that we had planned to tour with our four-old-son Aajam. However, my husband arrived with awful news one day. His holidays were aborted.

‘Why don’t you send someone else this time?’ I felt very gloomy.

‘It’s not that easy in army. There are people struck in deadly floods who needs me. I have to help them’. How gently he had attempted to explain, yet he could not reduce my anguish. I asked him to take me to my village for holidays.

‘You can’t expect me to suffer alone behind you, every summer’. I was very firm in my decision.

The village, in fact, provided some very relaxed vacations. It felt nice to be with my family, away from hustle of city. Aajam enjoyed the most, who was never left alone by his cousins or grandparents nor did he ever stopped receiving sweets.

One summer night I broke into the sitting of village men and the news I heard shook me. River Soan was mounting. This river went through the agricultural lands of a local land lord, but it could hardly be called a river at all. Nevertheless the memories of floods over rest of country, last year, terribly worried me. I craved to abandon the area but I could not leave my family in hardship. On the other hand, father would merely laugh on idea of River Soan, flooding. At last, I determined to send only Aajam back.

Next day, cries and wails woke me upright. There was huge chaos in house. Under the motherly instinct I seek for Aajam who was nowhere in sight. I ran around, bare foot, asking each of my relatives, all of whom seemed horrified and in a hurry, about him. When I entered my sisters’ room they were gathering valuables.

‘River Soan overflowed today and the land lord broke the banks to save his agricultural land. He has practically left us to drown’. They told.

Mother joined us and thankfully, she had Aajam with her. I scooped him in my arms and suddenly I felt terrified than ever.

We left home in a disastrous condition. While almost everyone wept and screamed, I held my kid close and prayed silently for my voice had already drowned. Since our house was at far end of village, we were cut off from rest population as well. The leaders of family attempted unsuccessfully to lead us until the water touched our ankles and we had to hasten up a village watch tower as the last resort. All sights from up there were nerve wrecking. Our entire village had been covered by the water if this small tributary. By afternoon, the tower was half under water as well. Inevitably, the overburdened, vulnerable building was to collapse anytime. Tears streamed down my face.

A helicopter came in sight. Abruptly, noise broke among the crowd to catch its attention, although it was already aimed towards us. It was an army rescue party who landed on the roof and we immediately climbed onto the helicopter. Just as the last member was pulled in, a stream swept past, taking the tower with it. Our rescuers were such in time. All of us thanked God and the entire party who were now treating a traumatized Grand ma and a few injured ones. Yet we were safe. 

To my biggest surprise, my husband accompanied the party. He smiled on my sight while I was covered in guilt. It was only then that I truly recognized him. In fact suddenly I did recognize him. He was a hero.