Bystander

The door was wide open. Keeping my guard up, I slowly entered the room, holding the gun. The room was empty, with traces of gunshots. On the other end was a hallway going to the right. I carefully moved toward it. As I reached the end, I heard a sound from the end and immediately pointed my gun toward the direction of the sound. The hallway was full of corpses and blood and on the other end was Jake, lying on the ground, holding a gun towards me with all the strength he had left. He was covered with blood and from his condition, it seemed like he had been injured very badly. Looking at each other, we both got a sense of relief and pointed our guns down.

I had known Jake since my childhood. We used to live in the same society and go to the same school in the same class. We used to play together and were very good friends. From the beginning, he had been a prodigy. He was good at everything he does, be it singing, dancing, sports, studies, or dramatics. I was nowhere near him, but in childhood, no one cares about that stuff. I used to admire him a lot. Soon after high school, he stopped playing with us. He was regular at school, but our interaction with each other got a lot less than it used to be before. Time passed and we both passed our school. As expected, he got very good grades and I managed to pass.

Just after getting out from the school, he cleared NDA. I had also written NDA that year, but I didn’t even clear the written exam. That was the first time, I envied him. It was not like I hated him, but I just wondered, how can someone be so good at everything. I wanted to be him. People around me were all talking about how good he was and no one was even cheering me up. Everyone was telling me to be like him, even my own parents. He went for his training, and I started preparing for NDA. Growing up in the army school, almost every one of our school used to write NDA or join the army. Before he could finish his training, his father got transferred and that was the last time we had been on equal grounds. Ever since then, I hadn’t talked to him.

I wrote NDA next year too, but the result was same as before. I took part in the army recruitment that year and joined the army as a normal soldier. After few years, Jake’s training got completed and he also joined the army, but as an officer in same regiment as mine, but different battalion. Soon, he also got famous among the whole regiment due to his extraordinary work. I used to see him during the regiment meets, but he didn’t. How can he be? I used to stand amid a thousand soldiers in the rows and he used to stand among the officers. He probably had forgotten about me? I wasn’t even worth remembering though, but still the fact that he didn’t remember me annoyed me a lot. Slowly that envy deep within me started to turn into hatred. But still, I could not even scratch him a bit. I was nothing in front of him. He continued to grow at an extraordinary rate. Within three years of service, he got promoted to Major and won a gallantry award. He led several missions of the army even at very young age. People around me still used to talk about him. It was like he was always in the limelight, which caught all attention and I was there, just beside him standing in the dark, so dark that even he could not see me.

It was last year, terrorist activities in the border areas were increasing at an alarming rate. One fine day, all of us were gathered and our commanding officer nominated some of the people among us. I was also among them. We were not told anything, just moved away from our battalions. After two days, we reached the Northern The army Headquarters. Many soldiers from other battalions and regiments were also there. We were put under training as usual for three months, without any information. After three months, one day all of us were gathered again. Jake was also there, this time standing among the officers. I saw that bastard after two years that day. Our mobile phones were taken away from us and we were told that we are preparing for a mission. We were not allowed to make contact with anyone outside till the completion of the mission. One thing I knew for sure was that Jake was among the people who were planning the mission. Just thinking about the fact that he knew everything, and he was the one who is going to command me annoyed me. I hated that bastard. We used to train as usual and I used to see him more than usual this time. He was always busy there, busy with his so-called high classed intellectual friends planning the mission and looking down on me. He even noticed me several times, but still ignored me. For him I was no more than a mere soldier, a pawn he can play with.

Winter arrived and our training continued. It was one fine winter morning, snow was falling outside and just after completing our training, we all were returning to our rooms, holding tea in our hands. Amid the heavy snowfall in the shivering cold, I heard sound of someone running in the snow. As I looked towards my left, I saw someone running in the ground. In a situation, where I was barely able to stand due to cold, someone was running. Upon looking clearly, I found that it was Jake, running alone in the shivering cold winds. I kept gazing at him for some time, feeling somewhat sad deep inside and then moved on.

Time passed and it was two months ago, when we were told the details of our mission. From sources, it was found that the terrorist activities were funded by several organizations and the main base of the terrorists was located. It was somewhere deep in the forests near the border area and a large supply of weapons were to be supplied this time to the base. Our mission was to destroy the base and the supply and if possible, capture the leader.

We were divided into seven units commanded by seven officers and our training got more intense. Jake was not the commander of my unit, but the leading unit. As the doom’s day neared, I used to see Jake more frequently. He was always there either practicing or discussing plans with other squad leaders. He was always the first to arrive and the last to leave. A week ago, we all were gathered again. This time, the whole plan was discussed in detail. Four squads were the leading ones and three were in defense. I was in the defense one. After discussing the plans, we all were dismissed. As the day of mission came near, I started feeling heavy from inside.

Finally, the day arrived. Last morning, we all were gathered again for the one last time, the plan was discussed in detail again. Jake gave us all a motivating speech. Everyone was boiling from inside after listening to him. I was also boiling, not from rage, but from hatred, hatred towards that bastard. Finally, we all were dismissed again for one last time. We all were given time alone for few hours and then we had to take off. Everything went silent. We all went to our rooms, but everyone was silent this time. It was like I was about to cry, but I can’t. I looked at the photo of my parents for one last time. I wanted to cry out loud, but I can’t. These two hours felt longer than two years. This time, we all moved in our respective units to different helicopters. The first helicopter took off and then second and then third. It was like a death count for all of us. Finally, our helicopter took off. The noise of wings was clear inside, but still wasn’t loud enough to shatter the silence.

“Get ready my fellows”, Our commander said, breaking the silence

“Yes sir”, everyone shouted in response

Slowly the helicopter descended near to the ground and we all jumped off. It was dark in the forest. We slowly moved on, following our squad leader. The other squads were supposed to reach the base by that time. We slowly moved forward. Everything was going as planned, when suddenly our contact with the other units breached. We continued to move though. After sometime, we heard gunshots. Everyone got terrified. This was the first time; I was getting afraid of gunshots. As we reached near the base, we got connected to one of our soldiers.

“This is 2201. Help, urgent. Help”, he said, followed by a gunshot

We all started shivering from terror, though we continued to walk. Our commander gave us orders to spread around the base. I along with three others went towards the right. The base was almost silent. Corpses of our soldiers were there outside. As we moved towards the right, a grenade came from one of the windows towards the left. Suddenly, we got disconnected from our commander. This time, I got really terrified down to the bones. As we continued to move, we heard a silenced gunshot and the person standing the right beside me fell. I suddenly crouched down, covering my mouth with my hands, holding back my tears.

“A- A sniper”, one of the other two said in a shivering voice

We slowly moved on to the nearby rock to get cover.

“I- I can take him down”, Sully said, terrified

Sully was the sniper of our team. At that moment my respect for him increased. I felt so useless. It was like I was being carried. He took a stone from the ground and threw it onto the open ground. As soon as the stone touched the ground, a silenced gunshot followed it. It came from somewhere in the window of the first floor. Sully took out his sniper and slowly pointed it towards one of the windows, but was unable to find the sniper. Looking at Sully, Aaron started crying and said,

“Take care my fellows” and ran outside from the cover. As soon as he ran outside, he got shot in the head and died. Sully immediately fired in the direction from where the gunshot came and took down the sniper.

Getting back in cover, Sully started crying with his back taking support on the rock. Before we could even breathe, we heard sounds of people moving down from the staircase.

“Come down. They are behind the rock”, one of the sounds said

Some five to ten people came outside from the main gate and gathered at the front of the rock behind which, we were hiding.

“Come out. You can’t escape now”

“All of your fellas are dead and soon you are going to die too. Show yourself if you want to die a painless death”

We both were holding back our tears. Sully looked at me terrified from fear, with tears in his eyes and said,

“Live for us, my friend” and ran towards those people shooting with his gun. He managed to take one down when they killed him. But immediately, a grenade blasted on the other side of the rock and everyone died. Due to the rock, I was able to survive, but still I fell unconscious.

As I opened my eyes, I was able to see my gun in front of me. I was the only one surviving. Everyone else had died. I took my gun with my shivering hands and slowly moved inside the base. In the entrance, there was a room on the left and a staircase in front leading to the first floor. I slowly started climbing up the staircase. On the top was a room with a big entrance, filled with weapons and explosives. There were wires lying down on the floor all over the staircase.

The door was wide open. Keeping my guard up, I slowly entered the room, holding the gun. The room was empty, with traces of gunshots. On the other end was a hallway going to the right. I carefully moved towards it. As I reached the end, I heard a sound from the end and immediately pointed my gun toward the direction of the sound. The hallway was full of corpses and blood and on the other end was Jake, lying on the ground, holding a gun towards me with all the strength he had left. He was covered with blood and from his condition, it seemed like he had been injured very badly. Looking at each other, we both got a sense of relief and pointed our guns down. I moved towards him and said,

“Sir, are you alright?”

“Yeah”, he said

“Sure, I’ll take you out sir”, I said

I took his hand and put it over my shoulder, to lift him up, when he said,

“Ryan, do you remember the time, when we used to play like this?”

Listening to the words, tears started flowing down from my eyes. All the grief and hatred I had, fell down with those tears. I wiped the tears and continued to lift him up.

“Go run for yourself. I won’t last long enough”, he said

“No… I won’t. After this much, I won’t run away any further”, I said, crying

I continued to pull him with me. When we were getting away from the base, someone came from behind and before he could shoot us, Jake pushed me and shot that person and got shot on the right side of his chest. I still carried him and contacted our headquarters. A chopper came and picked us up. We were the only two survivors. Jake was severely injured. His four bones were fractured, a lung got punctured and one kidney failed. After two months of treatment, he was able to survive, but his body got damaged permanently.

Holding a bouquet of flowers in my hand, I slowly moved across the corridor, looking around at the doors. Upon finding Room No. 9, I stopped and took a deep breath in and somewhat nervous, I slowly pushed the door. Jake was sitting on his bed, looking at the flower vase kept next to his bed. Even after losing so much, those eyes still had life left in them.

Gathering all my courage, I said in a low voice,

“Jake” drawing his attention towards me.

“Oh. Ryan.”, he said “Come sit”

I slowly moved towards him and sat in the chair in front of him. Giving him the bouquet, I said,

“Get well soon”, somewhat embarrassed

“Thank you”, he said “How is everything else going?”, he continued

“Fine. What about you?”

“Fine.”, he said “My right shoulder has been damaged severely and a kidney has been failed. Doctor has advised me to take bedrest for a year. But even after that, I won’t be able to join the army again.”

“Oh.” I said, “So, what are you planning to do now?”, I continued after a pause

“Who knows?”

An awkward silence followed those words, breaking which, I said,

“Aaa… I have some work, so I have to go?”

“Aaa… Sure”, he said

I stood up and started walking towards the door.

“Even after going through so much, you haven’t changed a bit. You even didn’t say sorry to him. Is this the end?”, I said to myself. I didn’t want to leave, but my body was still moving. Gathering all my strength, I stopped.

“Wait. I still have something to tell you.”, I said and turned backward.

“Sure, let’s talk like we used to do”, Jake said with a smile on his face.

END OF THE STORY