Thursday, August 10, 2017

War Veterans – A Tête-à-Tête

WAR VETERANS – A TÊTE-À-TÊTE
Fiction Short Story
By
VIKRAM KARVE

A tête-à-tête between two War Veterans – Story by Vikram Karve

Two old men – in their 70’s – they sit in the transit area of a famous international airport – waiting for their connecting flights.

The old men look at each other.

They notice that both of them have artificial limbs – prosthetic legs.

“How did you lose your leg…?” one old man asks the other old man.

“In war…” the other old man says.

“Oh – in war – I too lost my leg in war…”

“Really…? So – like me – you too are a “war veteran”…”

“Yes…”

“In which war did you lose your leg…?”

“Long ago – in the “Battle of Two Peaks”…”

“What…? Believe it or not – but – I too lost my leg in the “Battle of Two Peaks”…”

“What a coincidence…!”

“Yes…”

“But – how come I don’t know you…? I know almost everyone who was there…”

“Maybe – we were fighting on opposite sides…”

“Oh. Are you from “XXX” Army…?”

“Yes – I was in “XXX” Army – in that war – we were enemies – our countries were adversaries…”

“But now – our countries have a friendly relationship…”

“Yes – foes became friends – but – we lost our legs…”

“Politicians play jingoistic games – but – it is soldiers who lose their life and limb…”

“Yes – like we lost our limbs…”

“Luckily – we didn’t lose our lives…”

“Yes – it was terrible – the “Battle of Two Peaks” – a bloody battle…”  

“We lost more than 100 men – while capturing “Yellow Peak” from you…”

“We too had heavy casualties – while capturing “Green Peak” from you…”

“It all went waste…”

“Yes – immediately after we had captured each other’s peaks – there was a sudden ceasefire announcement from both sides – an armistice…”

“And then – hostilities between our countries ended – and – the war was over…”

“Then – politicians and diplomats sat across the negotiating table – and they agreed to return each other’s captured territories…”

“So – we returned “Yellow Peak” back to you…” 

“And – we returned “Green Peak” back to you…”

“Everything was back to normal after the war was over – status quo ante – except for one thing – the soldiers who got killed fighting in the war – the dead soldiers – they did not come back to life…”

“Yes – the dead soldiers did not come back to life…”

“And – we lost our legs…”

“Yes – we became “disabled” for life…”

“Maybe – it was you who planted the landmine which blew up my leg to smithereens…”

“And maybe – it was you who fired the shell whose shrapnel shattered my leg…”

“Ha Ha Ha – what an irony – we soldiers destroyed each other – and those wily politicians who made us destroy each other – they remained safe and sound…”

“Yes – politicians start wars – but  – politicians don’t die in wars – it is soldiers who die in wars – or get wounded and disabled for life – like us…”

“I think I will get moving and hobble along to the boarding gate…”

“Where are you going…?”

“San Francisco – my son has settled down there…”

“I am going to Melbourne – my daughter lives there…”

“I still have trouble while walking – do you…?”

“Yes – after all – an artificial leg can’t be as good as a real leg…”

“Every time I walk – with each painful step – I remember the “Battle of Two Peaks”…”

“Me too…” 

VIKRAM KARVE
Copyright © Vikram Karve 
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Disclaimer:
1. This story is a fictional spoof, satire, pure fiction, just for fun and humor, no offence is meant to anyone, so take it with a pinch of salt and have a laugh.
2. All Stories in this Blog are a work of fiction. Events, Places, Settings and Incidents narrated in the stories are a figment of my imagination. The characters do not exist and are purely imaginary. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

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