[Place: Siachin glacier, the highest battleground in the world, on the border of India and Pakistan]
[Time: Right after a major skirmish between Indian and Pakistani army units, leaving one officer from each side alive, lying on their chests and aiming at each other]
“Drop your weapon. You are a prisoner of war now.”
“The hell I am! You better surrender.”
“I will not dishonor myself.”
“You think I will? I will fight for my country till the last drop of my blood.”
“So will I!”
[An hour later]
“Are you ready to give up?”
“No. Are you?”
“That is not going to happen. As long as I have my rifle in my hands and it is loaded, I am not going to give up.”
“You can’t stay in that position for ever. Eventually you are going to move and I would be able to see something other than your helmet and then I am going to shoot.”
“We’ll see who moves first.”
[An hour later]
“You better give up. That way you can live.”
“I will live alright without giving up. I am going to grow old and attend my son’s 40th birthday.”
“I am going to walk out of here alive and free and I will live long enough to play with my grand-kids.”
“You cannot stay any longer in this position. I can. I have done a lot of endurance exercises.”
“What do you think I have been doing? Watching your stupid Bollywood movies?”
[An hour later]
“I think you are getting tired.”
“I am a soldier and soldiers do not get tired. Besides I have Rajput blood running in my veins.”
“You…are a Rajput?”
“Yes. Are you scared?”
“No. I am Rajput too. That means we are from the same clan.”
“That means nothing. All humanity in a way is from the same clan. That hasn't stopped any war.”
[An hour later]
“I think you are stiffening up a little. I am offering you again to surrender. You will be treated fairly.”
“Stiffening up? I can be in this position till the reinforcement arrives.”
“Reinforcement? Ha! Look around you, the conditions, the terrain. It will take weeks for reinforcement to arrive.”
“So be it.”
[An hour later]
“Why do you want to defend your country anyway? What has it produced beside Mehdi Hassan? And even he is from a town that is in India now. So he can be called half-Indian.”
“Oh yeah? Well, your best playback singer, Muhammad Rafi, was from a town that is in Pakistan now. So I guess he was half-Pakistani.”
“Are you trying to distract me with such talk?”
“No. I am not but you are. And it’s not working. I am as alert as ever.”
[An hour later]
“I am telling you, I am tough. You should surrender.”
“You have no supplies. We blew up your supply tent. You don't even have water for all I know.”
“I have milk in hip flask which is better than water.”
“I still have a lot of water to survive for another few weeks. After getting rid of you, I am going to go back to my tent, warm the water on my kerosene lamp and wash my face with it. Ahh…what a comforting thought; splashing warm water on my face.”
“You….have a kerosene lamp and water?”
“Yes…yes…I do .... and you .... have milk?”
“And there maybe some teabags left in the supply tent?”
“Are you….are you .... thinking what I am thinking?”
“I think…I guess… yes.”
[Standing up] “To hell with it man! let’s have some tea.”
[Time: Right after a major skirmish between Indian and Pakistani army units, leaving one officer from each side alive, lying on their chests and aiming at each other]
“Drop your weapon. You are a prisoner of war now.”
“The hell I am! You better surrender.”
“I will not dishonor myself.”
“You think I will? I will fight for my country till the last drop of my blood.”
“So will I!”
[An hour later]
“Are you ready to give up?”
“No. Are you?”
“That is not going to happen. As long as I have my rifle in my hands and it is loaded, I am not going to give up.”
“You can’t stay in that position for ever. Eventually you are going to move and I would be able to see something other than your helmet and then I am going to shoot.”
“We’ll see who moves first.”
[An hour later]
“You better give up. That way you can live.”
“I will live alright without giving up. I am going to grow old and attend my son’s 40th birthday.”
“I am going to walk out of here alive and free and I will live long enough to play with my grand-kids.”
“You cannot stay any longer in this position. I can. I have done a lot of endurance exercises.”
“What do you think I have been doing? Watching your stupid Bollywood movies?”
[An hour later]
“I think you are getting tired.”
“I am a soldier and soldiers do not get tired. Besides I have Rajput blood running in my veins.”
“You…are a Rajput?”
“Yes. Are you scared?”
“No. I am Rajput too. That means we are from the same clan.”
“That means nothing. All humanity in a way is from the same clan. That hasn't stopped any war.”
[An hour later]
“I think you are stiffening up a little. I am offering you again to surrender. You will be treated fairly.”
“Stiffening up? I can be in this position till the reinforcement arrives.”
“Reinforcement? Ha! Look around you, the conditions, the terrain. It will take weeks for reinforcement to arrive.”
“So be it.”
[An hour later]
“Why do you want to defend your country anyway? What has it produced beside Mehdi Hassan? And even he is from a town that is in India now. So he can be called half-Indian.”
“Oh yeah? Well, your best playback singer, Muhammad Rafi, was from a town that is in Pakistan now. So I guess he was half-Pakistani.”
“Are you trying to distract me with such talk?”
“No. I am not but you are. And it’s not working. I am as alert as ever.”
[An hour later]
“I am telling you, I am tough. You should surrender.”
“You have no supplies. We blew up your supply tent. You don't even have water for all I know.”
“I have milk in hip flask which is better than water.”
“I still have a lot of water to survive for another few weeks. After getting rid of you, I am going to go back to my tent, warm the water on my kerosene lamp and wash my face with it. Ahh…what a comforting thought; splashing warm water on my face.”
“You….have a kerosene lamp and water?”
“Yes…yes…I do .... and you .... have milk?”
“And there maybe some teabags left in the supply tent?”
“Are you….are you .... thinking what I am thinking?”
“I think…I guess… yes.”
[Standing up] “To hell with it man! let’s have some tea.”
