By Vimal Kapoor
In the aftermath of the Kargil war, amidst the scars of battle, there lived a soldier named Arjun in Dehradun. His once handsome face bore the heavy burden of disfigurement from a bomb blast, rendering it a haunting mask that even he himself struggled to confront. Society shied away from him, their eyes averting from his wounded countenance.
One day, to complete some work in Delhi, Arjun boarded the morning train, ‘Vande Bharat’. While keeping his rucksack in the overhead space for luggage he noticed a girl sitting opposite his seat. He settled into his seat, his heart heavy with the burden of his appearance. Across from him sat a girl, her striking features softened by a pair of stylish, dark sunglasses. ‘Conjunctivitis’ is quite rampant in town, thought Arjun. As he pushed his chair back with a creaking sound, she lifted her head and looked at him. She seemed unperturbed by his appearance and struck up a conversation with warmth that caught Arjun by surprise.
As the train journey continued, the girl’s genuine interest enveloped Arjun. He shared tales of his valour on the battlefield, the camaraderie of fellow soldiers, and the unwavering spirit that had carried him through. Her laughter and empathy were like balm for his wounded soul, a gift he hadn’t expected. She told him that she is going to Roorkee, and it takes one hour and forty-five minutes to reach there.
With each passing moment, their connection deepened. The girl listened intently, her smile painting rays of sunshine into Arjun’s world. Time flowed like a gentle river, and as the announcement was made for arrival in ‘Roorkee’ she stood up. Arjun felt a mix of gratitude and sadness, not wanting the encounter to end.
In a final, unexpected gesture, the girl stepped closer to Arjun. She wrapped her arms around him in a warm embrace, her lips brushing against his cheek in a tender kiss. “The nation is proud of soldiers like you,” she whispered. It was then that Arjun noticed something remarkable: the girl unfolded a white cane and walked gingerly with the other arm extended revealing that she was completely blind.
The realisation struck Arjun like a lightning bolt. The girl, unburdened by visual judgments, had truly seen him for who he was. Her blindness had allowed her to see the beauty in his soul, the strength in his spirit, and the courage in his encounters. As she left the train escorted by a companion who came to fetch her, Arjun watched her go, his heart brimming with a newfound sense of self-worth and acceptance.
He watched her vanish behind a pillar as the train pulled away. The trees outside flew past in a green and brown mass, and the world outside became a blur again, the only thing that remained constant was the horizon that seemed to stretch forever. The memory of the blind girl’s kindness and understanding transformed his perception of himself. He began to see his scars not as marks of ugliness, but as symbols of his resilience and the sacrifices he had made for his country. And with each step he took, he carried the memory of that beautiful encounter, a beacon of hope guiding him through the challenges that lay ahead!
(Vimal Kapoor, a Dehradun resident, is passionate about literature, creative writing,
cricket and exploration through travel)
