What is more important a county’s pride or an individual’s connection with another person?
Every time you listen to anything about India and Pakistan in this part of the country, it reminds you of all the terrorist attacks, war between the two nations and the long standing conflicts the two nations had since Independence. The only thing that has connected both the countries is at an India—Pakistan cricket match. In India its said cricket is a religion and when we play with a match with Pakistan, there is a lot of emotional connection on both the sides.
Now when there is tension and soldiers being killed on either side, this story has just struck an emotional chord in me. On the borders the soldiers are stationed to protect the nation from enemies. But not on the Border Post 99, it practically doesn’t exist on any map and any soldier assigned to the post is virtually non-existent.
Lt. Mangesh Sharma is assigned to this post!
Now on a “No man’s land”, you have practically nothing to do, until unless you meet the enemy. But you still have strict orders not to shoot at your enemy. So, when Mangesh does his daily patrols on the Indian side of the post encounters a Pakistani on the other side of a stream that separates the two nations.
What follows is a series of events, where one soldier tries to harm the other without killing. This somewhat feels funny, even on book review. I assure you that these harmless events will entertain you a lot but as you all know when you are in India –Pakistan Border, there is always tension lurking around the corner.
I was beginning to question myself where is the story leading to, the first half of the book was just exceptional, and will the climax/ending do some justification to the introduction.
Behold the writing skills of Kedar Patankar that reaches its peak in the final few pages, where he mixes tension with humility and makes sure that humanity wins above all wars, killings and hate.
Never ever had an author had made a twist in the story that would leave you with the question of what really did happen next. I really want to know, of what happened to the Pakistani Captain Adid Khan, after the military convoy of India left the No man’s land.
I wish I can read a sequel to this story or craft one and present the story to Kedar.
I also wish to meet the author, to find out if the story is real and the events that might have happened that lead him write such an incredible story.
It’s a 5 star rating from me and anyone reading this review should read the story.
And my last wish, I wish our PM Narendra Modi and Pakistan’s PM Nawaz Sharif, to read this story so that Nawaz Sharif understands the true meaning of humanity and friendship over terrorism and the ability to not take actions on of all the terror activities in their state.
Read more about the story at Online Book Club.
