The Raiders: The Killers

By OP Modi

In the times of uncertain fate, a single act of courage can change destinies. Rani, a young girl abducted by raiders to be auctioned o¬ in Pakistan, risks a daring plan to save her life and that of a truck full of girls. Azam Khan, a retired British Indian Army Major tries to defend his country, Aucktabad, against an invading force of the Yakistanis. With the imminent threat of annihilation facing them, his assistant Opinath sets out to woo stronger allies to assist them. However, when half their neighbours, including India, turns their back on them, and the other half colludes with the enemy, Russia becomes Aucktabad’s only hope. Will they be able to pay the price demanded by the Russians for their support? Or even hold out against the invaders long enough till help arrives? In the front lines every single minute counts, and a single misstep could cost the lives of thousands.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Notion Press
• Release date: Aug 22, 2014
• ISBN: 9789384381134

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Chapter One

Keeping his head above the level of freezing water and holding his gun in both hands, so as to keep it dry, Jainath spent that night shivering and wishing he was dead. He had hidden in an over ground tank in his father’s bungalow. The tank was full of semi frozen water. On that night heavy snow continued to fall. Every now and then cautiously lifting the wooden cover, he kept looking out for the dawn. Suddenly he heard an ear deafening roar of small arms fire.

He realised that thousands of armed men were rushing down the hill that stood facing the town of Atuckabad; firing randomly and raising war cries. The sound of firing mixed with yelling of the raiders was like that of a cloud burst. In no time the raiders had crossed the bridge on Neelum River flowing by the side of the town. The town was situated on a high plateau; the bungalow was just a few hundred meters above the river, at a lower level than the town. Then from chinks of the wooden lid of the tank he saw flames leaping skyward. The bungalow was on fire. It had been set on fire by the raiders who perceived that there were armed men inside the house. He heard cries of dying men and women and feared his parents and servants might have been burnt alive.

It was terrible; thinking that he was alive while everyone in the house was dead! Sadly the end of life does not come when it is desired the most.

Surprisingly, his 17 year old younger brother Opinath too had escaped death. He had seen his parents being burnt alive. Trying to save their masters the servants too had been killed in that terrible blaze. All this had happened before Opinath’s eyes but he could do nothing.

Then the raiders rushed up towards the town where terrified people had gathered in religious places, weeping and praying. Children seeing their elders cry uttered shrill cries and wept loudly. It was an extremely pathetic moment. Many were trembling and some others were consoling them. A few bold persons who had been regularly reading Geeta, Guru Granth Sahib, Holy Quran and Bible were proclaiming loudly that the one who is born must die one day. Therefore, may be this is the end of our lives; we should not grieve and remaining calm pray to Almighty to bless us with courage and fortitude to face the final hour of our life. However, no one paid any attention to what they were saying. The wailing and crying continued unabated.

Within a few minutes the raiders arrived and started indiscriminate slaughtering. Those who tried to escape were shot in the back. Then the raider’s Commander in a loud gruff voice ordered that the beautiful young girls be spared and brought before him. His deputies began separating every young and beautiful girl from her family. They took them before the Commander.

Some mothers quickly gathered dirt and dust and spread it on their daughters’ face and hands; trying to make them look ugly. This saved only a few. Others were ordered to be loaded into trucks that were parked on the roadside below the town. There were no more tears left; it had dried and girls and their mothers merely sobbed. Their fathers had already been shot. The victims were silent.

Thereafter raiders entered the town, took away the cooked food and left in their trucks driving onwards towards the Vtanga Valley. Some of the trucks in which girls had been loaded were ordered to return to the base camp. The Commander ordered protection for the girls and provide them good food and lodging.

In one of the trucks, where twenty young girls were loaded, a brave girl decided to act against the barbaric act of the raiders. She enticed the driver to allow her to sit along with him.

Would you allow me to sit close to you dear, said she coyly.

The driver was overjoyed and said, Aha! Darling, jump, come close to me, hold me tightly, first give me a kiss and then see how fast I run this dammed horse.

After driving for some miles he brought his left hand near the girl’s breasts and unbuttoned her shirt. Then smiling with a vicious look he put his hand on her breast and started fiddling. Bearing all this non sense and yet maintaining her cool she suddenly thrust a dagger in the abdomen of the truck driver. Blood gushed out from the wound. With a terrible cry the driver brought the truck to a halt. Luckily the truck was the last one in the convoy. Other girls out of fear jumped out of the truck and ran helter-skelter. Rani the brave girl pushed the driver out of his seat. He went down into the gorge heavily bleeding and crying. Rani loudly asked the other girls to climb back. Seeing that she was safe and sound the girls quickly came back and climbed into the truck.

Rani is the daughter of owner of a truck that he used to drive himself; carrying local grain and other commodities to Srinaga and bringing fruits etc. back from there. From her childhood she accompanied her father and keenly watched her father driving the truck. When she was eighteen she began taking over the steering from her father and drive the truck herself.

It was not difficult for her to reverse the truck and race back to Atuckabad along with other girls. On reaching the town all of them got down and abandoned the truck. Then they climbed the mountain that was at the back of the town. Reaching the top of the mountain they saw the same structure which Opinath had seen. No one was there. The girls halted there and went to sleep. In the morning they gathered firewood and cooked food; flour and dal they had brought with them from the town. Rani had heard that under the command of Azam Khan a stiff resistance was being given to the raiders. She discussed with her companions and every one of them agreed to go to Azam Khan’s camp and offer themselves for enrolment in his army.

After taking food they started walking down on the other side of the mountain and met some pony drivers who were going to Sangrama village. Rani requested the pony owner to allow them to traveling with him. After two days they were in Sangrama where they met the headman. Rani narrated to him entire story of how they had escaped the clutches of vicious raiders. Headman appreciated their bravery and informed them that Azam Khan Sahib would be glad to enroll them as lady soldiers to join in fighting the ongoing struggle against the enemy.

Second part of Chapter One

As the rest of the Raiders moved forward towards Vtanga Valley they began meeting armed resistance from the patriotic forces who had positioned themselves on vantage points in the hills that stood across the road on the opposite side. The raiders were taken by surprise. They had been told by the army commanders, who were following their convoy, that there would be no resistance; it was going to be a cake walk to the Vtanga Valley. They had been allured to attack the people of Vtanga and loot the innocent people there as well as take away their young and old women. The firing from the hill tops shattered the raiders dream. They became extremely agitated. Some of them wanted to go back as they thought that the Yakistan Army commanders had lied and let them down. One of the raiders whispered to the other one,

We have been deceived by the Yakistani commanders; we must teach them a lesson. Let go slow as much as possible said he

However, finding the soldiers pointing loaded guns at them they were left with no choice except to move forward. However, their progress was slow because of their half heartedness and resistance from the fire from hill tops and road side. Quite a few of the raiders were killed in the firing.

Slowly and slowly their convoy moved forward though many of their companions had died and some trucks lost as they had caught fire in the shooting. Yakistani commander gave strong waning to them as he smelled mutiny by the disgruntled element in his force. On the hill tops the patriotic forces were being commanded by Azam Khan a retired Major from the British Indian Army. He is very handsome, supporting a smart moustache, six feet tall and has an overall pleasing personality. His experienced eyes saw waning guts of the raiders. He ordered his men to make firing more intense. The raiders under fierce attack ran helter-skelter for their life. While this tussle continued night fell. Quickly reassembling the raiders their commanders directed them to move forward stealthily. The convoy and raiders on foot moved on the winding road towards the Vtanga Valley.

The beautiful valley was situated at a height of 6000 feet. As the winter was approaching and snow had started falling it became still more difficult for the raiders to move ahead. Their vehicles slipped in the snow and some fell down hundreds of feet below in the gorge.

Chapter Two

Jainath who had spent the night in freezing water waited for the dawn. As soon as the first ray of light came on the horizon he came out of the tank. He was severely shivering and began to search some dry cloth in the burnt remains of the bungalow. As good luck would have it he found that the part of the house at the back was partially burnt. There he found a bed sheet and a pajama that belonged to a servant. He quickly put it on and wrapped the bed sheet around his body. Then he ran across the road towards the Green River. Reaching there he sought some thing to eat. He found some apples that had remained fresh in the snow. He ate the apples to his fill and drank fresh water from a spring. Jainath was eighteen, a sturdy medium height young man. At that time he did not know his younger brother Opinath too had survived the holocaust.

Hiding himself in the bushes that grew along the bank of the river Jainath brooded over the events of past twenty four hours. While doing so he saw in his minds eye a familiar face. Putting pressure on his mind he realised that it was that of his friend and class fellow Malik Munzoor –Ul-Haq of Gujranwala. They had been studying in a missionary school and lived in the same hostel. In the hostel there were students from Gilgit and Hunza also. Some Christian students also lived in the hostel and studied in the same school. Everyone loved each other and lived happily and was very friendly. There was only one kitchen common for inmates of the hostel.

Then in 1947 India was partitioned. Overnight the students left the hostel and went to their respective homes in India and Pakistan. Jainath had a regret that has hurt him much. His dearest friend Manzoor had not even wished good bye before leaving for his home in Gujranwala. Muzoor could have informed him of impending attack by the raiders. Jainath was certain that his friend was aware of the impending attack. It was so because a man who had come the previous night from his friend’s home town had in fact come to fetch him. Jainath had overheard the man telling Munzoor to hurry up because in a few days Atuckabad was going to be attacked by the tribesmen (the raiders) backed by Yakistani armed forces and the road was going to be blocked