Stories of valour, hope, love and courage, tinged with a hint of nostalgia.
Rescue Mission
The sun was on the horizon and bone-chilling winds whistled through the valley. The year was 1966. My grandfather, Lt Inder Singh Chugh and his friend Lt Bhaag Singh were on the road, a few kilometres away from their post in Leh and Ladakh. Loud bursts of laughter filled the silent valley as they drove down the slopes—they were thrilled to be on their way home.
Suddenly incoherent wails echoing through the valley startled them. Getting off their vehicle, they warily walked towards the source of the cries. Looking over the edge of the hill track, they saw a crumpled jeep about 60 metres below. An unknown jawan was clinging to the edge of a sharp rock, holding on to it somehow, about eight metres below them.
Assuring him that he would be rescued, they quickly discussed their plan of action. Not having ropes or any other material that could help them in their mission, they decided to use their six-metre-long turbans—tying them together in a firm knot. Lt Singh hitched one end to the jeep, holding on to it tightly, and my grandfather fastened the other around his waist before climbing down to the terrified man. With his free arm, he grabbed him by his belt and yelled to his tall, well-built friend to pull them with all his might.
It turned out that the victim was a jawan from another regiment, who was on his way to receive his senior officer. Many things could have gone wrong that day, but fortunately everyone was safe in the end.
Heroes don’t always come in fancy costumes. Sometimes they can look like your Nanaji. ROOPDEEP KAUR, Amritsar
A Golden-Hearted Soldier
Bu hikaye Reader's Digest India dergisinin August 2017 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye Reader's Digest India dergisinin August 2017 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
From the King's Table to Street Food: A Food History of Delhi
Pushpesh Pant, one of India’s pre-eminent food writers, is back with a comprehensive food history of the capital.
Who Wants Coffee?
It’s bitter—but beloved around the world
Prevent The Pain Of Shingles
You don't have to suffer, as long as you take two important steps
The Best And Worst Diets For Your Heart
Dozens of diets are touted as ‘best’, but it’s easy to lose track of the fact that healthy eating needs to be about overall wellness, not just weight loss.
ME & MY SHELF
Journalist Sopan Joshi has worked in a science and environment framework for nearly three decades. His book Mangifera indica: A Biography of the Mango (Aleph Book Company) synthesizes the sensory appeal of India's favourite fruit with its elaborate cultural roots and natural history. He writes in English and Hindi.
SWITCHED
In 1962, nurses at a small Canadian hospital sent home two women with the wrong babies. Then, 50 years later, their children discovered the shocking mistake.
ECHOES OF THE PAST
A VISIT TO THE ANCIENT BARABAR CAVES IN BIHAR REVEALS A SURPRISING CONNECTION TO A LITERARY CLASSIC
Fathers of the Bride
A young woman finds a unique way to honour the many men who helped her survive her childhood
Fiction's Foresight
British-Bangladeshi author Manzu Islam's works reveal startling parallels to recent political upheavals in Bangladesh, begging the question: Besides helping us make sense of our world, can stories also offer a glimpse into the future?
It Happens ONLY IN INDIA
The Divine Defence Picture this: A tractor in Rajasthan‘s Banswara district,a group of loan agents closing in to seize it and the defaulting farmer and his family standing by.