Summary of the main events of the story no ordinary soldier
Answers
Answer:
To Geeta, Jung Bahadur had always been special. He was actually a very ordinary looking soldier ' small and stout, with tiny beaded eyes and no one ever gave him a second glance. But Geeta called him Jung Bahadur, and to her he was as brave as her soldier-father, who remained away for long periods, keeping constant vigil on the nation's borders.
Her father's rare visits home were occasions that Geeta looked forward to with bated breath and unconcealed joy. It was on one of these visits, that Geeta handed Jung Bahadur over to her father, just before he left. He was an awesome looking Lt. Col. with a twirling Rajput moustache and a deep sonorous voice but, to her he had seemed tense and pre-occupied. Only after constant cajoling did he reveal the orders he had received to move to the front, to the glacier posts. Geeta had chewed her lip and pondered. Then she had held out Jung Bahadur to her father, insisting that he take him along.
Lt. Colonel Sanjay Kumar commanded an entire battalion and immense awe and respect as well. But he had a father's heart. He had merely ruffled little Geeta's hair and had set off, having carefully packed the soldier in his convenient holdall.
At the front, there was no time for memories. Only when Sanjay Kumar was alone in his bunker that, quick, sharp images of home would flit by. And he would look at his framed Geeta and smile at Jung Bahadur, who stood stoically by, high on the makeshift table.
Jung Bahadur became popular in no time at all. The soldiers would seat him by them and spin songs and jokes around Jung Bahadur every time they set up camp, all through that long, arduous winter. The exercise of setting up camp was repeated every day, in grim silence and in absolute secrecy. The enemy could always be lurking near.
At all times, Sanjay Kumar was aware of the thin line that separated his men from danger, even death. Thus far, their movements had proceeded without any hindrance. At every step, they had managed to outwit the enemy. It seemed they were lucky, but suspicions first dawned on Sanjay Kumar after a strange incident one night.
That night, he noticed one of his guards fighting away sleep, desperately trying to keep his head falling on to his chest. The Lt. Col. gruffly ordered the man to bed, and took over the post himself. Almost on a quirk, he placed Jung Bahadur on the machine gunners' seat, even placing his eye to the muzzle, and they sat together with the silence enveloping them.
He must have dozed off, for he rose with the sound of something falling. Hurriedly he shook himself awake, and saw Jung Bahadur lying slumped over the machine gun. It was a still night, and there was no breeze. And then he noticed a gleam of light in the valley down below. It flashed once and then twice; then it flickered and was gone, but he knew at once that something was amiss and raised the alarm.