Yeh Dil Maange More!

WRITER'S NOTE:
Hey guys! Those who felt my previous poem was long would certainly have a doubt whether I had misunderstood the real meaning of long after seeing this poem's length. But this is not an abstract subject, its sort of an epic poem. An epic poem HAS to be long! Therefore I took the liberty of keeping it quite long. It describes about a war hero whom I have not named. That doesn't mean its a true story. Its completely fictitious except for a couple of quotes in Hindi. Captain Vikram Batra, a Kargil war hero quoted "Yeh Dil Maange More!" by which he meant his heart asked for more. His last words were "Jai Mata Di!" Though the hero in my poem is found saying them, I assure its not Vikram Batra's story.

The poem tells about a brave warrior and also the scenario at his place when he is out on his mission. The "He" mentioned in the poem is the warrior. The poem has two scenarios ie. one at Kargil and the other at his house. The place of the scene keeps shifting very often. So concentrate and read it. The innocent wife character is too touchy too! And I would recommend the readers to listen to the Theme Suite of the movie Forrest Gump while reading this poem. I wrote it last night and listened to it in my iPod. What an apt tune for my poem?! Simply incredulous and a great co-incidence.here's the Youtube link... play it in the background while reading for a great feeling! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4c9EP0zNfdc

The poem really kept me awake all through last night. I couldn't stop thinking about it. I would rather direct this into a documentary movie if I'm provided with the required expertise, assistance and equipments!! So close the poem is to me! I hope you enjoy it too!

He received a call at the twilight hour,
From none but the Commander-in-Power,
The ladies at the house saddened much,
But the brave men convinced them with a gentle touch.

“Royal Rathores” was their fond family name,
Where all seven of them had shot to fame;
Now the eighth and the youngest of all,
Has got the chance to answer his maiden call

His retired father was a strict martinet,
Our then little fellow was busy playing the clarinet,
The enraged dad clenched it with a wrench
And made him stand on the Military Bench

Our hero was awe-struck at the number of medals,
His uncle immediately repaired the pedals,
Just to cycle him all the way to the Royal Garhwal Rifles,
The then teen, realised that the national services were no trifles.

Though he was then only twenty-two,
Gallant exploits were what he willed to do.
A skilled expertise was he in military,
For he was from the reputed Rathore territory

The only anxiety that he carried,
Was that he was unduly married,
To an illiterate yet charming damsel --
The one whose eyes endlessly glittered like tinsel

Our war man was stationed at cold Kargil --
Where he joined the bold hearts wandering on Tiger Hill.
He wrote an epistle to his father,
Just as his palms felt the agonizing weather.

The Rathores felt a decree of pride,
But the ladies would not be relieved until he arrived.
His woman was overjoyed hearing the letter --
This undoubtedly made her look much better.

The daunted war broke out at Kargil abruptly.
The warriors crusaded against the foes mightily;
They had nothing but their nation at stake,
For which they fought long after midnight’s wake.

The terror-stricken ladies conducted poojas in distress,
While their husbands clamoured, “Why can’t you be a tigress?!”
The innocent maiden secured her man’s mail
And thought of replying somehow without fail.

The valourous men were behind the enemy lines for a noble cause
And the common men wished them good luck with a chauvinistic pause;
While the Jawans renounced their lives for their beloved country,
Some ignorant and unpatriotic men only gazed at their television inventory.

The lady in distress had taken an anodyne,
For her man was striving hard in the dreaded mine.
She managed to get hold of a Hindi master –
Who could teach her the basics faster.

The confronters would take him as a Prisoner of War,
For most of his mates vanished in the fog back far;
Some of them died a brave warrior’s death,
But now he all alone had to hold his breath.

The opposing troop seemed to be around fifty.
All of them heavily armed and pretty hefty;
He settled down and closed his eyes shut for a while.
An exciting idea struck his mind which was worthwhile.

He slowly and stealthily hid behind a Military truck,
Behind which the hungry adversaries stayed to wreck;
He strained by closing his eyes tightly once again
And tried to picture his family and the tri-colour with much pain;

The mistress finally learnt to write a few words with intent
And framed a sentence which she would later repent.
“Piya, jaldī aap vapas aao, safalta bhi saath me latay aao”,
[meaning: "Darling, come soon bringing Sucess and Victory with you!"]

With a sudden burst of renewed fire burning within him,
He smashed the truck's fuel tank causing a din,
Dropped the grenade into it with epic force...
The giant vehicle rose up into the sky like a flaming bird
Drowning with it his last heroic words
“Jai Mata Di! Jai Mata Di!”

The sad news reached the Rathores through Captain Ross.
The inconsolable women wailed at their excruciating loss.
The men rushed away to the Regional Centre for a precise brief.
The mentally dead damsel had no life in her even to splutter out her grief.

The Royal Rathores were silently paying tribute
To their little man who received the 21 Gun Salute.
Then came fabulous news for the heartbroken clan;
The Param Vir Chakra was to be bestowed on their little man.

The award was for the champion’s unmatched gallantry,
Accompanied by his genuine patriotic genes and bravery;
The angelic lady cried when she heard the news
But admired her man for his courage and patriotic views;

The most precious gallantry award of honour
Now belonged to a deceased, but valiant owner;
The equanimous big dad felt his eyes engulfed in tears
For the first time in 40 long years;

His heart might have halted before the millennium,
But he certainly would dwell in our hearts for years to come;
He will be remembered as the one who made the final sacrifice
To make our Motherland a heavenly paradise.

The brave lad’s heart always bore
A self created tag, “Yeh Dil Maange More!”
Which will touch every heart to the core
Today, Tomorrow and for Evermore!