Of Queens and Lions
She smiled, grinning from ear to ear as her stomach dropped and she experienced the weightlessness that came from her fighter jet executing the steepest of dives towards the lake. She fell further and further, the smile on her face growing wider and wider.
“Squadron leader Rathod, pull out of the dive NOW.” She ignored the command from Ground Control. Just a little further.
The water hurtled closer; still she did not pull up.
“Queenie! You’ll crash!” That was Lucky, her fellow teammate.
She ignored him too. There would be hell to pay for the ignorance, but this rush; she relished in it.
She was feet from the water, mere inches, before she grabbed the joystick and pulled. Hard. The jet righted itself, sending sprays of water flying while her jet’s belly kissed the edge of the lake. She let loose a loud whoop before she heard in her ear, “Squadron Leader Rathod. Ground yourself immediately and report for questioning.”
Dammit. Sher had found her. She sighed and turned away from the lake, returning to base. Some people, would never understand the rush of flight, speed and the skies, but she, Rani Rathod, was born to live in the sky.
-
If only some people understood that, she thought grimly as she extricated herself from her helmet and flying gear. Captain Sher Singhania, didn’t seem like someone who did. But that couldn’t be true, otherwise how would someone so young become the captain of their team so quickly? Sher’s name was infamous in their academy. He came from a flying legacy. His father and his father’s father had been generals in the Indian Air Force, and Sher seemed on the trajectory to do the same. But he was only 28. A young, mere 28.
As Rani walked to the captain’s quarters, she remembered the first time she had met Sher. Excited to be working with him, she had seemed so eager, so quick to shake his hand. But Sher seemed to hate her from the get go. As she stood there, her hand outstretched, he just stared at her and then turned away, greeting all the other members of the Garud Squad. She had turned red, her ears burning as she stared for just a moment longer before turning away from the man.
Group Captain Shamsher Singhania, commanding officer of the Air Garuds had been in love before. It was a gentle love almost platonic, one that was firmly founded in friendship. His fiancée had been his neighbor, their love had blossomed while they grew up together. Both of them playing together, and then soon joining the Air Force together.
He was born for the skies. Jets had been his passion ever since he could grasp one in his hand. The day his father had taken him to the skies for a quick flight, at a mere 17 years, he truly fell in love. What he had felt for Chandni had paled in comparison. He could not call that love.
He remembered that day clearly. The air mask had made his eyes water as he and his father soared through the skies, but he refused to blink. He wouldn’t miss a single minute of it. As his father flipped the jet in a tight spiral, Sher had let out an actual whoop of delight. When they landed, he had hugged his father so tight they both became breathless. And then he went to go tell Chandni. He needed to tell her, his best friend. He had fallen in love, with the skies.
But when he got to her, she spoke first. She told him about her day and then before he could cut in, she said the words, almost in a rush. I love you. I am in love with you, Shammi. His ears began to ring, the world went fuzzy. She loved him, and not just as a friend. She loved him the way he loved the sky. He wanted to tell her how he felt, the truth of his feelings, but he couldn’t. The words died on his lips. He couldn’t hurt his friend. So he smiled, laughed, said, Me too, and that was that.
One short year later, he joined the Air Force Academy. He received his call sign, his uniform, and his patches and it felt like coming home. Like he had found the place where he belonged. His instructors would say that he excelled but to Shammi turned Sher, he was just beginning his stride. He quickly became top of his class and while he did well in Ground Training, Flight Training was where he excelled. He was on top of the world.
Chandni was… not. She joined the Academy, and she did well, but she did not have that love. She was there because Shammi was there.
In one year, Sher had graduated and been placed to join as a mere flying officer at the base near Bangalore. Chandni was placed in Maharastra, and she was miserable.
The distance was hard on her, and he could admit that he was not a good… partner.
Six months after being placed, they were given leave to come home. They both returned to Delhi, and their parents quickly fixed their match.
He was both sitting on the swing in the veranda the day their engagement was decided. Chandni had come up to him, excited about the engagement. She said that marriage would solve all their problems. He looked into the distance, humming his affirmative but thinking about his next flight into the sky.
They went back the day after their engagement, with a promise to return in a year for the wedding. It was the last time he saw Chandni.
Now a year into his placement, he had newly been ranked flight lieutenant. The youngest ever at only 20 years of age. Two nights later was when he got the call. He was woken by a flying officer telling him that an Air Commodore, Commodore Singh from Srinagar air base, was calling him. Moon had been struck in an air raid. A terrorist group had bombed the base while Flying Officer Chandni Joshi was handling some weaponry. She had not survived. He didn’t even know she had been relocated. He came home, played the part of a loving fiance, consoled his family but he himself had gone numb. His best friend was gone.
The night before he left to return to his base, a member of Chandni’s group came up to his house. Flight Lieutenant Kabir Singh, call sign: Bunny. He remembered Kabir from his Academy. The two had been friendly, but had lost touch after a few years away.
“I took care of her Sher.”
“I know.”
“She left this letter for you,” Kabir placed it in his hands.
“Thank you.”
“Sher…” He looked up at Kabir, shocked to find tears in his eyes.
“It’s lonely Sher. This much love for the sky. It’s lonely. But I’m here. I’m not Chandni, but I could use a friend too.” Shamsher looked at the young man, and found a kindred spirit. He gave a small smile to Kabir and watched as he left the house quietly.
He held onto the letter from Chandni afraid to read it. Afraid to face where he had failed. But a few weeks later, he found himself penning a letter to Flight Lieutenant Kabir Singh.
Dear…
Hey!
Um, Hi…
Kabir…
Bunny, It’s Sher.
