May, 1940, Abbeville, France

In his measly two decades of existence, Aditya had never seen a war. Living an idyllic life in a small town of Mussoorie, tucked away in the snow-covered Himalayan Mountains in India; life was as peaceful as it could get under the rule of the British crown.

There was a war going around him yet he had managed to remain unscathed largely so, till the World War 2. India was a British subject and so human resources from India were called on; by the British government to serve as soldiers in their army when war broke out between them and Germany.

Thus, months later, he found himself smack dab in the mid of a battleground in Abbeville, France, in a war between British-French vs German forces- surrounded by young soldiers; some from home and others from far away.

Heart beats fast

Colors and promises

How to be brave

How can I love when I'm afraid to fall

He had a rifle in his hand, his thumb on the trigger, hiding behind rubble of what once may have been someone's home. The sound of bullets whooshing past him, the sound of men shouting in anger, in pain, as they charged on to their enemy, was ringing in his ears. His heart leapt wildly in his ribcage, and sweat dripped from his forehead.

He closed his eyes for an instant and focused on the one person who could give him strength. The one person whose face, whose smile was the only thing that kept him going, that made him want to fight and survive- Zoya...

But watching you stand alone

All of my doubt, suddenly goes away somehow

He had to get through this; he had to go back home, to her. She was his childhood friend, his partner in crime, his confidante, yet he had never really told her how he truly felt about her. He thought of writing her a letter when he had arrived with his battalion in France but refrained. He wanted to tell her in person. He wanted to see her face when he confessed his love.

With each action he took, each step he forwarded, it brought him closer to her. He took a deep breath and readied himself to charge...

One step closer

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May, 1940, Mussoorie, India

Zoya stood in the shade of a huge tree, looking at the students, who were busy scribbling with chalk on their slates. She ran a small school with voluntary aid from people, teaching two-dozen children from underprivileged families.

She'd usually be active around the kids, teaching them, playing with them, and animatedly telling them about India's glorious history, then the British invasion and their struggle for independence. She, in her own small way, contributed to the cause in the best possible way she could.

But since the past couple of months, ever since Aditya was sent to war in unknown shores, she had been listless. The one thought, the one person who occupied her each waking moment was Aditya. He was a kind-hearted, gentle person. Violence was not something he could face yet fates had been cruel and he was shipped off to fight a battle he had no idea about.

She felt her chest compress in pain at the thought of a nave Aditya with weapons, fighting for his life. It scared her... it pained her. She gathered all news she could about the war, she prayed to all Gods for his safe return.

There was so much she had to say to him; mainly that she loved him. She didn't realize when their friendship had evolved into love, how her heart had changed over the years. It was only when he was boarding the bus, which would take him to Delhi and then overseas, that it dawned upon her.

I have died everyday, waiting for you

Darling, don't be afraid, I have loved you for a thousand years

I'll love you for a thousand more

And so she waited, with bated breath, counting each day till he came back. He had to come back.

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June, 1940, Dunkirk, France

It was raining fire.

The sky was filled with planes, some German, some British as they bombarded one another. The German aircrafts also opened fire at the beach town of Dunkirk.

Aditya and his battalion had been made to retreat from Abbeville and they had all gathered at the small city of Dunkirk, waiting for evacuation- hundreds of thousands of soldiers, taking shelter, hoping to avoid death and cross the sea to reach Britain.

The ships were anchored in the shallow waters of the sea. The English Channel was what stood between Dunkirk and safe shores of Britain. The soldiers had to walk, waist deep in shallow seawater to reach the ships.

Aditya strode ahead in the blue sea, pushing the resistance of the waves, trying to get on board. Their British airplanes above were trying to gun down the Germans planes to let the ships sail away unharmed.

And so, shots were fired on the sea, making huge splashes, sometimes meeting their unfortunate human targets on the ground. The air around him smelled of salt, blood and fire. He resisted it all and strode ahead. This ship was his salvation. If he could get onboard, he would be home, back to her. That was all that mattered.

Time stands still

Beauty in all she is

I will be brave

I will not let anything, take away

What's standing in front of me

Every breath, every hour has come to this

Just a few feet away, he told himself. A German aircraft flew dangerously close overhead making a loud whirring noise. He knew the aircraft was taking aim at the queue of soldiers below, one of whom was he. They were climbing on the ship one by one... Just a few feet away...

One step closer

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July, 1940, Mussoorie, India

It had been 2 months since the evacuation of Dunkirk. There was a hullabaloo everywhere. No certain news of survival and casualties reached the small hilly town, when finally one day, it was informed that the soldiers who had survived were coming home.

With bated breath Zoya waited at the bus stop with numerous people, who were expecting their sons, fathers, brothers, husbands to return. A rickety bus slowly made it's way along the snaking road and halted at the stand. One by one, people got down- some covered in bandages, some with more severe injuries, some without a scratch on them, but they had one thing in common- a huge smile on their faces.

Zoya's eyes peered around the heads of people descending the bus. Her heartbeat increased, more and more, till she thought her heart would leap out of her chest. Her lips moved in inaudible prayers. Where was he?

I have died everyday, waiting for you

Darling, don't be afraid, I have loved you for a thousand years

I'll love you for a thousand more

And then, in the midst of unfamiliar faces, she spotted him almost at the same time as he spotted her. Their eyes met and for an instant it felt the world had come to a standstill. The hordes of people around them had vanished, no noise, no chattering, only silence and in the midst of all that- Aditya.

And all along I believed, I would find you

Time has brought your heart to me, I have loved you for a thousand years

I'll love you for a thousand more

They covered the distance between them in an instant and Aditya engulfed her in a hug. They held onto one another, afraid to let go. When Zoya pulled away, she saw Aditya's eyes had moistened just like hers. They had so much to say, of their time apart, of their adventure of sorts, of how their life didn't hold any meaning without the presence of the other... Of how she loved him and he loved her...

One step closer

She gazed into his eyes and he into hers. His hands were still wrapped around her back. The silence between them was deafening. They had so many words to fill it up but neither spoke.

All this time, she was contemplating how she would confess her love, yet now standing in his embrace; she realized she didn't need any words. He could read on her face what she felt for him. She knew this because his face mirrored the exact same feeling...

Time has brought your heart to me, I have loved you for a thousand years

I'll love you for a thousand more

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