All by herself, in a land she had never seen before and amongst rank strangers, Bibi stood bewildered and scared. An endless fence of thick barbed wire ran on either side of the barrier, which was manned by military forces. The Pakistani jeep was allowed to enter and return from the Indian side of the border because a Pakistani woman of Indian origin was involved. Not too far away stood an army truck filled with many more women who had been brought to the Indian side under similar circumstances. Most were unhappy. Many were crying inconsolably. They too were helped to disembark one by one and stand in a corner. Their plight was similar to that of Bibi. They had been uprooted and evicted against their will and thrown out of their homes just because their respective leaders had, without any application of mind, signed a treaty to send women back to their parents’ homes just to earn brownie points. Family members of a few women had come to receive them, but the majority found themselves in no man’s land and possibly discarded by either side. A few children, mostly girls, had also accompanied their mothers which showed the mindset of their families. Brutally battered, bruised, abused and without a home, the vulnerable women were faced with a bleak future in a land which was to be their new home but without the security umbrella of their kith and kin.

Bibi didn’t know where to go. Her family in erstwhile India had been killed and her home destroyed. Her family in Pakistan was now behind her. The only saving grace was that the Indian soldiers were gentle and polite. They served the women meals on time and did everything in their control to make them comfortable. Simultaneously, they filled registers with data and contact details, and advised the women individually on the future course of action. It was a tedious task, but performed with great compassion and care by the Indian Army personnel.

Lance Naik Bharat Kumar was assigned to Bibi. He sat with her and heard her painful story with great patience, jotting down details for his reference later. Bibi’s encounter with the SHO especially shocked him. He stopped writing and looked up at her petite frame, her slim fingers and innocent eyes, and mentally compared her with the ruffian. It did not make any sense! How could she have? Yet, the Pakistani lieutenant who had escorted her till the border had categorically mentioned her counter-attack as the main reason for her being deported. ‘Her life is in danger,’ he had said before leaving.