Chapter 1: The Silent Hills of Nuranang
October 1962
Nuranang, Tawang Sector, NEFA (North-East
The mountains of Nuranang loomed silently, shrouded in mist and cold winds.
There was no noise of celebration, no hint of war—only the nervous silence that precedes destruction.
The Indian soldiers were posted high up in the hills, observing the mountain passes through which India was connected to China. The nights were cold, with temperatures sometimes dropping below freezing. The Indian soldiers were short of supplies. They did not waste ammunition.
Among them was Rifleman Jaswant Singh Rawat.
He adjusted his rifle and peered off into the distance. His breath became fog as he exhaled slowly. He wasn't afraid—but he wasn't careless either. He knew what was coming.
"War doesn't announce itself," he thought.
"It comes in silence… like these mountains."
The Indo-China War of 1962 had already started on other battlefronts. The Indian soldiers were ill-prepared, with the enemy having superior arms and strength. However, retreat was not an option.
Jaswant Singh Rawat was not a person who spoke much. He was an action man.
He was a believer in standing his ground.
That night, as he cleaned his rifle, he remembered home—
the green hills of Uttarakhand, his family, and the reason he wore this uniform.
"If I fall here," he whispered to himself,
"let it be while protecting my motherland."
The following morning, enemy movements were detected.
Chinese soldiers were moving forward.
The order was unmistakable:
Hold the position. Under all circumstances.
Jaswant Singh Rawat gripped the rifle tightly in his hands. His heart was calm. His mind was clear.
He knew this land.
He knew these hills.
And he knew one truth:
"A soldier doesn't fight because he hates the enemy. He fights because he loves something more
"he fights because he loves his country." 🇮🇳❤
The silence of Nuranang was soon to be broken.
And history was about to be written.