The Tamil

He silently stepped out of the foliage where many of his comrades lay dead, spread-eagled & free from the vicious circle of the world. The enemy had closed in from all sides and despite the fucked-up morale building speeches by the top brass, the soldier's heart knew that judgement day was just over the hill, either in the form of a few bullets in his body or a blast from a tank.

Just 17 years of age and waiting for death. Fuck.

And then he saw the man responsible for his fate. The Commander running like a terrified lamb, wearing his sweat drenched battle fatigues and surrounded by his ass kissing comrades. Somethings never change, even when mortars are dancing around you ready to shred you to pieces.

He had believed in the cause he was fighting for but wasn't too sure now. Killing others hadn't shook up his conscience but now in the face of certain death he was questioning his earlier decisions. He wanted to piss and ask for a miracle from the big guy above, none of which was going to happen.
Screw the cause, screw the comrades and screw the world a hundred times over. Let me live Oh merciful one. Let me see tomorrows daylight and I promise I will join the Buddhist sect or whatever you command me to- ranted his brain.

As he got to his feet he saw the Commander get into a jeep followed by his cronies. "The great leader of the Tamil Eelam. The head of the most notorious terrorist group of the world. Mr. I'm-the-great-Prabhakaran. Wasn't it bloody awesome that when whole families were being wiped out, the architects own flesh and blood were safe somewhere? That is some fucking power. While we were living in the jungles living on god knows what and satisfying ourselves with god forbid what, his own family was living in the lap of luxury?
And where the fuck was the mighty UN? and dear old Uncle Sam's we-come-to-save-your-ass-but-will-fuck-you-eventually army?? Being screwed by muslims most probably.FUCK. I should've stayed in Tamilnadu."

Just as the jeep started to move the most enlightening idea came to his mind of his short life, except of the time when he had screwed the Major's wife (but she was the one who had seduced him so that doesn't count).
"These mother fuckers want him. With him dead no one is gonna care about me. I will just take off the uniform and mingle in the crowd. The army rations have already given me the much sought after malnutritioned look. I'll live."

With this happy thought he clutched his rocket launcher with a new zeal and fired. As the jeep catapulted on impact he whooped in joy and turned. A burst of fire caught him in the chest and he slumped down.

He'll never know that Prabhakaran died in that jeep. That Sri Lankan army took credit for the kill, displayed him to the world like a dog at the dog show. That LTTE finally lost the battle which it had started 3 decades ago. And the world rejoiced.

His body lay there. Just as dead as he had lived his whole life. Like an unknown.