Naachiyaar, the Liberation Tigers' female warrior had been arrested alive by the military force during battle. Those days, the military force purposefully targetted the Tigers' female fighters during attacks. At the point of arrest, prisoner Naachiyaar was barely 15. During custody, she was carried from one barrack to another by the soldiers. She was abused for two whole days. There were two big sores at the place of her nipples. She was lying in a semi conscious state within the sandy confinement of the military guardhouse, attempting to cover her pubic area, groaning in pain, in vain.
On the dawn of the third day, a young officer splashed sea water on her face. The pain which sprouted from the salt water hitting the bruised spots of her face made her writhe and wriggle. At that moment the officer shed his clothes, knelt beside her and sat down. He lifted her and laid her on his lap. He stared into her eyes. Her eyes drooped. He forced open her lids. He wanted her to observe his nudity. Her lips twitched at the sight. She opened her mouth and twirled her tongue slowly. "Amma" she moaned. Her tears wet the soldier's nudity.
On the third evening, the soldiers made her naked state stand upright on a dune. The fact that she could stand was astounding. The army force lined behind her while Naachiyaar stood facing the narrowed edge of Nanthikkadal. On the other side stood her people. She probably hoped that she would be able to make an escape to the other side. She gave a sharp look towards the opposite end. There, Naatchiyaar saw her people hovering restlessly. She stood immobile. At that moment, a torrent of Sinhalese speech burst through a hailer towards the Tigers.
"We have just skinned a Tiger. If you want to know about our manliness, you can ask her."
Upon hearing these words, the little girl spread her fingers to cover her pubic area and bosom. A moment of happiness sparkled from within. She felt peace realising that her folks now knew she was standing there. She did not doubt for a moment that the hailer's sound might have not reached across. She could see the tormented people attempting means to save her. She could also hear Tigers making announcements to those desperate people. The Tigers could see this little girl clearly, through a set of binoculars. They were consumed by indescribable rage and anger. Anguished tears filled their eyes.
The soldiers' obscenities and teasing slapped her ears. Across, the Tigers' vehicles were appearing and disappearing at an amazing rate. The water area was only a few hundred metres' distance. She decided to get into the water and try to walk across. It did not matter to her that the army might shoot her from the back. She did not mind, as she believed her body would drift towards her land. With death she thought that her naked body will finally be engulfed and wrapped with the magnificent red, yellow flag of the Tigers. Dusk was slowly approaching. The moon was climbing upwards, out of the sea.
She waited for more darkness to fall. She did not want her nudity to be fully exposed to her people. She was waiting to wade across the lake water in darkness. If she made it alive to her land, Naachiyaar vowed to visit her mother immediately.
Darkness descended to a certain level yet she could still decipher the outlines of people from across. At that moment, she heard the Tiger's General's shout of order to attack. Two Tamil Tiger fighters got into the lake waters.The soldiers from this side took their charge in between shouting and screaming. The soldiers' attention was fully focused on the approaching Tiger soldiers. No one seemed to notice Naachiyaar.
The two tigers who walked into the waters got into a motored small canoe. As the lake was shallow, the canoe moved in a slow, transcendental movement. When the canoe reached midway of the lake, the general shouted his orders. The soldiers ran and slouched flat on the grounds copying the flight of a sea crow. Naachiyaar could understand all the movements of the soldiers. She also knew that when the Tigers' canoe closed in, the soldiers had strong arrangements to crush them.She raised her voice to alert a warning to the forward moving Tigers. She believed her hoarse voice would be carried by the wind . "Go back", she shouted. The wind carried her voice along its way.
The Tigers' canoe slowed down as it reached the centre point of the lake and came to a complete standstill. With half closed eyes, Naachiyaar heaved a sigh of relief . Her bruised naked body felt consoled with the tender blowing of the evening sea breeze. The canoe which stood still, made a semicircle turn with a roaring tone. The Tiger fighter climbed up and stood with legs planted firmly on the front of the canoe. The other fighter carried an RPG rocket launcher and gave it to him. The Tiger fighter fixed the launcher carefully on his shoulders.
The soldiers dived and slumped into the man made holes. Those standing guard high up on security towers leaped down to the ground and slouched inside the holes. The Tiger fighter aimed and fired the rocket. His aim did not miss. Naachiyaar who stood on the dune blew up into particles. Her nudity was now consumed by the enraged flames.
The Tigers canoe fled with unbelievable speed towards the other side. The soldiers ploughed the lake with numerous bombs. However, both the Tiger fighters reached the banks without a scratch. The fighter who launched the rocket collapsed tiredly on the bank while the other sat motionless beside him with an empty, expressionless stare. With chest heaving up and down, the one lying on the sand patted his friend's hand, while looking at the sky and said:
"We must inform Naachiyaar's mother that her daughter had just died a heroic death" Hot tears were streaming down his cheeks.
The one seated beside him whispered softly, "I'm not coming!"
On the dawn of the third day, a young officer splashed sea water on her face. The pain which sprouted from the salt water hitting the bruised spots of her face made her writhe and wriggle. At that moment the officer shed his clothes, knelt beside her and sat down. He lifted her and laid her on his lap. He stared into her eyes. Her eyes drooped. He forced open her lids. He wanted her to observe his nudity. Her lips twitched at the sight. She opened her mouth and twirled her tongue slowly. "Amma" she moaned. Her tears wet the soldier's nudity.
On the third evening, the soldiers made her naked state stand upright on a dune. The fact that she could stand was astounding. The army force lined behind her while Naachiyaar stood facing the narrowed edge of Nanthikkadal. On the other side stood her people. She probably hoped that she would be able to make an escape to the other side. She gave a sharp look towards the opposite end. There, Naatchiyaar saw her people hovering restlessly. She stood immobile. At that moment, a torrent of Sinhalese speech burst through a hailer towards the Tigers.
"We have just skinned a Tiger. If you want to know about our manliness, you can ask her."
Upon hearing these words, the little girl spread her fingers to cover her pubic area and bosom. A moment of happiness sparkled from within. She felt peace realising that her folks now knew she was standing there. She did not doubt for a moment that the hailer's sound might have not reached across. She could see the tormented people attempting means to save her. She could also hear Tigers making announcements to those desperate people. The Tigers could see this little girl clearly, through a set of binoculars. They were consumed by indescribable rage and anger. Anguished tears filled their eyes.
The soldiers' obscenities and teasing slapped her ears. Across, the Tigers' vehicles were appearing and disappearing at an amazing rate. The water area was only a few hundred metres' distance. She decided to get into the water and try to walk across. It did not matter to her that the army might shoot her from the back. She did not mind, as she believed her body would drift towards her land. With death she thought that her naked body will finally be engulfed and wrapped with the magnificent red, yellow flag of the Tigers. Dusk was slowly approaching. The moon was climbing upwards, out of the sea.
She waited for more darkness to fall. She did not want her nudity to be fully exposed to her people. She was waiting to wade across the lake water in darkness. If she made it alive to her land, Naachiyaar vowed to visit her mother immediately.
Darkness descended to a certain level yet she could still decipher the outlines of people from across. At that moment, she heard the Tiger's General's shout of order to attack. Two Tamil Tiger fighters got into the lake waters.The soldiers from this side took their charge in between shouting and screaming. The soldiers' attention was fully focused on the approaching Tiger soldiers. No one seemed to notice Naachiyaar.
The two tigers who walked into the waters got into a motored small canoe. As the lake was shallow, the canoe moved in a slow, transcendental movement. When the canoe reached midway of the lake, the general shouted his orders. The soldiers ran and slouched flat on the grounds copying the flight of a sea crow. Naachiyaar could understand all the movements of the soldiers. She also knew that when the Tigers' canoe closed in, the soldiers had strong arrangements to crush them.She raised her voice to alert a warning to the forward moving Tigers. She believed her hoarse voice would be carried by the wind . "Go back", she shouted. The wind carried her voice along its way.
The Tigers' canoe slowed down as it reached the centre point of the lake and came to a complete standstill. With half closed eyes, Naachiyaar heaved a sigh of relief . Her bruised naked body felt consoled with the tender blowing of the evening sea breeze. The canoe which stood still, made a semicircle turn with a roaring tone. The Tiger fighter climbed up and stood with legs planted firmly on the front of the canoe. The other fighter carried an RPG rocket launcher and gave it to him. The Tiger fighter fixed the launcher carefully on his shoulders.
The soldiers dived and slumped into the man made holes. Those standing guard high up on security towers leaped down to the ground and slouched inside the holes. The Tiger fighter aimed and fired the rocket. His aim did not miss. Naachiyaar who stood on the dune blew up into particles. Her nudity was now consumed by the enraged flames.
The Tigers canoe fled with unbelievable speed towards the other side. The soldiers ploughed the lake with numerous bombs. However, both the Tiger fighters reached the banks without a scratch. The fighter who launched the rocket collapsed tiredly on the bank while the other sat motionless beside him with an empty, expressionless stare. With chest heaving up and down, the one lying on the sand patted his friend's hand, while looking at the sky and said:
"We must inform Naachiyaar's mother that her daughter had just died a heroic death" Hot tears were streaming down his cheeks.
The one seated beside him whispered softly, "I'm not coming!"
* I don't know how many times i've read just this one story. Heart wrenching. I think I am equipped with wells of tears that i seem to cry buckets of them, repeatedly. If only people had been careful not to start a war. If only people realised hurting fellow humans is no good! ;(
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