Lt Sushil Khajuria, KC(P)

 Today is the day when Khajju as we all called Lt Sushil Khajuria, KC(P), laid down his life in a remote region of Kupwara. I have mixed emotions since I was his Commanding Officer(CO). So, today I'll just write about 'Destiny'. 

Khajju was commissioned in the ASC and was on attachment with 18 Grenadiers. When I took over, I found him to be a Josh type youngster willing to go the extra mile in the 'Hunt'. Not that there weren't others in the Bn. Everyone was. But Khajju stood out to the extent that my Brigade Commander, after one operation, told me that ' You need to control Khajju' wish I'd listened to him then and been more careful. Anyway,  destiny. 

Khajju was detailed on the Ghatak or Commando course. Prior to his going, we had had a couple of operations in which Khajju had taken part and had already distinguished himself. Anyway, during the course, he called me and said ' Sir, can you send me on leave for a week or so? I want to visit Goa and Mumbai' I told him to go on leave on the termination of the course. The official confirmation was sent. Next week, he called me up again and told me that he cannot complete the course since he has developed medical problem in the form of fungus in his foot and is being returned to unit(RTU) and whether the leave still stands. The new leave details were sent to the Inf School,  Belgaum the same day. He didnt go to Goa but went to Mumbai, met a relative, and came back to his Parents. Rejoined the unit after leave. We had a policy within the unit that anyone rejoining after leave had to spend two days in HQ for his documentation. It was strictly enforced. However, on the second day, his Company Commander, Maj G, was in HQ for some work and asked me if he could take Khajju back with him. (Would have been missing him I'm sure). I agreed. Khajju went back to his company. Morning, around 2 I got a call from my Brigade Commander that there was some movement of terrorists seen by the neighbouring Brigade in my AoR. We launched then and there, G with Khajju  and S with his teams started within an hour. Sometime later, I came to know that Khajju had come back to his company as he was not well. G told me later that he had a cough and during the climb he informed G that he should not go ahead since he's likely to give away surprise. Anyway  next morning we came to know the details of what we were dealing with. The neighbouring Brigade which had 'Seen' movement of terrorists in our AoR has actually seen a group of terrorists infiltrating through their AoR. Back to Khajju. So, I launched myself as reinforcements for G and S. Contact was estd, however, we too suffered an injury. My party came under fire and we had to literally extricate ourselves at first light. Then Khajju landed up next to me with a reinforcing column, literally begging me to let him take part in the action. G&S were already in the thick of action at that time and Khajju was repeatedly saying, Sir mere liye bhi chod do koi. He went, killed two, was trying to evacuate an injured NCO when that shot that haunts me even now happened. I knew. Destiny. If. If he'd completed his Ghatak course, that day he'd been in Goa. If, he'd taken the extra leave I'd offered him, he'd been at home. If I'd not sent him against my own policy, he'd been with me in HQ. Destiny. If only