The Mercenary

He was called Diler Shah (The large Hearted one). A veteran of war. It was the only job he knew. He had been fighting for over 25 years yet was only 40. He had never killed anyone…but was reputed to be the best fighter ever. After all he was alive after 25 years on ground zero and that meant he was special.
The Soviets, the Afghans, the Pakistanis, the Americans, and the Taliban he had faced them all. His motive was to give his children the best education, his wife a warm home and his parent’s medicine. He didn’t care who won or lost or in fact even who he fought for, as long as they paid well.
He never carried a gun. All that he carried was chocolate, dry fruits, newspaper, water, morphine and whiskey. The basic survival kit –high calorie easy to carry food and water to stay alive, newspapers to keep warm by wrapping or burning and whiskey and morphine to ease pain.
 He always said that he never needed a gun for if he was going to get killed it wasn’t going to be with his gun and if he was going to kill…he would make a deviation.
It was like a job for him. A regular job where he was paid by the hour to survive. He did not believe in killing as he felt he did not have the authority to take anyone’s life. After all the person on the other side of the fence also was doing his job…and would only do it well if he lived.
He was faceless, action less and a shadow. But he was always there. He had seen what nightmares are made of but as a true professional stuck to his job…that of staying alive and not contributing to the body bags. The paycheck had come from everywhere at some point of time. His life was cheap…the Americans had bought it, the Soviets at one time and even the Taliban had been his employers.
He figured that more of the fighters had died of starvation and ill health than from the war due to the hostile conditions they were in. After all if they had been fighting in resort towns then the countries would have sent in their own people….no T steak shortage, enough toilet paper and of course coca cola. But in the back of beyond the cheapest lives go first. And at $20 a day he was one of the cheapest going…a bargain buy and with 25 years of experience to back it…he was hot property.
The amazing thing was that no one questioned what he did…as long as he was there. No one wanted to check on him lest he refuses and they would have to go themselves where even the devil dreads to tread. He just merged in the background like a chameleon. He heard everything, spoke of nothing, he saw every thing but showed nothing, he understood everything but advised on nothing.
He provided a service that no one else could and had his niche market. He recognized a need and serviced it. He was a true entrepreneur….