Shinu’s parents died when he was two years old and since then his grandmother has been looking after him. The best part of being with the Grandmother was her bed time stories. He loved her stories but they were often interrupted by the sound of bullets and explosions far away in the distance. He had often seen men carrying guns going around in Army uniforms and often in civilian dresses. But he never understood who they were and he was too scared to talk to them. Whenever he saw anyone with a gun he held his breath and waited for them to pass and go out of sight.
“Strangers”, his Dadi replied.