“Hand over that bag. Quick,” the man snarled.

He remembered inspirational words from his father, martyred in Kargil: “Always be brave.”

No time for valour, he reasoned.

He gingerly surrendered the bag. The man unzipped it, gave an evil smile, and shot him.

There is no fixed time for valour.

Vijai Pant is a language teacher in a school in India. He is also a freelance writer.