Calling Sehmat : Book Review

Calling Sehmat by Harinder Sikka

‘Calling Sehmat’ was gifted to me by a friend who doubted whether I am going to like this book or not. But let me tell you I liked this book a lot so keep gifting me books like these :)

Most of you may not be aware, ‘Calling Sehmat’ is based on a true story and a Bollywood movie ‘Raazi’ is an adaptation of this book.

This book gave me goosebumps at several points. This story instilled more respect and gratitude in me for all those men and women (be it spies; navy, army or air personnel) who sacrifice not only comforts of their homes but leave behind their families, their loved ones to serve their country. It made me realized where we civilians are worried over petty issues be like family disputes, tensions with the boss, relationship issues, these men and women are striving and sacrificing their lives for our safety without expecting anything in return from us. And what we are giving them in return is the country where there is corruption, where communal violence happens due to petty reasons, regional and religious conflicts. We are not even capable of maintaining law and order internally and no it’s not solely the duty of government or police but every civilian has a role to play in maintaining law and order of the nation.

And here I am not talking about India only but it’s the duty of civilian of every country to maintain peace within his country as it's the least we can return to these men and women whose lives are always at stake for the safety of their respective countrymen.

The book is worth a read to experience the journey of a spy whose only mission in life is to save his or her country. The book can be read in one go itself without any breaks or disconnect.

Plot of the Story:

P.S.: Please take it as a story of every spy. What Sehmat did for India, every spy would have done the same for his or her country. For every spy and every soldier the only motto is ‘Country comes first.’

‘Calling Sehmat’ is a story of a girl named Sehmat, who was half Hindu (maternal) and half Muslim (paternal). Her mother name was Tej (Tejashwari Singh) and father name was Hidayat Khan. Hidayat was a rich Kashmiri businessman who was always easing tensions between Hindus and Muslims and spread harmony between the communities. His enterprise and large-heartedness catapulted him and his business to the other side, called Pakistan. He was soon approached by senior officials of RAW who sought his help in establishing an information-gathering network inside Pakistan. He had been very loyal and dedicated to his duty towards his motherland and his network became a major source of information gathering which saved the lives of hundreds of Indian soldiers. 

All was going fine until that dark day when Hidayat was diagnosed with incurable cancer and due to his medical ailment, he was forced to call off his duty. It was not that dreaded disease but who could replace him and gather information from across the border bothered him to the core. After pondering over his thoughts, he came to a decision that only Sehmat, his only daughter and only child could take this baton from him and carry on the good work for the nation. Sehmat, a young college going Kashmiri girl studying in Delhi University was shaken and heartbroken as she learned about her father’s medical condition. She couldn’t even get over when very next moment, Hidayat talked his heart out with her and asked her to take the responsibility from him and asked her to continue doing what he had been doing until now for his country and countrymen.

Understanding the gravity of what he had handed over to her, Sehmat agreed to her father’s last wish. Within a short span of time, her world changed completely. It etched her to the core, she lost the only two men she had ever loved dearly: her father who soon left the mortal world, and Abhinav (the love of her life) whom she met in college as she was soon married off to Captain Iqbal Sayeed, son of Brigadier Sheikh Sayeed. (Sheikh Sayeed and Hidayat Khan had studied together at Lahore College and were close friends. Post partition, Sayeed had helped Hidayat expand his business.)
Before her marriage to Iqbal, Sehmat underwent one month of intensive training at the hands of intelligence officers.

Thereafter, the journey started displaying the heroic act and courageous fearless efforts put by Sehmat how Sehmat in carrying out the spy activities. She sent vital information to her country on a frequent basis which helped India in winning the war with Pakistan in 1972.

This book is a must-read for several reasons:

1. The turmoil of emotions that Sehmat went through is nerve-wracking
2. The number of times she risked her own life with only a single motto in her mind: ‘Country first’.
3. How she overcame the trauma and accepted her past after returning to India.
4. This book not only tells the story of Sehmat but few chapters are completely dedicated to the heroic tales of our naval force. Be it how Lt. Commander Sunderjeet Singh and his team protected INS Vikrant (first aircraft carrier of India) from getting destroyed, which was one of the major goals of Pakistan forces, or the act of bravery put forward by Captain Jitendra Kumar and Lt. Commander Rana at Arabian Sea coast of India.

 Lines I liked the most:

• ‘There is no greater reward than to live and die for your country.’
• ‘Fish is caught not with the hook but with the power of one’s mind.’
• ‘Whenever you suspect that your cover is exposed, assume it is so and act accordingly.’
• ‘Some issues should be best left forgotten.’
• ‘We know when we have accomplished what we were sent down here to accomplish. We know when the time is up and will accept death when it comes.’
• ‘Fear is a waste of energy. It stifles you from fulfilling what you were sent here to fulfil. Fear can’t reach your soul. And that is where we must strive to reach.’
• ‘The most natural state of being is being in a spiritual state. People don’t stay in the spiritual state because they are pulled by maya. They think that is the only truth. They don’t realize the physical world is only an instrument to get to the spiritual state.'

 Rating: 3.5/5