When CRPF jawan Yashwant Singh pointed his AK-47 rifle towards Manisha Devi on Wednesday evening, 16-year-old Parshuram Singh tried to stop the jawan. But his attempt proved futile and Yashwant fired at Manisha. It was horrifying but he mustered courage and rushed to Rajeshwar Hospital with Manisha’s blood-stained body. He could not save the national-level kabaddi player but his attempt was honest. He wanted his didi (elder sister) to be alive from the core of his heart.

On Wednesday, our practice began at Moin-ul-Haque Stadium at 3pm. There were 11 of us — six girls and five boys.

Manishadi was a very good “corner” player. The practice went off smoothly. It ended at 6pm. As it was getting dark, Manishadi and Meenu, another player, asked me to accompany them to home.

We left the stadium discussing our prospects in the National Games.

It was 6.15pm. We reached under the Rajender Pul (bridge). It was deserted.

All of a sudden, CRPF jawan Yashwant Singh surfaced. He tapped on the back of Manishadi.

Didi was shocked. All of us turned and we saw the CRPF jawan standing in front of us with a rifle dangling his shoulder. He was drunk.

Yashwant did not pay any heed to my presence or that of Meenu. He acted as if we were not even present.

The jawan looked at Manishadi and demanded her mobile number. Didi remained quiet for a few seconds before retorting that she had no idea who was he. She also refused to give him her mobile number.

Yashwant lost his cool immediately. He took the rifle in his hands and threatened to kill didi if she did fulfil his demand immediately.

Now, I intervened. I asked the jawan why was he behaving like this and why would kill Manishadi.

“Chhotu, chale jao (baby, you go away),” Yashwant told me. He advised the same to Meenu.

I mustered some courage and asked Yashwant to leave the place instead.

An angry Yashwant told Meenu and me that both of us would die if we did not leave.

The death threat to us made Manishadi angry. She asked the jawan to leave the place at once.

Infuriated over Manishadi’s advice, Yashwant pointed the gun at her.

I jumped to get hold of the barrel and pushed it towards the ground.

Yashwant pulled the trigger and the bullets hit the ground right near my toe.

Shocked, I lost my grip on the gun. Out of fear, I took couple of steps behind. That was enough for Yashwant to pointed the barrel at Manisha and fire.

I don’t know how many bullets hit her. She slumped to the ground. We screamed.

Yashwant then pointed the barrel towards him and pulled the trigger. He too fell down.

For a few minutes, we did not know what to do. I called up some boys and didi taken to the Rajeshwar Hospital in the same area on a motorbike.

But I was late.