Family Story
My Dada was a paratrooper (he would jump out of planes via parachute) and officer in the Indian Army. As a young adult, he had lied about his age to ensure that he was of the age limit for the army, switching his age to that of his younger twin brother and sister. He was reckless, constantly risking his life, sometimes without knowing it. India was constantly at war with Pakistan. and even now, tensions remain high, and as such, my Dada was sent to take out enemies and report to his general. Upon seeing these reports and the high numbers, the general decided to pay his brigade a visit. So, the general was led through the jungle by my grandfather and his contingent who told him to keep quiet and stay hidden among the brush. They parted the bushes ahead of them so that they could see the slight clearing ahead. A soldier pointed and said in Hindi, "Look, he's eating daal and rice." He had been referencing one of the top Pakistani generals, whom they had been tracking, and who had been eating lunch at the time. When the Indian general saw, he scrambled backwards, the rest of the squadron following him and demanded to know why they brought him within 50 feet of an enemy. They explained it was because that was their next target, and began the return journey back to their camp, but not before the forest was shelled, as one of the Pakistani soldiers had seen them, and the Indian general began yelling at my Grandfather and his brigade for bringing him to such a dangerous place. After that, the general never questioned them or their reports again. My Dada later become less reckless when he married my Dadi, and found something to live for. From this story, I selected Potassium Nitrate, as it is a key component of the gunpowder used in the bombs thrown at my grandfather, his general, and the rest of his regiment.Â