A grim reminder to the team of journalists, visiting the International Border (IB) to witness harvesting on both sides of the border, that non-stop hostilities between the two neighbours had become the main feature of the man-made boundary. For the BSF officials, it was not unusual. Distrust had become a crucial component in the relations between the Rangers and the BSF despite frequent exchange of pleasantries on the zero line.

``There was no intention by the Rangers to fire. Apparently they were alarmed at finding so many people (14 journalists from local and national media) converge at the zero line'', Maliktried to soothe our nerves at the Border Out Post (BOP) where we had scampered to safety. The firing actually did not take place. The farmers on both the sides, who had also fled, resumed their march towards the fields.

For the villagers, it had become a routine exercise. First going to the fields, fleeing at the sight of a red flag put up by either side and then a white flag which had them going back to the field.

The animosity had another interesting aspect. For the first-timers, it was an amazing sight. It became difficult to make out where the law of one land began and that of the other ended. The commonalty of the culture was conspicuous. ``Are you sure, Commandant, that this is the zero line?'' an astounded female journalist asked. She could hardly believe that Pakistan was just meters ahead.

Her amazement was understandable. The farmers on both sides wore the same apparel, spoke the same Punjabi and at times exchanged words of concern over the delay in harvesting due to firing from both sides.But everything happened under the shadow of the jawans with fingers on the triggers of their light machine guns.

Hostilities apart, the relations between the BSF jawans and the Rangers were cordial. At a recent flag meeting between the two forces near the zero line where company commanders of Chamblial (India) and Sayeeda Wali (Pakistan) represented their countries, there was no sign of tension.``We had a good cup of tea. Had a frank conversation revolving around the political developments in respective countries, changing social patterns on both sides and more importantly the reason behind the unprovoked firing'', a BSF officer confided. It appeared as though only Islamabad and New Delhi were keeping the International Border alive with booming guns.

Strangely, however, when the two teams parted, it was time again to eye the enemy with suspicion. The officials were back in their outposts and the jawans again maintaining an eagle's eye on each other's forward posts. Amazing that just hours after thecordial meeting, the two forces were again ready for a fresh round of intermittent firing, waiting for a green signal from the respective union capitals.

The border villagers readily lapped up the rare opportunity of any brief suspension of hostilities. At Chamblial and M. S. Pura, where the two sides agreed for a cease-fire for allowing farmers on both sides to carry out the harvest, the villagers rushed to the fields working at double the pace throughout the day.

And, as darkness spread over the area, the villagers on both sides of the border hurriedly returned from the fields. They were not sure whether they would be allowed to return the next morning.