They are the anxious, but proud, Vadodara-based families of Army officers in the line of fire at Kargil. The anxious wait is evident in these houses. But it is the talk of the gallantry of these officials which relegates apprehensions to the back seat.

``I have heard from my son just three days ago,'' said (Retd.) Col Subodh Desai, father of captain Harnish Desai. Desai knows that hearing his son's voice was a far-fetched thing. ``We feel a bit tensed but it is not new for the family,'' says Desai. Harnish's mother too knows what it is like being at the battlefront as she has spent most of her time there with her husband.

``Yet when the phone rings, she is the first one to receive it, and if it is Harnish's then I get very little time to talk to him,'' said Desai. Residing at Sama, the parents have just received a letter from their son who has posted them about his latest whereabouts. ``He cannot convey much details in the letter, because they are scanned and then sent,'' said Desai.

``My birthday was last month, my son just managed to get out and give me a call,'' said Desai.

``If today my sons are at one sector, only the next time they call up do I come to know where they have been posted,'' said (Retd) Col Sushil Sahay, both whose sons are at the battle front. ``Our sons have done us proud,'' says the proud mother. While Nishit has already been announced the winner of a Sauryachakra for his bravery at Srinagar, his brother Anshu is also at the front. ``Both my sons have always been very enthusiastic, as they had seen their father in action, both of them always wanted to be achievers and I am glad they have done at a young age,'' said Jaya Sahay. ``This is their first posting after being commissioned,'' said the proud father. He added that it was just a one-way communication as there was no way by which they could contact their sons.

They have been receiving information about their sons till now, but do not know what the future holds for them. While the Sahays and the Desais have been a bit lucky as far as communication is concerned, Major Nitin Mehta, father of Lieutenant Shreyas Mehta, has not heard much from his son. ``I have just received a message from my son, that he is fine,'' says Mehta. But added that there was no way that he could contact his son.

Both parents just keep praying and are glued to the television 24 hours. Even the old grandmom at home is no exception. Though the old lady is not aware of much, she knows that her grandson is doing the nation proud.