Ishq-e-Watan

Chapter 53- Turmoil

CHAPTER 53

TURMOIL

Monami rested her chin on her knees, clutching her legs closer to her chest. It was her first exam today. The week that followed would have a series of exams of theory and physical and the week after would have the result. A few days of holidays and then, the new quarter would begin.

Or she would go home. If she failed.

'Tum samajhti kyun nahi ho, Monami? I don't want to come home to another corpse on my bed, baccha.'

'Bas woh hi karna hai, jo tum chahti ho. Selfish ho tum.'

She took a deep breath, closing her eyes. No, she couldn't think about it. She couldn't falter. There was no way she would be able to go back to Mumbai, go back to her home and forget everything she had lived here.

'Agar sab kuchh chodkar chali gayi waapas, toh kabhi apne aap se nazre nahi mila paungi. Jo zindagi bhar chaaha, use chhodkar kaise chali jaoon? Itne saalon baad lag raha hai ki meri zindagi waapas meri hone lagi hai. Kaise ise chodkar chali jaaon main?'

She stood up, walking to the window. She stared outside into the moonless night. They say that the army wasn't a profession. It was a way of life. This life... this was what she wanted to live. She cannot go back.

Was it selfish? Maybe. Probably. But she couldn't find it in herself to care all that much.

She wanted to be a soldier. She was going to be one.

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Karan leaned against the table, stifling a yawn. Rahul's screams were mercilessly loud and shrill. He glanced at the time. 4:05. It was way too early to be listening to such shrill tones. They haven't even touched him. Yet.

"Aye, chup", Sanju snapped. His mouth immediately slapped shut, and he stared at her with wide eyes. His eyes trailed down to the pliers in his hand. A close mouthed whine escaped his mouth. "Chup. Ek dum chup. Ek aur awaaz naa aayegi ab tere muh se." The whining stopped. He nodded frantically. "Ab jo hum puchh rahe hain uska jawaab dena. Tu academy kaa karne aayo tha?"

"W-W-Woh... pata nahi."

"Chhuti manaane aayo tha phir?" Sanju asked, clutching his hair. "Tehelte tehelte pahunch gayo?"

"Sach mein pata nahi. Woh... Woh mujhe aage ki instructions baad mein call karke dene waale the."

Karan's eyebrows furrowed. He straightened up. This wasn't an intrusion. They were dipping their toes in the water. That means they were suspicious already that something wasn't right.

He suppressed a frustrated sigh.

Who the hell tipped the spy this well?

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"Kya soch rahe ho?" Faizi asked.

Karan glanced up from the apple on his fork that he was inspecting idly. "Spy ko tip kisne diya? Kisne kisko kya bola? Yeh yahan kyun aaya tha? Kisne bheja? Kyun? Aur... dobara kab attack karenge?"

"Kuchh toh miss kar rahe hain hum."

"Kuchh nahi, bahut kuchh", he corrected. "Sawaal ke jawaab milte nahi aur naye sawaal khade ho jaate hain. Iss point par mission se zyaada, film ki story lag rahi hai. Sochta kuchh hoon, hota kuchh aur hai, aur clues toh pata hi nahi kahan pahuncha dete hain. Gol gol ghoom rahe hain bas."

Faizi eyed him, taking a sip of his milk. "Shooting range chalna hai? Training ke time jaise?"

Karan chuckled. "I wish, yaar", he said. "Par nahi. Yeh jo neeche hai, uska bhi kuchh karna hai."