Ishq-e-Watan

Chapter 55- Conflicts

CHAPTER 55

CONFLICTS

The breakfast with Parikshit was a little unusual. It was awkward. Monami wasn't all that sure on how to react. She wasn't angry at him anymore. But she didn't like him either. Should she engage him in a conversation?

In the end, she focused on her poha, eating it quietly. There were a few talks, but no one quite acknowledged the addition of the new member- neither taunting him, nor engaging him.

Parikshit was satisfied with the breakfast. It wasn't welcoming, but it wasn't the other way around either. He ate quietly, before sitting patiently, waiting for everyone to finish. It was already 0930 hours. Would they all just go straight to class or what? They all sat there, even after they had kept their plates on the counter, just chatting idly.

"Parikshit", Chitra said, and he looked at her. "Tum hume apne #baare mein batao."

He glanced at others, who had fallen quiet, looking at him expectantly. Even Monami. "Well, main ek CA hoon. Chartered Accountant. And main 8 saal se corporate life mein tha before I decided to leave it, and serve my country."

"K-Kyun?" Monami asked quietly. "Yeh s-suddenly k-kyun?"

"I guess mujhe hamesha se army bahut fascinating lagti thi. And agar aapko desh ko serve karne ka chance mil raha hai, then chhodna kyun? It's an honor. Nahi?" He looked at her, finding something flickering in her eyes. She smiled a little, nodding. "Aap log batao? What did you do before this aur aapne kyun join kari?"

Prem ji was the first to start, and the rest followed, telling their stories to him in brief.

"Meri Mumma... She w-was in the a-army. L-Lieutenant C-Colonel Dr. Juhi Mahajan", she said proudly. "A-Almost 10 s-saal pehle, woh sh-shaheed ho g-gayi." Parikshit winced. "M-Mujhe h-hamesha se u-unki t-tarah b-banna tha. I am a d-doctor. Main isse p-pehle apne D-Dad ke s-saath unke h-hospital mein ek r-resident d-doctor thi before I r-resigned to c-come here."

"Monami... I am sorry", he said sincerely.

She looked away. "Main y-yeh nahi k-kahungi ki it's o-okay because it's not b-but... l-let's move on." She paused. "S-Sorry for the c-coffee."

"Let's move on", Parikshit assured.

It was slightly more pleasant after that little conversation was out of the way, but Parikshit could see the reservations still. The little looks by Sid, slight weariness by Koel, Monami's quietness, but he was hopeful.

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Karan was drawing something on the board, placing random X's and O's on different spots but as soon as the eight entered the room, he erased it with the duster, turning his attention to them.

"Chess ke rules pata hai?" He asked, leaning against the table. The eight looked at each other, nodding. "Sabko? Nahi pata toh bata do?" They all nodded in confirmation. He crossed his arms. "Good. Aaj ek thinking exercise karte hain."

Monami smiled a little. They didn't have too much of them, perhaps a couple since the training had started, but they were always interesting. They kept her in her head for hours and she always had plenty of things to think about.

"Kisi ko pata hai ki chess mein haathi, ghode, rani, raja, wazir, pyaade, pieces ko yeh kyun kehte hain?" He asked.

Koel raised her hand the first, although a couple others had their hands up too. Karan nodded to Koel. "Chess ko war jaisa maanta the. Strategy soch paane ke liye khelte the."

"Correct", he said. "Chess mein stakes kam hote hain. However good of a strategy game chess is, it's just that- a game. Shayad similarities se zyaada, differences hain. I want you guys to think ki chess aur war mein differences kya hain, and as a strategist, yeh humaare liye achha saabit hota hai ya bura, and kaise. It's an open discussion."