The Path Less Travelled.

The Prince.

Men in general judge more by the sense of sight than by the sense of touch, because everyone can see but few can test by feeling. Everyone sees what you seem to be, few know what you really are; and those few do not dare take a stand against the general opinion.
- Niccolo Machiavelli  (The Prince)

"The best, most undetectable lies are the ones which are tempered with some truth."
Abhi remembered the first time Raj had told him this.
It was a cold December afternoon, just like this one. The conversation had taken quite a philosophical turn.
They were discussing a book that was  a favourite of both of them. The best book on politics, according to them, that ever existed : The Prince, by Niccolo Machiavelli.

[ Note: The Prince is a 16th-century political treatise by the Italian diplomat and political theorist Niccolò Machiavelli.
The descriptions within The Prince have the general theme of accepting that the aims of princes – such as glory and survival – can justify the use of immoral means to achieve those ends ]

He remembered the beginnings of his friendship with Raj, remembered it as clearly as his name.
Comming from a royal family, the transition into settling at KMA wasnt easy for Abhimanyu. That combined with his unusual views regarding violence, and his love for the finer arts, meant trouble. There was hardly any one at KMA, who qualified to even barely understand him. They were completely out of depth. He was resigned to being a loner for the rest of his days at KMA. That was until he met Raj.
Being royalty, Abhi was no stranger to inside politics, and understood the workings of the army, better than most people.
Politics was involved here, as much as any government organisation.

Then he met Raj, and an uncanny friendship started between the two. This friendship wasnt like Raj and Naveen's friendship or Naveen and. Abhi's friendship.

Raj had joined the army, out of reasons as strange as Abhi. He hailed from a very rich and influential family, and thus, was aware of the background politics in the army, as much as Abhi. Raj had lost both his parents, in a plane crash recently, and not having the inclination to pursue business alone, without them, he had signed up for the army, in an impulse decision.
He was still not sure if that decision was correct.

Raj held views, that Abhi hadnt seen in most young men.

Abhi remembered how Raj was disgusted by how flippantly his fellow cadets talked about dying on the battle field.

Abhi remembered how Raj had scoffed at sentiment like this. Raj and Abhi both knew, there was nothing glorious in battle. Nothing glorious in war. Nothing glorious in the taking of a human life, because one realises too late, when one is in the midst of a raging battle, that all humans are the same. Almost all. Almost all have the same wishes for a happy life, an easy life, a safe life, for themselves and their families. And at that moment in the battlefield, one realises, too late, the futility of war.

Abhi had always been for cooperation and tolerance, rather than war. He was against fighting in general,because he believed war created more problems than it solved, and more often that not, only benifited the rulers and politicians.

Raj had always been of the opinion that one should be a good soldier, but not so naive, that one does not recognise which decisions are for humanity, and which are for the politicians. He always felt, that politicians should not be involved in the working of the army.

He saw no point in soldiers sometimes pointlessly loosing their lives, and the system being too illequipped to save them, gave them the status of martydom as consolation. And just how justified Raj  was, in feeling this, Abhi understood when Naveen's case was handled so carelessly by the authorities.

Raj and Abhi, both, comming from such a background, were aware of how the politics of power worked around the world.

He had seen Raj had started to deeply regret his decision of joining the army. Raj could not understand why he had made such a decision.
Abhi understood though.
He understood that inside all the frustration at the world, was a hunger to make it better. A hunger to make his country better. And there was no patriotism greater than patriotism stemming from this desire, according to Abhimanyu Rai Chauhan.
Naveen and Abhi's friendship had helped him survive an environment, in which he was clearly ill at ease.

That was, until he met Colonel Shakti Chandra.
He was assigned to the Colonel, as his protege.
The Colonel had made him understand, how being angry and revolting against a system would serve no purpose other than alienating him form everyone, because no one would understand him, not even the ones he was fighting for.
He made him understand, that though there is much evil in this world, there is also good. He made him believe that people are not all bad.

The Colonel had taught them, that martydom was great when justified, but serving your country by staying alive, that was true courage.
And thus, he never spoke lightly or flippantly, of being martyred, like most soldiers do.
Because he respected the term, with a respect few understood.

Raj was always against the system, a corrupt inadequate system, which could not take adequate care of its soldiers. And he made no secret of the fact.
Abhi remembered how many times Raj had been punished, for being too outspoken, before he had met the Colonel.
Meeting him, had changed him into a grounded person, a person who understood that sometimes, it is impossible to escape politics. Sometimes they are even necessary, to avoid turmoil.
But one when politics turn dirty, there are ways of changing the world, other than revolt.
And that is educating people about the suffering of others, making people empathise. This is the hardest path, the slowest, but the only one sure to succeed.

He remembered how drastically, Raj had changed during that mentorship programme. How Raj had once told him, that the mission of his life was to eventually teach others, what the colonel had taught him.
How to be a good soldier.
How to be a good leader.
How to be a good teammate.
How to be a good friend.
And the most important of all, how to be a good human being.
He remembered Raj telling him, that he understood now, that for the system to change, change must occur at its roots. Change must occur at the start. Change must occur in the cadets.
Because it will be the cadets that will go on to become officers, officers who may have to take decisions concerning other's life and death.
Raj had shared a very special relationship with his mentor. To say he respected him was a gross understatement. He revered him.

Abhi always knew this. And that is why, he had believed Raj without a second thought, when he told him, that he was framed, and he hadn't killed the Colonel.

Because the Prince of Barmer knew, that Raj would sooner kill himself, than kill the man who showed him, he was not alone in wanting to change the world.