The mission was over, but his hands still smelled like gunpowder. He walked toward the Forward Operating Base after 16 hours on the ground.
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Nothing would look homely to an outsider if they saw this place, but for Aditya it was his home for the past two years. Seeing this place after every operation made him happy. Returning there with all the men he had left with gave him relief.
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As he entered the base he was greeted with a few salutes and pleased commanding officer. Everyone was in a good mood, of course they would be.
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In an exchange of a few praises, he headed towards his tent.
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As Aditya was entering his tent, he could not help his irritation by showing up. As much as he enjoyed gunfire on the ground, explaining it on paper was something he was not so fond of.
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He filled out the After Action Report on autopilot.
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Four insurgents neutralized.
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One civilian evacuated.
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No losses.
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As he was filling out the form, he could hear the buzz outside. It made him curious, and he headed outside as soon as he was done with all the official work.
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Voices became louder with each step. On the ground, he was greeted by his men discussing something. Before he could inquire, he saw his commanding officer approaching them.
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"Jai hind sir" and swift salutes, as CO came to them.
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"You have all done great work here in Kashmir for the last two years. Your bravery and your skills are worth praising. As the higher orders have it, you have all been transferred to Moreh in Manipur. The nation needs you there. Jai Hind."
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With that being said, CO began to leave.
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Silenced stretched the group as everyone was processing the sudden shift. Before anyone could give any reaction, he turned around and added "Captain Shukla, with me."
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"Yes sir" came an automatic response from Aditya.
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He could not be a part of the immediate stir. Sad, but orders above anything.
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As he reached the CO's office, he was greeted with a smile.
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With a swift "Jai hind sir" he greeted him and CO began his discourse.
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"Capt. Shukla, you are a gem for the Indian Army. Your strategic thinking and fearless actions are something I'm proud of. Ever since you joined the army you have done an amazing job, so I thought of giving you a two-month break. For two months you'll be in Delhi, giving an in-person briefing about various operations before heading for Moreh."
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Ah. He knew something like this was coming up. Nevertheless, he continued the conversation with professionalism.
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It was only after coming out of the tent that he let out a sigh. It was, of course, relaxing, but dealing with bureaucrats and politicians is a headache. Although he had no other choice.
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When he reached his tent, he was greeted with his troops' excitement.
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Looking at his face Lt. Rawat took a dig at him, "Sir, don't worry, you'll meet another set of insurgents to keep the gears of your brain working there. By your prayers, we have been sent to a hot zone again."
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Everyone understood the sarcasm and turned their faces to hide their smiles.
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"I've been sent to Delhi for two months, before I'll join you all there," Aditya answered. (Probably the sarcasm went above his head)
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"Oh, so your prayers are heard for all of us, and mine solely for you. "Ah, this is unfair," Rawat replied, deadpan.
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Aditya did not reply, he was too worked up to structure a verbal answer, just a deep exhale and death stare.
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Rawat raised his hands in defeat. "Alright, alright. "Don't worry sir, we'll wait for you there, and I'll surely miss you more than my girlfriend." he understood the mood and tried to play safe.
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There were a few chuckles from everyone before Rifleman Thapa chimed in "We will definitely miss you, sir." Accompanied by expressions you can describe as if a younger brother will miss his elder brother.
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Everyone else in the room nodded with sincerity.
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"Guys, just two months, I'll be back after that and make you do double drills for the time lost."
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They all laughed, they knew him too well to take his threat seriously. But they respected it all the same. He was strict, disciplined and order-driven but also a humanitarian at heart. They knew it, they loved it.
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As Aditya sat down with his Rudraksh bead in his hand, their laughters blurred and his thoughts consumed him.
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'Last time it was loss of trust. Let's see what Delhi holds this time.' He could not help it, old memories were flooding his brain. The wound he thought had been healed was very fresh now as well.
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and then Add to home screen.