Special Forces

Chapter 1 - The AMBUSH

Rudra and his men were surrounded by the enemy; they had been rounded off. His men gave him the option to fall back, thinking that at least they could save their leader before the enemy got too close and it was too late to escape.

Rudra as a man of his word, swore never to abandon his men, disregarded the suggestion and gave orders to stay close to embrace what was going to hit them, and he knew they were sitting ducks in front of the enemy crosshair.

The enemy troops barged in with a sarcastic laugh, is this all the mighty PARA SPECIAL FORCES can do!!!! Petty on you Pathetic Bastards!!! Rudra and his squad were outnumbered, a firefight at this moment would mean losing all the men in his troop. He kept quiet, assessing the situation for the slightest of the slightest opening for at least making a way for his men to escape this death trap.

The enemy commander wanted to make an example out of this situation. He wanted to use this situation to destroy the fear installed by the PARA Commandos in the valley. He ordered his second in command to bring a video camera, announcing that they were going to execute these PARA Commandos and make a video out of it and circulate it in the valley.

At that moment Rudra responded by saying “You can kill us today but you can’t even touch our spirit to protect our mother nation and if one Rudra goes a 1000 will come.” In response to what Rudra said, the commander took his AK 47 and hit his head with the buttstock of the rifle, making a deep wound in his head. When Rudra started bleeding, he mockingly asked “So Ghosts do bleed!!! That is good to know.”

Rudra knew there was no time to waste, these people were in no mood to mess around, they were going to execute his men and make an example out of it to show their supremacy in the valley. It’s time to send the SoS signal. While this thought hit his mind, he received another blow to the head from the boot of the commander. While in the force of the blow, his head was going to hit the ground, at that moment he hit the first SoS signal sending a distress call to his base camp in the valley and just before his head could touch the ground, he hit one more SoS signal to be send to a person he believed could save his troop from the face of death. Rudra hit his head on the ground and fell unconscious.

His mind slipped to his old memories of being a young cadet who had just passed out of the Officers Training Academy (OTA) with lots of aspirations and will to do great things for his nation. Among all the choices he had, he chose to be part of the elite of elite "THE MIGHTY PARA SPECIAL FORCES (PARA SF).” PARA SF is normally called by the nickname “The Ghost Operators” as they live and breathe in the shadows. Nobody knows when they come, how they come, how they hit, or where they go after the mission. You only get to see the lifeless bodies of the enemies and the bullet shells on the ground.

In OTA it is said that “We make MEN out of Boys” Now he was clueless what was going to hit him. In his mind, he was already a great soldier waiting to see live action, he came with lots of confidence as he was top of his batch. Rudra was enamored by the Aura of his training officer Major Neelkanth, who was originally from the PARA SF, and under his guidance, he had chosen to go for the PARA SF training, which was considered as the elitist force among the army, also the deadliest. The drop rate and injury rate of the program were infamous among the gentleman cadets and only the bravest of the brave chose that option knowing the chances of you making it to the PARA squad and making it out alive were very miniscule.

While passing out from the OTA, placing his foot on the ANTIM PAG every officer is reminded of his oath “THE SAFETY AND WELFARE OF YOUR COUNTRY COME FIRST ALWAYS AND EVERY TIME. THE HONOUR WELFARE AND COMFORT OF THE MEN YOU COMMAND COME NEXT. YOUR OWN EASE COMFORT AND SAFETY COME LAST ALWAYS AND EVERY TIME.” Reminiscing through these OTA training days, Rudra reached PARA SF training headquarters (HQ).

Rudra was greeted by the Ustad of the platoon, Subedar Major Nandi and the Commanding Officer (CO) of the training academy, Major General Mahadev. Both Ustad and CO seemed to have a greater bond with each other than the normal superior and subordinate relationship. It was evident that they shared a much deeper connection, a strong friendship based on brotherhood, which mostly would have sprouted due to them serving alongside each other on the ground, trusting each other with their lives.

Ustad, in his strong, alarming voice, asked all the cadets to line up for the CO Saab’s inspection. While the cadets were lining up Nandi and Mahadev were having a conversation, going through the list of people who had opted for PARA SF this year, already making a calculation of who all will fit the bill for becoming the nation's ultimate weapon, the last resort.

Once the cadets formed themselves into crisp lines, Nandi invited his CO, Major General Mahadev, to address the new cadets who had chosen to try their luck to be part of the PARA SF.

Mahadev was not a person who would give long speeches or solace you with comforting words when you were feeling low. He was a battle-hardened soldier with only one aim, that is to protect his motherland, nothing more, nothing less.

In his calm voice, Mahadev began his speech “Welcome all to the hell in Earth. From this moment we all here will make sure that none of you get any sort of comfort till your training is done. If you fail/ quit in between, or get injured during the training, you will be transferred back to your parent squad. Once again welcome to PARA SF. Your official training will commence tomorrow morning. All the best. Jai Hind.” After his speech, while leaving the podium, he signaled Nandi to take it ahead from there.

All the cadets were literally going through hell as described by their CO in the initial welcome speech. Their training started in the early morning and went on till late at night. In between, they had to attend different sessions on tactics/ weapons/ strategy, and take the exam also for these courses in due time. And failing was not a luxury they could afford.

Mahadev and Nandi were especially a little bit harder on Rudra as they could see that the young chap had a lot of arrogance and overconfidence in him as he had graduated top of his batch. They wanted to break the arrogance and overconfidence of the young officer, making him a humbler person who did not take pride in what he could do or in what he has done as it was one of the most important qualities a special forces operative needed, especially an officer who is going to lead a team. Both were making this much effort as they saw huge potential in the young officer, if everything goes right, this young chap can become a great leader and an asset to PARA SF.

Rudra could feel both his CO and Ustad breathing down his neck. Mocking him whenever they get a chance, even when he finishes second in any activity by saying “Is this what you call Top of the Batch nowadays? The quality of officers coming out of OTA has come down. We better write a letter to the commandant about the quality of recruits.”

However, despite the effort Rudra was putting in, he was still lagging, he was not able to put a pin on what he was missing, what was holding him back. Then the Eureka moment happened, he understood the whole game of the training at hand, he was looking at it completely in the wrong way. It is not a game of physical endurance as all the people who have passed from the OTA are physically strong and have a particular level of fitness. It is all about mental strength, how much more you can take when your body is already fatigued, and how much more can you take when your mind is already telling you the 1000th time to quit and go home. He understood he must let go of his ego of what he has done and what he can do, he must be only present in the moment, and do what is required of him in the present situation. Forget about the past, do not worry about the future, just be in the present. Observe and feel the moment, and try to be as present in that moment, and do your best in that moment, that is what is required by you.

By the end of the probation, Rudra had turned into a completely different man, ruthless at his task but empathetic to his men. He has foregone the want for acknowledgment and awards for his doings, he learned to just live in the present and move on to the next task when the one in hand is over.

Rudra had passed out of the academy while he was leaving for his deployment, he went to meet his CO Saab, and Ustad for one last time to say thank you for whatever they had done. Mahadev and Nandi were standing in the corridor chatting about something when Rudra popped in with a strong salute to both. Mahadev, in his calm yet strong tone, told at-ease soldier. Before Rudra could have said anything, Mahadev started speaking knowing why Rudra had come to see him and Nandi. We are proud of you, my boy, for what you have achieved through this training program. Now go out and do wonders and make the whole nation proud of you. And if you ever feel you are lost and all alone just give us a shout, and we will be always there for you.

Almost with a teary eye, Rudra said Jai Hind and took his leave from there, starting his journey to his military voyage.

The SOS signal reached the command and caught the eye of Nandi.

Chapter 2 – TANDAV the Dance of Destruction

Nandi came running to his CO’s office with a worried face and nervous tone, which was unusual of him. In his stern but calm voice, Mahadev asked What happened, my dear chap? Why are you so worried? In a cracking voice, Nandi replied " It's Rudra."

Mahadev stood from his seat “What happened to my boy Nandi?” Seeing his CO’s demeanor change, Nandi was careful with his words, not missing any details, “Rudra had sent us a SOS signal. Upon enquiring with our intelligence wing, I came to know that Rudra and his men have been ambushed by the enemy and they are planning to execute them showing their prowess in the valley.”

What is the ETA for the backup to arrive at Rudra’s coordinates? It will take around 45-50 minutes as per HQ replied Nandi.

By hearing this, Mahadev came out of his desk. Nandi, we are going in 50 minutes, it's too late and we could reach much earlier. But Sir, according to protocol, the backup team from the base camp should act on it, and we will need clearance to go in for action as we are a training camp plus, we have no idea of how much ammunition they are sitting on.

From when did you start to worry about protocols, Nandi? If I am not able to save my boy, I will make sure bloody I burn down the entire jungle. And remember it's not a rescue mission, it is a mission to show who is still the ruler of the Jungle. Assemble the Death Squad. Death Squad team, is it really necessary? Nandi asked, as a reply he got a darn stare back from Mahadev. The shock and terror in the face of Nandi was very evident. This was the squad hand-picked and personally trained by Mahadev; they have been turned into the ultimate killing machines, the ones with no mercy. One of the most feared squads in the entire army, who are directly under the command of Mahadev.

The phone at Mahadev’s table started ringing, it was the General Jaganath calling. Mahadev asked Nandi to put the phone on speaker and greeted with a Jai Hind. Jaganath asked Mahadev, “What are you planning to do?” he replied Sir, at the given condition, I am planning to go in for action. There was a brisk wave of silence from both sides. After a pause, Jaganath started speaking, "Mahadev, you realize what will be the repercussions of this move, it could call for the end of your peace posting which has been going on for the past 3 years. You have already lost a lot in this battle, do you want to go in again to the battlefield? If you go in this time, it might be the beginning of a long-awaited war."

As Nandi was hearing what General Jaganath was saying, it took him to the old days when Major General Mahadev had just taken charge of Valley. The place was in bad shape, with his measures no one could tell whether right or wrong; he brought peace to the valley. While in this process he became the sole irritation in the enemy’s eyes. They tried multiple times to take his life but all failed. At last, they resorted to one of the most unethical ways to take revenge, they killed his wife in a blast.

Mahadev lost the person he loved the most in the entire world. After this incident, everyone saw a new Mahadev, a person fully consumed by anger and revenge. The entire valley was burning in his anger and there seemed no end to it. As he had lost the love of his life and that lose had transcended him to a state where he found peace in destruction. People were even scared to approach or talk to him, not knowing how he would react. Seeing all this, General Jaganath, also a good friend of Mahadev, came down to the valley and requested him to take a peace posting for at least 1 year for him to mourn and settle down his thoughts. That 1 year got extended to a period of 3 years as Mahadev had found peace in his new posting.

Nandi understood that he and Jaganath were afraid of the fury that would be released if Mahadev sought to his old ways and they had no clue how to bring him back to a normal state once that happened.      

Mahadev replied “Sir, I have already lost alot and will not let more people in my family die. If they want war, I will give them one which will be the last for them. "Hearing Mahadev's reply, Jaganath understood he was determined to go in and there was no point further trying to convince him. Jaganath spoke “Okay, coordinate with Rashtriya Rifles (RR), they are deployed there, they can be used and you will have a backup team coming to the target coordinates ETA 30 minutes. All the best Major General. Jai Hind.”

Mahadev said Jai Hind to Jaganath and hung up the call. He made the next call to the CO of the RR unit deployed in the sector where the action was going to happen. The CO of the company was an old friend and a coursemate, Major General Neelkanth. Mahadev greeted Neelkanth with a Jai Hind and started talking like two old buddies catching up after some time. So, you have become a Major General, RR should be really short of good leaders. Both of them had a big laugh at the jab Mahadev took a Neelkanth. After a moment of laughter, it was back to business, Neelkanth, I'm going to do an assault operation in the coordinates that I had sent you. I need you to cover the perimeter and close in slowly. Check for land mines and other booby traps on the ground. When I arrive at the scene, I will radio you till that maintain a safe distance from the target. I am counting on you buddy. See you on the ground. Jai Hind.

Neelkanth replied "You got it buddy, will see you on the ground, Jai Hind."

Nandi, fire up the Chetak choppers, I want to be airborne in the next 5 minutes. We are going with the Hammer loading (One of the most assault-heavy loading), round up the squad for a brief. There is no time to waste, let’s move. Squad, I know you had a complaint that you guys are not getting enough action being stationed here, so I thought, let’s do something about it. Some of our boys have been ambushed and rounded up by the enemy. We are going to pick up our boys and do a smooth transition for our enemy pals from Earth to hell. We will have the element of surprise for a maximum of 5 minutes to our advantage, and by that time we should be in control of the situation. We have ground support from the RR unit and a backup arriving at the target location, ETA of 30 minutes.

Now the plan of action, Nandi and I will lead the assault, we will be Hit 1. We will start the assault, followed by Hit 2 and Hit 3 squads who will move in to do more damage. Hit 4 will be the snipper squad giving backup firing. Hit 5 will be the medic and evacuation squad, they will move in as and when needed.

This mission will be called “TANDAV”

Any questions guys, the squad replied No Sir. Great let’s bring our boys back. Mahadev shouted the war slogan “Veeratha ya Mrityu” Everyone started shouting “Veeratha ya Mrityu”.

Let’s rock and roll boys.

The death squad boarded their choppers as instructed by their CO. These were the most elite squad in the entire army known for their valor and courage. They wore black unfirm different from other squads with a badge of a knife penetrating through the skull. They had their faces covered; nobody knew who was inside that combat suit.

Rudra was profusely bleeding, the enemy commander asked to bring Rudra to the center, signaling that he was going to execute him first. They had set up a camera to record the execution so that they could spread the video in the valley to create supremacy among people, that they were not to be taken lightly nor to be disobeyed.

The enemy commander took out his knife and placed it on the neck of Rudra and asked him any last words, from you, the mighty Ghost Operator. Rudra smiled in a carny way and replied, “You have invited the Lord of the Ghosts to your abode, pray that he be merciful on your soul”

As Rudra finished speaking, suddenly the ground started shaking, it felt like the wind and trees were working together to make the way for their king who had returned to his kingdom after a long time.

From the sky emerged a black helicopter with the Insignia of the death squad, nothing else is written on that chopper but that one symbol speaks volumes of the men traveling in that helicopter. Suddenly the lights of the helicopter were switched on, and a figure emerged from the side. He was not wearing a face mask, which clearly showed that he wanted the enemies to know who hit them and did not bother about revealing his identity or about the aftermath that would come from it. He just had his battle gear and a Ray-Ban glass. He took the microphone and asked, " Ladies, did you miss me and started laughing." It was Major General Mahadev.

Before the enemies could react, Hit 1, 2, and 3 squads had slid through the ropes and were on the ground in position. One of the enemies who got a glimpse of Mahadev screamed in distress, it was the Ricochet King (RK). Mahadev was infamously known among the enemies as the Ricochet King for his ability to bend the bullet and hit the target by hitting nearby objects. A darn fear suddenly spread across the enemies as they heard about this mad officer who they were instructed not to take on at any given point.

Mahadev took out his Glock pistol and shot them sideways, the bewildered enemy soldiers were thinking about what this man was doing. The bullets hit two rocks and bend their way to find space between the eyes of two enemy troopers.

The firefight had started, and the enemy commander made Rudra stand up, holding the knife near his throat, threatening to kill him. Mahadev switched to his primary favorite weapon, the AK-47, putting the laser mode with a clear shot to the enemy commander’s head. Suddenly, two bullets swiftly moved through the woods, slicing through the leaves, one hit the enemy commanders hand holding the knife and the other on his knee, making him release Rudra and fall on the ground, kneeling on the knee. The laser pointing was the signal for the snipper squad to act, which they did beautifully.

The RR troops have also now joined in, the enemy was completely rounded off, the mission was a success.

Mahadev checked on Rudra and asked, Bloody chap, is this what I trained you for, to this Rudra hugged Mahadev like a son seeing his long-lost father, and tears started flowing down his eyes. Mahadev tapped on his head and said it's okay my boy, I am here you do not worry now.

Mahadev addressed the enemy commander, “You really wanted to make an execution video right? Don't worry, we will make one starring you. Nandi, get him to position and set the camera”.

Once the setup was ready, Mahadev moved in, he kept his right hand open in the air. Nandi opened a box and handed over a long knife which was wrapped in a red cloth to Mahadev. This knife was hand-crafted by artisans in the valley as a token of a gift to Mahadev and was famous in the valley as everyone knew to whom this knife belonged; it had the symbol of “AUM” marked on the bolster.

Mahadev asked Nandi to start the recording. He took the enemy commander in position, placed the knife on his throat and said Before you touch the Lion Cub, its always good to check whether the Lion King is still alive or not, with finishing this sentence, he sliced out the head of the enemy commander, separating it from the neck. Now he was holding the knife in one hand and the head of the enemy commander in the other hand. There was stillness in the air, among the chaos, he felt peaceful, there was calmness in his face.

Mahadev spoke to Nandi, round up the rest of the enemies, leave one behind and give them a gasoline shower. Nandi did as he was ordered to do.

Mahadev asked everyone to fall back and head towards the HQ. Once the troops started heading back. He took out his cigarette and lighted it with his Zippo lighter. He took a smoke and called the one enemy trooper he had told to leave. He took the cigarette and put that on the trail of the gasoline, then it started a fire, slowly catching up to the enemies. Now the fire was dancing with the enemies. Mortified by this scene, not knowing what he will be put through, the enemy trooper stood quietly next to Mahadev.

Mahadev with a slight smile spoke, don’t worry I am not gonna kill you; he handed over the memory card with the video recording of whatever had happened till now there and the Kinfe he was holding which was dripping with blood to the enemy trooper and said give this to your Chief and tell him if he dares to touch my boys again, I will be coming for him. The enemy trooper asked what his name was, to this question, Mahadev laughed loudly and said When your Chief sees this knife, he would know who is back in the Valley…………………………………………………………………………………..