Perumal had become the local hero in no time, and now, people had an option in front of them where they would get justice more quickly. The demarcation was obvious; it was between right and wrong. Even though the methods sought by Perumal were outside the law, he was trying to do the right thing, but in his way. In a short span itself, a lot of cases had been lodged against Perumal and his men for taking the law into their own hands, but it never materialized as nobody came forward as a witness in the court even though everything happened in the daylight. Rana had tried his luck multiple times by offering money and whatnot to people for coming forward and testifying against Perumal, but all his attempts were in vain. Understanding the gravity of the situation, Rana knew he had to take another path to curb Perumal before it became too late. In an evening gathering at Rana’s house, he asked his advisors, “Does anyone of you have an idea to put an end to the reign of this Perumal? I am sure he is making all your lives difficult. He seems to run a parallel government. People have lost their fear of us and don’t even care to mind. If this is how things are going, he will soon become the uncrowned King Ragapatinam. Is that what all you guys want? Did we all work hard and build a well-oiled machinery like this for that?” At the gathering, the Director General of Police (DGP) was also present. He spoke, “Sir, for the people, it is a very easy choice in front of them between right and wrong. What if we make it difficult for them to choose? What if the choice becomes between Right and Right? Then who will they choose?” Intrigued by the proposition, Rana asked the DGP to explain his idea further. The DGP explained his plan, “Sir, let us bring in an honest and straightforward police officer as the city police commissioner. That officer will be working for the people. In the meantime, we will give him a target to curb the activities of Perumal as it is taking the law in hand. During this time, we will shut down our illegal activities so that the officer does not turn against us. Once he finishes off Perumal, we will post him to some other place and set things in place as earlier.” Rana responded to the idea, “The idea seems to be very good, but we need a person who will not get enamored by the tales of Perumal and support him. A fanboy police officer is the last thing we want at this moment. We should create a situation where these people face off against each other and do not have a choice but to take either one’s life. That is the only way to put an end to Perumal. There is no point in locking him up in jail. He will come back much stronger, and we have seen that in the past, an encounter is what we need here.” Agreed, DGP responded. I have an officer in mind currently; he is under a punishment posting. He is a straightforward police officer but has less patience and is quick to act. This trait will be very useful to us. Rana laughed at the description of the officer and said It seems we have the right man for the job. It seems amusing just to think of the situation when two impatient people are going to clash with each other. It will surely be interesting to watch as a spectator from the gallery. Rana asked the DGP what was the name of this officer. The DGP responded that he is one of the youngest and most dynamic IPS officers we have in the force; his name is Shourya. Okay, then set the things in motion. I want Shourya to take charge immediately as the city police commissioner. We will make sure he gets the full support from the government; we will give him a free hand with no restrictions till Perumal’s file is closed. Once he takes charge, the first thing he should see should be the list of cases charged against Perumal and his men but did not stand well in the court of law. From day 1, we should make sure he hates Perumal and considers him as the enemy of the law. DGP responded, “Sure, sir. Will get the things done as you suggested.” Rana smiled wholeheartedly after a long time and said Perumal was way too righteous a man to take the life of an honest cop. So, he will have to die for sure, no other option. The game was rigged to attain the results wanted by the orchestrators. The players did not even know they were playing a game of death that would only end with one man in the coffin. Shourya and his wife Pratibha moved to Ragapatinam. Shourya was taking his time to understand the landscape of the city. Who are the big players in the town, what do they do, and to whom are they connected? Meanwhile, Pratibha was busy setting up the house and exploring the neighborhood. Pratibha had gone to visit a temple, and on the way, she stopped to purchase some flowers for offering to the deity. The flower shop was run by some reformed goons; even though they had been reformed, their attitude had not changed. She asked for some jasmine flowers, and the shopkeeper told her Rs 200/- and packed some flowers and gave them to her. Hearing the exorbitant price, Pratibha was shocked and asked the shopkeeper, How can you sell the flowers at a high cost like this, I can understand you want to make a profit, but you should not be looting people. Agitated by the serious accusations the shopkeeper snatched the flower from Pratibha’s hand and replied I know your type. You guys dress up like big shots but are simply lookers who do not want to spend money but just want to make passing comments. I do not want to sell my flowers to you even if you pay me Rs 500/- now get the hell away from my shop, It is peak business hours and I do not want to waste my time with possers like you. Feeling insulted, rage was pumping up in the nerves of Pratibha. She looked around. There were hefty build men around the shop. Without bothering too much, she served the shopkeeper with a tight slap on the face and flew from the scene before he could react. She caught her breath after running to the side of a tea shop little bit away from the flower shop. She was thinking if she should call her husband and tell him but then she will have to also tell him that she slapped a guy, which would not receive much appreciation from him as he was strictly against people taking the law into their own hands. In her mind, she was also thinking that if she had her elder brother by her side, he would have trashed this guy into a pulp by now. The thought of her deceased brother brought tears to her eyes. Suddenly, she felt a hand coming and falling on her head, followed by a question in a gentle and soft voice asking her, “What happened, kiddo? Why are you crying?” Somehow, it felt like it was her own brother asking her what had happened and why she was crying. Pratibha was a not person who would open up to an unknown person, but somewhere she felt comfort and familiarity which she used to feel when she heard the voice of her long-lost brother. Pratibha burst out explaining what had happened and asked, "Do not we have the freedom to say something is overpriced if we feel so? Are we not living in a democracy?" The man kept patting her on the head with a slight smile to calm her down. Seeing how angry she was, he said, “Okay, take me to the flower shop. Let us have a chat with the owner.” Pratibha replied that the guy does not speak nicely, and it is simply going to be a waste of time if you are planning to talk some sense into him. The man smiled and replied I am known to talk sense to people who do not usually understand. Let us see, kiddo. Pratibha replied, “As you wish, I gave you fair warning.” The man replied, “Yes, you did, dear. ” Both reached the flower shop, and the man asked, Can you get me some jasmine flowers. Without looking at who was in front of him, the shopkeeper wrapped up the flower in a lotus leaf and handed it forward. While extending the flowers, he looked up and saw the woman who had slapped him. In anger, he cried filthy bitch you took a cheap shot at me and ran, how dare you come back here. Suddenly, he felt a hand falling on his collar, and in no time, he felt like he was flying. Before his mind could process what had happened, he had hit the ground. He shouted to his men, saying I want both chopped, he tried to get up, but he felt a leg smashing on his chest, it was like an angry elephant stomping on his chest. His men, with knives and swords in hand, had surrounded Pratibha and the man. From the crowd, one person pointing his finger toward the man screamed. "It is Perumal." There was a chill silence in the air, the silence was broken by the sound of the thugs dropping their weapons. In no time, the shopkeeper understood he was on his own, and his men had left the scene in fear for their lives. One thing that everyone knew was Perumal was not a patient guy, very low on tolerance, and no one could predict what would be his next move. The shopkeeper requested mercy, being afraid he would lose his life knowing how Perumal worked. Perumal looked at the shopkeeper and said It's not me to whom you should ask for forgiveness. You treated her with disrespect. If she forgives you, I am fine, or you will pay the price with your blood. A sudden shiver ran through the body of the shopkeeper. He requested mercy and forgiveness from Pratibha, asking for one chance to rectify his mistakes and promising he would be a reformed man. Pratibha, after hearing the plea from the shopkeeper, said I am giving you one last chance. Be respectful to people and do not loot them; try to make an honest living. And next time, I will not save you from the wrath of my big brother. Hearing the declaration of Pratibha, considering him as her big brother brought a pleasant, happy smile on the face of Perumal. Pratibha took Perumal's hand in hers and said Now we go to our house, big brother. I will treat you to my famous coffee as you did a lot of work today. As they were entering the house, Perumal saw the board on the wall: “Shourya, IPS.” To his astonishment, Perumal asked You are Shourya’s wife. To which Pratibha replied sarcastically Sadly yes, and from today I am also your younger sister. No backing out now. To this reply, both laughed. Pratibha made the coffee and was serving Perumal, She felt like God had given back her elder brother whom she had lost long ago. She felt like the family was complete now. While this thought was dancing in her mind, she heard the sound of her husband’s car. Pratibha ran to receive him, and with full energy, she took him to the dining room, saying I want you to meet someone special. It’s my elder brother. I just adopted him today, with a smile on her face. Shourya couldn’t believe his eyes and the man in front of him, whose photo he had seen multiple times during the last couple of weeks he had been in Ragapatinam. Shourya was in shock; different thoughts ran through his head. Has he come to kill me and my wife? Or has he come to give me a warning to stay out of his lane? While these thoughts were buzzing in his mind, he opened his gun holster to be on the safer side, as he did not want to take any risk as Pratibha was also in the home. Calming himself, Shourya spoke, “Mr. Perumal, I never expected to meet you like this. I have been hearing your name since the moment I stepped foot on this ground. You seem too famous for all the wrong reasons, though." Seeing the commissioner all worked up, Perumal smiled and extended his hand. Nice to meet you, Shourya. I have come here only in the capacity as Pratibha’s elder brother, pointing towards the open gun holster. So you do not have to worry about anything else. And I would not do anything to harm my little sister. Rest all other business matters we can always discuss outside. There was chillness in the air as if you could cut it with a knife. Pratibha jumped in from the kitchen, saying Boys play nice with each other. She turned to Perumal and asked Big brother, are you staying for dinner. Perumal replied No, kiddo has some work to be taken care off. With a frown on her face, Pratibha replied Okay, your loss. Perumal and Shourya laughed at her snide comment. While walking out of the home, he gave a hug to his sister and a small pat on the head. Then turned to Shourya and said So we will meet on the field, Mr Commissioner. To which Shourya replied Indeed we will. To be Continued……………………………………………….

Ragapatinam, once a very peaceful and prosperous town known for its administration and beauty, had fallen into the hands of a corrupt politician, Rana, who was looting the citizens. The air itself smelled of dishonesty and corruption. Nothing in the town could be achieved without a bribe. People were in distress but were afraid to raise their voices against Rana as they had seen in the past what happened to the people who stood against him. Either the person was found dead in a mysterious manner or circumstances would be created in such a way that the person would take his own life. One fine day a car hit a small child and mother. The owner of the vehicle was a relative of Rana. The mother and child were taken to the hospital. While the mother had slight scratches the child's leg had been fractured. Not knowing the owner of the car was a relative of Rana the mother screamed at the guy with all the anger she had inside by seeing the child in pain. Meanwhile, the police inspector entered the room, she turned to the police officer and started complaining about the owner of the car demanding he should be put behind bars for his reckless driving which could have cost the life of the child. The police officer saluted the owner of the car and started saying “Rana Sir had called and had asked to make sure you are fine. Please call him once you get free.” Hearing these words a cold chill ran through the spine of the mother. What has she done? The anger suddenly changed into fear knowing the stories about Rana a man so ruthless who would simply kill people for speaking against him. He was a pure dictator who was engulfed in the spirit of power unable to see what was happening to the people he swore to protect nor did he was able to see the longitude of his actions and the magnitude to which it affected the people on the ground. As all these thoughts were running through the head of the mother, she just wanted to take her child and leave from there alive. That was now the only thing that bothered her. The police officer turned to the mother and started laughing and said “You want to lodge a complaint? I should charge a case against you for careless crossing the road and creating all this so that you can squeeze money out of respectable people. People like you would go to any extent to make a quick buck.” Hearing these insulting words the mother became furious and grabbed the collar of the police officer saying what are you trying to say? I threw my child in front of the car to make some cash out of this situation. Feeling humiliated the police officer hastily pushed the mother, she lost her balance and was going to hit her head on a nearby bed’s footboard. A soft hand from somewhere caught her before she hit her head with a gentle tone a question came “Are you alright Mother?”, before she could answer the question, she saw a Drip bottle flying through the air, it hit the head of the police officer and he was on the ground. In a trembling voice, she asked who are you son and what did you just do they are now going to come after you. To this question, he answered I am the new doctor who joined here my name is Perumal. You do not worry about me; just take care of your daughter rest I will handle. Shocked by the incident the car owner ran away from there, Perumal was arrested for assaulting the police officer and sent to jail. Perumal became a sensation in the town overnight for standing up against Rana’s men. After carefully analyzing the situation Rana offered a peace treaty to Perumal: His case would be squashed but he must resign from the hospital and move out to some other place and never to return to Ragapatinam. A young doctor who had taken the oath to protect the lives of the people was at a crossroads in his life. Either he takes the offer from Rana and forgets everything that has happened like a dream and goes back to his old life as a doctor or he goes through with what he had started which means he leaves everything behind of his old life, his years of hard work to become a doctor. In both scenarios, he will be doing good for the people. In one case he will be saving the lives of the people with a blade and in the other scenario, he will have to take lives to save the people in need. A quote that once his mother told him resonated in his mind again and again “You choose the sword's way and one day the sword will find you.”   While contemplating all this a man came running to him and fell on his leg and started crying, please help, you can only help me. Even after telling multiple times the man refused to leave Perumal’s leg. Finally giving in to the strong determination of the man Perumal said “Okay, I will help you but first tell what is the matter with which you need help from me.” The man began, “I am a farmer who owns some land near the new hotel that Rana is building. He asked me multiple times to sell the land to him, to which I disagreed as we have been into farming for generations and I do not know to do anything other than farming. Furious about having his offer rejected he made a false case against me and put me in jail. Here his men took my thump impressions and registered the property in his name. My family has been thrown into the road, and now they are living in a shed. Please help us.” The farmer was on his knees folding his hands in front of Perumal. This man has lost everything he had worked and built in his life. Thrown to rot in jail for something which he has not even done. One drop of tear fell from the eyes of Perumal on the folded hands of the farmer. Perumal held the farmer by his shoulders and made him stand and said “My dear friend, never bow down in front of any man. You should only bow in front of the almighty.” In your case, injustice has happened to you and it's time to make things right. And hereby I Perumal promise you that I will make sure justice is served to you, by whatever means I have to take. Knowing or unknowingly Perumal made the choice of his life. To leave his profession as a doctor and serve the people by addressing the injustice done to them, to be the voice of the voiceless in society. To lend an ear to voices that are unheard or subdued by the powerful of the society. Perumal’s case was rejected in court due to the lack of eye witness as no one in the room agreed to see Perumal throwing a bottle at the police officer. When Perumal came out of the court he could see already a team of people had gathered to receive him. This was a team of people who had suffered the injustice of Rana and wanted to fight against him but were in search of the right leader who would guide them and know they had found their leader in Perumal. Perumal was determined to give back the reply to Rana in the language he would understand. Dhruv one of the affected from Rana’s doings was in the forefront as the right-hand man of Perumal. He asked Perumal “Anna where are we going?” to which Perumal replied first we pay a visit to the land chief registrar's office. The chief registrar was a fully corrupted person who had been taking hefty bribes from Rana doing his illegal land registrations. He sat in his cushy chair thinking nobody could touch him as he was protected by Rana himself as he was one of the key members of his syndicate helping Rana rapidly spread his empire. Dhruv opened the door for Perumal showing the way to the chief registrar’s office. Perumal entered the office and sat on the wooden chair in front of the chief registrar. To this, the chief registrar replied in a usual casual tone “Whatever request you have fill up the form and give it inside to the clerk. We will look into it and call you if needed.” Perumal spoke “Sir, my request is a personal one and I think it's better if we keep it off the papers. You had done an illegal registration of the land of a farmer named Mr. Nandu to Rana. I want you to revoke the registration and re-register the land back to Mr. Nandu.” To this the chief registrar started laughing, “Are you mad or what, Do you want me to revoke the registration made to Rana? If you have a complaint regarding the registration, go file a case in the court man. Nothing is there in my hand.” Perumal in a very gentle way requested again “Sir, you also know that this is not a valid registration and I do not have the time to go to the honorable court. Isn’t it better we settle it here where all this started?” The chief registrar became furious and shouted at Perumal “Do you know whose hand is on my head and for whom I work? If Rana comes to know you will be thrown in jail and will never see the daylight again.” Perumal looked at Dhruv and then at the door. Dhruv quickly understood what had to be done, he swiftly dashed towards the door and locked it. Perumal took his one leg and kept on the other and started smiling. The air in the room suddenly became stiff. Perumal spoke “See Mr. Registrar, I am not a very patient man, and the jail you were mentioning I just came out of it today. I requested you twice nicely but you chose to ignore it so you have left me with no option. And in my book of justice, there is only one punishment and that is the death row.” The chief registrar started trembling and said Anna I will do the re-registration please don’t kill me. Perumal kicked the wooden chair he was sitting on and stood up drawing his sword, then swiftly sliced off the left hand of the registrar and spoke “Here I forgive you, but I am taking your left hand so that you remember to use your right hand to make the signature in the path of righteousness. And if you ever make me come again you will pay the price with your life.” Permual looked at Dhruv and spoke, “Hang this hand in the front of the office, let it be a warning to all the people who want to go in the path of injustice.” People had started gathering in front of the house of Perumal with their pleas for help, as these were the people who did not have money to bribe the system and were in search of relief. Somewhere they heard there sits a man who does justice to the needy without looking at anything. Rana was aware of the increasing influence of Perumal in the city. People had started celebrating him and it was surely danger brewing, which should be stopped at any cost. Rana knew he had to stop Perumal in this initial stage otherwise it would become impossible to stop him in the future.  A silent war had erupted which was not seen in front of the public. To be continued……………………………………………………………………………………

Veer the general's horse was rushing towards the medical camp with all his might. As the soldiers saw Veer approaching, they moved in two crisp lines, making way for Veer and his beloved general to move forward. Time was not on their side. The general had already lost a lot of blood, and it was just a matter of time before he bid adieu to the world. Veer reached the medical camp and roared as high as possible. The doctors and nurses came running to see what had happened. They saw the blood-bathed general lying on his best friend taking breath very faintly. They moved him to a stretcher and started attending to his wounds. The doctors looked at each other who were treating the General with a heavy eye as somewhere they knew in the back of their mind whatever we do the chances of the general surviving these wounds seem to be near to impossible. Even if they stitch up the wounds he really needs a blood transfusion which cannot be done at the camp and for which he will have to be transferred to the main hospital which is 3 hrs away and his survival till then seems to be questionable. As the general was breathing slowly he could see through the tent that his friend was staying in front of the camp not moving an inch. General could see his entire life flashing through in front of his eyes, each core memory having a long array of short glimpses of what happened in that decade attached to it. While seeing all this suddenly his mind got struck at the memory of the love his life. The Princess of the nation, the woman he had loved so deeply that he loved her more than anything in this world. They had met as kids and grew up together completing each other’s sentences. Sprouted to become fine a Man and Woman stepping into adulthood together. He had joined the army fighting for the nation rising through the ranks while she was getting trained to be a fine diplomat. Whenever he had to go for war, they would meet before he leaves in a secret garden and hold each other hands for some time. He would keep his head on her shoulder or just keep his head on her lap attempting to get a small nap. He found peace with her, he felt at home when she was around, for him being with her meant everything in this world, being with her felt like heaven for him. The royal family knew about them and had approved of their relationship. They knew how committed the General was to the nation and to the daughter of the nation. On a holy day in the presence of the Gods and elders they got engaged it was a marvelous and stunning day. The whole nation celebrated the day thinking it was just the beginning of the celebrations as they had announced the marriage to occur one month from now. Even though being engaged it really became very difficult for the general and princess to meet as they had to be more cautious now as their relationship was in the open. They used to get a slight glance at each other once in a while but their love for each other was so strong that they never complained to each about not spending time with each other knowing exactly what the other person was doing, as it was something greater and it was for the nation. In between the general would make something up to visit the princess just be in her vicinity. She understood it was a way in which her partner was trying to show love for her. As per the protocol, a wedding invitation was sent to all the neighboring kingdoms. They received a letter through a special messenger which is unusual for a thank you or confirmation note sent as a reply to a wedding invitation. The message was read in the Darbar and after reading the message there was a wave of shock floating through the faces of the people except that of the general. It felt like he had anticipated that something like this was to happen sooner or later. The message read “Hearty congratulations on the marriage, but we would like to inform you that we will be arriving a little bit early for the party with few lakh of our army. Let's do a meet and greet at the battleground for old time’s sake. See you at the war.” The king was shocked by hearing this message from the neighboring nation, they had always been an irritating neighbor. Always looking for a chance to invade but they have never been successful, it seems like they never learn their lesson nor do they stop their futile try to take over the neighboring country. The king was confident in the military prowess they had and about the general who was a battle-hardened soldier who did whatever it took to protect the nation. While all this was there a worry surrounded his thoughts as now the general was going to become his son-in-law the heir to the throne and was unsure of sending him to the war and what would happen to him if he took the decision to lead the troops in the war. He knew that the general would not agree to not go to the war or just sit at the palace while his fellow men fight the war. Knowing this after the meeting he called in his daughter requesting her to convince the general not to go for the war rather than strategize and coordinate from the war room. With a half heart, she agreed to try but she already let her father know that he would never agree to such a thing and how he would react to such a request knowing him in and out. The princess requested the presence of the general in her private chamber rather a informal setting to make a formal request out of personal aspect. The general walked in with his normal glowing aura, one hand on his sword and the other left loose to acknowledge the soldiers while he pass infront of them. The princess kept her request in front of the general with a stern demeanor after hearing the request the general was silent for a while, and then he spoke this is what you think of me, do you really think I will sit here sipping juices in comfort while my men are gambling between life and death on the ground. The princess said "I didn’t mean to offend you but you are to be the next king and what would be the future of this nation if it loses its king, what about me how will I live if I lose you, have you ever thought about it. Do you know what I go through each time the war gongs are blown and you go out to play with death? I die each and every moment till you come back. Don’t I deserve a peaceful life with you, to have a family with you. Don’t you want this or am I nothing to you? Only nation and your pride in protecting the nation matters to you?" Hearing the outburst from the princess coming out of her normal calm and poised manner truly just being a woman who is in love with a person who is going to go to war, the general mellowed down and responded. "My dear sweetheart, I love you with all my life and that’s what keeps me going on the ground among the swinging swords and flying arrows. It is the hope to come back to you, but you very well know the promise I made to this motherland when I took on the position as the general of the army, to protect this nation from the enemies and I can’t go back on it." He leaned in to hug the princess, giving a kiss on her forehead he said “Hereby by I make a promise to you that I will come back alive from this war to you and you very well know that I keep my promises.” Doctors were frantically making all their attempts to stabilize the general so that they could transfer him to the hospital so that they could save his life. Seeing their innocent and genuine efforts the general spoke take me to the palace and let the princess know. The chief doctor spoke Sir it's very dangerous for you to travel in this state we can’t transfer you to any place unless you are stable. The subtle requesting tone suddenly changed I am not requesting you it is an order and do as I say. I know that I have very little time left and I have got a promise to keep. He knew that he was going to die and he would rather die in the lap of his sweetheart rather on a stretcher. Arrangements were made on the ground floor of the palace, equipment’s was brought in for all the procedures from the main hospital. The general was shifted to the palace hearing the news the princess came running to see her love. Seeing her he felt peace he felt that everything was now going to be okay. She hurried to reach him before she could enter the room the chief doctor informed her that he had barely some time left in this mortal plane. While she was speaking to the doctor, he waved at her with his hand trying to call her to come near him as he knew he had very limited time. Veer was standing outside the palace in front of the window to see his best friend. The princess came near the general he struggled to get up she slowly lifted his head and kept it on her lap. A bright smile came on his face, and the general spoke “We won the war, and see I told you that I would come alive from the war to you and I have kept my promise. Now you can't scold me nor be angry at me” Tears started rolling down the eyes of the princess, she didn’t want the love of her life to have the last memory of her crying so suddenly she snapped out of it trying hard to smile, she spoke “You better did as you promised otherwise I would have killed you” both smiled at the comment made by the princess. She gave a kiss on his forehead saying you truly kept all the promises you made dear to me and to the motherland. The general smiled at hearing this knowing his last moments had come he looked at Princess one last time to engulf all he could to his memory then looked out to see his bud he was already looking at him. He wrapped his right hand wrist tightly and raised it saying “Har Har Mahadev” To this Veer responded by raising both his legs and roaring with all his might for his friend one last time. The general slid into immortality, there was a silence in the room. There lay on the bed a man who kept his word till the last breath, who Fought for his nation, who lived for his love. The folklore storytellers will tell the story of this great man the myth the legend. For the coming generation, his life will surely become an inspiration.

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…………………………………………………………………………………..

The war gongs were blowing at its peak… The wind had the smell of blood and the soil had become blood-red. Bodies were being slashed; horses were screaming and mahouts were finding it difficult to control their elephants who were trained to be in a war. Still, the innocent creatures had not witnessed such a brutal war in their entire life and just wanted to escape this plethora of destruction happening in front of their eyes nor did they want to contribute to the ongoing anomalistic slaughter. In the midst of all this chaos, there was the General of the army commanding his men in this war. He knew the only way to survive this unforgiving battleground was to kill or be killed… The only thing he told his men before going to war was “Today we march out of here to Victory or Death.” For him, it was a clear choice win the battle for his nation or die a warrior’s death on the battlefield which is of utmost respect for any soldier fighting for his mother nation. He knew that he did not have the luxury to lose as he was the last line of defense for his nation and if he fell his country would fall kneeling in front of the enemies, which is a sight he could never watch nor forgive himself. The general was already bleeding profoundly as he had already taken a couple of arrows in his chest. Enemies clearly knew that if you take out the general you will win the war. The mammoth army would be clueless, directionless, and powerless if they lost their beloved general. As he was pushing through his horse Veer was able to understand his favorite human, his best friend was slowly sliding into the arms of death so he reduced his pace unlikely of him as he never loses a chance to challenge his buddy and have a tug of war with him. As Veer was slowly reducing his pace the General noticed what his best friend was trying to do, to give a small breathing space for him. The general suddenly shouted in his usual tone but this time it was very evident that he was powering through “Oye I am still not dead do not worry, I plan not to die till this war is over I can assure you of that much. Now charge on my friend I have got this one last ride left in me before I bid adieu with you all let us make it count.” Hearing his friend speak from his heart made tears roll down the eyes of Veer, he took a moment to acknowledge what his friend was planning to do as it was a suicide charge normally never done by an army officer of his friend’s rank. A general would never even imagine doing this kind of a move. Veer can now clearly see that his friend has positioned both in front of the enemy king’s brigade. The king is protected by a set of horse-mount warriors and in the center, he is sitting on a mighty elephant plated with all the shields in the world. Veer knew exactly what his friend was going to do, he was going to go for the king. If the king fell the battle was over and we would be victorious but this victory would come with a price and the price to be paid is the life of his friend. It was an impossible task no man in his right mind would think of even attempting something like this but it seemed to be the best option at this moment. Even if his friend was able to push through the horse brigade and reach the king, he would be met with the sharp arrows of the archery squad positioned behind the king which was a normal practice used to protect the king. This move did not make any logical sense. The only thing he knew was his friend was a pioneer to make the impossible possible and he trusted his dear friend with his life. As all these thoughts and vulnerable emotions ran through his mind Veer tilted his head and looked back at his dear friend one last time before the final carnage began. With all the Vigor and energy Veer roared giving the general the signal that it was show time, raising both legs in the air in his usual style warning the enemies of the unfathomable charge going to hit them. The enemy king laughed at the sight of a single man and his horse trying to take on the entire king’s brigade what a foolish thought and what a stupid attempt for a person holding such a high rank. Just before charging towards the enemy king's brigade the general raised his right hand pointing two fingers towards the king’s brigade and moved his fingers forward and backward twice. By seeing this the king was bewildered as this was a very normal call sign used by armies but it is normally used to signal the troops to march forward in the direction pointed but he was not seeing any movement of troops towards his brigade. He can only see the general charging towards his brigade. As the general was charging in towards the king’s brigade, he started spitting blood as he had taken a lot of hits already but refusing to succumb to the wounds, he just wiped off the blood from his mouth and took both hands unshielding his mighty swords. His swords seemed to be as bright as the light it seemed as if he was transcending to be the Mahakaal for the moment. The general shouted Veer now it was a signal to his buddy that now you take control as he got into the carnage mode screaming “Har Har Mahadev" The general has almost reached the enemy soldiers, they have also taken their standard defense position as the man charging in is no joke he is the myth the legend the worst nightmare of any enemy. Just before the contact could happen the enemy soldiers were greeted with an array of sharp arrows coming from a long distance. Now they could understand why the general had signaled earlier. The arrows kept on flying in hitting their targets. The arrows were shot with a lot of anger and love as the general’s soldiers did not want to let their favorite leader slide into the lap of death. The initial damage has been done now, and the coordinated defense position taken by the enemy soldiers has been broken, it gave a good opening for the general to charge in and destroy enemy troopers. The general who was known for his sword skills used both hands to skillfully slash his way through the enemies as if he was slashing down grass with his sword. He was approaching the king with a speed unimaginable; he had reached almost near the king’s elephant. Now the general needs to make a jump almost an impossible one to reach the podium carrying the king on the elephant. He tapped Veer twice signaling him what must be done. Before he could make the gallop, which would give a boost for making the jump, the general whispered in Veer’s ears “You have been a true friend to me, once I make the jump do not wait for me like you always do, this time it's farewell my dear friend. It has been an honor knowing and serving alongside you." Veer shook his head in disagreement that he would never leave his best friend high and dry to die on the battlefield but he also knew there was very little he could do at this point. Snapping out of these emotions Veer made himself ready for what was required. The general tapped Veer one last time saying let's make this one last ride count bud. They charged with their all might towards the enemy king's elephant, the general stood up on Veer and started running reaching the head of Veer and his buddy gave him the final boost for making the jump. Yes, he made it sighed Veer, now the real battle has begun. After the slashing of the few guards, the final bout between the king and the general has started. The king was more in a defensive mode knowing that if he could drag this fight, he would win it as it was very evident that the general was wounded badly and would not be able to sustain the battle for a long time. He knew in the back of his mind once the archery squad got a clear shot, they would bombard the general with the arrows. General was also aware of the situation he knew that he must make it quick because he had already lost a lot of blood and was profusely bleeding. The penultimate charge had taken most of his energy and had gifted him two arrows in the abdomen. The sword fight was getting very intense, both of them using all the techniques they had learned till now and bringing in the mammoth battle-hardened experience they had garnered through these years. The king placed a kick in the chest of the general knowing he was hurt there, the kick caught the general off-guard making him take a few steps back, but suddenly a smile appeared on the face of the general. Seeing the general smile made the king a little worried, what is he going to do I am winning the fight and why is he smiling? The general charged toward the king but rather than using his normal style of swinging his sword with his right hand he threw his sword in the air catching it in mid-air with his left hand and made a large swing at the king. The swing shook the king’s equilibrium before he could react further, the general took a small metal rod that was sheeted inside his armor. Screaming “Har Har Mahadev” he pressed the symbol of “Trishul” in the rod and raised the rod in the air. The king was surprised the metal rod had become the “Trishul” one of the mightiest and deadliest weapons seen by mankind he knew at this moment there was no escaping death today. The general placed a kick on the chest of the king giving him some space to make the jump and the final blow which will end this war. The general jumped from his position garnering the height required for making the final assault, with Trishul in his right hand pointed at the chest of the king. The Trishul pierced through the heart of the king for a moment the king felt like it was Mahakaal himself who had transcended from the holy abode of Kailash to give him moksha from this life, unlike his normal nature the king folded his hands in front of the general thanking for relieving him from this mortal plane as both were doing their duties. The general held the Trishul high in the air which was holding the king’s body in it showing the enemy soldiers that their king was no more and the war was over. A celebration erupted in the general’s army as their leader became victorious once again, amid all this joy a sharp silver arrow with lightning speed hit the left side of the chest of the general. As if the arrow was specifically targeted at the heart of the general. The arrow made the general lose his balance the Trishul fell from his hand and has now pierced the ground. The general fell from the elephant and was about to hit the ground when he was caught by his friend Veer. He knew that his time had come but was happy about the fact that he did what had to be done and had fulfilled his duties as the General of the army to his motherland. Veer was not ready to give up on his friend and with all his might was charging towards the medical camp set up inside the General's brigade. The only prayer running through his mind was hung in their buddy I will not let you go we will reach in time. Today is not the day you die. To be continued………………………………………………………..

Once a young pristine woman made a wish to the god of light to have a child as bright as him to be the greatest of the warriors in the world. Surya pleased with her prayers blessed the woman with a baby boy with his face as bright as him, eyes as sharp light, and heart as pure as Ganga devi. As a gift to the child, his beloved father gave him the Kavach and Kundal to protect his child from any force trying to harm him. The baby’s smile shined with a brightness of 1000 Sun as he was the son of Surya himself Karna. Kunti was very happy to see that she had been blessed with a baby boy as bright as the sun, while she was amid the joy of her life a sudden wind of sorrow hit her from behind. A princess who is not married is now having a child. Society will not accept it, people will start questioning her character and her family will be hit with sharp arrows of judgment by people around her. The king will have to face dishonor in front of the court. After calculating all the pros and cons in her mind she took a decision of a lifetime knowing that she would regret it till her last breath in this mortal plane. To leave her child and to pray that he will somehow survive by the grace of Lord Narayana. Wrapped around in her favorite shawl with a heavy heart she let her firstborn slide away in the hands of Ganga praying to Narayana to protect her child, to keep him safe, knowing that as a mother she has failed to protect her child. A fountain of tears started rolling down her eyes. Bhumi Devi felt the immense weight of the tears being shed as if each drop of tear was a mighty mountain crashing onto her. Seeing all this unfold from Vaikuntha with his usual calm nature and mischievous smile on his face Sri Narayana blinked his eyes. Meaning let it be, I will protect your child but when the time comes, he will have to choose his own path. To be continued……………………………………..