felt emotionally low as I looked up at 'S21' fallen on the seabed between the hills.
Within a couple of seconds I was on the surface. It was a bright night, with the moon and millions of stars illuminating me. I was drenched in a sea of mixed feelings while afloat in sea. I was suddenly hit by tidal waves.
The heavy waves pushed me higher and higher. I tried to get stable but it was not under my control. I felt that there was no point in struggling against the tidal waves. So, I made up my mind to clear my mind, and began to enjoy the rise and fall of my body along with the waves.
I smiled; no longer did I want to fight my destiny. Whatever was destined to happen would happen and that’s all I was thinking when I floating on the ocean’s waves.
Time passed by; sun rose and it illuminated the entire sky. Waves were now calmer.
I felt reborn, with the sun’s rays on me. I was hanging on there, breathing in greedily. The suit made me float on the water, and as I looked down, my legs were dangling in the emptiness of the water.
As I looked above, the birds were flying over me. Turning my neck, I followed their path till they were out of my sight. This movement made me look at the boat that was very far away. I tried to shout, but my voice was hoarse. I tried to clear my throat - I coughed up couple of times. With one last try, I let go of everything in my throat at the highest volume.
I looked up at the boat turning towards me. On realizing that finally I was getting some help, I felt emotional. I burst out crying and laughing uncontrollably.
THE PROMISE
3 days later
I was in my official uniform standing in front of my superior officers at the Navy Head Quarters, inside the Admiral office.
I was looking at the Admiral as he disconnected the phone call, with clear contempt all over his face.
“None of the crew or officers are alive,” he said.
I knew this. I did not mourn, because I had had enough of that while on board.
Admiral, walking towards me said, “If we acknowledge your actions, then every individual from all areas of the defense will take it upon themselves to act upon their instincts, which will ruin the nation.”
After a long silence, I calmly said, “One individual may die for an idea; but that idea will, after his death, incarnate itself in a thousand lives. That is how the wheel of evolution moves on and the ideas and dreams of one nation are bequeathed to the next.”
“Be clear!”
“Nothing, Sir. I just recalled something Commanding Officer Sharma had told us.”
“Do you understand the gravity of the situation?”
I looked at his eyes.
“No Sir. But I know whatever has happened is preferable to what could have happened. They will think twice before daring to attack us again. Commanding Officer Sharma’s actions were justified, and the best way out.”
“You cannot take your own decisions, and justify others deaths!”
“There was no other option. We were under attack. We could’ve retreated, we could’ve hid. That would’ve been absolutely shameful, and we’d have to live with that for the rest of our lives. I guarantee that whoever sacrificed their lives on board are proud of the operation. You should be proud too that we saved Vishakhapatnam port, and thousands of lives. Most importantly, we guarded our motherland.”
“Arjun Rathode, you are temporarily off the service til-”
“Sir, sorry to interrupt, I am prepared for any action to be taken on me. Today will be my last day as I officially withdraw my services from Indian Naval Service.”
“Arjun, don't over react to this, it's just procedure.”
“What we did might be against your orders, but with all due respect, we protected you, and the rest of the country.”
There was no further discussion about it. The silence in the hall was haunting us. He looked at me; I felt that he wanted me to follow certain protocols.
“Arjun, as you know 'Sea-Sight' was a secret operation. Revealing anything about it now
Within a couple of seconds I was on the surface. It was a bright night, with the moon and millions of stars illuminating me. I was drenched in a sea of mixed feelings while afloat in sea. I was suddenly hit by tidal waves.
The heavy waves pushed me higher and higher. I tried to get stable but it was not under my control. I felt that there was no point in struggling against the tidal waves. So, I made up my mind to clear my mind, and began to enjoy the rise and fall of my body along with the waves.
I smiled; no longer did I want to fight my destiny. Whatever was destined to happen would happen and that’s all I was thinking when I floating on the ocean’s waves.
Time passed by; sun rose and it illuminated the entire sky. Waves were now calmer.
I felt reborn, with the sun’s rays on me. I was hanging on there, breathing in greedily. The suit made me float on the water, and as I looked down, my legs were dangling in the emptiness of the water.
As I looked above, the birds were flying over me. Turning my neck, I followed their path till they were out of my sight. This movement made me look at the boat that was very far away. I tried to shout, but my voice was hoarse. I tried to clear my throat - I coughed up couple of times. With one last try, I let go of everything in my throat at the highest volume.
I looked up at the boat turning towards me. On realizing that finally I was getting some help, I felt emotional. I burst out crying and laughing uncontrollably.
THE PROMISE
3 days later
I was in my official uniform standing in front of my superior officers at the Navy Head Quarters, inside the Admiral office.
I was looking at the Admiral as he disconnected the phone call, with clear contempt all over his face.
“None of the crew or officers are alive,” he said.
I knew this. I did not mourn, because I had had enough of that while on board.
Admiral, walking towards me said, “If we acknowledge your actions, then every individual from all areas of the defense will take it upon themselves to act upon their instincts, which will ruin the nation.”
After a long silence, I calmly said, “One individual may die for an idea; but that idea will, after his death, incarnate itself in a thousand lives. That is how the wheel of evolution moves on and the ideas and dreams of one nation are bequeathed to the next.”
“Be clear!”
“Nothing, Sir. I just recalled something Commanding Officer Sharma had told us.”
“Do you understand the gravity of the situation?”
I looked at his eyes.
“No Sir. But I know whatever has happened is preferable to what could have happened. They will think twice before daring to attack us again. Commanding Officer Sharma’s actions were justified, and the best way out.”
“You cannot take your own decisions, and justify others deaths!”
“There was no other option. We were under attack. We could’ve retreated, we could’ve hid. That would’ve been absolutely shameful, and we’d have to live with that for the rest of our lives. I guarantee that whoever sacrificed their lives on board are proud of the operation. You should be proud too that we saved Vishakhapatnam port, and thousands of lives. Most importantly, we guarded our motherland.”
“Arjun Rathode, you are temporarily off the service til-”
“Sir, sorry to interrupt, I am prepared for any action to be taken on me. Today will be my last day as I officially withdraw my services from Indian Naval Service.”
“Arjun, don't over react to this, it's just procedure.”
“What we did might be against your orders, but with all due respect, we protected you, and the rest of the country.”
There was no further discussion about it. The silence in the hall was haunting us. He looked at me; I felt that he wanted me to follow certain protocols.
“Arjun, as you know 'Sea-Sight' was a secret operation. Revealing anything about it now
Similar Books
