BULLETS & BLISS

-• one •-

Army

That's all. My dream. My life.

My means of survival.

It cost me my dedication, my hard work, my fucking ten years of life.

I'm here. Standing at a postion of Major Aria Rawat.Major-a postion that is earned by the age of mid-thirties, but it's different in my case.

I have dreamt of this, day and night. All my nights were all-for winning this position. Winning this mission, that I considered to be my last hope.

To prove my father wrong that I could be a better soldier. Far better than those fucking male cocky soldiers who are considered the best.

Today, the same soldiers who are proud of their male egos are saluting,

Me.

My uniform.

My position.

Their eyes scanning my batch, my gold national emblem batch. It makes me proud of myself.

I stand today somewhere, where many of them are dreaming to just touch the batch on my shoulder.

I did achieve something.

That-I thought could never be mine, once.

That which my father, oh sorry- Lieutenant General Anup Rawat, never wanted me to achieve.

I have gained my honour and shattered his pride.

All the eyes watching me on this stage, has disappointment in them, a little jealousy and a lot of anger.

My eyes follow everywhere, except that one seat occupied by Anup Rawat. I feel his gaze on me. The coldness in his eyes is killing my happiness. The unhappiness he shows through his clenched jaw, through his gloved fists, through his heaving chest.

For him, I didn't achieve a rank, but gained his hatred.

But that's not what I think. Because he always hated me.

For me, I achieved a rank, a postion over many, a dream of many, and most importantly-his frustration. My favourite emotion which is expressed by Anup Rawat.

"As you move forward in your newly appointed roles, remember the trust placed in you. Lead with humility, empathy, and an unwavering commitment to the welfare of those you command. Your actions will shape not only the success of your unit but also the legacy we leave for future generations of soldiers." the previous Major Rathore now promoted to Lieutenant Colonel concludes his speech.

We are currently five majors, ten Second Lieutenants, three Brigadiers, eight Lieutenant Colonels and eight Colonels with all our new ranks given to us few minutes ago, standing in attention, our hands tightly closed in a fist and sticking to our thighs. Our heads held with pride and our faces glowing with happiness.

We raise our hand, five fingers aimed at our forehead, shoulders tensed and a robot like stiffness in our bodies. We salute to the seniors seated at our left side- one seat occupied by my father.