Fortitude ✔(Love & Military Series #2)

03 || Fortitude

It doesn't just require physical and mental fitness to be part of armed forces, but also a strong heart and willingness to survive sans one's family and comforts, with only danger and terror surrounding them 24/7.

The Indomitable Courage

"It's me, Dad, Sidharth. I'm fine." he said, sounding slightly hoarse.

From the other side, he could easily hear his father sigh and exhale loudly, guessing well what his father was expecting. That could've become true, but his luck played well and he survived.

"Where are you, beta, and why was your cellphone switched off for last one week? Were you part of the operation which was going on in the two villages? Are you alright? Speak up!" His mother cried from the other side.

A part of him wondered what would've been his parents' reaction if instead of him, his seniors would've been on line to inform his parents and family about his tragic fate that was deflected from him because of one Jawan, who had saved his life.

"Maa, I'll tell you everything when I'll get home for my leaves. Right now, what matters is that I'm fine and alive." he said, gulping a lump in his throat as he couldn't imagine how broken his mother would've been if he had died yesterday, like one his soldiers.

"Okay, beta. Thank God, your fine. Acha lo, Khushali se baat kro (here, talk to Khushali)." He heard his mother say this, making his heart skip a beat as the vision of a crying Khushali came infront of his eyes, that he had seen while he was in combat. He wasn't really prepared to talk to Khushali now, as he wasn't his composed self.

"S-Sidharth? You okay? A-Are you f-fine?" she asked in a shaky voice, piercing his heart with the relief in her voice which was mingled with dubiety.

"Y-Yes, y-yeah, I'm fine. I'm okay. You're okay?" he asked, trying keep his voice from cracking.

"Y-Yes, I-I am."
Her reply brought a soothing calmness to him, but it couldn't help him more as the silence became awkward, which was quite for the first time when neither of them knew what to talk about.

"I'll talk to you later. Tell Maa and Dad, that I'll call them up soon. Bye and ... relax." he said, trying to end the call before he broke into tears.

"Okay. Bye. Take care." she replied and he immediately ended the call.

A tear rolled down his cheek as his heart couldn't take it anymore and he left for his quarter, wanting to be alone for some time.

"Sa'ab, aap thik haina (Sa'ab, you're okay)?"
His buddy asked, while he was at the door of his quarter.

"Main thik hun. Bas akele rehna hai thodi der. (I'm fine. Just want to stay alone for some time.)" he answered and went inside his quarter. His buddy didn't probe him, understanding Captain Sa'ab's emotional state.

Sidharth locked the door of his quarter, and settled on his bed. He was still in his combat uniform, hadn't gotten the chance to change his clothes, neither did he wish to change them, the horrifying sight still shaking his being.

Just a few yards away from him, his coursemate, his closest friend in the unit, Captain Rehaan Shah was shot by one of the militants and he couldn't do anything to help him. It seemed surreal to him that the guy who was joking with him about how his mother was behaving when he was boarding the train for the base, became quiet, bleeding profusely, awaiting his death which fortunately couldn't approach Sidharth's best friend.

Though, Sidharth wasn't emotionally stable to go through it again, he still bravely recalled all the events that took place in past two days, before his troop was deployed for this mission.