The Desert Life

The Indian Army received a notification about a Pakistani spy carrying out a covert operation in India. They entrusted a team of Baldev and Ashutosh with a task of zeroing in on the spy to avoid compromising the national security. Baldev and Ashutosh understood the gravity of the situation and they put the onus on themselves to arrest the spy before he could leak confidential information to Pakistan. They got a clue that the spy was at the border area of Punjab. Some soldiers marched towards one side, whereas Baldev and Ashutosh strode towards the other side. The brilliance of moonlight was the only source of visibility in an otherwise dark night. Baldev's ears perked up when he heard a weird sound emanating from the bush. He swung toward the sound and slowly inched towards the bush. In a dramatic turn of events, somebody hurled chilli powder at Ashutosh and Baldev received a blow on his head which blacked him out. He could see the moonlight zooming out as he lost his consciousness. A few masked men ferried the unconscious body into a van before they reached a deserted spot. A helicopter with its rotor blades picking up the dust halted. They transported Baldev into the helicopter. The heavy helicopter swung into action again as the rotor blades picked up steam. In a jiffy, the helicopter rose into the sky, which only looked like a speck from the ground. It cut through the clouds as it continued its motion away from India. Eventually, the helicopter halted in the middle of a desert in Algeria. They kicked Baldev out of the helicopter before they disappeared out of the sight.

The night gave its torch to the morning to take over the reins. The Sun went rogue as he bashed the Algeria desert with his immense power. The scorching heat in the desert was unbearable. Baldev slowly opened his eyes but squinted, unable to take in the fiery sunlight that threatened to roast him. Somehow, he sprang to his feet, only to realize that they pushed him into a barren desert. He recounted the incident of the past where he and Ashutosh were trying to zero in on the whereabouts of the Pakistani spy. Just when he was about to scan the bush, he received a blow from behind. So, who hit him on the head? Why is he in the blazing desert now? His questions had no answers attached to them. More than his present condition, he felt saddened by his inability to help bail his country out of trouble. He hurled expletives, but to no avail. How could he even survive in this desert that is not designed for human stay? The unrelenting sun refused to lower its intensity as the harsh weather continued to make him uncomfortable. He walked a long distance before the energy in his tank drained out. He sat and looked at a faraway distance but couldn't even make out a sign of a human.
"I want to fight for my country," he screamed on top of his lungs, but his words disappeared into a thin air.
The day transformed into a night, giving some respite from the unbearable temperature. His skin had already tanned. Days flew by in a jiffy.

The Sun God continued to lash the desert with his fiery light as the morning rose to the world. Baldev struggled to walk since the sunlight had sucked out all his energy. He couldn't grapple with the scorching heat which had already given enough torture to his body. To add salt to his wounds, he didn't even have food to respond to his body's need. A large snake started crawling towards him. Baldev just gazed at the reptile and did not even make an effort to move away. The snake crawled over his body but fortunately did not strike at him. Baldev thought he would die without food. Suddenly, he heard the helicopter. He could see the helicopter descend from a faraway distance. He felt like a sensation of liquid on a parched mouth when he saw people coming by. But he could see the Pakistani tag on the shirt of a person, which made him cover his body with soil. Shockingly, he witnessed a startling revelation.
"We had abandoned Baldev on this very desert. I don't think he would be alive anymore. The harsh conditions here would have already killed him," a Pakistani man said.
"Thank God! I always knew this Baldev would do anything to save India from trouble. So, I made up a plan to keep him away from other soldiers so that you guys would find a window of opportunity to strike at him," the voice that curated these words seemed familiar to Baldev.
"He couldn't figure out that I was the mole on the team. Let his soul rest in peace."
Baldev couldn't believe his ears as the shock coursed through his spine. His partner Ashutosh had not only betrayed him but also had broken the faith of the country. On the pretext of being an Indian soldier, he was supporting the Pakistani espionage team. Baldev desperately wanted to confront Ashutosh but surrendered to the helpless situation. He knew they could kill him in an instant if he confronted his enemy, given his poor state. They scanned around and couldn't detect the camouflage that was just a metre away from them. They climbed back into the helicopter and soared above in the sky. Baldev shed tears for trusting a traitor who had no iota of patriotism.
"Oh, the mighty Lord Shiva! Do you want to support the traitor who wants to break havoc in our spiritual country? If not, please help me out of this morass. Take me back to my country. I believe in you. Om Namah Shivaya," Baldev surrendered to the divine to take the next course of action.

Another day flew by and now Baldev couldn't even move with his tongue, begging to make contact with the water. He was eating mud to survive, but now was desperate for the water. He could see another helicopter slowly descending. But this time, he could see some white foreigners who had come for leisure purpose. They clicked a few pictures and looked around the desert for some time. The hot weather made them uncomfortable, so they slowly paced back towards the helicopter. Baldev was not even having the energy in his voice to grab their attention. Tears streamed out of his eyes as he waved his hands at them, but they slipped into the helicopter. Baldev fell on his knees, looking at the sky. He had a grown beard and his skin had turned dark. The helicopter swung into action and inadvertently a girl inside happened to see Baldev. She motioned her father to stop as she pointed her finger at Baldev. They climbed out of the vehicle and stepped towards him.
"What are you doing here in this harsh desert?" the man asked.
Baldev gestured him to provide water. They could see his helpless condition and pitied him. They gave him a bottle of water, which he gulped down in no time.
"Do you want to come with us?"
Baldev nodded his head in acknowledgement.
They helped him into the helicopter, which rose high above to bid adieu to the desert. They took him to South Africa and allowed him to relax for a while before they asked about his identity. Baldev revealed about all the events that led him to the desert.
"You should not spare that traitor. You got to go back to India and expose him."
Baldev expressed his deep gratitude to them for saving his life at the right time. They booked a ticket to facilitate his travel back to India.

Baldev had refused to shave his beard and looked like a tribal man as he stepped his foot back to his home. He went to his home but couldn't find his wife and son. The door was locked, which raised his eyebrows. He asked a passerby about the whereabouts of his wife and son. The stranger did not identify him since his complexion had completely changed owing to his stay in the desert.
"Baldev is a traitor. He works in cahoots with the Pakistani Army. He tried to kill Ashutosh, but the latter saved himself from the jaws of death. Baldev ran away to Pakistan. People did not spare his wife and son as they threatened to murder them if at all they choose to stay here. She ran away like a coward, just like her husband in the middle of the night, along with her son."
Baldev couldn't believe his ears as he clenched his fist. Ashutosh, being the Bona fide traitor, had framed Baldev as the traitor. He felt bad for his innocent wife and son. He knew he could do nothing if he revealed his identity now. The only way to prove Ashutosh wrong is to catch him red-handed. He went in search of his wife and son. On the outskirts of Punjab, he happened to see his wife and son living in a hut. His heart pricked to see them living in a pathetic condition. He stood in front of his wife, who was drying clothes.
"Who are you?" Her voice, laden with fear, hurt him.
"I am Baldev."
She couldn't believe her eyes.
"No, you are lying," she didn't believe.
He spoke about her family, which shocked her.
"You are a traitor. You are the reason for my misery," she broke down.
"No, I am not a traitor," Baldev shouted, whose words echoed around. "Give me a chance to speak the truth."
Baldev recounted the shocking truth that led him to the desert.
"How can that monster tarnish your reputation?" her words were a mixture of pain and anger.
She fell at her husband's feet for the misunderstanding and she asked her husband to take a vow to punish Ashutosh for his wrongdoings. His eight-year-old son screamed, calling him a thief. It took his mother a while to make him understand he was his father. Baldev kept an eye on Ashutosh's movements, waiting for the perfect timing to catch him red-handed so that he could expose his secrets. His name had been tarnished, thanks to Ashutosh. He could earn back his reputation only if he could expose Ashutosh's dark secrets. Since he had turned dark with beard, his facial features did not resemble him, saving him from the trouble. Being a patriot, he wanted to neutralize the enemy's plan to ensure India's national security does not get breached.

On the pretext of going on a holiday, Ashutosh met a Pakistani spy at night near a deserted cave. They happened to have a secret conversation before Ashutosh left the spot. Baldev could see some men emerge out of the cave. He threw a rock near a bush, which gripped their attention. The Pakistani spy asked his henchmen to go and check what was hiding beneath the cloak of the bush. Baldev cashed in on the opportunity to spray chemicals at the spy, who lost consciousness in a moment. He quickly took him to a nearby truck which he stole sometime back. At the rear of the truck, he tightly tied him to ensure he could not escape. He then started the vehicle into motion and made his way towards his house. He locked him in a room and waited for him to press the conscious button. As soon as he became conscious, Baldev tortured him enough to know the truth. He was shocked to hear that Ashutosh was a Pakistani soldier's son. Baldev's wife recorded his statements. They shared this with the media. They played the recordings, which went viral in an instant. Baldev also appeared in the media to reveal about his identity. The whole nation was shocked to hear him. With the help of media, he handed over the Pakistani spy to the police. Ashutosh went under the radar as soon as the truth broke out, ending his hegemony. He was caught red-handed by the police in an airport where he was trying to run away to Russia. The President honoured Baldev for successfully nabbing the Pakistani spy, who seemed detrimental to the nation along with the traitor Ashutosh. Baldev got back his post and was also promoted as the General, who continued to serve, bringing great laurels to the country.