NOVEL NEXT Chapter 3: The Ghost Awakens
It was the summer of 1980 and Ayush had just turned 18 years old. His growth spurt had continued and he now stood tall at 6.5 Feet. His hard work in the gym was also paying off and he was now a well-built young man, almost athletic in appearance. He looked like an ideal soldier but he had to wait another year before he could attempt to join the Indian Army.
As he practiced his shooting, his mind wandered off to thoughts of his family. His father was still struggling to make ends meet. He wanted to join the Army as soon as possible, so he could get a job in the government sector which was well paying. But he knew he still had to wait.
**The Call to Duty**
The day had finally arrived and Ayush couldn't be more excited. He had received the notification from the Army office that he had been selected for the Gurkha regiment. He couldn't wait to tell his father and sister about it. He ran as fast as he could to their house.
"Didi...Didi...I got selected for the Army," he blurted out as soon as his sister opened the door.
Radha looked at him with tears in her eyes. "Really? I am so happy for you."
They hugged each other tightly. After a few moments, they pulled back and looked at each other with joyous grins on their faces.
"You can never come back Ayush. You have to make a name for yourself in the Army."
"I know Didi...I will make you proud," Ayush promised her.
* * *
Ayush joined his training at Pokhara, Nepal along with 500 other recruits. He found out that among them, only 60 would be selected in the final cut and the rest would be sent back home.
Their training was under Colonel Shridhar Rana, who was an ex-serviceman from the British SAS. The training was brutal and almost 30 recruits had dropped out on the first day itself. But not Ayush. He was determined to go till the end.
Ayush impressed everyone with his sharp shooting skills and quick reflexes. He could easily run 25 miles a day with a 60-pound rucksack. Everyone knew he was special. But they couldn't understand why he never showed his face. He always wore a mask and practiced alone.
"I want to call him the Ghost," said one of his fellow recruits.
"Yeah, he is a Ghost," said another.
From that day onwards, no one called him Ayush. They all knew him as the Ghost, the young man who never showed his face.
* * *
The training was over and only 59 were selected. Ayush was among them. Their commanding officer, Colonel Rana, asked them to gather around.
"You guys have done a tremendous job. I am so proud of you. But I want to tell you one more thing...there is one person here, who is not like you. He is better than you. You may all call him the Ghost but he is not just a ghost, he is an apparition. A shadow which can never be seen. I will be calling him to my office later this afternoon."
Ayush went to the Colonel's office in the afternoon.
"What can I do for you?" Ayush asked him in Hindi.
"I am going to ask for your help. The Pakistani Army has taken over the Siachen Glacier, which is our territory. It's the world's highest battlefield and our men are stuck there. I want you to lead the team and push them back."
Ayush had heard of Siachen Glacier many times before in news but he was shocked. This was something big and he was asked to lead the team.
Colonel Rana looked at Ayush intently and said, "Do you have any questions?"
"No Sir...I will do it," Ayush replied confidently.
The Colonel nodded and said, "I knew you would do it."
Ayush set out along with his team of 10 men the next day towards Siachen Glacier, located in Ladakh region of Kashmir. It was a treacherous journey of 5 days.
**The Battle**
Finally on the fifth day, they reached Siachen Glacier. The Pakistanis had taken control of the entire glacier. Ayush knew they had to act quickly before more reinforcements arrived for the Pakistanis.
Ayush divided his team into 3 groups and they set out on their mission. Ayush along with two of his teammates climbed up the glacier and waited for cover of darkness. Once the clock struck midnight, they attacked the Pakistani soldiers, who were sleeping soundly in their tents.
Ayush and his team killed all the Pakistani soldiers and then rushed towards the base camp of the Pakistanis. They attacked them and Ayush fought like a wounded lion. He killed many of them and soon they were retreating back.
They had taken back the control of Siachen Glacier and Ayush felt proud of himself. He had finally done it for his family.
They had walked for 4 days and had reached a military base. Ayush walked into the base's infirmary and met the doctor there.
"I have come to take you back to our base camp," Ayush told him.
The doctor smiled and said, "Thank you...I was really scared."
The doctor walked out with him. It was a 5-day journey but Ayush was determined. They walked all day and night and on the sixth day, they finally reached their base camp.
Everyone was shocked to see them return alive and soon, their story spread all over India. The Ghost had taken back Siachen Glacier from the Pakistanis along with the help of his team. He became a national hero overnight.
Ayush returned home to Kolkata a few days later and his family welcomed him back with tears in their eyes. Radha was so proud of her brother, who had now made a name for himself.
But little did Ayush know that his life was about to change completely. A bounty was being placed on his head in Pakistan. The Pakistani Army wanted him dead. But that didn't scare him because he knew it came with the job he had chosen.