Arjun had always dreamed of joining the Army. From childhood, the uniform, the discipline, the sense of duty—everything about it had felt like a calling.
But Kavya was terrified of that dream."You can take up any job, just don't go into the Army," she had pleaded more than once.
"Why? What's wrong with the Army?"
Arjun would ask, half-amused, half-curious.
Ever since Kavya had entered his life, his passion for a government job had only grown stronger. Both of them had been preparing together for competitive examinations, dreaming of a stable future side by side. But circumstances had forced his hand.
When he finally decided to become an Agniveer, Kavya had cried bitterly."You couldn't find any other job? The very name of the Army scares me. Anything can happen at any time, anywhere. After four years, there's no future for an Agniveer. My family will never agree.
The golden four years of your career will be wasted—what will you do after that?
And if there's a war… or if you don't return… what will happen to me?"
She had begged him repeatedly not to join, to keep preparing for some other competitive exam. But at that time, the situation had spiraled far beyond his control.
His father had been diagnosed with intestinal cancer. The cost of treatment, along with the burden of arranging his sister Ranjana's wedding, had forced his mother to borrow heavily from his uncle. The uncle never let them forget the debt. Crushed under the weight of circumstances, Arjun had chosen the Agniveer scheme.
He still remembered the day Kavya had broken down when she learned he was leaving for the Army. He had let her go without stopping her, without offering any false promises. Deep inside, he had already accepted that love was not written in his destiny.
In the months that followed, Arjun made no attempt to persuade her. He neither called nor messaged. The responsibilities that had fallen on his shoulders over the past eight months had aged him beyond his years, leaving no room for romance.
He had willingly decided to set Kavya free. He knew he was no longer worthy of her. The day he had abandoned his competitive exam preparations and resolved to join the forces, he had also resolved to let her go. He simply lacked the courage to tell her. He knew how emotional she was—she would not be able to bear it easily.
When two days passed without any call from him, Kavya finally sent a message:"I lived on your promises. Now I believe they were all empty."
Arjun read that message again and again that day. Several times he started to reply, but stopped himself. By evening, he had typed out two or three responses only to delete them. Late into the night, he finally replied:"We couldn't walk together—that is the real betrayal.
Walking is easy; saying it is naïve. I no longer have the courage to walk alone,
The shore hasn't come yet, yet drowning in the middle of the river is inevitable."
Kavya's reply came instantly:
"You have closed the door of your heart,
At least leave a small window open.
Knock once more,
Come, walk with me a little further."
Everyone wants to cry in the arms of someone they love. No one can wear the mask of laughter forever."Difficulties bring with them a sieve of transparency that separates shallow relationships and reveals the deep, soulful ones."
Those two days of separation had drawn the two hearts even closer. What had seemed like a breaking relationship now felt like an unbreakable bond. They spoke for hours on the phone that night, clearing away all misunderstandings and complaints.
In someone's absence, to belong completely and utterly to them—that is perhaps the greatest proof of deep and unbreakable love. That day, she had said it, and Arjun had finally agreed.
Recently, he had seen a dream in which colorful balloons were floating in the blue sky. Usually, such a dream was positive and optimistic—a symbol of happiness returning to life. But in the same dream, one balloon had burst, and the fear that made him run away reflected the insecurity and anxiety caused by sudden changes in his present life.
He often worried about his dreams. They had become like premonitions for him, giving him early warnings of troubles to come.
For the first three years after joining the Army, no major external trouble had touched his life. He had managed to pay off most of his debts. He was finally living a part of his childhood dream.
Once, a teacher had asked the class, "What do you want to become when you grow up?" Out of forty children, only he had answered, "I want to become a soldier."
He used to stand in front of the mirror wearing an Army dress and cap, feeling immensely proud.Life had not been turbulent then. He was happy, weaving golden dreams of the future with Kavya. But life rarely follows the script we write for it. Once it took a turn, he found himself sinking deeper and deeper into one quagmire after another.
For the past month, every news channel hungry for TRP and every newspaper had been flashing the same story day and night. Because of it, his mother, sister, brother-in-law, and even Kavya had been humiliated everywhere. Television crews had practically camped outside their house. Even the neighbors' lives had become unbearable.
Some locals, eager for a few minutes of fame, kept giving interviews, claiming to be Arjun's close friend or childhood companion. A few praised him, saying he had always been a quiet, well-mannered boy who respected elders and was never heard raising his voice.
Yet on the news channels, his character and that of his entire family were being mercilessly assassinated.
His mother and sister were suffering the most. His mother kept fainting while sobbing and pleading for everyone to believe in her son's innocence.
Ranjana faced the media alone with remarkable courage, but the barrage of questions from all sides was breaking her resolve. In those moments, no one came to their aid. Watching her stand alone, fearless yet appearing utterly helpless and broken, was heartbreaking.
© Copyright Pushpa Chaturvedi
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