UNTITLED

Chapter 8

One morning everyone was asked to gather in the assembly hall.

"We need some volunteers to join the British army" said the man on the stage, in the Azad Hind Fauj uniform.

"Me, Netaji" everyone shouted. Shlok and Ridhwan looked puzzled at what was going on but raised their right arm in the air spontaneously.

"Netaji wants some insiders in the British army. Spies!" whispered Rudra.

By evening a list was put on the common notice board, highlighting the names that would go to 'serve' the British army. Rudra crossed the fingers of his left hand as he ran his right index finger through the first initials of the listed men. He stopped on an R.

"Ravi. Rajkumar. Raman." he looked back at Shlok and Ridhwan.

He kept his finger back on the list and stopped abruptly for an S. There was no doubt. There was no other name by S. "Shlok" he looked back at boys and murmured. "Shlok Salgar".

Shlok and Ridhwan wrote a letter to the baron, sealed it in an envelope and exchanged it among them.

"If I die before you, send it to my father." said Shlok. Ridhwan nodded.

"If I die before you, send this to Saheb." said Ridhwan. Shlok nodded.

"Call him father. You are now no less than my brother, Ridhwan."

By the end of the next week of the fifth month a hundred men left the training grounds. Ridhwan and Rudra gave Shlok a mature soldier bid - a tight shake of hands and a loud thump on the back. By the end of the fifth month the INA comprised of over forty thousand trained men.

"We have received news from our brothers in the British army. The Japanese have captured many of our Indian brothers as prisoners of war. I'll initiate talks with them." Netaji said in the morning assembly. A thousand claps roared.

"We may now fight with the Japanese against the British" Rudra whispered at night while playing his harmonica.

"How do you know? Another set of rumors?" said Ridhwan.

"There is always some truth in rumors, otherwise who'll fall for it, my friend."

"I just hope Shlok is fine. I heard the Japanese are treating the prisoners of war as dead war horses."

"But I heard Netaji is in with some talks with the Japanese."

The lights were out and a bell rung over their head. They both closed their eyes and pulled up the sheets.

"Nevertheless, a war is close, my friend."