Time:10:00 AM.
Dark, oppressive clouds strangled the horizon, blotting out the sun completely. A biting cold wind swept through the valley, whistling through the trees. Deep within the forest lay a small hamlet—a cluster of homes that should have been bustling with life. Instead, it was swallowed by a deathly silence. No cattle moved. No smoke rose from the chimneys. Not a single soul was visible.
Suddenly, the silence was shattered.
A man burst from the cover of the trees, his grey jacket stained dark with fresh blood. He was running for his life, clutching a small girl tightly to his chest. He moved erratically, darting behind the walls of village houses, his eyes wide with the terror of someone who had looked into the abyss. The air was so still that his ragged, desperate gasps for breath sounded like thunder.
He scrambled out from a hiding spot, preparing to sprint again, when—Crack! Crack!
The sharp report of gunfire echoed through the valley. The man stumbled, ducking instinctively. He frantically pulled the fold of a shawl over the girl, shielding her completely.
"Beta, don't be scared," he whispered, his voice trembling violently. "I won't let anything happen to you. I'll save you! I promise, I'll save you!"
"Hey... Stop!" A voice boomed, dripping with malice.
Before the man could move, a volley of bullets tore up the earth around him.
"Aaaa... hhh..." The man tried to limp forward, shielding the child with his own body, but a bullet found its mark. It shredded through his leg. He collapsed, screaming in agony.
"You bastard son of a..." Thuh!
A terrorist stepped out from the shadows, spitting on the ground. He wore combat fatigues, an AK-47 resting casually in his grip. He walked up to the fallen father and kicked him hard in the face.
"Didn't we tell you once?" the gunman sneered. "Stay inside. Did that not penetrate your thick skull?"
"Mer... mercy, sir! Ahh!" The father grasped at the dirt, hyperventilating through the pain. "Have mercy! Do whatever you want to me... just... please don't hurt the child. Mercy!"
"Mercy? Hah!"
From behind the gunman, a shadow emerged. It was their leader, Naazim Shah Jinnah. He walked with a terrifyingly casual gait, laughing softly. He crouched down beside the bleeding man, pulled a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, and placed a bidi between his lips. A subordinate immediately stepped forward to light it.
Naazim took a deep drag, the tip glowing orange, and blew a thick cloud of smoke directly into the injured man's face.
"You Indians," Naazim mused, shaking his head mockingly. "You always have this itch, don't you? If someone stops you from doing something, you just have to do it. Well... now you pay the price for disobedience." He tilted his head. "By the way, are you Hindu or Muslim?"
"Hi... Hi... Hindu," the wounded man stammered.
"Heh... Hahaha!" Naazim threw his head back and laughed. The men behind him joined in, a chorus of cruel amusement.
Without another word, Naazim and his men raised their rifles.
"Inshallah, I will give you Indians a death so gruesome that your entire lineage will be wiped from the face of the earth."
Bang. Bang. Bang.
The gunfire was deafening. They fired mercilessly into the man and the bundle in his arms until there was no movement left.
"You have such pride in your soldiers, don't you?" Naazim shouted at the corpses, his voice echoing off the hills. "Let's see who comes to save you now. Whoever comes... we will do the exact same thing to them. Am I right?"
"YES!" the terrorists roared in unison.
Scene Shift: Forward Post, Indian Army Base
The screen turned black, the echo of the gunshot replaced by a voice of steel.
"I will take the responsibility of saving every single Indian. The enemy might think he is a tiger, but he hasn't faced a Barbary Lion yet."
Kashi stood tall, his jaw set.
Around a makeshift tactical table outside the command tent, the team was assembled: Kashi, Vijay, Virendra, Jaspreet, Husain Ali Khan, and their commanding officer, Major Subramanya Iyer.
"Sir, what is the plan going forward?" Husain Ali Khan asked, breaking the tension.
Major Iyer leaned over the map, his expression grave. "Hmm. The plan must be surgical. There are innocent civilians being held hostage inside; their safety is paramount. This is a Counter-Insurgency Operation."
Iyer pointed to a specific cluster of buildings on the map. "The problem is, this village is a renowned religious site. It is critical to India's heritage. Intelligence suggests the villagers are planning a Yagna tomorrow for Amavasya. The terrorists know this."
"Sir, that makes this incredibly challenging," Ali noted.
"Yes," Iyer agreed. "There are two entry points. The first is the South-East route, past the temple of Shri Bhairavnath."
"Jai Mahakal!" Kashi chanted suddenly, his eyes closing in a brief prayer.
The entire team turned to look at him.
"What?" Ali frowned. "Pay attention, Kashi. This is a serious discussion."
Vijay chuckled, nudging Ali. "Let it be, Sir. Before a holy mission, it's good to invoke the Destroyer of Darkness."
"Sorry, Sir. Continue," Kashi said, snapping back to focus.
"Right," Iyer continued, tracing a line on the map. "This first route—mark this well—no grenades. Only small arms fire. We cannot risk damaging the structure. The second route is the West Jungle, via the small bridge. It's elevated terrain. From there, we can spot exactly which houses hold the hostages and pinpoint the terrorist positions."
He moved his finger to the final sector. "Now, the North-East plains. This is open ground. One wrong move, one unnatural sound, and our position is blown."
Iyer straightened up, looking each soldier in the eye. The planning was done. Now, it was time for motivation.
"Is the plan clear? We surround this village from all sides," Iyer's voice dropped an octave, turning ferocious. "And then we tear those bastards apart."
He held up a fist. "Soldiers, mark my words: Until we break them, we do not leave them!"
"UNTIL WE BREAK THEM, WE DO NOT LEAVE THEM!" the soldiers roared in unison, their voices thundering across the camp.
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UPCOMING: NIGHT RECON MISSION