NOVEL WEB
Chapter 14: Dinesh Reddy I
Andepalli Village, outskirts of Hyderabad, Vijayanagar Empire.
In the remote outskirts of Ande Palli Village, a young man of about 18 years is working alone in the fields. Despite his lean and malnourished appearance, there is an undeniable determination shining in his eyes.
Dinesh Reddy, The young man working in the fields, Their family had to leave his hometown because of the oppression in the Mughal Empire. Despite their family's reluctance to abandon their home, misfortune favoured them. They faced tough times due to a bad drought, leaving them unable to pay the high taxes demanded by their landlord. When they asked for more time, the landlord threatened to make them beggars on the streets. With no other option, the family had to escape their homeland to find a safer place to live."
While attempting to make their way back to safety, the family was caught by the border patrol.
But in a tragic turn of events, while trying to save Dinesh, both of his parents took arrows to their backs. This heartbreaking incident left Dinesh as an orphan, without his parents to guide him. Perhaps because of this loss, he matured beyond his age compared to others.
As Dinesh arrived in Vijayanagara, he discovered a glimmer of hope. In this new land, he learned that even those considered from the lowest castes had the opportunity to own their land. Determined to build a better future for himself, Dinesh worked tirelessly towards that goal. Since childhood, he had always been smart, and with his intelligence and hard work, he eventually managed to buy an acre of uncultivated land on the outskirts of the village.
Suddenly;
"DINESH!.... DINESH.....!"
A man came running into the fields, even to the point of tripping on his own legs.
Dinesh, who saw this scene, shook his head in amusement.
"What's the matter, Nandan?" he asked.
The man who came in a hurry is Nandan, and he is Dinesh's friend. Since Nandan is a bit low in IQ, no one talks with him, except Dinesh, of course.
Nandan said hurriedly, "Big people said there is a recruitment going on in the new building in the city. They said that the salary is 30 Varaha," he said excitedly while showing 4 fingers. Seeing this, Vijay chuckled, folded 1 finger, and asked, "Oh, what is the recruitment for?"
"Big people in the village said that it is for the army. They said anyone can join from the age of 18-20 years, big people send all the young kids in the village"
Listening to this, Dinesh's heart was set ablaze with excitement. He quickly put all his tools inside his hut and hurried to the city to see for himself.
Dinesh made his way to the newly built building called the "VIJAYANAGARA NORTH MILITARY ACADEMY". When he arrived, he saw a massive queue with groups of people his age waiting in lines.
After asking around, he found out that 10 people are interviewed at a time, so he patiently waited for his chance to go in. After an afternoon of waiting, he was finally allowed inside by the uncles at the door, who looked like veterans.
Inside, Dinesh found himself among 9 other people. In front of him stood an army officer dressed in khaki. The officer appeared impatient as he asked, "Does anyone here know how to read?" It was as if he had asked the same question countless times before. To Dinesh's surprise, a person to his right hesitantly raised his hand. The officer pointed at a place and asked, "Read this."
The candidate who raised his hand read the text, "No spitting, please," with a nervous tone. The officer seemed satisfied and declared, "Excellent! No need for a test, you are selected."
The person who was selected was overjoyed as he left the room, proudly wearing the badge given by the officer. The officer then turned his attention to the rest of the candidates and started asking them some questions.
He asked questions like:
1. "The more you take, the more you leave behind. What am I?"
2. "What belongs to you but is used more by others?"
3. "You are in a situation where you need to make a quick decision that could have significant consequences. How would you approach making that decision?"
4. "How do you handle conflicts or disagreements with others in your life?"
5. "You are on a boat with several other people in the middle of the river. The boat is sinking, and it can only hold a certain weight before it capsizes. There is one person on the boat who is extremely overweight, and their weight is endangering everyone else. Would you throw the overweight person overboard to save the rest of the passengers? Why or why not?
Dinesh was confused by the questions asked, he didn't get how any of the questions were related to him being recruited, but he answered them truthfully, trying his best to convey his thoughts and feelings to the officer.
Later, Dinesh came to know that those seemingly unrelated questions were designed to filter out the simple-minded candidates and identify the ones with sharp minds. He was surprised to discover that he had been selected despite his initial confusion during the interview. This news made him feel proud and grateful, realizing that his responses had been recognized and valued by the recruitment officers. Excited and eager, Dinesh prepared himself for the journey ahead at the Vijayanagara North Military Academy.
ARMY BARRACKS - DAY 1
Sergeant Harish, a stern and no-nonsense figure, stands near the entrance, wearing his uniform with pride. He checks the sky and glances around the room, noticing a group of recruits still sleeping soundly in their beds.
In a booming voice, Sergeant Harish yells, "Wake up, ladies! Rise and shine! You're not here to sleep your life away!"
The sergeant claps his hands together loudly, startling everyone awake. The recruits groggily open their eyes and sit up, confused and disoriented.
Dinesh wakes up, rubbing his eyes and asks in confusion, "What's going on?"
Darshan, his colleague who took the interview with him and knows how to read, yawns and said, "Why is the sergeant here so early?"
Striding towards the bunks, Sergeant Harish yells with nerves sticking in his neck, "You recruits are a shame for our nation! You should be up and ready for duty! Now, get out of those beds, you useless waste of resources, and form a line by the wall!"
The recruits scramble to their feet, stumbling out of their bunks and hastily arranging themselves against the wall, some not even properly dressing themselves as they assemble. Sergeant Harish watches them with a burning gaze.
The sergeant marches back and forth in front of the recruits, his footsteps echoing in the otherwise silent room. He takes a moment to let the tension build, and the recruits stand at attention.
Sergeant Harish stops in front of Dinesh, comes close to his face, and yells, "Everyone! Drop and give me twenty push-ups!"
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After several rounds of intense training and more yelling from Sergeant Harish, the recruits can't help but wonder, "What have we gotten ourselves into?"
TO BE CONTINUED...