C48 The Call That Changed Everything

Arjun stood near the window, phone pressed to his ear, his expression dark.

On the other side of the call, the young voice sounded annoyed.

“Sir, I told you already,” the clerk said impatiently. “We get prank calls like this all the time.”

Arjun’s jaw tightened.

“This is not a prank.”

“Right… and you’re the Prime Minister too?”

Arjun exhaled slowly.

“Listen carefully. I said my name is—”

“Captain Arjun Rathore,” the clerk mocked lightly. “Sure, sir.”

Across the small office inside the Indian Military Academy cantonment control room, a senior officer looked up from his desk.

He frowned.

“Why are you arguing on the phone, cadet?”

The clerk sighed.

“Just another prank call, sir. Someone claiming to be some Captain Rathore.”

The officer froze for a second.

“Rathore?”

He stood up immediately.

“Give me that phone.”

The clerk looked confused but handed it over.

The officer lifted the receiver.

“Hello?”

Arjun’s voice came calm but firm.

“Captain Arjun Rathore speaking.”

There was a moment of silence.

Then the officer straightened instinctively.

“Sir…?”

Arjun recognized the voice instantly.

“…Dev?”

The officer almost smiled.

“Yes sir. Lieutenant Dev Malhotra.”

For a moment the tension in the room changed completely.

Dev Malhotra had trained under Arjun years ago at the Indian Military Academy.

Back then Arjun Rathore wasn’t just another cadet.

He had been legendary.

Topper of the entire batch.

Best in tactical training.

Best in physical endurance.

Best marksman.

Best strategist.

Instructors had called him the most complete officer candidate they had seen in years.

Cadets admired him.

Some even feared competing with him.

Dev himself had been two batches junior—but Arjun’s reputation was still spoken about in the academy halls.

Dev’s voice now carried immediate respect.

“Sir, I apologize for the misunderstanding.”

Arjun didn’t waste time.

“There’s no time for formalities.”

His tone turned serious.

“There are illegal military-grade weapons in a village seventy-five kilometers from your cantonment.”

Dev’s expression hardened instantly.

“Location?”

Arjun explained quickly.

“The village sits on the shortest route connecting your cantonment to the border roads.”

Dev’s eyes widened slightly.

“That road is a strategic supply path.”

“Exactly,” Arjun replied.

“I believe someone is planning an attack here to block army movement.”

Dev was silent for two seconds.

Then he said calmly,

“I’m coming there myself.”

—

By late evening two army vehicles quietly entered the outskirts of the village.

Dev stepped out first.

The moment he saw Arjun standing near the road, he straightened instinctively.

“Good to see you again, sir.”

Arjun nodded.

“No ranks tonight. Just Arjun.”

Dev smiled slightly.

“Old habits.”

They moved inside a small room near the hospital where Arjun had set up his laptop.

He opened a folder.

“I pulled security footage from the ATM near the market.”

He turned the screen toward them.

Photographs appeared on the screen.

Clear images of the SUV.

The men stepping out.

The same man Arjun had seen with Sen.

Dev studied them carefully.

“These men aren’t local.”

Arjun nodded.

“They’ve been using the hospital storage area.”

Dev leaned back slightly.

“This confirms something big.”

One of the other officers pointed at the map.

“If they attack here…”

He traced a finger along the road.

“…army convoys heading toward the border will be delayed for hours.”

Dev nodded grimly.

“Exactly what an enemy would want.”

Arjun’s phone buzzed suddenly.

A message.

Unknown number.

He opened it.

And the world around him seemed to stop.

The screen showed a photograph.

Aisha.

Blindfolded.

Hands tied.

His blood ran cold.

Another message appeared immediately.

“Come alone.”

“Temple road.”

“Or she dies.”

Dev immediately noticed the change in Arjun’s expression.

“What happened?”

Arjun turned the phone toward him.

Dev cursed under his breath.

“Damn.”

Another message arrived.

“You have two choices.”

“Save her.”

“Or save the village.”

Arjun’s heart pounded.

Dev frowned.

“What do they mean?”

Arjun’s mind flashed back to the morning.

Walking to the hospital with Aisha.

Seeing Jhilmil and her mother dressed in colorful clothes.

Carrying offerings.

“Where are you going?” Aisha had asked them.

“Temple,” Jhilmil’s mother had said happily.

“Today is the big festival.”

The memory hit him like lightning.

The temple.

Tonight.

Every villager would be there.

Another message appeared.

“We open fire at the temple in thirty minutes.”

“You choose.”

For the first time in a long while—

Captain Arjun Rathore felt something close to fear.

Not for himself.

For Aisha.

For the villagers.

Dev looked at him.

“What do we do?”

Arjun stared at the map.

His mind racing faster than ever.

Two locations.

Two lives.

One decision.

And the clock was already ticking. ⏳