Chapter 1: The Return
"Do you really want to retire?"
Major Rai's voice was firm, laced with disappointment.
Ved stood straight in his crisp uniform and replied with calm confidence, "Yes, sir."
Major Rai let out a long sigh. "Relax, sit down."
As Ved took his seat, the Major asked again, this time more gently, "Why do you want to leave?"
Ved pressed his lips together. The answer weighed heavy, but he spoke with quiet certainty,
"Sir, I've given 12 years of my life to the Army. I'm turning 30 soon. I just want to settle down now — marriage, kids, a home... that's what I want."
Major Rai leaned back in his chair, exhaling slowly.
"Okay, I'll approve it," he said at last. Then, almost fatherly, he asked,
"Do you have a plan for what's next? What will you do?"
Ved paused for a few seconds before responding, eyes steady.
"I'll take whatever job I can get through the ex-serviceman quota, sir."
Major Rai frowned slightly.
"Why go back to your village? If you stayed in the city, you could find a better-paying job."
Ved glanced out the window, where the sun was slowly setting behind the trees.
"Sir," he said softly, "all I want now is peace."
Major Rai didn't argue anymore. He waved his hand dismissively, muttering,
"Fine, fine. You can go now."
The barracks were bathed in the soft orange hues of sunset.
Ved picked up his old Samsung button phone.
The screen blinked: February 2018.
He scrolled through his contacts and dialed a familiar number.
Ring... ring...
After a few moments, a warm, slightly worn voice answered.
"Hello... Ved! Where have you been?! I understand we can't talk every day, but you could at least call once a month! Your father's been so worried. It's been nine months — not a letter, not a single call! We thought you must've started your own family over there. We old folks must be long forgotten, right?"
His mother's nonstop chatter gave him a slight headache.
He gently touched the fresh bandage on his forehead, but said nothing about the wounds — neither the ones on his body, nor the ones buried deep inside.
He simply hummed and said,
"Ma... calm down. I'm fine. And I have something important to tell you... I'm coming home. By the end of February. And... I want to get married. You and Babuji can start looking for a girl."
It was perhaps the most Ved had spoken in months — and yet, he had still left the real things unsaid.
There was a brief stunned silence, followed by a sudden burst of joy from the other side.
Parvati's voice turned excited, rambling now about neighbors, relatives, and all the possible brides they could consider.
Ved, tired, just hummed occasionally and finally said,
"Ma... I have some things to take care of. I'll hang up now."
Kurai Village
Parvati ended the call with a bright smile.
She rushed out to where her husband, Nandkishore, was twisting a rope made of dried rice straw.
"Listen! Ved is coming home!" she beamed. "And guess what — he says he wants to get married! He told us to start looking for a girl!"
Nandkishore, still tying the rope into a bundle, looked up slowly.
"What did you say?"
A gentle smile spread across his face, softening his wrinkled features.
"That's good news. Our eldest son Siddharth is settled, has two kids. Even Rahul's married now. Only Ved was left. It'll be a relief to see him settle down too — then we old folks can breathe easy."
Parvati sat beside him on the old wooden cot, her face glowing with joy.
"Exactly! We should start looking around for a good match nearby. Ved is earning, well-educated too. We should find a girl who suits him."
Nandkishore teased her, "You're very chirpy today! What's going on?"
Then he added more seriously,
"Let Ved come home first. It's his marriage — he should have a say in it."
Parvati frowned slightly.
"You always blame me! Come on, if we're getting our son married, of course we'll be the ones looking for the girl. And besides, Ved asked us to start looking!"
She lowered her voice, a mischievous glint in her eyes.
"Just check the background properly. If the girl comes with some land or money, that wouldn't hurt either!"
Nandkishore chuckled, shaking his head, completely amused.
