Contest, Week XII - Why Should I Go Back Home- Part 7? "The Journey of Kadim"

>When the truck stopped, both drivers got the man down. The grip on his hands was so tight that even when we took him off, his fingers didn't straighten up, but they were still clenched tight! And as soon as we took him down, he fell to the ground. Major Atan smiled, "He must have been drunk." "Yes, absolutely drunk and crazy! "Then"

You have read up to here in part 6

Part 7

"The pupils of his eyes were completely dilated; he was sitting in a dazed position. When I grabbed him, he staggered to his feet."

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I asked, "Why were you hanging behind the truck?" He said, "Sir, I wanted a lift."

I said, "Is that the way you take a lift? Come on, I will drop you off in my Jeep. Where do you want to go?"

He didn't answer. We entered the jeep, and he staggered aboard and sat slumped on the floor between the back seats.

I started driving when he asked, "Sir, are you Scotch?"

I figured out that he was so drunk that he could not distinguish whether I was an Indian or an Englishman, but he did recognize that I was an army officer and should be called 'Sir'."

"He wanted to say, scotch and no Scot", Major laughed.

You know, Major, our military training penetrates even the layer of deep drunkenness."

So I told him, "No, I'm not Scot".

"Damn fine whisky," he muttered to himself, and his tongue began to chatter. I didn't understand at first, then guessed that with the word scotch, his drunken mind could only associate the word whisky, so he was saying scotch again and again."

Then I said, "Yes." But where will you go?"

He said, "Drop me here somewhere—somewhere near a native village."

"Why, what is your intention?" I asked curtly.

Then his voice suddenly became mysterious, and he said, I must tell you the truth, sir; I want a woman."

I said, "So you are in search of a woman here?"

Major Atan spoke after a long time, "Then what did you do?"

"It occurred to me that I should slap him hard. But to be honest, his disinterested statement of 'I want a woman' disarmed me. I also felt that human beings should not be punished for their natural physical demands.

But his behavior was pathetic and on the level of an animal. I dropped him on the road three to four miles ahead, where there was no trace of any village, and returning from there was not easy. Sometimes I wonder whether what I did was right or wrong."

Major Atan spoke at this point, but his voice had a touch of philosophy, "Well done! What else could you do? But I feel that punishment is not a cure. I believe that animal logic with humans is perfect because that is natural. Justice, discipline, and all these should not be associated with a man who has been away from his family and deprived of his natural physical demands, which is injustice. I also feel that associating animal logic with humans is an injustice to animals.

We remained silent for a long time. After crossing Naka Road, I turned to the main road that led to the station. This road was also rough but not as bad, and we were now driving a little faster. I could see a cloud of dust behind us.

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Suddenly, Major Atan said, "I am a human being." Now I can't think in terms of a woman! I'm going on compassionate leave, which means mercy. I have been shown mercy because I cannot feel like a man anymore. I am no longer a normal person who would want to be equal to those who committed the crime of finding a woman for their natural desire. No, I can commit crimes, but I am human, and I am going back home.

"Home!'' He said again.

I silently drove the jeep with my eyes fixed in front and hoped that the major's strangely pronounced word home shocked me. I had a strange feeling in my mind because I knew Major Atan's damaged backbone would never allow him to act naturally. Now I knew what Major Atan had in mind.

Major Atan added, "Once when I was coming by train, I overheard a captain returning from leave who was narrating his leave experience to one of his companions. I was not paying attention, but suddenly one thing got imprinted on my consciousness, and its memory now haunts me.

I can still recollect his words and connect them with my own life.

Note- To be continued and concluded in the next part.

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