Chapter 8: chapter 8

The issue with some people not knowing how to ignore what they see, is quite beneficial sometimes, because then they tend to get involved into something much larger.This is what had happened with Riya, a young and ambitious officer determined in her objectives. She was trying to find ways to take her revenge on Kaushal, her senior officer now, who had been a thorn in her side for far too long. Riya believed that unless he was shown what happens when somebody's respect is broken again and again, he wouldn't change his methods. Her intention was clear, to make him realize his mistakes, but unfortunately, he fell prey to something much bigger due to his own misconduct.Three days earlier, when the seeds of this revenge plot were planted, Riya had been given a task by Kaushal to submit a report by the next morning. It was not a usual task, and Riya knew that Kaushal could have easily asked Major Neha, the unit's expert, about that report because it was related to her actions and tasks. Instead, he gave the task to Riya, thinking it would be difficult for her to gather all the necessary details in just a day's time. He was well aware of the differences between Riya and Neha, and he intended to exploit them.In some way, this was a blessing in disguise for Riya because it was helping her open up and get along with other officers whom she had never interacted with, or to put it simply, she had never trusted. She decided not to argue with Kaushal, even though she could sense that he was expecting a reaction. Riya surprised everyone, including herself, by her composed behavior. Kaushal wasn't expecting this cool side of Riya and was left somewhat baffled by her calm demeanor.Riya's calm exterior masked the storm of thoughts and plans brewing within her. She had noticed something more interesting on Kaushal's cluttered desk that day—a file labeled "Confidential." There was a sticky note on top of that file, which mentioned "Urgent: by Noon." She recognized the handwriting immediately; it was Col. Dinesh's. She figured that this was her chance to settle her dues with Kaushal.The next day, when Kaushal insulted her for not submitting the report on time, she quietly accepted her mistake, all the while concealing her true intentions. She had intentionally delayed the report submission to make way for her secret operation against him.The confidential file had to be submitted by noon, and that's why she leveraged the opportunity by entering Kaushal's office just in time. While Kaushal was busy ordering her without even seeing her, she was actually replacing the confidential file with another junk file and stuck Col. Dinesh's label sticker on it. She had somehow read Kaushal's intention; he would be busy manipulating her file after she leaves to demean her, but in parallel, she was playing another, much bigger game. A game to topple Kaushal's pride.As noon approached, Riya's heart raced. She had successfully planted the dummy file on Kaushal's desk, but the real test was yet to come. Would he fall into her trap?At the stroke of noon, Kaushal received a call from Col. Dinesh. Riya couldn't hear the conversation, but the look on Kaushal's face as he spoke with Dinesh was priceless. He seemed in a hurry suddenly, a far cry from his usual confident self. Riya could hardly contain her excitement. It was working! Kaushal asked her to leave as he had to rush as well. That's when Riya came out with a smile.Once Riya left, Kaushal immediately took Riya's file and manipulated some points and made sure of her impression on Col. Dinesh is tainted for ever. Then he took both the "Confidential" and Riya's  file, and left for the Colonel's office.As the day progressed, Kaushal's desperation grew and when the Colonel called him, he was expecting a thrashing about Riya but instead his confidential file became the subject of discussion. Panic started to set in, and he had to explain the situation to Col. Dinesh that he had prepared it cautiously but not sure how it got misplaced. It was an embarrassing conversation that left Kaushal in an even worse position.Riya watched as Kaushal's reputation crumbled before her eyes. Word spread quickly throughout the unit, and soon, even those who had previously supported him began to doubt his abilities. Riya had successfully executed her plan to make him realize the consequences of his actions.When the investigation and court martial started, Kaushal's standing within the unit continued to deteriorate. His authority waned, and he found himself isolated from his colleagues. Meanwhile, Riya's respect in the unit was multiplying after she took her second in commander responsibilities. She became a respected member of the unit, not only for her competence but also for her ability to manage much better than Kaushal.When Kaushal was transferred to a different unit, his ego bruised and his pride shattered. He had learned a valuable lesson about the consequences of underestimating those around him.Sonia was very happy for Riya and somehow doubted her behind Kaushal's fall but since Riya didn't tell anyone about her secret operation, Sonia assumed it might be Kaushal's arrogance which played over him.As for Riya, she had achieved her goal of making Kaushal realize his mistakes, but she had also gained something unexpected—a newfound respect and camaraderie with her fellow officers. She had proven to herself that intelligence and strategy could triumph over arrogance and manipulation.In the military world, where respect and trust were hard-earned commodities, Riya had shown that sometimes, the best way to defeat an adversary was to let them defeat themselves. It was a lesson that would serve her well in the challenges that lay ahead in her career.Though now she was completely unaware of what was going on in Kaushal's mind and what will happen when she will face him again in a completely different avatar.~~~~