Free Blue Fish: The War Beneath by Sankalp Page B

hundreds of deaths in the name of our freedom struggle, all of whom went in vain.”
    Sharma posited, “If he hadn’t fought for independence, we would have still been under the British reign. Arjun, one individual may die for an idea, but that idea, after his death, incarnates in thousand lives. That is how evolution sees itself seeping through generations as the ideas are bequeathed to the next.”
    “Is war the solution?”
    “No real change in history has ever been achieved by discussions.”
    “Sir, this is beyond my understanding. I feel it would be prudent to leave decisions like these up to the bureaucrats. Besides, if I’m not mistaken, Bose was the one to honour Gandhi with the title of ‘Father of the Nation,” I concluded.
    The argument would have probably continued, but it was cut short by a knock on the door and in walked a man with tea. The silence in the compartment was as heavy as the tension.   
    “Are you married?” asked Sharma.
    I was not expecting this question from Sharma.
    I hesitated, and shook my head no.
    Meanwhile, turbulent ocean currents set the boat rattling. The 30 odd crew members who were sleeping in the seventh and the last compartment slid off their berths, much to their and the rest of the crew’s enjoyment.
    I remember one such day when the crew were having fun with each other. Ramana, the Sonar Operator, had told me about that day.
    That day, one of the crew, Surya was tying a thread from one end to another end of the compartment.
    “What are you doing, Surya?” Ramana had inquired.
    “This thread will indicate how much pressure is applied on us as we go deeper,” Surya replied.
    “How deep are we now?”
    “Not much, should be a quarter of a kilometer from the surface.”
    “What could possibly be outside?”
    “Water,” came the sarcastic answer from Vardhan.
    The crew giggled. Ramana was taken aback, but didn’t retort.
    The alarm rang in the seventh compartment interrupting them. It was a call for the crew to report to their positions for duty.
    “They don't even let us sleep,” complained Vardhan.
    “If sleep was what you wanted, why did you come here?” Ramana shot back vengefully.
    “Sleeping inside an ocean is an extraordinary feeling. Everybody sleeps on land. Here it is different.”
    “Tell the same thing to Commanding Officer Sharma.”
    “Do you think I'm scared of anybody? I’m not even scared of my father.”
    Surya immediately looked behind Vardhan and said, “Aye Sir.”
    Vardhan suspected tomfoolery, and didn’t turn around.
    The other officers stood up to join Surya, and Vardhan instantly turned around nervously and said “Taking positions, Sir”, just to find nobody around.
    “Looks like somebody’s wet their pants,” laughed Ramana.
    “Getting wet underwater is another new experience, right?” Surya teased.
    I remember perfectly that this was the only time during the entire operation that the crew could have some lighthearted fun. Some things are meant to happen only once.
    Every day was like an unfailing repetition of the previous day for the crew. They never refrained from their duties, neither did Mr. Sharma hold back from inspecting the crew. Two days went by without a glitch. Being young and enthusiastic, everyone had their minds set on proving their worth. They weren’t fussed about proper food and being comfortable on board. The food in storage, of course, gradually deteriorated from fresh to stale, but the crew made their pace with it.
    There was a doctor on board to attend to the crew lest any of them were injured. One day, as I was passing his room, I saw one of the crew inside with a cut finger.
    “Everything alright, Doctor?
    “Should be fine, Officer. It’s just a minor cut on the hand. He was working despite of it. I’m just fixing the wound up,” replied the Doctor.
    “No problem at all, Sir. I’ll be alright,” reassured the injured crew member.
    Another day passed.
    We received a radio message from the