by Amit Sidham
Aadi called Avanish. It took him a bit of convincing but Avanish finally agreed.
Avanish spoke with the Commander, ‘Speak to your bosses. Convince them to stop this attack and we will provide treatment to the commandos. We are ready for a discussion, to listen to the government’s expectations.’
The Commander now realized he was fighting a difficult opponent and yet the opponent was so humble. In spite of having an upper hand till now, opponent was indirectly indicating towards a surrender. The commander had developed a lot of respect for his opponents. In his mind, he felt like stopping the attack, but was bound by his duty. He saw a golden opportunity in the offer from Avanish. He could portray this as willingness to surrender by the opponents and convince his bosses to stop the attack.
But before going back to his bosses he wanted to check on the condition of the commandoes who had been captured. He asked Avanish for the same and Avanish connected the Commander with the captured soldiers through a video call. The Commander saw where his commandos were and after getting an update from them from the time the first batch of ten were captured by the robots till the commandos who had been air dropped on the mountain getting captured and joining them, was impressed further.
His respect for his opponents now grew manifold. They had treated the commandos with respect, offered them a comfortable environment, neither used them as bait for negotiation nor compelled them in any way to help stop the attack.
He called his bosses and convinced them to stop the attack and resolve the matter through a dialogue.
The infected commandos and the doctors were brought in. The vets discussed with the doctors on the treatment given so far and studied the patients. Concluding nothing serious had happened prescribed them a dip in the chlorophyll or green blood pool to neutralize the effect of the solution. The commandos felt instant relief. To relax them further the vets also sent them for the ‘Spiritual Sanitising Bath.’
The media had played a very neutral role in this entire episode. They reported nothing but the facts. No dramatization, no polarization of news. In this battle of two superpowers they feared antagonizing the other by siding with one. While it did not defame the image of GALAXY, the people’s opinion was divided with ATF being the other party.
The discussions were to be held at the Prime Minister’s Office next morning. But surprising and contrary to the PMO, media and people’s belief, all the commandos were released before the discussions itself. Only the Commander and the commandos could understand this gesture.
While the chances of the team going down for a discussion being held captive were remote, from a safety stand point the possibility could not be neglected. And hence it was decided to keep the team as lean as possible. Due to his mind reading abilities, it was absolutely essential for Samir to go with Aadi. For security reasons it was decided that Avanish should stay back at the headquarter itself. In case Aadi and Samir were held captive, Avanish was the one who could rescue them. Escape would be difficult if he too got captured. Hence it was decided that only Aadi and Samir would go for the discussions along with two security robots.
Chapter 30
PEACE NEGOTIATIONS
8th January’ 2019
Aadi and Samir reached the PMO sharp at 9:25 am for the 9:30 am meeting. The Prime Minister and his team of Advisors expressed their concerns about the growing influence and interference of GALAXY in the administrative matters pertaining to the nation.
Aadi and Samir had already anticipated what the concerns were going to be and had finalized their strategy accordingly. Samir was reading each and every one closely and signalled Aadi. This signal was that there was consistency in what was anticipated, what was said by the spokesperson and what was going on in the minds of all.
Aadi began, ‘I do understand in our obsession for protection and flourishment of Mother Nature, we have taken certain steps which would have been interpreted as interference in government matters, as our arrogance but none of it was intentional. Whatever has happened cannot be reversed. What can now be done is that the government lay out their expectations from us. We will review and confirm our adherence or let you know about an alternate mutually acceptable option on the same. We also wish for the progress of the Nation along with flourishment of Mother Nature. And to begin with, we offer to return the nation’s wealth of Three Lakh Fifty-Six Thousand Crores with interest, that we had managed to get from some of the corrupt politicians.’
This was pretty fast and completely unexpected. The government had not anticipated GALAXY to succumb so easily. Offering to return the nation’s wealth was an icing on the cake.
The proposal even if too good to be true, even if a trap was definitely worth pursuing further. The Prime Minister whispered something in the spokesperson’s ears. The spokesperson nodded. He had received the go ahead from the PM. He began reading out the government’s expectations.
SPOKESPERSON: GALAXY will not interact with any other nation’s government directly. Any interaction should happen only through the Indian government.
AADI: If the government is extending its support in making not just the country but the planet greener, we whole heartedly welcome it. It makes our job easier. In fact we can have an internal arrangement, where the government charges a premium to other nations, we provide the expertise and solutions in making the other nations a greener place and government gives us an assurance about utilizing the premium charged to them on green projects within the country.
The team discussed amongst themselves and the PM nodded.
SPOKESPERSON: Good suggestion. Agreed.
SPOKESPERSON: Next point. GALAXY will not influence or pressurize any government official in defining or amending the industrial policy. It is the government’s prerogative and responsibility to ensure fair industrial policy for the benefit of all sizes and types of industries and not favour any one in particular.
AADI: If the industrial policy ensures the highest standards of environmental safety, it saves our time, trouble and money. Its impact on size or type of industry does not matter us. We leave it completely upon the government. Our concern is about having an industrial policy that is lenient on environmental safety norms. While it might appear to benefit industry growth and bring down prices in the short run, its long term implications are extremely expensive, expensive for the consumers, for the industry, for the government and hazardous to the environment.
Take the example of plastic. The ill effects were known but due to a policy lenient on environmental norms, today everyone is suffering. Consumers who lived with negligible cost substitutes before arrival of plastic are now spending a fortune on bags and containers substituting plastic, industries which had invested in equipment for large scale production are staring at the dead investment after the ban on plastic and government is spending a huge amount in disposal of plastic waste.
If the government can assure us highest standards of environmental safety in the industrial policy, we commit not only zero interference in the industrial policy but helping industries, particularly small ones with technology and funding in set up of environmental safety measures. In fact we are even fine with the government launching a ‘Prime Minister Clean and Green Environment’ scheme to provide subsidy or financial aid to small industries for implementation of environmental safety measures, the funding of which would be done by us.
The team again discussed amongst themselves and the PM whispered to the spokesperson.
SPOKESPERSON: What is the budget that you will fund for this initiative?
Aadi discussed with Samir, who had already read the minds and interpreted a figure that would please them.
AADI: Twenty-Five Thousand Crores per annum.
The team discussed and PM gave his agreement.
SPOKESPERSON: Suggestion accepted.
SPOKESPERSON: Next point. GALAXY agrees to not take the law in its hand and there will be no repeat of a Rocky Zutshi like episode ever again.
AADI: This is something a
gain in the hands of the government. If the government can guarantee that there will not be a start of a Rocky Zutshi like episode we guarantee that there will not be an end in a Rocky Zutshi like manner. But, what do we do when a case of poaching comes in front and after the case running for a long time the culprit gets acquitted? The government may not be able to curb poaching completely. The police may not be able to catch hold of the culprit. The judiciary may not be able to convict the criminal. But he deserves punishment. In that case, punishment surely has to happen. It may not happen in a Rocky Zutshi manner, but it will surely happen in a different way.
Now it was time for the PMO team to get concerned. All this time they had been wondering about this unexpected behaviour. While they had called Aadi to put restrains on GALAXY, Aadi had not just easily agreed to their terms but in fact himself offered help that would benefit the nation and improve the image of the government. Here was his real face coming out.
He was not going to accept anything against his wish that posed a threat to Mother Nature. But there was a silver lining to his last statement ‘…it will happen in a different way.’ The team of advisors discussed and concluded that while not just Aadi but anybody for that matter could not be stopped from doing something discreetly. A case could definitely be registered. They discussed their suggestion with the PM and he was fine with it.
SPOKESPERSON: Ok.
SPOKESPERSON: We want you to share the details of black money and the proof you have.
AADI: We have given those individuals our word and will live by it. It’s not something that’s not known to the media, to the common man, to the government. We have just acted upon it a step further. And I am sure, the government too can do it.
SPOKESPERSON: One last point. Our nation has a few enemies. And some of them are superior in terms of Military technology as compared to our existing one. You have certain advanced technology in your arsenal. As a responsible citizen what help will you provide the country in terms of National Security.
Aadi was slightly taken aback. They had not discussed this point and were unprepared for this question. Their arsenal was their strength by virtue of which they were alive in spite of a small team. Sharing it meant losing out on the technological superiority and what was the assurance that it would not be used against them? On the other hand refusing to share meant being labelled a threat to national security, in the eyes of the people, which is exactly what the government had tried to project them before the attack.
Aadi requested for a few moments of privacy. The PM announced a break. Aadi and Samir walked out into an adjacent room for a discussion. Samir had read Aadi’s mind and posed a question in front of him, ‘What does help mean? Does it only mean sharing technology?’ And they got their answer.
They were back to their seats in fifteen minutes and the meeting reconvened a while after.
SPOKESPERSON: So, what help will you provide the country in terms of National Security?
AADI: We commit to equipping our soldiers with appropriate technology whenever need arises.
SPOKESPERSON: Will you not share the technology?
AADI: What technology do you expect us to share? If you are referring to the technology that the soldiers witnessed yesterday, it is just the tip of the iceberg. At the same time, we cannot share everything for obvious reasons. And now whatever is out in the open, the enemies would have already started thinking about ways to counter it. Hence the solution that we are offering is a win-win situation.
The PMO team discussed amongst themselves.
SPOKESPERSON: Ok. Thank You.
Aadi and Samir shook hands with the Prime Minister and his team and left the room. There was rejoice in the PMO. The discussion had benefited them beyond expectations. While the whole agenda was to curb the growing power of GALAXY, the PMO team had succeeded in making the Nation and the government stronger.
They were going to benefit by bringing back Three Lakh Fifty-Six Thousand Crores with interest of the nation’s wealth.
They were also going to benefit in terms of image and monies by sale of GALAXY green technology to other nations.
They had also received Twenty-Five Thousand Crore funding per annum for a scheme benefitting small industries.
And lastly, received military technology support.
The Commander who had headed the attack previous day had been entrusted with the security of the PMO, as he was the one who had seen GALAXY and its weaponry from close quarters. When Aadi and Samir were leaving the PMO he escorted them to their chopper and he and his team of commandos saluted them. Aadi and Samir humbly accepted the salute and saluted them back in the same military manner. Samir had heard the saying ‘Respect is to be commanded and not demanded’ and he couldn’t have witnessed a better example of the same. A team that had previous day come to kill them, was now saluting them, not out of fear but out of respect.
Once Aadi and Samir had boarded their chopper they looked towards each other and smiled. Their strategy had worked. What one would have expected this discussion as the government putting forward its expectations and GALAXY either accepting it or requesting some leniency, in short a ‘You Win, I Lose’ situation for GALAXY, Aadi and Samir had very smartly turned it into a ‘You Win I Win’ situation. In the entire discussion, it was the PMO spokesperson who had put forward the conditions and it was he himself who had used the terms ‘agreed, accepted, ok and thank you.’
This had become possible because Aadi and Samir had very subtly thrown back the condition while preserving self-interest and at the same time sweetening the output for the government.
Returning nation’s money back to the nation was part of their agenda. This discussion just served as a platform for the same. Sale of green technology to other nations was now going to bring in additional money that was going to be utilized for green projects within the country. They had made provision for the government to earn money and at the same time utilize it in an area they wanted. After addressing automobile pollution, pollution due to electricity generation, river restoration and forest cover expansion, curbing industrial pollution was the next focus area for GALAXY. So, a budget of Twenty-Five Thousand Crores per annum for implementation of environmental safety measures in industries was already provisioned. And the last one had come as a blessing in disguise. Committing military technology support had eradicated the remotest possibility of any future attack by the government on them. After all nobody would attack their own source of technological support.
Samir had today learnt another aspect of Aadi. While common people would have compromised and accepted a Win-Lose situation, geniuses would have strived to make it a Win-Win situation, but it was Aadi who converted it into a Win more - Win more situation. Sirs and Bosses are many. In ‘n’ people there could be ‘n-1’ Sirs or bosses but Chief is only one. It was not without reason that everyone referred to him as Chief.
Chapter 31
YET ANOTHER SURPRISE
1st June’ 2019
‘Come, let’s go’ Avanish said knocking and peeping into Aakash’s office. Aadi had called for an impromptu meeting. Not that the situation at the headquarter was ever tensed but today there was not even a slight hint of a snag, making the atmosphere even more cool.
It was definitely not business, nor anything related to the mission. Though decisions were taken very quickly there would always be some time and thought behind the same. Off late, there had been nothing new in the pipeline. So what could it be about?
Well, all the speculations were going to be put to rest and all anxiety to end very soon, as Aadi did not have the habit of playing around with words and would come directly to the point.
Once everybody was seated Aadi walked into the room with a calm face. He glanced towards everyone in the room and the moment his eyes met Samir’s, Samir’s face was filled with shock and horror. With a left to right movement of his head, Aadi indicated a ‘NO’, asking him to remain calm and control his emotions.
Aadi began, ‘
Friends, while my face might not show it but it’s not easy for me to make this announcement. It’s been twelve years, we embarked on this journey. Starting with a few amongst us, we kept adding and moving forward on our mission. It has been a unique and wonderful journey coming together as individuals, keeping together when we worked in different organizations and in parallel building our foundation, our NGO, our businesses, and finally working together, fighting battles on multiple fronts once all was out in the open. I want to thank each one of you for owning up the mission and supporting me to play my role efficiently. And now that things have streamlined, everything is under complete control…I have decided to Hang up my Boots.’
For a moment there was a pin drop silence before everybody started asking different questions but each of them meaning only one thing – Why? While everybody could sense what was coming once Aadi started speaking, Aadi’s blow came even before they could pray and put their negative thoughts to rest.
Jivika came running towards Aadi, hugged him and said ‘Chief, you can’t do this. You cannot leave us. How can you take this decision alone? We will not let you go.’ Holding her by her arms and distancing her from himself, Aadi opened his mouth for the first time after the storm. ‘I know it’s a very emotional moment for all of us including myself. During these twelve years we have come so close to each other that imagining life without either of us is extremely difficult. When one combines the bond between soldiers of a battalion during the battle, the bond between the players of a football team during the World Cup finals, the bond between a person and his family; is the bond that we share amongst us. But when we began, we had vowed to ourselves that whenever a situation comes where we have to choose between our emotions and our mission, it will always be the latter.’