Why should I go back home? Part -4 : Contest, Week IX - "The Journey of Kadim"

>He was out at night without a pass, but he told me that he was going to a settlement half a kilometer below. I didn't ask questions beyond that because I already knew the answer to all my questions. And I also knew that if he answered, an officer would have to punish them, which most officers don't want unless they want to bring a scandal out in the open.

You have read up to here-

Major Atan was looking out of the window, but I wanted him to speak to divert his attention, so I asked, "I have heard that such things are ignored as much as possible. Rather, if someone is caught in a brothel and is produced, it is not for the real crime but for not wearing the uniform, disobeying the officer, or any such crime."

Major Atan looked into my eyes and said, "You heard right. If there is a serious crime, then we act, but if we keep booking soldiers for such petty things, then the army will become infamous."

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He stopped for a while and continued, "I didn't feel I should have punished him for that, so I decided to let him go. In general, I punished soldiers only when they indulged in serious crimes. Well, that day I scolded him and left him. But two days later, he was again there and in a strange situation."

I asked him aimlessly, "How was that?"

"That day I was out and late. It must be midnight; while going on patrol around the same place, I heard a scream. Stopping the car, I switched off the light and went towards a culvert with a torch from where the sound was coming.

You guessed right, beneath the culvert stood a local woman full of anger and at some distance, a disheveled soldier, his cap and belt lying on the ground and a bush shirt in hand.

I got down and asked, 'What is this?' But only then, looking into the eyes of that soldier, did I recognize that he was the same person whom I had caught the day before yesterday, and secondly, he was quite drunk.

I asked in a more stern voice, 'Don't you feel ashamed? What were you doing?"

He said, "She is mine."

I said, "Shut up!" and told the woman to leave. But she stood still.
I asked her, "Why don't you go?"
Then she said somewhat hesitantly, "I want my money."
"She must have been quite shameless too!"

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Yes, it was strange. I understood from the broken sentences spoken by both of them that this soldier had met her two to three hours ago, spent time with her, and then went further toward the village. When he was on his way back and met her on the way, he caught hold of her once again.

Major Atan stopped for a while and said sarcastically, "He probably thought she was his woman, so he didn't want to pay her."

To be continued...