Even after we had covered some 3 miles, the word continued to reverberate in my ears – SPY.  As the finale of the briefing a little earlier, Captain Prithi Pal mentioned in passing “Gentlemen, we have implanted some spies in one or two groups….”

“All  the groups  don’t have spies.  So, why worry?” I assured myself as the leader of Group No. 6.. ”What’s  the job of a spy?”

The quarter moon was setting on the western sky. The four of us were walking in a single file talking and joking. Davis commented that this was the first time ever he was out in the wide open under a clear sky full of stars.  “Never knew that stars also lighted up the Earth.  We are able to see everything around us, aren’t we?.”  Rajan and Hussain said that  yet, they had to use the torch light to consult their watch.  The cross country night march, our first outdoor exercise in the Officers Training Academy, was to end around 2200 hours by which time all the 8 groups were expected to have reached Point Petro, some 10 miles away from the Academy.

While I was trying to remove the fear of a Spy in my group Ranjan casually remarked, “I say, is there  a spy in our group?” My heart revved up again.  If there is one, how do I find him out?  It was my responsibility to  identify that fellow and also deal with him if confirmed. Davis was positive that there could be no Spy among us.  When Hussain didn’t say a word, my mind became a little suspicious.  “Is good old Hussain, my neighbour  in  Kingsley hostel,  a spy? If not why isn’t he  talking…?” I put aside the thought when we came to a junction point.  Our map showed three foot paths and one single-person walking  track converging there. The compass pointed Petro in the direction of the right hand track. But that also would lead us into a village.  Not quite right to walk through a village during night time.  The street dogs would howl like hell waking up all the residents. We could be mistaken for thieves as well !  “Is there some kind of  a by pass track?”  Yes, there was one and we treaded on it.