The two NCOs barked a command, and the two squads separated. At another barked command, they picked up their rifles. They were ordered to present arms. "Aik, dho, theen; aik dho theen; aik" (One, two three; one two three; one; the familiar rhythmic candence that has the power to make my _c_o_c_k_ drip precum just as the sound of the dinner bell made Pavlov's dog drool saliva).
One of the NCOs - - the one who was more playful and had allowed the flirtatious jawan get away with less running - - pushed his way into the second row. And though I was too far away to see what he was doing, I saw one jawan stagger backward. I guessed that he had probably slapped his face.
My guess was soon confirmed when the other NCO - - much more humorless and draconian; the one who had mercilessly swatted the jawan when the squad had been ordered to take his distance - - rushed up to a jawan in the front row of his squad and slapped his face smartly. The boy must have had great self control because he didn't move, nor did his rifle. The NCO then slapped the boy beside him. And the next boy as well. All three were slapped in the face, hard. Crack, crack, crack. The third boy staggered back with the force of the blow and hurriedly resumed his position, probably terrified of another blow (the perv of course was wishing he had been struck again). Apart from the pain, the second and third boy must have had the terror of anticipation.
By the way, I wonder how it was decided who would be in the first and second and third rows (or I guess the more military term would be ranks). The jawans in the first and second rows were punished far more than those in the third. From the distance that I was at, I could see one rather unsure jawan in the third row fumble in his drill more than once, but he was never punished. Either the NCos couldn't spot him, or maybe he was getting special favors (because he fervently rimmed his NCO's filthy bunghole every night after lights out? sorry, the perv is fantasizing).