Real Stories by a Commander who cares

Commander who Cares & shares !

I was born in a Military hospital at Ambala Cantt. My father served the nation as a soldier in the Indian Army for 28 years.

I studied in a residential Military school for six years. All my thoughts, traits, wisdom & Love for the Nation evolved very early in life while studying at Ajmer Military school.

We used to have only one aim those days in our school - Join the Army. The whole batch used to prepare & appear for NDA while in school & not doing so was looked down upon. I took fancy to reading english classics from class ninth or so & was one of the favourites customers of the very tall Mr. Rattan, the Librarian. When in class ninth I was given a choice of either taking drawing or English Literature I jumped towards the Queen`s english. Subsequently the passion for the language got me admission in St. Stephens but that was not to be.

I could not go to NDA because of a weak maths from which I have still not recovered. I cannot even now calculate what benefit I will get for writing this post early morning !

No knowledge without college. I also got my share there in ARSD College while doing B Com as the plan B was to join Bank of Punjab from the back door if my all attempts to get a commission in the Army did not materialise. B Com proved to my green card to get into Indian Air Force Accounts branch. I was an ordinary cadet in the Academy as my focus was to have a good time & just pass out as a Pilot officer after the training.

I was posted to Srinagar as a 21 years young pilot officer in 1982 & used to spend my free time riding the brand new Yezdi with a Delhi number. All smart girls in GCW,Srinagar knew the number plate as well the owner. Saturday evenings used to be spent in Amar Singh club as a lot of well heeled girls used to come there. Sunday mornings were reserved for Rainawari Gurudwara near Hari parbat for similar reasons. We made lifelong friends there while serving in J & K. They say friendship in Fauj is from guard room to guard room but we proved this wrong.

We went for drives to Gulmarg, had dates in Baramullah around 90 kms from Srinagar, played hockey with Villagers in Singhpura,Baramullah & had all kinds of adventures which were possible or sometimes unthinkable by an Air Force officer.

In 1983 while coming back from a holiday at Delhi , our transit bus got struck near Banihal tunnel for 6 nights & 7 days. Me & Lt. Tripta Suri from Military Nursing Service became life long buddies in those 7 days. We survived that week eating puris & Alu & since lunch was not on the house we used to walk each day in the snow for a good half an hour to have it in the only dhaba in Banihal town.

In 2000 I met Col Tripta Suri again by chance in MH Secunderabad where I had gone for a surgery. All the other officers used to feel jealous of me when the chinese food used to come for me from the Nursing officers mess. Col Tripta suri is retired & lives with her mother in Pune & is an instructor in a hospital there.

I have a pandora box full of stories but I will keep a few for the next time & next after that.

Do U have stories to tell ? M sure U have !

Do share it with all of us .We are waiting for them eagerly.

#Commanderwhocares

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