Sameer you will be missed

Sameer Anukul, 16304, 49 Div, Mike Squadron, NDA Wing Ghorpuri, a thin and wiry spectacled young boy with a ready smile, that is the recollection of our first meeting. We were roommates, with Reuben Peters, NA Vinod, KPS Rana, Sameer and self. Quite a motley bunch of cadets, Peters from Orissa now Odisha, the NDA merit list topper, the joker of the pack, always upto some tricks. Sameer’s dad was in the Air Force, he had studied in KV Tirumelgherry Secunderabad, KPS was from Sainik School Nagrota, an outstanding sportsperson, but generally quiet by nature, may be a little uncomfortable amongst the Angrez, that the rest of us were. Vinod was a TamBramh a Tamilian Brahmin, a second generation fauji, his father was a Gunner, with quite a few tales of his participation in the 71 War. 

We were blooded together, never heard Sameer complain or crib, always cheerful and a voracious reader. The six months just whizzed past and we landed up in the main academy, but in different squadrons, he was from Social Science stream, I was a techie, so hardly any interactions during the next five terms. Then we landed up in the same Company in IMA, Keren, his frame remained the same, more cheerful and outgoing and was an excellent team person. He opted for Paras, which seemed a little odd with his physique, we would often joke that you needed weight for the parachute to descend down, he would probably simply fly off. These maroon berets types are made of a different mettle, whether Sameer, Akshaya, Yash, Sreehari or GP or even Arvind Sharma, each one very different from the other, the first three very thin, but fit, not the cross country or Boxing or Obstacle medallist variety but fit, GP was a fit candidate, my class type since NDA, Arvind was big, taller on the plumpish side but every bit a paratrooper. Battle hardened, each one an outstanding professional soldier. 

After the academy, we did not cross paths, but then you keep hearing about your friends through mutual friends. He had done his staff course after the Kargil war where his battalion 5 PARA had a major role to play. I finally caught up with him when I was doing the rounds of Army HQ prior to my UN deployment, he was in the HQ, having been overlooked for the promotion, already made up his mind to quit after 20 years and was preparing for it in right earnest. He made a very successful transition to the Corporate world, excelling and quickly rising in the hierarchy, just going on to prove that his parting ways with the Army was Army’s loss. His calibre was recognised by the industry and his industrious nature, clear thinking and strategic vision propelled him into the big league. 

I again bumped into him in Bengaluru, that is where he was settled sometime in 2009-10. I was recovering in the AirForce Command Hospital from a bout of Bell’s Palsy. I met Yash and Amit Pande also there. Amit was in the CMP Centre preparing to jump ship, while Yash as usual remained the hard core OG. Then we met up during the Reunions, always a pleasure to chat up with him, pull his leg for the girth that he had accumulated around his waist and the whiskers that he was so proud of, resembling those of Merv Hughes, the Australian bowler. Until suddenly when I saw Haldia’s desperate message on the group on 20 Apr that he was with Sameer driving, looking for a hospital bed, as his condition had deteriorated. The course-mates started to look for beds in these pandemic times, the most prized commodity. Finally it took Arvinder  who swung it in the Max Hospital at Patparganj, after he was denied admission in Base Hospital. Though later even that was available after the Generals of our course got into the act. The next battle was looking for a Plasma donor, where again, Sehrawat and Haldia managed it. Haldia has been rock solid , a true brother, he left no stone unturned. Despite all the efforts, it was time for him to say adios, I am sure he would not have wanted to go down like this, but he did go down fighting, truly like a soldier, despite the odds, he did not give up and we all remained hopeful that he would recover. Sadly, he didn’t. Loss of a course mate is like losing a brother, having been through thick and thin, we are way more than blood brothers. May he rest in peace at Valhalla.