XXXIV

 That is me, many moons ago, actually 34 years to be precise, with a healthy growth on the head. Over these years while most of us have greyed, some like me have gone bald but that is not the sum total of these decades. It's 34 years today since we took the proverbial "Last step" "Antim Pag" through the hallowed portals of Chetwode, at our alma mater the Indian Military Academy after a gruelling but highly enriching year in Dehradun.  My better half always chides me that we have stopped growing since that day because, we got stuck by the 'Antim Pag'......how I wish, somebody takes a call and introduces the next step there itself as the "Pratham Pag", after all it is the first firm step that we took that very day on this glorious journey. To paraphrase Neil Armstrong, the first man on the Moon, "A small step for the Young Officer  but a giant leap for the guardian of the sentinels of this great nation." For some it was an year and a half, while for some of us more fortunate ones it was after 9/10 years, having been through RIMC, Sainik Schools or Military Schools. Three decades plus is a life time, in our profession it not just the number of years spent pursuing our passion, our career, it has actually shaped who we are and no wonder our brotherhood and camaraderie is unmatched.

Our course was baptised in the icy heights of Sia Chen and the jungles of Sri Lanka. Immediately on commissioning, many of our friends were inducted into OP MEGHDOOT and OP PAWAN. We realised the pain and anguish of losing our buddies rather early, with Ramesh Rawat and Kang making the supreme sacrifice in OP PAWAN. Two Ashoks, Ashok Chaudhary and Ashok Sharma were awarded VrC in OP MEGHDOOT. Quite a beginning...Later we made it a habit with everyone of us doing our duty in Kashmir, Punjab, North East, UN and of course Kargil where again Deepak Rampal did us proud by his gallantry being awarded VrC. 

Out of sheer habit, I congratulated my neighbour, squadron type and dear friend Manjeet Singh Mokha on this momentous occasion. His response that it was I who had completed 34, he had since retired, got me thinking.....can we actually retire. I am amongst the fortunate ones to be still donning the uniform, albeit the colour now is black as against the Olive Greens that we chose, but those who have superannuated or have chosen to pursue a second career early on in life, they may have shed their uniforms but their heart still beats for the fauj. I am sure each of the veterans will swear by that, in fact, the bickering which we come across on various Whats App course groups is a testimony to the fact that we all continue to remain so involved with our Army, Navy, Airforce, Units, Paltan, Reunions and so on. Had we not been concerned, we would have gladly ignored the travails today, but at the drop of a hat we are prepared to trudge hundreds of kilometres just to break bread with our very own. Yes, they are the actual kith and kin, our brothers who were there to cover for you then and they are here today, should the need arise. The pandemic is one such period when this brotherhood has been at display in ample measure.

Life goes on, future remains as uncertain as it always is, "Kal ho na ho..." some of us God willing will serve a couple of years more, may rise in the hierarchy further .....it will be cause celebre for all of us, as though we have achieved the very same milestones, actually each one of us can take some credit for their success. It is also time to be grateful to the Almighty for having taken good care of us, some of our brethren haven't been that lucky, they laid down their lives in the service of their motherland, some others have crossed over to Valhalla by His design.The ones in the civil street today are also by and large acquitting themselves well, some have rapidly climbed the ladder of success....we have entrepreneurs, Cricket League COOs, AirLine owners, politicians, Financial wizards, Tech whiz, Management Gurus ; some chose to keep on running have become ultra marathoners, some have entered the academic arena, criss crossing the continents but just a call away when in need. So here is to the brotherhood of arms.....cheers!