Brotherhood

 “Let their flesh be renewed like a child’s; let them be restored as in the days of their youth”—JOB 33:25. Thus spake the Bible; closer home Jagjit Singh’s immortalised Gazal 

“देने वाले मुझे मौजों की रवानी दे दे,फिर से एक बार मुझे मेरी जवानी दे दे

अब्र हो, जाम हो, साक़ी हो मेरे पहलू में,कोई तो शाम मुझे ऐसी सुहानी दे दे”

Shadab Lahori’s verses describe our feelings and emotions, having just returned after a reunion of 60 plus NDA course-mates, band of brothers, rogues, each one an emperor! 

Every reunion we are reborn, emerge fresh as a lark, as though it was just yesterday when we entered the haloed Pashan Gate, as if in a daze. The cradle where we entered as young boys and graduated as men of honour, National Defence Academy.Having grown up and forced to lead a rather mature adult life, we long for those carefree days and these Reunions fulfil that desire.

If I were to say that Covid has taken a massive toll on the social life, it would be an understatement. We hanker for company, long to meet our dear friends, buddies since last almost four decades. We have shared good and bad times, been through some nightmares and exhilarating spirited moments. Unfortunately one of the major effects of the lockdown during this pandemic was the extended time spent staring at the screens of mobile, pad or Laptops. Like in all other groups, our Course too has had its share of fracas amongst the Right and Left, Hindu-Muslim etc. In fact sometimes the attacks became very personal and vicious. The level of toxicity was multiplying exponentially. The liberals believed themselves to be the true inheritors of our secular legacy, while the Right believed that it was high time the wrongs of centuries needed to be corrected. Deja vu….I am sure almost all the groups have caught this bug.

Time for Bob Bakshi, the course logistician, josh box to get into the act, he announces a course get-together, the venue and date are fixed, we were expected to confirm  our acceptance by return mail/message. Lo and behold there were sixty one of us who confirmed. Friends from Bangalore, Hyderabad and Mhow travelled all the way to Delhi some flew in, some drove down, just to be friends, to relive those good old days, that backslap, the warm hugs, handshakes to reinforce the bonds which even the pandemics can not shake! Just guffaw over nonsensical jokes to an onlooker. Started on a sombre note by condoling the unfortunate demise of some friends during this pandemic. But as the drinks flowed the toxicity vanished… we went back to being just the bunch of 16 year olds once again, pulling each other’s legs over the receding hairlines and growing waistlines, genuinely happy and pleased with the career progress of some, enquiring about spouses, kids, their careers, matrimony, grandparenthood and also concerns about the looming retirement ahead for some of us. We discussed about our chosen retirement abodes and how we could just live it up in the days ahead…All in all , bon homie, camaraderie and joie de vivre………Long live the brotherhood!!!