Devolution

What makes  50 pluses behave like 15 year olds wannabe, travel miles ?  Well; just a call from their course mates... to be with their brothers in arms, arm in arm, just like the good old days, reliving them, guffawing without any perceptible reason, pulling each other's legs over their appearances, balding pates, expanding girths and generally just messing around. A motley crowd of almost 70 odd Cadets with their rather mature, elegant, graceful better halves, who have adopted these juveniles, got together for one such function on the 30th April in Delhi. 

No it wasn't anyone's wedding, nor was it the usual commissioning day celebration, it was just another weekend and a clarion call by the one and only 'Bob the Bakshi' I was reminded of Stevie Wonder’s “I just called to say”, a rage during our NDA days.

“No New Year's Day to celebrate
No chocolate covered candy hearts to give away
No first of spring, no song to sing
In fact, here's just another ordinary day”

Guys travelled from as far as Vijaywada, Secunderabad, Chandigarh, Pune, Dehradun just to be there and be a part of this fun and frolic. Most have since re-attired, only some of us continue to adorn them, some have recently become grand parents, some are also 'in-laws' but when it comes to these occasions, we are the same wide eyed 16 year olds dreamers. Although most of us have lived our dreams and nightmares in the three decades plus... Wellington, Kashmir, Kargil, North East, United Nations peacekeeping, Belgaum, Mhow, Deolali, Pune  and so on.....

We live “in moments”, although philosophers would want you to live “for the moment”, which is a tough one, but it is these moments of divine pleasure which we live and die for. The bond is a strange one, we spar endlessly on what’s app on political, religious, strategic or any other nonsensical issues, throw tantrums, but face to face, all that is forgotten, it is just backslapping bon-homie!  16 year old is a very impressionable age, the bonds forged then, last lifelong. I often wonder whether this bond is due to the ragda that we withstood together, the Sinhgarhs, punishment Periphery runs, midnight bathroom sessions, Camps or was it just the time spent together for those vital three years where we got to know each other better than our parents or siblings or even spouses. Actually deep down we know when the chips are down, he will cover my back and that is the inherent strength. I dare say we were indeed fortunate and blessed to have led such an eventful and colourful lives.

Amidst all the merrymaking there are interesting tidbits which we pick up like the exploitation of technology in extraction of sandalwood oil, or that sandalwood is available in abundance in the jungles of Madhya Pradesh, I am sure you all guessed Karnataka! After all the notorious Veerappan made his living in the dreaded forests in that very belt. Someone was waxing eloquent on Realism versus liberalism, someone had taken to evangelism and some had turned spiritual without the need for any spirit, but all of us had one thing in common, espirit-de-corps!! Most of the serving varieties were busy listening to the stories of their friends who had taken the plunge rather early and joined the civilian world, the retirees were enjoying their second innings with talks veering around the types of cars and a certain "Bright Red Thar" which had captured the imagination of not just the course-mates but also of many damsels. We had our very own Cavalier regaling us with his country music, the Travoltas had the dance floor to themselves! All this while the ladies watched rather bemused at our devolution (Devolution, de-evolution, or backward evolution (not to be confused with dysgenics) is the notion that species can revert to supposedly more primitive forms over time.) Our antics were proof enough.