Shamming

"Life is a sham" should be adopted as the anthem of Rimcollians, of course the credit goes to Stephen Wrench for penning the lyrics and even composing it for us. Some of us have just shammed our way through our lives unabashedly. Shamming is not merely hoodwinking your nemesis, incidentally we Rimcollians have perfected it to an art form having copyright over the very concept, at least in the Armed Forces. It was only when we landed in the haloed precincts of National Defence Academy that the epithet of "Shammer" was bestowed on most our creed. Having spent five years doing the same set of physicals, we had the attitude of having been there, done that! We were practically the more evolved species of Cadets along with our brethren from Sainik Schools and Military Schools, we poured scorn over the 'Johnny come lately' who were struggling.  We were the proverbial Abhimanyus who had mastered the art in the wombs, yes you can describe the preparatory schools as the wombs where we were nurtured and then delivered to NDA in due course. There was no shame in shamming, if it did shame you then you ought not to have shammed. Yes there is code of conduct, as to where  one can and the red lines are quite clear, it's your conscience, which keeps you in check.

   Having realised the futility of it all, in our stage of Nirvana, we could literally sleep walk through the usual ragda without even batting an eyelid. This attitude and the tricks of the trade naturally irked the seniors, who realised that their endeavours at making our lives miserable had little or no impact on our well being. One typical example was the front rolls, the execution of which had to be observed as we could measure the whole corridor measuring may be about 80 odd metres was covered in barely four or may be five front rolls, which the greenhorns would probably take about 20 of them to reach the other end. No , there were no special instructions but the technique, if we can call it that, which involved executing almost a dive roll, with the front leg being utilised to provide a spring and  after the roll, a casual two more steps before the next one was executed gave us that "edge". But alas this lasted for a very brief period, till we got caught and were subjected to even harsher forms of punishments. 

Old habits die hard, having tasted blood, most of us found ways and means of simplifying things and finding easier way of doing the mundane rather than wasting our sweat on it. The beauty of this concept was knowing when 'to sham' and 'when not to', so it was never a dilemma. It was crystal clear, the routine ragda was to be shammed out as barring satisfying the ego of the seniors, it did precious little to enhance our skill sets. Shamming in the Drill Square was also considered par for the course, taking your Drill Ustaads for a ride with priceless stratagems as "Falling off a log table" or "Suffering from photosynthesis of the leg" were utilised to dodge the ever-present Drill instructors lurking behind the bushes in every nook and corner. 

Malingering was another form of shamming, wherein the cadet would feign an injury or illness and convince the doctors into awarding him a category for rest and recoup. Some of the tricks which were employed and worked were drinking a hot cup of tea in the hospital canteen and immediately have the thermometer inserted in the mouth, invariably it resulted in the recording of a temperature above normal. Some others had perfected the cut onion in the arm pit trick for a similar end result. Stress fractures  real or imaginary also brought some reprieve, though not an "Att C" or "Sick in Quarter" variety but at least an exemption from Drill,PT and Games for a couple of days.

Be that as it may, having grasped the nuances of life so early in life, that life itself is a sham or is "mithya" in other words. The advaita philosophers would be proud of our sadhna and consequent realisation of the illusoriness of the world. We became converts to the "this too shall pass!" and are living our lives in our respective states of Nirvana.