Chapter Two -Adventure Hike to 3 EME center Bhopal

STATION: D'DUN
CABIN NO 3 – Z COY
24 MARCH 2008

Having arrived at Bhopal, after a journey that saw us enjoying every stretch of NH-59 and a sleeper journey through one of the slowest trains in India, it came as a real shock to me once we entered into the 3 EME Center. After an unexpected Musical welcome by the unit band, and introduction to the officers, we were addressed by the commandant Brig Joshi. It was after listening to him that I realized that this was not going to be just another boring visit to some military establishment. It was supposed to be an adventure hike and 3 EME Center was all set to give us an adventure of a life time.

The very next day, we were going to proceed on a bike hike to Sanchi a distance of 55 Kms. We were not going to be given the ‘Pulsars’ and ‘Thunder birds’, but what we ended up getting was something far better. The latest version of the famous fire fox cycles, with a top speed of 80 kmph, known for their light weight, easy handling & most important of all – STYLE !

As dawn came, I was ready like all my mates, in our Games Rig with Sanchi in our minds. There were only 12 fire fox cycles and the rest were mountain bikes. The hike strength was 42, and so having shared with us the danger involved in handling fire fox as an amateur, volunteers for the fox were told to separate out.

I was indeed lucky to find, all my mates of NDA in the elite group, all set to embark on an adventure of a life time. We were send in batches of six, I was lucky to be in the leading file too, and within minutes after the flag off I was whizzing past the trees lining the road at an incredible speed. At times we were forced to slow down for others to catch up, yet I enjoyed the new morning breeze of the country side, the beautiful cane fields that were waiving at us merrily and of course the totally dumb struck villagers who clapped for us and cried- Bharath Mata Ki Jai!

Frankly, for the first time in my life I realized, what it means to be a Fauji, as the feeling of Pride and Honour grew in me and in others around too around me. This I guess was the moment which no MNC’s can give in their package.

We arrived in Sanchi at 1100 Hrs and I could see in the eyes of all my comrades a great sense of achievement. Our tryst with adventure continued in the days ahead, whether it was the Hot Air Ballooning or the wonderful Cruise in the Lake. The party in the Officer’s Mess and the Holi celebrations were the tipsy pudding to our visit.

But at the end of the visit, the most memorable moment of my life, still continues to be the Bike Hike. Me-My Fire Fox-The Fields-The Villagers-The Cheering-and of course the Tears (which I made sure no one around me got to see)

Chapter One - Encounter with an Angel

STATION: D'DUN
MILITARY HOSPITAL
07 MARCH 2008

Well what can I say? It seems I have one of those Infatuation phases all set to enter my life once again. The last two days have been very pleasant thanks to the wonderful dreams I keep having about Love and Romance.

This girl just keeps entering my imagination every time I am idle, and guess what, having been admitted in the Military Hospital, I guess I am free 24 X 7..!

I met her or rather had a chance encounter two days ago in the out patient dept. She came with her younger brother, who had some sort of fracture in his wrist. She was wearing something Light grey for my eyes, but it did not matter what she was wearing, what captivated me was her innocent, cute and charming looks. Every feature, I felt was carved to perfection. I almost had an intuition that perhaps I was seeing the Goddess of beauty for real.

And when she smiled, My God, I almost had a heart attack, I couldn’t breathe for a while, my limbs were paralyzed and I felt an uneasy numbness throughout my body. I just couldn’t wait to hear her voice, and guess what , My stars were helping me get a seat straight ahead of her, and before I knew I listened, mesmerized physically & spiritually to the sweetest voice ever created in the Universe. Every expression in her face was accompanied by a wonderful blush that sends shivers through my mind and spine.

All of a sudden, I felt I was completely cured of all the fractures and contusions. The whole world became haze and I entered into a dream world, where the only things that existed was Me, Her and Nature- Both so delicate yet so fragile.

All this and more I was imagining without talking my eyes off her, and just then she realized some cadet is staring at her for a long time. I guess she was shocked and surprised and that actually made me lose my wit and I started to panic too. I have had this inherited defect of being a wuzzo when it comes to relationship and/or just a plain conversation with someone from the opposite sex after having dreamt and imagined about them.

So here I was, a to be officer in the world’s Second Largest Army, scared and Shivering. She just kept staring at me for a while and must have noticed that I would have glanced at her around twenty times in a minute, for some reason or the other. She on longer felt suspicious. Besides I was not a stranger to her, I wasn’t a stranger to anyone. Everyone knew an IMA cadet, especially in the Military Hospital, we were treated like Officers.

I am sure she must have by then deduced that I was Maroing line on her. She blushed a little, bends her head down and gave glances now and then. I almost felt like having a non verbal two way communication with her. While all this was happening her appointment with the doctor had finally come and as she stood up, I just couldn’t dare to look anything else but her, the force of attraction was impossible to overcome, and I saw a tall, slim and the most perfect girl ever in my life. As she came out after her appointment, it was my turn to go in, knowing that she may or may not be outside when I come back, I decided to enjoy and savor my last moment with her.

As I was about to enter the room, involuntarily I turned back in a moment of impulse and our eyes met – In her I saw my whole world.

Eventually I was diagnosed for a low backbone injury, and I lost track of the beautiful girl in Grey- My dream Princess who almost captivated me to follow her unto death.

Well, as I refresh my memories, I feel funny and happy, - happy because of the wonderful time and the sweet memories and funny because of the mystic human emotions. Only a feeble mind like ours could device an emotion called love, which can change a person’s attitude, his perception of things, and in bizarre cases his very life. As I close my narration, I remember the Bible and I quote, “….So three things exist, Faith, Hope and Love-the greatest among them being Love!”

FOREWORD

I have always dreamt of writing my very own book, since I have been having an extraordinary personal life not less than a totally weird Hollywood flick, but being an amateur in this field and having no literary experiences I have decided to have a humble beginning in the form of Anecdotes.

“Memoirs of a Young Soldier " is a collection of small incidents that has influenced my perception of things, the way they are, the way I see world. In short it is a real life experience of a young youth-Me. Set in the lush green Dehradun valley... In the Indian Military Academy, each of these incidents has kindled some adrenaline movement in my veins and am sure would indeed touch your heart too.

Happy Reading....!!!