my first article

                                          a flirt with SSB

I never wanted to be in the army. I really didn’t. never mind that I came from a proud lineage of army officers and war heroes. My father, my paternal grandfather, my  maternal grandfather, my great grand fathers….all were proud part of army. But not me. I hated the marching and discipline and relentless workload that came with the job. I was better off being an engineer. But my family was literally pushing me to go for it.
And so it happened, I got my call for SSB interview and off I was on a two day long train journey to Allahabad, the hometown of Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru, the world capital of pan chewing and spitting (the city is literally red with pan stains!!)

As I headed off from the station to the army center, I was firm in my resolve to not to get selected no matter what it takes.

The fun started from the second day onwards with the psychological test. There I wrote answers which I knew would have me screened out on the first day itself. According to the test I ought to have been a raving lunatic.
After the test followed a group discussion where we had to write a story upon a picture given to us. I wrote a crazy story on an alien who has landed on earth to gain nirvana by becoming a Buddhist, on a football match scene. I practically shouted everyone down in narration and interrupted the speaker.
I thought the army guys wouldn’t be psycho enough to keep me there. Infact I was so sure of my success that I had even booked my train tickets back home.

But hallelujah, a miracle occurred and I was selected. We bid a farewell to our teary eyed friends who got evicted. The rest of the day was spent in roaming around the city which was dirtier than Hiroshima was after the nuclear explosion, only in this case it was pan that was all around.

The third day was the most memorable. We had our physical tests that day. Dressed in white we went to the obstacle course. The first obstacle up our sleeves was the snake race, in which a team has to take a long rope through various obstacles while holding on to the rope. We also had to scream a slogan in the process. We started off and screamed jai hind loudly enough to puncture our lungs and ear drums. We were all excited to do something so fun together…..until came in our front a ten foot wall which we had to climb. All of us did so somehow, but our friend “Motoo”, a 120 kg giant was barely able to breathe, forget climbing. It took three people from below and two from above to be able to get that sumo over the wall. The rest of the course was somehow completed with the load of 120 kg s on our shoulders. But it was an awesome experience to do such a thing with friends.

That was followed by some more physical tests and then we were given off. We decided to go sightseeing for the day. Our group of five took a taxi to see the sites. First up was Nehru house. It was a grand estate with huge garden and a double storied house with more books than our college has and a lift too!!(The man was filthy rich to have a lift for ten stairs to climb!)
Next up was the sacred sangam of Allahabad, the “greatest spiritual spectacle”, as the sadhus there told us. Our hopes of seeing it were shattered however, when we were told that boating was forbidden for SSB cadets. My other friends headed off to see some drub castle ruins. But being a man of courage and conviction, I decided to go to the centre of the sangam and have the holy dip. The boatman a thin pale man of fifty who looked a hundred and fifty took me there taking an hour for doing so. In the middle of Sangam I stripped and jumped off . The sacred waters of Ganges and Yamuna were filthier than a nullah, with bits of plastics, decaying materials and stools all floating right in my face. I was already repenting my decision. But to my horror, my boatman was furiously paddling to the other shore. I started screaming and waving my hands, but to no avail. My friends realized I was in trouble. They took a motorboat and came for me. We followed the damned thief. He was paddling fast enough to win an Olympic gold. As we neared him, he suddenly turned and thrust his knife at me. My friend however grabbed hold of him and snatched the knife. After several punches, kicks and a solid blow from a rod, justice was restored and my clothes returned. We happily returned to shore, and laughed for a very long time over the incident. But that day my friends had saved my life and risked their own. We were strangers till 3 days ago, but today we had a bond stronger than any. We were brothers.

When we came back we played all the evening , talked, told jokes, told about ourselves and got to know each other, we told of incidents and of our homes and many other things.
That bond that we developed was so strong that I  wanted  to be with them. I suddenly knew that being in army was much more than just marching and parading. It was a band of brothers who shared their troubles and walked with each other. They could lay their lives for their nation and especially for each other.

The next day I fell ill. The “purifying ” dip in the Sangam had definitely purified me. With fever running there was no way that I could hope to do the physical challenges of the fifth day. Then on top of it, I puked on the feet of the officer who was taking our test. I don’t think I got very good marks from him

But the most touching part was that each of my friend helped me throughout the course. The even nursed me through the night. I was touched by their camaderie that only a soldier displays towards his fellow one. The next day I recovered and was frantically hoping to be selected this time. I had worked this time and really pushed myself.

But the miracle wasn’t to be this time. As it slowly sinked in that I couldn’t be any longer with my friends, my brothers, my emotions also started welling up. I realized the tradition of my forefathers and wanted to continue it with the pride and courage with which they had.

Now it was all over.
As I parted ways with hugs and tears, I vowed that the next time I go for the SSB it wouldn’t be a flirt.
Jai Hind.