Certain incidents have a habit of repeating themselves, just as problems and history repeat themselves. The very next morning, Lucky decided to inaugurate the dress her mother had packed for her. It was a royal blue knee-length dress with spaghetti straps.
Nutty let out a wolf whistle as Lucky accessorized it with the floppy sunhat she had bought from a shop the previous day. ‘You look like a film star,’ she said. ‘The sunhat adds a stylish touch to your lovely dress.’
The compliment made Lucky preen with delight, and she brought out a pair of sunglasses that complemented her oval-shaped face. ‘And now?’ she asked, striking a pose.
‘Just perfect!’ said Nutty, who prided herself on being a know-it-all as far as fashion was concerned. ‘I will borrow the dress and sunglasses for a photo shoot on the beach.’
‘You are welcome!’ said her generous friend and picked up the tote in which she was carrying a novel, a packet of chips and sunscreen. ‘Let’s go to the beach now.’
‘Why don’t you go ahead, we will join you shortly,’ said Billi. ‘Nutty and I will pick up some onion pakoras from the nearby shack.’
‘That’s an excellent idea. Please get some tender coconut also. See you at the same spot,’ Lucky waved at her friends. They had found a spot on Pallava Beach. It was close to their hotel and not crowded.
Ten minutes later, having slathered herself with the sunscreen lotion, Lucky settled on the sand and took out her novel. It was a breezy romance that she had picked up in the airport on the way to the OTA but had not found the time to read.
Lost in the book, she didn’t notice the two boys who had plonked themselves near her. It was only after one of them whistled at her that she looked up at the rough-looking guys.
‘Hi, beautiful!’ said one of them. ‘All alone?’
‘Want our company?’ asked another one.
There weren’t many people on the beach at that time of the morning. Lucky decided to ignore the guys, but they crept closer. ‘What’s your problem?’ she asked, exasperated by the pests.
‘We want to make friends,’ replied one of them.
‘Get lost!’ Lucky hissed. She gathered her things and stood up, but they blocked her way. ‘Let me pass,’ she said in an icy voice.
‘No, darling! We don’t allow pretty girls to pass without a kiss.’ One of the guys inched closer.
Desperate, Lucky glanced out of the corner of her eyes. The hotel was a distance away and the closest group of beach bums were at least a 100 metres away. She swung her bag and hit one of the guys on his face, while shouting for help. In the meantime, a blast of wind sent her sun hat flying into the sea.
Enraged, the two men pounced on her. One of them caught her hands and began twisting them, while the other snatched her bag. She struggled, trying to kick them in the groin.
Suddenly, she felt the grip on her loosening. There was commotion as blows began raining down on the two hoodlums. Billi and Nutty had arrived. They clobbered the chaps and kicked them hard, bringing them to their knees.
‘Bloody jackass! Bloody dust mites!’ shouted the ever inventive Nutty as she used her hands and feet on the guys. Enthused with the support, Lucky joined in.
Picking up a stick lying nearby, Billi lashed out at the men. Unfortunately, the sea-worn stick crumbled after the third blow. Undeterred, the triumvirate began raining blows upon the two guys, who cowered before them.
Suddenly, a whistle sounded and a cop arrived. It was the same cop they had met the previous evening.
‘Rascals!’ he joined the girls and began beating the chaps with his baton. ‘Madam, you leave them to me. I will take them to the police station,’ said the policeman.
‘No way!’ Billi yelled, continuing to kick the rogues. ‘We will teach them a lesson they will never forget.’
The commotion had attracted the attention of other beach bums, and soon there was a small crowd around the girls. A few onlookers joined them in beating the fellows, while some of them took photographs and made videos.
The two scoundrels finally fell at the cop’s feet and begged him to rescue them.
Saluting the girls, the policeman remarked, ‘Very brave, madam. You are good fighters and the country is proud of you. I am Constable Muthu. If you need help, ask for me at the police station.’
There was jeering and clapping as the constable led the two culprits away. It was the first time the crowd had seen OTA girls in action. Till now, their experience of action had been restricted to the big screen, but this was a live show. One of the women handed the girls a bottle of water, another offered them snacks, while their menfolk wanted to know about their training. There were several requests for selfies. Feeling like VIPs, the three friends posed with their admirers.
‘They must be teaching you judo and karate, madam,’ said a middle-aged man. ‘I saw the way you were hitting. It was like karate chops.’
‘It is good to see women fighting back,’ commented an elderly lady. ‘These goondas are making life miserable for young girls. They need to be taught a lesson.’
‘How can I join the OTA?’ asked a young girl.
The next few minutes were spent in dealing with dozens of questions that came forth from all directions.
‘Whew! What a morning!’ Nutty drew a deep breath after the crowd had dispersed. Suddenly she remembered the reason they had left Lucky alone at the beach. ‘Where are the bloody pakoras?’
The pakoras, mangled, trampled and sand-coated, were now being gobbled by a couple of mongrels. ‘Never mind, we will get some more,’ consoled Billi. ‘Let the dogs have their day.’
‘Think about it!’ remarked Nutty as they sat enjoying a celebratory meal at a shack a while later. For once, Billi didn’t object to her choice of dishes. ‘What an adventurous vacation this has been!’
‘Truly adventurous,’ agreed Lucky, digging into the fish fry. ‘I am glad we dropped the idea of going to Puducherry.’
‘That’s true!’ said Billi, as she forked out the money for the meal, and they began walking back to the hotel.
‘It’s an interesting vacation with three firsts,’ Nutty counted them on her fingers. ‘It’s the first time we have been accused of eve-teasing, the first time we have beaten ruffians…’
‘Most importantly, it’s the first time we have been saluted,’ laughed Lucky.
‘Oh, yes! I had forgotten the bloody salute from Muthu. After all, not every OTA cadet is fortunate to be saluted by a police constable.’
‘Not just that, being saluted even before being commissioned as officers is truly an achievement,’ added Lucky.
‘Wait till we narrate these incidents to Shiny,’ exclaimed Billi. ‘She will regret missing out on all the fun.’
All good things come to an end and so did the midterm break. The girls were reluctant to get back to the academy. Entering the gates of the OTA would mean the end of midterm break, so they loitered around.
‘Let’s enjoy one last meal outside the campus,’ announced Lucky.
‘I am craving a pizza,’ declared the foodie in the group. She had been searching for eateries near the OTA on her phone. ‘I don’t mind a vegetarian pizza, if you want to save money, but I must have a pizza before the bloody academy kills me with its routine.’
‘You and your food cravings,’ snorted Billi. ‘One would think you are pregnant.’
‘Look, there is an inexpensive place called Hot Breads nearby.’ Nutty pointed at the map on her phone screen. ‘I remember Kale was talking about it. They have some good burgers and pizzas. Let’s go there. PLEASE, Billi.’
‘Let her satisfy her cravings, or we won’t hear the end of it,’ urged Lucky.
‘Alright! Let me warn you that we have very little money left in the kitty, so no extravagant orders,’ warned the accounts-in-charge.
‘No extravagant orders, I promise,’ Nutty threw a disarming smile at Billi.
It was a satisfied trio that entered the portals of the academy an hour later. By the time the sun began vanishing below the horizon, almost all the first-termers were back at the OTA. The Zojila Company was buzzing like a beehive, with the first-termers on a high. Everyone had a story to share, and an experience to narrate.
Those who had gone home for the break had brought back a lot of food, and soon the aroma of home-made food spilled out of the rooms into the corridors along with loud chatter from the rooms. Overstudies and understudies shared their goodies with each other and their course- mates. Bonhomie and banter was evident everywhere.
That night, no one wanted to hurry to the mess for dinner.
‘When is Shiny returning?’ Nutty asked. The three of them were lolling on the bed in her room, going through the photographs and videos of their vacation on her phone.
‘She’s supposed to reach by dinner time,’ Lucky informed her friends, and passed a packet of chips around. ‘Should we wait for her or proceed for dinner?’
‘Let’s go for dinner,’ Nutty piped up. ‘I am feeling hungry.’
‘When are you not hungry?’ chided Billi.
It was past nine when Shiny returned, excited and loaded with all kinds of goodies. She opened the packages as soon as the gang was back from the mess. Despite the food Nutty had loaded into her stomach, she pounced on the home-baked cake like a starving baboon and the party continued. The girls updated their friend about their adventures in Mahabalipuram.
‘I am feeling so jealous. You guys had a rollicking time, while I was at home. Next time, I am joining the three of you,’ announced Shiny.
It was past 9.30 p.m., but no one was in the mood to end the celebrations. It was at this time that Shera decided to spring a surprise on the first-termers. The break was over, as far as she was concerned.
Wearing sneakers, so her footsteps couldn’t be heard, she stole into the Zojila Company to catch the cadets off guard. She walked into the very first room on the first floor, which happened to be Billi’s.
The room was in a total mess. Lucky and Nutty were sprawled on the bed with the latter’s legs stretched over the other girl. Shiny was sitting on the table, while Billi was on the floor, loud music playing from her phone. A half-consumed cake, a packet of banana chips and a few chaklis lay on one side of the bed.
Major Sherawat was not surprised. This phenomenon repeated itself after every break.
‘So, the party is still going on?’ Her voice saccharine sweet, Paltu smiled evilly.
As though struck by a bolt of lightning, the girls jumped up and stood guiltily before her. There was pin-drop silence as the officer’s eyes moved meaningfully around the room. Billi surreptitiously kicked some scattered stuff under her bed, while Nutty and Lucky tried to hide the food behind their backs. Only Shiny had the presence of mind to pick up the box of cake and offer it to Paltu.
‘Please take a piece of the cake, ma’am,’ she requested. ‘My mother is very good at baking.’
Major Sherawat took a piece and commented, ‘It’s quite good.’ She paused and looked at the beaming Shiny, then continued, ‘You should assist her in baking cakes, instead of wasting your time in the academy.’
Shiny’s smile shrivelled like a punctured balloon.
A first-termer who was passing through the corridor noticed the sudden silence from Billi’s room. She peeped in and noticed Paltu giving gyan to the four girls. In a matter of seconds, news about Pitiless Paltu’s presence spread all over the company. Parties that were taking place in every other room, ended immediately, and the girls crept back into their own rooms. There was a hushed silence everywhere.
Paltu glanced at her watch. It was 10 minutes past 10, and 10 minutes past the ‘lights out’ time. ‘Where is the JUO?’ she barked.
A couple of minutes later, a very nervous JUO stood before the furious officer.
‘Why have the lights not been put off? Get all the first-termers out of their rooms.’
An announcement was made, and the girls lined up before Paltu.
‘I want everyone down on their hands,’ she shouted, ‘Give me 50 and then start rolling down the corridor.’
‘Welcome to the gulag,’ said a muffled voice, as the girls began rolling.
‘With Reichsführer Sherawat in command,’ sniggered someone.
It was a disastrous end to an enjoyable vacation.