Marking DLTGH (Days Left to Go Home) was an obsession for all the cadets. Their dreams soared in inverse proportion to the days left for the four-week-long break.
While most of the LCs looked forward to the break, there were some like Billi who were apprehensive about going home. Aware that Banwari and her mother would spare no effort at renewing talks of the wedding, she dreaded the vacation. The only thing that could take her mind off her looming troubles was home-cooked food. It had been a long time since she had had home-cooked sarson ka saag and makke ki roti or rajma chawal.
For Lucky, the mere thought of a family reunion was an exciting one. Shillong was a green paradise compared to sweltering Chennai. With luck, she would meet her mentor and narrate stories of the academy. Her mother had sent her a list of things she wanted from Chennai, with Madras sambar powder topping it. The last liberty had been spent shopping, and many of the cadets had bought things to carry home.
Finally, it was time to go home.
The thought of parting from friends made their hearts heavy. In the past few months, the cadets had become family, and the academy had become their home. The bond they shared went beyond the uniform and routine they shared. The roots of their ties were deep and strong. Their ties had been watered with sweat and blood. It was a sisterhood nurtured by the common experience of being pulverized and reshaped, and being baptized by fire.
‘I will miss you,’ said Shiny, hugging her friends. Eyes moist, they took off for their destinations.
Four weeks later, they returned, eager and ready to face every obstacle in their path. They were now seniors. The stay at home had been a balm to their exhausted bodies, and home-cooked food a comfort to their starving souls. Not long after reaching home, the cadets realized that they missed the routine and the hardship that proved to be a constant challenge. Surprised, they realized how much they missed their friends and the academy. The days when they wanted to run away from training were long past.
Since they were appointments, Shiny and Billi were the first to arrive at the academy. Billi had not been appointed as a CSM, as she had desired. She had been appointed SUO (Senior Under Officer). The post of CSM had gone to her friend, Shiny, leaving Cockroach to wear the tabs of a JUO (Junior Under Officer). Cockroach was furious, of course.
With power came responsibility. Gone were the days of reckless acts and mischief. The two would now have to lead a disciplined life and enforce it on others, since the direction of the company now lay on their shoulders. They had to lead by example.
Save for the appointment holders, no one had arrived. Even the first-termers were expected to arrive the next day. The rest of the second-termers would begin trickling in soon after. At the moment, the company looked haunted.
Before going for the term break, the first-termers had to bring down their possessions – and vacate the rooms they occupied. Those rooms, after being cleaned and fumigated, now housed the first-termers. The second- termers had been allocated rooms that had once belonged to their seniors. The girls helped each other carry their boxes to the rooms.
‘You have put on weight,’ commented Billi, holding her friend at an arm’s distance.
‘I wholeheartedly return the compliment, dear. You are carrying the baggage of extra kilos on you,’ giggled Shiny.
‘It’s the result of all the laddoos I ate. My mother almost fainted when she saw my buzz cut. Her first comment, after she got over the shock, was “Don’t they feed you?” This was followed by a comment about how my skin has become so dark. Worried no one would marry me, she proceeded to plump me up. She also smeared my face with home-made fairness potions and lotions every single day.’
‘No wonder you look more like a human being than a starving chimpanzee. I hope you brought some laddoos for me.’
‘Of course, I have brought back a box of them for the three of you.’
The two girls walked towards the rooms they had vacated, footsteps echoing in the deserted corridor.
‘I miss this room. It holds so many memories,’ Billi stared pensively at the room in which she had spent several months.
‘True! We have shed tears of frustration and joy, shared unforgettable incidents, and held innumerable meetings in these rooms,’ agreed Shiny.
‘It’s nice to be back,’ Billi sighed. Although she had anticipated that Banwari would pester her a lot back home, it hadn’t been so bad. They had had a showdown, and she had categorically told him that he should abandon all hopes of marrying her. He had ranted for a while, but she stood firm in her resolve. As for her mother, one look at the tanned and skinny girl, and the poor woman had dumped all hopes of Billi’s marriage. ‘Forget marrying, no man will look at you,’ she had said. ‘Not only do you walk and behave like a man, you look like one too.’
And that had been the end of the matter.
Daddu had landed up the very next day after Billi had arrived to support her against her father, who seemed very disappointed to find that his daughter wasn’t carrying the Sword in her bag. It took a while for him to understand that the Sword would be given during the POP. A couple of days into the vacation, the family had gathered around to hear the umpteen stories of her days at the academy.
Shiny had returned with an engagement ring on her finger. ‘Tell me all about it,’ pleaded Billi, as they sat enjoying the laddoos. She was keen on knowing about the engagement ceremony.
‘Later,’ Shiny replied. ‘I will narrate everything when Lucky and Nutty are back.’
The two other girls, who held no appointment, were expected to arrive after three days.
Although the first-termers had yet to arrive, life for the appointment holders had already revved up. CoCo and the paltus briefed the appointments and handed them the schedule for the juniors. They were cautioned to handle the newcomers with care in the initial days, and not to rough them up the very first day. The toughening up was to be carried out in a slow and gradual manner.
‘You have a tough job,’ said Shiny. Billi had been busy making copious notes after dinner. ‘Let me know if you need any help.’
‘Thanks, but this is something I have to do,’ said Billi. ‘The jungoos will be arriving tomorrow and I have a lot to do before they come.’
Shiny lay on the bed reading a book Aaron had gifted her. She burst into laughter at regular intervals. At one stage she almost fell off the bed, unable to control her fits of laughter.
‘Hello! What are you reading?’ Billi asked, glancing at the cover. ‘Boots Belts Berets,’ she read out the name. ‘It must be rather funny to make you laugh so much. What is it about?’
‘It’s a book about the life of four cadets at the NDA, written in a hilarious manner. Funnily, one of the characters called Maachh reminds me of Nutty. His mischievous antics are legendary. You must read this one.’
‘No, thank you,’ said Billi, who never read anything other than prescribed books. She found it funny that a book could make anyone laugh. ‘Give it to Lucky. She is likely to enjoy it.’
The next day started off smoothly. After an early breakfast, the two girls went for a haircut and set their rooms. The first batch of GCs and LCs arrived at around 11 a.m., forcing them to get busy. Rooms were allotted, a few sermons issued, and then the jungoos were sent running for their haircut. There was still a lot of documentation to be completed.
Quite a few of the jungoos of the Zojila Company had arrived that morning. Shiny, who was reluctant to tear herself from her book, ordered them to report to her after lunch. She was intent on finishing the book before doling out strengthening exercises to the juniors.
At the mess, the first-termers from Zojila Company were surprised to see their counterparts from other companies. Unlike Shiny, the CSMs of other companies had not been kind to the first-termers. LCs from Phillora Company were drenched in perspiration, their dresses crumpled and dirty. There was a dazed look on their faces.
The cheerful jungoos from Zojila Company presented a contrasting picture. ‘Were you not punished?’ asked the Phillora Company girls. ‘Our CSM is a sadist,’ they reported.
The first-termers of Zojila Company thanked their stars. They must have done some good deeds to deserve such a good CSM.
The paltu, who was the duty officer, also noticed the difference when she visited the mess during lunchtime. The CSM of Zojila Company is not doing her job, she mused. I will have to appoint a different LC as the CSM.
After lunch, the Zojila first-termers returned to the company, only to be told to assemble in front of their CSM’s room. Shiny, who was on the last chapter, decided to finish the last few pages before dealing with them.
Fear and apprehension flew out of the building and the jungoos began talking. Their conversation began in low volumes, but soon got louder. The CSM, in the meanwhile, having reached a funny episode, was laughing. Disturbed by the noise outside her room, smile still in place, she peeped out and told them to be silent.
‘Our CSM is an angel,’ said a first-termer. ‘She has a sweet and smiling face.’
‘We are truly lucky to have her as a CSM,’ said another.
‘Did you see the condition of the other LCs and GCs? Their CSMs must be devils.’
At that very moment, Shiny, who had finished reading her book, emerged from the room. Her smiling face had transformed into one like thunder.
‘Do you think this is a fish market?’ Shiny pounced at them. ‘Can’t you understand simple English? I had asked you to maintain silence. What’s so funny? Why are you grinning like a Cheshire cat?’ she roared.
Nonplussed, the first-termers stared at the CSM, who had changed from an angel to a devil.
‘And you, what’s wrong with you? Can’t you stand straight, why are you dancing, is there an ant in your pants?’
There was utter silence as the girls realized what they were up against.
‘Not an iota of discipline in you. Start rolling down the corridor,’ Shiny bellowed.
Front rolling carried on for 10 minutes. It was followed by sit-ups for the next 10 minutes, and then piggy back running. In less than half an hour, the sweating jungoos came to realize that their condition was no better than their counterparts in the other companies.
The angel turned out to be a true devil. Just then, intent on finding out why the LCs of Zojila Company had escaped strengthening exercises, Paltu made her appearance.
Shiny, who was lolling near the end of the corridor, met the officer.
‘Where are the first-termers?’ demanded Paltu.
‘They are all here, ma’am,’ said Shiny.
‘I mean the ones who were having lunch in the mess,’ Paltu raised her voice. The sweating and dishevelled LCs looked nothing like the neat and well-dressed ones she had seen in the mess. These were looking as though they had just emerged from a deadly typhoon.
‘These are the same LCs, ma’am,’ explained Shiny. ‘I made them do some strengthening exercises.’
Satisfied, Paltu smiled and patted her on the shoulder saying, ‘Carry on the good work.’