The campus had been given a fresh coat of paint, and the mood was celebratory. Parents of senior cadets had begun trickling into the city, a couple of days before the POP. Most of the hotels around the academy were populated by eager parents, some of whom had arrived a few days before the event to visit the nearby attractions.
Entertainment programs, competitions and other events had been organized for the guests, and the campus buzzed with activity.
For the senior cadets, who were passing out, the day indicated the culmination of training. It was a day when they would finally earn their stars, an achievement they had waited for for too long. They had endured endless hours of torture for the stars on their shoulders. The juniors were no less excited, as they conjured images of a similar event for their own POP.
Billi, who had spent a restless night tossing stressfully on the bed, jumped up at the crack of dawn. Her stomach was a pit of butterflies. Commanding the parade meant being responsible for the way it went. Her parents, accompanied by Daddu, had arrived the previous day and were staying close to the campus. To her surprise, Banwari had also accompanied them. The lovestruck guy insisted on congratulating her after the commissioning. ‘He is very repentant,’ Daddu informed her. ‘And very proud of you.’
‘He’s not given up hope,’ said her mother, ‘but he has promised not to pester you and wait for your final decision.’
Billi refrained from telling them that her decision would not change. It was a happy occasion, and she had no desire to ruin it with arguments. The pride in their eyes didn’t escape her. She was in line for the Sword of Honour and this pleased her father no end. Not in his wildest dreams had he imagined his daughter would, one day, bring laurels to the family and the village. For Billi’s mother, who had been the most vociferous critic of her daughter’s decision, it was nothing short of an epiphany. As for the ever supportive Daddu, it was a vindication of everything he had done for the girl. She had proved herself invincible.
Lucky’s parents and sister, who had arrived two days before the POP, were bursting with excitement at the thought of the commissioning. Having taken in the Chennai sights, they went around the campus preening with pride, clicking dozens of pictures, and sharing stories of her success with the other parents. Her younger sister, crazy about selfies and social media, had a collection of unique ones to show off to her friends. She posted dozens of pictures on her social media pages, earning her hundreds of new followers.
The Patils, who had taken the trouble to travel all the way from Jalna, were impressed not only by the magnificent campus, but also by the discipline and cleanliness in the campus. They had not been able to come to terms with the idea of their movie-struck daughter being an army officer. It seemed too good to be true. The unassuming couple were content in maintaining a dignified silence, save for the constant updates they sent back to the large joint family back in the village.
Joseph Chacko, Shiny’s father, had a lot to tell everyone around him. A garrulous man, he boasted about his daughter’s academic and athletic feats through her school and college life. Sarah Chacko was happy to take a backseat and enjoy the events along with Aaron’s parents.
In her room, Lucky jumped out of bed, ready to embrace the day. Togged in her smart uniform, not a hair out of place, she stood before the mirror adjusting her peaked cap that added a special touch to one’s personality. Tightening the belt, she admired herself for a few seconds. A resolute and muscular girl with determination stared back at her. Gone was the naïve and starry-eyed girl from Shillong. ‘I have come a long way,’ she sighed. Her dream had come true.
As she stepped towards the door to make an exit, Shiny paused for a couple of minutes to look around her room. It held countless memories, both good and bad. She ran loving fingers over her desk. It had seen her stooped for hours over her lessons, many of them frustrating. At the centre of the room was the bed on which the four girls had spent hours complaining and planning, and the closet that held so many secrets.
Nutty stood near the door, staring back at her room, strange emotions tugging her heart. This was the room where the gang had gathered many times to celebrate successes or mourn failures. Cheering and consoling each other, the friends had been the crutches that helped her walk the long and tough path. In a short while, she would have to leave this room forever. Another young girl would occupy it, dreaming the same dreams, sometimes crying with frustration, sometimes laughing with elation. Would she be mischievous, would she be daring or would she be ambitious, wondered the girl from Jalna. Drawing a deep breath, she turned. It was time to go.
A little later, having collected their rifles from the armoury, the cadets waited behind a wall at the Parameshwaran drill square, the ground where they had banged and stamped their blistered feet for hours on end. It was the same parade ground, the same cadets, the same ustads, the same rifles, but the day was special.
The parade was scheduled to begin at 9 a.m., just after the arrival of the chief guest. Billi’s heart was palpitating. She held the Sword determinedly, waiting for the cue to lead the parade. The rows of sofas and chairs under the awning were occupied by officers in ceremonial uniforms studded with medals, and many distinguished guests.
She knew her father was sitting in the special enclosure waiting to see her lead the parade. In fact, every cadet passing out that day knew their parents waited to see them put their best foot forward. It was only a couple of hours till the coveted stars would decorate their shoulder tabs.
The Chief of Army Staff, who was the chief guest, arrived. An awed silence covered the ground as the spectators watched him going around in an open jeep, inspecting the cadets, after which the parade began in earnest.
Drums rolled, and the band struck up. Billi issued a command in a high-pitched voice, and the cadets marched past the spectators’ gallery with a synchronized swing of their arms, their feet thundering. They saluted the guest of honour and carried out the drill of a lifetime. The sound of hundreds of marching heels hit the ground like an avalanche, much to the satisfaction of the drill ustads.
No one faltered, no one missed a move. Not a single cadet was out of step as they marched smartly with their weapons, determined to give their best. There were tears in many eyes as they watched the young cadets marching. There was a roar of appreciation and applause from the crowd. Cameras flashed and the moment was captured for posterity.
Then came the moment when the chief guest would give away the Sword of Honour and medals to the best cadets. Watched by thousands of eyes, some present during the ceremony, others over video and televisions, Billi was awarded the Sword of Honour. It had not come easy. She had triumphed over more than 300 cadets to head the merit list. GC Ankit Thakur, who was the Academy Cadet Adjutant (ACA), was awarded the gold medal. GC Vedant Verma bagged the silver medal.
After an inspiring address by the army chief, marching slowly to the tune of ‘Auld Lang Syne’, the cadets took their final steps towards a glorious future, the one they had spent many moments dreaming of. Eyes shining, they marched through the final phase of the parade, each one of them ready to lay their life in supreme sacrifice for the nation, ready to face the extreme risks and hardships the job involved. One thing was for sure; no one would shy away from the immense responsibility laid on their shoulders.
Once the parade was over, parents rushed towards their children. Each of them had one thing in common, they were bursting with pride at their offspring’s performance. Soon, it was time for the Pipping Ceremony.
Billi’s grandfather pinned the stars on her shoulder tabs and hugged her, tears flowing freely down his cheeks. Moved, she bent down and touched his feet and then the feet of her parents. Banwari hovered around with a sheepish smile on his face.
A visibly moved Baburao Patil did the honours for Nutty, while Shiny bent down so that her mother could pin the stars on her tabs. Ever dramatic, Lucky’s father kissed the stars before putting them on his daughter’s lapels. There was much hugging and dancing as families and cadets posed for pictures that would be posted on social media and treasured in albums. Dozens of newspaper and television reporters and cameramen were busy capturing the highlights of the event.
They took their oaths under a tricolour fluttering atop a 100-foot mast. It was a solemn affair. Unwavering and strong, the cadets pronounced their loyalty to the country.
‘I will, as in duty bound, honestly and faithfully serve in the regular army of the Union of India and go wherever ordered by land, sea or air and that I will observe and obey all commands of the President of the Union of India and the command of any officer set over me even to the peril of my life.’
There was jubilation as the cadets threw their worries aside and celebrated the realization of their dreams. They broke rank, some of them breaking down with emotion and other breaking into cheers. They tossed their friends into the air, amidst shouts and cheers. They sang, danced and executed push-ups together, vowing never to forget each other. The truth was, they would not forget anything, neither the academy, instructors, ustads, or the lessons they had learnt. Billi and the medal winners found themselves at the forefront, with the flash of cameras dazzling their eyes. Feted and interviewed, they were the cynosure of all eyes.
‘I owe it all to my grandfather,’ Billi responded, when asked who had inspired her to join the army. As for the secret of success, she said, ‘I am just an ordinary girl from a village, who dared to dream big.’
That statement was destined to become a headline the next morning. ‘I am ready to live my dream.’