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The motto of the Indian Army reads,” The safety ,honour and welfare of your country comes first always and every time. The honour ,welfare and comfort of the men you command comes next. Your own ease ,comfort and safety comes last always and everytime.”
This is drilled into the Officers’ minds at the time of training and in turn the Officers drill the same into the Lady wives’ after marriage.
If you thought being someone’s wife changes your life, then try being an Army Officer’s wife. It’s like your life has been finely chopped, then boiled and mashed into an entirely new form of existence. And for a shudh desi civilian like me this sudden change can be a little unsettling.
Fifteen days to my marriage, my would be husband calls up to say he wouldn’t be able to make it with majority of the wedding cards already distributed and most close relatives already having booked their tickets.After bucketfuls of tears and loads of drama the young lieutenant finally made it to his wedding. Sigh…
Fifteen days later …we board the train to Jamnagar..his first posting and during the journey. ..another surprise ….he was to leave for some operation the next day itself. We reached the Officers mess at four in the morning and he left his newly wedded wife at nine……who hardly had a clue what had struck her. What ensued is a long story for yet another day.
On our first anniversary he was gone for a mandatory course.
One and a half years later…I was expecting our first child and came to my maayka for delivery as is the custom. The to be father had taken leave fifteen days before the due date….but nothing in a faujis life happens without a twist and so on one such routine check up the doctor informed that I had to be operated upon as soon as possible which happened to be the following day. When our daughter was born the father celebrated by firing a few rounds with fellow officers and men.
Foregoing twists and turns at every corner…my love and respect for my Man in his Olive Greens has just increased. And his absences from birthdays. ..anniversaries. . Family functions are now taken normally.
The saffron colour in the Indian flag stands for courage and sacrifice. For me the small sacrifices which we have made are nothing compared to the supreme sacrifice the soldier makes when he lays down his life for his country and the sacrifices which the family makes that he has left behind. In the course of thirteen years I have come in contact with some of these Veer Naris and I can tell you there is no greater sacrifice.
For the Independence day celebrations in school today I wore this saffron and gold pure georgette ….the colour of courage and sacrifice.
Jai hind