Fauj!!

I don't remember, but I am told that i used to gobble down aloo paranthas at the age of one. All thanks to my sahayak bhaiya who patiently fed them to me sitting on the steps outside our house in Gangtok. That's how it all began, MY FAUJI LIFE :)
Everything from there has been a very Red and Yellow affair, or as my father emphasises, Scarlet and Gold!! No matter which regiment you've been in, the regimental colours hold that special place in your heart.

As kids, our fascination for the army was at another level. We'd love to salute and shout out "ram ram saab". Our unit was a girl dominated one, and we made absolutely no effort to include the one odd boy that came along. We'd still play ghar ghar with our barbies and expect the "boy" to play along.
Cycling was probably our only Job. We'd discovered all the roads (the proper ones and the ones for tanks) in the whole of any cantonment within the first few weeks.

All the mess parties spent in the lawns or the TV room, while we gobbled down the snacks from the kitchen even before they could be served, downing cola bottles and playing absolutely ridiculous games and bossing around the younger kids (i was bossed around enough too).
Oh and not to forget the Bachelors, they were always a hit with the kids. Dragged to the TV room to play hide and seek and what not.

Moving from one station to another never seemed to be a problem since the whole regiment moved together, the mess looked the same everywhere, the same uncles and aunties, same kids to play with, same bhaiyas, same vehicles. It was like taking a part of the city to wherever we went :)
As a kid, the most awaited part of my day used to at around 4pm when the DR bahiya would come on his green bullet to deliver the daak. I could hear the sound from a distance and would rush to the door. I think my fascination for bikes (specially the royal enfield) started then.

Being posted in stations like palampur and babina, we didn't really have a "city" to go to like other kids of our age or to be fascinated by the worldly things.(I don't remember watching too much TV either, cable was a "luxury" that smaller towns couldn't afford). So, besides the games and the cycling throughout the day, we came up with alot of interesting stuff, we opened a library in our block which lasted a week. We did alot of completely mad dancing for the grown ups (we had proper shows :P). We went for a million picnics. We formed our own secret club with a club house in the woods and everything.
I don't know how many children have gone through this, but we at our unit have...quite a few times...the Ladies Club!! I remember sitting in the mess sticking rope onto glass bottles to make invitation cards or helping decorate the ante room...I'd say child labour!! But its not like we were complaining :D

The raising day was the most awaited 3 day event of the year!! (yes, it beat New years eve and everything) All the preparations and the excitement. The pagal Gymkhana, the GCOs Vs Officers Basket Ball match, Mandir Gurudwara,the Bada Khana(as we grew up, the Mess Dinner too )...three days of alot of fun:)

We've all fired the Insas in the firing range, gotten a BMP/Tank ride, Even driven them both, sang at least one song with the jazz band at a mess dinner, done ballroom dancing, had our first awkward formal sitting dinner, gotten attached to at least one sahayak bhaiya, taken part in a garden competition, prayed alot when our fathers would be in field/forward area, gone for atleast one adventure camp, fought with another fauji kid who was claiming that his/her unit's better. We've had a life which I wouldn't exchange for the world.

The Garud, The colours, The tag numbers of 260 262 and 264.
Garud ka hoon, Bol Pyare :)