Well...Somehow this entire post vanished into thin air...Wonky Blogger.com !!!
"The Operation-Newly wed Lady Wife"...So am putting it in black and white again... :) Here goes...
In the Army, wives of officers are treated with great respect, so much so that you would find very senior officers calling wives of young lieutenants as "Maam"....The entry into the folds of Army of a Lady from a non Army background is really dramatic....In my tenure in Tenga valley (AP, near Tawang), we had a newly maried North-east couple...... Maam didn't know Sir before mrg.....they'd been married for around 25 odd days. I, being the most efficient :) youngster was entrusted with the welcome plan...Here are the excerpts...
Actors: Myself as sahayak (helper), another lady officer (Now mentioned as LO)as Dhobin (washerwoman)
Required: acting skills (not much), a love letter drafted by me (from a girl), timing and luck !!
Self- wearing white PT shoes and a jawan's working dress.
Modus Operandi:
1000hrs: Told by my senior officer to chalk out a plan
1200hrs: Liaison with the LO....brief outline
1330hrs: Sir n maam arrive...Sir is requested to get down at the gate and meet the commanding officer while maam is escorted to the Officers Mess, to their accomodation where I am waiting.
Shock 1:
1400hrs: I receive her and start settling the luggage. While clearing some documents, I inadvertently come across a "Letter"......read it and slyly (but in full view of maam), try to keep it in....(Converting the conversation to English...)
Maam: What is tht bhaiya? (A helper is called a "bhaiya" by n offr's wife)
Me: Memsaab, Nothing !! (try to deliberately hide it)
Maam: Show it to me
Me (takes it over 2 her reluctantly)
She reads it n GOSH !! Itz a letter from Sir's Girlfriend saying that she still misses the beautiful time they've spent together and words to that effect....dumbfounded!!
Shock 2:
1440hrs: In comes the dhobin (LO) with Sir's old clothes...she takes them out one by one (actually mine n LO's)...a combat shirt..white shirt..trouser...Oops !! a salwaar-suit
Maam: Whose is this ? (Shocked)
LO: How do I know?
Me: Memsaab, some of sir's friends used to come over, might be of one of them
(with a serious face !!)
Maam, (Shocked...chinki eyes wide open...whatz happening here ??)
goes n sits outside...
1530hrs: Maam is still waiting outside while i stand next to her awaiting orders...
Maam: You don't look like a helper (Ohhh...dude say something stupid)...till where have u studied?
Me: Memsaab...till 8th
Maam: Where is he ? (The officer)
Me: Memsaab, he had a lot of good friends here (achhi dost thii), might have gone to meet them.
I'm feeling sleepy...as seen in the pic above, all the rooms were on a downward slope...my room was the one immediately below sir's...the last one (in d pic), made up n excuse...
Me: Maam I'll be working in this officer's room, call me if u need anything
Shock 3: 1700hrs: I come out..Maam is still sitting outside....in the same state of shock...couple of days into d mrg...new colours coming out ...Lolzzz
The LO's room was above sir's n she had to go to office in the evening..she came out n rushed down the road....
Maam: Isn't she the dhobin who had come?
Me: (with a gulp n a sly smile) Yes Memsaab, she is "known" to that officer :) :)
I could see the shock on her face.....it was 1800hrs.... her husband was no where....goodness what was going on there...... there was no mobile communication in that hilly area....couldn't call up home...just waiting....
Shock 4:
1830hrs: Message conveyed to her that the First lady (Commanding officer's wife) would be taking her interview and she has to be in combat dress (Never happened...Ever !!)
Well, she was given sir's combat dress, ranks (appellates) and sent for the interview
1930hrs: First lady asks so many questions about her knowledge about the Army that Maam breaks up n starts crying !! Operation called off with immediate effect!!
Then maam was told about the entire prank....was escorted by other officers to her room where sir was waiting...She couldn't believe it till she actually saw myself and the Lady officer arriving in the formal dress for the party. She was like: "I told you na, you didn't look like a sahayak". Maam treasured that "love letter" and showed it to me whenever we met....
Pleasent memories galore...
ciao ppl
ciao life
