RAKESH SEHGAL

Grit, Grind and Glory A Cadet Story Rakesh Sehgal

www.whitefalconpublishing.com All rights reserved First Edition, 2022 © Rakesh Sehgal, 2022 Cover design by White Falcon Publishing, 2022 Cover image by Rakesh Sehgal No part of this publication may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by means of electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without prior written permission from the author. The contents of this book have been certified and timestamped on the POA Network blockchain as a permanent proof of existence. Scan the QR code or visit the URL given on the back cover to verify the blockchain certification for this book. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them. Requests for permission should be addressed to [email protected] ISBN - 978-1-63640-548-3

A Cadet Story goes far beyond grit, grind, and glory. It splices two disparate worlds—of India and Bharat, of uniformed men and civilians, of agony and ecstasy—each autonomous, yet coexisting and feeding into one another. And undergirding these distinguishable external façades lies a tale of love, concern, and human emotion in kaleidoscopic collages. A riveting read. Sudhansu Mohanty Author & Columnist Former Civil Servant Rakesh Sehgal tells a story from his own life and through him, the reader may experience the delight and struggle of soldiers’ training and military life. Rakesh has been far more than a finance man in civvies - the Sehgals blended effortlessly in military life. No surprise that their sons were inspired to join the armed forces. May this story motivate many young Indians and their parents to look at the armed forces as a glorious career option. Veteran Air Mshl PV Athawale PVSM, AVSM, VSM

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This story of turning two young men into smart cadets is simply mesmerizing. The author’s narration about physical grinding along with the process of emotional stabilization during training in armed forces, keeps the reader spellbound. Incidents, activities, emotions, and fascination of young people towards services in uniform, have been aptly described with amusing sprinklers. Ambitious boys and girls aspiring for a career in defence forces and other prized spheres and obviously their parents, will find this book not only a joyful read but also motivating. This book is a ‘must read’ for avid readers. Raj K Mahtolia IFS (Retd.) Author & Poet Advisor Department of Tourism Government of West Bengal A simple narrative that depicts the emotions and feelings of a couple when both their sons decide to carve out their future in the armed forces, which somehow was not in consonance with their plans. It beautifully steers through their complete training phase. The parents are elated to see both of them doing so well and finally passing out with flying colours. Truly a well-written novel which will inspire today’s youth to pursue an adventurous career in defence forces and serve the nation. Vice Adm Sunil Anand AVSM, NM(Retd)

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

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henever a creative attempt is made, the readers generally identify it with the author whose name appears on the cover of the book. They are oblivious to the contribution of the people instrumental in giving final shape to a work from behind the scenes. Accordingly, it is incumbent upon me to gratefully acknowledge the efforts of everyone who has contributed to the accomplishment of this task. My father Dr Manmohan Sahgal, an eminent Hindi novelist, critic, Sikhism scholar, and researcher, has always been a huge support and inspiration. I have grown reading his novels and, in fact, it was his numerous literary works that became a motivational factor for me to try my hand at writing. I am deeply indebted to him for making valuable suggestions at the draft stage of the script. I am grateful to my father-in-law Late Sh RS Ghai who had tremendous faith in me and was constantly checking with me about the progress of this work despite his failing health. Unfortunately, he bade us adieu before the novel saw the light of the day. I am really indebted to my senior and mentor Sh Sudhansu Mohanty, ex-Financial Adviser Defence Services, a prolific writer himself for going through the script minutely and

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coming out with numerous suggestions regarding the structure of the novel as well as its syntax. He took pains to personally edit the script going over it twice that impelled me to have a relook at the script and make the requisite changes. He has been very generous in sharing his professional inputs and knowledge which has been a great learning experience. But for his guidance, the novel would not have taken its present shape. I am immensely grateful to my wife Meena who has not only been a pillar of strength to me and given me ample time and space to work on the book but also acted as my Muse. My constant interaction and discussion with her on the book and the suggestions made by her came in handy to accomplish this task. I express my gratitude to both my sons Abhishek and Parth and daughters-in-law Mini and Astha for going through the draft script and chipping in with their suggestions, many of which have been incorporated. Abhishek and Parth also helped me in connecting the dots and Mini gave the perspective from a lady cadet’s viewpoint. There was a lot of discussion on the title of the novel. I zeroed down to the title after a number of rounds of discussion with Abhishek and Parth. Last but not the least, I thankfully acknowledge the coffee table book of Indian Naval Academy which gave me an insight into the training methodology and philosophy of Navy. I also thankfully acknowledge a couple of editions of ‘Ahoy’ brought out by the Indian Naval Academy and ‘Ankur’ brought out by the Air Force Academy which gave me the cadets’ perspective about training. Thank you everyone!

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PrEfACE

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uring my term of employment under the Government of India, I would be assigned transfers across the country. Since my job entailed a close interaction with the Defence Services, my children, too, inevitably took a fancy to the uniform. My elder son joined the Air Force while the younger one opted for the Navy. After shifting from Mumbai to Chandigarh on my last posting, and while rummaging through old papers, I stumbled on to an old folder. I opened it casually and found myself instantly embarking on a walk down memory lane. It contained a few letters written by my sons from their academies. As I went through the contents of the letters again after so many years, I could recall the feelings of pain and angst that my wife and I had experienced when our sons had been going through the grind in their academies, and how those feelings of pain and angst had been supplanted by pride and exuberance while shipping the stripes on their shoulders. We can empathise with the parents whose wards have chosen the Defence Services as their calling. It is not only the cadets who have to rough it out in the most trying of circumstances but also the parents who have to keep a stiff upper lip. The cadets remain incommunicado for days on end, giving sleepless nights to their parents. Even in today’s digital ix

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world, it is the exchange of letters between the cadets and their parents which keep them going. Shuffling through the letters, an idea flashed across my mind. Why not sensitise the aspiring cadets and their parents about the emotional stability and mental equanimity required to sustain the arduous training far away from one’s near and dear ones? Why not apprise them of how the camaraderie with one’s buddies comes in handy when one needs to tackle homesickness and mood swings? Why not depict how the cadets give their best to uphold the izzat of their squadron and how the competitive spirit and the killer instinct acquired by them in the academy eventually evolve into patriotic fervour and love for their motherland? I have tried to portray it all. This novel is a fictionalised account of my first hand experiences as a parent and captures the moments spent by the cadets as well as their parents — some anxious, some agonising, some heart-breaking, some ecstatic, some proud and some glorious. Rakesh Sehgal

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ChAPTEr 1

ThE hALCyON DAyS

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n a Sunday morning, Akshay was at the driving range of the Air Force golf course, trying to perfect his golf shots, with his father Rajiv by his side. The cool breeze blowing across the vast expanse of green felt refreshing. The sight of smartly dressed defence officers teeing off with caddies in tow looked quite enticing to Akshay who had just completed his BTech in Electronics from a prestigious engineering college in Nagpur. Rajiv had been posted to Nagpur about three years ago as Financial Adviser to the Air Force. His wife Richa was teaching in a reputed local school while their younger son Sarthak was about to appear for his Class XII Board Examinations, aspiring to, one day, be admitted to an IIT or a top-notch engineering college. Rajiv was keen that Akshay give the civil services examination a shot but his son seemed to have other plans. He had been placed with an MNC during his last semester, but had already set his eyes on joining the Air Force. During Rajiv’s postings at various stations across India, Akshay had had opportunities to see the cantonment life up close and had been bowled over by the bonhomie and 1

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camaraderie it provided. He was captivated by the swagger and flamboyance of the “men in blue” driving past him in their SUVs wearing Ray-Ban glasses. In the evenings, almost every week, there would be parties at the officers mess but they would be out of bounds for the children. The sound of lilting music coupled with the clanging of wine glasses and boisterous laughter would reverberate intoxicatingly in the air. Akshay was mesmerised by the life at the station. What better life one could fancy? Golf in the morning and a party in the evening! And then, once you turned out smartly in your sky-blue uniform, you could command great respect from your juniors who would salute you with a flourish. For his friends too, the Air Force residential complex was an enchanted place and its denizens a privileged lot vis-à-vis the “lesser mortals” outside. During his numerous visits to the golf course, Rajiv had cautioned Akshay that only relatively senior officers had access to the course — for the younger lot, it was only a chimera. The Air Force way of life had completely floored Akshay who dreamt of joining the ranks of the “men in blue” one day. Rajiv was still batting for the Civil Services and advising him to join a good coaching institute. But the die had already been cast and Akshay was determined to appear for the selection test for the Air Force. The written test was held in Nagpur itself. Akshay did reasonably well but was not sure about his standing vis-à-vis other candidates. Soon, he got engrossed in hanging out with his friends; the lot would meet every day and chalk out plans for the future. Akshay too was in a dilemma; he was unable to decide between joining the MNC which had picked him during campus placement and seeking admission to an MTech or MBA programme to further improve his qualifications. He was entangled in these thoughts when, one day, he received a call to 2

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appear for the personality test at the SSB Centre, Dehradun. As more than a month had passed since he had appeared for the written test, he had almost forgotten about it. But the receipt of the call letter had reignited his passion to don the uniform. He prepared well for the interview with Rajiv too chipping in with his tips at times. On the appointed day, Akshay was seen off by his parents at Nagpur Railway Station. A few days after Akshay’s departure, Rajiv received a call from him. “Flying Officer Akshay speaking,” gushed Akshay from the other end. He was on cloud nine — he had been selected for the Air Force! What greater joy could there be for a father who had worked closely with the forces himself to see his son selected as a commissioned officer in the defence forces? Rajiv was excited that his son would turn out as the first defence service officer in the family. Richa and Sarthak too, were elated. Meanwhile, Rajiv had got his posting orders to Delhi. The whole family moved bag and baggage from Nagpur to Delhi. Richa, too, had to resign from her school but was lucky to get a job in a good school in Delhi almost instantly. She had had to quit her job every two to three years, thanks to her husband’s frequent transfers, but had done so, regardless. Rajiv had seen postings all across the country during his career spanning 25 years. Just as any other middle-class couple, the aspirations of Rajiv and Richa were riveted on their children — their two sons were their first priority. Akshay was required to begin training in the Air Force Academy, a month from then. Based on his rank in the All India Engineering Entrance Examination, Sarthak could have got admission to a few engineering colleges at various locations in India but he had made up his mind that if he did not get admission to a good NIT, he would prefer to pursue an Economics (Hons) degree at a premier college under Delhi 3

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University. That way, he would be able to give emotional support to his parents after Akshay left for the Academy. Sarthak received an exceptionally good score in his Senior Secondary Examination and so did not face any problem in getting admission to BA (Hons) Economics in a leading DU college. The younger of the two, Sarthak was indeed the darling of the family. He had been a mama’s boy ever since he had been a toddler. Lean and lanky, he was a fun-loving boy with delicate looks and a tender mind. Little wonder he got extra attention from his parents; they were very protective about him. He was quite popular amongst his friends, both boys and girls, and was ever keen to lend a helping hand. For him, friendship was a long-time commitment; he picked his friends carefully but once he befriended anyone, it was a lifelong relationship. Time was drawing close for Akshay to proceed with his training. He would make daily trips to the market to buy kits and other items as per the list he had received along with the joining instructions. Finally, the day of Akshay’s departure arrived. It was an emotional moment for the family. It was the first time that a child in the family was leaving the cosiness of home for unchartered territory. Akshay was to catch a flight leaving at 10 in the morning. He, along with his parents and brother, got into a taxi and set off for the airport. Everyone was anxious so there was very little conversation on the way to the airport. No smiles, no laughter — just monosyllables. Both Rajiv and Richa were concerned about the rigours of training. They were also worried about how Akshay would cope since he had always lived with them, and had had no exposure even to hostel life. Now, life could prove to be much harder than anything he’d experienced. How was Akshay going to cope? On the other hand, while Akshay was excited at the prospect 4

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of donning the uniform, the challenges of training and the fear of the unknown had been playing on his mind. Inevitably, the moment of separation arrived. The taxi had pulled over at the airport alighting point. Akshay put his luggage on the trolley and hugged his mother, father and Sarthak before walking towards the departure gate. Mothers are tender-hearted, so it was no surprise when tears started rolling down Richa’s cheeks. Fathers rarely manifest their feelings though they are emotional in equal measure. They quietly suppress their tears pretending to be strong. Rajiv was no exception. He kissed Akshay’s forehead and then looked away in an effort to overcome his soaring emotions. Sarthak had mixed feelings. While he was upset about missing his daily duels with his elder brother, he was excited at the prospect of seeing him in uniform. Besides, he would be able to boast about his “macho” brother to his friends.

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