Taxiiiiii.................

Among 36 candidates screened in, 9 of us got recommended for medical tests. Should i explicitly say that we all were happy?..Medical candidates are provided with chest numbers with a "+" sign. We all were eagerly waiting for that day which appends the sign to our chests. The most crucial tests are surgical and medical tests. I remember few of us calling them "striptease". There were also many stories associated with the tests.

One goes like this.
A lady doctor was examining a male candidate. She was so superb and awesome that his "!*@^^$ " got  "*&^#@^# ".( let ur minds wander). Doctor said to the candidate: " u SOB look at my stars not on my B**B$.." 


So no wonder that we were a bit panic struck. Things didn't go wrong as the medical was carried out by a male Doctor. Usually an NCO (non commissioned officer) will be in charge of taking us to hospital and to take care of paperworks. But he was such a bloody fucker that he always used "Gallies" (abusive language) instead of our names. Just before medical most of us were so upset that only 3 of us had a normal BP. I had a BP of 80/180. Just UNBELIEVABLE...This was more than enough for getting rejected. I was almost expecting an "UNFIT" certification. but when the results came, i was one among the 3 candidates who were medically fit. Those moments are like...mmm...beyond expression..When u realize that you have attained one important goal of ur life, you may imagine yourselves getting a license to do anything.

I was imagining my marriage day....
One of my beautiful classmate in dazzling white frock dancing with me in accordance with the melodious music of a saxophone of the royal Navy band, and all the guests amazingly watching us on the way we dance, and finally an applause when her waist line rests on my left arm and i bending over the bride and forgets completely in a moment when our lips share the sweetness of a kissssss.......mmmm...can't wait 4 that day........

I even forgot to console my friends who got a temporary rejection, congratulate others, and even thank GOD. When you feel that you are the biggest creature on earth, life plays a simple trick to make you realize that you are just a piece of shit!...You may feel so pissed of that you may even curse the day you were born. You may sob like a child, helplessly, and spend sleepless night out of worst nightmares. Soon life will show us how the forgotten ones, our fellow beings etc can help us to overcome the chrisis so that we may feel once again that we are social animals. I had such a situation. But i am not here to narrate it. This was an incident in my father's life which helped to increase my faith in GOD!..So the hero of this story is my father or even GOD. Both are same, aren't they?...

He was at the age of 26 or 28. He was on his way from Madeena to Cochin. As (Nedumbassery) Cochin International Airport was just a vast paddy field during those days, and the aerodrome not even in the minds of draughtsman, he had to get down at Bombay to catch a connection flight to Cochin domestic terminal. Bombay was more or less the same. Crowd, goondas, koolies, all the same. It was the first place he went with his job hunt at the age of 18. I don't know what was inside his "trunk box" then, but this time his suit case contained few Gold ornaments, a Rado watch, and few foreign currency notes when he stepped into Santha Cruze air port. When blood becomes sweat, you can fill your bag with fortunes. You just need to work hard. He had a friend at Bombay, but it will take a while to locate him. Also, he needed to exchange the foreign currencies to book a flight to Cochin. He took a taxi cab. While he was in search for a below average hotel room for a few days' stay, the taxiwala1 offered him a room in his house so that dad need not waste his money. Those days, each penny counts. And my dad's Hindi was not as fluent as these days. So he was too happy to have a companion. It was better to take a bus service, but handling the luggage would have been a tedious job. So as mentioned before, he was given a room.

He heard some strange nioce and whispering of a man and woman at night. He had a sleepless night and wanted to stay awake till the next morning. Slowly, he turned his head towards the voices. The taxi driver and his wife were trying to open my dad's luggage. He couldn't let out an alarming voice. So he coughed and cleared his throat. They disapeared in the darkness. Next day early in the morning my dad got out of the house. He told taxiwala1 that he had to get the currency exchanged. Actually, he was going out to find his friend Chandrakanth. The moment he stepped into a taxi, taxiwala1 told taxiwala2 "ise khadam karo. kisiko koyi shak nahi padna chaiye" (kill him. no one should be suspicious about it). Dad was a bit suspicious. He stayed alert. My dad asked him to drop at Baroli bridge.(Hope i named it correctly). But the taxiwala drove beyond the point that my dad had to literally jump out of the car. He ran and ran. The only thing he could do was to run with his full strength so that he can be out of sight of the taxiwala. He dashed through the slums. Taking sharp turns on corners and running at full pace might have been a difficult task for him. Every block seemed to be the same. he dont know what to tell if he found a door opened for him. He followed his mind took right turns and left turns at random. He was tired and panting when he knocked the door of a house. What was awaiting him there?..Will he get a help? No idea. But the man who came out of the house literally made his jaws dropped- Chandrakanth!...."WTF?" My dad might have thought in mind. He might have felt the haven as a heaven. My dad explained everything to him. Luckily Chandrakanth was a well accepted man in his society. He sent few of his friends to the taxiwala's house. The luggage wasn't opened till then. May be, the taxiwala might have thought to open it up after a while. I don't know how they retrived the luggages, but the taxiwala might have ended up in a condition to be no more called as a "taxiwala". Chandrakanth took care of my dad for a few more days, meanwhile he arranged tickets for dad's journey. Got the currencies exchanged with no trouble. I am not sure about what my dad did in return, but he is still in his heart....

I was in a different trouble. If God can take you to the exact house among a thousand look alikes, he can definitely get you out of any trouble in your life...A Simple lesson which i didn't even think about during my trouble...I am happy to say that I achieved something APJ Abdul Kalam, Shah Rukh Khan, and Rahul Dravid couldn't do; clearing the SSB, but i was ignorant like Goliath who didn't even think about the sling shot from a catapult.....Life will teach you everything, won't it?....And few names like Chandrakanth will stay in our mind forever.......

33 SSB, Bhopal

I don't know how to begin....
I don't know where to begin...
But let me begin with these words- "GOD YOU ARE GREAT!..."

29/08/2010 Sunday 0850 hrs

When i got down at Aluva station, my appearance was much worse than a beggar. With untidy yellow tee shirt and jeans, blotches on my face and a hungry stomach, i was looking like poor "Oliver Twist". All i could blame for was the two day's journey and smoke from pantry car very next to my compartment. I dragged my new Omega trolley bag mercilessly through the rugged platform as i was very weak to carry it. I was looking for my parents and soon spotted my mom at the gate. She didn't wear a bindi on her forehead, and didn't even mind to make up her face with talcum powder. It showed that she came here in a hurry. I left my luggage and rushed to her. I embraced her so tight that she was literally choking. I kissed and kissed and kissed her, and everyone around were looking at us. While i gathered my luggage my mom was talking to few strangers. I think she might have been answering their "EXCLAMATION!..." Meanwhile, dad was waiting in long queue to get a season ticket. I walked slowly towards him and closed his eyes, planted a kiss on his cheek. I can't express the joy we felt..we embraced each other, and i even lifted him up a bit in air... The best moment of my life. A big celebration of my small victory!...I just cleared my SSB, and within a few months, i will be a member of 5th largest NAVY in the world; INDIAN NAVY....

16th of AUGUST to 22nd AUGUST
Time : Begins with Breakfast @ 0530 hrs. Lights off by 2150 hrs ..

These were the most beautiful days i have ever spent in my life. I made friends with many chaps from different part of the country. I assure you that no place in the world can provide you such a platform to make friends like this. The screening test on day one breaks the ice which we had while we met at railway station. We all spent a good time saying non veg jokes, and the last night was the most memorable day of our SSB. We all gathered in a room, singing, dancing, saying non vegs, brain teasers, and i even got a chance to show off my masterpiece sounds "Donald duck" and "F1 racing". It was a replica of "INDIA'S GOT TALENT". We had a conference, in which the accessors came to a conclusion about our selection, and soon after the conference, results were announced. 9 out of 36 got selected. There were candidates who showed their real talents but didn't get selected and our hearts wept in silent pain for a while. Happiness came only after them, and we all promised to keep in touch. I remember Ramasreenu, (our best buddy,a conference out candidate) congratulating me saying "Deepak, serve the country as a good officer". I was speechless. How can a man be so selfless and congratulate someone whole heartedly with a firm shake hand?... I am sure that we will meet again in the same organisation. Rest of the day was very busy, filling up a pile of forms, forms and more forms......

22nd AUGUST to 27th of AUGUST

While being in SSB centre, the candidates are issued with chest numbers, and are supposed to wear it through out. Recommended candidates have a "+" sign with their chest numbers. We all were eagerly waiting to get one. And now begins our real misery. Its not interesting like SSB. We go to the military hospital and wait there for a long time. By 1400 hrs, our tests will be over, and will be free for rest of the day. Day 1 was to check our blood, URINE, taking X-ray and ultrasound. Day 2 and 3 with some others and finally, we had our surgical and medical tests. We were given strict instructions to get clean shaved. Cheek was insufficient...mmmmm... i'll say, every important parts of my body...And for the first time in our life, we used "VEET" the ultimate hair removing cream. I think they should make John Abraham as the ambassador along with Kareena Kapoor...We had to strip before few doctors, get our manhood checked, and few more...let your mind wander.......3 out of 9 got medically recommended. i was one among them. Rest of them were given a time period of 45 days to correct problems like overweight, underweight etc..Left to home in a hurry....

27th to 29th of AUGUST

The train journey...At first it was hectic, as the train were crowded. But there were few jawans from J&K with whom i got a chance to play trump. Thanx to college (hostel) life. I made a new friend in that journey. Girl of course. Very talkative like a friend of mine. Till that moment, Sidin Vadukut's "DORK- incredible adventures of Robin Einstein Varghese" was the only time pass for me. But now She, her brother, and other passengers soon became my friends. At least it helped to me to reach my blog address to a new hand. Any way they were more dynamic when compared to me.... One co-passenger was a JCO and the moment he came to know that i cleared my SSB, he was trying to behave like my subordinate. He even took my luggage to the doorstep....

Stroke of acknowledgement

# To dear Jana, who always said that i will do it.
# To dear Jana, who always motivated and made me confident.
# To dear Jana, to whom i could'nt keep my promise of paying a visit to
    Hydrabad bcoz f an unavoidable reason.
# To Capricious who said that "Man who has faith has everything".
# To all my freinds who prayed for me.
# To many friends' parents who helped me and prayed for me...

AND
# To God almighty.....