I lived another life for 9 seconds

Everybody has this dream in a very small corner of their heart that I WILL BE JOINING AIR FORCE and will fly over the cities in some multi-million-dollar supersonic jet planes. I was no exception. My desire to join the IAF took new leaps and reached new heights during the Kargil war. I did all sort of ashaan and yoga so that I could quickly cross the height hurdle and get rid of my dust allergy. But the greatest sorrow of life is that : they are still my best companions. Anyways it was in the days of post-Kargil time. I was in class V and my then and god-knows-why-forever best friend Sahil was very passionate narrating stories of his maternal uncle who was in IAF. I too took keen interest in listening those stories, that how they are trained, where and how they fly, how do they play with their strategies and many more. Luckily from God's greatest blessing I got a chance to meet his uncle. Yes I meet Flight Lieutenant Vijay Shankar Rana. The moment I met him, my inner enthusiast simply can't withheld his feelings and ended up asking, "Mamaji will you please narrate us your story and experiences from Operation Vijay?" I forgot that his name was also Vijay. Later I recognized my mistake but he was smart enough to handle the situation. He also can't resist his laughter seeing my eagerness. He said, "Well it's tough to explain the whole story but yes I will share one which is my most memorable". Both Sahil and I sat in front of him with chins supported by our hands and elbows supported by legs. Eyes and ears fully directed towards him. He narrated as-
It was in the initial days of Op. Vijay, our wing was given the task to find out the possible hide outs of the intruders in Drass Sector from the air. We were on the survey duty as the operation was yet to start in full form. We did the survey with a team of three MIG-21 and a JAGUAR. The MIGs flew at the same level and comparatively at lower level to JAGUAR. In the first three days of survey nothing special fall in our eyes. There was no such suspicious movements going on in the hills. It was all quite and in the absence of the white snow blanket everything was clearly visible. On the fourth day, we again started our survey early in the dawn as we were expecting movements in this time of the day. I was flying one of those MIGs and I was in between the other two. Just above me was the JAGUAR. It was a great scene in front of us. The sun's rays were just peeping out of the peaks in the far east. The far west part of the sky was still dark. The sky just over my head was in the intermediate shade of blue. The whole sky looked like the colour pan of my computer. Yes, one more thing that was up above me was the swift, the deadly and the enemy's nightmare JAGUAR. Well I was busy admiring the nature's canvas but then I suddenly received a message over the radio from one of those MIGs, "Rana look down there seems some disturbance".
I looked down and I saw that there was small fire dot in the brown surface of the Himalaya. It looked like a fire pit to me for sometime but slowly the size was increasing and it was moving also. Then I recognized the thing, I transmitted the message on radio to my team,"SHIT MAN it is a god-damn-deadly rocket and it is coming towards us".
I had no escape and it was strictly following me. I was helpless as I can't go left there was a MIG and so was on my right. I thought of directing up but there was JAGUAR. I was helpless and then shouted, "Spread up and twist around".
Both the MIGs followed my order and they spread on both sides and twisted back. The JAGUAR also elevated itself and twisted back. I checked all around the space and it was empty but at my back the rocket was still chasing. Rockets move following a helical path and so was it, which means if somehow it misses your  tail end then the rocket's path will make sure that you are hit in the middle. I thought of twisting back. I pushed the plane to its limit. Twisting back means the speed will fall and if the speed falls, the rocket will show no mercy. Now the rocket was so close to me that I can see the tip of it's metal body. I was sure that I will be dead within few seconds and my ashes will spread all over the cold Himalayan bed. I will be dead.
I was being directed by my team constantly over the radio for what to do and what not. But nothing fall in my ears. I checked for any possibilities of increasing the speed. I revised all my training lessons in my mind but the plane was at its extreme limit. A drop of tear rolled from my eyes and I was ready to surrender myself to death. I closed my eyes and pushed all possible buttons with full force that are used to speed up the plane. I was flying at the height of thirty thousand meter. I knew that there is only one way out and it was to slowly elevate your plane and I did so. There was a huge risk behind. The speed fell but I tried that it falls in a minimum rate. My eyes were still closed. I revised my whole life in my thoughts. I can see my dad scolding me for my rash riding which I did just to impress those cute Dehli girls, they still look cute. I saw my whole family got pissed off when I rejected to join Regional Engineering College, Hamirpur and took IAF as my carrier. I can see Poonam di getting married. I can see my new born nephews crying in my lap. I can see my best friends who came for receiving me at Nizzamudin Railway Station after I completed my IAF training. Then I saw the moment when I first saw the coffins of the dead soldiers. I saw the Tiranga being wrapped over those coffins. Yes I am also going to be dead but I won't be wrapped with the national flag because it is wrapped around a dead soldier and not on it's ashes. I was sure that I will die but not a normal death but a weird one. Then I open my eyes and it was hard to believe that just four seconds has elapsed from the last time I saw the rocket. Then I saw the EJECT button but I dropped the idea as I have already entered the enemy's area and by ejecting I may survive but these enemies won't leave me before cutting me into pieces and burning me into useless body. So for me it was better to die at one go than to live a life worse then death.
Then suddenly a smile came on the face after a wonderful thought that LETS FACE THE DEATH. I slowly turned around and saw a miracle happen. The rocket's speed started to fall and I was now at the height of forty five thousand meters. Then slowly the metal body of the rocket flipped back and started falling freely. The rocket had reached the maximum height of it's projection and it was falling down. I WAS SAFE. HURRAY I was rejoicing, dancing a bit , thanking god and smiling at the same time. A cold wave of relaxation ran through my body and my heartbeat slowed down. I again closed my eyes to thank GOD. I twisted back and headed toward the airbase. Then I generated the message to my team, "I AM SAFE, THE ROCKET WAS DOGGED". I gave them the message after nine seconds from the last one. Nothing but a sound of rejoice came from the other side. They were also happy for me.
We returned to base. I got down from plane and I collapsed. I suffered a sudden fall in blood pressure. I could hardly speak and I was taken to the health center. Water splashed on my face and I was given glucose. Then my commanding officer asked me, "What happened Rana?"
I replied, "I lived another life for nine seconds".
We too took our heavy breaths after a long pause. Both Sahil and me were stun, unmoved and eyes wide open when the story was told. Later he took us to a nearby market for having ice-cream but we were dead silent as if we were on the plane.

I never bought a railway ticket

My father says that "When your son's height almost reaches your knees then love him to no limits, when his height crosses your waist then scold him if he even does a small mistake, when he reaches your shoulder guide him to correct way and when your shoe fits into your son's foot then be his friend". Following his rule he has become friendly to me. One day I asked my dad, "You must have done some daring stuffs in your college life." For which he replied with a broaden chest, "A lot". I requested him to narrate one of them and he narrated a story like this one.

It was in the middle of 80's when I was a student of B.Sc.(Mathematics Honors) in Sahebjang Science College, Bihar (now in Jharkhand). My home was in Tinpahar which was nearly fifty kilometers away from my college. Our financial condition was not that better that my dad can afford my stay in Sahebjang so I had to shuttle from college everyday. I used to take the first local to reach my college and would return around eight at night by another local train but there was an express train that can save my one hour while returning. In my initial days I never dared to take the express train as I never bought a ticket. But after some time we had a group and all my friends forced me to take the express train. Slowly it became my daily habit to go by a local train and return back in that express train. Nearly three years passed and I was never caught by any TTE or any RPF. My final year exams were approaching and our classes got over by then. I had to visit one of my professors one day. I took the same train to college and took that same express train to return but that day something happened that never happened before. That day Magistrate Checking was being conducted in the train and I was totally unaware of the fact. The coach in which I was sitting was the general compartment and hardly had five to six people. Two TTE and two RPF entered the coach and they were bad enough. They pulled out a person with his collar when they found him to be a ticket less traveler. I had to no idea what to do. The train was gaining speed and jumping from it would make be eligible for Physical Handicap quota for sure. It was better to have a full working body and serve in jail than to have few bones broken and get served in bed. Well I placed the notebook in front of my face and started faking seriousness. I did this to avoid any sort of eye contact from those approaching devils. But after sometime the inevitable happened and I heard something in heavy voice, "Ticket please". A fear shriek run through my body which vibrated my spine. But I never wanted to sound uneasy and I said without fear as if I was the owner of the train, "Student and I don't have the ticket". I could see a gathering beside me from the corner of my eye. Then slowly a person in white trouser came there, standing close to me said, "In which chapter of Indian Constitution its written that student don't need a ticket to travel". I was shocked that who the hell was he. He was talking about Constitution. He was a well dressed person with a good outfit and it seems like he was an high ranking officer of Railways.

"I am not a student of political science", I replied.

"Where you will get down?" he asked.

"At Tinpahar", I replied with equal firmness.

He occupied the seat in front of me. Then he spoke in a very gentle voice, "What do you study?"

"B.Sc. Maths Honors", I said proudly.

"And in which college?"

"Sahebjang Science College", I was again broad chested.

"That is a very good college which tells that you are academically good student", he was polite this time.

"I am", what else can I say after such a praise.

"Then why don't you have a ticket. Your father must be giving you the money for it?" he asked.

"Yes, but it is not enough to fill an empty stomach and buy a ticket. Our family is not so economically sound", I said without any pause and every bit was true.

"Ok! have you ever bought a ticket?" he asked a valid question.

"I never bought a railway ticket but my father bought  and gave me a monthly ticket on the first day of my college", again a truth and this time a smile came into his face.

"Ok! I see that your notebook says that you are in final year and your college is going to end soon then", he was flipping the pages of my notebook.

"Yes next month the practical will start", I said and he place my notebook beside him.

"Do you know the punishment for the offense", he was firm now.

"Three months of imprisonment or a fine of twenty rupee or both", I was in no mood of bowing down. In those days the twenty rupee had more value.

"But still you committed the crime. Well what will you do in future: higher study or job?"

"My family can never support higher study. I reached till here with the help of the scholarship that I get from the government. I have been receiving this scholarship since class four", I said my true story as I was sure that I would be jailed because I didn't had the money for penalty. So no way out.

"You are really a bright student that means you will also be getting a good job and you will become a high ranked officer. After that its sure that you will be taking bribes", he has forecasting a lot about my future.

"Look if I get my job by bribing other then I will become the most corrupt official the country ever had but if I get a job by my merit then nobody can be more honest than me", I replied.

It looked like something struck hard in his mind and he returned me my notebook saying, "Go your destination has come, get down and never do it again".
Well my dad was smiling and was expecting a response from me as I heard the story without moving from my place. I said, "Dad, you were too lucky. You were saved by few millimeters". He started laughing and I too joined him. Then he said , "You know I met that person after four year and I recognized him because he was wearing the same dress". I was excited and asked him to continue.
Four years later I was  in Rampurhat station while returning back to Andal from Tinpahar. Again a Magistrate checking was done. Coincidentally I saw him again standing in front of me. I was better dressed now but he was unchanged.
"This time you must be having a ticket because this time I won't leave you", he said to me in hard voice. I was surprised to see that he recognized me. This was his daily routine and he meets hundreds of such ticket-less travelers but how can he remember my face.
"No I don't have", I was polite enough.
"So pay the penalty or get the punishment", he asked the RPF along with him to pull me out.
"Wait, I have something that can save me", I took the Railways-pass from my pocket and showed it to him.
"Hmm", he said a smile in his face.
"Sir, I am an Asst. Loco Pilot of Goods Train, Eastern Railways and I am posted in Andal", I said with utmost politeness.
"Well, that means you will never need a ticket now and you never bought one", he said and started laughing. I also joined him while the RPF standing there was shocked as he was totally unaware.
I asked him, "But why did you leave me the last time". He replied, "You were honest and no one lie with such a perfection in front of such checking. I hope you got your job with your marks and not by bribing others". I replied with a big YES. They left the coach.
Dad and I started laughing too. I said ,"That's true you never bought a ticket. You are a Loco Inspector with a first class AC pass". He said to it,"Well you should learn one thing that honesty pays and it pays well and yes I never bought a railway ticket". I smiled back in acceptance.

The place where I love to be

In my childhood days, it was in my usual routine that I used to be the company for my grandpa in his evening walk. He took me to the same place everyday and the place was a railway station. We used to sit there for hours watching trains halting at the station and passing by. We used to look at the numerous passenger boarding and getting down from the train. The unloading parcel coaches and the working potter in the station were like an episode that we watched daily. In this place only I used to hear the stories of Amar-chitra katha, Akbar-Birbal, Ramayan and many more. Here only I was taught how to talk with different people and the manners that are necessary in daily life. Here only I saw some bad examples that worked as evidence to teach me what not to be. So the railway station lessons were like a pre-schooling for me. My grandpa being a principal of a Government High School was a very respectable and famous person in the town. As per said that you become a king if you are a good teacher. He was one of them for sure because every now and then when he used to encounter a person in the road, was either his student or a teacher who worked under him. The worst time taking thing was when he meet the parent of his student. But I like his this attitude. To me this was a great way to meet new people and know new faces. Even though I was just a two and half year old child but I still remember some faces and incidents. The most interesting one when I meet "Haazari Sir" and he was a person who taught my entire maternal family in his teaching carrier and he was a very good friend of grandpa. Haazari Sir asked me to come to his home and get a lesson taught by him as he didn't want to break the tradition. And the most interesting fact was that I was sent for a week, hence making me his another student. Then I also met the person who did the intermediate job of bringing my paternal and maternal family to a junction i.e. my parent's marriage. Anyways the evening walk was the best part for my life that time.
All of a sudden, my parents shifted to Andal and I had to leave the place. In my initial days in Andal, I really missed my grandpa and grandma. It was hard for me to stay here. Then my schooling got started here and I got busy with it. The evening walk became a memory. The daily routine became like wake up then breakfast then school then home then lunch then sleep then playing some games then studies then dinner then sleep and the cycle went on. I was nowhere missing the walk now. I was happy with my work. We used to visit our maternal home every year but hardly for two or three days. Around eight years passed, my brother was born and I was ten by then. I almost forgot about the walk. I got a chance to be with my grandpa for a long summer holiday. My grandpa suddenly asked for the evening walk one day. I was all ready and excited to live my childhood days again. He was leading the way and I was just following him. He took the same path and went to the same places that we used to visit once. Again lot of people wished him and he did wished all of them back. Many similar faces I encountered and many old stories were told to me that how I behaved when I was small. Again many trains came and went. The scene was almost same, potters, passengers, coaches and all. But I didn't find it that attractive this time. May be I liked the outlined life that I was leading. I just asked grandpa that was he coming here after long time or it was a just the same. He replied that he was visiting the place daily. I was surprised and kept mum. I went back home and never visited the place again in that holidays.
Ten more years passed and now I was twenty. To be called as by my voter I-card that I was an adult now. I again got a chance to have a long holiday in my grandpa's home in one of my semester break. Now he was a retried principal but still he followed his hard and fast rule of visiting the railway station. This time I asked him take me along with him. He did and surprisingly nothing changed there. He was following the monotonous walk. This time I simply can't restrict myself from asking him that how could he visit the same place daily without failing, years after years. He replied in a polite manner and he taught me another lesson. He said
"There are many things in life that you will be cherishing. I also do so. I cherish being a teacher and the best part of it is to be a true mentor. Although government paid me to teach the children for eight hours in a day but the role of a teacher never ends there. He is teacher even after his duty gets over. Bhanu just remember that whatever you do in you life just do it sincerely as it is the God who is directing you to do the work. So follow his orders. Yes I take the monotonous path everyday to visit this place but in the mid-way I meet many of my students and their families. I just want to check that all my students have became a good human or not. I check that if some are still lacking behind in the course of their life then I can help them to my limits. Evening walk and health maintaining is just a cover story for my original motto. Yes I proudly say that all my students are good human even though some became great doctors, engineers, administrators and some joined business while some are potters in the station but they all are good at heart. You won't understand why I am doing this but one day you will. This is the place where I love to be"
I nodded my head to accept his point. I was not surprised but was amazed by his commitment towards his work and he is a great teacher. He has been visiting the place for last thirty years. The place where he loves to be.