The Girls in Green: Soon to be a major web series

PROLOGUE

THE CANNY CAT

‘Girl, you have done it,’ her grandfather’s voice boomed into Bijli’s ears, the pride in it unmistakable. ‘You have been selected for the Officers Training Academy, Chennai. I have waited a long time for this day.’

‘Yes!’ Elated with the news, Bijli aka Billi, punched the air, and the girls in the dressing room looked at her with amusement. Her heart raced like a runaway train as she digested the news.

‘It’s time to go,’ announced one of her teammates. There was a sudden melee as the girls poured out of the dressing room and began running towards the football ground.

‘Daddu, the match is about to begin,’ she said. ‘I have to switch the phone off now.’

‘Don’t worry, Billi. Like always, you will win this match.’

Ten minutes later, she was on the field with her opponent, watching the referee as he tossed a coin in the air. Adrenaline surged through her body as she wrestled the ball away, leading it towards the goalpost, all other thoughts swept away from her mind.

Tall and muscular, she was tough as nails. Her moves struck fear in the opponents, since they could never be sure of her strategy. Fondly called Billi, she was lithe as a feline and crafty as a fox. Outwitting adversaries was her special skill.

That morning, however, distracted and indecisive, she resorted to playing a defensive game and thus provided an upper hand to the rival team.

With just two minutes for the final whistle, the match was at a nail-biting stage. Bijli stood poised with the ball, ready to kick it into the goalpost, when an opponent gave her a violent push and she fell to the ground. A cumulative protest went up and the crowd cried ‘foul’, forcing the referee to award her a penalty kick.

The spectators leaned forward to watch. Silence descended as Bijli prepared for the final kick. But she ran out of luck. A collective sound of disappointment went up in the air as she missed the goalpost and lost the opportunity. She had never missed a goal before; atleast not with a free kick. Yet, she had failed to score the crucial goal that would have taken her team to the semi-finals.

The football match ended in a draw. Alakhpura Eleven, the favourites for a win, ended without scoring a single goal. The only way they could reach the semi-finals was if Patiala Blues lost their next match, but that seemed near possible. The Patiala girls, led by an aggressive captain, were determined to carry the shield home.

Her dejection was compounded when Banwari Lal tried to boost her morale.

‘Don’t give up hope,’ he consoled, grabbing her hand across the table they had occupied in a bustling café. ‘Let’s pray and wait for the next match.’

He was a wrestler and a national champion and had faced enough victories and defeats to understand the state of Billi’s mind.

Snatching away her hand, she retaliated, ‘Who says I have given up hope? I am confident of reaching the semi-final.’

Throwing him a scornful glance, she got up and walked away. Banwari was the last person she wanted to see at that moment. Six months ago, her family had found in him a suitable match for their obstinate daughter. Tall and handsome, Banwari belonged to the same caste, and his family owned several acres of farming land. Besides, his job in the Haryana Police made him a good catch.

Billi tried every possible trick to change her father’s mind, but the man was just as obstinate. ‘We have given you enough freedom to exercise your will. You wanted to play football, I didn’t object to that. You wanted to pursue graduation, I didn’t object to that either. But now I am not budging from my decision of getting you married. Banwari is a sportsman and a broad-minded chap. He will not stop you from playing football.’

‘I want to study further,’ she had protested, though Billi had no intention of doing so. All she wanted was to escape matrimony. ‘He can wait for two more years, I am sure.’

‘You can study further after marriage. I am sure Banwari will have no objection to that.’

It was futile arguing. The wedding was barely a couple of months away and Billi was desperate.

Ten months ago, an interview aired on television put her on a new path. The interviewee was the lady officer who had passed out of the Officers Training Academy with honours. She had topped the merit list and bagged the Sword of Honour. It was a rare feat. One that made an impression on Billi’s mind. It was a eureka moment for the young woman, who had long been fascinated by the shining brass stars and olive green uniform. This is what she wanted to do. Bring home an award that made her parents and entire village proud. Riveted, she listened to the lady officer’s experiences at the academy.

Most of her friends wanted to join the police force, but wearing the khaki wasn’t her dream. She had been undecided about her plans. The one thing she didn’t want to do was to marry. With the family scouting around for a suitable match, she realized that time was running out for her. Joining the army seemed the only way out for Billi.

On an impulse, she had filled up forms for the entrance examination to join the army. It was her secret. Not to be shared with anyone, except her grandfather. Subedar Major Mahavir Singh was the only one she could trust. As a child, she had sat on his lap and listened to many stories of wars and valour. A diehard soldier, the old man had wanted one of his sons to join the army, but none of them wanted to go through the rigours of army life.

He was ecstatic when she confided in him. ‘I will help you in every possible manner,’ he promised. Billi travelled to Gurgaon to spend her vacation with her grandfather, where the two conspired to clear the tests.

He helped her fill up the forms and provided his address for communication. He also ran her through a battery of physical tests.

Determined to succeed, she burnt the midnight oil to prepare for the tests. Her parents were surprised to note her sudden interest in books, but they refrained from commenting. The English language was a bugbear. It had always been the biggest roadblock in her path. She joined a short term course to help her overcome the handicap. To her surprise, she cleared the written examination for the army and was called for an interview. Just as Billi was wondering about the excuses she could offer for travelling to Delhi for the next round, a series of football matches came to her rescue.

She sought the help of her grandfather, who promptly invited her to stay at Gurgaon the week preceding the matches. There the two prepared for the interview, where she would be tested psychologically, physically and mentally. She had sailed through those tests with no hiccups.

Her grandfather’s call was a confirmation that the sweat they had shed had been fruitful. It put to rest all the doubts in her mind.

Now that she had been selected to undergo training at the Officers Training Academy at Chennai, Billi was confused about the next step. How would she break the news to the family? More importantly, how would she travel to Chennai without their consent?

MISS STEEL MAGNOLIA

Shiny had just stepped out of the house when her phone began ringing.

‘Guess who made it to the academy?’ Aaron’s voice floated down the line, and she smiled.

‘That’s not difficult to guess. My name’s right on top of the list. You would be lucky to figure at the bottom, if at all,’ she laughed.

‘For once, you are right. Shiny Chacko heads the list of successful candidates, but yours truly is not too far behind. We have both made it, darling.’ The delight in his voice was unmistakable.

‘Congratulations to the two of us,’ Shiny replied. Sailing through challenges made her happy.

‘Hey Shiny, it’s a big day for us. Why don’t we celebrate tonight?’ he suggested. ‘I will pick you up at seven.’

‘At your service, boss,’ she gurgled happily.

No one who looked at the willowy and mild mannered girl could imagine she could be stubborn as a mule. Shiny Joseph Chacko had a mind of her own, and no one knew it better than her mother.

When she decided to pursue mechanical engineering, her dad was vehemently opposed to the idea.

‘Information technology is where the future lies,’ advised Joseph Chacko. ‘I think you should opt for IT.’

‘You are right, of course,’ replied his respectful daughter. ‘However, mechanical engineering is the mother of all engineering and that is where my interest lies.’

To be fair, she never argued with her parents and was polite with everyone. Yet, she managed to do whatever her heart dictated. Her friends called her Miss Steel Magnolia.

After completing B.Tech., Shiny went on to enrol for an M.Tech. in automobile engineering. An excellent basketball player and NCC cadet, the athletic Shiny was a winner all around. She will go on to get a doctorate now, her friends predicted. A month later, she demolished everyone’s expectations.

‘I have decided to join the army,’ she declared.

But why would you want to do that, everyone wanted to know.

‘I just feel like wearing the uniform,’ she said.

That was not the real reason, of course. It was Shiny’s boyfriend, Aaron Koshy, who had planted the idea in her mind. The two had been together since kindergarten. They grew up squabbling and fighting over toys, and competing in studies and games. The squabbles turned into affection and then love, growing with each passing year. They studied in the same college before he took up a job and she enrolled for M.Tech.

Shiny’s mind was made the moment Aaron called up to announce his intention of joining the army. She wanted to be with him and enrolling in the army seemed the best way to do that. They would be together during training and get commissioned on the same day, at the same venue. Things couldn’t get better than that. Also, her competitive streak had poked up its ugly head once again. It had been the same all through school. The two of them had competed for the first rank and every prize. The truth was that she had beaten him each time. Be it academics or sports, she had won all the prizes.

‘I will do the same,’ she declared in her characteristic gentle manner when Aaron announced his plan to join the army.

‘Think again,’ he said, though he knew the futility of questioning Shiny’s decision. ‘The entrance tests are difficult and the regimen more so. It’s a tough life, really.’

With those words, Aaron had thrown down the gauntlet. She took it up with a smile. ‘And you think I am not tough enough?’ she countered. ‘I can do anything you can do, and better.’

‘Well, I can’t stop you,’ he teased. ‘Let’s see if the two of us can reach the academy.’

‘I am confident of being selected, though I can’t say the same for you,’ she retorted.

Preparing for the OTA entrance examination had been an easy feat for the girl who had made it a habit to excel. Her boyfriend had also joined a study circle to prepare for the examination. He couldn’t afford to fail. It had become a matter of honour for him.

Joseph Chacko was not surprised to hear that his brilliant daughter had been selected to undergo training at the Officers Training Academy. The news didn’t bring him joy. He was sorely disappointed. Shiny was his only daughter, and he would have liked for her to find a good job and lead a stable and comfortable life. Aaron was a nice boy and Chacko approved of his daughter’s choice, but he had not bargained for the two youngsters to join the army. At the same time, the astute man was aware of the futility of trying to influence their decision.

His wife, Sarah, was the one who argued with Shiny. She had tried her best to dissuade the girl but had failed. Desperate, she had reached out to Aaron’s parents, asking them to discourage their son from joining the army. But the couple was proud of their son’s decision and refused to intervene.

‘You should be proud of your daughter, Mrs Chacko,’ said Aaron’s father. ‘Under the circumstances, it will be better for you to support her decision. We want our children to be happy, don’t we? In any case, the two of them are going to be together.’

Although disappointed with their reaction, Sarah knew they were right. She should support her daughter and pray for her happiness.

‘I will miss you,’ she said, helping her daughter pack her clothes in the black metal box that she had newly acquired as per the joining instructions.

‘I will miss you too, Mama,’ said Shiny. ‘It’s just a matter of six months and then I will come home for the midterm break.’

After witnessing the excitement on Shiny’s face as they dropped her at the railway station, Sarah knew it would have been wrong to resist her daughter’s decision.

THE DRAMA QUEEN

The acceptance letter arrived while Nutan was in the theatre watching her favourite star’s antics on the screen. It was only after she reached home in the evening that she found the letter and read its contents. The next moment, she leapt out of the room, screaming at the top of her voice.

‘I have been selected,’ she announced to her large extended family, that occupied the two-storeyed house along with her.

The announcement drew several family members to the courtyard in the centre of the house. Soon, a joyous atmosphere permeated the Patil residence. Nutan had been selected to join the Officers Training Academy, and it was a reason for celebration not just for the family but for the neighbourhood as well. She would be the first girl from the village to join the army.

Nutan’s father, Baburao Patil, was an ambitious man with an overworked sulky wife and three wilful daughters. He belonged to an agrarian family, where the education of girls had never been a priority. But Baburao was a progressive man. Undaunted by the lack of a son, he decided to provide his daughters with a good education so they could have impressive careers. While the elder one was the studious kind, his youngest daughter Nutan barely scraped through the examinations. Like most of her friends, the girl loved watching Bollywood movies and dreamt of living a glamorous life in the city. Her desires were restricted to fashionable clothes and exotic food.

Baburao was not a man to give up. He offered the girl an opportunity to study further in Pune, but only if she got 70 per cent in her high school examinations. Though not very good in studies, Nutan found herself being propelled by her father’s ambitions. It was the temptation of journeying to Pune that drove her to perform well in her board exams.

In Pune the girl experienced a taste of freedom. Studies were pushed to the back-burner as she made friends with a few wayward girls. Together, they broke all the rules of the girls’ hostel to enjoy life. Her love for movies was satisfied when she found a roommate who was as mad about movies as she was. The two of them watched a couple of movies every weekend, on a laptop. If it was not movies, she would be gallivanting around glitzy malls or dining out with her roommates.

Money was a constraint, but there were a couple of rich and generous girls who willingly loosened their purse strings for their friends. In return, Nutan regaled them with her repertoire of jokes, imitated all the lecturers, and cooked up mischievous plans. Not just that, she could parrot dramatic dialogues of her favourite hero Salman Khan and dance like Hrithik Roshan. The girl was the life of every party in and out of the hostel. She was also an outrageous flirt.

It was a chance visit to the National Defence Academy that exposed her to the glitzy and glamorous side of the army. Her friend’s brother, Nitish, was training at NDA and he was looking for a girl to take to the NDA ball. Always ready for a bit of action and excitement, Nutan volunteered to be Nitish’s partner. The ball changed her perspective on life. The impressionable girl decided that she would either marry an army officer or be one herself. The decision became firmer after she witnessed the Passing out Parade at NDA. For the first time, she had a goal in life.

The more she thought about the idea, the more entrenched it became. ‘I will be the first girl from the village to join the army. Wouldn’t that create history?’ she told her sister, who dutifully relayed the information to the entire family and then to the entire clan. And soon, the news spread through the small village.

When she visited the village shortly thereafter, Nutan found herself surrounded by people wanting to know more about the steps she was taking to prepare for the entrance examination. Hopes were pinned on her, she realized.

There was no scope of backtracking.

Fully aware of her weaknesses, the girl was in a dilemma. She had never been studious, and she had been told that the entrance examination was no child’s play. It would be a shame in case she failed to make the grade, and the shame wouldn’t be hers alone. Her father would also suffer the humiliation of shattered hopes. Nutan loved her father too much to disappoint him. There was just one thing to do. She would have to prepare seriously for the examination.

After returning to Pune, she joined a coaching class. Her days of fun and frolic were replaced by bookish pursuits. Gone was the flighty and flirty girl she had been. Slowly and steadily, the friends vanished. She was no longer the entertaining girl they knew.

The instructors at the coaching classes did not expect her to clear the entrance exam. English had never been a strong point, nor logic or reasoning. She drew enough barbs from the boys who were attending the classes. There were very few girls in the class, and she seemed to be the most hare-brained one among them.

‘Frankly speaking, you are wasting your time and money,’ snarled one of the instructors, after she had failed a test. ‘Why do you want to join the army, anyway?’

If anything, the ridicule strengthened her resolve. She was determined to prove the instructors wrong.

For once, the dark circles around her eyes didn’t faze her, and she pored over her books every night. Her hard work began to yield results and her grades began improving. Her objective was to not only clear the entrance test but also to clear the college graduate examinations. She achieved both.

Nutan appeared for the Combined Defence Services (CDS) examination, confident of sailing through it. Shortly thereafter, when the graduation results were announced, her grades proved that the hours she had spent studying had not gone to waste.

Returning to the village after the examination, she found herself a target of heightened expectations. And then the letter arrived. Nutan had cleared the CDS entrance examination. An overjoyed Baburao threw a party to celebrate the news of his daughter’s success.

THE SPIRITED SPRITE

Almost everyone living in the Laban neighbourhood of Shillong was aware of Lakme’s fascination for the army. It had begun the day she visited her best friend Violet’s house. The girl’s uncle, Major Albert Diengdoh, was visiting the family. He had brought with him many tales of army life and every evening, the neighbourhood children crowded around the young officer to hear his stories of perilous adventures. Among them was the bright-eyed, eight-year-old Khasi girl called Lakmenlang Nongrum. Over the years, Albert’s stories took a grip over the girl’s imagination, and she decided to join the army.

While her teenaged friends read paperbacks of syrupy sweet sentimental schmaltz, Lakme aka Lucky, stocked her book rack with adventure novels whose protagonists had army backgrounds. Her friends laughed when she shared her ambition.

‘Girls don’t read such books,’ scoffed her classmates at the Auxilium Girls School.

‘Neither do they go to war,’ they said.

Right from her friends and family to her teachers and classmates, everyone mocked her ambition. They had never before encountered a girl who wanted to join the army. Most girls wanted to become pop stars, fashion designers, models, film stars, microbiologists, doctors and engineers. No one spoke of joining the army.

The daughter of a wholesale grain trader from Shillong found no support for her dreams. Not even her father who usually indulged her whims and fancies. ‘Our daughter is enamoured with the idea of brass buttons and uniform. She will outgrow the fantasy,’ he consoled his wife, Aiti.

Lakme neither forgot nor outgrew her fantasies. All she did was relegate them to the back of her mind while she completed her graduation. An excellent crooner, she was popular for her foot-tapping numbers, and her father was sure she would take up singing professionally. She allowed them to think whatever they wanted to think, but she knew where her dreams led. Her delicate personality notwithstanding, the girl possessed a mulish nature.

Albert, a retired soldier now, was the only one who persisted in fanning the embers of her ambition. He continued to motivate and inspire the girl as she grew into an intelligent and athletic young woman, who loved climbing mountains.

‘You have the focus, stamina and determination to be a soldier,’ Albert told her. ‘All you need is a bit of preparation.’

With his help, she found out all about the entrance examination for the hallowed institution known as the Officers Training Academy.

The two of them conspired to fill the forms and prepare for the tests. ‘Wouldn’t it be nice to make them all eat crow?’ Albert said.

‘I will make them do that,’ the girl laughed.

True to her words, Lakme made the entire community eat crow the day her acceptance letter arrived. She was amazed at the turnout at home. Her parents, who had scoffed at the idea of her joining the army, were quick in heaping their blessings and grabbing a share of credit for her success.

‘I was confident Lucky would sail through the tough examination,’ her father declared to all and sundry.

‘We have always encouraged our daughters to follow their heart,’ said her mother.

It wasn’t true, of course. Her vehement protests against Lakme’s career choices had resulted in naught, so the wise woman had decided to go along with the flow. ‘My daughter will do us proud.’

Soon, the naysayers lined up to congratulate the cheerful girl, and her parents could not stop preening. Sweets were bought and preparations for the celebrations began in earnest. It was a great day for the entire neighbourhood, for she was the first girl to qualify for the OTA.

It was party time. Since there was no time to send invitations, the Nongrum family decided to have an open house. Anyone who arrived was greeted with drinks and snacks. Parties were a great lure for people. They arrived by the dozen, and Lakme regaled the guests with lively numbers. She was in top form.

Albert’s was the only sane voice that night.

‘Life is not going to be parties and music. The training is tough and the routine hectic. You will have no time to relax, so enjoy all you can,’ he warned.

‘You have a wealth of experience. Why don’t you give her some guidance about the things she can expect while training at the academy?’ requested an anxious Aiti. Despite putting up a brave front, she was uneasy about sending her daughter so far away.

‘Lucky is an intelligent girl. She will be able to handle everything. Besides, I am hardly in a position to give her any advice. All I can say is that she should remain calm, obey orders and think positively.’

‘Keep your eyes and ears open at all times and don’t get on the wrong side of the ustads,’ he cautioned the girl, before taking his leave.

The days of excitement and celebrations ended, and it was time to pack.

‘It seems like a list given by boarding schools,’ remarked Aiti as she went through the items in ‘List of Clothing Items to Be Brought by Lady Cadets’.

The list had been a part of the joining letter. ‘I think there is a mistake. They have sent you a list that is meant for boys.’

‘Why do you say that?’ asked Lakme, smiling at her mother’s puzzled expression.

‘There is no mention of any women’s garments.’

Lucky placed her arm around her mother’s shoulders and gave her a comforting squeeze. ‘Mom, your daughter is not going for a fashion show. She is joining the army.’

‘I understand that. But look at this list.’

‘ I...’

Aiti read out loudly from the list:

1.White Shirt 02 Full sleeves without pocket.

2.Terry Cotton Shorts (White) 04 Two with broad loops

3.Terry Cotton Trousers (White) 01

4.Terry Cotton Trousers (Black) 02 With only one pleat and no belt loops

5.Neck Tie 01

6.Night Suit and Dressing Gown 02

7.Leather Shoes Formal (Black) 01 Pair Oxford /Brogue pattern.

8.Socks Nylon (Black) 02 Pairs

9.PT Shoes (White) 01 Pair Good quality running shoes (Adidas/Reebok plain (white) without any design could be brought).

10.White Socks Cotton (White) 03 Pairs

11.Bathroom Slippers 01 Pair

12.Undergarments 06 Sets

13.Handkerchief 06

14.Bath Towels Large (White) 02

15.Personal Toiletries 01 Set as per requirement

16.Steel Box (Size 75 x 45 x 30 cm) – Name written in white on Bottom Left Corner. Alphabet size 1.5"

17.Single Bed Sheet and Pillow (white) 02 sets

18.Lock (Medium Size) 02

19.Suitcase/Bag as required

20.Terry Cotton Half Shirt (White) 02 without pocket

‘This is hilarious,’ chirped Lucky’s younger sister Olari, who was peeping over her mother’s shoulder.

‘What’s so funny?’ asked Lucky, frowning at the teenager.

‘Who carries steel boxes these days? Not just that, they have even specified the placing and size of the letters that are to label the box.’

‘Shoo! Run away,’ chided Aiti. ‘Don’t bother your sister.’

‘She’s mad,’ teased Olari. ‘I won’t be surprised if she comes running back. I am giving her one week.’

‘I won’t come running back, as you say. Now, run away before I box your ears.’ Lucky clenched her fist threateningly.

A week later, the anxious parents drove Lucky to Guwahati, so she could catch her flight to Chennai.

AN ANXIOUS ARRIVAL

CHENNAI RAILWAY STATION

It was a hot and humid afternoon. The overcrowded train pulled into the Chennai Central Railway Station. Restless passengers with their umpteen bags had already lined up at the train’s exit, preparing to step off as soon as the train came to a halt.

Checking her hair and dress in the tiny, rusty mirror