Filmy Fauji Wedding: Episode 3
Through the train journey we spent most of the time studying the SL maps and discussed all the possible options for ensuing operations. One thing was very clear – we were not sure who were we going to fight against. We hadn’t identified the enemy yet. IPKF operation was yet not conceived.
Before moving out the CO’s dvr had approached me with a request for leave as he was also scheduled for his marriage on the 12th. I had the morale courage to scold him and deny his request straightaway. It was unthinkable to talk about leave at a time when the unit was moving for a war. I told him to look up to me and take my example. The poor boy had no option but to follow my foot steps.
Away from this unpredictability, my father-in-law reached Agra early on 7th morning – into another realm of unpredictability, welcomed by conspicuous silence. It didn’t look like a wedding house and he could feel an eerie silence had fallen on with his arrival. The members at home took some time to break this news to him. He felt shattered and had no idea what to do. My whereabouts were not known. There were murmurs on the authenticity and correctness of my message. Was I actually going or gone for exercise or was I backing off from the marriage itself?
My father-in-law did what could be done. He stayed with the situation. The many relatives who had arrived were requested to get back to their respective places, so as to avoid unwanted speculation about my disappearance. He asked to get a train booking done for 10th of June for their return. Telegrams started being sent out.
One was sent to my co-brother in Tejpur who had just come back after making Rajni’s sister board the train for Agra. On receiving this news about postponement of the wedding function he decided to not have his wife troubled with this long summer journey to Agra. A message was delivered to MCO at Rangia to arrange for her deboarding there. My sister-in-law had just about settled in for the long travel ahead by the time the train pulled in at Rangia station. The MCO guys had placed themselves at the right coach to not waste time and knocked at her coupe. It was overwhelming for a lady travelling alone being confronted with a situation to find uniformed men looking for her in the middle of a journey and asking her to pack-up and deboard the train. Amidst anxiety and confusion, there was not much time to deliberate through the short halt she got off the train with little knowledge that the wedding had been postponed. The MCO guys helped her in boarding the next train going back to Tejpur.
to be continued...
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