THE OBSERVER-(M-36)

 😎THE OBSERVER-(M-36)😎

Mon 01 Feb

            PREM KAHANI CONTD

       Yesterday's early-morning blitzkreig of posts by Prem resulted in one of them hitting my memory button rather sharply. So leaving the original trail of memoirs at the point where i had just returned to Chandimandir from the LRP, i turn to Prem Kahani once more. The Commando Course that followed the LRP and other events can be snoozing in the waiting list for the moment. Something is nudging and telling me that this is the right moment for an item number.

         To recapitulate…... The imbroglio of Prem trying to convince  my CO to render due assistance to me in my romantic pursuits had ended up in my getting marched up the next morning.He had then ridden away into the sunset like the hero of a Cowboy movie and was not to be seen for quite some time. Meanwhile,my romance story ended in a total fiasco and a heart-broken 2/Lt was left licking his wounds, attempting to drown his sorrows in rum in total self- imposed isolation.        

          By this time Prem, taking full advantage of his position as the Adjutant of his unit, had become a popular figure in the surrounds of the Punjab University Girls Hostel. Doing full justice to his name, he had managed to get into the good books of the Warden there.That is where he earned the nickname  "Clouty" due to the enormous clout he exhibited in getting seemingly impossible tasks done in a jiffy.

  "Leave it all to Prem,  " was the slogan doing the rounds in those bylanes . Nothing seemed to be impossible for him and all the lovelies simply swooned in his very presence, literally falling over each other to get his attention.

         One fine evening, he dropped into my room unannounced along with two girls. Subsequent to some L.O. duty, Prem had found himself saddled with a chauffered cab.He had then picked up these two good-looking undergraduate sisters and now they were on their way to Shimla. I was cordially invited to join them. The first thing i did was to ask the young officer who had joined the unit after me to immediately return the Rs. 500/- i had handed over to him some months back for * suitably investing" in the share-market, of which he professed to be an expert.He had told me at that time that if i left everything to him, he would see to it that i would soon be the proud possessor of a healthy portfolio. But after that, my queries to this young lad on further progress had only been met with the mysterious answer that the work was on. How well i remember my answer when he told me not to act in a hurry and let the Rs.500/- multiply in due course instead of blowing it away. " Rs. 500/- in hand is worth more than double the amount in the share market, " is what i told him. 

       Quickly packing a bag and with the money in the pocket, the four of us headed towards Shimla. It was rather late in the evening when we reached Shimla, so instead of wandering anywhere else, we made our way to the M.E.S. I.B. , where good old Dondappa ( of Veerappan-type moustache fame), our Head Waiter, was attached. With his powerfuk intervention, we managed to get the only accomodation available there at that time - a family suit booked for a very senior officer who would be arriving the next day. We made ourselves comfortable for the night and next day moved to another Mess which Prem managed to arrange for with a couple of calls to the right people. I actually do not know what exactly he told them but vaguely recall signing-in in both places as two couples.A lot of walking around the Mall and some other leafy lanes followed till one of the girls broke her sandals. It was fun first hunting for a cobbler and then watching the process of buying new ones. Tired of so much walking, we relaxed i  the famous Coffee House before returning to our room. I recall reading out aloud some amusing romantic passages from the Mills & Boon one of them were  carrying. The two of us burst 

into uncontrollable laughter while the girls gave vent to their irritation at this mockery of their favourite literature. 

      Sorry to disappoint those looking forward to more juicy stuff, but the four of us then returned to Chandimandir after a couple of happy days with our virginities intact. Believe it or not !

     But coming to the point, here is Prem's post yesterday that provoked this write-up : -

Always remember, money is not everything in lfe,

But make sure you earn enough of it before you believe in that nonsense.

NOW HE TELLS ME!

Just imagine, had it not been for Prem, today i would actually have been juggling a huge fat financial portfolio, wondering where next to park my riches most profitably. And here i am, twiddling my thumbs and belting out this write-up instead.

Happy Monday, everyone.