GUESSING GAMES

The Initiation

As soon as they reached the portals of Foxtrot Squadron, he was accosted by a Cadet dressed in NDA uniform.

     The orderly was released and the cadet initiated him into life in the National Defence Academy.

"What's your name, you?"

"Ramesh Mishra," he had answered.

"Ramesh Mishra, sir, OK?"

"Yes."

"Bloody clot, I just told you to call me sir. You will call everyone here sir, do you follow?"

      "Yes, sir," he had replied meekly.

"What's my name?" he was asked. 'Now how am I supposed to know who this joker is,' he thought , as he said," I don't know."

"I don't know SIR, you stupid ass."

"Sorry, sir" he apologised.

"Is this your luggage," he was asked.

"Yes, sir."

"Good. Pick it up and follow me. Come on, you are supposed to be a grown up!" the senior Cadet said mockingly. He managed to get the trunk onto his head and picked up his holdall with his right hand. He followed his senior into a long corridor, balancing the heavy trunk on his head with difficulty. He found that his left hand was on the trunk and he must have looked a sight walking with both hands occupied in a comical manner. Halfway in, the senior stopped and got him to put his luggage down." This is the central lobby of Foxtrot Squadron. Your cabin is on the first floor, number 45, as you can see on the notice board. Pick up your luggage and follow me," he was ordered.

" Yes, sir," he replied and loaded himself again. They went up the flight of steps and soon reached his cabin, which was open. The cabin was fairly spacious, with a bed which had a mattress, a chest of drawers with a mirror and a writing table with a chair. There were three framed photographs hanging on the wall. Two showed the various types of uniform and how they were worn whereas the third showed how the cabin was to be set up. There was a mosquito net on the bed, which he had missed out, as it had been rolled up so tight that it escaped notice. There was no fan!

" What have you got from home to eat?" he was asked.

" I did not bring anything, sir. I have come from Puri."

" Open your trunk and show me what you have," was the next order. His trunk had nothing apart from the essentials, disappointing the senior.

" Which lock have you got? Don't ever use the issued Godrej one, anyone can open it," advised the senior.

" Right sir. I have a Chinese lock."

" Good. Deposit one key when the time comes with the Squadron Subedar, OK."

" OK, sir. I will do that. Thank you."

 "What thanks, dash it. Life is yet to start for you here. Take it all calmly, everything is for your own good. You will be ragged for two and a half years; as a first-termer, you will be ragged the most. Don't give up and run away like many guys do. You need courage and a lot of mental strength. Remember, at the end of it all, you will come out much stronger physically and mentally. There are some bastards who will bullshit the hell out of you. Some are vicious chaps. Learn how to stay away from them. Open your window and the grille beneath. Learn how to climb into your cabin from outside while your door is locked. Hide below your bed, as they will look for you through the ventilation grille. It has ten strands of wire. The seventh strand is called the 'seventh heaven'. You will go to heaven many times." 'I don't want to go to heaven just yet, stupid' he said to himself. Suddenly yet another cadet barged in and said, "Get lost, Shanks." His first acquaintance left quickly. 'Now what?' he thought.

" What's your name, you?" No preliminaries of any kind.

" Ramesh Mishra, sir" he answered.

" General Ramesh Mishra or Dr. Ramesh Mishra or what, clot?"

" Just Ramesh Mishra, sir."

" Cadet Ramesh Mishra, you idiot."

" Right, sir."

" What's my name?"

'Here we go again' he thought as he said," I don't know, sir."

"Find out and let me know."

“What’s my Service Number?”

"I don't know, sir."

“What do you know, dope. Find out and let me know.”

"Right sir."

"What is your father's name?" came the next query.

"Mr. PC Mishra, sir", an easy enough answer.

"Forget him. Your father's name from now on is NDA. Understood, clot?”   

      " Yes sir."

      " What's your mother's name?"

      " Mrs. Damayanti Mishra, sir."

      " You are a dim clot. Your mother's name is NDA. NDA, what?"

      " NDA, sir."

      " Much better. Now, get into the corridor."

      " Right sir," he said as he stepped out of his Cabin.

"Shout twenty times: my father's name is NDA and my mother's name is NDA," was the next step in his initiation. He started to shout what he was ordered to but was stopped immediately." Have you lost your lungs? I said shout. Shout, dope." He raised his voice to the maximum and did what he was told.

     "Better. Louder now."

      In response, he heard an echo of what he had just shouted, from below his feet." That is your brother, who is learning like you," he was told. He had forgotten the number of new faces that he saw that day, all of whom had asked that silly question: What's my name? How could he ever know? Apparently this was standard practice in the NDA. He himself would ask all freshers the same question in the 5 terms to come.