NIPPER AND 'HIS MASTER'S VOICE'

When you reach the age of 'getting high on numbers', any small thing can flood you with nostalgia. My way to dam the flood and make it safe to wade happily (remember, I am a non-swimmer) in memories is to 'blog' it!

The other day, there was a story in BabaMail featuring 15 hilarious amateur recreations of famous paintings. One of the originals was the entertainment trademark "His Master's Voice", used on the recording labels and gramophones of 'The Gramophone Company/EMI/HMV'.  It featured a dog looking curiously into and seemingly listening to the horn-like speaker of a hand-winding gramophone.

The real-life story behind the logo is heartwarming. There actually was a dog, a little terrier named Nipper, belonging to one Mark Henry Barraud in Bristol, UK. Mark died in 1887 and his brothers, Francis and Philip, took care of Nipper. Apparently, Nipper used to sit in front of a phonograph and listen in wonder to recordings of the voice of Mark which the two brothers used to play for the dog.

The dog died in 1895 and three years later, Francis, an artist, made a painting of Nipper and a phonograph titled "Dog Looking at and Listening to a Phonograph." The painting was offered to various phonograph companies including Edison Bell whose owner famously rejected it saying, "Dogs don't listen to phonographs". Finally, 'The Gramophone Company' in England bought it with the modification that the painting show one of the Company's own disc machines. And so was born 'His Master's Voice'.

The story is special to me as it was through an 'His Master's Voice' gramophone that I was introduced to music. As a child, as soon as I became aware of things around me, I found an HMV gramophone at home and some 78 rpm records. With only my grandparents in the house, I took possession of my finds and learnt to play the machine. Soon music became my passion and no day would go by without my playing a few records.

Starting with the morning, the house would echo with sounds of "Yeh Kaun Aaj Aaya Savere Savere", rumbling and whistles of "Toofan Mail", marching beats of "Praan Chaahe Nein Na Chaahe", hopes of someone visiting with "Aayega Aane Wala", approach of the night with "Yeh Raatein Yeh Mausam" and falling asleep hoping for sweet dreams listening to "Soja Rajkumari, Soja." 

Then there were songs to be played on a specific occasion. For example, whenever I got good results in exams, I would come home and play "Aaj Apni Mehnaton Ka Mujhko Samra Mil Gaya".

I lost my father when I was just four but thanks to the love and care of Mummy, my Nana and Nani and my two Mamas, I had a happy childhood. So I loved 'bachpan' songs of which there were plenty. To name a few, I had "Bachpan Ke Din Bhula Na Dena", "Bhala Tha Kitna Apna Bachpan", "Kahan Woh Bachpan Ka Pyara Sapna", “Bachpan Ke Din Bhi Kya Din Thay” and "Mere Bachpan Ke Saathi Mujhe Bhool Na Jaana".

I used to eagerly look forward to Vinnie Mama's visits who always brought new records whenever he came home on vacation from Allahabad University. Then he joined the Navy and I, St. Xavier's Jaipur and we got interested in English music. Vinnie Mama's first buys were "The Rich Maharajah of Magador", "My Truly Truly Fair", and "Goodnight Irene". Meanwhile, I learnt that English records were available in Delhi at a shop "Marques & Co." in Connaught Circus. We used to visit Delhi quite often and a visit to that shop was always on my schedule. And so I had "Don't Let The Stars Get in Your Eyes", "My Blue Heaven" and "White Christmas" on my fingertips whenever I desired.

With NDA and Navy for me and my grandparents changing houses, the gramophone got lost. I was heartbroken but forever grateful to it for instilling music in my blood.

Thank you for the music, Nipper and 'His Master's Voice'. I shall never forget you.

I'M AN ORDINARY MAN

I claim Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe wrote this for me!

I'm an ordinary man
Who desires nothing more just the ordinary chance
To live exactly as he likes
And do precisely what he wants
An average man am I
Of no eccentric whim
Who likes to live his life
Free of strife
Doing whatever he thinks is best for him
Just an ordinary man

I'm a very gentle man

Even tempered and good natured

Who you never hear complain

Who has the milk of human kindness

By the quart in every vein

A patient man am I

Down to my fingertips

The sort who never could

Ever would

Let an insulting remark escape his lips

Just a very gentle man

I'm a quiet living man

Who prefers to spend the evening

In the silence of his room

Who likes an atmosphere as restful

As an undiscovered tomb

A pensive man am I

Of philosophic joys

Who likes to meditate

Contemplate

Free from humanity's mad inhuman noise

Just a quiet living man

THAT MYSTIFYING 'SOMETHING'

I had forgotten a song that we used to listen to a lot in the late 1990s till I was reminded of it by Shumita the other day. The song is Elton John's "Something about the way you look tonight".

Elton John sings it beautifully but what makes it brilliant are the lyrics. True to life, we find that there are times when someone one loves looks especially attractive and alluring on a particular night. Could it be the dress, the smile ('A Certain Smile' a la Francoise Sagan and Johnny Mathis), the mood, the surroundings....? Difficult to say and Elton John does not know either -

"And I can't explain

But it's something about the way you look tonight

Oh, takes my breath away

It's that feeling I get about you deep inside

And I can't describe

But it's something about the way you look tonight

Takes my breath away

The way you look tonight."

Then my thoughts centred on 'Something'. Among a multitude of people, what is that 'something' that attracts a person to just 'one' other? Is it physical, chemical, magnetism, body language or .....?

I love to take the route of lyrics of songs to find meanings of words and so I thought of those that delve into 'something'. An old song I recalled was Cole Porter's "You Do Something To Me" which dates back to 1929. All old crooners have sung it including Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby and Perry Como right down to Sinead O'Connor in 1990. And what is that 'something' you do-

"You do something to me, something that simply mystifies me

Tell me, why should it be, you have the power to hypnotize me

Let me live 'neath your spell, do do that voodoo that you do so well,

For you do something to me that nobody else can do!"

Here 'something' is 'mystic', 'hypnotic' and 'voodoo'! Is that worldly or ethereal?

Another outstanding song with a lot of 'something' in the lyrics is "Strangers in the Night", one of Frank Sinatra's best.  He sings-

"Something in your eyes was so inviting

Something in your smile was so exciting

Something in my heart

Told me I must have you."

Lovely, but 'something' remains undefined!

I then turned to perhaps the most popular song on this inexplicable phenomenon. The song is, what else, "Something"!

People of my vintage would remember it well but it is worth recalling a few important facts about this gem of a song. Written by George Harrison of The Beatles and sung by them in 1969, it topped the musical charts in the USA, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and West Germany. Within three years, it was sung by over 150 artists making it the second-most covered Beatles composition after "Yesterday." Who's who of those who have sung it include Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, Shirley Bassey, Ray Charles, Elton John, Bruce Springsteen, Paul Simon, Bob Dylan and Eric Clapton. Frank Sinatra regularly performed it and called it "the greatest love song of the past 50 years." Elton John said "it is probably one of the best love songs ever written, better than 'Yesterday'". Shirley Bassey hit the top ten on music charts with her version sung with deep emotion and passion and is my particular favourite. Here is what it says-

"Something in the way she moves

Attracts me like no other lover....

Somewhere in her smile she knows

That I need no other lover

Something in her style that shows me....

Something in the way she knows

And all I have to do is think of her

Something in the things she shows me

I don't want to leave her now 

You know I believe and how"

Am I any wiser or just chasing butterflies? I can do no better than recall words from Oscar Hammerstein's classic number "Some Enchanted Evening" in "South Pacific"-

"Who can explain it, who can tell you why?

Fools give you reasons, wise men never try."

 

OF BIDEN, TRUMP, PUTIN AND ZELENSKY - IN A LIGHTER VEIN

It’s a long story not yet ended but I will make it short.

Biden was bidin’ his time biddin’ for keeping his beddin' in the White House for four more years. Trump would not have it and dealt his cards outbiddin’ 'Sleepy Joe' Biden and asserting his trump over Biden’s no trump. 

Biden’s ill health out trumped his biddin’ giving way to Kamala Harris. Trump did not find her ‘comely’ and she felt harassed till she was out trumped in the elections. Trump became POTUS and declared that his focus would not be on a sedate lotus but on eliminating all bogus hocus pocus with the help of his caucus with Washington as locus. All good, unless the joke's on us.

Trump made getting the noble Nobel Peace Prize his top priority. With India and Pakistan agreeing to a ceasefire, Trump started blowing his own trumpet with a piece ‘Peace for Trade’ for Beating Retreat. Modi found it totally out of tune but Trump persisted with it. After all, he couldn't possibly play “Abide With Me” as it would be reminiscent of Biden. Result- India goes from 'tareef' to tariff.

Trump is now puttin’  all his bets on talks with Putin to win the Noble, sorry, Nobel Peace Prize. The two of them met in Alaska where Putin put out his cards on the table though we don’t know if all have been dealt. Listening to Trump’s trumpet, Ukraine and Europe are hoping he has not been out trumped by Putin.

A side story on Alaska was that Putin had security agents carrying suitcases for puttin’ in all that Putin had put out during his stay as he didn’t want foreigners to examine his output. Whatever was put in would only be put out after return to Moscow.

Meanwhile, Zelensky has been to the White House twice. The first time he marched in battle dress with all guns blazing only to be told by Vice President Vance that his turnout was making the Veep weep and that talks would not advance as Zelensky was improperly dressed. (I was reminded of our NDA's Sergeant Major Ayling, who would hold that a cadet was improperly dressed if one of his buttons had come slightly loose which would hold his advance to the next term.) So on the second trip, Zelensky was formally suited and booted and buttoned right up to the top with Trump more amenable to his advances. European leaders and the British Prime Minister Starmer accompanied Zelensky to prevent any possibility of a storm brewing up.

The world watches with bated breath if all that Trump has put in Putin can put out peace between Russia and Ukraine and a bear hug for Vladimir and Volodymyr. 

P.S. Meanwhile, Tulsi Gabbard, US Director of National Intelligence, seems to have created some ‘gadbad’ by blocking the eyes of The Five Eyes from eyeing Russia and Ukraine.

P.P.S. I have put in a lot of effort in this piece. My apologies if anyone is put out by it.

GETTING HIGH ON NUMBERS

If Shubman Gill can score a double century, so can I. Only our fields are different.

Shubman scores double centuries on the Cricket ground. My field of activity is the blog on which this is my 200th post in 6 years.

Interestingly, I find life is full of numbers. The other day, our physiotherapist asked me how long I have been playing golf. I said "60 years" and she could just utter a "wow". 

Out of these 60, it is now the 36th year at the Army Golf Course in Delhi Cantt. After retirement from the Navy in 1989, we settled down in Delhi and I started playing at this Course and have seen it grow from 9 holes to 12 and then to full 18 since the late '90s. With a number of restaurants and snack bars on the high ground next to 1st and 10th tees and 9th and 18th greens, it can hold its own against the more famous Delhi Golf Club and is an attractive spot for dinner in the moonlight or just a cup of coffee at the end of a round of golf.

35 years ago when I joined the Club, I had many 15-16 year olds caddying for me. Today, it is unbelievable to see them as 50+s on the verge of becoming grandfathers if not one already!

Unbelievable too that I left the Navy over 35 years ago. I was commissioned on 01 January 1960, over 65 years from now. The 1971 War during which I was on the aircraft carrier Vikrant as Fleet Communications Officer of the newly formed Eastern Fleet, took place 54 years ago. It's been 47 years since I commanded Katchall and 40 since commanding Trishul which is when I went to Singapore as the Defence Adviser. 

On 22 July this year, it was the 70th anniversary of our Course, 14th, joining the NDA. I remember my visit to the Academy earlier in the year when I met cadets of the 153rd Course who had been allotted numbers of 45000-46000 compared to mine, 2134. Now it is the 154th Course that has joined since last month and their numbers will be approaching the 50000 mark!

After changing residence every 2-3 years or even oftener while in the Navy, it is our 26th year in Aradhana. Here too, we have seen children growing into adults, marrying and then becoming parents!

Sometime ago, I was on my walk in Nehru Park when a young man caught up with me, wished me with a smile and asked me how old I was. I gave him my age reversing the digits. He looked at me strangely wondering why I looked so old for my age! I just had to put the poor fellow at ease by giving him the digits in correct order.

Contrarily, there is the sweet song of my school days, over 70 years ago, "The Naughty Lady of Shady Lane" by Ames Brothers:

"The naughty lady of Shady Lane, has the town in a whirl

The naughty lady of Shady Lane, me, oh, my, oh, what a girl....

Our town was peaceful and quiet, before she came on the scene

The lady has stared a riot, disturbing the suburban routine....

You should see how she carries on, with her admirers galore

She must be giving them quite a thrill, the way they flock to her door....

The things they're trying to pin on her, won't hold much water I'm sure

Beneath the powder and fancy lace, there beats a heart sweet and pure....

The naughty lady of Shady Lane, so delectable, quite respectable

And she's only nine days old!"

Where have all the years gone? 'The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind, the answer is blowin' in the wind!'

The years go by, memories remain. Let me end with a few lines from the beautiful, touching song 'Memory' from the superhit musical "Cats" with lyrics by Trevor Nunn and composition by Andrew Lloyd Webber-

"Memory, all alone in the moonlight, I can smile at the old days

I was beautiful then, I remember the time I knew what happiness was

Let the memory live again....

I must wait for the sunrise, I must think of a new life and I mustn't give in

When the dawn comes, tonight will be a memory too

And a new day will begin."

IT'S THE WORDS THAT MAKE A SONG

Sometime back, I came across this old Victorian adage, "Kissing a man without a moustache is like eating an egg without salt." Add a beard and the dish is complete with pepper and sauce! 

I am clean-shaven but am thankful my wife is a vegetarian.

Songs definitely need good words, or lyrics as they say, to make them more listenable and meaningful. A song cannot be whole and evoke its intended range of emotions without appropriate words. As the old group Ink Spots sang in their number "To Each His Own", "What good is a song if the words just don't belong". 

Back in the first half of the Nineteenth century, the famous composer Felix Mendelssohn composed a series of short piano pieces which he titled "Songs Without Words". Efforts were made to set lyrics to them but Mendelssohn objected as he said words would make the music he wanted to express 'too definite'. So his composition, though brilliant, remained in the category of 'instrumental music' and not quite 'songs' which should have expressive vocals.

Remember Francis Lai's music in "Love Story" which won him an Oscar? After the movie was released, the lyricist Carl Sigman gave words to its theme and Andy Williams sang the super hit, "Where Do I Begin" which when listened to even now, would flash touching scenes from the movie in the mind and leave one teary-eyed. Some lyrics-

"Where do I begin to tell the story of how great a love can be

The sweet love story that is older than the sea....

She fills my heart with very special things

With angel songs, with wild imaginings

She fills my soul with so much love that anywhere I go, I'm never lonely....

How long does it last? Can love be measured by the hours in a day?

I know I'ii need her 'til the stars all burn away

And she'll be there."

The Bee Gees put all their belief in words to win someone's heart in the romantic ballad titled...."Words", what else! Barry Gibbs sang in his unique falsetto voice, "It's only words, and words are all I have, to take your heart away."

Songs are mostly about 'love', from being attracted to someone, to falling in love, partings, heartbreaks and all. So let me run through the words of some of my favourites to see how emotions are conveyed.

We start with the sound advice in the song "Some Enchanted Evening" by Ezio Pinza in Rodgers and Hammerstein's "South Pacific"-

"Some enchanted evening, you may see a stranger

You may see a stranger across a crowded room

And somehow you know, you'll know even then

That somewhere you'll see her again and again....

Then fly to her side, and make her your own

For, all through your life, you may dream all alone

Once you have found her, never let her go."

The Beatles had a tremendous talent for simple, short lyrics that would immediately appeal to young and old alike. So they sang "I Saw Her Standing There", "She was just seventeen, you know what I mean, and the way she looked was way beyond compare. I could have danced with another, but I saw her standing there."

To advance love, their song "I Want to Hold Your Hand" says shyly, "I think you'll understand, when I say that something, I want to hold your hand, I want to hold your hand. Oh, please, say to me, you'll let me be your man. And please, say to me, you'll let me hold your hand."

Louis Armstrong takes it further in "A Kiss to Build a Dream On", "Give me a kiss to build a dream on, and my imagination will thrive upon that kiss. Sweetheart, I ask no more than this, a kiss to build a dream on."

The Rolling Stones go all the way with "Let's spend the night together, now I need you more than ever, let's spend the night together."

And then love happens. In the musical "Oklahoma", the two lovers start by warning each other to be discreet lest people misinterpret their intentions. But finally, they decide to throw caution to the winds unmindful of what people may say:-

"Don't sigh and gaze at me, your sighs are so like mine

Your eyes mustn't glow like mine, people will say we're in love....

Let people say we're in love

Starlight looks well on us, let the stars beam from above

Who cares if they tell on us

Let people say we're in love."

A couple can't always be together. Parting is 'such sweet sorrow' and painful though the pain is alleviated with the promise of a return. Al Martino or Englebert Humperdinck in "Blue Spanish Eyes"- "Teardrops are falling from your Spanish eyes. Please, please don't cry, this is just adios and not goodbye. Soon I'll return, bringing you all the love your heart can hold. Please say 'si, si', say you and your Spanish eyes will wait for me."

It could get worse if one party was not willing. The Beatles in "Hello Goodbye"- "You say 'goodbye', I say 'hello, hello, hello', I don't know why you say 'goodbye', I say 'hello'."

In "If You Go Away", English version of the French song, "Ne Me Quitte Pas", the singer urges the loved one to stay while fearing that the latter has already decided to go-

"But if you stay, I'll make you a day, like no day has been or will be again

I'll sail on your smile, I'll ride on your touch, I'll talk to your eyes, that I loved so much

Oh, but if you go, I won't cry, though the good is gone from the word goodbye,

If you go away, if you go away, if you go away."

Love can have a fierce stranglehold on one as Shirley Bassey sang in "Never, Never, Never", this time an English version of the Italian hit song, "Grande, Grande, Grande" which I first heard on a visit to Rome in 1976:-

"You make me laugh, you make me cry, you make me live, you make me die for you,

You make me sing, you make me sad, you make me glad, you make me mad for you.

I love you, hate you, love you, hate you, but I'll want you till the world stops turning

For whatever you do

I never, never, never want to be in love with anyone but you."

Remorse over love gone wrong is painfully expressed in "Yesterday" by The Beatles and in the Tom Jones version in which he seems to be actually crying; "Yesterday, love was such an easy game to play, now I need a place to hide away....Why she had to go I don't know, she wouldn't say. I said something wrong, now I long for yesterday."

Another heartbreak song: Sinead O'Connor in "Nothing Compares 2 U"- "It's been seven hours and fifteen days since you took your love away....I can see whomever I choose, I can eat my dinner in a fancy restaurant, but nothing, I said nothing can take away these blues. 'Cause nothing, I said nothing compares to you." 

If love was true, the lovers would realise that they must return and be there for each other. Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell sang:

"You're all I need to get by

Like the sweet morning dew, I took one look at you

And it was plain to see, you were my destiny

With my arms open wide, I threw away my pride

I'll sacrifice for you, dedicate my life for you."

We are now all set for a 1957 song written by Burt Bacharach and sung by Marty Robbins, "The Story of My Life"-

"Someday I'm gonna write the story of my life

I'll tell about the night we met and how my heart can't forget

The way you smiled at me

I want the world to know the story of my life

The moment your lips met mine and that first exciting time

I held you close to me

The sorrow when our love was breaking up, the memory of a broken heart

Then later the joy of making up never, never more to part."

`

22 JULY - A DATE TO REMEMBER FOR 14th NDA COURSE

22 July is a special day for the 14th NDA Course to which I happily belong. For it was on this date 70 years ago that a little over 200 young boys aged 15-17 years from all over India began their training at the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla, and committed themselves to serve the homeland, 'theirs not to reason why, theirs but to do and die'.

Just the second course to go directly to the new location of the Academy, we had reached Khadakwasla the previous day. At the reporting point, the huge Cadets' Mess, we were allotted the squadron which would be our home from then on, and a number which would be our identity at the NDA. So off I went to 'F' or Fox squadron with my number 2134, lugging my steel trunk and a holdall. Before I could even take my belongings inside the squadron, I was 'welcomed' by some senior cadets who commenced the physical ragging which would be rendered in a daily dose in non-working hours, some days more, some days less. Many of us, self included, had left home for the first time and the ragging assured that we would have no time to be homesick and would become fully aware that we had to fend for ourselves with no 'mummy' to run to!

After the seniors had their fun, I had to find reserve energy to haul my luggage up two steep flights of stairs as due to sadistic luck, I was allotted a cabin on the top floor, number 98. There for the first time, I met my coursemate Jehangir Phiroze (Jhangoo) Aga, No. 2133 in cabin no. 99. Like me, he was also a naval cadet and I am glad to say, it was the beginning of a lifelong friendship. We have served together in the same station many times and now that he has settled in Mumbai and I in Delhi, meet whenever visiting the other's city. Fresh in mind is Akhila's and my trip to Mumbai end December-early January this year, when we met Najoo and Jhangoo a number of times including a dinner at the scenic Radio Club by the seaside near Gateway of India. Incidentally, when we exchange mails, he addresses it to 2134 and I to 2133!

On 22 July, our training began in earnest and kept us on our toes morning to night. Days flew by starting with Physical Training, Drill or Horse Riding (including 'wooden horses'!) in the morning, academic classes during the day and games in the evening. Extracurricular activities included Novices Boxing and Dramatics, and 'Shramdaan' through which our physical labour contributed to the building of an Open Air Theatre and the Hut of Remembrance which pays tribute to the fallen heroes of WW II and the alumni of the NDA who have sacrificed their lives in various wars and operations through the years. Time passed in a flash and in December, we were glad to have successfully completed the term and proceeded home for a well-deserved break.

We spent six terms in the NDA during which we saw some additions and many changes. When I returned for my second term, a new squadron, 'K' for King had been added and I had been transferred to it. I had to settle once again among new surroundings and friends and was initially upset. But over time, I realised it was a good change thanks largely to our Squadron Commander, Sqn Ldr Chandan Singh, a gentleman to the core and an inspiring and benevolent leader who guided us to win the Champion Squadron title in the NDA.

Drill played an important part and there was a major change there with the introduction of Hindi words of command in place of English. In our first term, Drill was supervised by the tall British Regimental Sergeant Major Ayling who had a booming voice which carried well beyond the drill square. Somewhere in our second term, he made way to Subedar Major Gurung, much shorter but with a powerful voice and a caustic sense of humour.

Many foreign VIPs visited during our time but I specifically remember Lord Mountbatten in our second term for whom a special parade was held. While inspecting the parade, he asked a number of cadets if they were marked to join the Navy and astonishingly, he was right every time!

We had lots of fun too and one incident that never failed to raise a big laugh whenever recalled was a 100 metres sprint during Athletic championships towards the end of our stay at the NDA. Our champion sprinter, Jayanta Roy Choudhury was in the lead when halfway through the race, the elastic of his shorts became loose. We were treated to the hilarious sight of Roy Chou running holding the shorts up with his hands but to his credit, he still won the race and did not give us a chance to find out if he was clad in any undergarments.

Six terms flew by and we left the NDA with our Passing Out Parade end-May 1958. The Course split three ways with Army cadets off to Dehradun, Air Force to Jodhpur and Navy to INS Tir.

During our service careers we went through a number of wars, significantly the Indo-Pak War of 1971 in which a large number of us played an important role. Major Vijay Berry (later Brigadier) commanding a Company of the 4th Battalion of Para Regiment, led an assault on a Pakistani position strongly defended by tanks and minefields but succeeded in capturing them for which he was awarded Maha Vir Chakra. Sqn Ldr (later Air Vice Marshal) Jagbir Singh led a number of air attacks  and reconnaissance missions deep inside Pakistan which won him a Vir Chakra.

1971 saw the Navy in operation too. Our erstwhile sprinter, Roy Chou commanded a patrol boat supporting the Mukti Bahini. He too won a Vir Chakra. BB (Munna) Singh commanded one of the missile boats that carried out two attacks on Karachi harbour. Ashok Sinha piloting a Seahawk aircraft led a number of air attacks on the former East Pakistan. I, as the first Fleet Communications Officer of the newly formed Eastern Fleet, was on board the aircraft carrier Vikrant, flagship of the Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet, which was the platform from which all air and sea operations were directed on East Pakistan targets and shipping. Ashok and I earned 'mentioned in dispatches' for our roles in the War.

Then, of course, there was the 1999 Kargil war when our much-admired and loved course-mate, General Ved Malik, was the Army Chief. Under his able leadership, the Army was successful in flushing out the Pakistan Army and paramilitary troops from our side of the Line of Control where they had surreptitiously crept in.

So 70 years have flown by. Our 14th Course Association, efficiently managed by Atul Dev, Ronnie Das and Kamli Khanna, organises a lunch twice a year and all of us make an effort to attend with our wives. When we get together, we hark back to the NDA days recalling amusing incidents and behaving like 15-17 years old surprising our wives with our kiddish behaviour. But those were the days and our ways!

Akhila and I were on a visit to the NDA early January. It was vacation time and only cadets of the new153rd course had arrived. At the Gole Market, we ran into some of them. They had not been issued uniforms but were wearing their numbers which were in mid-43 thousands, more than 41000 after ours. The boys were in high spirits and I wondered if they knew what it would be like after the seniors arrived.

Time marches on, they would be in their second term now ‘welcoming' the 154th course, 140 after ours.