AFOVA New Letter 2 of Year 2021

Section 6 - Memoirs CV 2 No. 02 / 2021 Page 117 of 332 This is what it means to be a Fouji - to share the glad-tidings, shoulder to shoulder with the men who lived/breathed/slept/ate/worked alongside! The Major was proud of his workforce. Almost a year ago the Major had come to this spot in NEFA ….and started the adventure of reaching Likabali some 2953 km away from his family! The young Major had been quite excited over his new independent command posting - albeit to NEFA! Craning his neck as the train rounded a curve for one last glimpse of his wife and the little ones waving bravely from the platform, he could only just swallow his pangs of disappointment and sadness at the parting! Such is Fauji life, yet, there was much to look forward to in his new command of a tiny Field workshop. A journey of more than 58 odd hours from West to East that would finally terminate in the last railhead in Tinsukia nestled in the foothills of Assam! There was more to come ...another adventure of crossing the mighty Brahmaputra! The Major had never seen a river so broad that it seemed an ocean! The Rivers Tungabhadra, Godavari, and Kaveri, why even the sacred Ganga, all seemed to pale in comparison! The Brahmaputra classified as a male river lived up to its name in its majestic spread, vicious currents, and running water speed! One had to ford this mighty river by a Ferry to reach beyond the Northern bank to his outpost! He nimbly hopped onto the gangplanks of the ferry to be taken across! It helped that JCO Narsiah had been sent to welcome the new OC! A bond was forged and an understanding developed as both hailed from the Southern states of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu! The 'crossing' as it was termed, took the better part of over 3 hours as there were stops en route to skirt unseen eddies and treacherous whirlpools that could easily tumble the barge! The weather was humid, shirts stuck to the back, and come sundown, a swarm of mosquitoes seemed to envelop the ferry! The ferry came to its moorings and finally, it was terra firma once more! Hoisting his rucksack while Narsiah took charge of the holdall and the small steel trunk, they set up from the banks to the road above to find a road battered jalopy - a small pick up awaiting passengers who could pay the fare. Those who could not were forced to hoof it to their homesteads. The passengers were a motley bunch and the Major was surprised by their appearance, their language, and their strange costumes.... an alien world awaiting exploration! By nightfall, he was 'home' in his Workshop, welcomed by brother officers, all newly minted Captains, and shown to his billet. A quick shower to chase away the travel grime and a tasty repast, he repaired to bed under a voluminous OG mosquito net, wondering at the stout stick, placed nearby, and soon he drifted off into slumber, tired and worn out after 3 days of travel!