AFVOA Newsletter of Year 2021

Section 7 – Panorama CV 2 No. 01 / 2021 Page 102 of 123 All it took was a mention from me that my sister lived in Patiala for him to visit her with a box of sweets. He let her think they were fromme. At the end of this visit, he returned with a gift for me. Although as an officer I wasn’t supposed to receive giftsfrom airmen under me, I couldn’t say no to Kulwant. They were a pair of beautiful Patiala jutis (footwear). Since I wore kurta - pyjama at home, he had specially checked with the Academy mochi for my foot size and bought them for me. ******* Nikhil, now serving the Indian Army as Major Batra owes his life to Kulwant. A chubby-cheeked boy then, he was one of the students who took the bus regularly to Hyderabad to school. That day, Nikhil’smother escorted him to the bus. She called Kulwant aside and asked him to keep an eye on her son. Nikhil wasn’t too well but was to appear for an exam at school. Kulwant didn’t know that he suffered from a rare disease which caused sudden spasms resembling asthma attacks. His windpipe would choke. To relieve him, he had to be put on a nebulizer or on oxygen. Kulwant kept a constant eye on him through his rear viewmirror. When the bus entered the outskirts of Hyderabad, Nikhil doubled over, labouring to breathe. There was a strong wheezing sound. But his co-passengers were oblivious of his trauma since Nikhil sat alone…not so Kulwant… He had never let Nikhil out of sight. As the bus passed through Begumpet, Nikhil started turning blue and Kulwant realized it was serious. There are rules and more rules that govern each activity of the Air Force. The bus route is laid down and any deviation withoutadvance permission was punishable. Those weren’t the days of the mobile phone and Kulwant did not have the luxury of getting in touch with me instantly. Losing those golden moments would risk Nikhil’s life. TheMilitary Hospital was a mere 3 kilometers deviation from the route. Most in the bus had realized the gravity of the situation. A hint of panic was setting in. There were others in the bus senior to Kulwant but did not take the initiative. Unmindful of the personal consequences, Kulwant swiftly turned the bus towardsthe Military Hospital. Military Hospitals are known to react well to emergencies. Nikhilwas resuscitated in time and put on oxygen. In no time he was stable and breathing normally. Kulwant’s priority of saving Nikhil, acquitting responsibility and rising to the occasion was the talk of the Academy for a long, long time. *******