My Newly Married World

Disclaimer-This is a story of the Eighties decade.Lots has changed in the Army since then.The Author has no intention of hurting any sentiments or demeaning anyone. Army is a noble profession and everyone associated with it are praiseworthy. The following story is a light hearted take on the bond an officer and his helper share between them.

Life in the Army is one big picnic; the adventure never ends. Every day you can be certain springs up some surprise for you to be either happy about or to deal with.And believe you me, when I say  that's its most bewildering for a young woman  from the civvy street when she first enters this world.

So there we were newly married with me taking tentative baby steps into this big world of being "married for life".  I soon realised  that we were a ménage-a-trois here. My husband's helper was always around hovering in shadows, but appearing in an instant at a shout from my husband. Slowly I understood that my husband and his helper shared a special bond, a cosy 'twosome' to which I was totally excluded. My husband's well being and care was his immediate concern and everyday in the evening, there used to be a tête-à-tête  between the two about his schedule for the next day, which uniform(s) to be readied, which shoes to be polished and ranks to be brassoed and shining bright. Words were never needed between the two, body language and a look did all the talking!! His helper always knew what he wanted before I could figure it out and they worked in a tandem which I found commendable and so wanted to be a part of! My husband used to instinctively turn to him for any help and I was left feeling a part of the furniture, necessary but mostly ignored!

It  dawned on me that he was a part of my brand new husband's life much before I was on the horizon and absolutely attuned to his daily needs. They had an understanding which I would have to struggle hard to achieve and I can say with certainty that it was years before I shared the same camaraderie with my husband as his helper.

I finally figured it out that if I wanted to get a bulb changed, he will be the one to do it; if I wanted to go out for dinner with my husband, he will spring into action to get my husband's clothes ready; if I needed tools to fix anything, it is the helper whom I should turn to save time; as my husband would have asked him anyway! If I asked my life partner anything about important papers concerning the family ( bank pass books, sundry mail, an invite, etc.) I was told to enquire from his helper as he would know.  Soon, I came to the conclusion(and rightly so) that  my husband's helper ran our household and I should be under no illusion about it being any different!

Every morning, without fail our helper used to solicitously enquire of me whether I needed anything for the house. I of course always had the list ready and he would miraculously procure everything within an hour or two, without asking for any money. This mystery was solved at the end of the month when I was presented with a whopping bill from the "wet canteen"!That day,I learnt my first lesson about finances the hard way: pay first, buy later.

Life bustled on. As was expected, we were soon drawn in a round of entertaining and dinner parties. At the eve of one such dinner for regimental officers , I noticed the leaves of my rubber plant looking a little wilted. Telling the magician of the family offhandedly ( my husband's alter ego) to do something about it, I got busy with other chores. After some time, I was summoned by him with a lot of fanfare to see the transformed plant and I was amazed to see it brimming with good health. On enquiring about his quick fix remedy (so that I too could score a point or two with my friends), I was told with a flourish that he had  rubbed the leaves with coconut oil to make them shine brightly in the yellow light of our lamps strategically placed around the plants!

Our family grew when our son was born. From the very beginning, our helper and he became a team and our  man Friday could be found most times with the baby, making him coo and gurgle with laughter (which, much to my chagrin was always more with him than me!) . He was like a foster parent to him as many a time we were busy with our various engagements. I used to get the baby ready and leave both of them together happy in each other's company.

One day, when I returned from the Ladies Club, I saw the pram empty and the baby and  his friend nowhere to be found. Searching around frantically, I suddenly heard a whimper from a Champa tree in our frontyard. Looking up the tree, I saw my chubby one and a half year old swinging from a branch! Before I could react our helper came sauntering out (most unhurriedly,if I may add) from the house and gently plucked him from the branch and handed him over. On my questioning look, I was informed with great pride that he was making the baby strong and developing his stamina!! I gaped at him incredulously and understood that these thoughts can only come from an Army man!

The helpers grow on you and slowly become a part of your family. It's impossible to think of life in the Army without their affable presence. Whether they are looking out for your and family's well being or just pottering about the house, they are undeniably the single most adhesive that holds the day to day running of the household together. I remember the innumerable times when I got good piece of advice from our helper, who though may not have a degree to his name, but had a soil-of-the-son approach to any problem and came up with a practical and logical solution with an enviable ease.
To have his benevolent presence around the family is so reassuring for a a fauji family is incomplete without it's guardian angel!!