The Girls in Green by Tanushree Podder; An Excerpt

The Girls in Green Tanushree Podder: The Girls in Green is a story about four girls, ambitions, punishing military regimens and joys of friendship. An Excerpt:

In her room, Lucky jumped out of bed, ready to embrace the day. Togged in her smart uniform, not a hair out of place, she stood before the mirror adjusting her peaked cap, that added a special touch to one’s personality. Tightening the belt, she admired herself for a few seconds. A resolute and muscular girl with determination stared back at her. Gone was the naïve and starry-eyed girl from Shillong.

‘I have come a long way,’ she sighed. Her dream had come true.

As she stepped towards the door to make an exit, Shiny paused for a couple of minutes to look around her room. It held countless memories, both good and bad. She ran loving fingers over her desk. It had seen her stooped for hours over her lessons, many of them frustrating. At the centre of the room was the bed on which the four girls had spent hours complaining and planning, and the closet that held so many secrets.

Nutty stood near the door, staring back at her room, strange emotions tugging her heart. This was the room where the gang had gathered many times to celebrate successes or mourn failures. Cheering and consoling each other, the friends had been the crutches that helped her walk the long and tough path. In a short while, she would have to leave this room forever. Another young girl would occupy it, dreaming the same dreams, sometimes crying with frustration, sometimes laughing with elation. Would she be mischievous, would she be daring or would she be ambitious, wondered the girl from Jalna. Drawing a deep breath, she turned. It was time to go.

A little later, having collected their rifles from the armoury, the cadets waited behind a wall at the Parameshwaran drill square, the ground where they had banged and stamped their blistered feet for hours on end. It was the same parade ground, the same cadets, the same ustads, the same rifles, but the day was special. The parade was scheduled to begin at 9 a.m., just after the arrival of the chief guest.

Billi’s heart was palpitating. She held the Sword determinedly, waiting for the cue to lead the parade. The rows of sofas and chairs under the awning were occupied by officers in ceremonial uniforms studded with medals, and many distinguished guests.

She knew her father was sitting in the special enclosure waiting to see her lead the parade. In fact, every cadet passing out that day knew their parents waited to see them put their best foot forward. It was only a couple of hours before the coveted stars decorated their shoulder tabs. The Chief of Army Staff, who was the chief guest, arrived. An awed silence covered the ground as the spectators watched him going around in an open jeep, inspecting the cadets, after which the parade began in earnest.

Drums rolled, and the band struck up. Billi issued a command in a high-pitched voice, and the cadets marched past the spectators’ gallery with a synchronized swing of their arms, their feet thundering. They saluted the guest of honour and carried out the drill of a lifetime.

The sound of hundreds of marching heels hit the ground like an avalanche, much to the satisfaction of the drill ustads. No one faltered, no one missed a move. Not a single cadet was out of step as they marched smartly with their weapons, determined to give their best. There were tears in many eyes as they watched the young cadets marching.

There was a roar of appreciation and applause from the crowd. Cameras flashed, and the moment was captured for posterity. Then came the moment when the chief guest would give away the Sword of Honour and medals to the best cadets. Watched by thousands of eyes, some present during the ceremony, others over video and televisions, Billi was awarded the Sword of Honour. It had not come easy. She had triumphed over more than 300 cadets to head the merit list. GC Ankit Thakur, who was the Academy Cadet Adjutant (ACA), was awarded the gold medal. GC Vedant Verma bagged the silver medal.

After an inspiring address by the army chief, marching slowly to the tune of ‘Auld Lang Syne’, the cadets took their final steps towards a glorious future, the one they had spent many moments dreaming of.

Eyes shining, they marched through the final phase of the parade, each one of them ready to lay their life in supreme sacrifice for the nation, ready to face the extreme risks and hardships the job involved. One thing was for sure; no one would shy away from the immense responsibility laid on their shoulders.

Excerpted with permission from The Girls in Green by Tanushree Podder Published by Bloomsbury.

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