MEHTA SLEEPS AGAIN !!
NDA-The cradle of military leadership. Rightly called the cradle cause SLEEP is what the cadets would do given a chance.We are a special breed. Trained to slog continuously for over a week without a blink of the eye. We can roam over the vast extents of the Sahyadri ranges for days and nights together, in rains, slush and the scorching sun without a moments break.Rest is poison for us - a second of it and the NDA cadet is asleep. He sleeps like a baby, totally unaware of his surroundings, because we get close to being human only when we sleep.
Academic classes are a boon, you are entitled to sleep through all classes cause tradition has been so for the past 50 odd years. Most of the instructors have been teaching in NDA for over 20 years. So they have reconciled to the fact that it's a futile attempt to try and awaken the resting souls. But then there are some like our Political Science teacher - Ms.Sreelekha - who devoted more time trying to awaken the sleepy hollows than drive a thing or two into their hollow nuts.
Mehta was her favourite. Not because he topped in her class but because she couldn't make Mehta remain awake for more than 30 seconds. But that was the case not with Ms SL alone but with all other instructors. No one could AWAKEN Mehta. He was the champ. Hail Mehta!. He slept like a log through all classes, even the one odd interesting lectures {interesting because of the beautiful lady instructor-NDA is devoid of girls but that's another thing I'll write about later}Getting back to Mehta, he was the one, tried and tested through his three term stay at nda. He could sleep under any condition in any position. Legend has it that Mehta could sleep even while swimming. There was not a soul who could move him.
All instructors had given up on Mehta. But Ms SL was adamant. Maybe her spinster-ship josh added onto it.So the Pol Sc classes were literally a low intensity conflict {excuse my military terminologies} between SL madam and Mehta. Maam trying her best to keep Mehta awake and Mehta trying his best to extract maximum sleep out of that 40 minutes.
The other day Mehta was a bit too sleepy- thanks to his unscrupulous seniors who had tormented him the previous night. Right from the first lecture Mehta was busy in his trans-world and as always no one bothered to wake him up.Pol Sc period: Ms SL came in puffing her usual aura. Without acknowledging our respectful demeanors she went straight to Mehta and broke his trans-state. Mehta was ordered not to sleep. The moment she turned around Mehta's head was on the desk. She turned back and thundered "Don't sleep Mehta". This continued 3-4 times, each time a sleepy Mehta acknowledging "Yes Maam" ….. but the poor chap…it was not his fault. He just couldn't help it. He fell asleep.
He was asked to stand up at his place but he bend down and slept.
He was asked to stand at the back of the class but he leaned against the wall and slept off.
He was asked to stand in the centre of the class away from the wall but the moment madam turned to write on the board, Mehta's head was sagging.
That was it. Maam had lost the battle. But she was not one who gave up so easily. She asked Mehta to stand on the bench. This was not quite common in NDA as it was considered something not suitable for the Gentleman Cadets. A verbal war broke out between Ms Sreelekha and the cadets (we pleading for the still drowsy Mehta) at the end of which the Lady with authority emerged victorious.
The judgment was passed for Mehta to stand up on the bench which the poor chap had to accept. Mehta slowly climbed on the bench and stood there his eyes filled not with tears but SLEEP. Maam was smiling, evidently because she had achieved the impossible. She could AWAKEN Mehta !!Had our tormentor won over our hero?Had the legendary Mehta finally met his match?Had the sky high pride of our class mixed to dust?
With an evil grin maam turned towards the board to ensign her victory in white over the black surface"THUDDD…."
The loud noise put all our doubts to rest.
We won.
Mehta sleeps again.
