A true story of little Chiya and of tri-service cooperation

Little Chiya returns to our fold

A True Story of Tri-Service Camaraderie and Loyalty

At my request that an officer from the Army or Air force be assigned to me as my Staff Officer, on my assumption of duties as Commandant of the prestigious National Defence Academy (NDA) in 2003, Squadron Leader Manish Jha reported to me. I was quite at home  with the tri-service culture having just relinquished my duties as the first Deputy Chief of Operations of the newly formed Integrated Defence Headquarters.NDA being the first tri-service training academy in the world, it was steeped in tri-service traditions and culture. Manish slotted in and hit the deck running to keep pace with hectic activities of the Academy.

This story is about  Chirul, affectionately called Chiya, his four year old daughter. In a matter of months, Anu, Manish's wife and Chiya became an extended family with Chiya accepting my wife Gita as naani and I, Naanu.

Tempus fugit-it was time to say goodbye. We were moving to the Southern Command of the navy and Manish was posted to the squadron at Jorhat, in the North East. It was then that the subject of a small apartment that I owned at an Army housing society at Pune came up for discussion. Sensing that we were unlikely to settle there, Manish proposed to buy it from me. We had no objections and the paper work was done expeditiously. Manish departed after he took over possession of the house. None of us knew what was in store for us!

We were updated on their progress on occasions of festivals and birthdays and all was well till the bad news arrived.

A cryptic message stated that Manish was no more. We remained in touch with Anu and Chiya through her, even as they wound up and moved to Lucknow, the house of Manish's parents.  I was in touch with my colleagues in the Air force during which, I shared some sensitive family details about Manish's parents and his apprehensions about their inability to care for the granddaughter. The Air force followed the legal procedures and preserved a copy of the will left behind by Manish.

         

A week later we were informed that Anu passed away under mysterious circumstances. The  case till today is sub judice. The last we heard was that Chiya was taken away by her maternal grandparents which tallied with the wish expressed by Manish in his discussions with us. That was 13 years ago. Chiya remained in our thoughts and prayers albeit with no communications or coordinates.

It was on 10 Jul this year that I received a call from Chiya. She was sobbing and trying to reach out to me. We never thought that a four year old would remember enough about us to recall every event at NDA with great clarity. She was finally the rightful owner of the house bought by her Father. An invisible hand with the support of well wishers from the Air force had ensured that her legal rights were protected. "Could you please come over to be present during the paper work?" she pleaded. I did not have the heart to tell her that her "Nani" was recovering from a surgery and was not fit to travel even the short distance that now separated us.

Chiya ran into my open arms. Here was a young teenager as old as my own granddaughter! That is when the third arm of the Indian armed forces entered the scene. Right through the legal battle to deprive Chiya of her rights, a retired Colonel who had ,by a strange coincidence worked with me at NDA and was known to Manish held the crucial honorary chair of the Secretary of the Army Welfare housing society which housed Chiya's flat. He firmly and resolutely refused to compromise on the conditions of Manish's will which clearly identified Chiya as the inheritor of the property. He was instrumental in giving my contact number to her and reuniting us. He stood by our side during all the paperwork ably supervised by her present guardian-the maternal grandfather.

Chiya had to be brought home to meet her "Naani". Needless to say it was a tearful reunion-tears of sadness and yet of joy.

Chiya astounded us in the presence of her grandfather by unfolding her memories of NDA. Every happy occasion, the clothes that were worn, the gifts that she received, the car that I drove and so on. Never in our wildest dreams did we credit a four year old to have such vivid memories and a strong resolve to reunite.

She goes back to Mathura to continue her college education. She wants to be a part of the Indian Airforce. Manish and Anu must be happy wherever they are!

This is the strength, bonding and camaraderie that exists in our Armed forces. We tend to look at all the negatives of our lives while forgetting that the real strengths are those that will see us through till our final journey.

God bless you Chiya!