I had met Captain Prabhakar a few times as he was the chief security officer of our condominium. He seemed like a nice and friendly sort but was known to be an extremely strict boss with a "don’t mess with me" reputation.
I had always wanted to introduce an army professional to the government school students I work with and I had my reasons. Captains have great inspiring stories to tell and discipline is what they stand for. When I approached Captain Prabhakar with my request to talk and inspire students, he was more than happy to be part of the endeavor and as luck would have it his nephew Lieutenant Ravin who was visiting Bangalore would join in as well.
To say that the afternoon was a success, is putting it mildly. Students from grade 8 to 10 were curious and the questions came non-stop. Captain Prabhakar spoke to the students about the requirements to be accepted in the armed forces, the hierarchy and the responsibilities that come with the roles.
Lieutenant Ravin spoke about his experience, life in the armed forces, the perks that come with the job and the opportunities that came post retirement.
The students wanted to know it all. The dangers and adventure that came with the job, how easy or difficult was it to sustain the army life, was there opportunity to continue to pursue other interests, the exams to pass and more.
It was an eye opener for everybody present. It isn't everyday that one gets to interact with a Captain who was at the base at Siachen glacier. An afternoon neither the students nor I will forget in a hurry.