Tangled Tales from Nine Special Forces by Col Awadhesh Kumar & Col Ranjit Singh

Author:Col Awadhesh Kumar & Col Ranjit Singh [Kumar, Col Awadhesh & Singh, Col Ranjit]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-09-27T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter 5

SUDHIR VARNI

By

Colonel Ranjit Singh

In 1985, a young lad joined us straight from the Commando Wing, Infantry school Belgaumwith about 8years service. An officer from the Jammu &KashmirRifles Regiment, he had been an instructor at Belgaum and from there had volunteered for 9 SF.

He was captain Sudhir Varni. Like all his progeny from Haryana, he was all muscle and bone; there was no fat on his body. Sudhir was a simple honest boy; he had no false pretensions, no airs, absolutely down to earth. In many ways he was a son of the soil.

He was different; you could see it on him. Sudhir cleared his probation and was accepted in the unit. A physically fit man who played all games and was liked by his troops. Sudhir had a medical problem but it never affected his work, he kept it to himself. He was well groomed, paid due respect to his seniors and regarded his men.

He had a unique trait; he was never tilted to the thought that sometimes you have to break the rules to come to a result which may benefit all, an accepted process, but for him everything was the right, honest, straightforward way, even the result could be whatever. Everyone liked him.

Sudhir and I were neighbours in the Golf View married quarters in Udhampur. Though I was reasonably senior to him in service he had superseded me in the marriage field. The Varni’s with their two lovely little girls were on top floor and I was on the ground floor.

The cool, calm and quiet demeanour he displayed reflected in his house also, there never was any untoward sound from his house, leave alone any noise. At times we wondered if anyone was staying on the first floor. There were some odd squabbles amongst ladies in those houses as all were from different units, but one never heard anyone say anything odd about the Varnis.

Mrs Varni kept a very neat house and was a gracious host whenever anyone visited. She was perfect in her mannerisms and behaviour and displayed a maturity and grooming of a high order. Sudhir came down to my house on not too many occasions, partly because my guests were of a different genre, despite that we were friends and understood each other.

One day I was passing by the CO’s office and I saw himtalking on the phone, from the sound of his voice I could make out it was long distance. The call ended, he noticed me and he beckoned me inside, there had been no inkling of any move in the preceding days. Colonel TejPathak explained his discussion on the phone and issued the WARNING ORDERS for an operational move. ‘It is 10 AM and we will be airborne at 2 PM’. High Altitude.

The aircrafts, were delayed and we reached our destination well past afternoon. Met the BrigadeCommander at night and early next morning the induction began. I was in the central re - entrant with Captain R K Singh, high ridge

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