Rachna Bisht Rawat brings Army Stories

Vikrant Parmar

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When a book has the word Army in its title, one spontaneously imagines tales of valour. With Rachna Bisht Rawat’s collection, titled ‘Insomnia: Army Stories’, a pleasant surprise awaits. More than heroic deeds, her collection captures emotions of men who guard the nation.

An Army officer’s wife and sister, the author has seen the men in olive green from close quarters, so tales were always floating around her; but compiling those takes acumen and she has used it to the hilt.

A daredevil officer survives grievous injures in battle and then gets killed in a freak accident, as a stray bullet pierces his head during a practice camp. ‘The bloody bullet had his name written on it’ is how his Brigadier father accepts the tragedy. A retired General is haunted by his past. ‘The Kashmir posting was a bloody curse,’ he says. Two soldiers, ‘nameless, faceless’, develop a unique bond from across the border at the world’s highest battlefield, Siachen glacier; another one set in the same clime, where a dangerous rescue of a dog takes place and then a claim, ‘Ham fauji hain. Apne saathiyon ko kabhi marne ke liye nahi chhortey’, generates goosebumps.

A character nicknamed Krur Singh, standing for the quintessential Commanding Officer, floats through a few stories. Pranked and loved by his juniors in equal measure, he is an epitome of a tough boss, yet with a heart that beats with silent pride for his troops. ‘We are fighting men. Forgiven and forgotten,’ he beams. Another impressive tale, Déjà vu, narrates the dilemma of a lady duty officer at Lansdowne Military Hospital, who treats the apparition of a Sikh soldier; Rawat’s tryst with the supernatural is indeed impressive.

A generous sprinkling of Hindi phrases, with expletives in place, makes the stories real; as they happen and as they should have been captured.

From Kashmir to Garhwal to Arunachal, the author has traversed the land and culled out tales from the lives of men who take pride in duty. Rawat’s characters are from real life, moulded with creative licence, yet they speak more than is said. Her language is simple, that’s why the stories stand out.