The cab dropped me near the Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry Regimental Centre.

  We ( me and dad, mom couldn't come) arrived here the day before. Dad came with me near the rally centre, but then lingered behind. I was on my own. The place was already full of candidates, thousands and thousands of them. All boys.

  As I walked through them, trying to locate the area for checking in, they looked at me weirdly. I decided to ignore them.

  Was I the only female candidate?

  I found the check in area just in time. There was only one boy before me. He left and I placed my papers on the table. The person in charge looked at me and frowned. " Only candidates are allowed to check in, not anybody else as a proxy. Go bring your candidate. "

  -" But I am the candidate. " I said.

  His frown deepened. " Name?"

  -" Tanisha Saha."

  He looked something up and said, " You are one of those candidates Singh Sahab referred?"

  I figured, by Singh Sahab he meant Lt. Col. Singh, and nodded.

  He pursed his lips and went through my files, took my signature in a register and handed my papers back to me. All that time he wore an unpleasant expression. He told me to go to the place from where the rally would start and called after me in a rude voice, " Apni tange mat tor aana."

  I turned back to smile sweetly at him. No good in arguing.

  As I walked down the pavement, I saw the face of the first girl that day.

  Full pants, full sleeve t-shirt, hair in a bun and face all nervous and worried.

  I found myself walking towards her. " Candidate?"

  She nodded, "You too?"

  -" Yeah" I said and held up a hand.

  She took it and asked," Did you check in?"

  -" Hmm."

  -" Where?"

  I pointed to the table. She left and I continued on my way.

  As I approached the starting point of the race, a bearded soldier around 35, stopped my way. Naib Subedar, I understood from his batch.

  -" Madamji kitthe ja rahi ho?"( mam, where are you going?). He said," Only candidates allowed. "

  -" But I am a candidate."

  -" Mam, it's not a time to joke" he said strictly, " Rally chal rahi hai. Please mazak na karke jayiye yahan se. ( a rally is going on. Please don't joke and leave. "

  -" But I am a candidate" I insisted. " I checked in there."

  He looked ready to explode For a second but then he seemed to remember something. He went through my papers and scoffed, " Bhul hi gayatha ki iss saal ladkiyan bhi daurengi" ( forgot that girls will run this year too.)

  In the meantime the girl met earlier came up.

  The soldier looked downright irritated. "another one" he said under his breath and left.

  The girl smiled at my sight, I smiled back.

  Then a soldier came to us and asked, "Checked-in?"

  wow! The 1st person I didn't have to argue with about being a candidate since morning.

  He ushered us to a place and gave us labels with numbers to put on. I felt stupid wearing that, but then again, since when did I started to care about appearance.

  I came back at the rally starting point with the girl behind me. The rally would start soon.

  The boys around looked confused, and whispered among themselves. Some gave dirty looks and some just stared up and down.

  Few more girls joined us in a few minutes. Total 8 before the rally started.

  We gathered in front of the starting line.

  From the time they announced that rally would start to the whistle blowing, it was a gap of few minutes. but the minutes felt like a eternity which I spent feeling excited, nervous, happy, panicked, confident and unconfident.

  The whistle blowed and I heard a strong voice inside me "RUN" not that I needed persuasion. It is the moment I have been waiting for last few months.

  I started slow than most but gradually increased my speed. Leaving half of the candidates behind, I made my way up to the front.

  Halfway up, the boys running slower than me, started to gain speed and crossed me.

  I increased my speed even more, and crossed all of them and gained lead again. There were around 50 candidate running faster than me, including 2 girls.

  Then, the guy running just beside me, came dangerously close as if he would push me off track. And push he did, he slammed into my body deliberately, and threw me off balance. Since running in high speed, it was hard to gain balance with out tripping.

  By the time I corrected myself, 20 more guys have crossed me, and the guy in the lead, had crossed the finishing line.

  The guy who pushed me was way up front.

  Anger surged through my veins and my nostrils flared. I ran with what could be compared to a bullet's speed. Everything blurred around me. My vision focused on the finishing line, and the finishing line only.

  I crossed the finishing line, and did that way before that nasty guy.

  The officers took us in the way to an indoor stadium sort of place. I thought of complaining, but before I could another guy said, " Excuse me sir, I saw him," he pointed to the nasty man, then he pointed at me, " push her quite deliberately. Isn't that cheating?"

  I was shocked at that. Why would a complete stranger get into trouble for me!?

  -" Who pushed who?" Asked the officer, frowning.

  That nasty man looked ready to kick the living hell of the boy who stood up for me.

  I really didn't want anyone to get into trouble, including myself.

  The boy repeated his complain, and the nasty guy went nuts, and yelled that he is being framed for no reason. The officer shushed him, " Do not raise your voice here, or I will have to disqualify you." Then he turned to the nice boy, and me standing beside him. " What is the proof of your complain?"

  -" Proof-" he stumbled.

  I decided to step up, " Sir, he did push me, but I don't have any proof. Maybe he unintentionally did it, but he might have thought otherwise, " I pointed to the boy, " Sir, we are really sorry to waste your time. We take back our complain. Sorry sir. We did not understand. "

  The officer narrowed his eyes at us, then waved his hand dismissively.

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  -" Why did you do that?" I asked to the boy, after the officer was gone.

  -" why did I do what?"

  -" why did you step up for me? I mean you don't even know me. What made you to get into trouble for a total stranger?"

  -" Well, he pushed you, that is cheating, and cheating is bad, he should be disqualified. " he said, " But why did you stop me."

  -" There was no proof. You would have gotten into trouble. I didn't want that."

  -" Hmm"

  -" Anyway thanks." I smiled. I looked properly at him then. He was comparatively short that most of other male candidates. And looked very young. I mean all of the candidates are young, but looked way too young. As if still a teenager.

  After a couple moments of silence, he asked with a tint of hesitation, " So, how did you get in here? I mean I am pretty sure the notice of Bharti clearly said that only unmarried male candidates can apply. "

  I did not have a good reply to that, so I simply shrugged and changed the subject," Anyway, what's your name?"

  -" Deepak Chadda. And yours?"

  -" Tanisha Saha."

  The conversation did not go any further as we were asked to line up. And the girls' line was separate.

  I was 3rd in the line. 7 out of 8 girls had completed the race in time. We were asked to do pull ups.

  Two of us were called at a time, and one officer kept commanding and counting.

  After the first two finished and I was called, along with a bulky girl.

  The officer blew a whistle, and we jumped up to catch the bar.

  -" ONE!" The officer shouted, and I pulled my body up the bar, then after 2-3 seconds of holding that position, he again commanded," DOWN"

  Then up again, and soon I found myself pulling myself up for the 10th and final time.

  After that I was asked to sit to one side with the other candidates.

  Next were push ups.

  Well, I will just say, 'aced them'.

  After that, we were taken out for the long jump and zigzag balance.

  Walked with perfect balance on the zigzag plank. Then went straight to prepare for the long jump.

  This time, I was 4th in the line. Just before me, stood the girl with bun.

  When the girl with the bun ran for the long jump, my heartbeat grew faster. I was next. Though 9ft isn't long, and with Pulak-da's super duper great jugad, I had enough practice on that, but still, can't completely throw off the tension.

  My train of thought got cut off, as I was called for my turn.

  My ears ringed with the thumping of my heart. I took a deep breath and stilled my nerves, then the whistle blowed, and I ran. As I reached the edge of the 9ft long pit, I launched myself in the air. Time seemed to slow down. The pit was deep below my feet. The air whistled in my ear, then my feet landed perfectly on the other side of the pit.

  And with that, I passed the field test.

  * * * * *

  As I sat waiting for my medical screening, I couldn't help but feel a bit goofy.

  At first, our height was measured. The 1st girl was one who was a bit buff. She passed the height criteria, then it was me, who passed too. As I waited for weight measurement, I watched the men's height measurement.

  Isn't that the guy from before? What was his name now, ah yes, Deepak Chadda.

  As he approached the height measuring bar, I thought he would not pass, because the he seemed shorter than the height.

  I wished really hard for not to disqualify him.

  And guess what, Deepak met the height criteria. ( barely though )

  With a slight satisfaction, I went for the weight measurement. Passed that too.

  Then they checked for flat foot, knock knee, and a few more things I rather not mention.

  And lastly a final check of my documents, my field and medical tests were passed.

  * * * * *

  As I came out from the rally center, it took me a little work to find Dad. He was waiting in a coffee shop a couple of blocks away. He stood up seeing me approach, and I bounced up to him and hugged him.

  We came out of the coffee shop and I was telling him about the rally, when I noticed the girl with the bun, standing a few feets away, glancing at me as if trying to say something but hesitating.

  I waved at her, she smiled with relief and waved back.

  -" You already made a new friend?" Dad asked

  -" Well, yeah." I shrugged, "Hey, Dad, can you give me a second?"

  -" Sure."

  I walked up near the girl, and she didn't waste a second and said in a rush." Can I ask you something?"

  -" What?"

  -" Do you live here? Where then? Can you help me find a place to live?" She said in a breath.

  -" Whoa, wait wait, you said one question. "

  She lowered her face, " You won't answer more than one?"

  -" Hey, no need to feel down. I will answer all." I laughed. " First, no, I do not live here, so there is no answer to the second question. And about the third, well, I myself am pondering that."

  -" Oo"

  -" You know what, my house is way far from here, and for written test, I have to come here again, which would be a headache. I was thinking about taking a room for rent."

  -" Can I suggest something? We can share a rental room, that would lessen the fare for both of us."

  -" share a room with a girl whose name is also unknown to me?"

  -" Oh, my name is Rabeena Dubey."

  -" And mine is Tanisha Saha."

  -" So about that room?"

  -" I need to have a word with my dad."

  I went to Dad and told him about my recent conversation. And then I beckoned Rabeena to us.

  -" Namaste Uncleji."

  -" Namaste Namaste. Beta, I heard that you offered my daughter to share rent for a room. I appreciate the offer, since my daughter is quite stubborn about staying here until the written test and results," he gave me an accusing look," But beta, I was thinking about keeping her as a paying guest, so I don't have to worry about her food and safety. "

  If you want, you can also stay as paying guest together with her."

  Rabeena seemed to think for some time. " How much for a month?"

  -" Around 7000/-, I talked to a nearby house when you were in the Rally."

  -" 7000/-? They provide food ? I guess the deal isn't bad."