Her Smart Escape

By Wing Commander M K Devidasan

An XII standard student Riya, the daughter of an air force officer, went all the way to help her father who was forced by his senior officer for making him commit misappropriation of public funds by wrongful means for his benefit, likely to lead to a court-martial and disgraceful dismissal from service with a jail term losing pensionary benefits

• Language: English
• Publisher: RGEF books, Thrissur, Kerala-680712, India
• Release date: Jun 2, 2023
• ISBN: 9789359136707

Book preview

Her Smart Escape

A Novel by

M K Devidasan

Published by

RGEF Books

Thrissur-680712

Kerala, India

Coopyright@2023    M K  Devidasan

All rights reserved.

ISBN: 9781730987830

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval system without permission in writing from the publisher, except by interviewers who may quote the brief passage in a review.

Some characters and events in this book are fictitious and any similarity to a real person, living or dead is coincidental and not intended by the author.

Preface

In my life I have come across some healthy-looking and aspiring people hiding their physical and medical problems from others for fear of being looked down upon with mercy, considering them incapable of leading normal activities with vigor and vitality. 

In defense forces, the health condition of officers and men is considered prime and is identified with their medical category, which has a governing factor in determining fitness and further promotions. Some overambitious service personnel aspiring for higher posts with further promotions hide their ailment that bears on the determination of medical category as secret. Spending huge amounts of money, they resort to treatment from private civil doctors without visiting Military Hospitals, where their treatment is free, for fear of getting medically downgraded and losing chances for further promotions. Such an attitude might drag them into dangerous situations leading to the death of the person without timely medical help from renowned sources. Apart from the loss of promotion, the loss of life itself can be the result, causing immense irreparable damage to the whole life of their immediate relatives. 

I have weaved this story on a broad canvas depicting the care and love an XII standard daughter gave to her father when he fell prey to his senior officer’s instigation to commit financial misappropriation to meet his urgent medical needs. 

-1-

It was the second Saturday of August.

Both Riya and Vinay were free of school and studies.

After breakfast, both got engaged in installing the television set in the sitting room. Vinay took the lead in locating the place where the set was most suitable to watch from all directions for the convenience of all members of the family. After identifying a location with the consent of Riya he placed the TV  over a table, available in the service quarters, and went up to the rooftop for installing the TV dish antenna pointing to the direction of transmission. He drew the co-axial cable with a connector and fixed it to the TV input socket.

Riya was more interested than Vinay in making their TV operational before their father Flying Officer Jayaprakash, called by friends JP, reached home on cessation of the unit working hours; at one-thirty.

After whitewashing and painting the recently allotted service quarters inside the air force camp, their shifting from a rented house in the civil area was completed only on the previous day.  As experienced in frequent house shifting, either due to routine transfers or change of quarters, they knew the priorities of setting up the house. After helping their mother, Saroja set up the kitchen and bedrooms, they only got engrossed in setting up the drawing room with curios and decoration articles.

Though their father, Jayaprakash served in the air force for the last twenty-five years, he became a commissioned officer only three years back. During his airman days, he never bothered to gather many household articles compared to any of his contemporaries. His commitment to sending money home made him remain dormant on amassing elaborate household articles and taught his wife and children not to compare other officers on their standard of living. Realizing the realities, they preferred to adjust to his thought and remained happy with whatever shortcomings and deficiencies they had. They were taught by Jayaprakash the importance of acquiring higher education by which only anyone could conquer career peaks on earth – position, money, and fame. Those teachings were always lingering in their minds, and they tried to remain first in their class, right from their younger days.

Both were Central School students, and the frequent transfers hardly did much harm to their studies, and they being twins, remained in the same class throughout. After posting to New Delhi from Kanpur six months back, they got admitted to JNU Central School. Due to the non-availability of seats in the same class, they had to be satisfied with different divisions.

There was a call bell at around ten o’clock, and Riya ran and opened the front door to receive Mrs. Khanna standing outside. Her husband, Squadron Leader Khanna, was the Senior Accounts Officer of the unit under whom Flying Officer Jayaprakash worked as his deputy.

Being junior, cash holding and all cash transactions were the responsibilities assigned to Jayaprakash. The task set was easy for him, as he had ample years of experience working in various accounts sections under different senior airmen and officers. At the earlier station also, he was given the responsibility of cash holding and payments, which he liked most as that position commanded respect from other officers. Though the responsibility was high, his sincerity with total commitment received appreciation from his seniors. His principle was to be sincere to the assigned work with full involvement without giving others a chance to be pointed out. As a loyal servant of the air force, he was liked by his juniors and seniors. He was well aware of his responsibilities and the commitment bestowed on him and was scared of being pointed out by others and getting branded as inefficient. Being a Brahmin from South India, he remained a vegetarian throughout life, liked and followed by his children – daughter Riya and son Vinay.

Mrs. Khanna expressed surprise at seeing Riya at home and inquired, No school today?

With much respect, Riya said, Being second Saturday, no classes today, aunt.

Mrs. Khanna smiled and entered the house, hiding her ignorance, My children are too small, and their schooling will commence only next year. Their kinder garden school observes the holiday on all Saturdays. She giggled and looked at the efforts of Vinay. Your mummy must be busy in the kitchen. She moved towards the kitchen and saw Saroja cleaning the vessels at the sink. Sympathetically she inquired, Why do you struggle like this? Haven’t you got a maidservant to do these works?

Saroja pinned a smile on her face, wiped her hands on the cloth hanging on the door, and welcomed Mrs. Khanna. The maid staying in our servant quarters is willing to do all jobs. But, I don’t permit her to enter my kitchen. The kitchen is my department. I asked her to do sweeping, swabbing, and all other work including a kitchen garden, except entering the kitchen. With slight hatred, she said, I did not find her clean enough for kitchen work. She paused. Otherwise also, I generally avoid the entry of servants to the kitchen.

Both moved towards the sofa and made themselves comfortable.

Here, at Delhi, the servant’s room attached to quarters is a blessing for defense officers. There will be many to occupy and work free -- both household work and gardening. Frowning, she continued. Outside, the rent one has to pay for similar accommodation is enormous -- beyond anyone’s imagination. She chuckled. We defense officers can only dream of these luxuries. Outside the camp, I have heard that the civilian officers having servant quarters rent that out for a huge amount. Her words carried the pride of being the wife of a defense officer. But, inside the camp, defense officers will never do that. If anyone was caught doing so, he would have to face the music.

Riya went near Mrs. Khanna and asked, Aunty, would you like to have coffee or tea?

Casting a smile came her reply, Actually, I had my breakfast just now. But my temptation to taste your filter coffee is irresistible. She grunted. I will have your favorite filter coffee. She turned to Sujatha. Will Riya make?

She will. She can manage the entire house herself. During the last summer vacation, she went for a cookery course and is an expert in Chinese preparations. Saroja smiled. 

But, you are all vegetarian, aren’t so? She frowned.

Yes, there are many veg preparations in Chinese. She smiled. Her culinary skill is worth praising.

Mrs. Khanna grunted. I will wait for an occasion to assess that. She looked at Riya and said. You must teach me also. I know a few dishes but haven’t done any courses. If you have notes issued by the institute, please give me copies.

Sure, Aunty.

Riya hurried to take a trophy from the showcase, placed it on the central table, and looked at Mrs. Khanna. I became first in the quiz competition held in our school.

Mrs. Khanna grunted and sent an appreciative glance at her and chuckled. You are an allrounder!

Without waiting for further appreciative words, Riya hurried to the kitchen.

Vinay connected the power to the TV and switched it on. With the remote, he made the set to become alive and changed channels.

Mrs. Khanna made appreciative comments on the capabilities of Vinay and wondered when her children would be of that standard. I will have to wait for years to get such assistance from my children.

They are too small, Aunty. Vinay consoled her. Once they will be of our age, they would be more capable than we are. He chuckled and smiled.

Mrs. Khanna grunted. They will be like their dad. He never does any job at home. Watching TV is his only job.

When Riya came with coffee in a tray, Mrs. Khanna was quick to grab and taste the filter coffee and appreciated her, Very nice. She smiled. "I got ready to go to our house construction site to assess the progress. I haven’t visited the site for a few days. After completion, there is no point in crying over their wrong work, other than reworking, which will involve further expenses. After getting ready when I contacted Khanna, he expressed his inability to come to take me to