Navy Ka Exam

Bhushan, tujhe maalum hai kya, Navy ka exam paani ke andhar hota hai, Kya!!!

When we were kids, ego had its own strange place in our little hearts. If a friend attracted the crowd, we were there struggling to pull some of that attention back to ourselves. I still remember one such incident with my friend Bhushan. We were about eleven and twelve then, sitting and grumbling about exams, hating them with all the power our tiny brains had.

“Why exams at all?” we kept asking each other. “Why not just a viva? Give us tasks, we’ll prove who we are.” We were so confident about life, as if ready to train commandos the very next day.

That’s when Bhushan mentioned one particularly tough exam. And suddenly, I jumped in with full authority:

“Arre Bhushan, you know how the Navy exams are done? They test your sustenance in water! They check not just your knowledge, but your physical fitness too. You’re inside water, undercurrents disturbing your balance, but still you have to remain firm and finish the exam. Only if you get fifty percent can you even apply further.”

I said all this with so much conviction that Bhushan actually paused. Then, with his usual smirk, he replied,
“Eh paav, tu yeda bana raha hai!”

I swore I was telling the truth. “Come with me to my uncle’s place, I’ll show you proof. He’s in Navy.”

But Bhushan wasn’t going to take my word. He went straight to my sister, to confirm. And oh, I still remember that moment sister came running, laughing so hard she could barely speak:

“Tu ne kya bola kaalia? Navy ka exam paani ke andar hota hai?”

The whole house burst into laughter. Bhushan, of course, stood there victorious. And me? I held onto my story like a soldier refusing to surrender, even as everyone laughed and teased,