The Fauji's House's

When everything is falling apart, the tiles coming out, the window panes falling off and the glass missing from them, the doors having a creamish texture of the previous family having resided here leaving their markings on the doors, cupboards (sometimes a straying crayons and that stubborn sketch pens)- you know you have reached a Fauji's house. Its my turn to make it a home and the MES* branch to deal with the technicalities. The first house we get is always an exciting part. The process of taking the possession, choosing the best of the furniture left and a bed that should match each other in heights. So here the creative part of us turns us into an interior designer (with no previous experience obviously). The only interior decorating I have ever done was piling up clothes in a corner, making sure it was away from the my moms eyes. But now married, it somehow becomes like a task to keep everything neat and clean (not that it goes in that order). 

To start from, bhaiya* makes sure that the bathroom's sparkling and the tiles have no left over moss, having been unattended for a long time. It starting from the scratch and with a flair for having things to put at the right place is a challenge. Because anyone can put things for display but its the right place with the right aura that needs a woman's hand(I browse books on Vastu Shastra and Fengshui). Husband's are tucked safely in their offices, come home to see a perfectly done up bedroom with a pile mess outside. Trunks in different sizes with different stuff. They are happy as long the TV's working and the lunch waiting with a smiling (But tired) wife to welcome them home. 

Husband:  Ask me if you need any help.

Me: Now that you ask me there is this heavy stuff and I can't decide  where I should keep the frames...

Husband (without looking into the eyes): I'll send you more help.

Me (resigned)

And enters the 'help'. I call them magicians. Within hours, things get to fall in place and the curtains are up. A theme's decided. Having seen many army houses now I decide to go with traditional /contemporary look. The yellow curtains give a warm glow to the living room and the frames find their rightful place on the walls. The previous owners having put nails all over the place so I didn't make an attempt to put up more, getting an idea that they had suffered from the same premonition. Last but not the least, its the MES* furniture that takes a very important role, no matter how bad a condition they are in. 

Husbands are good for gadget shopping though. Any place with screws, motor, digital, remotes and you don't have to waste time in convincing. So with the vital LED and the broadband, he bids me farewell to go for exercise* for fifteen days. I finish the decorating, dusting my hands with a satisfied grin. The bhaiya's spared with a thankful glance. 

So two years here and still making up ideas to make my home look good, I find my heart go heavy with the burden of having to leave it soon. Attachment in a fauji's life is a very dangerous thing. You cannot get attached with your man nor with the material things in our life. There is more to life than this now. Maybe substitute attachment with dedication to be your loved one and garb those little happy moments. Be it going out for a silly movie or ordering our Chinese because you are just too lazy to cook. Making aloo paranthas in the little two feet by two feet kitchen together because there is nothing on TV or deciding on that downloaded movie (thanks to torrents and sorry to piracy but you know we all do it) on the long, crazy Sundays...Sometimes in life you just need a partner to share things. I call my home a bachelor pad with added benefits because we have our own spaces in the same room  holding on to each other when life gets busy. 

And thank you Vaibhav for feeling at home :)

*MES- Military Engineer's Service who deal with fixing up the house

*Bhaiya-The help

*exercise- officer's train to use weapons during this period.