Woody Allen has very rightly said quote“If you want to make God laugh, tell him what your plans are” unquote.

I was quite satisfied once I cleared the first preliminary test at the Army Selection and Recruitment Center. A batch of eight candidates was given a date to report to Combined Military Hospital for a Medical check-up. Initially, everything went smoothly, but the Eye specialist took some time to declare me unfit, without elaborating on any specifics. I really felt dejected and a loser came back home with a heavy heart. Since the eye problem was not specified, or diagnosed my Father advised me to go to an eye specialist so that at least the problem should be diagnosed. I went to an eye specialist quite known in the city. He took his time, ultimately dropping a bombshell, that I was suffering from an eye ailment, which in the course of time will cause the complete diminishing of my eyesight.

Alas! It was a shock of life, all my bright future hopes/dreams crashing instantly. I travelled back to my home as if had lost my sight, and my feelings, a child lost in the wilderness having no clue to take even a step forward. A TV play flashed into my mind in which a young man like me having dreams to become a Fighter Pilot, confronted a somewhat similar situation with an eye problem.  Since everyone near and dear to him shared his long cherished dream, he could not muster the courage to tell anybody including his intimate and close friendly father, even his beloved. He simply deserted his home, leaving no trace of any kind to be chased. The end of the play was so touching and emotional when his own beloved with her newly-wed husband extend her hand reluctantly to a blind young bangle seller in the vicinity of a shrine. Replying to the query of the husband how could he sell bangles being unable to see himself, the reply of that man was the climax of the play “if you lose your worldly sight, sir, the inner sight of the soul starts working”.  The bangle seller takes her hand into his instantly recognizes the childhood friend/love and abruptly stands up leaving the husband and young lady aghast.

But I was not part of a play or drama, the shattering of lifetime dreams coupled with this terrible revelation devastated me completely. I then wrote a detailed letter to my uncle in Qatar, himself a renowned and widely respected professional. I got immediate direction from him to report an Eye Specialist, a Brigadier in Military Hospital with his reference.

I reported the very next day, was thoroughly checked by Brigadier in a professional manner and declared a perfectly fit written report, with the instructions to produce the same to challenge in case of any doubt about my eyesight.