THIS ARMY LOVE STORY WILL MELT YOUR HEART
The couple waited a long while to get married. They wanted a fairytale wedding with a handsome groom and happy parents. It was not just a love tale, but rather the story of a soldier and his army girlfriend. Their love life was more about their mobile phones than going out to fancy restaurants for coffee with her boyfriend. She felt like giving up at times. Arun and Sameeksha met in college. Arun, her senior and a talented photographer as well as the lead singer in the college band, was a great photographer. Both felt the spark, but Sameeksha made it clear that she did not want a casual relationship. She wanted a relationship for life with the consent of her elders. Arun promised that she would be proud of him when she introduced him to her parents. Arun was selected for OTA not even four months after they had a casual conversation, and barely a week into their relationship. He still refers to Sameeksha as his lucky charm. Then, everything changed. You know when you have met the right person and are willing to wait, but the stories of army girlfriends tell a different story. Not only do they wait, but they also endure the mental strain. A love story in the army is unique because it is characterized by pain, separation, patriotism and courage. Listen to their story.
"We couldn't call each other after he joined OTA. Instead, we wrote letters. He would secretly read the letters in the bathroom. He had to be very careful because getting caught would mean severe punishments from the seniors. I initially thought this was funny, but I became irritated as time went on. Who writes letters anymore? Who writes letters these days? I didn't realize that this was the beginning of our military relationship.
Arun would often mention his punishments and hard training. It will make Sameeksha weep. She will remember
"When he returned from his first term as a member of the OTA. His waist had shrunk dramatically. He was covered in cuts and bruises. He had also suffered ligament tears. I didn't even recognize him. He held my hand, and told me I needed your support. Many of my classmates are going through heartbreaks. Their girlfriends have left. They weren't brave enough to live the life of a soldier. I hope you wouldn't leave me that way. We need to be strong and stay together in this difficult time."
She met other couples and they were always together. But she would want to talk to him at times, but could not. She was jealous of couples who were 'normal.' During OTA training, the only way to communicate was through letters. She would sometimes miss him, but could wait. She describes her frustration and anger when Arun would call exactly three minutes on Sundays. Arun also lost his patience. They were both going through a difficult time at OTA and would argue on the phone. But as soon as they turned off the phone, guilt and nostalgia overtook them, and they apologized in writing. During that time, Sameeksha studied law. Sometimes she lost her concentration, and other times she focused all of her attention on her study to distract herself. It helped her get good grades. Arun would sometimes have blood on her letters from bruises and cuts. He would hide in the bathroom after the lights had gone out and write letters. She was under a great deal of pressure as a teenager and at times she wanted to give up. The bond between them, however, was so strong they couldn't leave each other.
"My older sister supported me greatly, but it was particularly difficult during his Passing Out Parade. I wanted to be there but at the time I was only 21 and my parents would not let me go. After POP, he called and said 'Hello Lieutenant Arun'. That gave me goosebumps. I called him Lieutenant Arun, which I think was hilarious. I hoped things would be better as we had always planned. We both didn't know that OTA was only the trailer, and he got his high-altitude posting in Drass."
Sameeksha explains how her life was turned upside down when he got his new posting in Drass. Letters and calls stopped. He had a mobile phone, but the network was very limited. One or two months would pass before a single message was received. This could be extended to six months, if he were to move further up in Drass. He would sometimes call at the wee hours, and Sameeksha was always aware of her phone. She waited for these abrupt 1-minute calls all day. This required a lot of patience and tears from the Army girlfriend. She would sometimes wonder why she couldn't have a normal relation.
She would stare in disbelief at her friends as they talked about their relationships. The biggest obstacle they faced was not receiving calls from their Baes for a few days. They would also talk about how their boyfriends ignored their relationship and that they ended up breaking up. She was also told 'You are aware of that? You're also in a 'Long Distance Relationship'? She felt like punching the men, shouting loudly 'no this is not a long distance relationship. It is an Army relationship. And it is much tougher than you thought.
She was in her final year of law when she learned about the marriage proposals Arun had started to receive. She was confused and would ask Arun about his loyalty ...... just like he had done during her academy days.
"It is pointless to go through all of this together if I withdraw now. We both know what we've shared. You are the girl I would marry if there was only one. "Let my field posting be complete and we will get married."
Sameeksha and Arun were married in a grand ceremony on the 28th of January 2021, with blessings from their families. She was a young Army wife, dazed by the grandeur of Army Life and the rules, regulations and protocol. She finds the Army culture overwhelming, but her smile is contagious. I can tell that she is a brilliant Army wife in the making. She also won hearts by participating in the ladies club. The newlyweds were welcomed with love and affection. These are the young Army wives that will shape our future, and influence us as the Army fraternity.
I hope you enjoyed this inside look at an Army girlfriend (now an Army spouse)'s life. It is easy for women to fall in love with men in uniform, but it is very difficult to maintain a relationship with soldiers. Women of steel are required to maintain a relationship with soldiers. Army love stories show that true love can still be found. You can connect with the young millennial Army spouse on social media. She has a great sense of style and fashion.
