Colonel Jayant Khadilkar
(We proudly welcome Colonel Jayant Khadilkar on e-abhivyakti. Colonel Jayant Khadilkar was commissioned in June 1980 into the Corps of Signals. He is an Alumnus of National Defence Academy, Pune and Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru. Academically brilliant, he was awarded Plaque of Honour in Signals Young Officers Course and Army Chief’s Gold Medal in the Signals Degree Engineering Course. He is an expert in Electronic and Information Warfare. He was awarded the first prize for his MBA thesis on the use of Decision Making techniques in Electronic Warfare. Colonel Jayant pursues writing as a hobby, to capture his thoughts on topics of current public interest. Today, we present his classical poetry My strange encounters with weight .)
☆ My strange encounters with weight ☆
My first RV with weight was in May 76,
at the pre joining medical for the NDA.
As the scale refused to move beyond 46,
a career in the Army seemed miles away.
I looked towards the doctor quizzingly,
outcome of the check up almost certain.
What a relief it was, when he said to me,
Go and eat bananas, minimum half a dozen.
Have water in plenty just before you come.
That should help you clear the minimum.
I thanked my stars, seized the opportunity.
The scale, next time, moved closer to fifty.
Courtesy the food at the NDA Mess,
coupled with intense physical work out,
weight was added and muscles built too.
I was above the Fly Weight, at fifty-two.
For Inter Squadron Boxing Competition,
Fly Weight category already stood taken.
Nominated to fight in the Light Fly Weight.
Pronto, my second encounter with weight.
Now I had to weigh between 45 and 48.
That meant a strict control on my diet.
No pastry and coffee, specially the cold one,
and getting wrapped in blankets after a run
Many years later, I had the third encounter,
when I was working in the private sector.
Courtesy the roles for which I was picked,
physical exercise got routinely skipped.
Frequently on tours, away from home,
Amongst buffet spreads, very inviting,
on savouries and sweets, I had a go,
acidity and indigestion notwithstanding.
My weight now measured eighty and two.
My waistline had grown, and tummy too.
As I visited him for a nagging head ache,
pre hyper tension, was the doctor’s take.
Very soon, I was prescribed a tablet,
and also had to take a blood sugar test.
Borderline diabetes was the diagnosis.
That made me sit up and take due notice.
(To be continued….)
© Col Jayant Khadilkar, Veteran
Pune
