The Grand Baton
My journey as a defence aspirant started way back in 2017. I got my first green flag for the SSB interview in May 2019 after clearing my written examination, which is the first screening test of intelligence. I was recuperating from Typhoid and had lost all my hopes despite having been preparing for it since February, because, my health had taken a complete U-turn and I was out of shape. My father sensed the reason for my disinclination, as he had seen me in full spirits just weeks before my reporting date. He requested one of his friends back from his school days to guide me and encourage me. He made a call from the office informing me that Sir had made some space to connect with me from his schedule. Anticipating some relief, I made a call to Col M P Dinesh Nair, who was already aware of the whole situation. After a call of about 20-25 minutes, I felt a bout of energy in me, keeping aside the fact that I was not still healthy enough to undergo a 5-day interview process of asses...
