Awarded Ashok Chakra, India’s highest peace time gallantry award on August 15, 2014

Putting Up a Brave Face For the World

CHENNAI: Three-year-old Arshea would not let go of her grandpa R Varadarajan, telling the men who wanted to take her picture, “I want my thaatha.” At the Officers Training Academy, Arshea was with her mother Indhu Rebecca Varghese, wife of martyred officer Major Mukund Varadarajan, and grandmother Geetha Varadarajan, to unveil her father’s bust – strategically placed at the Jessami Company block, where he was trained in 2006. The unveiling of the bust was held at a ceremony with the entire family present along with members and officers from OTA.

A little too young to understand the commotion around her when news broke of her father’s passing, she still asks when he’s coming back. “She asks about her dad whenever she comes across men in uniform. I tell her that her father is in God’s office. But she asks me when is he coming back?” says Indhu.

It may be recalled that it was in April 2014 that the officer from Tambaram, an alumnus of the Madras Christian College, laid down his life defending the country against militants in Jammu and Kashmir. Varadarajan tears up when asked about his son, “It breaks our heart whenever we think of Mukund and there is not one day when we don’t think (of him),” he said.

Looking at Indhu, he calls her a very brave girl. “I have not seen her cry on as many occasions as we did and that is what Mukund would have wanted. He wanted her to be an army man’s wife,” he added.

But Indhu agrees to disagree. “Separation and pain is personal and also a matter of perspective. The outside world sees my bravery but behind closed doors I am still grieving. I need to put on a brave face because if I don’t, it would change the opinion that people have of the army, my family and my child,” she said.

His bravery aside, it’s his charming power of persuasion that she really  misses, “We were from different religions. It was left to him to convince my parents and it is always the daughter’s parents who are protective,” said Indhu, who fell for Mukund and married him after they met in college.

“I miss those phone calls, the warm hug. I miss the physical presence. We went through so much to be together and to have it all cut short…” Indhu trailed off, before adding that he still lives with her in spirit.

With the passage of time, has she wondered if what her husband did – sacrificing his life and love for the good of the country – was worth it?

“Unlike earlier, I’m affected by what I read in newspapers about terrorist activities, and sometimes wonder if what my husband and many other brave soldiers before him did was meaningless.” said Indhu.

“Knowing him, if his ghost is roaming around somewhere here…” she said pointing at the Jessami hall, “…he’d say it was worth something and that is all that matters.”

Ref : Indian Express