It was early morning on 8th of March, when I pinged my husband and asked…”Are you forgetting something?” My husband replied…” Happy Women’s Day, though I don’t really think that you are bounded by any day to be your day”. I knew that he played and escaped the further quite well, but his words though not patent but were precise. But a day like this makes us feel special in every manner and added with pride of being an Air Warrior’s Wife gives us the privilege of the ‘special league’. The word special may sound boastful or so called super-feminist, but our uninvolved attachment to the profession of our better halves gets us the belongingness to this league.
The fact of being uninvolved is important as we do not interfere in their professional aspects, yet our lives revolve around it. We are aware of the pressures the man undergoes and keep our wishes for a timely revelation. Our dreams and desires are not supressed, but we tailor ourselves to suit the right opportunity. We fight the tantrums, daily rush, unending schedules, budgetary nuisances yet remain cheerful because we understand and undergo the same stresses as him. It is the pride of being part of his prestigious profession that keeps us going.
There may be a notion of sacrifice which may emerge in the text. Though it may appear to be a fact, but it is indeed voluntary. Just like a catalyst. I believe we are fortunate and tasked to be part of such a life. We are different amongst the women all over the world because we are trained to be tough without any formal training. We accustomed ourselves to selfless work and dedication of our husband and stand in thick and thins of it. We wait patiently for him post a long day or a long outdoor but gauge his mood before putting our thoughts to words. Life gets a different dimension where understanding is natural, and we mould ourselves way beyond just a nagging wife.
I was fortunate enough that my first intro into the military life took place in a tri-service organisation. Along with a great learning experience, it was very evident that a military wife is extra-ordinary even if they face different challenges due varied culture. This becomes the common bonding factor amongst ladies who individually may be from different spheres of life.
The bond is not merely due to hardships or challenges but mostly due to pride we are associated with. Doesn’t all this make us different from others? We aren’t cribbing wives, instead we are pillar for strength and virtual soldiers within ourselves who constantly support the man in his cut above the rest professional deeds. Be it a housewife or a working woman, we will remain the architect of the house and the constant sustenance to lean on. The pride is immense, yet we are humble, the pressure is immense, but we remain tough because we know what a soldier is and what it takes to be a soldier’s wife. Be proud and happy, it’s meant for only few chosen one.
(Author is wife of an Indian Air Force Officer. Views and experessions are based on her real life experiences.)
