Hubbies in sarees!

It was a night when the husbands let their hair, even those with bald heads or receding hairline, down and were treated by their better...

It was a night when the husbands let their hair, even those with bald heads or receding hairline, down and were treated by their 8220;better, bitter and brighter halves8221;. The lawn of the officers8217; mess in the Ambala Cantonment took on a festive look when the wives arrived, resplendent in silks with matching gold and silver baubles, to welcome their husbands. And when the parmeshwars came one by one, it was indeed a sight for sore eyes. For, they had dressed up in the traditional attire of the state to which they belonged, as per the wishes of their wives. So, the South Indians walked in, flourishing their mundu, while others wore dhoties, et al. But the show-stealers were the three Majors the Bengali Babu whose dhoti had a fan at its tip, the Nepali who came with the customary kukhri-cum- topi and the Haryanvi who looked like a better version of Channel V8217;s Udham Singh, though the latth was a constant companion.

The occasion was the Husbands8217; Night organised by ladies of an Air Defence unit, but by the time it was past the witching hour, it had turned into a family reunion. The party was certainly different. For one, the grub, each dish more mouth-watering than the other, came from the wives. Each lady had been assigned an item according to the specialities of her area. So there was the Nepalese Momo, the Bengali fish curry and the Kashmiri gosht. And when in the shamiana, aptly titled Beebiyon ka Dhabha8217;, everyone, officers, wives and children, sat on the ground for the dinner, it was just like a joint family at their feast. A far cry from the fork-and-spoon formal dinner that OGs generally have.

But it was the entertainment part that really had everyone in splits. The men, you see, had to compete for the Mr Summer Cool title. Naturally, the gajra-mohabbatwala8217; Bengali Major Aich took away the crown with the effervescent Nepali Major Gurung in the second position.

The games that these battle-hardened men had to play saw their ingenuity at a different level. For instance, they were asked to wear a saree within a stipulated time. And some of them indeed did it very well, inviting comments such as Oooh! you look so sexy!8217; and Now we know who drapes your wife8217;s saree.8217;

The last game was even naughtier. Each officer was asked to do an ad campaign for an object they were most unsuited for. So, a balding officer was told to model for a hair-drier, while an ungainly one was told to sashay on stilettoes. This was followed by a presentation ceremony in which the husbands were given gifts. For being so cooperative, of course.

But, it was the culmination of the party that moved all hearts. The grateful husbands reciprocated with gifts, for they felt that it was the ladies who kept the unit together. 8220;We must say our patnis8217; are the real parmeshwar8217;,8221; was the refrain. There were moist eyes and thunderous applause. And that is the strength of the Army 8212; togetherness.