It is funny to observe the way people think. They never ask questions to confirm fact... they just assume and think of the first thing that comes to their mind.

I realised this recently when my husband wrote a harmless sentence on social media which got interpreted in the completely opposite way by almost all his friends.

Now from Capt Sa'ab, my beloved hubby got promoted to Major Sa'ab. He gleefully announced this as the "Major Change In Life" on facebook. Instantly, people started congratulating him (and me too) and enquiring whether it is a girl or a boy!

PEEEOPLE! There are other major changes too, like becoming a Major, hello!!!

Some obvious changes that happened in Major Sa'ab's life.

  1. He became a Major! No longer a Captain and just one step away from being a Lt Col.
  2. He got a new ID-card, for the first time after he was issued one at the time of commissioning.
  3. A marginal increase in his salary which Major Sa'ab insisted was just a tini-tiny increase. He was just making sure that I don't make any high-profile shopping plans.
  4. He is now entitled to have a bigger house. So a boon for me when guests come over, and a bane when the maid decides to go on a long chutti.

Some not-so-obvious changes

  1. Major Sa'ab will no longer be called a 'young officer'. That's a shame, because apart from the 10-15 stray whites on his head, he looks pretty young to me.
  2. The stars on his shoulders were replaced by the Ashok stambh. His sahayak is happy that he doesn't have to fix six stars on Major Sa'ab's dress everyday, just the two stambhs.
  3. The maximum number of officers in the Indian Army don the rank of Major. So you see, he is a part of a 'Major Cult'.
  4. It is a very prestigious rank whether you admit it or not. Bollywood didn't make a film called 'Captain Saab', they didn't do a 'Colonel Saab', and it is highly unlikely that we'll ever see a 'Brigadier Saab'. But there is a movie called 'Major Saab' and Big B is in it! Take that yo!

The day Major Sa'ab picked up his 'Major' rank, was also the day I came to know of my maid's benevolent and charitable nature, in addition to her limits of patience. Night time celebrations resulted in the entire living room, dining room and curtains getting covered in cake and rum! My unsuspecting maid, who came in the next morning, suddenly froze in her tracks when she saw all this and said, "Yeh kaisi party kar li aapne memsaab ji!" She did not ditch me that day, or after that is a blessing which every women will relate to.

And that day I prayed that the next time a major change happens in Major Sa'ab's life, he would preferably be in a field location. That way my maid and I would also be happy! Win-win situation for all isn't it? I would probably be in some house I get through Housing and I wouldn't want it soaked in cake batter!

(The article was first published on the author's blog)