#OLOT #PenWithPaper

I earned the Uniform. I lost it to an Injury.

This is my story — of a person who wore the uniform once.

This is me as an Education Officer Cadet in Air Force Academy, Indian Air Force. | By Author

I didn’t expect it to end like that…

I really didn’t.

I got selected for the Indian Air Force in my first attempt. The first from my college. Probably the first from my village too.

It was the peak of COVID. While others stayed locked in, I was locked into preparation. I was already preparing for the next round of exams because honestly, I could not afford to just “wait” for a merit list that has kept me waiting for 4–5 months already.

Then on August 18, 2020, the final merit list came out and there it was, my name. Not just mine, my mumma’s dream, papa’s silent prayers, my sisters’ excitement, my aunt’s faith, all in one name. Mine.

I still remember how everyone cried on the video call after I shared the news. Not out of sadness but relief. The kind of tears that come when life finally says, “Yes. You made it.”

Training began. Ten months of sweat, steel, and self-discovery. Every day was hard, but every day felt right. I was becoming the officer everyone imagined. With ranks on my shoulder — Flying Officer Adarsh Kumar Singh — the pride of a village, a family, a…