Musings in the Mist: A story about growing up

I’m done reading the book and yet I feel like I am floating somewhere inside the pages of the book.

Sam Kapoor is a young army lad who is full of life. He loves his family, his friends, and his girlfriend and in turn he is loved by all.

Like his father and grandfather he too has always dreamt of joining the army when he grows up but before he can even set off to fulfil his dream life brings him crashing to his knees.

His long-time girlfriend breaks up with him because of his choice of career.

Sam picks himself up but he never really manages to get back that zeal for relationships again.

He becomes sort of like a Casanova and his only redemption becomes his dedication and his passion for his job.

Sam’s first posting as a young Indian soldier is at the Siachen Glacier. His life there is something unimaginable and awe-inspiring.

Life at Siachen is unfathomable for civilians. Bravery and dedication take on a whole new meaning for the men who get posted at such remote places.

As his life moves on, he moves up in his rank and later he gets posted to Jammu and Kashmir and it throws newer challenges at Sam.

And in all this, Sam the boy-with-dreams-in-his-eyes is somewhere converted to Sam-the Indian-Soldier whom even the Indian President had been forced to congratulate over the phone on one New Year’s Eve while he sat at Siachen, planning to make a snowman with his colleagues.

So yeah, we know that soldiers who keep our nation safe are brave men and we should respect them. But this is just one of those concepts that sounds like sun rises from the east.

Everyone knows this but we don’t stop to think about it twice.

But when we read about Sam’s journey, we read about his feelings, his experiences, his emotions, it opens up a whole new way of thinking for us common people.

A soldier’s job is to fight with the enemies but when we read this book we realise that the enemy is not that much different from us.

This hatred, all these wars—the futility of it all somehow just sinks in that much deeper on reading Sam’s thoughts.

Does this book teach us to respect soldiers? No, it shows us why the soldiers are greater men than us; because they can think beyond themselves—about a little girl on the road, about a team mate in difficulty, about a stranger who has kindly invited them for lunch.

In the army a Hindu goes about distributing prasad during Muslim rituals and vice versa. We don’t need to wield guns to protect our country; we just need to be kind and accommodating. We need to open our hearts like our brave soldiers and then maybe these soldiers will have an easier time at their perilous postings.

I will not be exaggerating if I say this is one of the best books I have ever read in my life. Each and every person in this country needs to read this book. Parents always heckle their kids to become doctors and engineers in this country.

Maybe this book will inspire some to join the army. After all, a motherland can never have too many sons for its protection.

Reviewed by Priya Das