Lt Col VK Khorana

Your first Commanding Officer is always special. When he is someone of the stature and personality of Lt Col VK Khorana, the relationship is even more special. And so, I am deeply anguished to learn that Lt Col VK Khorana is no more. He was my mentor who guided me as I transitioned from GC to Officer. Then, he moved on to his next assignment. But we kept in touch, me forever the callow youngster and he, the Tiger. Over the years, Colonel and Mrs Khorana were a part of every major development that life had in store for me.

When I married, we both happened to be stationed at Mhow. So, soon after we landed there, Benita and I went to pay our regards to them. Among other things, Colonel Khorana, connoisseur and gourmet, taught us about different wine glasses. He shared with us a diagram that we diligently pasted on the inside of the bar cabinet till we realized, years down the line, that we could not rise to his expectations and remember what was sipped from which receptacle. Gracious and generous hosts, their den, resounding with the laughter and shouts of his two young sons Vikram and Nitin, almost became our second home.

Colonel Khorana retired from Goa and settled in his ancestral house in Dehra Dun. We met again when I was posted there. By then, we were a family of three and loved visiting their home, verdant with Colonel Khorana’s amazingly healthy plants. The warmth of Colonel and Mrs Khorana’s welcome was matched by the woofs of Sheena, their affectionate and incredibly intelligent Labrador. With Sheena, we saw a side of Colonel Khorana I had barely noticed before: a keen empathy with animals and the unwavering patience to take her out, every pre-dawn she nudged him awake.

Occasions like birthdays and anniversaries were a special treat since Colonel Khorana would stride into the kitchen and take responsibility for at least one exotic dish. Sir, no one can make fish curry quite like you!

He retired from service but not from being an Armyman. He was always abreast of developments in the Services and especially in the Corps of Signals. He followed with keen interest the career graph of all his cubs and continued guiding me as I grew in service.

In spite of indifferent health, Colonel Khorana never lost his sense of humour. In our conversations, he always referred to Mrs Khorana, who grew up in Kolkata, as his Tigress. That meant, he was her Tiger. Sir, wherever you are, we are sure few can match your roar.

Mrs Khorana, may you find the strength to bear with this loss.
Arup, Benita and Moen
(BRIG ARUP SEN)