Duty Officer for the first time(Humour in Uniform)

I was thrilled when I was detailed as a duty officer for the first time in my life while doing the YO’ s course in 1988. Someone had told me that duty officer is the king of the day and has all the powers for checking anyone, anywhere and has a vehicle at his disposal.
I never had any idea of what and how it was to be done. I was told to report to the adjutant in the Adm wing and take a brief from him. As instructed I went to him with my course mate, DK who waited outside the Adjt’s office. The adjutant was very busy and hardly had any time to brief me so he at once told the runner to get two sets of empty duty officer forms and hand them over to me. He told me to follow the self explanatory directions in the form and to refer to the previous duty officer for details should I need any clarifications on it. Saying this he asked me to carry on. As I came out and glanced over the comprehensive form everything was crystal clear to me since all the details were well explained. Meanwhile the adjutant just before leaving the office gave me a password which was ‘Tota Mitti’.
Fortunately my friend DK was the previous duty officer who also finished his briefing to me in one line saying that we just have to check the sentries at various places written on the form and submit it back .
The next day at about 2330h in the night I went to check the guard duty in the quarter guard. I got down from the vehicle holding a diary in my hand with a pen clipped to my camo shirt. The sentry doing the guard duty in the qtr gd saw me and started to walk towards the gate for opening it. As I reached near the gate and took out my pen from the pocket to note down the details of the guard whom I expected would come and quietly give me his name and number so that I could proceed further for the next check at the QM store, he suddenly jumped two feet high in air pointing his rifle towards me with his finger on the trigger and shouted at the top of his voice
“Thum kaun aata hai!”
I got perplexed and both the diary and the pen slipped out of my hand on the ground with his thunderous unexpected voice shaking me from top to bottom.
Later coming to senses and gathering my courage I said,
“Arey bhai kya baat ho gai. Ghabraney ki koi baat nahin hai main bhi military mein hoon aur duty check karney aaya hoon. Shaayed tum mere ko koi galat aadmi samajh rahey ho. Tum pahle rifle ko to niche karo phir tassalli se baat kartey hain”.
“Pehchan ke liye aagey barh!” were the next sweet words which emanated from his mouth in full blast in the same position.
“Arey tumhare samney hi to khada hoon chalo bhai gussey mat ho lo mein aur pass aa jata hoon” I replied and started to walk towards him fearing that he may fire if I do not obey him.
“Thum!” came the next roaring voice out of his throat.
“Arey kabhi kehtey ho aagey barh aur ab keh rahey ho tham. Ab to theek se main deekh raha hoonga?
“Tota” he said in a very low voice as per the drill expecting the second part of the password from my mouth to reach his ear.
“Achcha password puchna chaahtey ho woh tota nahin balki ‘ Tota mitti’ hai” I replied.
He came to saavdhan with rifle barrel towards the sky and said in a loud voice,
“Jai Hind sahib” and then became absolutely normal.
I took a sigh of relief and asked him.
“Arey bhai aisee kya baat ho gayee thi ki tumne rifle meri aur taan di aur woh bhi Zameen se do feet upar uchal kar .Tumney to mere ko gari se utrtey huay bhi dekhaa tha phir yeh sab kyon?”
“Sahib yeh to drill hai kar ni parti hai nahin to duty officer sahib naraaj ho jaatey hai. ” he replied in a clear and crisp voice confidently.
Now things were amply clear to me and I realised the importance of briefing very early in life .
When DK heard of this he rather than apologising me for not explaining the procedure in detail was rolling on his bed trying to control his laughter.