After six months of training at Gorakhpur Army training centre, Bhagwati became “Sepoy Bhagwati ”. His battalion was to move somewhere very far off to a country named “Malaya” (Today’s Malaysia). There was a threat of aggression from Japan and British Army was hurriedly reinforcing their positions. Germany was on a winning streak and morale in the ranks was not to its best. Japanese soldiers were much feared amongst the soldiers in British army, but Indian soldiers were very good fighters as well. It was generally not discussed within the soldiers about the dangers of fighting against Japanese. No one told them about the hostile environment of tropical mosquito infested jungles and the horror stories of brutal crimes committed by Japanese soldiers to their prisoners of war in China. The motive of government was to recruit a lot of soldiers from India who can save them from the onslaught of Japan.

During training my father and their Aunty from Gorakhpur were the only visitors to the camp. Every time he visited, they used to chat for hours and Bhagwati treated my father more like his own son than his younger brother. He used to give some money every time my father visited and cautioned not to share with any one. The money was for his studies and books. My father kept the trust.