At one point, Russia rivaled the US as a world power, but then Gorbochev came along and we all know that Russia was divided into 18 states. This was also the end of the Russian dream of parity with the US, as the population halved and so did the area.

But when Russia was a monolithic place under communist rule, it was organized and the Indians were highly respected. As an air force officer in the Indian Air Force, it was a great experience to visit the country. The best part was the Russian, golden and blonde girls who were great company.

Once I landed at Moscow airport and a Russian Air Force helicopter took me and two of my colleagues to the Air Force base. It was a great welcome and I was given a Corporal orderly, a Russian girl. She was slim and smart and, to be honest, he had lewd thoughts about her.

We were told that we would be ‘honoured’ with a flight to the Russian Far East, to the Pacific port of Vladivostok. When I was leaving the room I asked the Russian colonel who was all there. He asked me if there was someone I would like to accompany me and the others. With my fist I snapped at him if the petty officer could come with us. He laughed and left.

We board the supersonic transport early in the morning. It was the TU 144 and it could fly at Mach 2. It was a rival to the Concorde, but bigger. I looked around and was surprised to see my orderly with a backpack slung over his back also waiting to go upstairs. This was a freighter version with very few seats. He waved at me and said thanks for the ride.

The flight to the east was magnificent and the girl sat next to me. She had brought a couple of steak and beef sandwiches and we all savored them with hot coffee. Now that I think about it, what a fuss there is now in beef. We landed at the airport, but the Russians were wary of us going into the cockpit, so we just sat there as the plane hurtled forward at mach 2. What an experience! Ugh, just unforgettable!

Upon landing, my orderly told me that he would be with me as instructed. We had two days in the place. I asked if we could go for a bike ride. This delighted her and she fixed a Ural bike. This is the Russian version of the BMW R7. Two days to hang out before flying back. We were told not to leave the base, but I put my orderly now in mufti with me and walked away. She took her backpack and told me that she had prepared sandwiches from the dining room. We rode deep into Siberia and the bike, a 650cc monster, was just powerful. We drove through the woods and small woods, and it started to drizzle. The girl from behind clung to me. In many places we saw log huts and stopped at one of them to let the rain go away. Frankly, I wanted it to rain even harder. We went in and there was only a stove and a small cot.

I got to know the girl better and for me these were magical moments with the rain pouring down. The inevitable happened and I will not go into details about it. It was enough that the rain stopped, but we did not leave and we continued through the night and the next day.

With the sun out, we headed back to base, the cool breeze enveloping us. It was a pleasure, but I took a hit when I came back. My AOC was alive. How did he ask me if he could break a rule and go with a petty officer? I told him I’m sorry, but he told me that he would report me. He did? No, the old sorcerer never filed a report and then in India he asked me, how was everything?