TITLE: Against the Tide: My life journey from underworld roots to Naval ranks
AUTHORS: Lt. Cdr Bijay Nair and Dr Aparna Salvi Nagda
PUBLISHED: 10 August 2026
About the Authors
Against the Tide is an autobiography co-authored by Lt Cdr Bijay Nair and Dr Aparna Salvi Nagda.
Lt Cdr Bijay Nair (Retired) is a commissioned Naval Officer from the Indian Naval Academy, who has faithfully served the Indian Navy for ten years before retiring. He was a part of Operation Talwar in 1999 (Kargil War) and is decorated with Ops Vijay Star and Vijay Medal. At present, he acts as the Vice President for the National Ship Certification Society.
He is a man who wears various hats. He is a blogger and writer, with humour sprinkled over his work. He is a marathon runner, having participated in the uphill and downhill Comrades Marathon in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa. He is also a national-level gold medallist in Shotokan Karate.
Dr Aparna Salvi Nagda is a homeopath doctor by profession and a writer by passion. She did her graduation in medicine after which she pursued a Master’s in Family Counselling and a certification in learning disabilities. She has written another novel titled The Labyrinth of Silence (2024), which was longlisted for the Wise Owl Literary awards. It has been another personal favourite of mine. She is a prolific short story writer whose stories have featured in literary magazines like Usawa, Mean Pepper Wine, Authoropod, The Wise Owl, and Bento.
About the Book
“Bijay quietly kept friendships intact, problems resolved, and the laughter flowing… nothing short of a dream story.” – Col Swaminath AKNS
“Storyteller to the core… Fauji, author, ultra-marathoner, TEDx speaker, Corporate leader, Hybrid Athlete and it continues…” – Cdr Satish Kumar (retd), Author.
“More and More people should know about his journey; It’s a story of grit, guts and glory.” – Adrija Sen, CO-Founder DESH
Synopsis
It is the true story of a slum boy from the forgotten Rekmudeen Chawl in Bombay who swam against the tide, overcame all the challenges he faced and climbed up the naval ranks, winning accolades on the way. He belonged to a family of the underworld, a union leader father, a homemaker mother, two brothers who looked up to him and his sweetheart, Mala, who later became his wife. They were his pillars of support as he struggled with determination, perseverance and willpower to become victorious over all the bottlenecks he faced in life to make his dreams come true.
The book is divided into chapters with the names of Navy ships that Lt Nair inhabited as the titles. The latter part has the names of different facets of his life as the titles.
The story has one central motive – to inspire the readers and the youth of the country by giving an insight into the ‘Fauji Talks’ which also happens to be the title of Lt Nair’s podcast. It gives a detailed account of the trials and tribulations faced by these veterans who are stationed at the naval base and enlightens the readers about the comradeship and patriotic fervour which ties them together.
Themes
As stated earlier, the first and foremost theme of the book is to inspire Indians with patriotic fervour by giving a bird’s eye view of Naval life. Lt Nair’s favourite line he uses in his TED talks is “Experience the experience of experiencing and experience.” This is also the central theme of the book. He has narrated his experiences as a navy man and the personality behind the naval uniform with utmost meticulousness and vivid description. In the context of an autobiography, it draws attention to the idea that a life is not merely a sequence of events; it is also about living through them and carrying their lessons forward.
The book also talks about the darker side of war which takes a toll on the mental health of soldiers who have to kill other fellow beings who are family members, just like them. The armed forces have taken measures to correct these lacunae. To quote Lt Nair, “Good souls like Col. Arun Iyer work tirelessly for the mental health of soldiers, even advocating rehabilitation in some cases.”
Narrative Style
However, if you think that such a story would be a dull, monotonous harangue, you are in for a surprise. The book is peppered with humour and light-hearted banter throughout. In fact, that is one of the strengths of the narrative style. While Lt. Nair brings in the jocosity to the narrative, Dr Nagda adds the sentimentality. Together, they form the core of the emotional wit.
Some Lines from the Book
“Imagine Navdurga Mitra Mandal in Rekmudeen chawl. Truly, secularism at its best.”
“I was determined to join the Navy. And I wasn’t going to don just any uniform, but the white one. Crisp. Untouched. Untarnished.”
“The exams ended, and then came the long, empty stretch – the wait for the results. Those days stretched endlessly, long enough to count the wrinkles on a fly’s wing or record a census of houseflies in the neighbourhood. Even an elephant’s twenty-two-month pregnancy seemed shorter.” (example of humour).
“‘First, serve your country. Second, your men. Third, your family. Last, yourself.’ A hierarchy that I have never forgotten. Once a fauji, always a fauji.”
“One truth about war is that nobody wants it, not even the soldiers on the other side. When a human fires on another, a tinge of guilt and sorrow plucks at the offender. Repentance follows with nightmares haunting the living soldier for life. Post-traumatic stress is very real.”
My Recommendation
I give this book 5 on 5 and urge every proud Indian to read this book in order to get an insight into the life of a fauji.
By Richa Verma
Richa is an online English teacher, independent blogger, voracious reader, a homemaker, and a movie buff who is smitten with wanderlust. She has under her belt two published books, Richa’s Musings which is an anthology of quotes, and Pendulum, a novel. She can be contacted through her email address richavermamh@gmail.com
