Suraj Singh. A file picture

Imphal, May 26: Young Nongmaithem Geeta Devi could not sleep nor eat after her husband Suraj Singh called her a few days back from somewhere up in the Himalayas to tell her that he could not “breathe properly”.

Her worry was understandable. The couple married only on February 13 this year and Suraj, 37, left home on February 16 for an advanced trekking course as part of the preparation for an Everest expedition organised by the army.

When she received another call exactly at 7am of May 22, Geetarani cried again. “‘I am at the peak, just hoisted the flag,’ he said and I wept in joy,” she said. But the family did not announce the success as they were asked by the army to wait till the team returned to the base camp, which they did yesterday.

Geetarani could talk to her husband only briefly. Only one minute was given to each of the Everesters to call home after summiting. Before talking to his better half, Suraj spoke to his aunt Kulabati Devi, who had brought him up.

The success story of Suraj, the first Everester from Manipur, is a case of believe it or not. He did not get any formal training nor did he scale any peak before making it to the Everest summit. “A government officer, Suraj did not get any formal training in mountaineering or trekking. He has never scaled any peak leave alone going up so high in the Himalayas. So we were worried ever since he left on the expedition,” Kulabati Devi said.

However, his knowledge of the mountains — he has been based in Sikkim since 2001 — helped him earn a place in the 10-member squad called Snow Lions that went on the Everest expedition. “He loved adventure and his place of posting, Sikkim, gave him the idea of scaling high peaks,” his aunt added.

Suraj’s father Jamini Singh died in 1998 in a road accident while his mother Khuman Leima died of an illness in 1984. Ever since his mother died, his aunt shouldered the responsibility of bringing him up and giving the young man an education.

Many relatives, friends and well-wishers visited Suraj’s home today as news of his feat spread. “We are very happy with Suraj’s success. This is indeed good news for the people of Manipur and we are proud of him. Barring Sikkim, Suraj is the first person from the Northeast to reach the peak,” said L. Surjit, president of Manipur Mountaineering and Trekking Association that has been imparting training since 1980. The association is planning a hero’s welcome when Suraj returns to Imphal.

The Okram Ibobi Singh government is also planning to felicitate him.