Burning Desires [COMPLETED]

Chapter 3

Rajveer controls his urge to groan and roll his eyes when he sees Ritu Mishra standing at the threshold and smiling at him.

'What the hell is her problem? Why can't she see that I am not at all interested in her?' He thinks, knowing exactly why Ritu came to his room.

Since she has joined KMA as a faculty member, she has been relentlessly trying to flirt with him, trying to cling to him, even though he has never shown any interest in her.

The only girl who can attract him and make him fall in love is his Naina, who is waiting for him inside, and he desperately wants to return to her. And for that to happen, he will first need to send Ritu away.

"Yes, Dr. Mishra? Did you have any work with me?" Rajveer asks Ritu, keeping his voice strictly professional.

He is done being friendly with this woman. From now on, he will maintain a serious and professional demeanor in front of her so she can get a hint that he is not at all interested in her.

Ritu is surprised when she hears Rajveer talking in a professional manner with her. Yes, he has never shown any interest in her flirty advances towards him, but at least he used to speak in a friendly way.

"Umm, I am not here because of work, Captain Rajveer. Actually, I returned to the academy this morning and found out that you were sent to solitary confinement for twenty-four hours. So, I came here to ask if you are fine after being in confinement for so long," she tells him.

"Thank you for your concern, Dr. Mishra. But I am doing fine. However, I do want to rest for a while, so if you could excuse me," Rajveer says, hoping she will go away.

"Won't you at least let me in, Captain? I will make tea for both of us," Ritu says, much to Rajveer's annoyance. "Chat with me for a while, and then you can rest all you want."

Before Rajveer can say anything to that or deny her entrance to his quarter, Ritu walks inside and proceeds toward the kitchen.

But she halts in her way when she sees Naina sitting on a couch in Rajveer's living room.

Seeing her there, Ritu seethes with anger.

'So, this is why Captain was talking that way with me,' she thinks, realizing she would need to do something about Naina very soon.

Her only mission behind coming to this academy is to get that trigger. And for that to happen, she must trap Captain Rajveer in her love.

'I might have been successful in it by now if this chit of a girl, Naina Singh Ahluwalia, had not joined the academy.' Ritu fumes, looking at Naina.

"Cadet Naina Singh, what are you doing here?" She asks, her voice stern.

Naina is surprised, hearing Ritu's almost harsh voice.

She is about to answer her, but Rajveer intervenes in between.

"I called Cadet Singh into my room, Dr. Mishra. This is my quarter, and Naina is my protégé. She has the right to come here anytime she wants," Rajveer tells Ritu.

'How dare she come here and ask my Naina what she is doing here?' He glares at Ritu.

"But, Captain, you do know what kind of rumors are getting circulated about you two in this academy, right? Don't you care for those rumors?" Ritu asks him, hoping to make him see the seriousness of the situation. Once he understands that, hopefully he will distance himself from Naina.

And after he does that, she will easily get closer to him and trap him in such a way that he will not be able to come out of that trap his whole life.

"Those rumors are mine and Naina's problem, and we will handle it in our way. I appreciate your concern, but it would be better if you do not interfere in it," Rajveer answers Ritu, his anger rising now due to her annoyingly interfering nature.

Hearing Rajveer, Ritu realizes it is no use trying to instigate him.

So, she turns to the soft target--Naina.

"Cadet Singh, Captain Rajveer was in solitary confinement, so he must not have properly heard those rumors yet, which is why he is not understanding how damaging they can be to him. But you have been hearing those rumors, right?

"You have been listening to how others are maligning your mentor's name, yet you are now in his quarter to fire up those rumors.

"Do you want Captain Rajveer's honor to get compromised?" Ritu asks Naina, and smirks when she sees a sheen of tears in her eyes.

She realizes then that her words have precisely hit how she intended them to.

Rajveer also looks at Naina and feels his anger rise a notch when he sees tears in her eyes due to Ritu's words.

He is about to shout at Ritu and tell her to leave his quarter, but she speaks again before he can say that to her.

"And you are a traitor's sister too, Cadet Singh?" Ritu says, trying to further instigate Naina to convince her to maintain distance from Rajveer. "You must know how bad it can be for the reputation of an army officer to get linked with a traitor's sister. You kno-"

"ENOUGH, DR. MISHRA," Rajveer shouts, cutting Ritu off, and both Ritu and Naina gasp in surprise as they hear his loud voice.

"How dare you, Dr. Mishra? How dare you come to my quarter and spew such venomous words at Naina?" He continues. "I do not understand why you are even getting involved in this. The rumors are about Naina and me, and we need to deal with it. Who are you to come here and worry about my reputation?

"I have not given you any right to worry about me or my reputation. You are my colleague here, and I will appreciate it if you maintain professional decorum with me, both inside and outside the academy." Rajveer finishes, glaring at Ritu.

Although Ritu feels enraged on the inside due to the humiliation from Rajveer's words, she pretends to look hurt and offended on the outside.

"I am sorry, Captain. I became involved in this because I care for you. And I assumed you felt something for me, too, but I have now realized I was mistaken. Since you have made it clear, I will stay away from this matter," she tells Rajveer, trying her best to show a hurtful expression on her face, hoping to melt him.

But Rajveer is not one bit affected by Ritu's words or expressions.

"It's good that you have understood it. Now, if you would excuse us, Dr. Mishra, Naina and I have some important things to discuss," Rajveer says to Ritu, indirectly telling her to get out of his quarter.

"Of course, Captain," Ritu says and leaves from there, not having any other choice.

'I will make you both pay for this insult,' she vows while walking out of the door.