Chapter 24

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"Suriji keh rahe the, apki tabiyat theek nahi hai. Socha akar puch lun"

(Rajveer-Naina tune starts playing in the background)

As they keep staring at each other.

"Haan bus thoda sir mein dard tha",

replies Rajveer, speaking each word slowly, not rushing his words.

Drifting her vision from him to elsewhere, she asks,

"aapne dawayi li?"

When he doesn't answer, she looks at him and finds him staring at her, with a pinch of smile playing on his lips. As she looks at him, he nods his head to a 'no'. She shifts her vision again, feeling utterly shy, but trying too hard to control her feelings.

"Aap...",

as she starts, Rajveer cuts her words in between,

"Naina...!"

Listening to her name through his voice, makes her to shake, out of sheer pleasure. When he realizes, him taking her name has brought back her all attention towards him, he moves back, staring at her the whole time, until his back touches the door of his room.

"Tum yahan kya kar rahi ho?",

he asks, his words radiating his possessiveness.

"Aapse milne aayi thi",

she answers, as a matter of fact.

"Kyu?"

"Kyunki aapke sir mein dard tha!"

"Kya iss academy mein jiske bhi sir mein dard hota hai, tum ussey aise hi milne jati ho, personally, akele mein"

Understanding the meaning of his each word, she closes her eyes, accepting the fact, that she shouldn't have come here like that, she replies,

"I am sorry!",

her eyes, still closed.

Creasing his brows, he says,

"Sorry? Do you think main apse 'Sorry' sunne ke liye ye sub keh raha hun?"

Suddenly harsh wind blows and enters Captain Rajveer's room through the opened window. Captain Rajveer's cupboard which was ajar, opens wide with a jolt, and reveals Naveen's photo frame kept inside it. Naina's whole body freezes as she discovers her brother's picture kept inside it. Tear wells up in her eyes. Rajveer looks into her eyes, creasing his brows, his breathing exhilarates a little, waiting for her to react. She keeps staring at the photo and leaves the room in a hurry.

Rajveer goes after her, but on his way he collides with Brigadier Chandok.

"Sambhal kar Captain. Kahan ja rahe hain aap itni jaldi mein?"

Getting alert, Captain Rajveer looks into Brigadier Chandok's eyes and apologizes,

"Sorry Sir main thoda jaldi mein tha, to dekha nahi ki aap aa rahe hain"

"Han wo to dikh hi raha hai. Apko yaad hai aap...",

Brigadier Chandok's expression changes into an angry one as he says further,

"aur wo deshdrohi Naveen Singh Ahluwalia, aksar issi tarah jaldi mein hi rehte the"

"I am sorry Sir but Captain Naveen aur main kabhi faltu gossips mein zada time waste nahi karte the. Aur apko to yaad hi hoga ki Captain Naveen Singh Ahluwalia na sirf ek honhar student the but ek dedicated Cadet bhi the"

"Dedicated my foot! And aap uss gadaar ko 'Captain' kyu bula rahe hain? Aap shayad bhul rahe hain, ek traitor ka iss academy se koi lena dena nahi hai"

"Captain Naveen Singh Ahluwalia traitor isliye sabit hue the Sir kyunki unhe innocent prove karne ke sarey sabut mita diye gaye the",

retorts Captain Rajveer.

*******

At boy's hostel

"Neelu tu jaanti hai na yahan ladkiyon ko aana allowed nahi hai? And yet you are here, great!"

"Bhai..."

"Abey oh nautanki, itna hi khyal tha ki kon kahan aa sakta hai aur kon nahi to Brigadier ke saamne natak kyun kar raha tha?, 'Sir meri tabiyat theek nahi lag rahi, kya main apni behn ko lekar boy's hostel ja sakta hun?"

"Dude, tum meri behn ko jaante nahi ho..."

Beating on his upper arm, Neelu says,

"kya matlab hai tera?"

"Aau...Neelu!",

scolds Yudi.

"Yaar agar issey kisi baat par gussa aa jaye na to ye na idhar dekhti hai na udhar, seedhe bolna shuru kar deti hai"

"To ye bol na iska dimagi santulan bigda hua hai! Dikha kisi pagalon ke doctor ko ya kisi pagal khane mein band karwa de",

saying this Alekh looks to his right, sitting on his bed, his left leg popped up and left arm resting on it, he stares outside the window. Going to him in anger, Neelu pulls him by his collar and scolds,

"Kya bola tu? Tu mujhe pagal khane mein band karega? Zada bolana to tujhe hi jel mein pohncha dungi, samjha?"

"Neelu...",

scolds Yudi, thinking her words must have hurt him.

"Wahinch se to aaya hun. Acha hai wahin bhej de. Iss jail se to acha hi hai",

says Alekh, in a normal tone, looking around the room. His answer takes Neelu by surprise. She looses her grip from his collar and whispers,

"Kya matlab?",

staring into his eyes.

*****

Naina and Pooja were sitting inside the mess.

"Oye Naina, Shah Rukh, mera matlab Rajveer Sir kya aaj koi drill karwayenge?"

"Pata nahi Pooja, shayad, agar unka mann kare. Waise bhi Rajveer Sir kab kya karte hain kuch pata kahan hota hai kisi ko. Oh han unki tabiyat theek nahi hai I guess, so I doubt wo class lenge ya nahi aj"

"Pata hai kya, mujhe aaj drill karne ka bilkul mann nahi hai"

"Aaj? Excuse me, humein abhi tak koi drill karaya hi kahan hai, jo aaj tujhe mann nahi hai?",

asks Naina.

"Haan! Par mujhe lagta hai difficult hoga yaar"

"Hmm...",

whispers Naina, unable to control her emotions any longer.

With a shaky voice she says,

"Pooja main tujhse baad mein baat karti hun",

and runs towards her room.

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