Chapter 13

EPISODE-13

 

"Ahem...Ahem. What is going on here?" Rajveer asked Navin.

"As if you don't know... wait a minute. Naina kahan hai?"

"Hogi yahin-kahin. Ab main tum dono jitna free to hoon nahin ki Naina to KMA ka tour doon. Bahut kaam hai mere paas. And you also better get down to your work. Agar Major ne dekh liya na to Republic Day parade se pehle teri parade kara denge."

"Yaad mat dila yaar Major ki."

"Aap yahan ho aur main aapko poori academy mein dhoondh chuki hoon." Naina entered in the cafeteria.

"Tujhe kisne kaha tha akeli poori academy ke rounds lagane ke liye." Navin asked her.

"Kyun... mujhe yahan koi kidnap kar lega kya....Oops....Mujhe nahin pata tha ki Atul is a girl's name."

"What?"

"Nahin...woh aapne kaha tha na ki koi Atul...Jiski aap class lene waale the. But yahan to koi aur hi class chal rahi hai."

"Actually Navin mujhse Atul ke baare mein hi pooch raha tha." Neetika tried to cover-up for Navin.

"Really? Lekin Neeti ko bother karne ki kya zaroorat thi. Mujhse pooch leta Atul ke bare mein...Maine hi to use bheja tha parade ground pe." Rajveer said.

"Acha...to yeh pehle kyun nahin bataya." Navin was almost stammering.

"Kya fark padta hai. Ab to bata diya na Raj ne. Now you may carry on." Saying this Naina went close to Neetika slightly pushing Navin aside and introduced herself to Neetika.

"Hi... I am Naina."

"I know... I mean I thought so."

"Kaise guess kiya."

"Navin ne abhi bataya tha that you are here."

"Oh I see!"

All this while Naina had a smile on her face and her tone didn't sound as if she was furious or even bothered.

"One minute... Raj tune Naina ko bata diya hai...Haina?"

As Navin said this Naina turned to him with her mouth open. They were caught!!!

"Bata diya!! Kya bata diya?? Naina maine tumhe kuch bataya tha kya?"

"Nahin to...Bhaiyya, Raj is right. Usne mujhe kuch bhi nahin bataya..." She continued after a small pause "...Aapke aur Neeti ke bare mein."

"Rajjjjj" Navin shouted at Rajveer and Rajveer in turn shouted at Naina.

"Nainaa...Yeh hamara secret tha, right?"

"Oh come on Raj...Bhaiyya ko pata chal gaya tha."

Navin ran after Rajveer as he tried to rush out of cafeteria. But on the entrance they almost bumped into an officer who was wearing Army uniform.

"Who's he?" Naina asked Neetika.

"Hamare drill commanding officer."

He gave some instructions to Rajveer and Navin and left. Both of them came back.

"What did he say?" Neetika enquired.

"Last minute briefing ke liye saare cadets ko parade ground mein assemble hone ke liye kaha hai." Navin told her. Naina looked at Rajveer who was staring hard at her. She started giggling and went closer to him. She pulled his cheek and gave him a hug.

"Naina... you are quite a brat." Saying this Rajveer smiled back at her.

"Thanks. Lekin batane ki zaroorat nahin hai. I already know that."

"Naina tu ek kaam kar. Abhi filhal mere room me jaa and wait for me. Agar main free ho gaya to I'll come otherwise you come to the parade ground in 15 minutes. Okay?"

"Okay Bhaiyya"

 

15 minutes later Naina was in the parade ground with her Handy cam, ready to shoot the parade that was just about to start. Parade started in 5 minutes. It was a proud moment for Naina to see Navin right in the front leading the parade.

 

Later that afternoon, four of them took their lunch together. They gelled very well. Naina was a real brat and the rest of the three enjoyed pampering her. Naina left in the evening before dark. Navin and Rajveer returned to their room and were quite surprised to see a painting hanging on the wall. It was the same painting Naina made during their arm-wrestling match while they were in Delhi.

 

Next day Navin told Neetika about the painting.

"Waise tumne ek baat notice ki?" Neetika asked him.

"Kaun si baat?"

"I was actually very surprised to see Raj yesterday. As far as I know he doesn't mix up with girls so easily and so well."

"Woh to hai... not just they mix up well, mere against gang-up bhi bahut achchi tarah se kar lete hain."

Neetika kept quiet. She was lost in her thoughts.

"Neetika...tumhein kya hua?"

"I don't know... lekin mujhe kuch ajeeb sa lagta hai unko saath dekh ke. It's as if... I can sense something between them."

"What? You mean to say...."

He didn't finish his sentence. There was a silence. Navin had sensed something like that earlier as well but this time he could not ignore. But there wasn't much he could say or for that matter he could do.

"Let it be Neeti. Some things are better if left upon time to decide."