Chapter 3

Sorry guys I went out of station on the weekend! Here's your next update!

Marriage hadn't been so bad for Naina as long as she hadn't actually had to live with her husband. Her father had died peacefully, content to know that she and her mother would be provided for. At college no boys ever bothered her, knowing that her husband was a Captain in the army. In many ways the marriage had returned some of her family's lost honour to them.

It was because of this that Naina had agreed to the marriage in the first place, after her mother had asked her to. She could never refuse her father's dying wish, her last opportunity to do something to bring him happiness.

And so she had married a stranger.

A stranger who had killed her brother.

She had thought about it many times since the marriage, about whether she hated him for what he did or whether she could forgive him. In the first days after the marriage she had almost believed that she did hate him. However every time she saw the smile on her father's face, or thought about what they had said about her brother's torture, that hatred faded.

She couldn't hate him for something that hadn't been in his control, for something that he'd been forced to do.

Instead she had felt sorry for him. After everything else, he had been forced to accept a wife that he had never wanted in the first place, he had sacrificed his own desires in order to make her family happy.

However none of this changed the fact that Naina barely knew him, and that she had no idea what his own feelings about this marriage were. When he called her mother it had sounded as if he had no other choice except to call her there and that was why he was doing so. But after he had done her family so many favours, how could she refuse to go and join him?

She knew that the only reason she had been able to continue studying at all was because he had been the one to pay her college fees, the only reason that her father had died comfortably was because Captain Shekawat had provided the best treatment possible for him.

So she had packed her things up, said goodbye to her mother and friends, and boarded a bus.

For the past two years the most contact she had had with him had been seeing the photo of the two of them taken after their marriage ceremony which sat on a side table in the lounge room and reading the letters he sent. Her mother had always encouraged her to reply, but every time that Naina tried, she could never think of anything to write. There were some things that just couldn't be said in a letter, after all. And when she'd never spoken to him properly in person how was she supposed to pour out her feelings on paper?

And now here he was in front of her, and she had no idea what to say or how to act.

"Hi," he finally says somewhat awkwardly, "How was your journey?"

"It was fine," Naina replies quietly, "I managed to get some sleep on the bus."

She realizes it's the first proper sentence she's ever spoken to him.

"Thank you for coming," Raj tells her sincerely, "I know it must have been hard for you to leave your mother, but it really is important. There are some things I need to tell you, if you're not too tired then we can go somewhere to talk…"

Naina just nodded, at a loss for what else she should be saying.

Reaching out, Raj took her suitcase before she could protest and then gestured for her to follow him to his jeep. He kept glancing at her as they walked, trying to convince himself that she actually was really there with him. After two years of almost no contact with her, it seemed unreal to finally have her here by his side.

They drove in silence and Raj tried hard not to steal glances at her in the rearview mirror. He could see the difference that two years had made to her, she seemed more mature than she had the last time he saw her, and slightly more confident. She no longer looked down at the ground as often as she had on the day that they met. However she still had that quiet sadness about her which so touched his heart.

Seeing her sitting there so quietly he felt a strong urge to protect her from any further harm, no matter what it was. In her short life she had already suffered far too much from the loss of both a brother and a father. He could only imagine what humiliation and taunts their family had endured after Navin was convicted of being a traitor. There was nothing that Raj could do to fix the past, but he was definitely going to do his best to ensure that her future was as happy as possible.

Eventually he pulled up at a small caf a short distance from KMA. Leaving Naina's suitcase in the jeep, they walked inside and Raj searched for a table at the back where they could talk properly without being disturbed. Once their coffees arrived and the waiter had left, Raj knew it was time that he started the conversation. There were many things that they needed to get sorted out before they arrived at the academy. Once they were there, he knew that all eyes would be on them, and neither of them could afford to make any mistakes.

Naina was stirring sugar into her coffee while pretending not to watch him from under her eyelashes. She could tell that he was trying to work up the courage to talk to her, and was still searching for the right words to say. The first few days definitely weren't going to be easy for them.

Finally after a silence that seemed to stretch on for ages, Raj knew he had to begin somehow.

"I know how difficult this is for you, Naina." Raj told her, "And how awkward it is too. We might be married but we've never spent any time together, it will take awhile for us to get used to each other, and be comfortable with each other."

Naina nods, she's been thinking exactly the same thing and she's glad that he understands. After all, today is the first time that they've actually been alone together, having a proper conversation. Before this the two times they had met her parents had been there, and they had barely said a word to each other.

"There's a reason I called you here, Naina." He tells her, and Naina looks up from where she's once again stirring her coffee, even though the sugar has long since dissolved. "I'm not only posted in KMA as a teacher, I'm posted on special duty there. The same special duty that Navin was carrying out when he was accused of being a traitor."

Naina's hand freezes in mid action as if she is unable to put the spoon down and she concentrates completely on what he's saying.

"I know this information will be a shock to you." Raj continues, speaking quietly. "But I felt it was important that you know. As well as carrying out my duty, I hope that I'll be able to uncover some more information about who it was that framed Navin and how it was done."

"Bhaiyya was on duty there when he was accused?" Naina asks, shocked at this information. "What type of duty?" Her parents had never revealed these things to her, since she had only been seventeen at the time her brother had been convicted, they had tried to keep her away from the case as much as possible.

"I'm sorry Naina, but I can't tell you that." Raj tells her regretfully, "I shouldn't have even let you know that I'm there for any reason other than teaching but I felt that you deserved to know."

Naina nods gravely, accepting his decision not to tell her. She remembers when her brother wouldn't be able to tell her about his missions for reasons of secrecy. "I understand," she replies seriously, "I won't let anybody else know about it."

"Thank you," Raj tells her, "Now before we leave there's one more very important thing. Nobody in the academy should find out that you're Navin's sister."

Raj sees the sadness in her eyes and immediately regrets his words, knowing that she's going to misunderstand his reasons. He wants to explain himself but Naina is already nodding unquestioningly. How many times over the last four years has she had to hide her identity? How many times has she had to pretend that she never had a brother at all?

"Don't ever think that I'm ashamed of my friendship with Navin, or ashamed that you're his sister." Raj tells her fiercely, and Naina stares at him as if it's the last thing she expected to hear. "The reason I don't want anybody to know is because if they have some information about Navin's case they might not reveal it to me once they know my wife is his sister."
     
For the first time since she arrived, for the first time since they met two years ago in fact, Naina really looks at the man sitting in front of her. He has a kind face, an earnest and honest face. It's the face of somebody that you can rely on, somebody who will never let you down or betray you. She meets his eyes properly, hoping he can see in hers that she believes him. Because as much as she's afraid of being let down again, Naina wants to trust him, and she wants to be able to rely on him.

Because ever since Navin's death, there has been nobody for her to rely on. She has had to be the strong one for her parents, supporting them first through the case, then her father's illness, then afterwards caring for her mother. And if there is one thing that Naina is used to, then it's realizing that nobody else can be relied on, because they will all abandon you when they find out the truth.

"I…" But she has been silent for so many years that suddenly when she has the opportunity to speak it's difficult to find the words. And so she simply says the first thing that comes into her mind, the thing she's been wondering ever since the phone call came for her to join him here. "I'm not sure what I should call you." She tells him, "I mean, what name…"

"You can call me Rajveer," Raj tells her with a smile, "Or Raj if you prefer it. If you call me anything else then people at the academy will definitely become suspicious."

Naina smiles at this too, trying to imagine the reactions of people if she went around calling her husband 'Captain Shekawat', which was what she used to refer to him as at home with her mother.

"So shall we leave for the academy?" Raj asks her, "I'm sorry if I'm hurrying you, but I have a class to teach which starts in half an hour. I'll have to leave you by yourself for some time."

"That's fine," Naina tells him, a little bit more relaxed now, "I'll settle in, unpack my things. Will I be able to call Ma to tell her I arrived safely?"

"Of course," Raj tells her, as they pay the bill and walk to the car. "I'll send someone to take you to the phone, unfortunately I haven't got a connection in my room yet."

They drive to the academy in silence, but fortunately the atmosphere is a little less tense now that they've had the opportunity to actually talk to each other.

As they enter the gates, Naina feels a strange apprehension. This was the place where her brother was trapped by somebody, the place where he was accused of being a traitor. Is it possible that they might be able to uncover the truth or will this place once again take away her only support in life? One which she has only just found?

Raj walked Naina to his room, carrying her suitcase. He was thankful that all of the cadets were currently in their classes so that they could attract minimal attention. Still, he noticed that all of the orderlies were staring at them, obviously having nothing better to do.

They entered his quarters and Naina looked around, knowing that this was going to be her new home for at least awhile. The place was tidy, she shouldn't have been surprised, she knew that soldiers were usually very careful about their things, and he probably had somebody come in to clean for him too.

"Well this is it," Raj announced, "I know it's not much, but I hope you'll be comfortable here." He led her through the living room and entered the bedroom where he placed her suitcase down. "The bathroom is through that door," he told her, "And there should be more than enough room for you in the closet, but if there's not, you can shift some of my things."

Naina just nodded and gave him a small smile, trying to let him know that she would be fine.

"Well then I'll leave you to settle in," Raj told her, "I'll be gone for about an hour and then after that I'll show you around the academy, if there's anything you need before then, one of the orderlies will help you."

With one last glance back to reassure himself that she would be alright he left, closing the door behind him.

Naina unzipped her suitcase and began to unpack, placing her clothes into the closet. It was only when she had finished and sat down on the bed to rest when she noticed what had escaped her attention until then.

There on his bedside table sat the same photo of them on the day of their wedding as the one that was in their lounge room at home.

Picking up the photo, Naina gazed down at it. Two years seemed like such a long time ago now. Neither of them were smiling in the photo, instead they looked straight ahead at the camera, serious expressions on their faces. The only sign that it was a marriage photo at all was Naina's outfit and the garlands around both of their necks.

Their marriage might not have had the best beginnings, but now here two years later she had finally joined her husband. Naina wanted to believe that the future would hold better things for her, that finally there might be some happiness, but she was weary of hoping for too much.

She had learnt the hard way that nothing in her life would ever be easy.