Chapter 14

Still holding onto Raj's arm, Naina follows him to the entrance of the fresher's ball where quite a few cadets are still hanging around outside. Most of them come up to compliment her and Raj, leading Naina to smile slightly, feeling embarrassed. Seeing her expression, Raj leaned over and whispered to her, "This is nothing, wait until you see the score meter inside?"

"Score meter?" Naina asked him, wondering what on earth that was. She hadn't been listening to many of the cadets' conversations about the fresher's ball, having mainly studied in her room for this week due to all the commotion.

"Wait and see." He told her, and they entered the fresher's ball area, pausing at the top of the stairs as a round of streamers were sent up and they were announced. Everyone started clapping, and Naina was beginning to feel even more unsure about this, but Raj gave her a reassuring smile and then descended the stairs together.

Making their way to the score meter, they stood there expectantly until their scores came up on the screen, finding that they had a ten out of ten.

"Not bad," Raj told her with a grin and Naina found herself grinning back, "Well shall we go and say hello to everyone?"

"Of course," Naina told him, "I can't wait to see how they all look… well except for Pooja who I've already seen."

"So she found you then?" Raj asks, "And everything was sorted out?"

"Yes, it was just a bit of nervousness," Naina tells him, "She'll be fine now, I'm sure."

They made their way first to where Ali and Pooja were standing along with Yudi.

"You're all looking wonderful," Raj told them, "I hope you're enjoying yourselves so far."

"Oh yes Rajveer Sir," Pooja gushed, "Our talk time here is going very well so far. Ali and I are having a great time but poor Yudi has lost his connection."

"Where's your date, Yudi?" Raj asked him, looking towards the young cadet.

"Over by the bar I think…" Yudi told him, "Well, at least for a few minutes I had a date."

"Don't worry," Raj replies, "The time will come when you'll have so many girls waiting to go out with you that you won't know who to choose."

"Do you really think so, Sir?" Yudi asked him brightening up immediately.

"Of course, Yudi, just wait and see." Naina added, "Girls can't resist a guy in uniform."

"Of course you would know about that Ma'am," Pooja joked, "It was lucky for our Rajveer Sir that you couldn't resist him."

Naina blushed at this, while Raj laughed, only a little bit embarrassed.

"Well we'll let you go now," he told them, "Go and enjoy your night cadets, you're earned it."

"Thanks Sir, you and Naina have a good evening too!" Pooja told them, Yudi and Ali echoing it, as Raj and Naina walked away.

Huda and his date were already on the dance floor so they thought it would be best not to disturb them, but when Aalekh spotted the two of them he came over from the bar.

"Wow Aalekh, you look great!" Naina told him, even as Aalekh still pulled at his collar self consciously.

"She's right, Cadet Aalekh, I wouldn't be surprised if you become Mr Fresher tonight." Raj tells him.

Aalekh just shrugs at this, "I don't know about this whole Mr 'Fresh' thing," he tells them, "What's the point of it all?"

"No point really," Naina replies, "It's just one of those things."

"So where is your date?" Raj asks him.

Aalekh points back at the bar. "There," he tells them, "Yudi's sister."

Both Raj and Naina look where he's pointing in disbelief, neither of them had really imagined that Yudi's sister could be like that. It seemed like they were complete opposites.

"Well why don't you dance with her?" Naina suggests, and Aalekh shrugs again.

"I don't know anything about this ball dancing," he tells them, "If they put on some normal music I'll come and dance."

Raj hid a grin at the mention of 'normal' music.

"Don't worry Cadet Aalekh," he tells him, "Once Brigadier Chandook has arrived and led the first dance, they'll change it to some faster music."

It was then that they heard the streamers go off again and looked up to see Ritu walk in with Major Nair. She was wearing a gorgeous red sari while he was looking very stiff in a suit. Naina wasn't sure whether she should find it amusing or feel sorry for Ritu.

When they reached the score meter, Ritu scored ten while Major Nair only scored a seven. Raj guessed that the students controlling it probably would've put it even lower if they hadn't been so scared of him. Major Nair looked like he would prefer to be anywhere rather than here.

The pair of them walked over to Raj and Naina, Major Nair already scowling.

"Damn stupid idea for an event," he told them, "Are we trying to make them into soldiers or film stars, everybody dressed up as if they're going to become models…"

"Oh come on Major Nair, even you must have had a fresher's ball in your time," Raj told him, "It's a last opportunity for them to relax before the training becomes really hard."

"You know what they say though, Captain Rajveer," Major Nair replied, still scowling, "For a soldier, arram, harram hai."

Luckily everybody was saved from having to reply by the arrival of Brigadier Chandook and Dr Shalini, who after receiving their scores from the score meter, walked over to the microphone and declared the fresher's ball to be officially started.

As the ballroom dancing music started and most cadets sighed in disappointment, Raj extended a hand to Naina, bowing down to her slightly.

"Well Naina, shall we go and join them?" he asked her, his hand still out. Naina placed her hand into his, and Raj closed his fingers over hers, leading her to the dance floor. Both of them were too busy to notice the brief look of anger on Ritu's face before she turned to Major Nair smiling sweetly.

"Let's go," he announced shortly, and without waiting for her, started moving towards the dance floor. Ritu followed him, glaring at his back.

On the dance floor Raj paused at an empty spot, turning to face Naina and joining their hands, Naina placed hers on his shoulder, and this time when Raj placed his hand on her waist and brought her closer, she doesn't pause or look uncomfortable, but just gives him a sweet smile.

Raj can feel his breath catching in his throat again as he looks at her and he holds her hand tightly in his. As the music starts, they move quite slowly, and Raj notices Naina occasionally looking down at her feet, checking her movements.

"Don't worry," he whispers in her ear, "You're doing great."

"Are you sure I haven't stepped on your foot yet?" she asks him, and grinning, he brings her even closer towards him until barely a few centimetres are left between them.

"If you do, then my feet can handle it." He assures her jokingly, the music is so slow that it doesn't leave them much room for improvisation, but he's content to just waltz with her at the moment. He loves the feel of her hand in his, the way her other hand rests on his shoulder lightly, comfortably. And where his hand rests upon her waist, warm against the fabric…

"You really are looking beautiful tonight," he tells her, "I mean it's completely to different to how you normally look… not that that's not nice too." He adds hastily, not wanting her to think that he doesn't like the way she normally dresses.

"It's nice to have a change occasionally," Naina tells him, "I'm glad that Shalini talked me into getting this dress, she told me that…" and suddenly Naina stops and blushes, realising that perhaps she shouldn't tell Raj exactly what it was that Shalini had said.

"That what?" Raj asks her curiously, but Naina just shakes her head, not willing to tell him.

The dance ends and when some faster music is put on the cadets all make their way to the dance floor. Naina notices Yudi's sister dragging Aalekh there and is surprised when he actually begins to dance quite well. She looks across at Raj to find him smiling with approval.

Huda and his date are also dancing, and Ali, Yudi and Pooja are all dancing in a group with some other cadets. Naina supposes it's probably better that way, Ali won't feel so awkward and Yudi won't feel left out of the fun. Still, she wonders whether eventually those two will ever properly recognise what it is that they feel for each other.

Her eyes search for Dr Ritu and Major Nair, and she finds that they've already left the dance floor and separated, Major Nair going to sit in a corner and Ritu having stopped a waiter, picking up some drinks and downing them quickly.

Brigadier Chandook and Shalini come over to join them, and Shalini compliments them on their dancing.

"I had no idea you could dance so well, Captain." She tells him, "Or has your wife been teaching you?"

"Actually he was the one who taught me," Naina admits, "Otherwise I've never really danced like that before."

"A soldier has to be able to dance well," Brigadier Chandook tells her, "There's so many formal balls to attend that you get used to it, eventually you'll get used to it as well Mrs Shekawat."

And for the first time Naina realises that perhaps from now on she will be accompanying Raj to all of his different postings, she will be attending formal balls with him, she will be experiencing all of these things with him by her side.

And the thought gives her a feeling of quiet happiness, as if she's finally found safety in life, sanctuary. Because even they have to move around often due to his postings, in the short time that she has been here, there is something about Raj which seems to her like…

Home.

Naina glances up at him then with an expression almost of realisation on her face, but Raj is already talking to Brigadier Chandook about something else and doesn't notice.

And when he turns to face Naina, he finds her gazing at him with such a look on her face, that he feels a sudden rush of blood to his heart, and it's beating so fast that he can barely hear anything over it. Then Naina smiles, looking more relaxed and comfortable than he's ever seen her before.

"Why don't we go and get some drinks?" he suggests, and without him even having to make a gesture, she places her hand on his arm and they move off in the direction of the bar.

**

Naina is sipping her drink slowly, knowing that she's not used to drinking alcohol. She notices that Dr Ritu has already polished off about six or seven, but doesn't seem too affected. She's a bit worried about this but figures that having to attend a ball with a partner like Major Nair would drive anybody to drink.

It's then that the announcements about Mr and Miss Fresher are made. Miss Fresher is awarded to Huda's date Sonali, and he pulls up his collar as if he was the one who had won instead.

"Well whose date is she, after all?" he asks Yudi, who is standing nearby and just rolls his eyes. "Miss Fresher had to be Huda's date, anybody else just wasn't possible."

"Yeah whatever dude," Yudi tells him, "But you're not going to become Mr Fresher."

"Lagi Shart?" Huda asks him, "5000."

"You're on." Yudi replies, "If you don't become Mr Fresher you'll give me 5000, if you do then I'll give you 5000."

They shake hands on it and turn back to watch the announcement.

"And Mr Fresher goes to… Cadet Aalekh Sharma." Suriji calls out.

Aalekh looks like he's never received such a huge shock before in his entire life, and is slow to reach Suriji, as if doubting it's really happened.

When he comes back to the dance floor, Yudi gives him a huge hug, practically picking him up off the floor.

"You're the best, Chief!" he tells him, "Because of you I not only defeated Huda today, I also won 5000!"

"Don't get so excited, bro." Neelu tells him, approaching them, "He's my date, not yours. Chal Aalekh, let's go dance."

Aalekh follows her, nodding at Naina's thumbs up as he passes them by.

"Why don't we go and dance too?" Raj asks Naina, since the music is now something that he feels much more comfortable dancing to, not too fast and not too slow.

She nods, and putting down her glass, follows him to the dance floor, noting with happiness that Ali and Pooja are finally dancing together properly although Ali looks a bit embarrassed and that at least for the moment Yudi's date has come back to him and joined him on the dance floor.

This time their steps are funkier, more contemporary, Raj spins her out and then back into him, and Naina laughs, giddy with a combination of the sudden movement and the small amount of alcohol that she's drunk. They enjoy themselves, dancing faster and faster as Raj spins her around and around, every time bringing her back to the circle of his arms.

When the dance finally ends they find themselves being clapped, and Raj takes a slight bow, gesturing to Naina to do the same. Shaking her head in amusement, she does so, and hand in hand they head back to their table. He has just pulled out the chair for her, and is about to sit down himself when Ritu approaches them.

"Naina, I hope you don't mind if I borrow your husband for one dance," she tells her, once again in a fake sweet tone, "My date isn't interested in joining me and I would hate to end the evening without dancing at least one more time."

Raj is looking at Naina questioningly, wondering if she'll mind, but Naina just nods, "Sure go ahead Rituji, you can have him for one song." she tells her, "I'll be fine here." and she smiles at Raj reassuringly to let him know it'll be alright.

Raj follows Ritu to the dance floor, beginning to dance with her even as he glances back at Naina. He's doing fine until she begins to get closer to him, and he awkwardly tries to keep his distance, feeling uncomfortable.

"You really should have told me that you were married from the beginning," Ritu tells him, "You know I had such high hopes…"

Raj begins to get even more uncomfortable, "I'm sorry Dr Mishra," he addresses her formally, "I never intended to give any hopes to anyone, and I hope that I never did so even accidentally."

"Oh but you did," Ritu tells him, and he realises exactly how drunk she really is, "And I still don't know why you hid that you were married all this time, unless…"

She leaves the question in the air between them, Raj wonders when this song is going to end, because he doesn't like either the way this conversation is going, or the way that she keeps trying to dance even closer to him. He glances back at Naina worriedly, wondering what she might be thinking right now.

But Naina is watching them with a blank expression, not revealing anything.

"I didn't hide anything," Raj defends himself, "I just don't ever speak out my private life to anyone."

"But it's your private life that we're all so interested in," Ritu tells him drunkly, "That was what I was interested in from the very beginning."

"Dr Mishra, I think you've had too much to drink." Raj tells her, "Maybe I should go and get Dr Shalini for you."

"Oh no, I'm perfectly in my senses," Ritu tells him, "And I think you know exactly what it is that I'm saying."

The song ends and Raj drops her hand, feeling relieved. He makes his way back over to Naina quickly, barely waiting for Ritu to follow him.

Thank you very much for letting me borrow your husband," Ritu tells Naina, and Naina can't help but pick up on the double meaning in her words.

"That's alright," she replies slightly darkly, "I knew that he'd return to me at the end of the song." And then she turns to Raj, "Why don't we go and congratulate Aalekh properly." She suggests, guessing that he probably wants to get away from Dr Ritu as much as she does at the moment.

"Yes, let's go do that." He replies quickly, and they walk off as Ritu watches them, an annoyed expression on her face.

**

Later that night after the ball has ended and they've returned to their room, Raj is still glancing at Naina worriedly as if wondering whether she's misunderstood about him dancing with Dr Mishra, but Naina prepares for bed as normal, first putting on her sleeping clothes and then sitting down, beginning to unpin her hair. Spotting a pin that she's missed, Raj reaches out and takes it out from her hair tenderly before putting it into her hand.

"Naina, tonight…" he starts to say.

"Was a wonderful night," she tells him, "I really enjoyed myself, and I'm so happy that Aalekh became Mr Fresher, I think it will really help to build his confidence here."

Raj knows that she doesn't want to talk about what happened with Dr Mishra and decides to drop the subject.

"Good night," he tells her, lying down with a sigh. Naina slips under the covers, before turning off the light.

"Good night." She replies.

**

Perhaps it was the wine he had drunk or perhaps it was the feelings he was having trouble keeping under control, but for once Raj lost control of his actions in his sleep.

When Naina wakes up it is to find that he's thrown his arm around her waist almost possessively, his head lying close to her left shoulder.

He's incredibly warm, and his hair where it touches her shoulder is smooth and Naina takes a deep breath before she slowly gets out of bed, not actually wanting to move from where she is.

But she had made her decision last night, she knows what she has to do. She can't ignore it anymore, and she won't lose him, no matter what.

Not bothering to get dressed properly she opens the door quietly and steps out, wanting to do this before Raj wakes up.

Heading towards Dr Mishra's room she knocks on the door, waiting until it's finally opened by Ritu in her night gown, looking bleary eyed.

"Naina, what are you doing here?" she asks, her eyes narrowing.

"I thought we should have a talk," she tells her, and walks inside the room without waiting for an invitation.

Ritu crosses her arms over her chest and waits for Naina to speak.

"I don't know why you're doing it, but I know what you're trying to do." Naina informs her, "And just because Raj is too polite to tell you to back off it doesn't mean that I am."

She takes a step closer to Ritu and looks at her with a piercing gaze. "So now I'm telling you, and I hope I won't have to stay it again." She steps closer yet again, not shifting her gaze from Ritu's face. "Stay away from my husband."

Without waiting for an answer, Naina leaves the room as quickly as she had come.

Ritu stares after her, fuming about his this young girl could dare to talk to her in this way. Making a decision she pulls out her mobile phone and dials a familiar number.

"Find out everything you can about Captain Rajveer's wife," she informs the person on the other end of the line, "I want to know something that can break her."

And then she hangs up.

Because nobody gets the better of Ritu Mishra.

**

Naina returns to the room to find Raj already awake and rubbing his eyes tiredly, they had been up later last night due to the ball than they normally would've been.

"Where did you go?" he asks her curiously, noticing that she's still in her night wear.

"There was just something I had to do," Naina tells him, refusing to elaborate.

Raj nods, knowing that she'll tell him if she wants to. When he woke up he had been sprawled across the bed, he wonders whether he had done anything during the night, accidentally touched her, but Naina is smiling as she picks up her towel and heads for the bathroom.

"You look happy this morning," he tells her, glad to see her this way.

"I am." Naina tells him, and gives him quite a long look before going into the bathroom and closing the door.

Raj stares at the door after she's closed it.

He doesn't know what has happened, but he likes this new more relaxed, comfortable Naina, who is not constantly shy around him.

It gives him hope that their relationship really will succeed.

Because right now that's the thing that he wants most in the world.