Chapter 19

The arrival of Major Bhargav had been like the arrival of a storm at the academy. Declaring that practically everything was not up to the correct standards, he had made as many changes as possible to their training routine, their food, and also to their appearances, making the boys cut their hair short and ensuring that the girls' hair was always tied in the regulation braid, completely plain.

All except one girl that was.

"I'm not changing my hair," Sherry had told him stubbornly. "Do whatever you like to me, the streaks are staying."

"Oh you are indeed going to change your hair, girly." Major Bhargav told her, "I can have you thrown out of this academy for disobeying me."

"Then throw me out," Sherry had told him with a shrug, "I never wanted to be here in the first place, if you throw me out then it will be an embarrassment to my father and I couldn't think of anything better than that."

And she had kept staring at him with a measuring gaze, as if to check if he would back down at the mention of the powerful Lala Saheb.

And sure enough he did.

"I can have you punished for disobeying an order, how would you feel about a week in solitary confinement?" He asked her angrily.

"I like being by myself," Sherry told him, "And anyway, there's no reason to be so jealous about my hair just because you don't have any of your own."

And so she had been thrown into solitary confinement for a day with no food, despite Raj's protests that she hadn't been long enough to be able to endure that type of punishment.

"Man, you've got to admire that girl's guts." Yudi commented to the rest of them, "I mean standing up to Mogambo like that, I would never be able to do that."

"Yudie, she doesn't just have guts, she's damn gorgeous too." Huda commented, "Now that's exactly the type of girl that's perfect for me."

"You've started again?" Ali asked him in disgust, "Hudabhai I can't believe you're thinking that way while she's in solitary confinement."

"She'll be alright," Aalekh suddenly spoke up, "She does have guts, and more importantly, she believes she's got nothing left to lose."

And as abruptly as he had spoken he shut up again, leaving the rest looking at him in surprise.

**
Naina and Shalini were both anxiously waiting outside solitary confinement for Sherry to be released the next day. Raj had felt terrible about not being there to meet her when she got out but Bhargav had threatened him with disciplinary action if he missed the drill that he was supposed to take.

Sherry stumbled slightly as she came out of the room, and her eyes were slightly bleary from a combination of lack of light and lack of sleep. Naina quickly supported her, putting her arm around the other girl's waist. Sherry made a gesture as if to shrug Naina off and then changing her mind, accepted the support.

"How are you, cadet?" Shalini asked her worriedly as they made their way towards Raj and Naina's room with her.

"I've still got my hair." Sherry replied perfectly seriously and Shalini looked at her in disbelief.

It was only when they reached the door of the room that Sherry realised where they had been heading.

"Why are we at your room?" She asked Naina, "Why aren't we going to my room instead?"

"Because I've got some food ready for you to eat," Naina tells her, "You need some after being in solitary confinement without anything to eat. Shalini will also take your BP and then you can go to your room."

Sherry looked like she wanted to protest, but Naina suspected she was probably so hungry that it took away some of her pride. She slumped onto one of the couches as soon as they entered the room, leaning her head on the back of the chair as Shalini took her BP.

"Well it's a little low, but that's to be expected." Shalini told her, "Make sure you eat now and then rest until tomorrow, you should be fine."

"Thanks Shalini," Naina told her, "We'll be fine now."

Nodding at Naina with a smile, Shalini left the room and Naina brought over the food she had prepared for Sherry. Sherry started eating ravenously before she eventually slowed down, and when it was finished she looked at Naina as if remembering something.

"Shouldn't you be at college right now?" she asked her.

Naina shrugged, "I was there this morning," she told Sherry, "I just left slightly early, it won't hurt me to miss an afternoon."

"You left so that you could make me lunch?" Sherry asked Naina and the expression on her face is truly indescribable. It is as if she wants to trust, wants open up to Naina but is still afraid that whatever she has gained will turn out to only be a dream. "You didn't have to do that, I can look after myself."

"Well Raj knew that he wouldn't be able to be here when you came out of detention since Major Bhargav wouldn't let him miss the drill and the cadets have their classes…and I didn't want you to have to get food for yourself as well as make it to your room. And I know you can look after yourself, but sometimes it's nice to have someone else look after you."

"I'd forgotten what that was like," Sherry murmurs, and then looks surprised at herself for saying it. "Thank you," she finally tells Naina, "You know… my brother is lucky to have you."

"Actually I'm the one that's lucky to have him." Naina tells her, "If it wasn't for him…" And she stops abruptly, remembering that she shouldn't be revealing herself.

"You really love him a lot, don't you?" Sherry asks her, even as her eyes are beginning to close and she's clearly drifting off to sleep.

"Yes," Naina admits, as she helps Sherry to stand and assists her to the bed in the other room. "Yes I do."

And her heart feels so much lighter.

**

Raj enters an hour later, opening the door to their quarters quietly to find Naina studying in the lounge area.

"Sherry?" he asks, and she nods in the direction of the bedroom. Moving there quietly he finds his sister curled up into a ball on the bed, fast asleep.

"And she ate?" he asks Naina quietly, sitting down on the arm of the softa she's on and Naina nods again, both of them trying not to make any noise so as not to wake Sherry up.

"Thank you." Raj tells her, not needing to elaborate on what he's thanking her for, and Naina just smiles at him, and the look in her eyes is so understanding and affectionate that it feels perfectly natural for Raj to reach out and brush a strand of hair out of her eyes, tucking it behind her ear. And he allows his fingers to linger there for a moment before he reluctantly drops his hand back to rest on his leg.

"It's no problem," Naina tells him self consciously, "She might be your sister… but even I have a relationship with her to fulfill."

And Raj takes one of Naina's hands in both of his, holding it tightly. "Sometimes I don't know what I'd do without you." He tells her honestly, "It was a lucky day the day I decided to come to your house."

And Naina blushes, because it's the closest that he's ever gotten to a confession of love, and she hadn't been expecting it at all.

Raj finally releases her hand gently and then gets up from his perch on the side of her sofa. "I'll let you keep studying," he tells her, and walks away to get some of his own teaching materials to go through, unaware of Naina's eyes on his back and the small smile on her face.

**

When Sherry wakes up she's initially confused by where she is and by the soft voices that she can hear coming through the door.

Switching on the lamp she realises that she's asleep in her brother's bedroom and rubbing her eyes, opens the door to the main room, finding Raj and Naina discussing something seriously as they stand in the kitchen, preparing dinner.

"How long have I been asleep for?" she asks them, and they turn around, surprised by her presence.

"About five hours." Naina tells her, "I was actually expecting you to be asleep for much longer."

"I had a dream…" Sherry said frowning, "That Mogambo was trying to shave my head."

Raj stares at her for a minute, not having heard the name that the cadets call him before and Naina struggles not to laugh.

"Well you've woken up in time," she tells Sherry, "Dinner will be ready in about fifteen minutes. We thought it would be best if we all ate together rather than you having to go to the mess, and then afterwards you can go to your room to sleep properly."

And for once Sherry doesn't protest or say there's no need, instead she wonders over to watch what they're doing. She doesn't say anything, just watches them as they work, and Raj feels the need to break the silence.

"Are you feeling alright?" he asks her, "I'm sorry I couldn't be there when they let you out, Major Bhargav wouldn't let me miss the drill."

Sherry shrugs as if to say she doesn't care, "I know how it is Bhaiyya," she tells him, "Work always comes first." And he can't miss the slightly hurt tone in her voice that she tries to hide behind nonchalance.

"Well we'll be spending more time together in the days to come," Raj informs him, "Major Bhargav announced a mentorship program while you were in solitary confinement and I'll be your mentor. We're leaving for a camp the day after tomorrow."

"So did they ask you to take me?" Sherry asks, "Was I too much trouble for the rest of the teachers?"

"No," Raj tells her, "I asked for you. I thought it would be a good opportunity for us to get to know one another again."

And Sherry, despite herself, almost smiles.

**

Ritu was also smiling, in fact she hadn't stopped since the package she had been waiting for arrived. She now had everything she needed, and had only been biding her time until the right moment.

And now… now finally the right moment had arrived.

It was time to put her plan into action.

It was time for Ritu to win for once.

**

On the day that the mentorship camp is scheduled to begin, Naina watches as Raj finishes buttoning up his uniform's jacket over the t-shirt and pants he's already wearing. He doesn't wear his uniform often but somehow whenever he does, she can't help but feel a sense of pride.

"It's only for 36 hours," Raj tells her, "Hardly any time at all." She knows that he's trying to reassure her, but it seems almost as if he's trying to reassure himself as well.

"I'll be fine," Naina tells him, "Suriji is here if I need anything. You don't need to worry."

"I'm not…" Raj starts to say, and then stops realising how obvious he's being. "Fine, I am, but can you blame me? Most of us will be away on the camp, and…"

"I really will be fine," Naina tells him, "I'll be leaving for college when you leave for the camp and I won't be back until the afternoon. I'll study as usual and then go to bed early."

"You're sure?" Raj asked her, "I mean…"

"What?" Naina asked him, unable to stop a smile, "If I won't be fine then you'll refuse to go on the mentorship camp?"

And realising how ridiculous he was being, Raj suddenly smiled.

"Just try to have a good time there with Sherry," Naina tells him, "It could really help your relationship to spend this time together alone."

Raj nods, agreeing with her, and then taking a step forward, folds his arms around Naina, hugging her tightly. When she puts her arms around his waist, hugging him back, he just increases the pressure, squeezing her tightly. Hearing the assembly bell, Raj realises that it's time to leave, and reluctantly letting go of her, he kisses her softly on her right cheek. When he looks down at Naina, the smile on her face almost makes him want to kiss her left one as well.

"Then I'll see you after 36 hours," he tells her, and Naina nods.

"I'll be here waiting for you when you get back." She promises him and Raj leaves after one last backwards glance.

**

The pairs have set off for their first destination, taking it at a light jog, and Raj makes sure to go at a slower pace, knowing that Sherry isn't as used to physical exercise as the other cadets yet.

"So why were you late this morning?" she asks him, having seen him be one of the last to enter the assembly area, "Couldn't bring yourself to leave your wife for a few days?"

And Raj stares at her, shaking his head slightly but refusing to comment.

"You know Sherry technically as well as being your elder brother I'm also your superior officer." He tells her, "Sooner or later you're going to have to get used to speaking properly to superior officers."

"Yeah right," Sherry scoffed, "If I don't speak properly to Mogambo, then what makes you think I'm going to do it around you, Bhaiyya?"

And Raj realises that they really do have a long way to go.

**

And as Aalekh jogs along with his mentor Dr Ritu, he notices that she seems exceptionally happy today.

"You look happy," Aalekh tells her, "Did you get some good news?"

And Ritu smiles, "It's just an exceptionally good day today." She tells him.

And for some reason he can't work out, Aalekh isn't sure that he likes the way she says that.

**

As they work setting up the tent, Raj asks Sherry the question he's wanted to ask for a long time now.

"Sherry, do you really hate me?" he asks her, "I know I haven't been around much, but I always tried to visit whenever possible… and you know that I missed you when I was away from you, that I worried about you."

And Sherry looks ready to fight, but then she suddenly deflates, as if all the air has been let out of a balloon. "No Bhaiyya, I don't hate you," she tells him, "But I've changed… I don't want to rely on you or anyone else from now on, no matter what happens, I can look after myself."

And Raj wonders what it is that could possibly have taken away all her trust, made her so hostile and so unwilling to rely on others.

**

That afternoon, Naina has returned from her college and rather than study alone in her room, she heads to the mess which is quieter than usual with most of the cadets gone. Suriji smiles at her fondly as she comes in, and she smiles back at him.

"Would you like some chai, putar?" he asks her affectionately.

"That would be wonderful Suriji," Naina tells him, "I'll just do some study here for awhile and then go to sleep early."

"Don't worry Putar, they'll be back in no time." Suriji tells her, "It seems so empty here without all of them, doesn't it?"

"It certainly does," Naina agrees, "Much less noise without our cadets for one thing."

And they both laugh before Naina sits down with her books and Suriji begins to prepare the chai.

She has just opened up one of her textbooks, turning to the correct page when Brigadier Chandook enters the mess and looking up Naina smiles at him, but he doesn't return the smile, giving her a stony gaze instead.

And it is his next words that shock her.

"Naina Singh Ahluwalia." He says, and Naina's heart almost stops beating.

"No," she tells him, "Naina Singh Shekawat," her heart now beating so loudly it's the only noise she can hear in her ears.

"But that was your name wasn't it?" Brigadier Chandook asks her, "Before marriage?" And she notices that he's holding an envelope and a piece of paper in one hand, a piece of paper that looks like a copy of her marriage certificate.

And Naina realises that she's finally been exposed, that she can't run from her past anymore.

"Yes," she admits, "Before marriage I was Naina Singh Ahluwalia, sister of Navin Singh Ahluwalia."

And Suriji drops the chai he had been bringing to her, the mug shattering on the floor loudly.

And Naina wonders whether she'll be able to stop herself from shattering as well.