Chapter 6
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Chapter 6:
Getting permission to see Captain Rajveer was somewhat difficult, but finally Huda was able to arrange a meeting. It was almost one weeks since Naina had vanished and he was almost going frantic with worry, and with the effort of keeping it from his parents. It had been decided that Naina's disappearance would be concealed from the general public as it would be sure to have a bad effect on her reputation. Everyone was just hoping that she would come back soon.
All of the friends had headed back to their own houses the day after Naina's disappearance in order to make it appear as if everything was normal. Alekh had arranged to rent a flat in Delhi for the next two months, as he didn't want to annoy Yudi's parents by overstaying his welcome there. He still had many friends in Delhi that were able to set him up with a place there. As soon as he was given the appointment, Huda called up Alekh to tell him he was coming to Delhi and he would need a place to stay.
He made excuses to his parents that he was going to visit his friend Alekh for a few days and left on his motorbike. It took him awhile to find his way to Alekh's flat through the streets of old Delhi, but finally he made it.
"You're here." Alekh remarked, when he opened the door to see Huda standing there.
"What did you think, Qaidi? That I was joking when I said I was coming?"
Alekh just shrugged and invited Huda in, the flat was fairly bare with only a double mattress on the floor and some pots and plates in the kitchen. It was obvious that it was only a temporary place for Alekh to stay.
"Nice place." Huda commented, not really meaning it.
Alekh could tell by the tone of Huda's voice that he was joking. "It's not permanent," he told him "I'll go downstairs and get us some byriani for lunch."
The two boys sat on the edge of the mattress to eat their lunch, due to the lack of chairs.
"What time did you get the meeting for?" Alekh asked Huda.
"Three pm, I'll go early though."
"Good idea."
They ate mainly in silence, as it was already one pm Huda decided it was time to go.
"Tell Sir hi from me." Alekh told him "Say that this Qaidi hasn't forgotten him yet."
"I will," Huda promised, suddenly feeling nervous at the idea of seeing Captain Rajveer again after so many days, and in these circumstances…
In the end he managed to reach the place half an hour early, but by the time he'd entered the building and cleared security there was only ten minutes left for the meeting. They left Huda sitting in a waiting room until the exact time of the appointment, then called for him to go in.
"But remember," they told him "You have only fifteen minutes."
Huda hoped that fifteen minutes would be more than enough.
**
Huda stepped into the room, he didn't want to waste time, so he had prepared what he would say before hand. But now words failed him.
"Sir…" he started, and was unable to continue.
"Well, Huda. I was disappointed that I couldn't come to your graduation, but since my old cadets are coming to visit me here, I see I didn't need to worry."
But Huda just stared at him in shock, unable to say anything.
In the months since he had last seen him, Captain Rajveer had changed completely. He had lost so much weight that his appearance had completely changed. His hair was dull, and cut much shorter than it ever had been. The light which had once shone in his eyes was gone, replaced by a look that could only be described as resignation.
Slowly, Huda took in the other features. The bruises that were clearly visible at different places on Captain Rajveer's skin, a fresh looking scar above his right eyebrow. The handcuff which attached him to a leg of the metal table.
"Sir, you…." He hadn't known what to expect when he had come to the army prison. It certainly hadn't been this. "Sir, what have they done to you?"
Captain Rajveer gave a short, bitter laugh. "What did you expect Cadet Huda? This is what the Indian Army does to traitors."
"But Sir, you're not…" Huda doesn't finish saying it, because according to the army that's exactly what Captain Rajveer is. Then he realises what the Captain had just said. "Sir, it's not Cadet Huda anymore, it's Lieutenant Huda, or at least it will be when I join duty in two months time."
"I had forgotten," Raj said sadly, "I never saw you all graduate…" He tries to smile, and changes the subject. "So tell me, how are the rest of your friends?"
"They're all fine, Sir. I saw Alekh before coming here. He told me to tell you that Qaidi hadn't forgotten you."
Raj smiles genuinely then. "He was never Qaidi for me, he was always Alekh. I knew that he would graduate successfully." He seems to hesitate before asking the next question. "And your Phoolan, are you still trying to win her over?"
"I already did, Sir." Huda informs him proudly. "We had our engagement a week ago."
Anyone not watching closely would think that Captain Rajveer had no reaction to this, as he remained sitting incredibly still without moving. But his jaw clenched slightly, and a muscle next to his left eye twitched slightly.
After a moment's pause he managed to say to Huda, "Congratulations, you must both be very happy."
"We were, Sir."
"Were?"
"Sir…" Huda leans in over the metal table, trying to speak softly but knowing that their whole conversation is being monitored, "Phoolan is gone."
For a moment Captain Rajveer doesn't react, and then… "Gone? Gone where?"
"That's just it, Sir. Nobody knows. Sometime between when we left the house on the night of the engagement and when we turned up the next morning for breakfast, she disappeared."
"And did she tell you anything?"
"She said that I should trust her to do the right thing."
"Then do that, Huda." Raj tells him simply. "Trust her to do the right thing, and to come back to you when she's ready."
"But Sir… for her to just disappear like this, I mean…"
"Cadet Huda, have you thought that maybe there's a reason for her not to tell you she was going?"
Huda had thought about it, but still remained confused as to why that would be necessary.
"Sir, I came to you because I thought maybe you would know where she went, and what she's doing."
Rajveer laughs, not seeming to believe his ears. "Huda, I've been stuck in this prison for more than two months. Before that, I was on the run for over a month. And you think that in this time, Naina has somehow let me know why she's disappearing and where to?"
It did sound ridiculous when he put it like that, but Huda just couldn't shake the feeling that Captain Rajveer knew more than he was saying. "I suppose you're right, Sir." He finally replied.
"Don't worry, Huda. Naina will come back to you. She got engaged to you didn't she?" he sounded tired, and sad. Huda wondered whether it was because he had missed the engagement.
"I'll try to bring her to visit you when she gets back, Sir." He tells Rajveer, desperately wanting to cheer him up in some way.
"There's no point, Cadet Huda." Rajveer tells him, and Huda doesn't bother to try and correct him about the Cadet part. "I'm going to be transferred out of here within the next few days to Jammu. And then after that…"
"After that, Sir?"
"After that I'll get to see my friend Navin again." He tells Huda wryly, "Us traitors have a lot to catch up on."
Huda realises for the first time that Captain Rajveer is likely to be executed. He has trouble imagining a world where there's no Captain, and he thinks that world is likely to be a worse place. Tears come to Huda's eyes and he tries to control them unsuccessfully.
"Sir," he tells him, "I want to salute your courage."
"Don't do it too obviously," Rajveer replies "Or they might arrest you too."
The guard opens the door and warns Huda that he only has one minute left of visiting time before he has to leave.
"Can I do anything for you, Sir?" he asks, desperate to do something for him, anything.
Rajveer thinks for a minute before replying. "Tell all of my cadets that I'm incredibly proud of them, I know they'll make wonderful soldiers for this country. They'll always have my blessings."
Huda can't stop himself now, he wants to start crying but knows he shouldn't especially not here. "Sir isn't there any way…"
"No Huda," Rajveer informs him sadly. "There's not, but promise me that you'll do one more thing for me."
"Anything, Sir."
"Look after Naina. Always support her. Never let her feel that she's alone."
"I'll do it Sir, you have my promise."
"Good," Raj replied, putting on his best attempt at a smile. "Then goodbye, Cadet Huda. It was nice knowing you."
Huda stretches out his hand to briefly clasp hands with Captain Rajveer and then the guard comes and tells him he has to leave. He glances back as the door closes, to see Captain Rajveer staring up at the ceiling, tears falling from his eyes.
**
Getting permission to see Captain Rajveer was somewhat difficult, but finally Huda was able to arrange a meeting. It was almost one weeks since Naina had vanished and he was almost going frantic with worry, and with the effort of keeping it from his parents. It had been decided that Naina's disappearance would be concealed from the general public as it would be sure to have a bad effect on her reputation. Everyone was just hoping that she would come back soon.
All of the friends had headed back to their own houses the day after Naina's disappearance in order to make it appear as if everything was normal. Alekh had arranged to rent a flat in Delhi for the next two months, as he didn't want to annoy Yudi's parents by overstaying his welcome there. He still had many friends in Delhi that were able to set him up with a place there. As soon as he was given the appointment, Huda called up Alekh to tell him he was coming to Delhi and he would need a place to stay.
He made excuses to his parents that he was going to visit his friend Alekh for a few days and left on his motorbike. It took him awhile to find his way to Alekh's flat through the streets of old Delhi, but finally he made it.
"You're here." Alekh remarked, when he opened the door to see Huda standing there.
"What did you think, Qaidi? That I was joking when I said I was coming?"
Alekh just shrugged and invited Huda in, the flat was fairly bare with only a double mattress on the floor and some pots and plates in the kitchen. It was obvious that it was only a temporary place for Alekh to stay.
"Nice place." Huda commented, not really meaning it.
Alekh could tell by the tone of Huda's voice that he was joking. "It's not permanent," he told him "I'll go downstairs and get us some byriani for lunch."
The two boys sat on the edge of the mattress to eat their lunch, due to the lack of chairs.
"What time did you get the meeting for?" Alekh asked Huda.
"Three pm, I'll go early though."
"Good idea."
They ate mainly in silence, as it was already one pm Huda decided it was time to go.
"Tell Sir hi from me." Alekh told him "Say that this Qaidi hasn't forgotten him yet."
"I will," Huda promised, suddenly feeling nervous at the idea of seeing Captain Rajveer again after so many days, and in these circumstances…
In the end he managed to reach the place half an hour early, but by the time he'd entered the building and cleared security there was only ten minutes left for the meeting. They left Huda sitting in a waiting room until the exact time of the appointment, then called for him to go in.
"But remember," they told him "You have only fifteen minutes."
Huda hoped that fifteen minutes would be more than enough.
**
Huda stepped into the room, he didn't want to waste time, so he had prepared what he would say before hand. But now words failed him.
"Sir…" he started, and was unable to continue.
"Well, Huda. I was disappointed that I couldn't come to your graduation, but since my old cadets are coming to visit me here, I see I didn't need to worry."
But Huda just stared at him in shock, unable to say anything.
In the months since he had last seen him, Captain Rajveer had changed completely. He had lost so much weight that his appearance had completely changed. His hair was dull, and cut much shorter than it ever had been. The light which had once shone in his eyes was gone, replaced by a look that could only be described as resignation.
Slowly, Huda took in the other features. The bruises that were clearly visible at different places on Captain Rajveer's skin, a fresh looking scar above his right eyebrow. The handcuff which attached him to a leg of the metal table.
"Sir, you…." He hadn't known what to expect when he had come to the army prison. It certainly hadn't been this. "Sir, what have they done to you?"
Captain Rajveer gave a short, bitter laugh. "What did you expect Cadet Huda? This is what the Indian Army does to traitors."
"But Sir, you're not…" Huda doesn't finish saying it, because according to the army that's exactly what Captain Rajveer is. Then he realises what the Captain had just said. "Sir, it's not Cadet Huda anymore, it's Lieutenant Huda, or at least it will be when I join duty in two months time."
"I had forgotten," Raj said sadly, "I never saw you all graduate…" He tries to smile, and changes the subject. "So tell me, how are the rest of your friends?"
"They're all fine, Sir. I saw Alekh before coming here. He told me to tell you that Qaidi hadn't forgotten you."
Raj smiles genuinely then. "He was never Qaidi for me, he was always Alekh. I knew that he would graduate successfully." He seems to hesitate before asking the next question. "And your Phoolan, are you still trying to win her over?"
"I already did, Sir." Huda informs him proudly. "We had our engagement a week ago."
Anyone not watching closely would think that Captain Rajveer had no reaction to this, as he remained sitting incredibly still without moving. But his jaw clenched slightly, and a muscle next to his left eye twitched slightly.
After a moment's pause he managed to say to Huda, "Congratulations, you must both be very happy."
"We were, Sir."
"Were?"
"Sir…" Huda leans in over the metal table, trying to speak softly but knowing that their whole conversation is being monitored, "Phoolan is gone."
For a moment Captain Rajveer doesn't react, and then… "Gone? Gone where?"
"That's just it, Sir. Nobody knows. Sometime between when we left the house on the night of the engagement and when we turned up the next morning for breakfast, she disappeared."
"And did she tell you anything?"
"She said that I should trust her to do the right thing."
"Then do that, Huda." Raj tells him simply. "Trust her to do the right thing, and to come back to you when she's ready."
"But Sir… for her to just disappear like this, I mean…"
"Cadet Huda, have you thought that maybe there's a reason for her not to tell you she was going?"
Huda had thought about it, but still remained confused as to why that would be necessary.
"Sir, I came to you because I thought maybe you would know where she went, and what she's doing."
Rajveer laughs, not seeming to believe his ears. "Huda, I've been stuck in this prison for more than two months. Before that, I was on the run for over a month. And you think that in this time, Naina has somehow let me know why she's disappearing and where to?"
It did sound ridiculous when he put it like that, but Huda just couldn't shake the feeling that Captain Rajveer knew more than he was saying. "I suppose you're right, Sir." He finally replied.
"Don't worry, Huda. Naina will come back to you. She got engaged to you didn't she?" he sounded tired, and sad. Huda wondered whether it was because he had missed the engagement.
"I'll try to bring her to visit you when she gets back, Sir." He tells Rajveer, desperately wanting to cheer him up in some way.
"There's no point, Cadet Huda." Rajveer tells him, and Huda doesn't bother to try and correct him about the Cadet part. "I'm going to be transferred out of here within the next few days to Jammu. And then after that…"
"After that, Sir?"
"After that I'll get to see my friend Navin again." He tells Huda wryly, "Us traitors have a lot to catch up on."
Huda realises for the first time that Captain Rajveer is likely to be executed. He has trouble imagining a world where there's no Captain, and he thinks that world is likely to be a worse place. Tears come to Huda's eyes and he tries to control them unsuccessfully.
"Sir," he tells him, "I want to salute your courage."
"Don't do it too obviously," Rajveer replies "Or they might arrest you too."
The guard opens the door and warns Huda that he only has one minute left of visiting time before he has to leave.
"Can I do anything for you, Sir?" he asks, desperate to do something for him, anything.
Rajveer thinks for a minute before replying. "Tell all of my cadets that I'm incredibly proud of them, I know they'll make wonderful soldiers for this country. They'll always have my blessings."
Huda can't stop himself now, he wants to start crying but knows he shouldn't especially not here. "Sir isn't there any way…"
"No Huda," Rajveer informs him sadly. "There's not, but promise me that you'll do one more thing for me."
"Anything, Sir."
"Look after Naina. Always support her. Never let her feel that she's alone."
"I'll do it Sir, you have my promise."
"Good," Raj replied, putting on his best attempt at a smile. "Then goodbye, Cadet Huda. It was nice knowing you."
Huda stretches out his hand to briefly clasp hands with Captain Rajveer and then the guard comes and tells him he has to leave. He glances back as the door closes, to see Captain Rajveer staring up at the ceiling, tears falling from his eyes.
**
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