Chapter 10

PART-9

 

 

He tried to open his eyes. He was still not able to see properly. Things looked hazy. He was coming back to his senses. He could feel a terrible pain in his head. He closed his eyes tightly to get a control over himself and his pain. His pain was still unbearable. He could not even recognize the place or remember why his head was feeling so bad. Finally he remembered that he was attacked. He opened his eyes to look around. There were two people around him.

 

"Raj, Alekh... Where am I?"

"You are in hospital Huda. Hua kya tha kal raat ko? And what exactly were you doing in the ammunition Room at that point of time?" Rajveer answered him but some questions were bothering himself.

"Woh hum dono...Ah..." he moaned as he tried to answer him.

"Dono?"

"Yeah me and.... Dammit... Where is Naina?" He almost jumped out of his bead.

"Naina? No clue. We both have been here with you for the entire night. She must be at the base."

"No... Wait a minute. How did I come here?"

"Last night Lieutenant Colonel Prassana called up. He asked for some information urgently. That file was with Lieutenant Sharma in his cabin. We went to take that and heard a scream. We followed the direction where the scream had come from and found you in the ammunitions room in an unconscious state and hurt. So we brought you here immediately."

"And what about Naina?"

"Naina? What is it about her?"

"She was there with me in the ammunitions room. She should have been there."

"No Huda there was no one."

"But how is that possible? She was there with me. We went there together."

"But why?"

"We were just trying to look for some evidences."

"You both were looking for evidences... Post midnight! And you didn't even consider it necessary to let me know."

"Captain Shekhawat, please... that can be discussed later. I think we should in the first place check on Captain Singh. If she was with him she should have been there. But we both know she wasn't."

"Actually I am not very much surprised." Rajveer said scornfully.

"Whatever." Huda snapped and turned to Lieutenant Alekh.

"Lieutenant Alekh, you please call her up."

"Sure sir."

 

He tried to call her up but could not reach her.

"Sir she is not answering."

"Damn! I think something is not right. You go to the base right away and check on her and report me back."

"Right sir."

He rushed out of the hospital towards the base.

Couple of hours later he came back. He was looking appalled. He looked at Rajveer and Huda. Both of them looked disconcerted. There was an air of animosity in the room. Two of them sat in the different corners not even looking at each other waiting for some news from Alekh. It wasn't too difficult for Alekh to figure out the reason for that bitterness. It was beyond any doubt Naina and their diametrically opposite opinions about her.

 

"Ahem... Ahem." His voice broke that stillness prevailing in the room.

"Lieutenant Alekh. What's the news?" Huda was restless.

"I am afraid sir but the news isn't something nice."

"Don't test my patience Alekh. Out with it. Now." He was almost shouting.

"There is no news about her. No one has seen her since last night except, of course, you. Her room is locked. Her cell phone was found in ammunition Room this morning. But she, apparently, is missing."

"What?" His heart skipped a beat. His voice softened. An apprehension cropped inside him and he was getting agitated. He wanted to find her as soon as possible and deep down prayed for her safety. He looked at Rajveer. Even he looked lost.

 

"Now what do you have to say Captain?" Huda asked him sarcastically.

"But how is it possible? No one heard her last night. How can she just disappear like this? It's getting all the more complicated now." He was getting badly irritated.

"I want a discharge."

"What? Not possible Huda. Your wound is too bad. You will have to remain here for next two days at least. I have talked to the doctor."

"I don't care Raj. I want a discharge right away." He was adamant.

"No. That's not possible. And you don't worry until you come back I will try to do whatever possible to find her."

"I am sorry Captain but the kind of opinion you have about her, I don't think you can work out of your biases."

"I beg your Pardon. What are you trying to say Captain Huda?" He felt insulted.

"I am sorry. I didn't mean it like that. Just that I want to get out of here and look for her."

"Captain Huda, I assure you we will do whatever we can to find her out but I don't think your discharge is in anyway possible."

"And you don't worry sir we will try our best and do everything we can to find Captain Singh." Alekh assured him. But nothing could assure him. After a detailed discussion with the doctor they had to literally force him to stay back in the hospital for next 48 hours. Both of them left for the base to formulate a strategy to look for her.

 

  ******

 

"I fail to understand what the hell is happening here. Pehle Major Rastogi and now Captain Singh both have gone missing." Rajveer sounded baffled.

"I don't think you should suspect her any more." Huda suggested him.

"I know. But if not her then who? Can't be Major Rastogi, Captain Singh is already ruled out now and Lieutenant Alekh... He was with me that day when you two were attacked."

"Something else is bothering me right now."

"Naina's condition?"

"Not really... Motive behind Naina's kidnapping. We believed that Major Rastogi was kidnapped because may be he came to know something about the people behind the scandal but Naina was as clueless as us. Besides she was already being blamed for their activities. What more would they ask for? It's been four days now and we know nothing about her. It's going completely beyond me now."