Chapter 7

"To ab ye bhi bata deejiye ki vo ladki kaun hai?" She said while getting up. But Rajveer held her hand back and took her into his arms…………They kept looking at each other for a while when finally Naina spoke up.

 

"Kya hua?? Mere sawaal ka jawaab nahi doge??"

 

 Rajveer smiled and left her, "Agar mai apni sachchai nahi prove kar paaya to??"

 

"To kya?? Mujh par to kuch prove karne ki zarurat nahi hai na!!"

 

"I can't play with your life Naina!!" He moved away from her but this time she held him back.

 

"Mujhe dur jaakar bilkul vohi kar rahe hain aap!!" He looked back and could clearly spot tears filling her eyes. He came and sat near her, holding her hand tight.

 

"Why are you doing this to me Naina??"

 

"Ye sawaal to mujhe karna chahiye!! Why???"

 

"Because……I love you more than anything else in this world"

 

Naina's tears flew out, giving way to happiness twinkling in her eyes. They hugged each other and celebrated their confession.

 

"Phir kabhi is tarah se baat mat karna!!! Otherwise………"

 

"Otherwise???" He asked her mischeviously, tightening his grip on her.

 

"I'll kill you!!!" She yelled wiping her tears.

 

"Vo to tum already kar chuki ho………"

 

Naina laughed her heart out as she remembered some of such beautiful moments spent with him. But as she visualized the reality, her smile vanished. She kept her hand on her heart and said to herself, "Meri saansein chal rahi hain Raj……iska matlab tum ho…..yahiin mere aas-paas ho!! Mera dil kehta hai ki hum jald he saath honge!!" She closed her eyes in a prayer for the well being of her love.

 

"Arrey Ritu!! Tum yahan akeli kyun khadi ho??? Naina ke theek hone ki khushi me aaj mai celebrate karne ki soch raha tha aur tum yahan udaas khadi ho?" Said Aalekh.

 

 "Aalekh tum jaao, akela chod do mujhe!!"

 

"Tum khush nahi ho Naina ke theek ho jaane se???"

 

"Have you lost it Aalekh?? Why will I be unhappy agar Naina theek ho gayi hai to??"

 

"To phir to ek he reason bachta hai…..Rajveer" He said in a taunting tone.

 

"You know that very well Aalekh that Raj can never be the reason for my UNHAPPINESS!!" She said stressfully.

 

"Tumhari unhappiness ka na sahi, par Raj Naina ke jeene ka reason zarur hai…."

 

Ritu turned her face away.

 

"Come on Ritu…..accept it!! They were inseparable for about an year!!! Itna waqt kaafi hota hai kisi ko jaan ne, samajhne ke liye aur kisi se…."

 

Ritu turned back at him and her stern look was enough to stop him from saying what he was about to.

 

"Ok fine!! Agar mere na kehne se sach badal jayega to ye bhi kar ke dekh lete hain. Vaise khaana taiyaar hai tum aana chaaho to aa sakti ho, mai dekh ke aata hun ki Naina kahan hai….." Saying this, he left and Ritu banged her foot against the wall in frustration. She decided to stay on rather than having food as she seemed in no mood to eat. After about an hour, she heard a knock at the door and was stunned to find Naina standing there with food in her hands.

 

"Naina tum yahan kya kar rahi ho??" She asked.

 

"Mujh par itna bada ehsaan karke aap aise he akele nahi baith sakte!! Mujhe thanks kehne ka mauka to deejiye!" Said Naina with a smile.

 

"Mujhe bhookh nahi hai Naina….." She refused as Naina offered her the food.

 

"Samajh leejiye Raj keh raha hai aapse…..you know mai aapko dekhte he pehchaan gayi thi….Aapke baare me bahut kuch bataya tha Captain Shekhawat ne mujhe!!"

 

It took no time for Ritu to be all in smiles, "Mere baare me?? Kya bataya…???"

 

"Yehi ki aapki dosti unke liye kitni special hai…."

 

"Vo to hai….sabse special!!"

 

"To is he special rishtey ke naam par khana kha leejiye!!"

 

Ritu accepted the plate this time.

 

"Captain Mishra, I need a favour"

 

Ritu kept the plate aside as their convo interested her more, "Bolo…"

 

"Keran…..agar ab tak kisi ko Captain Rajveer ki koi khabar nahi mili hai to iska matlab ab tak vo Keran tak pahunch nahi paaye hain"

 

"Par Raj Keran kyun jaana chahta hai??" Ritu questioned.

 

"Kyunki Zaheer Khan ka conducting base vahiin par hai, vohi conducting base jahan se uski terrorist-training-chain ki saari activities monitor ki jaati hain….."

 

"As far as I know, ye Keran region Filhaal red-alert par hai na??"

 

"Abhi ka to pata nahi, lekin tab tha!! Hum logon ne har tarah se koshish ki, par kyunki Captain ki identity was no longer a secret, humara har plan ulta pad raha tha"

 

"I just hope Raj vahan na pahuncha ho!!"

 

"Aap aisa kyun keh rahi hain?? Vahan pahunch kar he to unhe apni begunahi ka sabot milega??"

 

"Itna aasaan nahi hai Naina!! Red-Alert ke kaaran vahan ki security aur tight kar di gayi hai……Raj vahan spot hote he shoot kar diya jayega. His case has now been declared as the most controversial one in the Indian Army. Itne waqt se uski koi khabar na hone ke kaaran media subdued hai, bas ek jhalak and he'll be gone, and we definitely don't want that!!"

 

Naina's fears started circling her mind again and her determination shook.

 

"Par Captain Rajveer ko dhoondhne ke liye hum Keran ka path to trace kar he sakte hain na!!" Suggested Naina.

 

"Hum nahin, sirf mai……or for that matter, mai aur Aalekh"

 

"Lekin Captain Mishra mai….."

 

"Naina please!!! Hume is case ko solve karna hai complicate nahi!! Tum ek journalist reh chuki ho jo is waqt sabki nazron me laapata hai!! Tum samajh rahi ho na mai kya kehna chahti hun??" Ritu winked at her.

 

Naina smiled as she understood her point, "Ok Captain!!! Ab ye reporter tabhi sabke saamne aayegi jab zarurat hogi!!"

 

"Well and good….tumhe abhi aaraam ki zarurat hai Naina, so jaao. Kal subah hum Aalekh se ye sab discuss karke he vapas jaayenge"

 

"Par Captain Sharma to gaye!! Vo Nandini ko Aashiyana chod kar seedha KMA jaayenge!!"

 

"What??? Par car-keys to mere paas hain!!"

 

"Unhone Army Jeep mangvayi thi academy se"

 

"Ohhh….ok!! Good Night then, subah milte hain"

 

"Captain!! Ab jab Naina apne past ko overcome kar he chuki hai, kya aap use Aashiyana se le jaayenge??" Asked Nandini, who was more desperate to know weather they'll be meeting from now or not.

 

"Filhaal to nahi……tum to jaanti ho mai abhi use sabke saamne nahi aane de sakta!!"

 

Nandini smiled.

 

"Tum muskura kyun rahi ho??" He asked.

 

"Kuch nahi, bas yun he!!"

 

"To mai chalun??" He asked.

 

"Pooch to aise rahe hain jaise mai na keh dungi to nahi jaayenge" She mumbled.

 

"Kuch kaha tumne??"

 

"Nahi….aap jaaiye!!"

 

"Good Night" Saying this, he left.

 

"Budhdhu!!" She too went inside with a playful smile.