Chapter 8

A week passed off. Ritu and Aalekh prepared themselves against any loopholes that may have existed in their spree. Even Naina was clear about when she was to make an entry into the plan. Their biggest asset was that nobody knew that Naina's missing was anyhow related to Captain Rajveer's Mystery support!! Naina knew that she wasn't much away from her love now……..even she didn't know how, but she knew it!!!

 

"Happy Birthday to you!! Happy Birthday to you!! Happy Birthday, Happy Birthday, Happy Birthday to you……….." She whispered as she blew off that one small candle kept in her room. A smile enhanced her beauty all this while.

 

"Happy Birthday Raj!! Mai jaanti hun is baar hum saath nahi hain….par mujhe vishwaas hai ki jald he honge" Saying this, she blew a kiss to the moon.

 

"I miss you Naina!!" A tear trickled down his eyes as he said that. The discomfort of hiding at that clumsy place was nothing in front of what he was going through emotionally. He missed her like hell, but was happy knowing the fact that the love of his life was safe and sound wherever she was.

 

"Apna khayaal rakhna Raj!! Hum manzil se zyaada dur nahi hain…..jald he sab jaan jayenge ki tum sahi ho, aur hum phir se saath honge" She assured herself.

 

And here, something struck Raj which gave him a little comfort. Naina's assurance reached him in disguise. He was a bit relieved and he himself didn't know what brought a smile to him. "Shaayad tumne mujhe mera Birthday Gift de diya Naina!!" He smiled again.

 

"Hhhhhhhh………………hhhhhhhh………………hhhhhhhhhhhh…………Raj bas!!! Hhhhhhhhhh……………I can't run anymore!!" She sounded exhausted.

 

"Naina please!! Hume is area se nikalna hoga kisi bhi tarah………Mujhe khabar mili hai ki yahan army ki raid hone wali hai!!" He tried assuring her.

 

"But……hhhhhhhh………mai………" She couldn't complete.

 

Raj began looking around for help, but all he could find was, a distorted bicycle!!!

 

"Chalo!!"

 

"Kahan??"

 

"Arrey chalo to……" He dragged her to the conveyance and they began riding together.

 

"Ye tumhe kahan mili??"

 

"Cupid ne bheji……… you know vo kabhi do pyar karnewalon ko museebat me nahi dekh sakta." He chuckled.

"Itni aafat me bhi romance!!! Tum army wale bhi ajeeb hote ho……"

 

"Haan………at least birthday ke din to khush rehne ka haq hai na??" He tried putting forth that today was his Birthday.

 

"Raj ruko!! Aaj tumhara birthday hai???" She asked.

 

"Ruko matlab kya??? Birthday wale din he marvaogi!!"

 

"Tumne mujhe nahi bataya??" She felt offended.

 

"Haan………jabse mili ho hum dono bhaag rahe hain, yahan life ka pata nahi and you wanted me to tell you when my birthday falls amidst all this???"

 

"Haan……obviously!!!"

 

"Tumne mujhe bataya ki tumhara birthday 1 January ko aata hai??" He asked.

 

"Hey………tumhe kaise pata???"

 

"Mujhe sab pata hai!!"

 

"Raj bolo na kaise pata!!!"

 

He gave into her innocent insist, "Navin ne bataya tha mujhe!! Har saal tumhara gift select karne mai he to uske saath market jata tha…" He said while planting a peck on her cheeks.

 

"Oh, to iska matlab itne saal se tum mujhe gift dete aa he rahe ho…..magar is saal mai tumhe kuch nahi de paayi!!" She said in a sad tone.

 

Raj stopped the cycle, held her face in his hands and said, "Tumne ye jo apna saath mujhe diya hai na Naina………uske aage mujhe tumse kuch nahi chahiye………sivay………" He stopped.

 

"Sivay???" She wondered.

 

"Humari ek pyaari si parchayi ke………" Saying this, he took her into his arms and Naina blushed.

 

"Raaajjj………"

 

"Hmmmm………" Sounding in no mood to listen.

 

"Ab jaldi nahi hai yahan se nikalne ki??"

 

He parted from her and smiled, "Tum naaa………marvaogi ek din!!" They both giggled and left for their next destination.

 

"Ye lo Aalekh!!"

 

"What's this Ritu??"

 

"Arzaan Habib ke identity proofs……Aaj se tum Captain Aalekh Sharma nahi, Arzaan Habib ho!!" She explained.

 

"Aur tum??"

 

"Tumhaari beghum, Nagma Habib!!" She said plainly.

 

"Oh really???"

 

"What?? Tumhe flirt karna soojh raha hai is waqt??"

 

"Tumse kisne kaha ki mai flirt kar raha hun??? Tumne kabhi mujhe seriously liya he nahi!!" He added.

 

"Aalekh!! You're fine na??? I hope you're not drunk…"

 

"I know what I'm saying Ritu, and I know you do understand what I mean…..but sirf isliye ki tum Raj se pyaar karti ho, tum baaki logon ke taraf apni aankhein nahi band kar saktin"

 

Ritu was stunned hearing all this. Aalekh came closer to her, looked straight into her eyes and said, "Ritu……"

 

Her heartbeats grew louder and she was too amazed to say anything.

 

"…….mai mazak kar raha tha!!" And he burst out laughing.

 

"Huh…..Aalekh mai tumhe na…….jaan se maar doongi!!" She shouted hard and began throwing anything that caught her hand on him.

 

"Arrey beghum saahiba, nikaah se pehle he apne shohar ko jannat naseeb karvaogi kya??" He said playfully while escaping her shots.

 

"Tumhe to jannat bhi naseeb nahi hone doongi……tumhe to mai…."

 

"Arrey Naina…." He took that name so that Ritu stops making a mess out of his room.

 

Finding no one behind, Ritu's anger shot up, "Acha!! Khud ko bachane ke liye ab Naina ka sahara loge?? Tum to gaye ab!!"

 

He tried coming near escaping almost all her shots and held her arms against the wall.

 

"Ab ye kya natak hai, chodo mujhe!!"

 

Aalekh came nearer with each passing second and all that was on Ritu's mind at that moment was Raj. She submitted to his action y closing her eyes as her thought process at that moment compelled her to believe that it was Raj.

 

"I know what I'm saying Ritu, and I know you do understand what I mean……but sirf isliye ki tum Raj se pyaar karti ho, tum baaki logon ke taraf apni aankhein nahi band kar saktin"

 

Aalekh stopped and lost his hold on her as he remembered a statement that he himself quoted a few minutes back.

 

Ritu too came back to her senses and cursed herself for responding, though in disbelief.

 

"Tum is file ka har document theek se padh lena kyunki kal subah he hume nikalna hai" She said to lighten the situation.

 

"Ya sure!!" He replied without looking into her eyes.

 

"Good Night" Saying this she turned to leave.

 

"Ritu….."

 

She turned back.

 

"Vo…mai…..mazak kar raha tha!! I'm sorry if….."

 

"It's ok Aalekh!! Even I was not serious" She smiled artificially and left.

 

"Kaash ye sab mazak he hota!!" He said to himself while wiping off a few traces of tears that made way to his eyes.

 

Ritu entered her room and her cell rang. It was Naina.

 

"Hi Naina, tabiyat kaisi hai??" Asked Ritu.

 

"Mai theek hun Captain Mishra. Aap aur Captain Sharma kab nikalne wale hain??"

 

"Kal subah, finally!! Par mai mission aaj he se shuru karna chahti thi"

 

"Aaj kyun???"

 

"Bas samajh lo ki ek bahut khaas din hai aaj" She smiled.

 

Naina too smiled as she understood that Ritu remembered Rajveer's Birthday. "Mai bas aapko good luck wish karna chahti thi……"

 

"Thanks so much sweetheart…….I need your wishes. Tum pray karna ki sab theek se ho jaaye."

 

"Sure…" She stopped but was still on the line.

 

"Kya hua Naina, kuch kehna chahti ho???"

 

"Captain Mishra, jis din aap Raj….I mean Captain Shekhawat se milengi, please sabse pehle mujhe call keejiyega!!"

 

Ritu could sense that she was crying.

 

"I'll surely inform you Naina, only on the condition that you won't cry!! Neither Raj will like it, nor do I"

 

"Theek hai, aapki shart manzoor hai mujhe!!" She smiled.

 

"That's better!! And brace yourself kyunki jald he tum bhi is mission ka hissa ban ne wali ho"

 

"Surely!! Good Night!!"

 

"Good Night Naina" Saying this, she disconnected the call. "Happy Birthday Raj!! Hope you're missing me too" Said Ritu as she dozed off thinking of him.