Her legs were shaking a little, but still she went forward. Oh...!!! How much she missed him. He was confident that she would win the title, his protegee would be the best cadet. "Aapka vishwaas jeet gaya hai Sir, par aaj aap yahan nahin hai. Meri khushi to adhuri hai." She looked up at the sky for a minute and closed her eyes. "Mai jeet gayi bhaiya." She thought.
A very dear voice hit her ear drums. "Congratulations on becoming the best cadet of the year Cadet Naina Ah... Singh."
Her eyes flew open and there he was standing in front of her with a charming smile on his face. "Aap...!!!" It took her every ounce of her self control to stop herself from clinging to him. It would be extremely embarrassing for all of them. Only she knew the myriad emotions coursing through her veins and the immense efforts that she was making to keep them under check.
A look at her face flushed with happiness as well as confusions told him exactly what she was thinking... yes, this was meant to be a surprise for her, a surprise for HIS CADET... a surprise for which he had to thank Chauhan Saheb... or else he would not have managed to come there. The confusion on her face slowly faded away giving place to happiness and he could see the tears making their place in her beautiful eyes. He shook his head slightly, so that only she could see it and forbade her to cry. Understanding his unsaid words, she bit her lips in an attempt to control herself. Oh...!!! How much she wanted to throw herself into that strong grip and be crushed against his rock solid chest... he wanted the same. A pang rose in his throat as he saw her again after so many days, he had missed her so much... His eyes were fixed on her beautiful face, she too was looking at him... their eyes were communicating in silence with each other and the very sutble expressions which passed on their countenance, invisible to the whole world except these two delighted their thirsty heart. He calmed her down through his eyes and looking at him, she knew he understood her as always...!!!
"May I request her mentor Captain Rajveer Singh Shekhawat to please present her the sword of honour." Brigadier Sareen's voice came through the microphone. All the cadets jumped up. "Rajveer sir... aur yahan..."They exclaimed in unison.
"Par wo to..." Pooja stopped in between not knowing how to put it.
"Bole to wo uss jail me the... yahan kaise aa gaye...???" Aalekh asked.
"Wahi to hum sab janna chahte hain chief." Yudi replied.
Brigadier Sareen's voice brought both of them out of their dream world. Rajveer forced his legs to move from that spot, for he knew he would be only too happy to stand there gazing at her.
The rest of the function passed like a dream. She had faint recollections of being awarded the Sword of Honour, the applause which shook the grounds, her friends cheerful faces, Brigadier Sareen praising her brother and giving him the status of a martyr, the tear filled eyes of Raj as he put the garland around naveen's photograph, their oath taking ceremony and finally the announcement of a party in the evening.
The moment all the formalities were over, Raj was surrounded by the cadets. "Sir...aap kaise hain?"
"Aap yahan kaise aaye sir?"
"Aapko to..."
He held up his hands to stop the bombardment of questions. "Hold on cadets... sorry lieutenants..."
"Sir, aapke liye to hum humesha hi cadet rehna chahte hain." Ali put in quietly.
He smiled at them, then said. "Okay fine. But abhi tum log jakar apne parents se milo. Mai to hun yahin KMA me...I have all the time in the world, but first apne family ko time do tum log. Chalo jao."
They tried to protest but he was not the one to listen to them. He packed them of except Aalekh who stood by his side.
"Aap gaye nahi Lt. Sharma?"
"Kisse milne jaun sir?" he asked.
With a slight smile on his lips, he pointed to his right. Aalekh followed his directions and there was she...standing far away with a smile on her face, expectantly waiting for him. He stood rooted to his spot for a second, then slowly his feet began to move on their own accord. He slowly walked towards her and went and stood quietly in front of her.
Neither of them spoke for a while. Then he said. "Neelu". It was just a whisper, but it was enough to make her lose her self control. Beore he could comprehend what was happening, she had thrown herself into his arms and was sobbing uncontrollably.
"Bas bas...chup ho ja..." He said after a while. "Apun ab tujhse kabhi nahi ladhega..."
"Galti meri thi Aalekh, mai hi samajhne ki koshish nahi kar rahi thi. Tumne itne pyaar se mujhe samjhaya, par fir bhi mai samajhne ko raazi nahi thi. Tumhe bura bhala keh diya...mujhe maaf kar do Aalekh, please...mujhe maaf kar do."
***************
Raj was in his room, trying to rest his injured body... but his mind kept going back to her. He remembered her expression when she saw him, the happiness and love which poured out from her eyes captivated him like never before. He closed his eyes and leaned back against the back rest of the rocking chair as flashes of her kept popping in and out of his thoughts. It brought a small smile on his face.
Their dance practice in the mess.
The actual dance on Dance Pe Chance Maar Le in the fresher's ball.
Their confrontation when she found out that he was her friend Veer, her brother's best friend and the only one she trusted in the whole world after Naveen.
When they had found out about the spy and his fake engagement with Ritu.
A cool touch on his forehead made him open his eyes, but he didn't budge from his place. "Mujhe maloom tha ki t um zarur aayogi." He said softly.
"Kaise pata chala aapko ye Captain... sorry Major Shekhawat?" A female voice bubbling with laughter asked him with mock curiosity.
He jumped up. "Aa.... aap..... Aap yahan kaise Doctor Shalini?"
"Kyun....nahi aana chahiye tha kya? Mujhe to pata hi nahi tha ki yahan aapse milne aana bhi mana hai." Shalini was in her usual nautanki mood.
"Arey...aisa nahi hai....maine aisa kab kaha...wo...wo...actually...." he fumbled not knowing what to say. How was he going to explain to her the emotions raging inside him.... how was he going to tell her that he was............... He had forgotten that Shalini was a only person after Naina who could read him like an open book... With her around, he never needed to voice his thoughts.... his feelings.... his sadness....his worries.... his pain....his joy..... she knew him more than what he knew himself... And today he was trying to explain to her that he was waiting not for her but........
"Wo actually aap apni pyaari cadet....oh sorry...now lieutenant ka intezaar kar rahe the..." she completed mischeviously.
"Arey nahi...wo....mai...."
"Ye kya wo aur mai laga rakha hai Raj...??? Aapko mere saamne shabdon ki zarurat kabse pad gayi...???" she asked him on a more serious note.
He stopped the words which were on his lips and surveyed her carefully. She had her arms crossed against her chest and was looking at him with a challenge in her eyes. He knew that he was at fault. Nothing had changed in these past few months.
"I admit defeat. Mai bhul gaya tha ki tumse kuch kehne ki zarurat nahi hai mujhe. Tum mujhe mujhse jyada achhi tarah samajhti ho Shalini.... shayad ek pal ke liye mai bhi na samajh paun ki mai khud kya chahta hun....par tum kabhi mujhe padhne me galat nahi hoti.... Itni efficiently ye sab kaise kar leti ho tum.....!!!" He asked wonderingly.
"Jo insaan aap se attached ho jaye....wo kabhi aapko padne me galati nahi kar sakta. Itne karib se dekha hai maine aapko....kaise galat ho sakti hun aapko samajhne me... Itna hak to ek dost ka hota hai ki wo apne dost ki bhavnayon ko samjh le..uske bina kahe..."
"Tumhara to usse jyada hak hai Shalini...tum agar mera saath nahi deti to shayad mai khud ko tutne se rok nahi pata..."
"Aapka saath sirf maine nahi...Naina ne bhi diya hai Raj......In fact wo hi thi jiski wajah se aap aaj sahi salamat hain aur yahan khade hain...."
He nodded his head in assent but refrained from speaking anything. She understood his silence and smiled to himself.
"Khair...mai aapse ye kehne aayi thi ki wapas to aa gaye par abhi bhi aap under observation me hain......isliye koi galat harkat mat kijiyega. Aap par nazar rakhne ki zimmedari captain Chauhan ne mujhe di hai...so BEWARE...."
He looked at her mutely as she spoke to him.
"Khair ab mai chalti hun.....warna kabab me haddi banne ki naubat aa jayegi." And she winked at him making him go crimson in embarrasement.
"Dr. Shalini........aap bhi na....."
But she had rushed out even before he could complete his sentence.
*******************
"Sorry to say par aap galati kar rahen hai papa.... Neelu apni zindagi ka faisla le chuki hai aur aapko uski khushiyon me aag lagane ka koi hak nahi hai...... Aap ek baar ye galati kar chuke hain..... Aalekh aur Neelu ko alag kar chuke hain.....aur aaj jab wo log ek hue hain to aap fir se apni harkaton par utar aaye hain/...." He hissed furiously so as not to draw the attention of others who were around them.
"Tum kehna kya chahte ho Yudi....wo convict......"
"Wo convict nahi iss desh ka sipahi hai.....Lieutenant Aalekh Sharma.... zara tamiz se naam lijiye uska.... aur ye baat mai aakhiri baar keh raha hun..... agar ab se kisi ne bhi meri behen aur uski khushiyon ke bich me aane ki koshish ki..... to mai uss insaan ko barbaad kar dunga."
"Yudi...teri himmat kaise hui humse aisi baat karne ki...Kya tum bhul gaye ho ki hum tumhare pita hain???" Mr Sahani spoke in anger.
"Awaz neechi papa. Ye aapka ghar nahi hai ki aap apni marzi se chillate firen. Mai nahi bhula hun ki aap mere pita hain par shayad aap ye bhul gayen hain ki Neelu aap ki beti hai aur uski khushiyon ka dhyan rakhna aapka farz hai... Apne ahode ki jhuti shaano shaukat me aap insaniyat bhul gaye hain....par mai nahi....... Isliye keh raha hun aapse.....Neelu ki khushiyon par graham lagane ki koshish mat kijiyega..."
"Dhamka rahe ho hume....???"
"Ji nahi....samjha raha hun.....aur dubara nahi nahi samjhaunga....ye bhi yaad rakh lijiyega..."
With that, he walked off.... the straight, confident frame of the proud Lieutenant Yaduvansh Sahani... Yes, the cadets had changed...from immature young teens...they had metamorphosed into confident adults. Captain Rajveer had been successful in mentoring them.... he had been successful in bringing out the best in them.
*****************************
"Arey Naina...tu yahan khadi hai...??? Kya soch rahi hai tu...?" Naina jumped up as she heared the voice behind her.
"Arey....tu kab aaya...mera to dhyan hi nahi tha..."
"Dhyan hoga kaise......tera mann to anjani galiyon me apne unke paas bhatak raha hai...." he teased her.
"Shut up Huda.... kuch bhi bolta rehta hai..."
"Tum ladkiyan aisi kyun hoti ho..... sach bolo to bhadak jaati ho...."
"Kyunki tu sach nahi bol raha..." she said.
"Kisse jhuth bol rahi hai Naina........mujhse...ya apne aap se?"
She turned to face him in anger. But the softness and the care which she witnessed in his eyes were something completely different from the usual arrogance which always resided there.
"Huda tu............"
"Dekh........ek baat maan le meri...apne experience se bol raha hun... Dil ki baat jubaan par lane me der nahi karni chahiye. Aur agar tu unke bolne ka intezaar kar rahi hai to bhi tujhe unhe ye ehesaas to dilana hoga kit ere dil me unke liye kya hai."
"Kya bol raha hai tu Huda meri to kuch samajh me nahi aa raha..."
"Tu jaan bujh kar samajhna nahi chahti....aur yahin galati kar rahi hai.... Ek dost hone ke naate mai to tujhse yahi kahunga ki iss wakt yahan akele baithne ke bajaye tujhe unke paas jana chahiye...Agar meri baat tujhe sahi lage to maan lena."
With that he stood up and walked away.
"Huda...........tu...." she called out for him.
"Teri khushi me meri khushi hai....aur teri khushi Rajveer sir me hai....tujhe unke paas jana chahiye..." He walked away without aq backward glance leaving Naina pondering over his words.
**********************************
He had been waiting for her for a long time...but there was no trace of her. Was he right in waiting for her or should he have gone out in search for her.
"Mai kyun jaun...???" he thought to himself. "Mai itne dino baad aaya hun...usse kam se kam mera haal chaal puchne to aana chahiye tha na.... fir bhi nahi aayi..... ajeeb ladki hai....fir aayegi aur kaehgi mai usse ignore karr raha hun..."
He sent for the orderly and ordered a cup of coffee. Then he switched off the main lights and leaving a zero power bulb glowing in one corner of the room, he leaned back on the couch and closed his eyes.
"Sab aakar ja chuke hain.... har kisi se mil chukka hun...par agar koi nahi aayi to wo hai..."
There was a knock on the door. Without opening his eyes he called out. "Aa jao."
Someone entered the room and along with that person the strong aroma of coffee wafted in the room and his his nostrils. "Table par rakh do aur jao."
He could hear the footsteps as the coffee was placed on the table in front of him. Then he could hear the steps receding from him until they were at the door. The door was slammed shut and there was complete silence in the room.
Very slowly he opened his eyes and tried to adjust his sight to the self imposed darkness in the room. When he was able to see in the dark he turned his attention to the tray. He stretched out his hands to make a cup for himself but was stopped in between when a soft female hand arrested his movement and said... "Mai bana dun...mujhe bhi coffee peeni hai..."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hope you enjoyed the part.... Please pour in with your comments...And siolent users please press the like button... I know I still have to reply to most of you comments on your earlier parts and I will do it after my exams...that is in the month of Feb....see ya soon....till then bye.....
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