Hola everybody.... *yeti does the usual ducking to avoid eggs and tomatoes*
Agar chappal phenkna hai toh size 6 please..... and please do send in pairs.... thank you 😆
Phew! this part has taken the longest time for me to write! Believe me... in the past whenever I have delayed posting a part it was mainly due to my laziness in starting to write.... but this part I started during the July 4 long weekend, with plans of giving an anniversary bonus to everyone out there...
YEAH GALS!!! It has been 1 YEAR since I started Dhoka on July 4... poor you.. having had to put up with me and my bakwas for 1 year now.... 😆
but finally, I was unable to complete it and then my non-exciting work kept me super busy for a while before I could concentrate on Dhoka again... I had even promised someone that I would post last week but as usual couldnt do it.... I wasnt happy with the last section I had written and didnt want to post any half-baked attempts... I finally rewrote it today and its up to my satisfaction... now the verdict is in your hands.... do tell me how you found the update and press the like button if you liked it... 😃
oh btw, this is the SILVER JUBILEE update for Dhoka..... 25th part for the anniversary special.... and a very important turning point in the story.... 😉
so lets dive in.... I am sure you have already skipped all this part by now.... 😆
Part 25
"Bas.. I don't need to know anything else.. mujhe aur kuch nahi chahiye", he released the breath he realized he had been holding and pulled her into his fierce embrace, crushing her soft body against his. He buried his face in the crook of her shoulder and tightened his grip around her.
It could have been a few minutes.. or a few hundred years.. they did not know how long they stood in each other's embrace, oblivious to the world and everything else except just the two of them. Time came to a standstill and every sound ceased to exist as they stood breathing in the fragrance of the other.
Naina smoothed her hands over his shoulder and chest unconsciously, willing his tense muscles to relax. She slowly felt the tension ebb away from him as the tightly bunched muscles loosened under her caress. When the strong arms holding her tightened their hold a notch higher, awareness slowly settled over her. She realized how close she was to him.. close enough to feel every corded muscle of his from shoulder to thigh, where her torso was pressed against his. She could feel his heart thudding away and her heart sped up to match his beats until life flowed through them with the same harmonious beat. Her hands slowed down and paused for a moment before they started anew with their exploration, as if with a mind of their own. Her eyes fluttered close with the heady smell of his masculine perfume and something that was inherently him and she took a step closer, unaware of the effect her proximity had on her husband.
Raj felt his rage and distress dissolve into nothingness as he breathed in her scent, the faint twinge of lavender teasing his senses like a potent drug. He did not have words to describe the relief Naina's single word provided to him. He had been so pained, angry and hurt at the notion that Naina could have broken his trust and used him for her work. He hated to admit it but his heart was in his mouth as he waited for her answer to his question. He was simply amazed, even slightly scared, at the power she wielded over him, even if she was unaware of it. Her one word could have killed his soul.. his vulnerable soul that lay exposed to her, every wall that he had built around him long shot to bits.
And then again, her single word infused life into him and he could breathe once again. He did not need anything more.. he believed her and knew that although she might not be madly in love like he was, she would never dream of hurting him or allowing him to be hurt. They never needed words to express their care and concern and he understood her without a word being said.
His hands rose of their own volition to free the mass of her silky hair from its binding ponytail. Involuntarily he nuzzled into her hair, his body recognizing her soothing touch and he became fully aware of her.. of them! Her fragrance not only calmed him, it also managed to heighten his senses and he was so attuned to her every heartbeat.. her every breath. His breath caught in his throat when he felt the feather-like touch of her fingertips stroking the tension away from his rigid and knotted muscles but it was not long before he felt a new kind of tension seep in. Her touch seemed to awaken something beastly within him and he groaned inwardly, holding a tight leash over his control that was dangerously close to snapping. She was already crushed against him but when she moved an inch closer he forgot all about control and bent further, only to stop short as his lips brushed against the warm skin of her nape.
Naina stiffened for a moment at his touch and swallowed the gasp that threatened to escape her. The haze lifted from her brain and she pulled her hands back, abashed at the shameless way she had touched him. When Raj felt Naina lean away slightly, he knew the spell was broken and sighed. Looks like Naina is not ready.. yet! Patience Raj.. don't make things awkward.., his brain warned him and he loosened his vise-like grip from around her.
Naina seemed to be surprised at the fact that her hair was hanging loose and she parted from the hug slowly, almost reluctantly, her face flaming. She chided herself for losing herself in his embrace, woefully recollecting the fact that this was becoming a habit for her. She did not understand why her heart jumped and her body tingled when he was close. Her entire world narrowed down to him.. just him because she is usually lost in him so much to be even conscious of herself. She was aware of only him.. and his touch. Every time he looked at her with those smoldering and intense gray eyes, it made her weak and numb. Even now as she hesitantly took a step back as if testing the strength in her legs, she had no courage to look up at him since she knew his eyes were fixed on her.
Raj understood that Naina felt wary with the physical effect they had on each other. He knew he affected her too and had seen her go into a trance-like state around him quite often. But he had also seen her go all quiet on him a few times when she broke from that trance. His testosterone-driven brain often urged him to blurt out his feelings to her and claim her but his heart restrained him from carrying out his brain's hasty orders. He had to be gentle and patient with her. It had taken him so long to understand his feelings and he had to give her some time too. She was so young and innocent and her confused look caused a rush of tenderness through him. But he did not want her to be uncomfortable with him.
He held her wrist and stopped her from moving away, rather running away from him and her own feelings. "Naina" he called out softly, not to jar the content atmosphere that engulfed them. "Mujhe tumhare bare mein sab kuch jaana hai"
She lifted her eyebrow quizzically, unable to contain her curiosity at his request. "It's not that I don't believe you. Mujhe tumpe poora bharosa hai. But I want to know the real Naina. Dekho jab humare shaadi hua tab hum ajnabi they. Lekin ab tho hum aage bad chuke haina.." He caught her confused look and hastily added, "Mera matlab ab hum ache dost hai. Ek doosre se sab kuch share karte hai. Humare aaj ko ateet se koi talukha nahi hai. Magar phir bhi mein Naina Singh Ahluwalia ko jaana chahta hoon.. pehchaana chahta hoon. Will you?" he questioned her. He wanted her to open up to him by herself, to let go of herself with him.
She smiled slowly and nodded her head, "How about some coffee while we discuss my life history?"
***
They were stretched out on the couch, shoulder to shoulder, sipping a mug of steaming coffee as Naina recounted her childhood days. She spoke of her mother's death in an accident and how she and Navin had been the support to each other and consoled each other. Their life had to move on but since Navin had been recently posted at the border, he could not have the young and motherless Naina with him. Neither did he have the heart to have his aged father-in-law take care of the child all by himself. He had openly discussed with Naina and even if she was all but a child of 8 years, she understood her Papa's situation and took the mature decision to study at a boarding school. Her Nanu had not been too happy but he could understand his limitations in providing good education to her if she had to stay with him in their ancestral village 2 hours from Shimla. And that was how Naina ended up studying at the boarding school at Ooty.
It had helped tremendously that her Maasi was the principal of the school and albeit a strict lady, she had tried to fill the void of a mother-figure in her life during her growing years. Her Maasi was not very close to the family but she helped Naina overcome the grief of losing her mother so young. And of course Navin was always there for her. He was her father, mother, brother and best friend all rolled into one. She could freely talk to him about anything, even things that young adolescent girls found awkward to discuss with their parents.
"Papa mere best friend they. We had no secrets between us at all. He always called me 'meri Simran ki parchayi' because I resembled Ma very much. We did not meet often, probably 4-5 times a year but still we were close to each other. He could never say no to anything I ask but he didn't spoil me either. Woh world ke sabse ache papa they.. Aapko patha hai.. har saal meri birthday par papa aur Nanu mujhe milne Ooty aathe they kyunki uss samay school ki chutti nahi hota. We used to have so much fun during those 2-3 days.. Papa, Nanu, Maasi and me" she had a warm and nostalgic smile on her face as she recollected the best moments of her childhood with her father.
Soon her face clouded as she spoke of the trying times in all their lives – Navin's death. "When we heard the news of Papa's death.. we were.. we were broken. I lost my parent and my only friend. But somewhere I was proud.. mujhe patha tha Papa ko bohut garv hoga.. apni desh keliye jaan kurbaan di thi unhone. But what hurt the most and ripped my heart was the accusation that was laid on him. He was a great soldier and always placed his country before anything and all he got in return was the shame of being called a traitor.. that too when he was not around to defend himself."
A drop of tear fell from her eye and Raj caught it before it could travel its path down her cheeks. She turned to look at him with teary eyes as he flicked the offending tear off her face, his eyes silently showing his understanding and their shared pain at the memory of what had happened to the man they both looked up to. His gray eyes questioned her wordlessly if she wanted to continue. He did not want to press her to remind herself of all those hurtful memories but she had to let it all out. She nodded her head as if assuring him that she wanted to say it all but she could not stop the flow of tears from her eyes, until Raj pulled her into his arms and kissed her eyelids softly. She closed her eyes and leaned her head against his shoulder, silently soaking in his warm strength as he caressed her hair lightly.
When she resumed speaking, she spoke from her position against Rajveer's shoulder. "Nanu was lost too after Papa's death. He was a simple man.. an independent man but a very old man. He already had heart problems and in spite of Maasi and me requesting him to stay with us, he vehemently denied. He wanted me to stay with him and that he would provide for me. Lekin Maasi ne phaisla karliya ki mein apni padayi unke saath rehkar poora karungi. She did not allow me to drown in misery and motivated me to finish school and get a degree. Magar jab mein 18 saal ki thi Nanu aur mujhe patha chala ki Maasi was fighting breast cancer for a long time. That was the reason she stayed away from family, so that nobody gets too attached to her. Even in her health condition, she made sure I joined National Law School at Bangalore.. to fulfill Papa's dream of seeing me serving the country.
But she passed away when I was getting started with my courses and I was all alone once again. I was 18, with no degree and an old grandfather to look after. I was planning to drop out of my law degree and go back to Nanu in Shimla when I met Chandra Uncle"
Naina caught Rajveer's puzzled look and explained, "Brigadier General Chandrashekar. Unki waja se mujhe phir se ek sahara mila until I could stand on my own feet. Chandra Uncle Maasi ke ache dost they aur Papa ko bhi jaante they. Unki bhi yakeen nahi horaha tha uss ilzaam par lekin woh bhi kuch nahi kar paaya uss samay. Saare sabooth Papa ke khilaaf they aur Uncle ko laga iss ke peeche koi bada sa dhoka tha.
Aur unse mujhe patha chala ki Papa aur Maasi donon ne meri future secure karliya. Paison ki chinta nahi thi aur Uncle ne poore support ki meri padai mein. Maasi ne meri surname hata diya meri school records se kyunki woh nahi chhate they ki I get bullied due to what happened. Only we had belief in Papa.. for everybody else he was a proven traitor. And these rumors about Papa would spread widely in a law college. Isiliye mein Naina Singh Ahluwalia se Naina Singh bani.
Padai ke saath saath Uncle also trained me in intelligence gathering. He recruited me as his personal agent in the department he was heading."
Raj did not get what department Naina was speaking about but he did not want to disturb her flow of thoughts. He knew she would tell him if it was important and she did!
"Chandra Uncle is the Deputy Director of Foreign Intelligence department of RAW. Not many people know this fact.. not even his superiors in the Army. RAW is an independent unit and nobody knows about what goes on there. Only the President is aware of the people holding top positions at RAW and not even the ruling government is aware of the names connected to RAW" Naina paused to take a deep breath and continued talking about her experience working as BG Chandra's direct agent. She had helped him in small intelligence gathering work even when she was at college and by the time she was to sit for her final exams at the end of her five year course, she was an accomplished spy who had made her mentor proud of her often. Nobody could have guessed that she was a master of intelligence gathering! She could hack systems, break any code, decrypt any kind of document with no big effort. She had also built a reliable network of people who passed information to her secretly, that helped her department to handle a number of external affairs that don't come to light. Raj was impressed to know that some of that information had also come into Army circles as classified information, finally helping in securing the nation against any malignant force.
Raj became alert when she spoke of how she had recently intercepted a message that was about a plan to smuggle the nuclear triggers out of its resting place. When she had discussed about it with Chandra Uncle, he had given her the assignment to report on the security measures in place to protect the triggers. All she had to do was study the protection around the triggers and recommend if there is any danger of losing them if, God forbid, an attempt occurs to steal the triggers. When she had enquired why she was being sent to the field directly, BG Chandra had revealed that the triggers are at KMA and that this might give her a chance to dig around about Navin's death too. But he also cautioned that not even he knew who was in charge of the security of the triggers and her first step would be to find that person.
She had immediately accepted the mission and had moved to Panjokhra with her Nanu, under the pretext that her Nanu was taking up the job of the chief priest of the Shiv Mandir. Her Nanu did not know anything about her mission and she had made sure that nobody could ever suspect that she had other reasons to be at Panjokhra. She nervously explained her initial plans to befriend Chitra Aunty and gain entry into KMA but how she had dropped the idea as soon as she met the warm and motherly lady, who had given her the love and kindness that she would have got from her Ma. She had been ashamed at herself for even having thought about using Chitra Aunty and had been biding her time for 2 months trying to find another way to learn about the triggers when she had her fatal encounter with Dr. Mishra.
Raj was curious about the message she had intercepted about danger to the triggers and asked her more details about it. Naina told him whatever she knew about it, including the fact that the forces that were intent on getting the triggers were starting to panic due to some reason and wanted to rush their operation. They seemed to have an idea that the triggers were at KMA too and they were setting a timeline of 3-4 months to smuggle the triggers and that the operatives should hurry up as 'time was running out'.
Raj was grim listening to Naina's facts and seemed to be lost in thoughts for a few minutes before he looked at Naina curiously. "Did you know that I..", he trailed off, looking at her meaningfully and she nodded her head, understanding the drift and looked down guiltity. "Uss din jab mein Papa ke tasveer doond rahi thi uss din aapke orders wala envelope pehle mila mujhe" She caught his hands in hers and explained earnestly, "Yakeen keejiye. Mein jaan bhujkar nahi dekha. Bas accidentally woh mere haath mein aagaya aur mein kisi ko bhi nahi bataaya iske baare mein. Sirf Chandra Uncle jaante hai aur woh bhi kyunki woh yahaan aaye they mujhe milne. Unko patha chala ki mein confused thi and he came to KMA that day to talk to me. He was very happy to know that you were in charge of the security but we still had to give our report to the Director. Uske baad meine woh baath apni dimaag se nikaal diya. Meine apna report banwaya lekin uskeliye meine aapko istemaal nahi kiya.."
As she went on and on, Raj placed his finger on her lip interrupting her. "I trust you Naina. Isiliye meine tumhare jawab ke badle kuch bhi nahi poocha. Aur ab bhi nahi poochunga. I trust you more than I trust myself" he said simply. Naina was overwhelmed with joy at his words. She did not know why it suddenly became so colossal in her life to have Rajveer trust her, believe her. When had he become so important in her life? She, Naina Singh Ahluwalia, who had not made any friends after her Papa, afraid of the day they will leave her all alone once again, had become so close and attached to this man, this man who was gazing at her right now with his gray eyes as if she was his world. Wait.. did I see that right? Did he look at me as if I am his world? She did not know if she was just imagining things that her heart unconsciously wished for but could not understand why her heart thudded in her ears. Before she could lose herself in his eyes, she looked down, unaware of the light color creeping up her neck, which did not go unnoticed by a delighted Raj.
Her heart and brain had been dueling ever since the night of the party, when she heard Rajveer and Shalini talk in the terrace, but it seemed to her as if her heart had finally won over her brain. She finally convinced herself that she could have had a misunderstanding since her husband and her friend were both the same and had no changes in their behavior with each other and with her. But wait.. she actually found one change in her husband.. he seemed to be staring at her with those mysterious eyes of his more often and even she had caught him often lost in her, that surprisingly caused her to blush crimson.
What are all these new feelings that have bloomed in me and make my heart beat faster and make me go breathless everytime I think of him? Why do I even think of him so often, every second of my waking time, and often in my dreams too? Why does it seem so right when he pulls me into his arms and kisses my head when he leaves to work every morning? How did we get so comfortable with each other that I talked to him about memories that I had kept hidden from everybody? How did it become so easy to fall into comfortable silence with him, no words required to explain what we feel, but still knowing that we understand those unspoken thoughts? How? Am I losing my heart to him, my husband? Does he experience the feelings I have? Why hasn't he told me anything about it? Oh I am so confused with all these questions…
***
Even when Raj had assured that he did not want to know how she got her report about the triggers prepared, she told him that she did not want to keep anything from him and told him about how she had got Huda to help her. They did not have much to start with but once the revelation about Major Nair came to light, she suddenly knew he had to be the one who is in danger to the triggers. She had been shocked that the enemies could plant someone this close to the triggers but she was mightily impressed with Raj and everyone who had protected the triggers before him, since they had done an amazing job in keeping Major Nair at bay for 8 long years. She and Huda had then taken to observing Nair, scouting his quarters for something to incriminate him and even following him secretly at times. Things had paid off when Nair had found the exact location of the triggers but he could do nothing more, since he could not even enter the place without getting shot down or blown apart due to the security measures Rajveer had in place. Naina had studied the hiding place, which was an innocuous looking shed by the Traitor's Bell, deeply and expertly and she had not found a single weak spot in the protection, and this was the summary of her report to her boss. She had no qualms sharing this with him since she knew that he will hear about it, if not today, but some time in the near future from BC, when the report reaches the top brass of the Indian Army.
Raj mischievously enquired if she was so impressed with her husband or just flattering him, to which Naina narrowed her eyes, glaring at him, and answered sweetly that she was obviously buttering him up since she wanted him to cook dinner that night, although it was her turn according to the deal they had struck on the first day. Raj hated cooking dinner since Naina always made him cook a complete dinner, while he used to manage in the past with just omelette or sandwich, that Naina had categorically stated as 'breakfast food' and not 'dinner food'. He groaned and sighed internally but how can he not listen to his Naina's request? He could see she was drained from the day's events and so dinner that night was Naina's favorite, lovingly prepared by a cheerful Rajveer!
***
One week later
All cadets and faculty members were gathered at the assembly, waiting for the special announcement that BC had for them. The cadets had been the happiest in the past one week, with the ecstatic news that Major Nair had to leave KMA on a 'special mission' and nobody knew when he would be back. BC had decided to keep the news of Nair's arrest a secret, to prevent any chaos that might result at the knowledge of the arrest of such a senior officer, that too on charges of treason! He could still not completely believe that the man who had been his second-in-command for 8 years could be an impostor and an infiltrator from the enemy lines. He was still dismayed and horrified at how much classified information could have been leaked to the enemy by the highly placed impostor. If only Naina did not have all the proof that was sent to him by his good old pal Chandrashekar, who also surprisingly turned out to be the Deputy Director of RAW, he would have never been able to believe and understand the amount of deception that had been around him for 8 long years.
But the past belonged to the past and he had decided to be more than cautious now, after being debriefed about the security threats to the triggers that Naina had intercepted. The times were sensitive but life had to go on at KMA and he would never allow a cadet to miss out on any of the valuable lessons that was a part of KMA. That was one of the main reasons he now stood in front of his cadets and fellow faculty members, ready to welcome a new person into KMA!
***
He was bored out of his life. He did not understand all the formality that BC had to follow to 'welcome' him to KMA. As if he was entering KMA to remain a permanent teacher here, he sniggered to himself at the thought. His only goal was to find the triggers as soon as possible, smuggle them out and make a break from KMA. BC could go take a hike!
He gritted his teeth at the thought of the fool who had been playing the role of Major Nair for 8 years. Saala.. 8 saal se kuch nahi kar paaya. Humesha koi na koi bahana banate rehta tha. Ab pakda gaya. The fool could not even cover his tracks properly. I wonder how he got caught after so many years.. but who cares! Boss was anyway losing his patience with this idiot. Good that Boss had ears everywhere and came to know of the arrest within a couple of days. Warna patha nahi kya hota. Aur iss bewakoof ki waja se Boss had to use all his connections to get me into KMA at such short notice! Useless idiot that man was.. 2 saal ki training aur uske baad 8 saal se Nair ki zindagi jee raha tha. Phir bhi pakda gaya! But he needs to be silenced.. he cant dare to open his mouth during interrogation. If he blurts out anything, we are all gone! I need to find him and finish him off for good before one of these over-zealous officers get to him. And I also need to find the triggers within the next 3 weeks and take them out! Time is running out and if I get the triggers out, Boss is going to be very happy with me! Then I will be his right hand man! I will be the second most powerful man!
He was lost in thoughts of a 'rosy' future for himself when he was nudged by BC and that brought him back to the tasks at hand – kill the prisoner and steal the triggers!
***
"Cadets, Major Bhargava has graciously offered to take up Major Nair's position at KMA" announced BC, intentionally turning a deaf ear to the groans from not only the cadets but the staff too! He turned around to face the man he was introducing to his cadets and frowned upon seeing him lost in his own thoughts. He prodded Bhargava to bring him back to KMA and gestured him to address the waiting cadets and staff.
***
"Yaar.. ek woh Muchad gaya aur yeh Mogambo aagaya", groaned Shalini under her breath, eliciting a faint chuckle from Raj standing next to her. However her words had also carried to the nearest cadet just in front of her and as word passed, muted giggles and sniggers started to spread like a wave from the back of the room, where they stood, to the front.
Raj noticed the disturbance spreading and gave a hard glare at the cadets who had turned around to hide their grins from BC. "Shal, be quiet. See what you have started among the cadets", he chided her, albeit half-heartedly. Shalini indeed had a penchant for giving the most appropriate nicknames and even he couldn't help but admit the brilliance of this particular nickname for Major Bhargava, aka Mogambo!
Bhargava was not one of his favorites! He usually entered KMA like a tornado for assessment of the staff every year and whenever he was there, he had managed to kick up some problem at KMA. Raj thought back to Captain Navin's open distaste for Bhargava and remembered too well some of the arguments between the two during Bhargava's annual visits to KMA. He had been surprised to see his Navin Sir, who had been the epitome of diplomatic politeness even with people he did not like, openly express his difference of opinions on any rule or regulation that Bhargava managed to come up with. Navin had confided in him once that he did not trust the wily man one bit and somehow that fact had stuck with Raj all through the years and he could not help but look at Bhargava with faint suspicion.
Why did he suddenly come to KMA and offered to take up Major Nair's post? And how did he come to know of Nair's arrest when it had been kept under wraps by Naina and BC?
***
After the less-than-warm welcome into KMA, Major Bhargava sat with BC in the latter's office, going over his duties, when he felt it was the right time to fish for some information.
"Brigadierji, where is Major Nair being kept?" he asked cautiously and BC stiffened. "Why do you ask Major Bhargava? Aapke kaam se matlab rakhiye. Yeh aapka kaam nahi hai"
"Mein bas pooch raha tha" he added hastily, not willing to rub off the old man on the wrong side.
"Toh poochiye mat Major. Yahaan mein orders deta hoon aur agar mujhe laga ki aapko yeh baath bataana hai toh mein khudh woh kaam karunga. Until then, please do not try to interfere in matters not related to your work. I do not trust you anyway"
"What do you mean Brigadier Chandook?" He was shocked and suddenly nervous. Kahin is budde ko mere baare mein pata chal gaya.., he wondered silently.
BC looked at him straight in the eye and replied in a measured voice, "Major Nair's arrest is a top secret, Major. Very very few people know about it. Lekin sirf do din baad aap orders ke saath mere saamne khade hai. Orders from the very top to appoint you in place of Nair. How did they know Major Bhargava?"
Bhargava felt the sweat trickle down his bald head and grimaced inwardly that he cant wipe it as it would show his nervousness to BC. This was no ordinary man who was sitting in front of him.. he was Brigadier Chandook! "Mujhe kya pata Brigadier.. even I am following orders", he managed to say with a straight face.
BC studied him for a minute or two before looking down. "Shall we get on with our discussion now, Major?" and Bhargava mentally released a sigh of relief although he was on guard after that. The old man was beginning to suspect him!
***
4 days later..
Shalini literally skipped across the corridor as she passed the offices to reach the mess. Raj had just confided in her that it was Naina's birthday today and he was planning to confess his feelings. He said he had waited for too long and he was almost sure that Naina reciprocated his feelings, but she was not ready to confess it yet and that he was going to take the first step forward. He had been as nervous as a teenager about to confess to his first crush and Shalini had to control her guffaws until Raj left her office. She was now on her way to the mess to charm Suriji into baking one of his mind-blowing cakes for Naina to cut at the small gathering she had planned at Rajveer's quarters in the evening. How could she leave the love-birds alone on their big day? She had to interrupt their sweet after-confession moments, just to catch the embarrassment on Naina's face and the annoyance on her best friend's and she grinned at the thought.
She was just passing by the corridor that led to BC's office when she thought she saw a familiar profile enter the office and stilled. A very familiar profile…
Her heart thudding, she made her way quietly to the window by BC's office and peeped in.
"Captain Abhimanyu Rai Chauhan reporing Sir" he saluted. "Aur yeh humari patni Nandini" he added and all color drained out of Shalini's face.
She backed away in a hurry, almost stumbling over her own feet and ran away without a backward glance, oblivious to the tears streaming down her face.
***
Naina entered the quarters just after 6, exhausted after a day of mind-numbing shopping spree with Pooja, Neelu and Sameera. Pooja had suddenly come up with a plan for a girls-only retail therapy and had coerced Naina into accompanying them, in spite of her reluctance. Naina had been in a sullen mood all morning. Today was her birthday, she had turned 24 and her husband had forgotten all about it! He had not even wished her since morning and as the hours had passed, her hopes had fallen like a pile of bricks and she was almost moping when Pooja pulled her in for some shopping. Only when she had realized that none of her friends had wished her, she understood that it was possible that nobody knew of her birthday! Although she had pacified herself that Raj probably had not known about it too, a small part of her had secretly hoped that he would have known and would have wished her. After her Papa, Raj was the most important man in her life and she would have loved it if he had remembered her birthday!
She was chiding herself for not having dropped hints to Raj about her birthday, when she opened the door and stood with her jaw hanging open. Innumerable little floating candles threw an ethereal and soft glow around the room that added to the iridescence from the setting sun through the curtains. She could hear the faint chirping of birds ready to go back home to their loved ones and she could also hear the strains of classical music drifting from the bedroom. Classical music.. her favorite! She spotted a bunch of white roses on the coffee table and her eyes softened at the beautiful sight of the white roses bathed in the soft light from the candles. White roses.. her favorite! Her nostrils twitched with the aroma of something delicious that wafted in from the kitchen and she took a deep breath, trying to decipher the smell. Chole masala.. her favorite!
The room looked heavenly with the simple yet profound decorations, just like how she would have wanted it and she closed her eyes to imprint the image in her mind forever. She mentally connected the dots and realized she had seen everything that she loves the most and a tiny gasp escaped her lips. Her eyes immediately shot open and she searched for the one man who could have made it all possible.
There he was, leaning against the doorframe of the bedroom, looking absolutely dashing in a white button-down shirt and blue jeans, his ruffled hair still wet from shower and a mysterious smile on his face.
His smile broadened when her eyes met his and she saw his gaze flicker down to examine her body clad in the pink and white saree that Pooja had insisted she buy and change into right away. She blushed at the intensity in his eyes and looked down, unable to suppress the jittery feeling that was beginning to grow in her belly. The whiff of his perfume combined with the clean just-showered smell of him attacked her senses and did nothing to alleviate the flutters. Instead she could feel her heart start to pound away like a galloping horse. Out of the corner of her eyes, she caught sight of her husband walk towards her and she understood that he had planned this surprise for her birthday.
***
Shalini ran into the music room and shut the door, not bothering to turn on the lights of the room that was gradually turning dark with the lengthening shadows of dusk. She rested her forehead upon the cool glass of the window and finally gave in to the sobs that had threatened to break out since the time she had caught sight of him.
How dare he.. how dare he come back and flaunt his wife like nothing had happened, she fumed but she did not know if her tears were of those of anger or pain. Memories of the days they had spent together flashed in front of her eyes and she could feel her heart break a little more than before.
Ten minutes later, she sat in silence, mutely staring out the window of the music room, unseeing. She was thankful for the seclusion the room provided. Although her first instinct after seeing him was to run to Raj for the comfort she knew only he could give her as her best friend, the saner part of her curbed her, reminding her of the big moments that were about to happen in her friend's life. She would have hated herself if she had spoilt their special day! The second best option was solitude and she knew she would find it at the music room. After all, it remained unoccupied always!
She was wrong.
***
Raj approached Naina, unable to move his gaze from her lovely face. His eyes had strayed to her curvaceous body draped in the shimmery pink saree and his heart had skipped a few beats before it started racing away, faster every second, until he felt he would explode with the overflow of love. He now stood in front of her, lost in her hazel eyes, with a monumental effort to stop himself from looking down at her body. She looked oh-so-sensual in a saree and he was afraid he would lose the thin thread that he was hanging on to sanity with, if he continued to look at her.
Naina had turned into a statue and her world consisted of only Raj at the moment. Raj, who now stood in front of her and looked at her in awe as if she was the most beautiful creature on earth.
Raj took Naina's unprotesting hands in his and brushed his lips across the back of it, sending shivers down her spine, as she jolted into wakefulness and blinked her eyes to make sure she was not dreaming. He pulled her in and shut the door behind her, all the while the heat radiating from his body making her feel warm all over. She stood nervously, unsure of what to do, when he grasped her hands again and pulled her further into the living room.
He stopped when he reached the flowers and bending down, pulled one long-stemmed white rose from the bunch and handed it to her, the pristine flower reflecting the purity, innocence and intensity of first love, their first love.
***
She started when she saw the handkerchief appear before her eyes and lifted her eyes to see Yudi standing next to her with an expressionless face. She understood that she had not been alone all along and that Cadet Yudi had been witness to her breakdown and her eyes lowered in shame. She made to leave from there when she was stopped by his quiet voice.
"Captain Shalini, apne aasoo toh poachiye. Agar kisine dekha toh aapko takleef hogi. Aap toh sabse chupana chahte they na yeh aasoo"
She whirled around, trying to find traces of taunting or sympathy in his eyes but found only understanding in them. She hesitated for a moment before she reached out and grabbed the offered piece of cloth, dabbing at her face silently.
She had always considered Yudi as an immature and lost young man, who had come to KMA just to prove to his dad that he can become something without the Sahni name. But this serene and considerate Yudi was not the Yudi he showed everyone and she realized that nobody had bothered to look beyond the mask of indifference he often wore to find the raw person underneath... just like her!
She went back to her place by the window, grateful for the comfortable silence between them. He did not ask her an explanation and she did not offer one. She knew he would never ask and she was happy with it. She just wanted companionable peace at the moment and her mind finally calm, she closed her eyes.
***
Naina opened her eyes inhaling the intoxicating scent of the rose when she heard the first strains of guitar permeating the room and looked around for her husband, her heart bursting with happiness.
Raj leaned against the same doorframe, tuning the guitar almost unconsciously, but he could not take his eyes off his wife. She looked lovely with the slight smile and the blush that tinted her cheeks gave an unmatchable luminescence to her face. When she looked at him with that adoring gaze, he felt the earth move from under his feet and his heart repeatedly assured him that this was the right moment to profess his love.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ZjUEmEJ200
He closed his eyes and saw her face in his heart, smiling and calling out to him. The music flowed from his fingers and as he reached out to her in his inner conscience, the words seemed to slip out of his mouth of their own accord.
Tu hi meri shab hai subha hai tu hi din hai mera
Tu hi mera rab hai jahaan hai tu hi meri duniya
Tu waqt mere liye hai main hoon tera lamha
Kaise rahega bhala hoke tu mujhse judaa
O o o o ho ho
O o o o o o
He opened his eyes and his steel gray orbs clashed with her hazel ones and he saw them fill with love for the very first time. The confusion and anxiety that had warred with her growing affection had been defeated and the comprehension of the birth of love in her made her eyes shine with an ecstasy that surged from her to him through the invisible bond between their hearts.
Tu hi meri shab hai subha hai tu hi din hai mera
Tu hi mera rab hai jahaan hai tu hi meri duniya
Tu waqt mere liye hai main hoon tera lamha
Kaise rahega bhala hoke tu mujhse judaa
O o o o ho ho
O o o o o o
She was mesmerized by his words and just gave herself up to experience the out-of-the-world feeling that was completely new to her. The magic of his intense gaze and husky voice enveloped her in their soft cocoon and she basked in the warmth, her heart filling up with unbidden love for her husband, her world.
***
She felt an eternity had passed in silence when she heard the weak sound of a guitar being plucked almost absent-mindedly. She turned around to find Yudi watching her with silent eyes and as her puffy, red eyes made contact with his, his fingers strummed the guitar with more intent and the hushed words fell on her ears.
Aankhen teri shabnami chehra tera aaina
Tu hai udaasi bhari koi haseen dastaan
She knew this was only a moment of companionship for two lonely souls. After these few snatched moments of just being there for the other, neither will have second thoughts about the day. They will both return to hide behind the mask that the world saw them with.
Ho aankhen teri shabnami chehra tera aaina
Tu hai udaasi bhari koi haseen dastaan
He did not offer sympathy. Neither did he offer a shoulder to cry on. He simply stood by, ready to support her, if she decided to fall. But he knew she was stronger than that. She was Shalini.
Dil mein hai kya kuchh toh bata
Kyon hai bhala khud se khafa
O o o o ho ho
O o o o o o
His words surrounded her with a whispered strength and she set upon the job of glueing together her broken heart, piece by piece, before she was ready to face the world.
***
Of their own volition, her legs took her close to him and she stood just a few inches away from him, gazing up into his eyes, drowning in the ocean of love that clouded his eyes. Pulling away from his hypnotizing eyes, she let her eyes roam unabashedly around his face and memorized his handsome features, her heart brimming with the realization that he was all hers and she was only his.
Aankhon se padhke tujhe dil pe maine likha
Tu ban gaya hai mere jeene ki ek wajah
She seemed to be in a trance, lulled into the semi-conscious state by the passion in his voice as he sang the words as if they were meant for her and her only. Her hands seemed to have a life of their own when they rose up to his jaw, fluttering against his stubbled jaw, her skin burning at the barely-there contact. He closed his eyes and surrendered himself to their love.
Ho aankhon se padhke tujhe dil pe maine likha
Tu ban gaya hai mere jeene ki ek wajah
His eyes flung open when her fingertips brushed his lips fleetingly in their quest to explore his face. He could see she was still unconscious of her actions and caught her hand before the miniature explosions on his nerve endings from her soft touch, imploded him completely. He brought it up to his lips and placed a light kiss on her open palm, her skin warm and welcoming under his lips.
Teri hasi teri adaa
Auron se hai bilkul judaa
O o o o ho ho
O o o o o o
He looked up to see her still in a daze and setting aside his guitar, pulled her closer. He wound his hands around her waist and tightened his hold until she felt like an extension of his body. He breathed in the scent that was Naina and closed his eyes, his voice dropping to a husky whisper against her face.
Tu hi meri shab hai subha hai tu hi din hai mera
Tu hi mera rab hai jahaan hai tu hi meri duniya
Tu waqt mere liye hai main hoon tera lamha
Kaise rahega bhala hoke tu mujhse judaa
O o o o ho ho
O o o o o o...
Naina drew a sharp breath when she realized she was pasted to her husband, her hands resting on his hard chest and his heart thudding away beneath like that of a marathon runner. She saw Raj totally immersed in his feelings and she swayed towards him, oblivious to her own intentions. Raj opened his eyes at the small movement and looked down at her ethereal face, delighted to notice the soft blush creeping up her neck at his strong gaze. She closed her eyes unable to stand the intensity and passion in his gaze but Raj kissed her closed eyelids softly and tugged at her chin to make her look into his eyes again and he bent towards her slowly.
"Happy birthday Naina", he breathed, his firm lips brushing against her soft ones for a heart-stopping second and pulled back before the tiny jolts of tingles from his touch electrocuted her wholly.
She gasped audibly and shut her eyes, her heart tripping over itself in a wild staccato. Behind her closed eyes, she suddenly saw it all with startling clarity.
It was Destiny that brought them together.
The ray of hope in the darkness of her life had been propelling her towards this moment of truth.
Rajveer was in love with her and had been so for a while now.
She was deeply, madly and irrevocably in love with her husband.
~Yeti
Note:
1. Phew! That was 16 pages in Word!!! 😲
2. The Abhimanyu-Shalini back-story will be dealt with in next update probably. No time to do it now and the update is already 16 pages long. 😆
3. A major twist coming up soon that will lead to another step forward in the lives of Raj and Naina 😉 I havent figured out if it will be in the next update or update after next.... once I decide that, will post a short precap to make up for no precaps in this update.
4. Oh and a major twist coming up in Alekh-Neelu love story too... 😆
5. Something is wrong with IF when I quote and reply to comments. How dare it say I spam!!! 😆 I started with replying to some of your comments to part 24 and I will get back to the rest soon...
6. The Like button is right below and Post Reply button is at the end of the page... 😆
Book Talk
Aami Daakini
12