Last chapter:" Ok" Alekh stated, sounding a little convinced. "One piece of this puzzle is the letter, let's have a look at that." He added. I got up to get the letter when someone knocked at my door. "Cadet, who is there? Open this door right now" It was Lolita ma'am and my last thought was we are so dead'
Chapter 4
"Guys get out" Pooja whisper screamed at the guys while Lolita Ma'am continued to bang the door as if she was ready to break it down. "Yudi, stop moving like a turtle and got" Pooja again whisper screamed.
I walked to the door, messing up my hair, while Poja sat on her bed, covered in her blanket.
"Ma'am any problem" I questioned opening the door. There stood Subedar Major Lolita Sen, in her typical pose, hands folded across her chest, a strict look on her face and fire of anger in her eyes.
"What took you so long to open the door, Cadets?" She inquired, as she stepped inside the room, with me following her.
"Ma'am, we had put ourselves in sleep mode and so we could not hear the door ringing." Pooja said.
"Come again Cadet" Lolita ma'am asked, folding her hands. No matter how long we have been here, Lolita ma'am still couldn't understand Pooji's language so I stepped in and translated "Ma'am, Pooja means to say that we were sleeping so we could not hear the door."
"Cadet a soldier should be a light sleeper." She said stepping toward the open window. Pooja and I held our breaths while she bend down and picked up something. She turned back toward us and in her hand was Yudi's watch.
"This watch belongs to cadet Yudi, Right?" she asked us even though she already knew the answer. We both nodded in positive. "And how did it up here at this hour?" She inquired further.
"Ma'am Yudi had come to deliver a text in the afternoon, so he might have dropped it than." Pooja tried persuade, in a very non persuasive voice.
"Really cadet, because as far as I remember, I had done your routine room check this evening, right before lights out. I am hundred percent sure that this watched wasn't there. Now, if Cadet Sahni was here during the afternoon, than how did his watch disappear during the evening?" Lolita ma'am said, with confidence of victory in her voice. Pooja and I looked down, knowing we were caught. Lolita ma'am headed toward and the door and stepped outside. Before closing the door she said "Be grateful I am not reporting this to Brig. Chandok. I want all 6 of you to report to the main hall tomorrow at 9 hundred hours." With that she was going. Without saying another word pooja and I wanked toward our bed and tried to sleep.
Next morning Pooja, Ali, Huda, Akekh, Yudi and I stood in in line as we waited for Lolita ma'am to come.
"Naina, stop can you at least tell us why we are standing here when we are supposed to be in Lolita ma'am history class?" Alekh questioned.
"Yeah chief, Quite making suspense and just tell us." Yudi chirped in.
"Nothing to worry about Cadet Sahni, I just wanted to return you watch" Lolita ma'am walked toward Yudi, with his watch in her hand. Yudi took the watch and asked "Thanks Ma'am, but how do you have my watch?"
"Aah, Cadet don't worry. I didn't steal it. I found it in Cadet Ghai and Cadet Singh's room, when you were there after lights out" She said with fake sweetness in her voice.
"Madam ji, the..."Huda started to say but was cut off with Lolita ma'am's scolding.
"Enough Cadet. I am not here to listen to your reasons or your excuse. I am here to give you your punishments and that it what I will do." She said and pointed toward Alekh and me. "Cadet Singh and Cadet Sharma, you two will help with the mess and cooking today, and the rest of you will clean this entire academy. Cristal." She said.
"Clear" we all murmured.
"Dismiss'
I entered the kitchen mess with Alekh.
"Where are we stuck? This is all because of that stupid, idiot, fool, Yudi. Walks around trying to be a dude, but cannot even keep up with his watch" He complained as we put on our irons.
"Can you stop complaining Alekh?" I said totally irritated with his continuous nagging. "Plus this might be good for us"
"And how is that?" He asked.
"If anyone knows anything about Captain Rajveer, than it is LT. Bunty Chaubey, and he is here as the head chief" I said and walked toward Lt. Chaubey, who was cooking vegetables, as if that is the most happiest thing to do, while humming a song. I, unnoticed by everyone waked next to Lt. Chaubey, with Alekh next to me.
"Bunty ji" I said approaching him.
"Find the message of the letter within 12 hours, otherwise it will become useless. You can show it to Captain Abhimanyu only, if you want to." He said in a single breath and left, leaving us behind.
That afternoon, the entire gang was sitting at the mess, thinking weather or not to show the letter to captain Abhimanyu.
"Look guys, this might be something dangerous. Whatever we found out from the file yesterday, it just..." Ali said. "I think having a superior and experienced officer by our side won't do us any harm."
"You are right usool, but how can you forget what he did during sirji's trial." Huda counter argued.
"Whatever he did was because of insecurity, but have you forgotten what he has done for us ever since. His guilt and sadness is clearly visible in his eyes. He is not the same Abhimanyu as he was before" Alekh defended Captain Abhimanyu.
"Agreed chief. I think we should tell Abhimanyu sir." Yudi chirped in his support.
"All I know is that if Abhimanyu sir can help us reconnect our network with Shahrhuk than I am ready to share the text with him." Pooja said, looking sad and hopeful.
"Well than, lets get going" I said getting up and heading toward Captain Abhimanyu's office.
May we come in sirji" Huda asked standing at the door with all of us behind him.
"You all here? Sure come in". He said from inside. "What bring me the honor of seeing all of you together?" He questioned, with lightness and easiness in his voice, as if he speaking to his very good friends and not his students. I walked forward and handed him the letter. He took a minute to look at the letter, and then looked at all six of us with a questioning look. Understanding his confusion Alkeh said "We need to find the message hidden behind this letter."
"Oh common guys. Now you all are disappointing me. This is a simple alphabet/numerical code" Captain Abhimanyu stated with amusement in his eyes.
"That is what we all thought at first too, but it doesn't make any sense for Captain Rajveer to use such a simple code." I stated. Captain Abhimanyu's eyes widened from surprise, and the only thing he could say was "Raj"
I knew he was surprised so I don't him everything we had found out from the file and about our conversation with Lt. Chaubey. He just sat there with shocked, happiness, confusion and confusion written in his face. A few minutes passed, before he said "And you think this letter is from Raj" I just nodded, holding back my tears.
"Then let's figure out this code." He said getting a pen from his desk and started scribbling in the letter.
He handed me back the letter and I looked at it. He had translated the upper case words into number and now it looked something like this
'conGratulations CaDet NAina 'AH' singh. 7 3 4 14 1 1 8 Don't telL superioR. 11 18 73-414-118-1118 |
"This looks like a phone number of those use and throw phone." Pooja said. Captain Abhimanyu handed me his phone, and I dialed the number with shaking hands, and put the speaker on.
Color" Someone said as soon as he picked up the phone, but to my disappointment it was not Rajveer sir's voice. Everyone in the room looked confused, by what the person had just said.
"What?" Yudi questioned, but before the stranger had the chance to answer I said "Red"
"Heartbeat" He said.
"Dance" I replied, felling my heart beat increase.
"Truth"
"Naveen"
"Last one...war" He said
"hope" I blurted out.
"I can't tell you where we are before you solve this next clue." The person on the other side said.
"We. You mean captain Rajveer is with you?" I questioned not being able to hold back.
"I cannot tell you but write this down and solve it within 24 hours to find out." The person on the other side said, and I saw Captain Abhimanyu picking up a pad and a pen from the corner of my eyes.
"A place where wishes come true. Someplace right in front of you but you cannot see. A place that is open to all with hearts. A place where even after you leave, you stay" With that the person cut the phone. I just looked at my friend who were looking confused.
"What was the words at the beginning of you conversation." Yudi finally asked. "Mine and Rajveer sir's code" I answered. A moment of silence followed again.
"Well I will take this letter to the town to get this handwriting checked. You all try to solve this" He said handing Huda the paper with the writing. With that all 7 of us exited the office, with determination to find out what is happening.
This is very long update. Hope you all enjoyed it. Keep commenting, and comment down below if you think you know the place.
Thanks a ton
Misha😉
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