" What do you think Gunny? What exactly Lala meant by " All round review program" ??" , Raj asked, while they were having there usual discussion session in Gunny's room this time, while they waited for Abhimanyu to come.
" Its sounding more or less like appraisals Raj...don't know...", gunny quipped , " but... All round review..ummm..somehow to me it seems more to it than what it is that is apparent.."
" Hmmm...", Raj seconded, " Meaning a step ahead of appraisals...where not only Cadets, but faculty will also be tested.."
" Well...", Abhi entered, " Here you go...the format of All round review program.."
He said handling out the paper to them..
" So...mentor and protege pairs again?" , Raj asked.
Abhimanyu nodded.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BC was presiding over the assembly in assembly hall...
" Cadets, as you all have been already informed, we have decided to continue with the mentor and protege pairs...Each of the mentor and proteges will be assigned their tasks...They will be notified accordingly... SO...the mentor and protege pairs are..."
" Haii rabba...muchchad nahiii...muchhad nahi..pllzzz babaji...iss baar toh mere settings change kardo plz..", pooja muttered..
While Aalekh cursed " saala..." thinking, first of his mentor was that psycho mogambo and second was the Spy Dr. Ritu...
he wondered what was in store for him this time.
" Cadet Pooja and Subhedar Lolita Sen.."
'Bach gayi..', thought pooja, though lolita maam wasnt a great option either...
" Cadet Ali and Subhedar Suri.."
Ali gave a big smile to Suriji.
"Cadet Yudi and Dr. Shalini"
They both smiled at each other...
"Cadet Huda and Major Nair"
' O mummyjiii nahhiii...', Huda nearly shrieked while others tried not to laugh.
" Cadet Naina and Captain Rajveer.."
Raj winked at her, only to be noticed by her..
" And Cadet Aalekh and Captain Abhimanyu..."
Abhimanyu gave a sly smile to Aalekh which he returned with a small,lopsided one...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Next day...
Sharp at 800 hours, mentors and proteges were having some heart to heart talk, before the officers presiding over All round review arrived..
" Oye khotya...tu mera peecha hi karta rahega ya meri koi madad bhi karega?"
" Suriji...hamein review program ki taiyyari bhi karni hai na.."
" Oye nalayak na ho toh...tu pehle yeh lassi ghot...review shiwew hum baad mein dekhenge..."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
" So...Cadet Aalekh...All set???", Abhimanyu asked, a challenge shining in his eyes..
" Apun hamesha se taiyyar hai sir..."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
" kab se apna hi ringtone baja rahi...mera sms toh iske inbox mein jaane se raha..", pooja muttered.
" Come again, Cadet", Lolita asked sternly.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
" Cadet Huda, aap poore 5 min late ho...Army mein tum jaise nikamme aur nakare soldiers ki koi zaroorat nahi.."
" oh maaf bhi kardo sirjee..main toh bass aahi raha tha ki meri nazar captain sir aur phoolan...mera matlab hai Naina par padi..."
Nair seemed interested..
" Kya strategy hai unki?"
" Woh Sir, main bass sun hi raha tha ki mujhe yaad aaya ki main late horaha hu..toh main..."
Nair scowled...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
" Oh I'm so glad Yudi, that we are paired !!! now i cant wait to perform better...and thank god its not Huda !! naak mein dumm kar rakha tha.."
yudi laughed, " So...all the best maam !!"
" All the best..! "
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
" Raj, aapko kya lagta hai, humein kya task diya jayega?"
When she didnt get any reply, she turned sideways, to see Raj staring at her..,
"Kya hua?"
" Cadet Singh, aap bhul rahi ho ki hum iss waqt under surveillance hai...agar galati se bhi kisine aapko mujhe Raj bulate huye sunliya toh...u know what I mean ?"
" Oopss..!", Naina bit her tongue, " Sorry Sir."
"Better...!!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
" Sir, iss all round review program se hum kya haasil kar lenge?"
"Tum utna hi socho jitni tumhari haisiyat hai Major...Baaki sab humpe chod do...Jaisa hum keh rahe hai karte jao..", Lala growled at Major Nair.
"Sorry Sir."
"Tumhe kisi task ke bahane yaha se bahar bheja jayega...detention centre...waha pe Maj.Bhargav tumhe further instructions denge...Dont forget kaam tumhe stipulated time period mein khatam karna hai...warna anjaam toh tum achchi tarah se jaante ho."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Though Major. Nair left for detention centre for his own work, but it was a great relief for cadets in academy...all except one ! His protege...Cadet Huda.. Nair was not ready to co-operate even a bit and transfer information to Huda required to make his assignment, as per the task assigned to their pair. Huda was in deep trouble and was thinking hard. Finally he went to his saviour...Captain Rajveer..
Rajveer chuckled as he listened to him.
" Sir ji main yaha museebat mein hu aur aap muskura rahe ho !"
" Cadet Huda", Raj smiled, " Believe me...iss problem ka solution aaphi ke paas hai... kuch Hudagiri hojaye !!"
" Oye terii !!", Huda exclaimed " Thank you sirjee...ab bass aap dekhte jaaiye..!"
Rajveer winked.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Subhedar Lolita was applying balm on her forehead. These new cadet recruits for the appraisals were putting her on edge..All these years she had single handedly managed girl cadets..but these girls! She was fixing a head-band for extra effect when pooja entered.
" Cadet Pooja...just where the hell were you?"
" Mera handset to yahi tha ji..main kab out of reach huyi?"
" Come again cadet.."
" I mean...i was here only maam.."
" Ek toh nayi cadets ne mere naak mein dum kar rakha hai..", she huffed.
" Sorry maam...par aapka handset na outdated hogaya hai...yeh toh ye baat hogayi ki android ke jamane mein purana Nokia leke ghum rahe hai.."
" Cadet Pooja", Lolita was clearly frustrated, " Kya aap legible language mein baat kar sakti hai?"
" I mean to say maam, hostel ka security system bahot hi out dated hogaya. Koi bhi hostel ke rules break kar sakta hai..kitni baar toh hamare dusre simm cards aapko bina khabar lage hamare room mein aate jaate hai..", she bit her tongue as she realised she have revealed too much.
But Lolita was pondering on what Pooja said.
" What do you think Cadet, hum kya kar sakte hai.."
Pooja smiled, " I have a full plan with extra data packs on this problem!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Orderlies finally shut down the ringing alarms.. The new brats once again tried to get out of the hostel after light outs but were caught, much to Lolita's pleasure.
" Oye punjaban, lekin ab tum dono hostel se kaise nikloge? Aur hum log kaise andar aayenge?", Huda posed a genuine problem.
" Oye hudde...Guru chele ke handset ko kitna bhi update karde, par sofware ka higher version apne pass hi rakhta hai", Pooja winked.
" Oye hoye meri punjaban, chaa gayi tu toh !!", he patted her.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
" O sirjee..koyi na..agar aap busy ho toh theek hai...woh toh Captain Rajveer mujhse keh rahe the ki mera toh haarna tay hai..aur mera assignment bhi up to the mark nahi hoga..", Huda phoned nair.
" Kya matlab hai tumhara Cadet Huda? Kehna kya chahte ho?"
" Mujhe lagta hai sir ki Captain Rajveer shayad aapko underestimate kar rahe hai..aur unhe lagta hai ki hum yeh assign...", he didnt need to complete but..
" Just Shut up Cadet Huda, main bhi dekhta hoon ki kaun humein harata hai.."
Hail Hudagiri...!!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Rajveer was pacing his room tensed when Naina barged in.
" kya hua Raj? Aap bahot tense lag rahe ho."
" Woh Naina..", Rajveer didnt know how to put forth.
" Yeh aapke haath mein kya hai?", she pulled a paper out of his hand, "hamara assignment?"
Naina understood the reason of his tension as she went through the assignement.
Rajveer was standing at the window facing out...lines of worry clearly marke d on his forehead..
Naina placed a hand on his shoulder, " Raj..", she coaxed him.
" Meri ore dekho toh sahi...", she turned him towards herself.
" Naina tum waha akeli kaise jaogi? Aur tumhari safety ka kya? Abhi bhi khatra tala nahi hai...kahi tum kisi museebat mein pad gayi toh? No...i dont care about these appraisals, but tum waha akeli nahi jaaogi."
" I'm highly disappointed Raj...Ek taraf mere Mentor hai...jo kehte hai Just believe in yourself, Cause i believe in you cadet Naina Ah' Singh.. Aur ek taraf mere husband hai, jo mujhpe jara bhi trust nahi karte."
" Just stop it right there", Raj pointed a finger at her , " Don't try these tricks on me. Tum kahi nahi ja rahi ho, samajh gayi tum."
She kissed him softly on his cheek.
" Main chahe kahi bhi rahu, par mere Rajveer sir ki nazar mujh par hi rahegi.", she whispered in his ear, "Raj please. Main apna poora dhyan rakhungi. Sabhi problems se dur rahungi, Promise !"
" Par problems ka kya cadet? Woh toh aapke peeche hi aayegi..", Raj sighed, " anyways, agar tumhe jaana hai toh meri ek shart hai."
" Shart? Kaisi shart?"
" you will have to give me full quota of kisses required for my survival in your absence.", Raj said naughtily.
" Rajj !!!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Raj was constantly in touch with Naina. She had to go to a forest camp, 300 kms away from Ambala to finish their task. Raj had to guide her sitting here in the academy. It was like Naina was his eyes, ears, hands, legs...while he was her Brain.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ali was checking the boxes of grocery indented by the mess. He found one box extra.
" Yeh kaunsa box hai? List mein toh iska mention nahi hai."
" Isse humne magwaya hai cadet.", Appraisal officer said, " It has commodities of our requirements."
" Maaf kijiyega Sir, but basic inspection ke baad hi yeh box andar ja sakta hai."
" You are denying your senior, Cadet !"
" Sorry sir, but hum bass apni duty nibha rahe hai.", Ali said as he opened the box.
It had nothing but talcum powder packets and stones. Ali understood at once that this was his surprise test.
" Well done cadet !"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It was one whole day Rajveer was not being able to establish a connection with Naina. She was sent on a local patrol along with her team. She couldn't inform Raj since it was formulated on emergency basis. Their team was supposed to return 3 hrs back but had not returned yet. What added to his worries was none of the authorities there were giving him clear information.
He immediately grabbed his cell-phone as it rang.
" Captain Rajveer?"
" Yes?"
" Major Bakshi here. We have to inform you that, unfortunately the team sent on parol was attacked. The members have been injured.."
Rajveer's heart skipped a beat.
" Nain.. i mean cadet Naina?"
" Ahh...actually Captain...Cadet Naina apni team saath nahi lauti...unka kuch pata..."
" WHAAATTT? What the hell? What do you mean?"
" Calm down Captain...humne search parties bheji hai...jaise hi humein kuch information milegi, we'll inform you."
" I'm coming.."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Rajveer ran towards artillery room. He ordered the orderlies to open it, but they were under strict surveillance and were not ready to open without Brigadier's permission. Rajveer was at the end of his wits. Before he could do anything, Cadet Ali came there.
" Kya baat hai Sir?"
" Ali, just open the artillery room.", Ali was the acting incharge of the artillery rrom, since it came under Subhedar Suri.
" Sir, BC ka permission letter..."
" Mere paas in sab bakwaas keliye time nahi hai Ali...", Rajveer was clearly panicked, " Naina is in danger."
That was enough for Ali. He understood the gravity of situation.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
She had entered one secluded hut in quest of saving herself from the attack.
She wondered what such advanced medical equipments were doing in that remote hut when she got a shock of her life...!!! But before she could react, she felt a cold metal touch the nape of her neck.
" Kaun ho tum?", the person holding the gun was clearly inexperienced, " Aur yaha kya kar rahi ho?"
Naina hit her hand and pushed the person hard. The person fell on the ground and before she knew it, she was in Naina's tight hold...
" Guards...!! Guards...!!", the lady screamed.
"Listen..", Naina shut that lady's mouth forcefully by puuting her hand, " I'm not enemy...Yeh..Yeh mere bhaiya hai..."
The lady looked at her shocked.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Arjun
13