Guys I'm really sorry it's taken so long, actually I've been travelling so haven't had access to the net, here's the next part!
**
As Naina repacks their bags on the afternoon of the last day she sighs a little wistfully, looking out their window at the wonderful view. Having been banned from helping with the packing, Raj lies on his back on the bed, watching her with a smile on his face.
"You never know, maybe my next posting will be in Shimla." He tells her, trying to cheer her up.
Naina smiles at this, imagining it. "I haven't even thought about where your next posting might be yet." She tells him, "I've gotten so used to KMA and everyone there…"
"I know, I would miss them as well if we left." Raj replies, "Not just Abhi and Sherry and Shalini, but all of the cadets. It's difficult to leave friends behind every time you get a new posting, and I know it will be hard on you too."
"As long as I have you with me I'll be fine," Naina tells him, knowing that it sounds soppy but unable to find any other way to phrase her feelings.
"Come here," he tells her, patting the bed beside him, and she gives him a look.
"We're going to be late to check out." Naina tells him seriously.
"Just come here," Raj tells her, smiling gently and she does so, sitting on the bed beside him. Taking her hand, he tugs her down so that she's lying beside him, her head resting on his shoulder, one hand on his chest, just above his heart. He settles his arm around her waist and they lie like that for a minute before he kisses her forehead and loosens his grasp.
"Okay, you can finish packing now." He tells her with a grin, and she shakes her head at his playfulness, pushing him slightly as she gets off the bed to resume packing.
"You really are adorable, you know." She tells him with a grin and he gives her one in return.
As she steals quick glances at him, seeing that he's doing the same, she can't help but smile. So much has changed between them in these five days, there's now nothing standing between them, no distances and no awkwardness. Naina is incredibly glad that they decided to wait until the right time, until they truly knew each other, loved each other. There is something special about what they share, a bond deepened by understanding and the shared sorrow they have gone through.
They will be returning to KMA today, but one thing she's certain of is that they're not the same people they were when they left.
**
They arrive back at the academy half an hour before lights out, Naina has college again the next day and Raj has to work so they had wanted to arrive back in time to be rested for the next morning. They've just changed their clothes when they hear a soft knock at the front door and Raj opens it to see Sherry standing there.
"You really have learnt to knock," he tells her, amusement clear on his face.
She shrugs, "Considering you've just come back from your honeymoon I was afraid what I might find if I just walked in." she tells him, causing him to turn scarlet red.
Naina tries not to laugh at this, but at the same time she realises that the sentence seems to lack Sherry's usual spark. Her sister-in-law seems dull, a bit distracted and slightly lost. Coming inside the room she impulsively hugs her brother before crossing over to Naina and hugging her as well.
"I hope you two had a good time." She tells them, "We didn't miss you at all."
From the tone of her voice, Naina knows that she's only saying that so that they won't worry. There's something wrong, she knows there is. When they had left, it had seemed as if Sherry was recovering some of her spark, as if she was finally becoming happy. Now it seems as if she has returned to the way she used to be, only that this time she's less angry and more… defeated.
"Well we missed you." Naina told her, "In fact we brought you a gift back, I hope you like it."
Searching through the suitcase she finds the package and hands it over. Sherry opens it carefully, smiling when she sees the brightly woven hair band and the silver earrings that they've bought her.
"You really didn't have to," she tells them, "But they really are beautiful…" and she holds them in her hands as if they're the most precious gifts she's ever received.
Naina hugs her again, unable to stop worrying about what might be wrong. She had honestly hoped that things were improving, and now she worries that her and Raj going away for five days might have had a negative effect that…
There is another knock at the door, and as Raj opens it again, Naina watches the look on Sherry's face as she sees the new visitor. It is a look of such incredible sadness that Naina is genuinely shocked… turning to stare at Abhimanyu as he greets Raj, hugging him. She watches as his gaze drifts to Sherry while he greets Naina, a genuinely worried look in his eyes.
"Okay Bhaiyya, Bhabhie, Abhimanyu Sir, I should get to bed now." Sherry tells them all. "There's only a few minutes left until lights out and if I don't get there before hand I'll be due for a detention with Lolitaji."
Still holding her presents carefully she leaves the room, shutting the door behind her, and Naina watches as Abhimanyu's eyes trail after her, the same worried look on his face.
"So how was Shimla?" he asks them, a bright smile plastered on his face that doesn't quite meet his eyes. "Is it as beautiful as I remember it to be?"
"Even more beautiful if you're on your honeymoon." Raj tells him cheerfully, "It has a special type of magic."
"Well I'm glad that you two enjoyed yourselves then," Abhi tells them, "You both deserved a good break after everything that happened. While you were gone I kept thinking about that time you, Navin and I went camping, Raj. Do you remember we had planned so many things to do together, trips to take together…" he becomes nostalgic, lost in the moment, a far away look in his eyes.
Raj sighed sadly, "We had so many plans… how were we to know that none of them would ever work out?"
They all stand in silence for awhile before Abhimanyu grimaces, "And I see that I've completely made the mood depressing with my arrival, so I think it's time that I leave." He tells them, "Raj, we'll have a meeting tomorrow morning before classes start if you come to my room…"
"Sure, I'll meet you there first thing." Raj tells him, and bidding them goodnight, Abhimanyu leaves.
Raj looks at the closed door for a moment after he has locked it behind Abhi.
"You know sometimes I wonder… should I tell him the truth?" he asks Naina, "Would he ever forgive me?"
"I forgave you," Naina tells him quietly, "My parents forgave you. I know that Abhimanyu would forgive you too if he knew what the circumstances were… you didn't have any choice."
"But in the end… I was the one who pulled the trigger." Raj tells her seriously, "I was the one who made the ultimate decision to kill Navin… I could've refused him… reasoned with him."
"You were the one because you were the one that he chose." Naina replies, reaching out to take Raj's hand in hers. "He chose you because he trusted you to set him free, to end his suffering. I know Abhimanyu will understand that too."
"I miss him so much…" Raj tells Naina, "You know I always think what it would be like, if you and I were married and he was still alive… we would've been brothers-in-law, celebrated holidays together…"
"But would we have gotten married if Navin hadn't died?" Naina asks him thoughtfully, "We might never have even met each other."
"It's possible we wouldn't have…" Raj replies equally as thoughtfully, "But I would like to think that we would've. Navin once joked with me that he would get me married to his sister so that we could be related. I didn't take him seriously… told him to show me a picture of you first but he never did."
Naina ponders the possibilities at this moment… what all of their lives could've been like if her brother hadn't been trapped, accused, if he hadn't died.
But no matter what the possibilities are, they're stuck with the present that exists, and the only thing she can try to do is make that present as happy as possible.
**
The next morning while Raj is showering, Naina calls her mother, wanting her to know that they arrived back from their holiday safely.
"And you had a nice time, didn't you?" her mother asks her, "I'm so glad that you two were finally able to go for a holiday by yourselves… it was about time."
"Yes Ma, we had a nice time." Naina tells her, trying not to blush and glad that her mother can't see her. "Shimla was beautiful and we did so much sightseeing, it was very relaxing too."
"Just as long as you're happy," her mother tells her, "Just stay this way forever."
"I hope I'll be able to Ma… you know last night we were talking about Navin and," Naina suddenly remembered something she had been meaning to ask her mother for a long time now. "Ma, this might seem like a strange question, but did Navin ever talk to you about having a girlfriend? Just before everything happened I mean."
Her mother laughed at this, a little sadly. "Navin never told me about his girlfriends… but now that you mention it… I do remember… shortly before he was arrested he had been hinting to me that there was someone he would like us to meet. He never told us her name, but he said that he had met her in Ambala."
"Did he say anything else at all??" Naina asks her desperately, "Anything that might help us work out who the girl was?"
"Just let me try to remember…" Naina's mother tells her, "You know when I asked where he met her, he told me that it was at a hospital…"
"Hopefully that will be useful, Ma." Naina tells her, "Anything else?"
"I think that maybe he brought her to his alumni night…" Naina's mother says as if suddenly remembering, "He had been talking about it, and when I asked if he had a date, he told me of course he did."
This is the best news that Naina has received in a long time, because if the girl had come to the alumni night then it's possible that somebody at KMA would've seen her, would recognise her.
"Thank you very much, Ma. I'll call you again soon." Naina tells her.
For the first time in a long time they have a new lead… now all they have to do is find somebody who would've seen the girl and be willing to tell them about her.
**
Anybody could've guessed that something had happened, Pooja hadn't stopped grinning since the day before, and even Ali seemed shyly happy, although he was always less demonstrative about his feelings.
And so it was bound to be trouble when while both Huda and Ali were heading back to the table with their lunches, Huda took the seat next to Pooja. Pooja just stared at him, while Ali stood there, lunch plate in his hands.
"Hudabhai, enough is enough." Ali finally told him, "Please leave Pooja alone now."
"And who's going to make me?" Huda asked him, drawling lazily. "Do you have some claim on her that I don't?"
"No… I…" Ali stuttered, making Pooja sigh in disappointment, guessing that he was never going to say anything. "Yes… I do…." He abruptly said, changing his mind. "So get up from the seat."
Huda just stared at him in disbelief, "I don't think I've gotten it yet, Osool." He tells him mischievously, "You'll have to be a bit more clear."
"Oy, haven't you understood yet, you unwanted caller?" Pooja asked him, "Ali and I have a special connection, now get out of my network so that I can accept his incoming."
The entire table stared at them both before breaking out into applause, even Sherry brightened up, smiling genuinely for the first time in two days. Huda whistled at them, gladly getting up from his seat and shifting to the one next to Sherry which she sighed at slightly in a half fed up way.
"See, I knew you could do it, Osool." He told him in a very proud tone, "Some of my personality had to rub off on you eventually."
"Hudabhai… all of this?" Ali asked him, staring back at all of their grins.
"Well… Huda's personality is such that he likes to do favours for his friends." Huda says, obviously expecting them to thank him for his generosity.
Ali just shakes his head in disbelief and takes his seat next to Pooja, beginning to eat his meal.
It is later on, when they've almost finished eating and are chatting about the next class, that Sherry spots Abhimanyu enter the canteen and look around as if searching for somebody. Hurriedly she excuses herself, heading out through the nearest door. It is this movement that catches Abhi's eye and he follows her quickly, catching up to her in the mostly deserted hallway.
"Sherry, wait!" he calls out to her, and she stops almost reluctantly, turning to face him.
"I have to get some books from my room before class," she tells him, "You know how Lolitaji is… if we don't know the exact date that some award or other was started it's a national tragedy."
"I know you're giving me excuses," he replies, his eyes searching her face, "You're avoiding me again and I don't know why, I have no idea what I've done. Just tell me what it is so that I can fix it."
"You haven't done anything," Sherry tells him tiredly, "Trust me… whatever problems there are… they're only mine. It's not you and it's never been you, it's always been me."
Her reply just confuses him even more, and when she turns to go he reaches out to stop her, grasping her shoulders in his hands, his eyes fixed on her face.
"I know it's got something to do with me," he tells her, "And even if it is more about you… you're still avoiding me. I need to know what's wrong, I need to know what it is so that I can try to make it better."
"You can't make it better." Sherry tells him, "Nobody can… just… just give up." Her words come out harsher than she intended and he thinks he might see tears shining in her eyes. "It was my fault, all of it, you never… it was all me."
"But what is it that's your fault, Sherry?" Abhi asks her desperately, "What is it that keeps making you run away, not only from me but from everyone? Why won't you trust me?"
"Because for that I would have to trust myself." She tells him, "And that's not possible anymore. Just please… give up on trying to save me. I know you've begun to feel responsible… and that's the last thing that I want to happen. I don't need anybody else to get caught up in this mess, especially not you."
For a second she looks at him as if she's struggling with something, and then suddenly she reaches up, and taking his hands gently removes them from her shoulders. She holds them for a moment, looking down at them, and then lets go, her hands slipping out of his grasp.
And then she walks away.
He wants to call out to her, stop her, make her turn around. Take her by her shoulders again and force her to stand there until she tells him what it is that he's done wrong and how he can make it better.
Most of all, he realises that he wishes he could hug her, hold her until whatever it is that is causing her so much pain goes away.
But he can't do this, can't do any of it, because that would mean creating a scene in the middle of the academy which is the last thing that Sherry needs right now.
But rapidly, he is beginning to lose the patience that he needs to find these things out. It pains him to see her like this and he has no idea how much longer he'll be able to endure it for.
Cursing under his breath, he turns and walks away in the direction of his own classroom, knowing that for the moment he can't do anything at all.
All the while unaware that another pair of eyes is watching him, filled with anger.
And as Huda watches Abhimanyu walk off, he thinks he finally knows why it is that Sherry is refusing to respond to him.
And now all he has to do is figure out what to do about it.
Kabhi Neem Neem Kabhi Shahad Shahad
Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah
Hindi TV Shows
Current Affairs
29