Conitnued
III
The cadets approached the main entrance of KMA. Before getting up on the jeep which was waiting for them, they looked back at the KMA complex. "Is it the last time they are seeing it?" the query was there in everyone's mind.
Naina remembered the first day she saw the building of KMA just like this, getting out of her car. She came here to prove her brother innocent. She is leaving without proving that. But KMA has taught her what real patriotism means, she has learned from here the meaning of trust and friendship. She has understood the meaning of sacrifice and love.
They got up on the jeep which took them to the bus-stand. Neelu was already waiting there with an SUV recently bought by her father. The other four cadets looked surprisingly at Yudi who was grinning with great satisfaction.
The SUV started to follow that fatal path to the place where the encounter took place, where some people mercilessly planned to kill Rajveer. That day it was sheer luck that cadets had got there exactly at the right time. Naina's heart had stopped when he saw Rajveer between the two guns. At that moment she also had remembered the truck incident few months back. Why she had wanted to kill him? And why did she not kill him?
As they arrived at the spot, Alekh asked the driver to stop. All of them got down and silently roamed around. No sign of that encounter was visible. All dead bodies and vehicles had been removed. The area seemed forsaken by living beings, except for few birds flying over the sky. Naina stopped walking and tried to breathe in the air deep into her lungs, as if she wanted to fill herself with the fragrance of Rajveer still lingering in the air.
Yes, she could feel it.
Naina went through the wreckage of the old fort and passed through opening to the other side. She slowly walked around looking at all the sides until she recognized the exact spot where they stood and hugged each other. The poor girl slowly knelt down and picked up a handful of soil from that spot. She raised her hand and let the soil freely fall on her head and face to feel the love of Rajveer showering on her. She remembered how he confessed his love for her – half way, the "py" stuck in his throat and "ar" flowing from his tearful eyes. The "Pyar" that burned inside him, God knows since when.
, " Izhaar bina Pyar kitna dard deta hai , yeh sirf saccha pyar karne wale hi jaante, " mused Naina as she collected another handful of the soil , most sacred for her and put in a small purse iin her backpack.
That day she had to stop him, She could not let him go without accepting his love. She could still feel his trembling hand under her strong grip. She could still feel how under her grip Rajveer submitted, how they understood that each of them needed the other. How they came into each others arm . How fiercely they clung to each other. How the bullet pierced through his arm but through her heart. How she had to let him go and drive away into that blast and fire.
After a week, now she was not so much sure now that Rajveer had really visited her in the infirmary that night.
"Naina utho , hum sab niche jaenge jahan wo jeep hai , " Pooja called Naina and gave her hands to her. Naina looked up, her eyes were red and swollen with tears. She got up and the two girls hugged each other.
All the cadets got down the side of the bridge right near the spot where the carcass of the burnt jeep remained.
Naina lovingly touched the jeep and caressed the bare rods and wheels. Suddenly this cold iron structure seemed to the most loving thing in the world. They bore his last touch. She drew her fingers around the contour of the steering wheel and could feel his strong grip over there, How deftly he steered the vehicles. Suddenly the desire to be with Rajveer Sir swept over her whole being. It was so easy before. She never gave a second thought to it. Whenever she needed him , she had run to his room, pestering him with silly questions. He had been always so patient with her. He had been always by her side. How would she face the reality now. Oh how? Why it always happens with her?
All the cadets spread out the tricolor over the jeep and put flowers over it They went round the remains of the vehicle seven times, chanting the mantra Rajveer taught them - no matter what, they will uphold the glory of their motherland.
Naina slowly drifted away from the others. Suddenly a thought came to her mind. "Suppose it is true, RAjveer Sir did visit me in the infirnery and he is alive "
Then somewhere he must have left some clue, some indication about his future whereabouts.
She walked along the stone wall of the bridge carefully putting her feet on the ground so that she doesn't fall. As she passed by the trees, there, she suddenly saw a letter C written on the tree. She quickly went to the next tree leaving one in between. Rajveer had shared the coding secret with her. The letter H stared back at her. A gap of two trees brought her to the next letter. – B.
C-H-B.
C-H-B
Chaubey. Lt. Chaubey .
Naina started smiling as she ran back to join the other cadets.
Anupamaa
29