New LRL fic: ’Fated’ updt pg 14 - Page 5

hey too good

pl cntinue soon

yar m seriously addicted to your story,... its simply too good..plzz update soon

wow.. awesome.. i just caught up with the last three parts.. mindblowing story.. please continue soon.. i hope dhiraj is fine.. and asha finds him soon.. i luv the way u incorporated the "not again" part.. that ws fab.. update reaaaalllly soon plzzzzzz..

Hey guys, thank you for the great comments! And for Fiza, sorry but at the moment there's no plans to start a new fic, two are more than enough to keep me way too busy! As for Hussein's gf, her identity will be revealed later!

Chapter 12

Another mission, and once again they are together.

He watches her apply the war paint expertly, check her gear, her rifle. She really is the perfect soldier, focused, determined, professional.

Aalekh wonders how many of the soldiers under her command know the real secret for her dedication, that it's not her only purpose in life, her reason for living.

Her soldiers respect her, he can see it in their eyes. They respect her for her capabilities and also because they know she'll do her best to get them back alive.

Naina looks up, her eyes meeting his and her lips form something that is almost a smile.

"Ready?" she asks him and Aalekh nods.

Because just as she will do her best to bring her team back alive, he will do his to ensure that she also returns with them.

Whether she wants to or not.

**

Aalekh stood at attention as they formally fare welled Brigadier Kumar while welcoming his replacement, ensuring that his face didn't betray his emotions. It was difficult to hide the sense of relief he had from the familiar presence that had just arrived.

It was only once the formalities had ended and Brigadier Kumar had departed that Aalekh allowed himself to smile, saluting his new base commandant.

"It's good to have you with us, Sir." Aalekh tells him.

"What's this 'sir' business, Aalekh?" Abhimanyu asked him, "We've known each other for so long and you still won't call me by my first name."

"Don't mind it, Abhimanyu Sir." Aalekh tells him, "But while I'm on duty you're Brigadier Chauhan to me."

"I still can't get used to the sound of it…" Abhimanyu tells him, "It reminds me of BC, in fact according to my initials, I'm also BC." He grimaced slightly at the thought and Aalekh struggled not to smile.

"We have quite a few things to discuss, Sir." Aalekh tells him, wanting to bring up the topic as soon as possible.

"Yes, foremost of which is this missing officer, Captain Dhiraj Kapoor. We'll have to begin efforts to rescue him as soon as possible. Has any mission been launched yet?" Abhimanyu asks as they walk towards the officers' quarters.

"Sort of." Aalekh tells him, not quite sure how else to phrase it.

" 'Sort of'? What on earth are you talking about, Aalekh?"

"Well when Brigadier Kumar announced that no rescue operation would be launched immediately, four lieutenants took it upon themselves to rescue him and left the base without permission late yesterday." Aalekh informs Abhimanyu, waiting for his reaction.

"Oh god, this is the last thing that I need as soon as I arrive on base." Abhimanyu groaned, "Tell me something, are they KMA pass outs by any chance?"

"Well… one of them is."

Abhimanyu looks at Aalekh's face and then sighs. "Hussein is with them, isn't he?" he asks.

Aalekh just nods.

"He's exactly like his parents." Abhimanyu comments, shaking his head in disbelief.

"Yes, he is." Aalekh remarks, unable to keep the pride out of his voice.

"Well don't think that just because he's Ali and Pooja's son he's not going to be punished along with the rest of them." Abhimanyu remarks, "I can't be soft on him just because he's the son of friends, now get a proper rescue prepped and I'll see these lieutenants once they're back on base."

"I'll make a bet with you Sir, that not only will these lieutenants successfully return with Captain Kapoor, but that the moment you see them you'll no longer want to punish them." Aalekh tells him with a small smile. "And I'll start those preparations but I'm sure that I'm going to win this bet… we've got two best cadet pass outs in that group."

"Fine, let's see who wins this bet then." Abhimanyu tells him, "I hope you're right about their success in the mission, but just in case you're not… let's go and start planning right now…"

**

For the past three hours they've been following a trail of clues and markings, moving slowly as Asha tries to find the correct path.

"I never realised she was so good at this." Amiya remarks to Hussein, "I mena we never had that much experience of it at the academy."

"I think Asha was born to be a soldier," Hussein tells Amiya, knowing that she won't understand the real depth behind his words. He remembers his parents' stories about her well, about what it was like to go on missions with her after graduation, her dedication and the way she inspired the soldiers under her command.

"We're definitely close now," Asha announces, "Everybody stay alert, I expect that he's somewhere in this area." She has taken a leadership role easily with no hesitation at all, something that Amiya marvels at, knowing that she herself is not ready to do any such thing.

It is after five minutes of searching the area thoroughly when they hear a shout from Vijay. Forgetting about caution, Asha runs to the spot where she can now see Vijay kneeling, her heartbeat pounding in her ears so loudly that she can't hear any other sound and there, lying partially hidden from view, is Captain Dhiraj.

Asha falls to her knees beside him, frantically searching for a pulse and only relaxing slightly when she finds one, weak yet nevertheless there. There's a shallow wound on his forehead and a blood soaked cloth tied around a wound on his head. Under her fingers on his wrist she can feel him burning with fever but he's alive, and that's what matters, Asha mutters a prayer of thanks under her breath, unable to express how relieved she really is.

"Get the stretcher ready." Asha calls out and Hussein removes the compacted stretcher from his pack, readying it along with Vijay. Asha has just turned around to check on their progress when Dhiraj stirs and before she can react he's grabbed the wrist of her hand, his gaze focused on her but feverish, unclear.

"Sir, it's alright, we've come to take you back." Asha tries to tell him reassuringly but his grip on her wrist doesn't loosen. Instead he opens his mouth to speak, his voice hoarse form a lack of water.

"You've come for me, Naina." He tells her, his gaze suddenly intense, more focused. "I knew you would."

"I will always come for you, Sir." Asha tells him fervently, "No matter what, I will always come for you."

Vijay and Hussein shift him onto the stretcher before lifting it between them. Dhiraj still hasn't let go of Asha's wrist even as his gaze wavers, his eyelids closing and she gnetly loosens his gingers before placing his arm to rest on the stretcher. Taking the water bottle out of her bag, she supports his head, pouring a little into his mouth slowly, knowing that he must be dehydrated.

They finally set off and as Asha pulls the radio out of her bag, ready to contact the base and let them know that they've found Captain Kapoor, she notices Amiya looking at her strangely.

"What is it?" she asks her friend even as she begins preparing the radio.

"Didn't you notice that Captain Kapoor called you by another name?" Amiya asks her.

"Did he?" Asha asks because honestly in the relief of finding him, she can't remember what he might have said, but she had been sure that he had called her by her name.

Asha doesn't have time to worry about it now, so she makes the call back to base, and as she begins to speak, Dhiraj's eyes once again open and he looks around, obviously disturbed, only calming when he spots her.

"You'll always come…" he murmurs weakly, before his eyes close once again, obviously not fully aware of what he's saying.

Asha places a hand on his head, smoothing back sweaty hair from his forehead almost tenderly.

"Just relax now, Sir, we're taking you back." She tells him and his eyes finally close properly as he falls asleep with her still smoothing his hair.

And Asha finally makes the call.

**

Aalekh and Abhimanyu stand near the entrance to the base, waiting for their return. Abhimanyu has insisted on being there, intending to check on the injured soldier and tell off the lieutenants himself. As Aalekh watches Captain Samir pace back and forth, he remains tight lipped, having no idea how his mentor will react when he finds out. However there's no way he can tell Abhimanyu the truth now, what would he say, that really it's Naina who has gone to rescue Captain Rajveer? Aalekh can just imagine the reaction he could get to that. He knows… that it's a truth that has to be seen to be believed.

Finally the jeep pulls up, and Hussein is the first to climb out, grabbing one end of the stretcher and followed by Vijay who grabs the other. Abhimanyu hasn't spotted Asha as yet because her face is currently obscured as she bends over the stretcher checking on Dhiraj's state. Hussein hands over his end of the stretcher to the medical staff and steps forward, Amiya comes to stand next to Hussein, a nervous expression on her face as she sees Colonel Sharma standing along with a man who is obviously the new Brigadier. Samir rushes forward towards the stretcher, calling out Dhiraj's name and bending over him.

"It looks like the new Brigadier arrived while we were gone," Amiya whispers to Hussein, "And now he's come personally to welcome us back, how nice of him."

"Uh, hi Uncle Abhimanyu." Hussein says, sounding a bit nervous and Amiya gapes, looking from him to the Brigadier and back again.

"Exactly how many of our commanding officers are you going to call uncle?" she asks him in an undertone, "Is there anybody that you're not related to?"

"Don't you 'Uncle Abhimanyu' me, Hussein, do you have any idea how many rules you've broken?" Abhimanyu tells him strictly. "What am I supposed to tell your parents when I'm forced to punish you?"

"I'm sorry," Hussein tells him, "But I know Ammi and Abu will understand, and I know that you will too… they would've done the same thing."

"They did do the same thing…" Aalekh mutters.

Samir is still bent over Dhiraj trying to get a response out of him, his face blocking Asha's and it is when Dhiraj finally reacts, grabbing Asha's wrist yet again and starting to murmur that Abhimanyu receives the shock of his life.

"We're back on base now, Sir." Asha tells him, "We've brought you back safely, just as I promised we would."

And that voice…

He couldn't forget that voice even after twenty one years, and he knew he would never forget it even after one hundred. Because it's the voice of one of two people that he truly failed in life, that no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't save or help.

It was Naina's voice… Naina who had been Navin's sister, who had been Raj's love…

The moment that she looks up, her wrist still in Dhiraj's grasp, her eyes meet Abhimanyu's and he's not sure whether his heart is breaking or mending, or whether in one moment it has mended and broken all over again. Because the eyes are the same, and the determination in them…

And suddenly seeing the expression on Aalekh's face, the slight nod in the direction of the stretcher, he steps forward, barely able to control himself, hide his emotions, because he doesn't think he could handle it if he was wrong, doesn't think that his heart would be able to stand the disappointment if it's not…

But there, injured and bleeding and clearly in only a half conscious state is Raj… and for one moment his eyes open and he looks directly at Abhimanyu.

"What are you doing here?" Raj asks him, a look of confusion on his face, and Abhimanyu knows that in this feverish state, Raj at least half remembers him.

And as the medical staff carry the stretcher away towards the infirmary, Abhimanyu can only stand there and watch it go, unable to speak a word.

And Aalekh has won the bet, because Abhimanyu no longer wants to punish the lieutenants, he wishes that he could hug all of them instead.

Because after a twenty five year wait, they've managed to do what he could not. They've brought his best friend back alive.

brilliant brilliant brilliant!!! absolutely luuuuuvd this part.. ur the best.. yay!! dhiraj is back safe.. and abhi is also there now.. and he said naina and even remembered abhi is his delirious state.. looks like he's goin to recall his past life pretty soon.. wat abt asha.. she doesnt seem to be makin any progress there?? continue soon.. luvd it.. 👏

once again a rocking update so finally chauhan sahab ek bar phir ran ki kahani se a jure 😆 chalo ab post soon ..

Andrea - I've been a silent reader so far, but just wanted to let you know that I really enjoy reading this story, and your other current one - Ties that bind . Thanks!

Thanks for all the comments, guys! And thanks for letting me know that you like both of them, nameless! khnk_rox, well it will be awhile yet before they both remember, but little bits will definitely come to them at times!

Chapter 13

"You love her, don't you?" Abhimanyu had asked him.

He had looked up shocked, unable to believe that his friend had guessed the truth that he had concealed for so long. "What rubbish are you talking?" he asked him, "Of course I don't, I just…"

"I notice that you haven't asked who I'm talking about." Abhi had replied, with a knowing look on his face that was at once sad and understanding.

His shoulders had sagged in defeat as he realised he had already given himself away. "Don't ask me this question," he had begged his friend, "Don't make me say it, because if I admit it even once…"

Abhimanyu had understood, he never asked ever again.

He didn't need to, he already had his answer.

**

For most of the last twenty five years, Abhimanyu had felt completely and utterly alone.

Oh he had married, had children too. He had kept in touch with his old cadets, seeing them as often as possible, but he had still been alone.

Because one by one, his friends had left him.

First it had been Navin, and then Raj, both of their lives tragically cut short. In the end, he was the only one of the three friends who had been left, the only one that remained alive.

And in the darkest moments… he had wished that it was the other way around, that it had been him who died and not Raj.

He had envied his ex-cadets in a way, although they had lost one of their best friends, they still had each other, friends who could truly understand each others' grief.

For the first four years after Raj's death he had tried to keep an eye on Naina, to ensure that nothing happened to her, to protect her for his friend's sake. But every time he saw her, she was further and further away than she had been the last time… detached, as if she had already left this world far behind and was preparing for the next one.

And when she had died too, he had failed once again, failed to protect the girl that his two best friends had loved the most, one as a sister and one as….

Even if Raj had never admitted it, Abhimanyu had known, oh he had known.

He had known every time he saw Raj look at her longingly, every time he would speak of her, every time he had that far away look in his eyes. He had known and he had been too much of a coward to pursue the matter, to convince his friend to speak about his feelings.

He had thought that there would be time.

He had thought they would have their whole lives together to be happy, and that he could be there also, a friend to them until the end.

How was he supposed to know that fate had other plans?

He walks to the infirmary intending to check on Raj… Dhiraj, to sit by him for awhile, to savour the sight of his friend in front of him after twenty five long years and then he sees her sitting there, and realises that he feels absolutely no surprise at all.

**

Asha had not been able to sleep. She had been trying for the last two hours, tossing and turning while she thought about him lying here in the infirmary. Finally she had realised that she wasn't going to get any sleep anytime soon and had quietly gotten out of bed, slipped on her chappals, put a shawl around her to protect her from the cold and came here to the infirmary.

Now she sat by his side, watching over him, unable to understand the immense feeling of relief she felt just to know that he was safe, that he was alive. She had never doubted that he would be alive, not even once, so then why had there been this fear that she wouldn't see him again, that she had lost him…

Asha placed a hand on his forehead, checking to see whether his fever had gone down or not and was relieved to see that it had subsided slightly. He was asleep, the result of the heavy dose of painkillers that they had him on. Unable to resist, Asha smoothed his hair from his face, thinking that he was probably overdue for a haircut. Dhiraj mumbled something in his sleep and she paused, hoping that she hadn't woken him up and removed her hand carefully.

She had just settled back in her seat to watch him again when she spotted the new Brigadier entering the room and quickly stood, saluting him.

Abhimanyu nodded in reply to her salute, allowing himself to take in the sight of her for the very first time. She was the same… exactly the same. There was only one thing that was different to the last time he had seen her alive, that blank defeated look in her eyes had been replaced by the same fire and determination that he used to see in her.

"At ease, Lieutenant." He told her, "Asha Dutt, isn't it?"

"Yes Sir," Asha replied a bit nervously, "I just thought that I would check on Captain Kapoor…"

"You and the other lieutenants did a good job bringing him back," Abhimanyu told her, "But I hope you realise how many rules you broke in doing so."

"Yes Sir, I do, and I am fully prepared to face the consequences." Asha told him confidently, and Abhimanyu felt his pride in her increase, bringing back all the old memories.

"Well you'll learn of the consequences tomorrow, Lieutenant Dutt, or rather today, it's quite late, I think it's time that you went to bed for the night." He suggests to her, and Asha glances at the clock on the wall, not having realised that it was exactly that late.

"Good night then, Sir." She tells him, and with a last glance at Dhiraj, leaves the infirmary.

Abhimanyu sits in the chair that she vacated, looking down at his friend. He's just pouring himself a glass of water, when Dhiraj stirs, then opens his eyes, regarding Abhimanyu with a gaze that is clouded by the effects of the medication, unclear and confused.

Abhimanyu waits for him to speak, praying that Raj might remember him, that he might be able to recognise him.

"I had a dream about you." Dhiraj finally says, "You asked whether I loved her… and I couldn't tell you the truth."

And Abhimanyu feels like sobbing, because he remembers that very moment well. He remembers it and he wishes that that day he had pursued the matter, convinced Raj to admit his feelings, to tell her the truth. If he had, then might everything have turned out differently? Could there have been a happy ending?

"But I knew the truth," Abhimanyu tells him, "And that day I should've told you that it's alright to love her… that you have every right to love her."

"But I don't," Dhiraj replies tiredly, and Abhimanyu wonders whether it's Dhiraj or Raj who's speaking right now. "I can't love her… and I do… But I can't…"

"You do anyway, and you always will." Abhimanyu tells him, "You're not committing any crime, for god sakes allow yourself to be happy now at least."

Dhiraj smiles, and closes his eyes and Abhimanyu knows that he won't remember any of this conversation when he wakes up in the morning.

But Abhimanyu's heart felt lighter because finally he had been able to give the advice that he wished he had given twenty five long years ago.

**

Dhiraj opened his eyes in the morning and tried to sit up, stopped by the drip hanging out of his arm and a shocking lightheaded feeling. He looked around, and saw Samir sitting by his bed with a smile on his face.

"So I really made it back to base." Dhiraj commented, "I thought that it might have all been a dream and I would wake up in that jungle again."

"No you really made it back, you arrived late yesterday and have been pretty much out of it since then." Samir tells him, "You have no idea how relieved I was when they brought you in."

"Rehman? Is he fine?" Dhiraj asks, worrying about the health of his soldier.

"He's still in the infirmary but they removed the bullet with no problems and he's well on his way to recovery." Samir tells Dhiraj, and helps him to sit up, adjusting the pillows.

"Then how did I get back here?" Dhiraj asks him, "Did Brigadier Kumar send a rescue mission?"

"No…" Samir answers a bit reluctantly, "Actually four lieutenants left the base without permission to rescue you."

And Dhiraj suddenly remembers… Asha's face above his, telling him that she would always come for him… and she had shouted to warn him, throwing molatov cocktails… no, she hadn't, the memories were all mixed up, but he remembered… she had smoothed his hair back, and the clearest memory of all, was the feel of her fingers in his hair.

"Where is she?" Dhiraj asked suddenly, "She's fine isn't she?"

"Oh she's fine," Samir replies, not having to ask who it is that he's talking about, "They're all fine, but they're currently receiving their punishment for having left the base without permission to rescue you."

"Punishment? From Nair?" Dhiraj asks him confused, because that had already happened….

"Nair, who's Nair?" Samir asked him, equally confused, and Dhiraj realised that he had no idea who Nair was either, "Brigadier Chauhan is going to give them their punishment."

"Chauhan? But he's…" And Dhiraj suddenly stopped talking, holding his hand up to his head, unsure of where these thoughts were coming from, of who it was that he knew and didn't know.

"He arrived yesterday, and was going to send out a rescue mission to bring you back. Luckily we received news that you'd already been found and were on your way back before the proper rescue mission left."

"But they're being punished." Dhiraj remarked worriedly, "Punished for rescuing one of their commanding officers."

"Don't worry, I don't think that Brigadier Chauhan will be too hard on them." Samir reassures him, "We'll know soon enough what the result is."

Dhiraj wonders what it is that's happening to her right now, whether she's in some kind of difficulty during her rescue of him.

But at the same time, he can't stop thinking about it. She had come for him… she had told him that she would always come for him.

And he can still feel her fingers in his hair.

**

"Well it's not so bad," Amiya remarked to Asha as they did their packing. "After breaking so many rules we only received a one week suspension from duty, we would've gotten much worse under Brigadier Kumar."

"Still, a one week suspension… I think I would've preferred to be given solitary confinement." Asha groans, "Now I've got to go home, and you know how things are there…"

Amiya makes a face, "Even I'm worried about it, I know my father is going to be disappointed in me for getting in trouble so soon. Still, I'm sure he'll understand once I explain it."

"Well my parents are likely to use the whole thing as an excuse for trying to convince me to leave the army again." Asha told her, "Either that or try to get me engaged to Rajesh during this week…"

"Well there's no way we'll allow that to happen." Amiya tells her, "Hussein and I will come to your house and forcibly abduct you during your engagement ceremony. I'm sure we could even convince Vijay to come along." She grinned at the thought, thinking about how fun it would be.

"Oh don't worry Amiya, there's no way I'm going to let it get that far." Asha told her, "If it comes to that then I'm not too proud to come back to the base before I'm due and beg them to let me back in early."

"Are you almost done?" Amiya asks her, "My bag is already packed, I was thinking I would go and say goodbye to some friends before leaving."

"I'll be another couple of minutes," Asha tells her, "You go ahead."

Because Asha also knows that there is somebody she should say farewell to before she leaves, that if she doesn't see him at least once, see him awake and conscious, she won't be able to spend the next week in peace.

**

Amiya walks into the grounds and spots Samir exiting the infirmary.

"Sir!" she calls out, and looking over and spotting her, he smiles and walks towards her.

"How is Captain Kapoor now?" Amiya asks him, "Is he recovering well?"

"Dhiraj just woke up but he's going to be fine, he can't remember much of your rescue mission but he's at least talking coherently now." Samir tells her, at the same time looking relieved and very tired.

"I think you need to get some rest, Sir." Amiya says, sounding concerned, "You haven't slept much over the past couple of days, have you?"

"I certainly will," Samir assures her, "Now that Dhiraj is awake I'm thinking I'll go and catch up on some sleep, Colonel Sharma has given me permission to take the day off."

"Well I'll see you in a week, Sir." Amiya tells him, "We've been suspended temporarily so we're all heading home for that time."

"A week?" Samir asks her, "I mean, I knew you were going to be punished but… it will be strange not having you on base for a week."

Amiya grinned at this, "I know, Sir, but don't worry, we'll all be back in no time at all and ready to get into even more trouble."

Samir smiled back, "Well enjoy your holiday then…" he told her, "Although it is a suspension, it's a good chance to see your family."

"Definitely," Amiya agreed, "The only one I feel sorry for is Asha… I think that the last thing she wants right now is a chance to see her family." And then Amiya suddenly remembered something she had been wanting to ask Samir. "Do you know anybody called Naina?" she asks him.

"Naina?" Samir replied, confused. "No, why?"

"Because when we found Captain Kapoor, he called Asha 'Naina'." Amiya informs him, "I was wondering who Naina was."

"Well as far as I know, Dhiraj doesn't know any Naina either." Samir replies with a frown on his face, "However I could always be wrong, it's possible that I don't know all of his friends."

"Well I suppose it will have to remain a mystery for now," Amiya sighed and then gave Samir a bright smile, "Well I'll see you in a week then, Sir."

"I'll see you in a week, Lieutenant and thank you… for everything you did to bring Dhiraj back."

"It was no problem at all," Amiya reassures him, "I think that you understand very well that we'll do anything for our friends."

And Samir understands exactly what it is that she means.

**

Dhiraj has just closed his eyes, exhausted and needing to sleep when he hears a footstep, and automatically, before he even opens his eyes to check, he knows that it's her.

He would know her anywhere.

He opens his eyes and drinks in the sight of her, noticing that for once she's wearing casual clothes rather than her uniform, her hair pulled back in a pony tail rather than a braid.

"I didn't mean to wake you, Sir." She tells him quietly.

"I wasn't asleep." He replies, and she sits down in the chair next to his bed, pulling it slightly closer. Dhiraj thinks that even this small distance is too far, and wonders what has happened to him.

"Are you feeling better now?" she asks him, "Can I get you anything, water, or…"

"No," Dhiraj tells her, "Just sit here with me for awhile."

Asha looks surprised at this, but doesn't move from her seat, looking at him earnestly as if to check whether he's in pain.

"You came for me," he tells her, "Risking your own life, you came to rescue me, without caring about the consequences."

"I wasn't alone, Sir." Asha tells him, a little embarrassed, "Amiya, Hussein and Vijay also came to rescue you."

"I know that," Dhiraj tells her, "But somehow I also know… that it was your idea."

She doesn't deny it, just sits there continuing to look at him quietly.

"I won't ever forget it," Dhiraj tells her, "That at such a time… you came for me."

"I will always come for you, Sir." Asha tells him intensely, and Dhiraj stares at her, surprised by her stark honesty. "Whenever you're in trouble, I will always be there."

Reaching out he grabs her hand, holding it tightly. The pressure is almost too much for Asha to bear but she doesn't complain. Warmth spreads through her from where their two hands are joined and he is holding her hand so tightly that she can feel the calluses on his fingers in minute detail.

"Asha," he tells her softly, and the look in his eyes is almost too much for her to stand. Her breath quickening, she breaks eye contact, afraid of what she might do if she doesn't.

"I'll be gone for a week." She tells him, trying to diffuse the sudden tension between them, but very aware that he still hasn't let go of her hand.

"Why?" Dhiraj asks, his mind not fully functioning as he continues to stare at her, "Where are you going?"

"We've been suspended." Asha tells him, realising that he wouldn't have heard about it already. "All four of us are being sent home for a week."

"But they can't do that," Dhiraj protests, "I'll talk to the Brigadier, I'll ask him to…"

"We broke the rules," Asha replies, "We're lucky to be getting such a light sentence under the circumstances. Hussein and Vijay are actually quite happy to be getting a holiday."

"And you?" Dhiraj asks her, "Are you happy?"

"No," Asha admits, "Because I don't want to…"

She realises that she was about to say 'leave you', but stops herself just in time. She has to stop this nonsense right now, he's her commanding officer and under no circumstances can she allow herself to feel… what it is that she feels.

"I don't want to go home," she finally replies, "You know what my family is like, if I'm home for a week they'll start pressuring me to both leave the army and get engaged to Rajesh."

Dhiraj's grip on her hand suddenly tightens at that statement so that he's now almost hurting her, and Asha is forced to look back at him, and the expression in his eyes is indescribable… she wonders whether it's anger that she sees, or fear, or… jealousy.

"I've told you this before," he tells her, "Do not marry him."

And Asha knows immediately that it's not advice, it's a command.

"You deserve better." Dhiraj tells her, his gaze burning her as it touches on her face, "You deserve…" he takes a deep breath as if to calm himself down, but his next words take her by surprise "If you get engaged to him then I'll kill him."

Asha is shocked, not only because she knows he's partially serious, but also because a part of her is happy to hear it.

"I won't," she whispers to him, "And I'll be back in a week…"

He loosens his grip on her hand only slightly on hearing this, but doesn't let go, and for a moment she thinks he might say something more, but his gaze shifts to the doorway, and Asha turns around too, to see Amiya standing there.

She wishes that Dhiraj would drop her hand, because the last thing she wants is for Amiya to get the wrong idea at the moment, but he doesn't, not seeming to care what she thinks or not realising that it would be an issue.

"Hi Sir," Amiya tells Dhiraj, studiously avoiding looking at their hands, "I'm very happy to see you awake and looking so much better."

"Thank you Lieutenant Chatterjee." He tells her, "I know what you did for me, and you truly have my gratitude."

"Oh it was nothing, Sir." Amiya tells him, "And thanks to you we now get a week's holiday, which is why I'm here. Asha… it's time for us to leave."

Dhiraj reluctantly releases her hand, which throbs slightly with pain after the tightness of his grip. Asha wonders whether bruises will develop, and thinks that she wouldn't mind if they did.

Because it would be a reminder…

"I'll be back in a week, Sir." She tells him, "I hope that by then you'll be fully recovered."

"Remember what I told you." Dhiraj says, the intensity returning to his voice, "I'm serious about it."

Asha nods, and walks outside with Amiya, heading towards their transport.

"What did he tell you?" Amiya asks her curiously, even while knowing that Asha might not wish to tell her anyway.

And Asha is unsure of what to answer, because how can she tell Amiya that Captain Kapoor has threatened to kill Rajesh if she gets engaged to him.

"Nothing… it was just about us rescuing him." She finally replies, feeling bad about lying to her best friend.

Her hand throbs.

As does her heart.

nice update.. plz continue asap... waiting..

Thanks guys, as for updates, I will only update when I actually get some comments! So if you're reading it and enjoying it, then please make the effort of making a comment.

Chapter 14

She wakes up and for the first few minutes she just concentrates on breathing.

She breathes past the pain, the pain of having to live in a world where he no longer exists.

And she concentrates on this, because honestly she would prefer it if her breath was to stop and her pain was to end once and for all.

But she keeps breathing, and after a few minutes she's finally able to get up, to get ready for the day ahead.

She continues because she has no other choice.

Because Captain Rajveer's protg will never admit defeat.

She breathes in, she breathes out.

But the pain never goes away.

**

Asha woke disorientated, unable to remember where she was or who she was… all she could feel was a sense of loss, so piercing that she could feel a sharp pain in her heart.

She breathed in, opened her eyes and remembered. She was at home for a week, suspended from duty. At home…

Asha sighed, it was only the beginning of the second day and already she was eager for the week to be over. The first day had been spent explaining to her family exactly why she was suspended and why she should be going back to Tawang again after the suspension was over. They had wrongly assumed that being punished might make her want to give up the army, to finally abandon her dream.

Asha wondered whether they would ever give up trying to convince her to leave the army, whether she would ever truly be free of their expectations.

She bathed and dressed slowly, not wanting to go downstairs and face another day of it, but eventually she made it to the dining table, intending to have a slow breakfast while she faced yet more questions and suggestions.

However there was a surprise waiting for her there.

A very unwelcome surprise.

"What are you doing here?" Asha asked him flatly with a touch of hostility. "Shouldn't you still be in Tawang?"

"Well I was due for a holiday," Rajesh explained, a slight smirk on his face, "And what better time to come home than when you will also be here."

Asha struggled not to glare at him and then wondered why she was trying, she then turned to her mother, an accusing look on her face.

"And who mentioned to Rajesh that I was home for the week?" she asked accusingly, and her mother looked slightly guilty for a moment before recovering.

"Now don't be like that, Asha." She told her, "It's very nice of Rajesh to come and visit while he can spend some time with you, perhaps now is finally the time to…"

"Excuse me," Asha announced hastily, leaving the room without any further notice. The first thing she did was to message Amiya that there was an emergency and her help was needed.

**

Amiya turned up within half an hour, Asha spotted her through an upper window where she had been hiding in her bedroom and rushed to open the door, ushering her friend inside and up the stairs before Rajesh could spot either one of them.

"What's the problem?" Amiya whispered to her, "What's the big emergency?"

"The problem is currently sitting in my living room charming my parents," Asha informed her, "Can you believe he's followed me here too?"

"Can I just get it straight who you're talking about?" Amiya asked her, "Because from where I'm standing there could be a couple of options of guys who would follow you home."

Asha gave Amiya a look of disbelief. "Rajesh, who else?" she asked her, "Who were you thinking of?"

"Well I was just wondering why you would be angry if he came to your house…" Amiya mused thoughtfully, and then seeing Asha's expression quickly tried to cover her mistake, "Uh, I thought maybe Hussein had come to visit."

"Why would he? He's probably having a great time with his Abu and Ammi who are not at all angry about him being suspended." Asha fumed, and Amiya nodded.

"Lucky Hussein," she agreed, "It took me a full three hours of explaining before my father decided he wasn't angry at me anymore."

"But what do we do about my problem?" Asha asked her, "I just know…. That they're going to ask me to get engaged to him while I'm here, and I can't… I just can't."

She couldn't describe the level of despair that filled her at the thought, that she might be trapped with him, without love, without….

"I can't believe he's followed you all the way here, that besharam…" Amiya started to say, "One thing is for certain, when Captain Kapoor finds out he'll definitely break his legs this time."

"He's not just going to break his legs, he's going to kill him." Asha states without thinking, and Amiya stares at her.

"What are you talking about?" she asks Asha, "Is something going on that I don't know about?"

"No… no, god no…. just, he said… and…" Asha suddenly stops, trying not to blush and not wanting to tell Amiya exactly what it was that he had said, how he had looked at her in that moment, his grip on her hand….

"Fine," Amiya tells her, "So for now Captain Kapoor killing Rajesh will remain our back up plan, right now we need another way to ensure you don't end up engaged to him."

Asha nodded, thankful that at least she had one friend with her while this was happening.

Once Amiya had convinced Asha that they should go back downstairs, they entered the living room to find Rajesh drinking tea with Asha's parents and laughing with them about something.

"Hello Rajesh," Amiya told him coldly, "I didn't expect to see you here."

"And it seems that every time I see Asha you're somewhere around her." Rajesh commented in a similar tone of voice, making it clear that there were no friendly feelings between them.

"Well that's what friends are for," Amiya tells him, "And you know Asha has quite a few friends these days, I believe you've met some of them."

By this stage Asha's parents were looking confused, unsure of what was going on since the atmosphere in the room had changed remarkably with Asha and Amiya's entrance.

"Oh yes, I've certainly met some of Asha's new friends," Rajesh practically spits out, "She's doing quite well for herself, isn't she?"

"What is he talking about, Asha? Which new friends?" her mother asks her, a frown on her face.

"He's talking rubbish, Ma." Asha told her mother, with an angry look at Rajesh, "He got into a fight with somebody on the base last time he came to visit."

"Well it certainly seemed to me like that somebody was a bit too interested in your welfare." Rajesh remarks, "Or perhaps my remark hit a little too close to home."

"What is he talking about, Asha?" her father now asked her, "Is there something that you haven't told us."

"I'll tell you uncle, I witnessed the whole incident." Amiya volunteers, "Rajesh and Asha were arguing and one of our superior officers became concerned. When he came over to check on the situation, Rajesh made a very insulting remark and he…"

"Punched me and nearly damn well broke my nose." Rajesh broke in, "And I don't feel that there was any need at all for any action like that, unless what I said was actually true."

"Don't even start that with me, Rajesh." Asha tells him angrily, "If Captain Kapoor hadn't intervened then I would've punched you myself, I might even have been tempted to do worse. I'm sorry Ma and Baba if you were planning on getting us engaged, but honestly I want to stop this business right here. I have no interest in marrying Rajesh and I never will."

Saying this she stands up and storms out of the room, leaving her parents looking at each other confused, and Rajesh staring after her angrily.

Amiya stood up awkwardly, wondering whether she had actually helped things or made them worse.

"Uh I hope it's okay if I take Asha to visit my parents for awhile, they've been wanting to see her." She told them, before making her own escape as quickly as possible.

One thing was for certain, Asha's parents now knew for certain she would not be consenting to any engagement this week. Amiya doubted if they would be brave enough to try again.

**

It was now the fourth day since the suspension of the four Lieutenants and for the past four days, Dhiraj had become increasingly unbearable to live with.

Samir had been torn between wanting to visit his friend in the infirmary and wanting to avoid him at all costs, because every day Dhiraj's mood became increasingly worse. Today Dhiraj had finally been discharged with instructions to use crutches and stay off his leg as much as possible for the next few days, so avoiding him would now prove to be impossible.

"So have you heard the response from the Chinese government about the incident?" Samir asked him, trying to choose a topic that would distract Dhiraj from the reason of his bad mood.

"Same old political propaganda, that it wasn't them, it was actually the people of Tawang rising up who want to return to their rightful homeland of China… blah, blah blah." Dhiraj replies, rolling his eyes. "What else can we expect really, that they admit it was their soldiers sneaking across the border?"

"No, of course not, that would be far too much to hope for." Samir agreed, "But that story they've come up with makes it sound more and more likely that they'll be launching more attacks in the future."

"I think we can count on it." Dhiraj agreed, "From now on we'll have to be on full alert, taking extra precautions."

"Exactly," Samir tells him, "We certainly don't want to have to launch any more rescue missions."

As soon as he's said it he almost hits himself for being so stupid as to bring the topic up.

Dhiraj's frown deepens, and he gets the same look on his face that Samir has been seeing for the past four days, a look that clearly means trouble.

"Dhiraj… it's only for three more days." He tries to tell him, "It's not like they're in solitary confinement, they're probably having a great time with their families."

"Anything could happen in that three days," Dhiraj tells him with a hint of desperation in his voice, "I want h… I want them back now, not in three days time, they should never have been sent away in the first place."

"Dhiraj, sometimes I think you forget what the meaning of your name is... thoda to dhiraj rakh yaar." Samir tries to joke with him in order to lighten the mood, but Dhiraj doesn't seem to appreciate it.

Samir suddenly realises that he's missing Lieutenant Chatterjee terribly, at least when she was here he had somebody to discuss his best friend's strange behaviour with.

"I think I've been quite patient enough," Dhiraj replies, "And I swear that if he…" and then he stops, as if he wasn't meant to say that much.

"If 'he' does what?" Samir asks, confused, "What on earth are you talking about?"

"Nothing," Dhiraj tells him quickly, "Just… these next three days should pass quickly."

Samir was praying for that equally as hard as Dhiraj was.

His own sanity depended upon it.

**

"For whatever reason it is, I'm glad we've been able to have you with us for the last week." Hussein's Ammi told him as she ruffled his hair and put a plate of pakoras and cup of chai in front of him."

"Don't spoil him so much, Pooja." Ali told her with an affectionate smile, "We shouldn't be encouraging him to break the rules."

"Oh fo, Ali, obviously he did the right thing, otherwise Abhimanyu Sir would've punished him a lot worse." Pooja told her husband, smiling at her son lovingly.

"Just remember Hussein, the only time you should ever break the rules is to fight for the truth or stop an injustice from being committed." Ali reminds him, and Hussein nods seriously, agreeing with him.

"Believe me, Abu, I will always remember that." Hussein replies, "You know I will never break your principles."

"That's my brave son," Pooja grabbed Hussein's cheeks affectionately and Ali couldn't help but smile.

"So you'll be leaving today?" Ali asked him, "I thought you might leave tomorrow instead?"

"Actually I was thinking of stopping off at KMA to say hello to my old teachers…" Hussein told them, unable to think of a better excuse.

"What a wonderful idea!" Pooja exclaimed, "While you're there, you can visit Naina and Roshni as well, they would love to see you."

"Of course I will," Hussein promised her, glad not to be caught out.

"Just don't tell any of your teachers that you were suspended." Ali tells him, "Let them think you've been given a holiday instead."

Hussein nods, not wanting to mention that he doubts he'll actually end up seeing any of his teachers.

"And I'll make sure to pack some real besan laddoos for you too… just make sure that you give some to Qaidi… Aalekh, and Abhimanyu Sir, and share some with your new friends too, they sound like such sweet girls." Pooja told him, and Hussein nodded, biting his lip.

He hated keeping secrets from his parents and this was only the second one that he had ever kept. For the past week he had struggled with his decision not to tell them, to conceal the truth about Naina and Captain Rajveer. He had thought it over again and again, almost blurting out the truth a couple of times. It was only his promise to Aalekh that stopped him, and his own belief that it really was for the best if they didn't find out just yet.

"I'll definitely share the laddoos with them Ammi…" he told her quietly, "I know that they're Asha's favourites."

He knew even without her having to tell him.

After all, they had been Naina's.

**

The next day Hussein found himself once again outside the gates of KMA, a smile on his face as he remembered his own time there. He had barely stepped inside when two girls witting with a group of friends spotted him and quickly stood, rushing towards him, one faster than the other.

She threw her arms around him, and Hussein hugged her tightly, before leaning down to plant a kiss on her cheek, too embarrassed to do anything else within academy grounds. He had missed her so much over the last few months, needed her, known that if only she had been there she would've understood.

"Why didn't you tell me you were coming?" she scolded him, still not taking her arms from around his neck, "If I'd known then…"

"Then she would've spent the whole of this morning trying to figure out what to wear," the other girl teased, coming up to join them. "Thank goodness you've come on a Sunday Hussein Bhaiyya, otherwise she would probably run away from the academy to spend some time with you."

Finally releasing the girl in his arms, Hussein stepped forward and hugged his friend lightly.

"I had no idea if I would be able to come or not which was why I didn't tell you in advance." He says to both of them by way of excuse. "And how are you, Roshni? And how's Tara?"

"Oh I'm fine Bhaiyya, and so is Tara di, her MBA is going well… or should I be calling you Jiju these days?" she teases him, "But I know it's not really me you've come to see, so I'll let you two have some privacy now." And with a small wave she walked b ack towards the group of friends waiting for her.

"I've missed you, Naina." Hussein told his girlfriends, taking her hands in his and squeezing them.

"And what do you think I've been feeling this whole time?" she asks him, "At least you know I'm at the academy, with you at the border I worry every day that…" she can't even complete the sentence, the thought upsets her so much.

"Shall we go somewhere to talk?" Hussein asks her, and she nods. Putting his arm around her shoulders, they walk out of the academy.

**

An hour later, they've talked about Naina's second year at KMA so far as well as Hussein's experiences at the border and his new friends. They sit on the grass with their hands entwined, Naina has taken off her shoes, curing her legs up so that they slightly rest against Hussein's.

"So do I need to be jealous that your two best friends are girls?" she asks him jokingly.

"Of course not," Hussein replies in the same light tone, "You know I've taken after my father in these things."

Naina smiles, but something has been disturbing her all afternoon. The calm that is usually present in Hussein is gone, and she can sense that he is troubled by something, that he wants to express something to her but is having trouble doing so.

"What is it?" she asks him, "I know there's something weighing you down, don't pretend that there isn't."

Hussein raises one hand to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, before he touches her cheek lightly. "You've always understood me so well." He tells her.

"Then whatever it is, share it with me." Naina pleads with him, "I can tell that it's troubling you, and I don't like to see that."

Hussein wavers, remembering his promise not to tell. But if there's anyone who will understand then it will be Naina… because she also has a name to live up to, because she has already understood her responsibilities to that name…

And Hussein makes his decision.

"You have to trust me," he tells her, "It will all seem incredible at first, but everything I'm about to tell you is true, and you have to promise me that you won't tell a single person."

Naina nods seriously, and Hussein knows she'll never break her promise.

And he finally lightens some of the burden on his soul.

**

Asha had attempted to remain as silent as possible during the trip back, so irritated at having to travel with him that she wasn't willing to say even one word. Her parents had insisted on it, arguing that they both had to travel back anyway, so why not go together, as this way she would be more comfortable.

It had been made very clear to Asha that after her refusal of the engagement, she was not allowed to refuse this too.

So Asha had spent the journey refusing to look at or speak to Rajesh, not wanting him to believe he would have any chance at all.

He would never have a chance.

Finally she was going back.

With any luck, she would never have to leave again.

Despite her protests, Rajesh insists on dropping her to the base, even walking her inside.

"Look Asha," he tells her, "Maybe I've been an ass in the past…"

Asha thinks that it definitely wasn't maybe…

"But I'm willing to give it another shot, and try to annoy you less in future. Friends?"

Asha wonders what has gotten into Rajesh that he's suddenly being so friendly, making so much effort. She's so confused by it that before thinking, she actually nods, and before she can react, before she can stop him, he leans over and kisses her on the cheek.

Asha is shocked until she sees his eyes shift to a spot behind her head, and it is then that she sees Captain Kapoor standing there, a fierce look in his eyes, one fist clenched.

"I'll see you later." Rajesh tells her, a satisfied look on his face, and turns to go before she can react, leaving Asha wishing that she had punched him right there.

Asha turns to face Dhiraj, suddenly nervous, because the look on his face… is dangerous indeed.

She takes a step forward, wanting to explain, to tell him that it's not what it seemed, that she didn't forget what he had said, but words fail her as she looks at him.

Dhiraj walks forward, standing so close that Asha can feel his breath on her face.

"Come with me," he tells her in a voice that is no less than a command, and grabs her wrist, before beginning to walk away from the gate.

And without even a thought of refusing, Asha follows.