Posted:
Part 3a
A few hours earlier..
Arrest… espionage… smuggling of weapons…The words suddenly filtered through her brain and Naina jerked, as if awakening from a nightmare. A horrible nightmare which she never thought in her wildest dreams she will experience some day. She looked around the small cell-like room she had been pushed into, wondering what she was doing there. Her brain, which seemed to have paused when she had pulled over the side of the road, started functioning again and the events of the past fifteen minutes flashed before her eyes like a movie reel. With increasing horror, she realized the situation she was caught in. Her heartbeats increased rapidly, she started sweating and suddenly she realized she was on the verge of a panic attack. No.. not again..
Reaching deep into herself to pull out the courage she needed to face the challenge, she practiced deep breathing; in and out, in and out… Five minutes later, she was calm and composed, sitting on the narrow bed in the room and thinking of what she would do now. She looked around the room and found herself in a barely furnished room much like a hospital room, with a single narrow bed, a writing table and chair and a small stool, everything fixed to the floor like in a ship. There was a partitioned corner to the side of the room and she could guess she would find the toilet seat behind the screen. A single naked bulb hung from the ceiling, providing harsh lighting in the room. There were no windows, just a small vent high up on the wall and she could see the twilight sky through the opening. It's almost dusk! Nanu would have been waiting for me! Once again panic started rising within her before she clamped down on it. She then caught sight of the heavy iron door with a small window-like slot for guards to peep inside and no locks or handle on her side of the door. Hospital room eh? Scratch that. Hospital room in a psychiatric ward… she thought ruefully.
What do I do now….................
**************
"At ease, cadets", came the commanding voice. He was silent for a minute before he opened his mouth again.
"Cadet Alekh and Cadet Huda, what the hell is happening here?" demanded Captain Rajveer Singh Shekhawat.
His gray eyes boring into the two cadets who stood before him, Raj waited for one of them to open his mouth and enlighten him of the happenings of the day at KMA. He had been shocked to read the email sent by Huda when he reached New Delhi that evening. Huda had informed him that an attempt to smuggle weapons out of KMA has been thwarted and a girl has been arrested on the scene. He had immediately raced to Ambala. Who was this girl?
"Mein kuch pooch raha hoon, cadets. Yeh ladki kaun hai? Is she along with Mishra in this?" asked Raj.
Four months ago, Raj had caught wind of certain clandestine messages exchanged between someone and Dr.Abhay Mishra, the resident doctor of KMA. He had been secretly collecting evidence against Dr.Mishra, plotting and waiting to catch him red-handed when he was suddenly called away on the mission to Sri Lanka. Unwilling to let go of the situation unmonitored, Raj had summoned the cadet assigned to him a year ago, Cadet Alekh Sharma, and confided in him all the things he had uncovered about the traitorous doctor. He had asked Alekh to enlist the help of Huda and keep watch over Dr.Mishra 24x7 without his knowledge and inform him of any developments. Raj had not yet found what it was that Mishra was planning to do, he only knew it was something illegal and against Army regulations. So imagine his shock when he gets the email from Huda!
Alekh shot a scathing look at Huda, "Batha na. Tera sada hua plan tha". Turning to Raj, "Sir, woh ladki kaun hai yeh apun jaantha nahi. Apun usse do-theen baar academy mein dekha hai. Lekin kaun hai, patha nahi. Woh gaadi lekar ayegi aur ek-do gante mein chali jaayegi. Uss ladki ko woh Dr.Mishra haina.. hamesha ghoortha rehtha tha.. isliye hum dono bhi uski upar nazar rakhne lage. Aur aaj…"
Huda cut in, "Aur aaj bhi woh janaani yahaan aayi thi, sir. We saw her when we were in the drill. Aur phir, hum uss Dr.Mishra ko uski ghaadi ki trunk kolthe hue dekha. Uske paas ek bag tha sir, like a cricket kit. Mein kal raat usko Ammunition Depot se wohi bag lathe hue dekha sir. So I was sure it must be his way of smuggling weapons out of KMA and we made an anonymous call to the guard-house to check that girl's car. Woh pakdi gayi aur humara mission safal ho gaya", he completed shrugging his shoulders, with a certain amount of pride in his voice at his master-plan.
"Lekin woh begunaah hai sir", Alekh asserted. Raj turned to him and indicated him to go ahead. "Hum sabh cadets usse dekha, jab woh yahaan aayi thi. Hall of Fame mein. Uske baadh who chali gayi staff quarters ki tharaf. Apun ko yeh lagtha hai ki usko kuch bhi nahi malum yeh sabh ke bare mein" "Yeh bhi ho saktha hai ki woh Dr.Mishra ki partner ho? Aur jab woh andar gayi Mishra uski ghaadi mein maal rakh diya", argued Huda. "Huda, tu haina…", started Alekh to be stopped by Raj rising his hand to indicate them to stop.
He paced for a minute or two before looking at his cadets who were eagerly awaiting his next orders. "Cadets, tum dono yeh prove tho nahi kar sakthe haina, ki woh ladki yeh sab mamle mein involved hai?". Seeing the cadets shake their heads negatively, he continued. "The benefit of doubt should be given to her then. And even if a hundred criminals are let free, no innocent person should ever be punished…", eyes far away, his voice trailed off.
Pulling himself together from his momentary lapse, Raj looked at the two men before him. "I want the both of you to find out who she is and what she was doing in KMA today. Find out where Mishra is and what he is up to. He will not sit silent, after his plans have failed. I want reports in the next hour", he barked out orders and waved his hand slightly to indicate they are dismissed. Just as the cadets turned to complete their sir's orders, they heard him again.
"Good job, cadets", he said softly with a ghost of appreciation in his eyes before all emotions were shut down and he became the Captain Rajveer known to everyone.
***
One hour ago..
Naina had almost dozed off when she heard the heavy iron door being pushed open. Through blurry eyes, she saw two men at the doorway watching her. "Ab sab ko leke jao yahaan se. Aur jaise meine kaha, waise karna", she heard one of the men command the other. The voice sent shivers up her spine and she dreaded being with the man. Okay, let him interrogate me. I will tell him all I know and then he will leave me. I will go back to Nanu soon, she thought happily.
She did not know what was going to happen to her.
The man closed the door behind him and stood before Naina. All traces of sleep wiped off from her eyes, she looked up at him and gulped. He was a huge man, tall and well-built. She noticed he was not in his uniform and wondered why her interrogator would come informally. He kept looking at her, circling around her and Naina started getting the creeps. The look in his eyes churned her insides and she caught the edges of the cot until her knuckles turned white, to calm down her heart beats and keep herself from panicking. He leered at her and with a lecherous smile on his lips, extended his hand to her, "Hello pretty young thing. I am Lieutenant Dr.Mishra".
****************
Part 3b
Present…
Ganesh Ram was pacing restlessly in his room, thinking about everything that happened during the day. Hey bhagwan, yeh kya ho gaya? Bechari Naina, bohuth darr gayi hongi. Brigadier Chandook bhi KMA mein nahi hai. Uss khadoos Major Nair Naina ko nahi chodega. Kal jab uski interrogation hoga, woh Naina ko bohuth pareshan karega. Mein ek kaam kartha hoon, mein abhi Naina se miloonga. Uski himmat badaunga, hosla rakhne ko kahunga. Haan.. mein abhi KMA jaatha hoon.
***
50 minutes ago…
He leered at her and with a lecherous smile on his lips, extended his hand to her, "Hello pretty young thing. I am Lieutenant Dr.Mishra".
Naina watched him warily; he did not give out good vibes to her. She ignored his out-stretched hand and stared at him, waiting for him to start his enquiry. She kept looking at him, clutching the sheets and watched his eyes harden. He slowly came and stood next to her and placed his hand on her right hand. She visibly shivered, disgust rising in her due to his touch. He prised her hand roughly from the sheets, not bothering that he was hurting her. She looked up at him in shock. He then caught her hands in his and almost crushed her delicate palm in his handshake. "Jab mein haath badaa raha hoon, tujhe bhi wohi karna chahiye", he spelt out slowly in a chilling voice. She grimaced at the pain that shot up her arm and tried to twist her hand to free it from his hands, but he only crushed her hand harder. Unable to bear the pain, she cried out, "Chodiye hamara haath. Dard ho raha hai". He immediately left her hand and she wrung her hand to lessen the pain.
He sat on the bed quite close to her and Naina moved a bit, uncomfortable with his closeness, to put more distance between them. "So tell me. Who informed the guards of the weapons?", he asked. Naina looked up at him puzzled and replied earnestly, "I do not know. I don't even know who kept the weapons in my car in the first place. I have no idea what is going on here"
"Mein batha tha hoon. I kept the weapons in your car. My men would have then taken it from your car tonight and delivered it to the highest bidder. Lekin tuu ne…" he caught her hair and shook her violently, "tuu ne mera plan ko chaupad kiya. Bol… kaun hai tera aadmi? Kiske kehne par tu yeh sab kar rahi thi? Who do you work for? Bol"
Naina looked at him in shock. He was the traitor. He was the one who smuggled the weapons. She caught his hands and tried to get him to free her, but he only shook her more and more until her head spun and her teeth rattled. "Hume.. hume.. kuch.. nahi.. patha hai.. Hum.. begunaah.. hai..", she stuttered. He left her hair and slapped her hard, then again, and again and Naina tasted the coppery taste of her blood in her mouth. Tears streaming from her eyes, she folded her hands in front of him and pleaded, "Hume chodiye. Hum kuch bhi nahi kiya. I don't even understand what you are saying. I do not work with anybody".
He pulled her to her feet and caught her arms in a vice-like grip. "Bol kaun hai tera saathi? Kisko patha hai mere baare mein? How did you come to know that I am planning to smuggle the weapons in your car today? Bol…", he kept shaking her. "Hume.. kuch.. nahi patha hai.. Please leave me.. Humare Nanu intezar kar rahe honge", she pleaded once again. He slapped her again and tightened one of his beefy hands around her throat, the other clutched her hair tightly. "Dekh.. Mera time waste math kar. Jaldi bol. What did you guys think? You will stop my plan by getting arrested, stay here happily and tomorrow once I am caught, your partner will come and release you? Mein aisa nahi hone doongha.." She choked and coughed, trying to force the air through her throat. "Please.. please.. leave.. me.. I.. don't know.. any.. anything", she tried to force the words out of her mouth.
For the first time since the ordeal began, Naina experienced fear. Horrible, terrible, complete fear…
***
Present…
Raj unlocked the door to his quarters and immediately checked the thin thread he had tied from the handle to the door frame – one of the many small tricks taught by his mentor.
"Dekho Raj. Sometimes the safest place is where you live, but it doesn't take long for it to be become the most dangerous too. Usually a person is relaxed when he is home and it becomes very easy to surprise him then. A soldier should never be lax. He should always be on his toes, no matter on the battle-field or off. Samjhe?"
He could still clearly hear his mentor teaching him tricks of the trade while taking long hikes through the forested hills behind KMA. Not allowing his mind to get way-laid by the old memories, he quickly went over to the windows and checked them too. Sweeping his house for any signs of intrusion and checking the other small 'traps' he had placed throughout his house, Raj was finally done after a good ten minutes and allowed himself to sink into the couch in the living room, unbutton the top few buttons of his uniform and relax. It had been a long day and at last he was home.
***
20 minutes ago…
He left her throat and caught her wrist, twisting it behind her back. "Aaahhhh…", she screamed. "Kitna chillana hai chilla. Koi nahi ayega yahaan. Subah se pehle tu khudh maan logi ki tuu ne yeh smuggling ki. Bol kya kahogi..", he twisted her hand some more. "Aahhh.. Nahi.. Hum kuch nahi kiya.. Yeh galat ilzaam hai".
"Yeh mujhe patha hai, tujhe patha hai. Aur kisko patha? So tomorrow you will be accepting the charges. Whatever anyone says, you will accept every charge, even in the court. Bol karogi naa" he pushed her on the bed, her knees catching the edge of the bed and with a loud scream she crumpled on the floor.
He gripped her hair and pulled her up once more. "Bol, kal kya kehna hai?" "N.. nahi.. hum aisa nahi karenge" "Tu kahegi. Zaroor kahegi", he slapped her twice more and pushed her to one side. She stumbled and fell near the writing table, banging her forehead against the edge of the table. She held her head, praying to God to help her out of this and before she knew, the world blackened around her.
***
Present…
He was half-stretched on the couch, his eyes closed, his thumb and middle-finger pinching the bridge of his nose when he heard the quiet knock on the door. Raj crossed to the door, pulled the door open slightly and stepped aside to give way for Huda to enter. He shut the door behind him and waited for Huda to state his report. Before he could start, they heard another hurried knock. Raj opened the door to reveal Alekh.
"Sir, the whole day Dr.Mishra was in the infirmary. But a little birdie told me he looked very, very upset throughout the day", Huda chuckled. "What's the report, Cadet Alekh", Raj expressed his disinterest in Huda's usual gossip and directed the question at Alekh.
"Sir, apun ko lagtha hai, kuch gadbad hai. Uss ladki ka entry, log book mein nahi hai. Apun dono KMA aur main gates ke log books check kiya. Lekin entry nahi tha…"
Before he could continue, Huda cut in triumphantly, "Dekha.. She is also part of this operation. That's why she managed to fool the guards from making her entry". He fell silent at a single glance from Raj.
"Sir, kuch entry tha. Lekin kisine sabooth ko hata diya" explained Alekh. "How can you say for sure, Cadet Alekh?" asked Raj. In reply, Alekh just took out two notebooks from inside his uniform and opened today's page.
"Nishaan hai, sir. Kisine ek page ko nikal diya iss book se. Dekhiye" and showed the pen impressions to Raj. He glanced at Alekh once before turning his attention to the books, "I hope you have just borrowed the books for a short while, Cadet". "Ji, sir", Alekh replied with a straight face.
"Aur haan, woh ladki ko abhi cellar mein rakhe gaye hain", added Alekh.
"Sir, it could also be Dr.Mishra who had the page removed. As he did not want anyone to know about the girl coming to KMA today", argued Huda. "He could have also done that to frame her. Anyway, where is Mishra now?" Raj asked Huda.
"Sir, Dr.Mishra abhi apne quarters mein nahi hai. Meine doonda unhe. Kahin nazar nahi aaraha tha. I could not search the yard behind the staff quarters as there were a lot of guards around there. Lagtha hai shift change ka time hai", he shrugged his shoulders.
Raj glanced at his watch and immediately stood up, buttoning his shirt and ushering the cadets out of his quarters. "Shift change gyarah baje hota hai. Ab saade baara baje hai. Something is wrong"
***
10 minutes ago…
Naina drifted into conscious when she felt water splashed on her face. She moaned once, wondering if she had left her window open and gone to sleep and the rains have started. Or maybe Naren Kaka's sons were up to their usual mischief. She was feeling unnaturally tired. Her body ached everywhere and she only wished to turn over and go to sleep, but looked like someone had placed tonnes of weight over her head; her head pounded and hammered mercilessly. She moaned again, trying to open her eyes and jerked when she heard the cold irritated voice, "I can't keep waiting the whole night for you to wake up".
You are under arrest… Espionage against the nation… I am Lt. Dr.Mishra…
I am not yet out of my nightmare. Please God, save me from him! She implored the Savior, while the terror came rushing into her once again.
Try as she might, she could open only her left eye and that too, the vision was quite blurry. She tried blinking once, twice but it only served to increase the white-hot pain in her head. She became fully awake though, when Dr.Mishra slapped her hard. That was when she noticed herself, lying on her back on the bed, both her wrists handcuffed to the railing of the bed above her head. She looked up to see the outline of Dr.Mishra's face quite close to hers and turned her face sideways on impulse. He immediately grabbed her jaw and yanked her face back towards him.
He grinned lasciviously at her, "Maana padega. Kya cheez hai tuu". Fear clouded her eyes once more and it seemed to raise the kick for the evil Dr.Mishra. He pulled away her dupatta and ran his eyes over her curvaceous body. "So where were we? Oh yes, you were caught smuggling weapons out of KMA. Interrogation ke samay par, tuu ne apna julm kabool kiya. Aur tho aur, apna saathi ka naam bhi bataaya tuu ne. Wohi iss operation ka master-mind hai. Right?", he coolly stated, lighting his cigarette.
She did not answer; she did not know what to answer. The torture was killing her, but accepting taht she was a traitor will suck the soul out of her once and for all!
He brought the flame from the lighter very close to her eyes, so close she could feel the heat almost singing her lashes. She tried turning her face away to protect herself when he once again caught her jaw and held her face in place. "Right?" he repeated, switching off the lighter and crushing her jaw with his hands. Tears streamed down her eyes and ran into the sheet under her while she kept mum.
He left her jaw and towered over her, very close to her. "Ithna zidd seheth keliye acha nahi hai" and he ripped the kurta from her body. She screamed.
His eyes roamed over the exposed upper body and she closed her eyes in shame. She was disgusted with herself. Hey bagwaan, humari jaan lelo. Bas.. iss rakshas se hume bachao.
"So what do you say", he once again asked, coming close to her. She tried to mould herself further into the cot when she felt his breath on her face. He went mad with fury when she did not answer him; she had simply closed her eyes and there was no expression on her face. She was just waiting for the Lord to come and take her life to save her from this dishonor. He took the cigarette stub from his mouth and pressed it hard on her chest. Her eyes flew open but she did not scream. She did not have the energy to even scream.
He was getting impatient. "Well, if you are not going to say anything even during interrogation, it's fine. You will still be considered guilty and nobody will start digging in deeper. Fine with me, atleast let me have some fun for a while", he shrugged his shoulders and covered her body with his. Naina flinched when she felt his burden on her and felt like insects crawling over her wherever he touched. He ran his hands roughly along her curves and reached for her chudidhar knot when he froze.
"What do you think you are doing, Dr.Mishra", came the furious voice of Captain Rajveer.
***************
Part 4a
Raj raced along with Alekh and Huda to the cellar behind the staff quarters. The half moon shone on his face, highlighting the grim determination there. He would not let another wrong happen before his eyes…
They bypassed the guards who were sitting and chatting at a distance from the cellar steps, and rushed inside. Taking the steps two at a time, Raj turned to Huda, "Get hold of the guards at the gates of KMA. Find out why the cellar guards are not in their places", he ordered. While Huda went up the stairs again, Raj and Alekh continued further.
They had just cleared the steps when they heard a scream. They stopped to ascertain the direction of the scream and ran towards the sound. Mishraaa, gritted Raj under his breath while he ran. He kept looking into each cell in the corridor through the small window in the door until he came to the last door. Something told him this was it.
He banged open the door and took in everything. From where he stood, all he could see was Mishra stretched out on the bed over a huddled figure and a pair of fair wrists handcuffed to the head of the cot. Realizing the situation immediately, he bellowed out in fury.
"What do you think you are doing, Dr.Mishra"
Captain Rajveer? Yahaan? Iss waqt?, wondered Dr.Mishra while he slowly lifted himself from over Naina and stood facing Raj. "Sir, aap?" He was too shocked to let out a complete sentence. Abhi isse aana tha kya, he thought irritatedly.
Raj now had a clear view of the young girl tied to the cot. He grimaced seeing her tattered and bruised condition. Her right eye was swollen, her forehead blackened at a corner, her lips cut and bleeding, black and blue bruises and hand-prints on her cheeks, throat and arms, her kurta ripped and tattered. All this he saw in a few seconds. He shot a raging look at Mishra and moved inside towards the trembling body on the cot, unbuttoning his shirt at the same time. He threw his uniform shirt over her, covering her body and turned his attention to Mishra.
"Apne superior officer ko salute nahi karoge Mishra?" Raj questioned Mishra sarcastically. Only Alekh could see his tightly clenched fist which showed how difficult it was for him to keep his rage under check. He was still standing at the doorway; he too had caught a glimpse of the girl on the cot and averted his eyes. Guilt swept through him and he once again cursed himself for not strongly protesting Huda's hare-brained idea.
Mishra was too shocked to understand the sarcasm and the fury behind Raj's words and stood still like a statue. But he was trained for all this. He knew how to turn any situation to his favor. Grinning to himself mentally, he saluted Captain Rajveer and proceeded to explain to Raj his 'interrogation' of the 'accused' girl.
"Captain, aapko dekhar bohuth khushi hui. Aap kab laute", he asked in a sugary-sweet voice. Raj was losing his patience fast. "I asked, what are you doing here, Lt.Dr.Mishra", he bit out.
"Sir, this girl was caught today smuggling weapons out of KMA. I was just interrogating"
"Ithni raat ko? Aur aapko kaun permission diya interrogation karne keliye?"
"Sir, Brigadier Chandook aur Major Nair abhi KMA mein nahi hai. Aur mujhe nahi patha tha aap aanewale hai. So according to superiority of rank, I took up the charge for interrogation. I thought if I am done with the interrogation tonight, we can quickly produce her before the court tomorrow and get her punished. We should never let traitors free for too long", he puffed out his chest as if he was the most patriotic man on earth.
"And how are you so sure she is guilty, Lt. Mishra", Raj shot back. "Did you see her smuggling the goods out of our depot? I wonder how she got access to the arms depot"
Mishra grew increasingly uncomfortable. Yeh Captain Rajveer mujhe interrogate karne laga hai. "I think she has a partner-in-crime inside the KMA sir. I am sure someone helped her with this", he replied confidently.
"Oh yeah? Then who made the anonymous call to the guards to check her car? And who do you think is her accomplice?", countered Raj. How he knows that, wondered Mishra. That was when he caught sight of Alekh standing quietly at the doorway, watching the exchange of words. He suddenly remembered having caught sight of this cadet snooping around near his quarters or listening to his conversations many a times. His 'training' kicking in, he turned to Raj.
"Mujhe iss cadet pe shaq hai sir. I have seen him snooping around KMA after light-out many times"
Raj nodded his head and spoke coolly, "Indeed, Lt.Mishra. It was Cadet Alekh who made the anonymous call to the guards. Now I wonder why, if he was this girl's partner in the smuggling"
Mishra realized the situation slipping out of his control rapidly. Desperate to escape Raj's eyes and his interrogation, he made the one huge mistake he must have never made in front of Raj.
"Aap kyun iss ladki ko ithna support kar rahe hai sir", he asked once again in a sugary-sweet voice. "Jaane dijiye naa. She is nothing but a bloody traitor". He then added with a wicked smile, "Oh yes, I forgot! Aapko humesha deshdroghiyon ke saath gehra sambandh rehtha hai.. haina? Pehle aapka mentor, ab yeh lad…"
He never got to complete his sentence. While Alekh swung his head back in shock to watch Mishra, Raj reached the still-smiling lieutenant in two strides and punched him hard on his face. Alekh was as shocked as Mishra when he saw his ever-calm mentor punch the daylights out of Dr.Mishra. But Raj was not to be contained; the temper he was holding tight, having found Mishra torturing the poor girl, blew over the top hearing his mentor being sullied. He gave a few more punches on Mishra's face and the latter could do nothing but receive the blows. Even though he was built way heavier than Raj's tall and lean form, the sheer strength and fury in the blows froze his limbs into inaction. Raj twisted Mishra's arm behind his back and gritted out.
"Kabardaar.. kabardaar agar tuu ne ek aur shabd kaha... First you smuggle weapons out of KMA, then try to frame an innocent girl, torture her and try to rape her, and now…" His words were cut off by the sound of running boots approaching them and he controlled his rage. He still held Mishra and informed him, "You will not utter another word until you are produced in court, Mishra. I have the damn evidence against you and my rank is superior enough to arrest you"
"You will not get far, Shekhawat", Mishra growled. "You hit an army officer on duty and interrupted an interrogation. Waise bhi maine sach kaha. Saare desh jaantha hai ki Navin Ahluwalia was a traitor"
He was panicking with the information about evidence and tried to rile Rajveer, hoping that whoever was coming this way will see Raj hitting a fellow officer.
Calming himself, Raj refused to rise up to the bait and replied pretending shock, "Who hit you, Lt.Mishra? I saw you tripping and falling when I arrived here. That was how you got the bruises on your face. Right, Cadet Alekh?", he glanced at Alekh who was still standing at the doorway.
"Apun kuch bhi nahi dekha sir", he replied with a straight face, trying hard to hide the grin forming on his face.
"Right", said Raj and just tightened his grip on Mishra's arm, making him wince in pain. "Dard ho raha hai? Hone do.. Tujhe jald se jald patha hoga ki dard kya hota hai. You gave so much pain to an innocent girl" he glanced at Naina before continuing "ab tuu bhugtega. Yeh mera vaada hai".
***************
Part 4b
"Dard ho raha hai? Hone do.. Tujhe jald se jald patha hoga ki dard kya hota hai. You gave so much pain to an innocent girl" he glanced at Naina before continuing "ab tuu bhugtega. Yeh mera vaada hai".
The last words were delivered in a low, dangerous tone that made Mishra shiver. Raj glanced up towards the doorway to find Huda arriving with 4-5 guards. He pushed Mishra towards them and ordered in an authoritative tone, "Arrest him. On charges of smuggling arms from an army base and torturing an innocent civilian under the pretext of interrogation". The guards looked behind Raj at the figure on the cot covered with a uniform shirt and nodded their head. They knew Raj's authority and led the struggling Mishra to another cell.
Raj released a long sigh and turned to Alekh, "Try to find Lolita Mam or wake up Cadet Ghai and bring them over here immediately. And get a first-aid box from the infirmary too". "Ji sir", saluted Alekh and left.
"Patha chala yeh kaun hai?", he asked Huda who was still coming to grips with the consequences of his 'plan'. He had had a glance of a badly tattered face and handcuffed wrists when the guards were taking away Mishra and grudgingly accepted to himself that he must have listened to Alekh and thought of a better plan that didn't affect any innocent person.
Unable to meet his superior's eyes, he answered him with his eyes downcast. "Nahi sir. Many of them have seen her but she speaks only with a couple of people, it seems. I also came to know she comes to KMA to meet Brigadier Chandook's wife. But other than that, she sort of keeps to herself"
Alekh came at that moment, closely followed by Pooja. "Sir, Lolita Mam ko jagaa nahi paya", he informed Raj while Pooja gaped at Raj, standing in only his sleeveless vest and his uniform trousers.
When did he come back? Aur kya dikhtha hai… Hayee, she thought dreamily. She then looked around and seeing the figure on the cot, rushed towards a still-silent Naina. "Arey, yeh tho humari heroine hai", exclaimed Pooja. "Lekin isse kya hua"
"Cadet Ghai, she is injured. Please apply first aid and dress her wounds", ordered Raj, still looking at Alekh and Huda who had their eyes downcast.
Pooja slowly applied first-aid to Naina's bruises and released her wrists from the cuffs. She was surprised to find Naina neither moaning nor hissing in pain, even though she was conscious and was observing everything. Kamaal ki ladki hai, she thought.
She removed Raj's shirt that covered her upper body and gasped when she saw the angry burn mark on her chest. She knew she will not get any answers from Captain Rajveer until he wishes to say something on his own. She glanced at Alekh and Huda and was surprised to find them with bent heads. Deciding to wring the answer out of them later, she proceeded to dress her wounds while still wondering about what was going on there.
She glanced with dismay at the ripped kurta that was not suitable even for rags now and wondered what to do. She could go back to her room and get some clothes for her but her womanly instincts rose up and she felt uncomfortable now to leave the vulnerable Naina with three men. She looked at the shirt in her hands and made Naina wear Raj's uniform shirt and buttoned it up. She then made Naina sit up on the bed and checked for any other injuries. She noticed a swollen knee but could not do anything. She had to remove her chudidhar to observe and dress that wound. So, for the moment, she just pressed an ice-pack to her knee and pressed another to her swollen eye.
Meanwhile, Raj was still observing the two cadets standing before him with shame. "Cadets, kabhi kabhi insaan se galthi hota hai. The important thing is to realize that mistake. Mein maantha hoon ki humesha mein yehi kaha kartha tha ki faujiyon se koi galthi nahi hona chahiye. Because you might not get a second chance to redeem your fault. Lekin apne aap ko dosh math do"
What are you doing then, Captain Rajveer? , called out an inner voice. Even after so many years you still blame yourself for Captain Navin's demise and dishonor. What was your fault?
Raj silenced his inner voice and continued, "You are learning now, cadets. And this lesson shows how you need to consider everything while coming up with a strategy. It is not just the end that counts, the means too. And I hope you have realized your responsibilities as soldiers of this nation towards the civilians"
It was Huda who opened his mouth. "Yes sir. We are sorry for everything sir. Because of us, a civilian was about to lose her honor. This will never happen again sir", he promised. He knew he was wrong; he was guilty but he couldn't stop a thought crossing his mind. Iss ladki ki waja se mujhe Captain Rajveer se kya kya sunna padha hai…
"Apun bhi sorry hai sir. Aur apun apna galthi sudarna chahtha hai", Alekh replied sincerely. His thoughts were quite different from that of Huda's. Apun ki waja se iss masoom ladki ko kya kya sehna padha tha…
"It's good the both of you have realized your mistakes. But we still need to find out who she is and take her back home. I will make sure all charges against her are dropped", said Raj while looking back to see Pooja helping the girl to sit up on the bed. The swelling in her eye had reduced considerably and he could see her gazing at him steadily. He looked away, feeling guilty that he too was in some way responsible for her present situation.
"Sir", came Huda's voice. Raj turned and Huda continued with the information he had gathered. "There are no charges against her. Dr.Mishra had ordered the guards to remove all traces of her arrest and even ordered the cellar guards to leave their duty. Since he was in authority in the absence of Major Nair, the guards could do nothing but obey him. I just spoke with a couple of them while coming here"
Raj thought for a moment and the corners of his lips curled upwards. "Ask the guards to replace 'torturing' with 'unlawful capturing and torturing' in Mishra's charge-sheet", he ordered and Huda spun on his heels, eager to get away before his guilty conscience overpowered him.
No sooner than Huda had left that Raj observed a shadow hesitating near the door. He looked up to see Havaldaar Ganesh Ram, the security in-charge of the main gates of the cantonment lingering outside the doorway.
Raj only knew Ganesh Ram too well from his days as a cadet of KMA. He had helped him many times by not reporting his occasional slipping out of the cantonment after light-outs. Raj used to get out of KMA without anyone knowing to take long hikes through the hills behind KMA, craving some solitude. It especially increased in frequency after the incident when Raj often spent the entire nights in the forests, fighting his insomnia and his guilt.
Raj raised his eyebrows quizzically at Ganesh Ram who was watching Naina closely with pain in his eyes. He knew Ganesh Ram usually didn't come to KMA until there was some security issue and wondered why he was here now and why he was staring at the girl.
Ganesh Ram shifted his eyes to meet Rajveer's and read the questions in them. Before he could open his mouth, he heard Raj's question, "Kya aap iss ladki ko jaanthe ho? Iska naam kya hai?"
Ganesh Ram nodded his head before uttering "Naina".
Nainaa…, echoed Rajveer's soul.
Seeing Rajveer's eyebrows rise once again, he added, "Yeh Naina hai. Panjokhra mein rehthi hai, apne Nanaji ke saath. Woh mandir mein pujari hai. Kuch hi hafton pehle dono yahaan Ambala aaye they"
Seeing that Raj was waiting for more information, he continued while making his way towards Naina on the cot. "Memsahib ko milne kabhi kabhi aaya karthi thi. Aaj bhi…" He could not hide the pain in his voice, "I was the one who arrested her this morning. Bechari bohuth sadme mein thi. Isliye meine socha ki usse miloon aur ithni raath ko yahaan chala aaya"
As he finished, he touched Naina's head affectionately but was taken aback when she flinched, shrugged herself to relieve his touch and cringed towards Pooja who was holding her by her shoulders.
All this while she never took her eyes off Rajveer...........
When Naina heard the furious voice questioning Dr.Mishra, her eyes flew open to rest on two figures at the doorway. She noticed one of them stride into the room and her eyesight cleared to reveal a pair of stormy gray eyes filled with fury.
The eyes spoke to her; reassuring her that everything was going to be fine.
Looking into his eyes, she felt instant calm surround her. She then saw him come closer unbuttoning his shirt and before the panic could rise once again at the proximity of a male in her vulnerable condition, she saw him throw his shirt over her body and turn around quickly to handle the monster.
She saw all the events happening before her eyes, understood everything going on; but her eyes never left the tall man who had come to her rescue. Her eyes widened in shock at the mention of Navin Ahluwalia and she studied her savior once again. Tall and lean but muscular, thick black hair cut short according to army requirements, a pair of intense gray eyes, sharp nose and thin lips, clean-shaven jaws set in determination and fury, bulging biceps and strong arms revealed by a sleeveless vest; arms that were currently holding Mishra's arms twisted behind his back.
So this is Rajveer Singh Shekhawat, she thought.
And then through all the events later on, she never took her eyes off Rajveer......
A few hours earlier..
Arrest… espionage… smuggling of weapons…The words suddenly filtered through her brain and Naina jerked, as if awakening from a nightmare. A horrible nightmare which she never thought in her wildest dreams she will experience some day. She looked around the small cell-like room she had been pushed into, wondering what she was doing there. Her brain, which seemed to have paused when she had pulled over the side of the road, started functioning again and the events of the past fifteen minutes flashed before her eyes like a movie reel. With increasing horror, she realized the situation she was caught in. Her heartbeats increased rapidly, she started sweating and suddenly she realized she was on the verge of a panic attack. No.. not again..
Reaching deep into herself to pull out the courage she needed to face the challenge, she practiced deep breathing; in and out, in and out… Five minutes later, she was calm and composed, sitting on the narrow bed in the room and thinking of what she would do now. She looked around the room and found herself in a barely furnished room much like a hospital room, with a single narrow bed, a writing table and chair and a small stool, everything fixed to the floor like in a ship. There was a partitioned corner to the side of the room and she could guess she would find the toilet seat behind the screen. A single naked bulb hung from the ceiling, providing harsh lighting in the room. There were no windows, just a small vent high up on the wall and she could see the twilight sky through the opening. It's almost dusk! Nanu would have been waiting for me! Once again panic started rising within her before she clamped down on it. She then caught sight of the heavy iron door with a small window-like slot for guards to peep inside and no locks or handle on her side of the door. Hospital room eh? Scratch that. Hospital room in a psychiatric ward… she thought ruefully.
What do I do now….................
**************
"At ease, cadets", came the commanding voice. He was silent for a minute before he opened his mouth again.
"Cadet Alekh and Cadet Huda, what the hell is happening here?" demanded Captain Rajveer Singh Shekhawat.
His gray eyes boring into the two cadets who stood before him, Raj waited for one of them to open his mouth and enlighten him of the happenings of the day at KMA. He had been shocked to read the email sent by Huda when he reached New Delhi that evening. Huda had informed him that an attempt to smuggle weapons out of KMA has been thwarted and a girl has been arrested on the scene. He had immediately raced to Ambala. Who was this girl?
"Mein kuch pooch raha hoon, cadets. Yeh ladki kaun hai? Is she along with Mishra in this?" asked Raj.
Four months ago, Raj had caught wind of certain clandestine messages exchanged between someone and Dr.Abhay Mishra, the resident doctor of KMA. He had been secretly collecting evidence against Dr.Mishra, plotting and waiting to catch him red-handed when he was suddenly called away on the mission to Sri Lanka. Unwilling to let go of the situation unmonitored, Raj had summoned the cadet assigned to him a year ago, Cadet Alekh Sharma, and confided in him all the things he had uncovered about the traitorous doctor. He had asked Alekh to enlist the help of Huda and keep watch over Dr.Mishra 24x7 without his knowledge and inform him of any developments. Raj had not yet found what it was that Mishra was planning to do, he only knew it was something illegal and against Army regulations. So imagine his shock when he gets the email from Huda!
Alekh shot a scathing look at Huda, "Batha na. Tera sada hua plan tha". Turning to Raj, "Sir, woh ladki kaun hai yeh apun jaantha nahi. Apun usse do-theen baar academy mein dekha hai. Lekin kaun hai, patha nahi. Woh gaadi lekar ayegi aur ek-do gante mein chali jaayegi. Uss ladki ko woh Dr.Mishra haina.. hamesha ghoortha rehtha tha.. isliye hum dono bhi uski upar nazar rakhne lage. Aur aaj…"
Huda cut in, "Aur aaj bhi woh janaani yahaan aayi thi, sir. We saw her when we were in the drill. Aur phir, hum uss Dr.Mishra ko uski ghaadi ki trunk kolthe hue dekha. Uske paas ek bag tha sir, like a cricket kit. Mein kal raat usko Ammunition Depot se wohi bag lathe hue dekha sir. So I was sure it must be his way of smuggling weapons out of KMA and we made an anonymous call to the guard-house to check that girl's car. Woh pakdi gayi aur humara mission safal ho gaya", he completed shrugging his shoulders, with a certain amount of pride in his voice at his master-plan.
"Lekin woh begunaah hai sir", Alekh asserted. Raj turned to him and indicated him to go ahead. "Hum sabh cadets usse dekha, jab woh yahaan aayi thi. Hall of Fame mein. Uske baadh who chali gayi staff quarters ki tharaf. Apun ko yeh lagtha hai ki usko kuch bhi nahi malum yeh sabh ke bare mein" "Yeh bhi ho saktha hai ki woh Dr.Mishra ki partner ho? Aur jab woh andar gayi Mishra uski ghaadi mein maal rakh diya", argued Huda. "Huda, tu haina…", started Alekh to be stopped by Raj rising his hand to indicate them to stop.
He paced for a minute or two before looking at his cadets who were eagerly awaiting his next orders. "Cadets, tum dono yeh prove tho nahi kar sakthe haina, ki woh ladki yeh sab mamle mein involved hai?". Seeing the cadets shake their heads negatively, he continued. "The benefit of doubt should be given to her then. And even if a hundred criminals are let free, no innocent person should ever be punished…", eyes far away, his voice trailed off.
Pulling himself together from his momentary lapse, Raj looked at the two men before him. "I want the both of you to find out who she is and what she was doing in KMA today. Find out where Mishra is and what he is up to. He will not sit silent, after his plans have failed. I want reports in the next hour", he barked out orders and waved his hand slightly to indicate they are dismissed. Just as the cadets turned to complete their sir's orders, they heard him again.
"Good job, cadets", he said softly with a ghost of appreciation in his eyes before all emotions were shut down and he became the Captain Rajveer known to everyone.
***
One hour ago..
Naina had almost dozed off when she heard the heavy iron door being pushed open. Through blurry eyes, she saw two men at the doorway watching her. "Ab sab ko leke jao yahaan se. Aur jaise meine kaha, waise karna", she heard one of the men command the other. The voice sent shivers up her spine and she dreaded being with the man. Okay, let him interrogate me. I will tell him all I know and then he will leave me. I will go back to Nanu soon, she thought happily.
She did not know what was going to happen to her.
The man closed the door behind him and stood before Naina. All traces of sleep wiped off from her eyes, she looked up at him and gulped. He was a huge man, tall and well-built. She noticed he was not in his uniform and wondered why her interrogator would come informally. He kept looking at her, circling around her and Naina started getting the creeps. The look in his eyes churned her insides and she caught the edges of the cot until her knuckles turned white, to calm down her heart beats and keep herself from panicking. He leered at her and with a lecherous smile on his lips, extended his hand to her, "Hello pretty young thing. I am Lieutenant Dr.Mishra".
****************
Part 3b
Present…
Ganesh Ram was pacing restlessly in his room, thinking about everything that happened during the day. Hey bhagwan, yeh kya ho gaya? Bechari Naina, bohuth darr gayi hongi. Brigadier Chandook bhi KMA mein nahi hai. Uss khadoos Major Nair Naina ko nahi chodega. Kal jab uski interrogation hoga, woh Naina ko bohuth pareshan karega. Mein ek kaam kartha hoon, mein abhi Naina se miloonga. Uski himmat badaunga, hosla rakhne ko kahunga. Haan.. mein abhi KMA jaatha hoon.
***
50 minutes ago…
He leered at her and with a lecherous smile on his lips, extended his hand to her, "Hello pretty young thing. I am Lieutenant Dr.Mishra".
Naina watched him warily; he did not give out good vibes to her. She ignored his out-stretched hand and stared at him, waiting for him to start his enquiry. She kept looking at him, clutching the sheets and watched his eyes harden. He slowly came and stood next to her and placed his hand on her right hand. She visibly shivered, disgust rising in her due to his touch. He prised her hand roughly from the sheets, not bothering that he was hurting her. She looked up at him in shock. He then caught her hands in his and almost crushed her delicate palm in his handshake. "Jab mein haath badaa raha hoon, tujhe bhi wohi karna chahiye", he spelt out slowly in a chilling voice. She grimaced at the pain that shot up her arm and tried to twist her hand to free it from his hands, but he only crushed her hand harder. Unable to bear the pain, she cried out, "Chodiye hamara haath. Dard ho raha hai". He immediately left her hand and she wrung her hand to lessen the pain.
He sat on the bed quite close to her and Naina moved a bit, uncomfortable with his closeness, to put more distance between them. "So tell me. Who informed the guards of the weapons?", he asked. Naina looked up at him puzzled and replied earnestly, "I do not know. I don't even know who kept the weapons in my car in the first place. I have no idea what is going on here"
"Mein batha tha hoon. I kept the weapons in your car. My men would have then taken it from your car tonight and delivered it to the highest bidder. Lekin tuu ne…" he caught her hair and shook her violently, "tuu ne mera plan ko chaupad kiya. Bol… kaun hai tera aadmi? Kiske kehne par tu yeh sab kar rahi thi? Who do you work for? Bol"
Naina looked at him in shock. He was the traitor. He was the one who smuggled the weapons. She caught his hands and tried to get him to free her, but he only shook her more and more until her head spun and her teeth rattled. "Hume.. hume.. kuch.. nahi.. patha hai.. Hum.. begunaah.. hai..", she stuttered. He left her hair and slapped her hard, then again, and again and Naina tasted the coppery taste of her blood in her mouth. Tears streaming from her eyes, she folded her hands in front of him and pleaded, "Hume chodiye. Hum kuch bhi nahi kiya. I don't even understand what you are saying. I do not work with anybody".
He pulled her to her feet and caught her arms in a vice-like grip. "Bol kaun hai tera saathi? Kisko patha hai mere baare mein? How did you come to know that I am planning to smuggle the weapons in your car today? Bol…", he kept shaking her. "Hume.. kuch.. nahi patha hai.. Please leave me.. Humare Nanu intezar kar rahe honge", she pleaded once again. He slapped her again and tightened one of his beefy hands around her throat, the other clutched her hair tightly. "Dekh.. Mera time waste math kar. Jaldi bol. What did you guys think? You will stop my plan by getting arrested, stay here happily and tomorrow once I am caught, your partner will come and release you? Mein aisa nahi hone doongha.." She choked and coughed, trying to force the air through her throat. "Please.. please.. leave.. me.. I.. don't know.. any.. anything", she tried to force the words out of her mouth.
For the first time since the ordeal began, Naina experienced fear. Horrible, terrible, complete fear…
***
Present…
Raj unlocked the door to his quarters and immediately checked the thin thread he had tied from the handle to the door frame – one of the many small tricks taught by his mentor.
"Dekho Raj. Sometimes the safest place is where you live, but it doesn't take long for it to be become the most dangerous too. Usually a person is relaxed when he is home and it becomes very easy to surprise him then. A soldier should never be lax. He should always be on his toes, no matter on the battle-field or off. Samjhe?"
He could still clearly hear his mentor teaching him tricks of the trade while taking long hikes through the forested hills behind KMA. Not allowing his mind to get way-laid by the old memories, he quickly went over to the windows and checked them too. Sweeping his house for any signs of intrusion and checking the other small 'traps' he had placed throughout his house, Raj was finally done after a good ten minutes and allowed himself to sink into the couch in the living room, unbutton the top few buttons of his uniform and relax. It had been a long day and at last he was home.
***
20 minutes ago…
He left her throat and caught her wrist, twisting it behind her back. "Aaahhhh…", she screamed. "Kitna chillana hai chilla. Koi nahi ayega yahaan. Subah se pehle tu khudh maan logi ki tuu ne yeh smuggling ki. Bol kya kahogi..", he twisted her hand some more. "Aahhh.. Nahi.. Hum kuch nahi kiya.. Yeh galat ilzaam hai".
"Yeh mujhe patha hai, tujhe patha hai. Aur kisko patha? So tomorrow you will be accepting the charges. Whatever anyone says, you will accept every charge, even in the court. Bol karogi naa" he pushed her on the bed, her knees catching the edge of the bed and with a loud scream she crumpled on the floor.
He gripped her hair and pulled her up once more. "Bol, kal kya kehna hai?" "N.. nahi.. hum aisa nahi karenge" "Tu kahegi. Zaroor kahegi", he slapped her twice more and pushed her to one side. She stumbled and fell near the writing table, banging her forehead against the edge of the table. She held her head, praying to God to help her out of this and before she knew, the world blackened around her.
***
Present…
He was half-stretched on the couch, his eyes closed, his thumb and middle-finger pinching the bridge of his nose when he heard the quiet knock on the door. Raj crossed to the door, pulled the door open slightly and stepped aside to give way for Huda to enter. He shut the door behind him and waited for Huda to state his report. Before he could start, they heard another hurried knock. Raj opened the door to reveal Alekh.
"Sir, the whole day Dr.Mishra was in the infirmary. But a little birdie told me he looked very, very upset throughout the day", Huda chuckled. "What's the report, Cadet Alekh", Raj expressed his disinterest in Huda's usual gossip and directed the question at Alekh.
"Sir, apun ko lagtha hai, kuch gadbad hai. Uss ladki ka entry, log book mein nahi hai. Apun dono KMA aur main gates ke log books check kiya. Lekin entry nahi tha…"
Before he could continue, Huda cut in triumphantly, "Dekha.. She is also part of this operation. That's why she managed to fool the guards from making her entry". He fell silent at a single glance from Raj.
"Sir, kuch entry tha. Lekin kisine sabooth ko hata diya" explained Alekh. "How can you say for sure, Cadet Alekh?" asked Raj. In reply, Alekh just took out two notebooks from inside his uniform and opened today's page.
"Nishaan hai, sir. Kisine ek page ko nikal diya iss book se. Dekhiye" and showed the pen impressions to Raj. He glanced at Alekh once before turning his attention to the books, "I hope you have just borrowed the books for a short while, Cadet". "Ji, sir", Alekh replied with a straight face.
"Aur haan, woh ladki ko abhi cellar mein rakhe gaye hain", added Alekh.
"Sir, it could also be Dr.Mishra who had the page removed. As he did not want anyone to know about the girl coming to KMA today", argued Huda. "He could have also done that to frame her. Anyway, where is Mishra now?" Raj asked Huda.
"Sir, Dr.Mishra abhi apne quarters mein nahi hai. Meine doonda unhe. Kahin nazar nahi aaraha tha. I could not search the yard behind the staff quarters as there were a lot of guards around there. Lagtha hai shift change ka time hai", he shrugged his shoulders.
Raj glanced at his watch and immediately stood up, buttoning his shirt and ushering the cadets out of his quarters. "Shift change gyarah baje hota hai. Ab saade baara baje hai. Something is wrong"
***
10 minutes ago…
Naina drifted into conscious when she felt water splashed on her face. She moaned once, wondering if she had left her window open and gone to sleep and the rains have started. Or maybe Naren Kaka's sons were up to their usual mischief. She was feeling unnaturally tired. Her body ached everywhere and she only wished to turn over and go to sleep, but looked like someone had placed tonnes of weight over her head; her head pounded and hammered mercilessly. She moaned again, trying to open her eyes and jerked when she heard the cold irritated voice, "I can't keep waiting the whole night for you to wake up".
You are under arrest… Espionage against the nation… I am Lt. Dr.Mishra…
I am not yet out of my nightmare. Please God, save me from him! She implored the Savior, while the terror came rushing into her once again.
Try as she might, she could open only her left eye and that too, the vision was quite blurry. She tried blinking once, twice but it only served to increase the white-hot pain in her head. She became fully awake though, when Dr.Mishra slapped her hard. That was when she noticed herself, lying on her back on the bed, both her wrists handcuffed to the railing of the bed above her head. She looked up to see the outline of Dr.Mishra's face quite close to hers and turned her face sideways on impulse. He immediately grabbed her jaw and yanked her face back towards him.
He grinned lasciviously at her, "Maana padega. Kya cheez hai tuu". Fear clouded her eyes once more and it seemed to raise the kick for the evil Dr.Mishra. He pulled away her dupatta and ran his eyes over her curvaceous body. "So where were we? Oh yes, you were caught smuggling weapons out of KMA. Interrogation ke samay par, tuu ne apna julm kabool kiya. Aur tho aur, apna saathi ka naam bhi bataaya tuu ne. Wohi iss operation ka master-mind hai. Right?", he coolly stated, lighting his cigarette.
She did not answer; she did not know what to answer. The torture was killing her, but accepting taht she was a traitor will suck the soul out of her once and for all!
He brought the flame from the lighter very close to her eyes, so close she could feel the heat almost singing her lashes. She tried turning her face away to protect herself when he once again caught her jaw and held her face in place. "Right?" he repeated, switching off the lighter and crushing her jaw with his hands. Tears streamed down her eyes and ran into the sheet under her while she kept mum.
He left her jaw and towered over her, very close to her. "Ithna zidd seheth keliye acha nahi hai" and he ripped the kurta from her body. She screamed.
His eyes roamed over the exposed upper body and she closed her eyes in shame. She was disgusted with herself. Hey bagwaan, humari jaan lelo. Bas.. iss rakshas se hume bachao.
"So what do you say", he once again asked, coming close to her. She tried to mould herself further into the cot when she felt his breath on her face. He went mad with fury when she did not answer him; she had simply closed her eyes and there was no expression on her face. She was just waiting for the Lord to come and take her life to save her from this dishonor. He took the cigarette stub from his mouth and pressed it hard on her chest. Her eyes flew open but she did not scream. She did not have the energy to even scream.
He was getting impatient. "Well, if you are not going to say anything even during interrogation, it's fine. You will still be considered guilty and nobody will start digging in deeper. Fine with me, atleast let me have some fun for a while", he shrugged his shoulders and covered her body with his. Naina flinched when she felt his burden on her and felt like insects crawling over her wherever he touched. He ran his hands roughly along her curves and reached for her chudidhar knot when he froze.
"What do you think you are doing, Dr.Mishra", came the furious voice of Captain Rajveer.
***************
Part 4a
Raj raced along with Alekh and Huda to the cellar behind the staff quarters. The half moon shone on his face, highlighting the grim determination there. He would not let another wrong happen before his eyes…
They bypassed the guards who were sitting and chatting at a distance from the cellar steps, and rushed inside. Taking the steps two at a time, Raj turned to Huda, "Get hold of the guards at the gates of KMA. Find out why the cellar guards are not in their places", he ordered. While Huda went up the stairs again, Raj and Alekh continued further.
They had just cleared the steps when they heard a scream. They stopped to ascertain the direction of the scream and ran towards the sound. Mishraaa, gritted Raj under his breath while he ran. He kept looking into each cell in the corridor through the small window in the door until he came to the last door. Something told him this was it.
He banged open the door and took in everything. From where he stood, all he could see was Mishra stretched out on the bed over a huddled figure and a pair of fair wrists handcuffed to the head of the cot. Realizing the situation immediately, he bellowed out in fury.
"What do you think you are doing, Dr.Mishra"
Captain Rajveer? Yahaan? Iss waqt?, wondered Dr.Mishra while he slowly lifted himself from over Naina and stood facing Raj. "Sir, aap?" He was too shocked to let out a complete sentence. Abhi isse aana tha kya, he thought irritatedly.
Raj now had a clear view of the young girl tied to the cot. He grimaced seeing her tattered and bruised condition. Her right eye was swollen, her forehead blackened at a corner, her lips cut and bleeding, black and blue bruises and hand-prints on her cheeks, throat and arms, her kurta ripped and tattered. All this he saw in a few seconds. He shot a raging look at Mishra and moved inside towards the trembling body on the cot, unbuttoning his shirt at the same time. He threw his uniform shirt over her, covering her body and turned his attention to Mishra.
"Apne superior officer ko salute nahi karoge Mishra?" Raj questioned Mishra sarcastically. Only Alekh could see his tightly clenched fist which showed how difficult it was for him to keep his rage under check. He was still standing at the doorway; he too had caught a glimpse of the girl on the cot and averted his eyes. Guilt swept through him and he once again cursed himself for not strongly protesting Huda's hare-brained idea.
Mishra was too shocked to understand the sarcasm and the fury behind Raj's words and stood still like a statue. But he was trained for all this. He knew how to turn any situation to his favor. Grinning to himself mentally, he saluted Captain Rajveer and proceeded to explain to Raj his 'interrogation' of the 'accused' girl.
"Captain, aapko dekhar bohuth khushi hui. Aap kab laute", he asked in a sugary-sweet voice. Raj was losing his patience fast. "I asked, what are you doing here, Lt.Dr.Mishra", he bit out.
"Sir, this girl was caught today smuggling weapons out of KMA. I was just interrogating"
"Ithni raat ko? Aur aapko kaun permission diya interrogation karne keliye?"
"Sir, Brigadier Chandook aur Major Nair abhi KMA mein nahi hai. Aur mujhe nahi patha tha aap aanewale hai. So according to superiority of rank, I took up the charge for interrogation. I thought if I am done with the interrogation tonight, we can quickly produce her before the court tomorrow and get her punished. We should never let traitors free for too long", he puffed out his chest as if he was the most patriotic man on earth.
"And how are you so sure she is guilty, Lt. Mishra", Raj shot back. "Did you see her smuggling the goods out of our depot? I wonder how she got access to the arms depot"
Mishra grew increasingly uncomfortable. Yeh Captain Rajveer mujhe interrogate karne laga hai. "I think she has a partner-in-crime inside the KMA sir. I am sure someone helped her with this", he replied confidently.
"Oh yeah? Then who made the anonymous call to the guards to check her car? And who do you think is her accomplice?", countered Raj. How he knows that, wondered Mishra. That was when he caught sight of Alekh standing quietly at the doorway, watching the exchange of words. He suddenly remembered having caught sight of this cadet snooping around near his quarters or listening to his conversations many a times. His 'training' kicking in, he turned to Raj.
"Mujhe iss cadet pe shaq hai sir. I have seen him snooping around KMA after light-out many times"
Raj nodded his head and spoke coolly, "Indeed, Lt.Mishra. It was Cadet Alekh who made the anonymous call to the guards. Now I wonder why, if he was this girl's partner in the smuggling"
Mishra realized the situation slipping out of his control rapidly. Desperate to escape Raj's eyes and his interrogation, he made the one huge mistake he must have never made in front of Raj.
"Aap kyun iss ladki ko ithna support kar rahe hai sir", he asked once again in a sugary-sweet voice. "Jaane dijiye naa. She is nothing but a bloody traitor". He then added with a wicked smile, "Oh yes, I forgot! Aapko humesha deshdroghiyon ke saath gehra sambandh rehtha hai.. haina? Pehle aapka mentor, ab yeh lad…"
He never got to complete his sentence. While Alekh swung his head back in shock to watch Mishra, Raj reached the still-smiling lieutenant in two strides and punched him hard on his face. Alekh was as shocked as Mishra when he saw his ever-calm mentor punch the daylights out of Dr.Mishra. But Raj was not to be contained; the temper he was holding tight, having found Mishra torturing the poor girl, blew over the top hearing his mentor being sullied. He gave a few more punches on Mishra's face and the latter could do nothing but receive the blows. Even though he was built way heavier than Raj's tall and lean form, the sheer strength and fury in the blows froze his limbs into inaction. Raj twisted Mishra's arm behind his back and gritted out.
"Kabardaar.. kabardaar agar tuu ne ek aur shabd kaha... First you smuggle weapons out of KMA, then try to frame an innocent girl, torture her and try to rape her, and now…" His words were cut off by the sound of running boots approaching them and he controlled his rage. He still held Mishra and informed him, "You will not utter another word until you are produced in court, Mishra. I have the damn evidence against you and my rank is superior enough to arrest you"
"You will not get far, Shekhawat", Mishra growled. "You hit an army officer on duty and interrupted an interrogation. Waise bhi maine sach kaha. Saare desh jaantha hai ki Navin Ahluwalia was a traitor"
He was panicking with the information about evidence and tried to rile Rajveer, hoping that whoever was coming this way will see Raj hitting a fellow officer.
Calming himself, Raj refused to rise up to the bait and replied pretending shock, "Who hit you, Lt.Mishra? I saw you tripping and falling when I arrived here. That was how you got the bruises on your face. Right, Cadet Alekh?", he glanced at Alekh who was still standing at the doorway.
"Apun kuch bhi nahi dekha sir", he replied with a straight face, trying hard to hide the grin forming on his face.
"Right", said Raj and just tightened his grip on Mishra's arm, making him wince in pain. "Dard ho raha hai? Hone do.. Tujhe jald se jald patha hoga ki dard kya hota hai. You gave so much pain to an innocent girl" he glanced at Naina before continuing "ab tuu bhugtega. Yeh mera vaada hai".
***************
Part 4b
"Dard ho raha hai? Hone do.. Tujhe jald se jald patha hoga ki dard kya hota hai. You gave so much pain to an innocent girl" he glanced at Naina before continuing "ab tuu bhugtega. Yeh mera vaada hai".
The last words were delivered in a low, dangerous tone that made Mishra shiver. Raj glanced up towards the doorway to find Huda arriving with 4-5 guards. He pushed Mishra towards them and ordered in an authoritative tone, "Arrest him. On charges of smuggling arms from an army base and torturing an innocent civilian under the pretext of interrogation". The guards looked behind Raj at the figure on the cot covered with a uniform shirt and nodded their head. They knew Raj's authority and led the struggling Mishra to another cell.
Raj released a long sigh and turned to Alekh, "Try to find Lolita Mam or wake up Cadet Ghai and bring them over here immediately. And get a first-aid box from the infirmary too". "Ji sir", saluted Alekh and left.
"Patha chala yeh kaun hai?", he asked Huda who was still coming to grips with the consequences of his 'plan'. He had had a glance of a badly tattered face and handcuffed wrists when the guards were taking away Mishra and grudgingly accepted to himself that he must have listened to Alekh and thought of a better plan that didn't affect any innocent person.
Unable to meet his superior's eyes, he answered him with his eyes downcast. "Nahi sir. Many of them have seen her but she speaks only with a couple of people, it seems. I also came to know she comes to KMA to meet Brigadier Chandook's wife. But other than that, she sort of keeps to herself"
Alekh came at that moment, closely followed by Pooja. "Sir, Lolita Mam ko jagaa nahi paya", he informed Raj while Pooja gaped at Raj, standing in only his sleeveless vest and his uniform trousers.
When did he come back? Aur kya dikhtha hai… Hayee, she thought dreamily. She then looked around and seeing the figure on the cot, rushed towards a still-silent Naina. "Arey, yeh tho humari heroine hai", exclaimed Pooja. "Lekin isse kya hua"
"Cadet Ghai, she is injured. Please apply first aid and dress her wounds", ordered Raj, still looking at Alekh and Huda who had their eyes downcast.
Pooja slowly applied first-aid to Naina's bruises and released her wrists from the cuffs. She was surprised to find Naina neither moaning nor hissing in pain, even though she was conscious and was observing everything. Kamaal ki ladki hai, she thought.
She removed Raj's shirt that covered her upper body and gasped when she saw the angry burn mark on her chest. She knew she will not get any answers from Captain Rajveer until he wishes to say something on his own. She glanced at Alekh and Huda and was surprised to find them with bent heads. Deciding to wring the answer out of them later, she proceeded to dress her wounds while still wondering about what was going on there.
She glanced with dismay at the ripped kurta that was not suitable even for rags now and wondered what to do. She could go back to her room and get some clothes for her but her womanly instincts rose up and she felt uncomfortable now to leave the vulnerable Naina with three men. She looked at the shirt in her hands and made Naina wear Raj's uniform shirt and buttoned it up. She then made Naina sit up on the bed and checked for any other injuries. She noticed a swollen knee but could not do anything. She had to remove her chudidhar to observe and dress that wound. So, for the moment, she just pressed an ice-pack to her knee and pressed another to her swollen eye.
Meanwhile, Raj was still observing the two cadets standing before him with shame. "Cadets, kabhi kabhi insaan se galthi hota hai. The important thing is to realize that mistake. Mein maantha hoon ki humesha mein yehi kaha kartha tha ki faujiyon se koi galthi nahi hona chahiye. Because you might not get a second chance to redeem your fault. Lekin apne aap ko dosh math do"
What are you doing then, Captain Rajveer? , called out an inner voice. Even after so many years you still blame yourself for Captain Navin's demise and dishonor. What was your fault?
Raj silenced his inner voice and continued, "You are learning now, cadets. And this lesson shows how you need to consider everything while coming up with a strategy. It is not just the end that counts, the means too. And I hope you have realized your responsibilities as soldiers of this nation towards the civilians"
It was Huda who opened his mouth. "Yes sir. We are sorry for everything sir. Because of us, a civilian was about to lose her honor. This will never happen again sir", he promised. He knew he was wrong; he was guilty but he couldn't stop a thought crossing his mind. Iss ladki ki waja se mujhe Captain Rajveer se kya kya sunna padha hai…
"Apun bhi sorry hai sir. Aur apun apna galthi sudarna chahtha hai", Alekh replied sincerely. His thoughts were quite different from that of Huda's. Apun ki waja se iss masoom ladki ko kya kya sehna padha tha…
"It's good the both of you have realized your mistakes. But we still need to find out who she is and take her back home. I will make sure all charges against her are dropped", said Raj while looking back to see Pooja helping the girl to sit up on the bed. The swelling in her eye had reduced considerably and he could see her gazing at him steadily. He looked away, feeling guilty that he too was in some way responsible for her present situation.
"Sir", came Huda's voice. Raj turned and Huda continued with the information he had gathered. "There are no charges against her. Dr.Mishra had ordered the guards to remove all traces of her arrest and even ordered the cellar guards to leave their duty. Since he was in authority in the absence of Major Nair, the guards could do nothing but obey him. I just spoke with a couple of them while coming here"
Raj thought for a moment and the corners of his lips curled upwards. "Ask the guards to replace 'torturing' with 'unlawful capturing and torturing' in Mishra's charge-sheet", he ordered and Huda spun on his heels, eager to get away before his guilty conscience overpowered him.
No sooner than Huda had left that Raj observed a shadow hesitating near the door. He looked up to see Havaldaar Ganesh Ram, the security in-charge of the main gates of the cantonment lingering outside the doorway.
Raj only knew Ganesh Ram too well from his days as a cadet of KMA. He had helped him many times by not reporting his occasional slipping out of the cantonment after light-outs. Raj used to get out of KMA without anyone knowing to take long hikes through the hills behind KMA, craving some solitude. It especially increased in frequency after the incident when Raj often spent the entire nights in the forests, fighting his insomnia and his guilt.
Raj raised his eyebrows quizzically at Ganesh Ram who was watching Naina closely with pain in his eyes. He knew Ganesh Ram usually didn't come to KMA until there was some security issue and wondered why he was here now and why he was staring at the girl.
Ganesh Ram shifted his eyes to meet Rajveer's and read the questions in them. Before he could open his mouth, he heard Raj's question, "Kya aap iss ladki ko jaanthe ho? Iska naam kya hai?"
Ganesh Ram nodded his head before uttering "Naina".
Nainaa…, echoed Rajveer's soul.
Seeing Rajveer's eyebrows rise once again, he added, "Yeh Naina hai. Panjokhra mein rehthi hai, apne Nanaji ke saath. Woh mandir mein pujari hai. Kuch hi hafton pehle dono yahaan Ambala aaye they"
Seeing that Raj was waiting for more information, he continued while making his way towards Naina on the cot. "Memsahib ko milne kabhi kabhi aaya karthi thi. Aaj bhi…" He could not hide the pain in his voice, "I was the one who arrested her this morning. Bechari bohuth sadme mein thi. Isliye meine socha ki usse miloon aur ithni raath ko yahaan chala aaya"
As he finished, he touched Naina's head affectionately but was taken aback when she flinched, shrugged herself to relieve his touch and cringed towards Pooja who was holding her by her shoulders.
All this while she never took her eyes off Rajveer...........
When Naina heard the furious voice questioning Dr.Mishra, her eyes flew open to rest on two figures at the doorway. She noticed one of them stride into the room and her eyesight cleared to reveal a pair of stormy gray eyes filled with fury.
The eyes spoke to her; reassuring her that everything was going to be fine.
Looking into his eyes, she felt instant calm surround her. She then saw him come closer unbuttoning his shirt and before the panic could rise once again at the proximity of a male in her vulnerable condition, she saw him throw his shirt over her body and turn around quickly to handle the monster.
She saw all the events happening before her eyes, understood everything going on; but her eyes never left the tall man who had come to her rescue. Her eyes widened in shock at the mention of Navin Ahluwalia and she studied her savior once again. Tall and lean but muscular, thick black hair cut short according to army requirements, a pair of intense gray eyes, sharp nose and thin lips, clean-shaven jaws set in determination and fury, bulging biceps and strong arms revealed by a sleeveless vest; arms that were currently holding Mishra's arms twisted behind his back.
So this is Rajveer Singh Shekhawat, she thought.
And then through all the events later on, she never took her eyes off Rajveer......
Anupamaa
8