A NEW HOPE

Hey everyone, this is my first story on IF... it's an RN fic and I hope that you will enjoy it... I'm putting the first part of the story now and if you all like it then i will continue with it...

She sat there in her room all alone dressed in an elegant aquamarine bluish green lehenga, with matching jewelry. Today was her engagement day and instead of being on cloud nine, she was not happy at all. She had no reason to be happy. She was sitting in front of her mirror in the room and was staring at her reflection wondering how much longer she could keep the mask on her face.

Her heart had been empty for the past 2 years and she knew that it would never be as alive ever again. She had not even expected to be left all alone on this day, when she was forcefully going to be engaged to a man she didn't love. But here she was, clad in her lehenga, and all alone. Not one of those who cared for her the most were there with her, save for her dad and her step-mother. Yes, her own mother had died a few months back with a disease and her father had remarried. Her new mother was just like they mentioned in those fairytales she had read since childhood, evil. And it was her step-mother who had forced her into getting married to this man, a man she despised with all her heart.

The to-be bride was anxious and nervous; all the people she loved were not with her, they had left her alone the previous morning after one of them had received some shocking news from headquarters. They all rushed to the car without telling her what the matter was and never called at all. She had no idea that what they had gone to do, what they had gone to find would save her life, save her from this horrible marriage, and they intended to save her before she was even engaged. Sighing, the bride waited patiently for the step-mom to come and bring her down. She got up from the chair and walked over to her dresser. She slid open the top-most drawer and then she slowly unfastened the chain around her neck, the locket contained her life, heart, and soul. Removing it from her neck would mean that she was giving up, after two long years of despair and depression; she was beginning to lose hope.

She opened the locket and saw the pictures of the two people she loved more than anyone in the whole world. They were the two most important people in her life, but not anymore. They both had left her alone and lost in this world. She didn't realize when the tears started falling slowly down her cheek, or when a hand touched her shoulder. She turned around, the locket still clutched in her hand.

"Neelu! Tum yahan??" She asked her old friend.

"Haan, main yahan, mujhe bro ne phone kiya aur kaha ki tumhaare paas aa jaoon, so here I am." Neelu replied.

"Yudi ne? Kya usne bataya ki woh kahan par hai?" The bride enquired.

"Ah… nahi, he just said ki meri dost yahan akeli hai, isliye usne mujhe bhej diya…" Neelu lied to her. "Tumne apna locket utar di, kya main jaan sakti hoon kyun?"

"Maine usse utardi hai kyunki ab mujhe is dard se koi nahi bacha sakta hai… yeh do toh hamesha se hi lazy the, aur ab toh woh yahan hai hi nahi… raha sawaal baaki sabka toh pata nahin un sabne mujhe akela kyun chod diya."

Neelu was torn in conflict. There was a part of her wanting to tell her best friend that she wasn't alone, she wanted to tell her why her brother and the others had left her so mysteriously. But the other part of her told her to wait… they would be reaching the house soon. Neelu decided it was best to keep quiet for now. Suddenly the door opened and three to four girls came inside giggling. The bride shut the locket in the drawer and turned to face them.

"Bhabhi, chalo… sagai ka samay ho raha hai" one of the girls said.

"Haan bhabhi, bhaiya ko aur intezaar mat karao, chalo na…" the other girl said.

"Lekin auntyji ne kaha tha ki mahurat aadha ghanta baad hai, toh phir yeh niche kyun aa jaaye?" Neelu asked the girls.

"Mar gaye…" the third girl said. And without explaining themselves, they ran out of the room. The bride turned and walked towards her window, Neelu followed her, and together they watched as all the guests began arriving.

"Thanks Neelu, pata nahin kyun magar mera dil aaj bahut bechain hai, aisa lagta hai ki iss sagai se bhi bada kuch hone waala hai…" The bride told her friend.

"Don't worry… aisa kuch nahi hoga, aur hua bhi toh shayad kuch accha hoga." Neelu tried to reassure her friend.

"Ha, meri zindagi kabse bigadte jaa rahi hai… ab toh kuch accha ho hi nahi sakta hai… main uss… uss aadmi se shaadi nahi kar sakti, magar meri majboori hai…" The bride replied.

"You never know, kuch bhi ho sakta hai…"

And Neelu knew that these words were going to be proved right very shortly. She glanced back at the clock; 5:08 pm. The bride was to be called down in the next 22 minutes. 22 minutes was all that they had to save their friend, Lt. Naina Singh Alhuwalia from this marriage. Would they all succeed? Only time would tell. and there wasn't much of that left...

If you all like it, please comment, then i will continue

👏 Awesome update please do continue...would love to read more... 😊

@ Ladyinblu - thanks...

@ Shruti - thanks...

I will be updating in half an hour...

PART 2:

While Naina was getting all worked up for her engagement, her friends were on the way back to Naina's house to stop the engagement from taking place. It had been 2 hours since they were driving and they were almost at their destination. They all had left on a mission, the previous morning after Aalekh had received a call from Capt. Abhimanyu that he, Huda, Yudi, Ali and Pooja were chosen to be a part of a rescue mission, 'Mission Azaadi.' Naturally they all had been confused as to why they were called for a mission a day before Naina was to get engaged. Aalekh had called Abhimanyu after leaving Naina safely in her house.

"Sir, kal toh Naina ki sagai hai, apun kaise…?" Aalekh had asked Abhimanyu.

"Aalekh, is mission se hi Naina ko hum sab is shaadi se bacha sakte hai." Abhimanyu told him.

"Par woh kaise…?" Aalekh had become even more confused now. What connection did this mission have to Naina?

"Kya aap jaante ho ki is mission mein humein kisse bachana hai?" Abhimanyu inquired.

"No sir." Aalekh replied.

It was only after Abhimanyu told Aalekh who had to be rescued did he realize how important this mission was. Aalekh told Abhimanyu that they would successfully complete this mission and meet him with Dr. Shalini and Gunny at the pick-up point the next day at 2:30 pm.

"All the best Lieutenant. Humein poora vishwaas hai ki aap sab milke usse waapis laa sakte ho, aur Naina ko bacha paayenge." Abhimanyu told him.

"Chinta mat karo Sir, apun sab milke Naina ko zaroor bachayenge." With that, Aalekh had disconnected the call and told the others the details of Mission Azaadi.

And now here they were; all 9 of them, Huda, Aalekh, Ali, Yudi, Pooja, Abhimanyu, Gunny, Shalini and the person who had been rescued by them. Aalekh was seated in the passenger seat of the van next to Yudi and Gunny who was driving, Shalini was sitting behind with Pooja taking care of her two patients; for Huda also had been injured while rescuing the prisoner.

There was less than half an hour till Naina's engagement and each minute was dragging by slower and slower. The prisoner was revived of his unconsciousness and was being tended to by Pooja.

"Kya koi mujhe bata sakta hai ki yahan ho kya raha hai?" The prisoner asked them all. He obviously didn't know that they all depended upon him to save Naina, and they knew he needed to know all the details before they reached the engagement.

"Well, humein aapki madad chahiye." Shalini told him.

"Kis mein, Dr. Shalini?" He asked.

"Umm… look, mujhe pata hai ki itne saalon baad hum sabko tum mile ho… lekin pichle do saalon mein bahut badal gaya hai… darasal ek badi problem hai; Naina ki zabardasti shaadi karwaayi jaa rahi hai." Shalini told him.

"KYA?!?!" The prisoner was shocked to the core. He didn't believe this was true. "Kya? Naina… meri Naina ki shaadi ho rahi hai? Yeh… yeh kaise ho sakta hai?" He demanded to know everything that had happened.

"Err…suno… tum relax karo, hum jaante hai ki Naina tumhaare liye kitni important hai, uski asliyat humein pata hai… lekin jab Naina ki maa guzar gayi aur uske dad ne phir se shaadi kiya, usse zabardasti kisi anjaan shaks se shaadi ka faisla kiya hai." Shalini told him about everything that happened in these two years. The prisoner was surprised when he heard that the mission was not completely successful. There was still one more person stuck back there, someone equally important to Naina.

Just then Yudi received a call. It was from Neelu. Worried that something had happened, he gave the phone to Aalekh, who after muttering, 'saala nautanki' answered the call.

Neelu – Hello.

Aalekh – Haan Neelu, bol.

N – Aalekh, tum sab kahan ho? Naina ko sirf saath minute hai.

A – Gunny sir, kitna time lagega?

Gunny – Hum bas pahunchne waale hai.

A – Theek hai, Neelu. Naina ko jab niche bulayenge, tu uske leke jaa. Apun sab time par pahunchega.

N – okay… Aalekh, kya woh bhi saath mein hai?

A – Haan, idharich hai.

N – Zinda?

A – chalta-phirta bolta laash hai Neelu.

N – mazaak mat karo, kya woh dono tumhaare paas hai?

A – Nahi, apun sirf ekich ko bacha paaya, dusra abhi bhi wahan par hi hai… aur haan woh bhi zinda hai.

N – Okay… toh jaldi aao, mujhe ab Naina ke paas jaana hai.

A – Hmm… apun aarela hai, Naina ko bol ki sabr kar.

N – Bye.

A – Bye.

Aalekh hung up the phone and gave it to Yudi. He then unbuckled his seatbelt and climbed behind where the rescued prisoner was sitting.

"Naina ko paanch minute mein niche leke jaa rahe hai." Aalekh told him and everyone else.

"Oh, toh kya hum sab alarm se pehle pahunchenge?" Pooja asked.

"Arre, punjaban, hum sab pahunch jaayenge." Huda reassured her.

Aalekh then turned to speak to the rescued prisoner. It was odd for him, seeing this man so close in front of him after all these years. But he had to fulfill his duty to save Naina.

"Aapko pata hai ki kya karna hai?" Aalekh asked him.

"Of course mujhe pata hai… lekin kya Naina iss jhatke ko seh paayegi?" The prisoner was worried about Naina and her reaction to what she would see soon.

"Apun Naina ko jitna jaanta hai, ek baat keh sakta hai ki… nahi, usse iss jhatke se bahut shock lagega. Hum sabko jitna bhi shock laga hai, usse kahin zyaada Naina ko shock lagega. Par apun ko pata hai ki isse bada khushi Naina ko kabhi nahi milega." Aalekh reassured him.

"Thanks Aalekh, tumne Naina ka bahut khayal rakha hai…" The prisoner told him.

"Woh, apun toh bas…" Aalekh didn't know what to tell him. For the first time, he was at a loss of words.

Fortunately, the van suddenly stopped. They had reached their destination; Naina's house. It was now time to save her from getting engaged to be married. They all got down from the van. The prisoner was in much better shape than he had been two hours ago when he was first rescued.

And as he took his first step down from the van towards the fully decorated Alhuwalia house, he felt as if he were given a new life. He didn't waste anytime pondering about the things that had changed in these years, all he knew now that he had to save Naina. His beloved Naina, no one had ever loved her more than he did. Not Huda not Aalekh.

He was here to save the girl he loved with all his heart. Slipping into a formal jacket and sunglasses, the Late Captain Navin Singh Alhuwalia headed inside the house to save his dear sister, Naina from getting married.