Present :

Rain water smells and sounds different, everytime.

On the day his parents died, it smelt of burnt rubber and smoking metal, and sounded like collisions.

On the day Naveen died, it smelt like gunpowder and sounded like the silence of failings.

And on that fateful day, when he had saved his mentor's life, it smelled of river water and weeds. And sounded like happiness. Happiness, when after a long time, someone addressed him as 'son'.

He would often wonder, in the days to come, how life would have shaped differently, if he hadnt saved him.

Love encourages, gives you the will to go on.
To live.
Its the bearer of hope.
Of better tomorrows. Of knowing you are not alone.

But that day, when rain smelt of hopelessness and despair, and sounded like wailings, as he walked down the corridor from the Colonel's office, all he could think of was, that love blinds.
Blinds you to the obvious.

.......

Past

He stood there in his room, an unnatural calm in his being.
Looking at him, nobody would be able to judge, what had passed in the last couple of hours.
How his life had been turned upside down.

Anger and frustration was bubbling inside him. But none showed on his face.
He wore calmness like a mask.

Inside, all he wanted to do was to shake them hard, to yell that he hadnt done anything wrong, he didnt have an illicit relationship with their friend.

He loved her, yes.
Immensely.
Insanely.
He never showed it though.

He remembered her questioning eyes, when she had asked him, that letter in her hand.

"Sir, ye...aapne...?

"Cadet Singh maine tumhe koi letter nahi likha"

He could see the conflicting emotions in her eyes. Her struggle to believe.

And she had finally ran out after Huda, when he started announcing his misjudged and jealous ravings, to the entire academy.

Raj knew then, he had lost.
They had won.
He finally understood, this wws tge plan.
It relieved him in a way.
Atleast she was safe, currently. Atleast physically.

And thus, his outward calmness.
He knew what was to be done.
What he did not know was, his torment was far from over, that day.

Naina barged in, anger written on every inch of his face.

One look at her, his heart sunk.
She knew.
Knew his most horrible secret.
One look at her, and he knew that she had somehow come to know, rather, had been told...that He had killed her brother.

He stood there, his face finally betraying the fear he was feeling.

He stood like that, long after she was gone.
Long after she had stood in front of him, telling him (rightfully, he thought) that she had never expected HE would betray her trust. That she wished him dead.
Would ensure it.

He smiled ruefully.
Then sighed, and sat down.

Now he was, completely and truly alienated, from everyone.
Now it was trouble.