It's the graduation day.... And she felt the most important factor missing....
She wouldn't have reached so far whithout his guidance and support....
He groomed her to become the officer she is today....

He never called neither any messages for Dr. Shalini..... At least that mean that he is safe and nothing serious has occur
But that doesn't make her worry less.

She can't rest until she sees him with her own eyes...
And God knows when is that happening.

She became the best cadet and receive their rank....
The one person who deserved to witness this was not there and this upset not only her but every cadet especially the other five

He has touched everyone's life and
They all want to stand in front of him and say that we did it... Because of you...

"Ab to tu officer hai....
Sharukh ka signal clear...."
Pooja teases her in low tone..... cornering her from others.

"Han par sharukh to khud out of range hai...
Clear signal ka achar dalun main"
She frowned back.

"Ek call nahi kar sakte the ....
Koi code ke through hi message bhijwa dete.
Badi comunication skills sikhate the humein."
She was literally pissed off....

"My my, captain has no idea what he has gotten into..."
She made fun of her best friend's misery

"Aur kya bolte....
Phone Aya kya tumhare ashiq ka"?
Alekh asked casually... Keeping his hand on her shoulder.... Making naina jump on the selection of his words

"Chup kar....."
She scolded him

"Nahi aya....na dekh chehre ke sare rang ude hue hai"
Pooja clutch her from other side

And she had no idea how to respond
Her friends are first time openly discussing their love life.

"Kya ho gaya hai tum dono ko"
She was not feeling intimidated when ud overheard the topic of conversation and joined them

"I hope sir call you ASAP.. meri shart lagi hai huda se...."
Ud added... And she rolled her eyes...

When huda checked in.

"Kya hua Bhai log... Sab aise kyun khade ho..
Kya bat hai phulan badi sad lag rahi hai... Kisi ke call ka wait hai kya "
He winked and naina felt like banging her head it was a simpler time when they use to pretend that they don't know.

"Maine to pehle hi kaha tha ke mat pad captain ke chakkar mein ...
Mujhe Han bol diya hota to aj duet ga rahe hote hum dono."

They were enjoying pulling her leg when Shalini summoned naina and she took a flight from there

"Yes mam "
She asked

"First of all congratulations
You really came a long way....
I am so proud of you Naina"
She said genuinely keeping hand on her shoulder

"Thanks mam.... That means a lot
I have really looked upon you...."
She replied with same honesty

"Now that you are not a cadet anymore....
There is something I wana tell you
Koi badi bat nahi hai....
I just feel you should know"

"What is it mam...."
She asked curious to know

"You remember those earings I gave you"

She nodded and Shalini continue

"Well... It wasn't from me to you ...
Actually captain has purchased it with the intention of giving it to you.... But as you know how ridiculously hopeless he is .... He dropped the plan
So i tricked him and took it from him to give it to you... Because that what he wanted..."

She felt tickle in her heart ....
Simultaneously going red and embarrassed in front of her former teacher.

"Mam... Wo .... I mean"

Shalini hold her hands gently

"Don't.....
Captain is a very special friend....
He never told me anything
But it's so obvious... That you have to be an idiot to not see it.....

So this conversation never happened....
And i hope you know that you have to initiate
Because he is a hopeless case....
Tumhe hi kehna hona hoga kyunki captain se to unko tameez nahi chutegi..."

She winked and left making naina cry in sweet pain.....
If only she can kiss and hug him right now.

How much it aches to not be able to claim what's yours.
She can't help but kept smiling like and idiot thinking about those earings.....
He brought it for him.....

-------

She is applying nail paint on her toes....
And her mother came with cups of tea....
Putting one in front of her

"Never seen you doing this before"
She passed a remark.

"Pooja ki hai... Mere saman mein reh gayi"
She replied as she gave a final touch.

Her mother can notice subtle changes in her from last visit itself.... during holidays and after that on phone...

She doesn't loose her temper very often nowdays.
She is less anxious
More composed....
Not at all impulsive

"First posting ke liye shilong kab nikalne wale ho...."
She asked

"Next week Tak...."
She replied picking up one mug

"Ye achcha hai alekh bhi sath hoga"

"Pooja aur huda bhi hai......."
She told her mother

"You have got really nice friends "
She said with a smile ...

"Achcha hua alekh ko yaha le ayi...."

"Hain kaha wo"

"Neeche Yash ke sath gardening kar rah hai.
Naina wo have you thought about getting married now"
She was waiting to bring up the topic

Naina got squirmy and saw at the cup and then again to her mother

"Maa I don't wana get married now....
Abhi to career start hua hai ...
Bhaiyya ka case investigation....
There is to much to do now....
I don't have time for anything else ..."

"Fine ... I just wanted to ask once...."

Her mother had an idea that she will say something like this only....
But there is one more thought in her mind and she wasn't sure if she should voice it out or not....
She can be entirely wrong about it....
May be she will wait a little and give her some time"

-----

She was searching something frantically
All over the place hall bedroom...

"Kya chahiye tujhe naina"?
Her mother asked irritated with her hustling around

"Maa I am not getting one of my earing"

"Which one"

"The one I was wearing "

She was looking beneath the sofa cushion
On the mattress
Under the table

"Oh god naina
Kal safai mein mil jayenge
Gold ke to nahi the na"

"Maa gold ke nahi the par bohot important hai..."
She said as she looked for them in a heap of fresh laundry.

Alekh was watching cricket match while she was bugging around him...

"Alekh have you seen them"
She asked all tensed

"Nahi apun ko nahi pata"

"To baitha kya hai uth ke dhund na"
And she switched off the tv

Making alekh really pissed off.

"Maa isko dekho na"
Alekh turned his head to complaint to her mother....

"Naina stop it now
Kal safai mein milenge to dedungi....
Or get a new set big deal....
Aur tujhe kab se jewellery ka shauk hone laga...."

She almost felt like crying and she stormed out of the room.

She banged the door behind her as she entered the room and once more checked the blanket...
It wasn't there and she sat on bed in exhaustion

"He never gave any confession
Those earings were closet she has in the name of confession.
And now she has lost one ..
She took the other one in her hand and felt terrible....

It's been more than a month
No contact
No information about him....

It's not  just the earings she was holding
She is holding on to the hope....

How can she explain to anyone what those earings ment to her

She kept the remaining set in a small wooden jewellery box and kept it safe inside the cupboard