It was dawn, when she stirred, waking up out of habit.
At first, disoriented as to where she was.
She found herself, with her head still on his chest, his shirt still in her fist.
She found him sitting in the same position that he was the night before, his arms still around her waist.
Gently, she tried to sit up straight.
He stirred, but did not wake up.
She looked at his face.
Careworn, but there was peace on it.
Unable to help herself, she extended her hand to touch his cheek.
He eyes fluttered open slowly at that, and his gaze fell on hers, so near to him.
Suddenly conscious, both sat put straight, smoothing their clothes.

Raj flexed his hand, and stretched himself, while Naina moved a little away, to give him space.

Naina (not meeting his eyes) : Wo...aapne..aapne mujhe uthaya kyu nahi..
Aap puri raat aise hi..aapki back akar gai hogi....

Raj looked at her seriously.
Raj : And risk you leaving my...arms?
Not a chance.

Naina turned red.
She nervously straightened her hair.
He was still looking at her intensely.

Naina : Wo...um...main fresh hoke aati hu.
Raj nodded.
Raj : Main bhi...I'l meet you downstairs.

................

They had had breakfast together in the hotel, both still a little awkward, still a little quiet, after which they left to finish their remaining work, and were now returning to their base.
He was driving, while she was sitting beside him, trying to decode the codes.

He was occasionally glancing at her, a small smile on his face, feeling at peace with the world.

She had her face scrunched up in concentration.

Naina : Sir....this really seems arbitrary.
I mean, look...they have assigned each letter a number.
I looked for the number that is the most frequent and assigned it the letter E, as that is the most frequent letter in the English alphabet.
And then tried to move ahead, assigning letters to numbers by trial and error.
But it jsut dosen't make sense.

She shut the book in frustration.

Raj : Lt Singh, have you tried enough?

Naina (exasperatedly) : More than enough. I am trying since yesterday!

Raj looked at her.
She was absent mindely chewing her pencil, biting her lip, and frowning so cutely, he felt like stopping the jeep then and there, and kissing her hard.

He took a steadying breath.

Raj : Have you tried....a different language?

Her mouth fell open.

Naina : Oh.
Of course! It could be Hindi!
I...but Sir!

Wo...um...

Raj : What?

Naina (softly, a little sheepishly) : I...haven't studied...I mean...I dont know the repeat frequency pattern of...Hindi letters.

Raj : I will help you this time, but I expect you to put in time to research and learn it, as soon as possible.

Naina (Excited now) : Yes Sir!

The journey continued, with the code cracked before the end of it, with their combined efforts.

By the time they reached the base, Naina had began doodling in her notebook, and was pretty engrossed in it, when suddenly she looked up, to find Raj had stopped the jeep and was calmly looking at what she was doing.

She looked around. They had arrived, and Raj had an amused expression on his face.

Naina (abruptly shutting her book) : Wo...Sir..chalein?

They got down.
Raj : I believe I told you to research, Lt.Singh.

Naina (whiningly) : Siirr.....I will do it..
I was just...
She stopped.

Raj (with a straight face) : Too bored to continue, quite understandable.

Naina made a face at him, mouthing 'khadus' but since he was walking slightly ahead, he did not see it.

.......

Morning, breakfast in the mess.

Naina had just told Pooja that Raj had confessed to her that he loved her, omitting most of the other things that happened.

Pooja : Sooooo......tu kal raat thik se to soi na Naina?
Pooja was smiling naughtily.

Naina, who was unable to control her blush, frowned.

Pooja continued her teasing.
Bolna yaar Naina...kya hua phir?

Naina : Wo...aisa kuch nai hua jo tu soch rai hai, ok.

Pooja : Jhuthi. Acha chal bol, Sir ne tujhe kiss kiya?

Raj : Ha Naina, bolo.
Kya tumhare Sir me itni himmat hai bhi, ki tumhe kiss kare?

Pooja : Exactly! (Then realising it was Raj who said that, bit her tongue in embarrassment, but quickly covered it up, and turned to him with a smile.

Raj had walked up, unknown to them, as they were engrossed in conversation.

Pooja : Sir..aap..?
Wo...ham to bas...
I mean..good morning sir.

Raj (smiling, indicating to her he wasn't offended, continued in the same light tone.) Good morning Lt. Ghai.

Then, winking to Pooja, he turned to Naina again.
Raj : Ha to ...aap ne jawab nai diya Lt. Singh?

Pooja unable to control her laughter, covered her mouth with her hand.

Naina had turned beetroot red by now.

Raj turned to Pooja (fake confidentially) : Lt.Ghai, Can you plz advise me?
I am a little new to this.
What should I do to impress my girlfriend?
She seems a little....uninterested in me.

Naina's eye popped out of her sockets.
Girlfriend?

Pooja : Perhaps you should ask her out on a date Sir.

Raj : Ah! Excellent idea.

Naina looked from one to the other, glaring at them for talking like shet wasn't even there.
Pooja was enjoying the show.

Raj (fake clearing his throat) : Ahm...Lt Singh, kya aap aaj sham mere saath movie dekhne chalegi, if you are free?

Naina stared at him, unable to repond.
But Pooja was ofcrs up to it.

Pooja : Ofcrs she is free. And she will be happy to go, nai Naina.

Raj : Great! 1900 hours. I will pick you up from your quarters.

Pooja : Done.

Naina was now huffing in anger.
These two had just decided everything, without her getting in a word edgewise.

She got up in anger and started to leave, a laughing Pooja trying to stop her.

Raj called out to her.
Raj : Lt singh, show me the progress on those codes, report to me in 10 mins.

Then, he coolly continued drinking his coffee, internally bursting with supressed laughter, as a really irate Naina stomped her foot, and went away, Pooja and Raj breaking into fits of laughter, as soon as she was out of sight.

Raj (still laughing hard) : I think you should go after her.

Pooja (giggling) : I think so too.

She too left, leaving Raj sitting there, smiling like an idiot.

It had been a long time since he had laughed like this. With abandon. Without any worry.
It felt good.