Started on 17.9.2020

Naina gets surprised upon witnessing Rajveer sitting with her group at the mess, laughing and enjoying a conversation. Her steps slow down out of shyness and nervousness.

Rajveer becomes the first one to notice her approaching them, his eyes conversing with her eyes about the last night; their first night! Naina cascades her eyes as if her doing so would keep her from learning what he is trying to convey to him through his eyes and that infectious smile of his.

Rajveer doesn't fail to notice her puffy eyes, and immediately he understands it is the result of her lack of sleep and her lack of sleep is the result of his keeping her awake last night in his room!

"Lo Naina bhi aa gayi.",

says Yudi, smiling.

Rajveer looks up towards her, smiling infectiously. Naina immediately cascades her eyes out of awkwardness.

"Naina aaj kuch zyada hi jaldi nahi uth gayi tu?",

teases Alekh.

Rajveer stares her, his smile stretches a little upon hearing Alekh's tease.

"Haan maine uthaya bhi tha, magar uthi hi nahi.",

says Pooja.

Her words make Naina feel all the more uncomfortable in front of Rajveer.

"Kyun Naina thak gayi thi kya kal?",

asks Huda, concerned.

That makes Rajveer to arch a brow, and he doesn't fail to use this opportunity to tease Naina,

"Haan Naina, kal kuch zyada hi thak gayi thi kya?"

(Rajveer-Naina fast flute tune begins as they stare each other, while Rajveer's eyes tease Naina; Naina's eyes warns him mildly to stop teasing her that way in front of all when he and she, both know the reason of her waking late.)

All look towards her in concern and expectantly. Hence she gets bound to reply without dodging the query.

"Ahmm... pata nahi ankh hi nahi khuli.",

says Naina, hesitantly, ignoring to look towards Rajveer, choosing to not give a direct answer to his teasing question.

"Chal acha hai at least Major Nair ke class shuru hone se pehle to aa gayi.",

says Pooja and rolls her eyes upon remembering Major Nair.

While Huda drags the attention of all barring Rajveer and Naina by replying to Pooja's words in his own style, Rajveer through his eyes, gestures Naina to occupy the seat next to him.

Naina hesitantly walks to him and occupies the seat next to him, ignoring to look towards him in front of her friends.

"Theek ho tum?",

asks Rajveer, his voice low, ignoring to look towards her directly in front of all.

"Hmmm...",

replies back Naina, hesitantly.

Rajveer turns to look towards her and asks her,

"Dard hai abhi bhi?"

"Pehle se kam.",

replies Naina, trying to keep her words short to end the conversation as soon as possible.

Rajveer stares her to gauge her reaction.

"Itni chup chup kyun ho?",

asks Rajveer, knitting his brows lightly.

"Kal jab room pohnchkar sone ja rahi thi, tab Pooja ki neend khul gayi thi. Puch rahi thi ke main kahan thi.",

Naina lets him know, feeling guilty afresh.

"Main kuch jawab nahi de payi.",

says Naina, feeling guilty again.

"Wo to wo neend mein thi to I hope usse kuch yaad na ho. Agar yaad raha to aaj firse puchegi.",

says Naina, her rate of heartbeat increases out of nervousness.

"Keh dena washroom gayi thi.",

suggests Rajveer.

"Baat usse kehne ki nahi hai. Baat mere apne guilty feel karne ki hai.",

says Naina, politely.

Rajveer stares Naina.

He chooses his words carefully in order to know her reaction to them,

"Aaj dinner jaldi kar lena!"

Naina immediately understands the hidden meaning of his words and looks towards him in surprise, her rate of heartbeat picks up pace but in front of her friends she gets bound to slow it down, that suffocates her, but she doesn't complain.

"Nahi...",

she shakes her head, staring him in utter disbelief and fear.

Rajveer understands what is her 'nahi' for!

"Naina...",

he says, politely.

"Pooja ko agar pata chal gaya....",

Naina shakes her head, staring him in nervousness, nervous not by him but by the thought!

"Uske sone ke baad ana na.",

says Rajveer, politely.

"Main ye nahi kar paungi.",

she says, shaking her head slowly, staring him out of shock and nervousness.

"Agar aaj humara rishta waisa hi hota jaisa kal tumhare mere room mein ane se pehle tha, to kya tum mere bulane par mana karti?",

asks Rajveer, knitting his brows lightly, staring her.

(Rajveer-Naina slow tune begins)

Her maintaining the stare conveys to Rajveer that she would come. He smiles a little.

"Main koshish karungi magar wada nahi kar sakti.",

says Naina, hesitantly.

Rajveer smiles in understanding, patting his eyelashes once, he shows his understanding.

"Naina...",

Huda's calling her loudly, skips Naina's heartbeat and involuntarily she holds Rajveer's hand that is resting on the table along with hers.

Rajveer doesn't turn to look towards Naina to ignore attracting the attention of others and as a result of it witnessing what both of them want to hide from them.

Naina slowly removes her hand from upon his hand, just like Rajveer trying to avoid attention of all. Thankfully none turned to look towards them and by the time Alekh chose to turn, Naina had already retrieved her hand.

"Shalini Ma'am ke notes de dio kuch kuch beech mein reh gaye the, wo complete karne hain.",

says Huda.

"Tu ne wo question ka answer likh liya jo Dr. Shalini ne diya tha? Maine to kitna dimag lagaya tab jaa kar kuch samjh aya.",

says Huda.

Naina suddenly realizes that she hasn't completed the work! She widens her eyes in shock.

"Oh no!",

her exclamation was enough to tell all that she hasn't done her work.

They all turn to look towards Naina in utter shock.

"Naina, tu bhool gayi?!",

exclaims Pooja, staring her.

"Nainaji aap aur hum hi to the iss group mein jo apna kaam kabhi karna nahi bhoolte the.",

says Ali, surprised and disappointed.

"Oh hello dude, maine bhi aaj tak koi kaam incomplete nahi chora. Humesha time par khatam hota hai mera kaam.",

Yudi replies, disappointed that Ali forgot to mention his name.

Pooja rolls her eyes and asks, turning towards Ali and Yudi,

"Tum log school ke bachey ho kya?"

Yudi and Ali feel self conscious. Rajveer laughs silently, staring at their expression. 

While they indulge in their chat and light argument, Rajveer says to Naina,

"Ho sakey to jaldi aana warna fir tum jaldi jane ki zid karogi."

"Haan abhi bhi thaki-thaki feel kar rahi hun. Raat tak kya haal hoga pata nahi.",

says Naina, keeping her eyes cascaded.

"Waise mere kehne se bhi kya hota hai? Konsa aap meri baat maan lenge mere kehne se.",

says Naina, and shakes her head a little towards her right.

Rajveer stares her, smiling a little.

Naina takes a deep breath realizing his eyes are on her.

"Hum apke room mein nahi hain!",

she reminds him, keeping it short, knowing that he would understand.

"Issi baat ka to dukh hai!",

Rajveer surprises her by his words, staring her throughout.

Naina widens her eyes but doesn't dare to look towards him.

Naina rubs a bit of the dirt from the sleeves of his shirt and says, her eyes fixated on the part of his shirt which she rubs,

"Mujhe laga aap bhool jayenge ke maine apko kaha tha ke aaj aap ye shirt pehnna.",

she smiles in embarrassment of misjudging him and in happiness of the fact that he remembered.

Taking a deep breath, Rajveer asks,

"Kya main pehle kabhi tumhari koi baat bhoola hun jo ab bhoolunga?"

Naina smiles and blushes hearing that. Rajveer smiles back, staring her.

Rajveer slowly takes his hand under the table, keeping an eye on their table mates, plastering a smile on his face, and holds Naina's hand, intertwining his fingers with hers. Naina drags her chair closer to him to keep whatever is happening between the two - a secret. Rajveer takes a silent deep breath as soon as she gets closer to him.

(Rajveer-Naina happy tune)

"Coffee lene ja raha hun, koi aur peeyega?",

asks Huda, standing up.

"Haan Huda main. Aur thodi strong banane ko kahiyo.",

guides Naina.

Alekh and Rajveer stare her in concern.

"Tu class kar payegi na Naina?",

asks Alekh, concerned.

"Ahmm... haan Alekh bus abhi coffee pilungi fir theek ho jaungi.",

smiles Naina, tensed that he doesn't try to get into the matter too much and starts investigating her. Whilst speaking to Alekh, Naina tries to withdraw her hand from Rajveer's hold, but Rajveer stays adamant. Naina ends with her trying, in defeat.

Rajveer draws slow circles with his thumb on Naina's hand, whilst holding it, his eyes stay glued to whatever is happening in front of him. His doing so makes it difficult for Naina to keep her breathing rate and heartbeat, both under her control, despite trying for it desperately.

"Dikha haath dikha, tujhe bukhar to nahi.",

says Alekh, knitting his brows, concerned.

His asking for her hand gets Naina nervous, she could feel her every nerve ending standing erect. She suddenly warms up out of fear and simultaneously tries to free her hand from Rajveer's hold. What she fails to realize in her state of nervousness is she doesn't have only one hand! And he didn't ask for any particular hand!

Rajveer knits his brows initially on witnessing her turning nervous, but with in moments he realizes and smiles at Naina's innocence. He whispers into her ear, mockingly,

"Tumhare do (2) haath hai Naina!"

His saying so, makes Naina to feel relieved to what extent, she fails to put it in words. A smile of satisfaction comes on her face and her eyes twinkle. Rajveer laughs secretly at her gestures. 

Naina extends her other hand to Alekh to let him check her temperature and let this situation get over.

Checking her temperature, touching her hand and her arm, keep his brows knit, Alekh concludes, relieved,

"Nahi bukhar to nahi hai tujhe."

That makes Rajveer to laugh secretly, further.

Naina out of nervousness fails to laugh.

"Ahmm.... haan main theek hun.",

she assures him, pulling back her hand.

Huda returns back with a tray of coffee, all of those who ordered pick up their respective mugs including Naina who chooses to pull the coffee mug with her left hand knowing that Rajveer won't leave her right hand, she doesn't even show her wish of the same, knowing that it would go in vain! 

"Sir... Sir...",

says Huda, pulling Pooja's notebook that she was leisurely checking, from her hand and produces it in front of Rajveer,

"...ye dekhiye....Punjaban apke class mein kya karti hai.",

laughs Huda, whilst showing it to Rajveer and occupying his seat.

Even while Huda begins to show his interest in showing Pooja's copy to Rajveer, Naina widens her eyes in nervousness, thinking, what would happen if Huda chooses to walk to Rajveer.

Pooja beats Huda on his upper arm twice, for complaining to Captain Rajveer and showing her copy to him.

Rajveer gets eager to see, laughing silently.

Naina finally sighs in relief knowing that he would finally loosen his hold on her hand.

As soon as Rajveer leaves her hand to hold the copy, Naina begins to withdraw her hand. Rajveer who was completely aware of her move even before he left her free, holds her hand again, taking Naina by surprise. As a result of it Naina widens her eyes, looking towards him, while he chooses to not look towards her, focusing completely at what Huda is showing to him. He rests her hand on his thigh, patting her hand to make her aware that he doesn't want her to remove it. Naina's heart throbs inside her chest and she nervously turns to look towards her friends, whom she finds engrossed in focusing on Huda and Pooja, laughing and enjoying.

"Koi dekh lega.",

whispers Naina, staring towards her friends nervously, who are indulged in their conversation and fun.

"Trust me kisi ko interest nahi hai ye janne mein ke table ke neeche kuch ho raha hai ke nahi.",

says Rajveer, his eyes scanning through the pages of the notebook, his other hand busy in turning the pages leisurely.

"Aur waise bhi tumne sirf haath hi rakha hai wo bhi mere thigh par. Kuch aur nahi kar rahi.",

he says in his mock-serious tone.

Naina widens her eyes and her cheeks blush up immediately on realizing what he is referring to.  Looking towards him in her state of shock, Naina beats him lightly on his thigh. That makes Rajveer to laugh silently, his eyes still busy reading the notebook in his hands.

Rajveer suddenly looks towards her and asks her faking his keen interest, knitting his brows,

"Waise Naina mere indirect baaton ko samjhna tumhe kon sikhata hai?"

Naina widens her eyes again looking towards him, hearing him.

Rajveer purses his lips on witnessing her reaction.

Blush creeps Naina's cheeks and she begins trying to get out of his hold again. Rajveer laughs secretly and tightens his hold on her hand, pulling it back to himself. This whole exchange between them makes Naina's cheek to heat up all the more. Not that Rajveer stays completely unaffected. But if it is a competition about who got affected the more, then surely Naina wins the trophy!

"Arey ye face yahan se theek nahi bana, dikhao main theek kar deta hun.",

says Rajveer, extending his hand towards Pooja, asking for the pen.

All of them look towards Captain Rajveer, surprised that he didn't scold Pooja for not paying attention in class and rather is showing interest in what she has sketched, in fact rectifying it too.

(Left Right Left tune begins)

Naina smiles and shakes her head, enjoying the scenario.

She lovingly rubs her hand on his thigh. Her gesture of love tugs Rajveer's heart but he doesn't turn to look towards Naina, confident that she would understand what her this minute action means to him even without his turning to acknowledge it.

All of them show their keen interest in witnessing Rajveer's drawing.

"Arey waah Sir, aap ki drawing to bohot achi hai.",

compliments Yudi, when Rajveer turns the page and begins with a fresh sketching.

Naina rests the elbow of her free arm on the table and her palm under her chin, cupping it, her full attention sticks to his art.

Something about the way that he draws the eyes of the lady he is sketching, disturbs Naina. She couldn't help herself from showing her disappointment,

"Nahi aise nahi...."

She realizes she said it loudly, when all including Rajveer turn to look towards her in surprise.

She gets self conscious and blushes. 

Looking towards Rajveer she extends her hand towards him withdrawing it from upon his thigh.

Rajveer gets pleasantly surprised by discovering her interest in drawing and places the pen in her hand.

She puts the pen back on the table and says,

"Nahi pencil de Pooja."

She forwards her pencil to Naina, excited.

Taking the copy from him, Naina begins to sketch. The way she begins the first stroke, itself tells Rajveer that she has got good hold in sketching; for the fact that he too knows sketching well, it doesn't take him time to understand that the person in front of him knows sketching, merely by witnessing the way the person holds the pencil and angles the copy or art file, he can tell. That brings a smile of pride on Rajveer's face; not only because she knows sketching, but also because he learns that they both share a common interest!

As she completes with it, Rajveer finds his piece of drawing worth appreciation after Naina's touch on to it. He smiles wide in appreciation looking towards the drawing with his twinkling eyes. Naina's heart flutters on receiving his appreciation though not a verbal one, but his expressions and the smile are enough to convey to Naina that he approves of her drawing skills and appreciates it too. She smiles look towards him, he smiles back, maintaining the stare. All others take their chance to check her drawing and begins discussing about it. 

Naina takes a deep breath stretching her hands, relaxing at her seat.

(Rajveer-Naina tune begins)

"Chalo guys ab main chalta hun. You all have a nice day.",

he wish all, smiling.

All of them wish him back.

He then turns to look towards Naina. Naina keeps her eyes cascaded. Rajveer keeps staring her, smiling throughout, knowing that she knows he is staring her and would eventually look towards him. 

Naina when realizes that he hasn't given up staring her, takes a deep breath and finally looks towards Rajveer, smiling infectiously at him.

(Rajveer-Naina tune begins)

"Bye!",

he whispers, and the stare is a cue to remind each other what they discussed.

Rajveer smiles, his heart fluttering inside his chest and Naina smiles, while her heart throbs out of nervousness.

Naina shakes her head, smiling, blushing as Rajveer leaves, remembering whatever they shared with each other since the moment he joined them. Something that shall remain their yet another secret affair!

-THE END-

(18.9.2020)

@Syeda4you Chillaiyo mat ke ye kaisi ending hui. Meri stories ki aisi ending hi hoti hai. 😏😎