Next Morning

After getting ready, Naina reaches the mess and finds Huda and Yudi indulged into a light argument. Naina hears their argument whilst taking her seat in the mess. Pooja and Ali wave their hands at her, Naina smiles.

Alekh reaches him and challenges her,

"Naina ye to Rajesh par dau laga raha hai. Kya bolti hai, tu shart lagayegi?"

Naina thinks about it and with full confidence, she puts her condition,

"Theek hai!"

"Lekin agar Captain Rajveer jeete, to tu ek hafte tak daaru nahi peeyega!"

Alekh thinks about it, staying away from his daily doze is surely going to be difficult. But this is what we call challenge, right? Showing the sportsman spirit, Alekh accepts,

"Theek hai!"

Listening to it, Naina looks away to her front. Meanwhile Alekh puts his condition,

"Aur agar Captain Abhimanyu jeete, to tu ek hafte tak Captain Rajveer se baat nahi karegi!"

This comes as a shock for Naina! She looks towards him, the prior smile on her face vanished! All their friends noticed the exchanges between Alekh and Naina. Alekh and Naina were also aware about their attention on to them.

Huda arches a brow as he feels confident that Naina would never be able to do that!

Pooja teases her,

"Nahi Naina, tu aisi shart mat laga. Tu aisa kabhi nahi kar payegi!"

Turning to look towards Pooja, Alekh winks, smiling naughtily.

Realizing that they are testing her; teasing her, Naina accepts the challenge confidently,

"Done!",

smiling challengingly, arching a brow.

~*~*~

Captain Abhimanyu succeeds in winning the next challenge while Captain Rajveer loses it.

Then comes the next challenge where the competitors get served a mysterious drink. The last one to survive the drink wins.

Captain Rajveer and Captain Abhimanyu remain for the last round. Major Nayyer plays a cruel game and mixes poison in Captain Rajveer's drink which Captain Rajveer fails to tolerate for long and falls unconscious on the floor.

Naina along with Huda and Alekh run to help him. While they carry Captain Rajveer to the infirmary, Captain Abhimanyu though willing to go along to make sure that Captain Rajveer is fine, stays to complete the last round.

The last battle between Captain Abhimanyu and Dr. Shalini ends soon as Dr. Shalini fails to tolerate the drink for long.

In the infirmary

An anxious and tensed Naina asks Huda,

"Huda, Sir theek to ho jayenge na?"

"Phoolan tu tension mat le Sir theek ho jayenge",

assures Huda, although nervous himself.

Dr. Shalini though not in a good state herself, doesn't fail to do her duty. She does all the necessary treatments of Captain Rajveer. They realize that his drink contained something specific which was apparently missing in the drinks of others!

~*~*~

Soon Captain Rajveer gets shifted to his room.

Dr. Shalini gives information about the current state of Captain Rajveer to Brigadier Chandok.

Reaching his room, Dr. Shalini instructs Naina,

"Cadet Naina, keep a watch on him. Aur agar zarurat parhe, don't hesitate to call me okay?"

Huda asks Dr. Shalini, hesitantly,

"Ma'am Sir kal ke test mein part...."

Dr. Shalini understanding his unuttered words, tells him unwillingly,

"No cadet! Kal ke nahi but uske next waley mein le payenge!",

smiles Dr. Shalini, sadly.

As she leaves, Huda assures Naina, that he'll stay along with her and Captain Rajveer. But Naina refuses politely, knowing that he has a test next day and needs rest. And knowing that Captain Rajveer won't perform the next day, Naina doesn't care even if she doesn't get adequate rest. Accepting her decision unwillingly, Huda leaves.

Jarring the door behind him, removing her shoes, Naina climbs up Rajveer's bed and adjusts the quilt properly on him.

Sitting properly next to him, she takes her hand towards his forehead to rest it there, in concern. But the situation persisting between them; the hesitation; his anger; his frustration, tend to become a barrier. She takes away her hand without touching his forehead.

Where on one hand, her heart cries to feel him; to feel that he is indeed there with her, though unconscious, yet there; there on the other, her mind warns her how this is unethical. First she is going to stay here with him the whole night long and then she is thinking about touching him; feeling him?

Her heartbeat picks up pace as her mind and heart have a constant battle of whether to touch him without his permission or not!

But who is basically there to catch her touching him? And why is she feeling nervous or ashamed? She of course is not going to touch him inappropriately! No she would not even think about him that way! Or wait... is it that she is thinking that way???

What exactly is going on in her mind?

(Slow Rajveer-Naina guitar tune begins)

Naina takes back her hand without touching him and places them on her lap. Her rate of heartbeat picks up pace out of frustration. She clenches and opens her hands, resting on her lap in quick succession out of nervousness.

Staring him, she mummers, frustrated,

"Kyun itni nervous ho rahi hun main? Pehle to kabhi apko chuney mein nervousness nahi feel ki!"

As soon as she mutters this question, her heart skips a beat as a realization dawns on to her. The realization that there is a difference between those moments and this! There is a difference in the relationship she shared with him back then; and now!

Unable to bear this emotion; her state, she tries to divert her mind by thinking about something else. But how can she help herself when her everything revolves around either her brother Naveen or her Sir - Captain Rajveer? She tries to think about Naveen. But the moment she drifts her mind from Rajveer, she becomes restless. She ends up giving up the idea of diverting her mind off him.

She looks towards sleeping Rajveer and she doesn't realize when a smile creeps up on her face. She feels a certain kind of satisfaction by realizing the fact that he is sleeping soundly and that too in her presence. Only if she could get the pleasure of seeing him sleeping soundly each night! Wait, where does this thought come from? Why does she want to see him sleeping, each night?

Shutting her eyes, she shakes her head in order to clear out her mind. Slowly, she places her left palm on his forehead, feeling his forehead and realizes that high temperature is running through him.

Getting panicked, she quickly gets up and fills a glass bowl with cold water and takes a cloth to cool his temperature down. Dipping the cloth into the cold water she places it on his forehead nervously, praying under her breath that the temperature goes away quickly.

Her eyes well up and a shiver runs down her spine as she realizes how much under pressure he is, still he tends to keep everything to himself. Although they share the relationship of mentor and protegee, still why doesn't he trust her enough to share his problems with her? As soon as she thinks about this, pissed off, her whole demeanour changes as yet another realization dawns on to her - when has she given him chance to talk about his problems? When has she ever stopped blabbering about her problems in front of him?

She feels ashamed of her behavior.

Soon she feels his temperature dripping down. A sad smile comes on her face, the fact that he is still not perfect refrains her from smiling with all her heart. Tired, she gets up, careful that she doesn't wake him up by any means. Walking towards the window of his room, Naina stands leaning at the wall just adjacent to the window and looks out of window. Feeling the cool breeze on her face, she remembers few moments that she has spent with Rajveer till date. His smile; his laughter; his jokes; his teases, bring a smile on Naina's face. Her heart flutters. Soon her mind drifts to the moments when their relationship had gone through a rough patch. Her face falls thinking about those moments.

She turns to look towards him!

(Slow Rajveer-Naina tune begins)

She wonders she is here with him tonight to look after him, but who had been looking after him all these times when he didn't even know about her existence in this world and she of his?
She gets tensed thinking about it. Something inside her, makes her to say, although silently,

'Ab main apke saath hun! Aap akele nahi hain! Main apko kabhi akela mehsus hone nahi dungi!'

As she ends up thinking this, she suddenly feels why is she thinking that way? Why does it matter to her this much, his welfare? She fails to get the answer of her own confusion, or rather she avoids to head towards the right direction, fearing to face the real answer. Deep down she knows, just that she doesn't want to acknowledge it, yet!

As her mind was busy thinking all this, she hears her name being called. Knitting her brows, getting out of her reverie, she tries to figure out who is calling her, as the sound remains unclear.

As her mind focuses, it doesn't take her moments to figure out that it's her Rajveer Sir's voice!

Quickly, she reaches him to check on him. The moment she reaches him, she hears him murmuring his name,

"Naina...!"

"Haan Sir!",

says Naina, out of panic.

But she notices that he is constantly repeating her name. She realizes that he is still sleeping, not fully conscious. He is murmuring her name in his dreams. Chills run down her spine as she realizes that one mummers the name of someone in his dream for two reasons - either because he hates that person a lot or ..... she cannot bring herself to think of the other reason. Her heart skips a beat!

"Main yahin hun Sir apke paas....",

she tries to make him realizes, although she doubts he is able to hear her but nevertheless she keeps repeating, out of anxiety.

She holds his right hand in her right hand and with her left hand she rotates her hand on his head, to calm him down. Soon he stops murmuring and gets back to his deep slumber. Assuring herself that he is fine, Naina gets out of the bed. As she moves forth, away from the bed, his tight hold on her wrist refrains her to go ahead, forcing her to sit back with him.

She doesn't understand when she falls asleep with him, resting her head on his chest, around his heart. Rajveer in his sleep wraps his arm around her waist, pulling her to himself. Naina too in her sleep adjusts herself in his bed. The tiredness of a hectic day; along with the mental pressure of Rajveer's sudden withdrawal from her, takes a toll on Naina.

Next Morning

All the cadets and faculty members get up early and indulge in preparing themselves for the tasks of the day ahead.

Rajveer shuffles a little in his sleep and the realization of presence of someone around him wakes up his sixth sense, the sense of a soldier! He breaths deeply before opening his eyes. The familiar scent makes him to open his eyes with greater frequency than was required!

Slowly he turns to assure himself that it is really happening and this is not yet another of his dreams that he has been seeing lately, Rajveer widens his eyes out of shock, on discovering Naina sleeping next to him and that too in such a position such that his arm is wrapped up around her waist possessively.

After the initial shock, his stare towards her, turns dark.

(Rajveer-Naina flute tune begins)

He takes pleasure in noticing her beautiful features from so close, something he had only dreamt about. He notices her eyes, though closed, but a smile stretches on his lips as he visualizes how beautiful they look when she stares him. All those feelings that they reciprocate through their eyes, come rushing back to him, hence making him to blush. Slowly his mind travels to the possibility that if she would have been awake, how they would have stared each other. Having thought that, a frown comes on his face, as he realizes that had this been the case, she wouldn't have come this close to him at first place!

Naina senses someone's eyes on her and opens her eyes immediately. Finding him staring her skips her heartbeat! Her sudden awakening skips his heartbeat too! None of them takes any measure to end the eye contact.

None of them realizes when Naina's shirt gets pushed up a little, unconsciously, from behind where Rajveer is holding her! Rajveer rubs the exposed part with his thumb, round and round, in slow rhythm, as he realizes it. The continuous rhythm builds a havoc in Naina's mind. But something in her, couldn't make her to stop him. This skin to skin touch forces her to incline towards him a little more. Rajveer adjusts a little, giving her space to get closer. They enjoy an eye lock.

(Rajveer-Naina flute tune continues)

The sudden knock at the door skips Naina's heartbeat and in her state of nervousness, she bends back unconsciously, Rajveer tightens his hold and pulls her little towards himself, escaping her from a fall, never ending the eye contact. Slowly he gets up, pulling her lightly with him. Sitting straight on the bed, Naina, feeling utterly shy, realizing what they just did, adjusts her dress and gets out of the bed.

"Naina??",

comes Dr. Shalini's voice from behind the closed door.

Naina getting out of the bed, turns to look towards Rajveer, making it sure that he is in a state to meet Dr. Shalini. Shaking his head a little, in affirmation, Rajveer assures Naina that he is fine, she can open the door.

As she opens the door, Dr. Shalini smiles at Naina and enters the room.

"How are you Captain?",

she asks, smiling, her voice low out of tiredness.

"I am recovering doc. How are you?",

asks Captain Rajveer, smiling.

Smiling, she jokes,

"I guess it is you who is under medication Captain!"

Captain Rajveer, smiles apologetically and lowers his eyes.

"Apka to test hai na doc? Fir aap iss waqt yahan?",

asks Captain Rajveer, concerned.

Cadet Naina looks towards Dr. Shalini, concerned too.

"Mere turn mein abhi time hai Captain. So I thought to check you up!",

smiles Dr. Shalini.

Whilst checking him up, Dr. Shalini asks Naina,

"Aj subah kitne bajey soyi tum Naina?"

This not only skips Naina's heartbeat but Rajveer's too!

Rajveer who is sitting on his bed, resting his back on the pillow, his legs stretched out, turns to look towards Naina, knitting his brows.

"Ahmmm... Ma'am wo...."

Naina's fumble assures Rajveer all the more that she didn't take adequate rest as she was indulged in taking caring of him. He stares her, all serious. Naina looks towards him nervously! Quickly she lowers her eyes.

(Slow Rajveer-Naina piano tune begins as Rajveer stares her)

"You know cadet, this is not good. You should not neglect your health for anything. I didn't expect this from you. You among all?",

says Dr. Shalini, looking towards Naina, disappointed.

Rajveer stares towards Naina too, disappointed. Dr. Shalini checks Captain Rajveer's blood pressure.

Naina keeps her head bowed down out of shame and nervousness.

"Waise mature banti firti hai, lekin jab khud ka khyal rakhne ki baat aye, to bachon se bhi battar ho jati hai ye!",

utters Captain Rajveer staring her with his eyes blazing with anger.

His each word reflects his anger and disappointment towards Naina.

Dr. Shalini and Naina don't fail to sense his concern for Naina behind his words. Rajveer doesn't refrain himself from scolding Naina in front of Dr. Shalini, because he knows, she understands everything!

Naina's cheeks turn deep shades of pink as she realizes how contrast the situations are! Just moments ago, his looks though intense were making her stomach to churn out of pleasure and now his angry glares are turning her legs jelly out of nervousness!

Sensing the sudden change in the atmosphere, a negative one, Dr. Shalini tries calm the situation down.

"Ahmmm... ahh... You know what I am sure Naina ab apke saath saath apna bhi pura khyal rakhegi. Right Naina?",

smiles Dr. Shalini, looking towards Naina, having completed with the check up.

Rajveer looks towards Naina too, all serious.
Naina fakes a smile and says in a low voice,

"Yes Ma'am!"

She looks towards Captain Rajveer nervously.

"But I must say Captain, Naina ne wakayi apka bohot khyal rakha hai. Isiliye to aap itni jaldi recover kar rahe hain!",

smiles Dr. Shalini, whilst placing her hand on Captain Rajveer's forehead to check his fever.

Rajveer and Naina enjoy a short eye contact, both serious.

Assured that he is fine, smiling, Dr. Shalini takes their leave.

As she leaves, closing the door behind, Rajveer asks Naina,

"Ye kya bachpana hai Naina?"

Not ready to accept being scolded like a child, Naina retorts back,

"Bachpana maine kiya ya apne kiya?"

"What?",

asks Captain Rajveer, shocked, what is she talking about?

"Bachpana? Maine? What the hell are you talking about?",

he asks further.

"Kal dekh rahi thi main. Aap achi tarah samjh rahe the that it was becoming too much for you to tolerate that drink. Par apne kya kiya? You continued drinking it until you fell down unconscious!",

she scolds him.

Rajveer looks at her, shocked. How does she know?

"Now don't you dare think - how do I know?",

she warns, pointing an index finger towards him.

"Aur isse pehle ke aap mujhse ye pucho main apko aise kaise dant rahi hun. So here's the answer... HAQ SE dant rahi hun apko! Because I...."

(Fast Rajveer-Naina revolt tune begins)

Naina's eyes brim up with tears out of anger and frustration. She lowers her eyes out of frustration.

Rajveer keeps staring her. His cheeks start burning as he realizes what she was about to say.

Shutting his eyes, taking a deep breath, he calls her to him lovingly,

"Idhar aao!"

Naina doesn't move an inch out of anger.

"Naina idhar aao!",

Rajveer raises his voice, as frustration and anger start surging through him on witnessing her denial.

Slowly, Naina walks to him, ignoring to look towards him.

"I am sorry!",

comes his immediate, straight forward and innocent apology.

Naina looks towards him, her eyes turn soft. They enjoy an eye lock.

(Slow Rajveer-Naina piano tune begins)

Suddenly she remembers something, and says,

"Ek shart par maaf karungi apko!"

"Shart?",

asks Rajveer, knitting his brows, surprised.

"Kaisi shart?",

he asks, puzzled.

"Agar aap meri ek baat ka such such jawab denge to!",

Naina puts her condition in front of him.

Rajveer gets nervous thinking what possibly could she ask? Not having other option except, accepting her condition, he nervously says,

"Haan pucho!"

His acceptance, skips Naina's heartbeat.

Slowly she asks,

"Kya apne kabhi mujhey sapno mein dekha hai?"

This comes as a surprise for Rajveer. He lowers his eyes, feeling guilty. Naina's heart clenches as he lowers his eyes, thinking - why is he feeling guilty about it? She waits for him to look back towards her. He soon looks back towards her, sending his apologies through his eyes.

Naina lowers her eyes, disappointed on getting his apology.

"Ahmm... main apke liye soup bana kar lati hun!",

saying that she leaves for the mess ignoring to look towards him.

"Naina tum soup mere kitchen mein bana sakti ho!",

he suggests her on purpose, to know her choice, hence her mood.

Without turning to look towards him, Naina replies,

"It's okay Sir, main mess mein hi soup banane ko keh dungi aur apke liye lene aney ko keh dungi".

"Kyun tum khud kahin busy ho?",

asks Rajveer, as she walks forth. His words arrest her at her place.

Knowing that he is taunting her on purpose, she too doesn't fail to reply him back,

"Haan bohot busy!"

Having said that as she was about to leave without waiting to listen to his reply, his words arrest her at her place,

"Agar mujhey koi haq nahi hai tumhe chuney ka, to tumne kis haq se mujhey chua?"

(Fast Rajveer-Naina tune begins as Rajveer stares Naina without blinking his eyes. Waiting for her to react)

At first Naina goes speechless, she doesn't turn back to look towards him. Then she says, taunting,

"Should I apologize?"

Rajveer clenches his hand out of anger. Naina turns to look towards an angry Rajveer. Turning around she leaves.

~*~*~

After sometime she returns back to his room. As she reaches in front of the door of his room, she takes a deep breath, anticipating a further argument. Getting inside the room, she finds him sitting on the sofa arching his head behind. His left leg rested on his right knee. He seems to be tired and unwell. His state clutches Naina's heart. But making up her mind that she would stay enthusiastic in front of him, she plasters a smile on her face. Reaching him, taking her seat next to him, she places her left hand softly on his upper arm; while with her right hand she holds the soup.

Feeling her soft hand on his arm he sighs audibly in relief. Naina's heart skips a beat as she realizes that instead of getting him angry; her presence is soothing him.

Slowly he opens his eyes and looks towards her and accepts the soup bowl from her.

As he mixes the soup to cool it down and was about to have it, Naina holds him by his wrist, refraining him from having it.

(Slow Rajveer-Naina flute tune begins)

Rajveer looks towards her in surprise, to know what's the matter.

Avoiding to look towards him, Naina fills a spoon with soup, blowing it to cool it, she takes it towards his mouth, ending up looking at him.

(Rajveer-Naina flute tune continues)

They stare each other for sometime and as Rajveer was about to have the soup from her hand, the knock at the door distracts him. Naina takes her hand back to get up and check who it is, but Rajveer refrains her from doing so, by holding her wrist.

Naina looks towards him in surprise. Staring her throughout, he haves the soup from her hand. He doesn't fail to notice her flushed up state.

Lowering her eyes out of shyness, she quickly gets up and walks towards the door to open it and finds Captain Abhimanyu standing there.

After asking about Raj's well being, he informs him that he is not participating the current drill. On asked by Rajveer the reason of his dropping out, Captain Abhimanyu tells him,

"Raj ye drill humare liye ek imtehaan hai"

Raj and Naina look towards him their full attention on Captain Abhimanyu.

"Ek jung hai jo hum khud se larh rahe hain"

Getting up he adds further,

"Hum khud ko prove kar dena chahte hain Raj, ki hum jeet sakte hain".

"Khud ko prove kar dena chahte hain ke if I put in my best; I can.be.the best! Chahey humare samne koi bhi khada ho!"

His words shock Naina and Rajveer. But Rajveer stays calm, his face expression gives nothing away while Naina knits her brows out of tension and fear. As for Rajveer, his constant mixing the soup, staring Abhimanyu throughout, tell how his words are not affecting him, as if he had anticipated such a reply from him!

"Ye ladayi kisi ko harane ke liye nahi hai Raj. Par khud ki nazar mein hum tabhi jeetenge, jab hum ye competition fairly aur squarely jeetenge"

"To jaldi se khadey ho jao Raj! Ye bimari-vimari ka bahana chor do! Ladayi ki taiyari kar lo. Kyunki ab, Abhimanyu tumhari band bajane wala hai!",

says Captain Abhimanyu with full confidence in his voice, and winks.

Naina stares him, shocked. Captain Abhimanyu leaves the room.

As Captain Abhimanyu leaves, Naina senses the tensed environment prevailing in Captain Rajveer's room. Realizing that in his state of unwell, he should not stress himself, she chooses to lighten his mood.

Clearing her throat, smiling, she says,

"Chaliye acha hai, meri baat na sahi kam se kam aap Abhimanyu Sir ki to baat manenge!"

Rajveer looks towards her, his plain expression justifies exactly whose words affects him more! Naina lowers her eyes, a blush creeps on her cheeks.

(Slow Rajveer-Naina happy tune begins as they stare each other)

"Naina main bus ye chahta hun ke Chauhan aur mere beech mein tamam differences kyun na aa jaye, humari dosti kabhi na tutey. Hum humesha se dost rahe hain aur humesha rahenge!",

saying that Rajveer looks towards her with sadness and tiredness in his eyes.

"Aisa hi hoga!",

assures Naina, placing her left hand on his upper arm.

"Jante hain kyun?",

she asks, while Rajveer keeps staring her lovingly though seriously.

"Kyunki dost khone ka matlab aap bhi jante hain; aur wo bhi",

says Naina.

Her words win Rajveer's heart all over again. He smiles lightly.

"Aaj bhaley hi wo raasta bhatak gaye hain, apse durr ho rahe hain; par wo Naveen bhaiya se durr kabhi nahi honge. Just like aap kabhi nahi honge. Aur Naveen bhaiya wo kadi hai jo aap dono ko kabhi ek dusre se alag nahi hone degi",

tells Naina, smiling.

Her each word touches his heart and his stare becomes all the more intense. Naina enjoys an eye lock with him.

"Ab aap ye soup finish kijiye tab tak main dekh kar aati hun ke baki sub kya kar rahe hain!",

smiling she gets up and walks towards the door.

Rajveer stares her throughout, lovingly, with a little smile on his face and an intense gaze. As she reaches the door, Rajveer calls her,

"Naina!"

Hearing her name through his voice, that too not Cadet Singh or Cadet Naina, rather direct 'Naina' skips Naina's heartbeat.

She turns to look towards him, fully flushed up and waits for him to complete what he wanted to say.

Never ending the eye contact, Rajveer thank her,

"Thanks!"

(Rajveer-Naina tune begins)

Smiling, lowering her eyes out of hesitation, Naina looks towards him the last time and leaves.

~*~*~

On the other hand the next test of other faculty members begin. Each and every faculty member, with their innovative ideas try to pass the test but Dr. Shalini becomes the only one to pass it.

~*~*~

Captain Abhimanyu happens to walk through one of the corridors when Naina calls him from behind,

"Sir!"

Hearing her voice, Abhimanyu smiles and turns to look towards her, by the time Naina reaches him too.

Smiling, he greets her,

"Long time, no see!"

Lowering his eyes, he says,

"Shayad aap bhi baki logon ki tarah bhul gayin ke hum bhi apke dost hain!",

smiles Abhimanyu, sadly.

Naina's heart skips a beat, as she feels guilty.

"Apko yaad hai, jab hum pehli baar aap logo se miley the to humne kaha tha - 'Jo humse dosti karna chahe wo humein Abhimanyu bula sakte hain. Aur jo humse formal rehna chahte hain wo humein Sir ya Captain bulayein. Aap Abhimanyu bulati thi, ab baki logo ki tarah Sir bulati hain!"

"Nahi a... aisi koi baat nahi hai!",

says Naina, hesitantly.

"Itne dino se main bus yahi soch rahi thi ke Captain Rajveer aur apke beech mein jo bhi tension hai... khaas kar Naveen bhaiya ko le kar wo... nahi honi chahiye...",

adds Naina, hesitantly.

"Ah... don't worry about it!",

assures Abhimanyu, smiling.

"Ye Raj aur humare beech ka mamla hai. Hum log sort out kar lenge!",

smiles Abhimanyu.

"Humne apse kaha tha na ye differences of opinions; ye arguments; ye competition, humari dosti ko tod nahi sakte. Bohot pakki dosti hai"

"Par Sir mujhey...",

Naina begins, but Abhimanyu interrupts her,

"A... no more 'par'. Relax!"

"Kya apne kabhi ye socha hai, ke hum kyun chahte the ke aap humein Abhimanyu bulayein? Kyun aatey hi hum apke dost bann gaye? Kyun har waqt apki madad karna chahte hain hum?"

Naina stares him, unaware of the answer.

"Uski sirf ek hi wajah hai Naina.... Aap Naveen ki behn hai!"

Naina goes numb on hearing him.

"Aur Naveen humara bohot hi pyara; bohot hi kareebi dost tha...",

saying that he smiles and rectifies, shaking his head,

"Tha nahi, hai!"

This skips Naina's heartbeat.

"Naveen humara bohot hi pyara dost hai! Zindagi bhar rahega!"

"Aur jab hum apke chehre ko dekhte hain to humein Naveen ka chehra dikhta hai!"

Naina's eyes well up.

"Jab hum apki himmat ko dekhte hain to humein Naveen ki himmat yaad aati hai!"

"Apke jazbe mein humein Naveen ka jazba dikhayi deta hai"

Turning to look towards Naina, his own eyes welled up,

"Aur isiliye hum apse kehna chahte hain, ke baki sari baatein bhul jaiye aur sirf ek achi soldier baniye. Sirf achi hi nahi, subse achi soldier!"

Holding her by her upper arms he tells her,

"Kyunki aap mein wo sub guun hain"

Naina lowers her eyes out of hesitation.

Holding her hands, Abhimanyu motivates her,

"So forget about everything. Tumhe subse acha soldier banna hai Naina! Subse acha soldier!"

"Sirf ye yaad rakhiye, baki su...",

he says ending the eye contact.

Suddenly he rectifies,

"Ek baat aur mat bhuliyega!",

he requests, smiling a little.

Naina looks towards him and knits her brows, thinking what might it be!

Forwarding his hand he asks permission,

"May I...?"

Naina unable to understand what's he up to, smiles a little, out of doubt and shakes her head in affirmation.

He slowly, smiling, lovingly, rubs her tears off her face and pushes her skin around her lips a little from both the ends, as a gesture of making her smile. Naina smiles as he does that, Abhimanyu smiles along.

"Yunhi muskurate rahiye!",

smiles Abhimanyu.

Naina smiles back.

Captain Rajveer who happened to cross through the corridor catches Abhimanyu and Naina smiling at each other and Abhimanyu's last few lines. For the very first time in his life he hates Abhimanyu! At this moment it becomes difficult for Captain Rajveer to endure Captain Abhimanyu's presence.

Naina feels Rajveer's presence around herself. As she turns to look towards her right, she finds him standing there. Her sudden change in face expression; her suddenly getting serious, catches Abhimanyu's attention and he turns to look towards the direction she is looking and finds Raj standing there.

"Raj!",

addresses Abhimanyu.

Looking towards Naina, then towards Abhimanyu, all serious, he walks towards them.

"Raj aap yahan kya kar rahe hain? Apko to rest lena chahiye!",

suggests Captain Abhimanyu, feeling concerned.

"Thank you so much Chauhan Saheb for your concern, par room mein baitha-baitha bore ho gaya tha, socha bahar tehel lun thoda, shayad kuch interesting mil jaye!",

smiles Captain Rajveer, although his smile doesn't touch his eyes.

Looking towards Naina, faking a smile, he says,

"Kafi interesting cheez mil gayi yahan to!"

Naina's face turn red out of embarrassment as she senses his jealousy!

Smiling, Abhimanyu says,

"Hum bus aise hi Naina se zara baat kar rahe the".

Naina doesn't understand why she feels guilty for having talked to Abhimanyu in Rajveer's absence.

"Ahmm... I guess mujhey ab chalna chahiye",

says Naina, hesitantly, her eyes cascaded down, after stealing glances towards Rajveer.

"Arey if you wish you can join us for a cup of coffee!",

proposes Abhimanyu.

Rajveer looks towards Abhimanyu, then back towards Naina to know her decision. Jealousy surging through him. He of course wants her to decline the offer!