After sometime... At Naina's Room

Naina thinks about Rajveer, about almost all moments she has spent with him till today.

'Cadet Singh maine ye notice kia hai, last almost 10 articles mein aap bohot gussey mein lag rahi theen. Aisa mujhey lagta hai! Am I right?',

thinking about this, she mummers

"Khud jo marzi, jab marzi puch sakte hain. Aur agar maine puch lia to mujhey rok dete hain"!

Shaking her head out of irritation, she rests her head on the back of the bed and closes her eyes.

The knock at the door makes her to open her eyes and look for who is there outside.

"May I come in Cadet?",

asks Dr. Shalini, standing behind the door.

Sitting straight, placing the pillow behind her back, Naina says,

"Yes Ma'am, please come in".

Smiling, Dr. Shalini gets into the room. Naina notices that Captain Rajveer, hasn't come along.

Dr. Shalini notices that she is trying to search someone, may be she was expecting someone. Smiling, Dr. Shalini drags a chair and sits on it, next to Naina's bed.

"Hmm... Can I check you Cadet Singh?",

smiles Dr.Shalini.

"Sure Ma'am",

Naina smiles a little.

Carefully Dr. Shalini rolls the leg of Naina's trousers to check the wound.

"Hmm... it's healing Cadet. Good!",

smiles Dr. Shalini.

"Cadet apko ye chot lagi kaise?"

"Ma'am main jab run kar rahi thi to samne jo pillar tha, maine notice nahi kia, so...",

smiles Naina, feeling awkward.

"Waise ma'am Pooja giri thi, I mean I hope she is fine now!",

asks Naina, curious to know about Pooja.

"Yes Cadet, she is fine. Unhe zada chot nahi lagi. But I guess kisi ne notice nahi kia ki apko lagi hai!"

"Ji Ma'am! Maine heed nahi dia. Waise bhi ma'am farak kissey padhta hai? Dard ki to adat hai".

Dr. Shalini doesn't fail to notice the sadness reflecting through Naina's words.

"Anyways, Ma'am Freshers Day pe KMA mein kya hota hai?",

asks Naina.Smiling, Dr. Shalini replies her,

"Cadet Freshers Day is one of the few occassions, celebrated in KMA. Freshers Day ka sirf freshers ko hi nahi but I guess KMA ke subhi posts ke logon ko equally wait hota hai. Where on one hand, new cadets sirf issey 'dance and eat' base par enjoy karte hain mostly, all thanks to their shyness, because of this new life form they have chosen to lead forth, there on the other hand, second and third year cadets, being familiar with KMA, enjoy noticing the new cadets. You know it's a good platform for all the three years cadets to jell up properly",

explains Dr. Shalini, while cleaning the wound.

"Aur hum teachers ko relax karne ka bhi mauka mil jaata hai, along with all other members like - orderlies and all",

smiles Dr. Shalini.

"Hmm...",

replies Naina.

Noticing that she is not that much excited about the Freshers' Party, like normally all First Year feel like, Dr. Shalini asks,

"Kya baat hai Cadet Singh, aap excited nahi lag rahin Freshers' Party ko lekar?"

"Ma'am ye sub to momentary hain, asli khushi to tab hoti hai jab hum wo achieve kar lete hain jiska humein kitne time se intezaar hota hai. Jab hum wo pa lete hain, jo humari family ke chehre par muskurahat le aaye"

"Absolutely Cadet! So do you have any motive which you want to achieve? But then I guess, soldierbanna hi apka main motive hoga, right Cadet?"

"Nahi Ma'am humesha soldier bann jana hi subka motive nahi hota!",

retorts Naina, her rebellious motive, sparkling in her eyes clearly.

"Naina!",

says Dr. Shalini, placing hand on her shoulder, to bring her out of the world, she was into.

"Yes Ma'am",

replies Naina, clearing her mind.

"Are you okay?",

asks Dr. Shalini.

"Yes Ma'am!",

assures Naina.

Smiling, Dr. Shalini says,

"alright Cadet I shall take your leave now. Oh han! Please don't think about missing Freshers' Party",

smiling, she leaves.

*****

After two days...

Naina gets ready for her classes.

"Oye Naina, tu kahin nahi jayegi, rest karle ek- do din aur"

"Nahi Pooja ye rest-vest mujhse aur nahi hota. Main thak gayi hun yahan baith baitha kar"

"Arey kya matlab thak gayi hai? Dekh tu na mujhse pange mat le, ek to subah se waise hi mujhey Rohit ki yaad aa rahi hai",

says Pooja, getting irritated,as she thinks about Rohit.

"Pooja aa idhar baith",

Naina invites her to sit along, on the bed.

Smiling a little, she sits next to Naina.

"Chal mujhey Rohit ki story suna. Tu jo humesha Rohit-Rohit karti rehti hai, aakhir kon hai ye Rohit?",

asks Naina, smiling and pushing Pooja by her elbow, lovingly.

"Rohit, yaar Rohit!"

"Haan yaar Rohit! Ab bata bhi"

"Yaar Naina, Rohit na mera sub kuch hai!"

"Acha?",

smiles Naina.

"Hmm.. Main Rohit se ek saal pehle mili thi, ek common friend ke through. Kya bolun yaar, mujhey na ussey milte hi pyaar ho gya! Yaar main to ussey missed call pe missed call hi deti rehti thi par uska signal humesha busy rehta tha",

tells Pooja, sadly.

"Kyu?",

asks Naina, paying her full attention to her.

"Wo kabhi kisi se phone par baat karne mein busy rehta tha, to kabhi kisi se. Mujhse baat karne ki baari jab aati to uska talktime hi khatam ho jata tha",

smiles Pooja, sarcastically.

Placing her hand on Pooja's shoulder, Naina says,

"Pooja, jab tu itna samajhti hai, ki wo tujhey importance nahi deta, to tu kyun ussey baat karne ki, ya ussey milne ki baat sochti hai?"

"Ye 'pyar' jo hota hai na Naina, ye bohot hi ajeeb cheez hoti hai yaar. Tumse wo pyar karey na karey jissey tum pyar karte ho, par agar tumhara pyar sucha hai, to wo kabhi kam nahi hota. Tujhey nahi lagta main sahi keh rhi hun?",

asks Pooja.

"Mujhey...Mujhey nahi pata!",

says Naina in a low voice.

"Matlab? Tu ne kya kabhi kisi se pyar nahi kia?",

asks Pooja, astonished.

Shaking her head, lowering her eyes, Naina replies,

"Nahi!".

Standing behind the door, Rajveer listens to the conversation from Pooja asking Naina 'Matlab?' till Naina's reply 'Nahi!'. Rajveer releases the breath, he had been holding throughout this time, as he listens to Naina's answer. Smiling secretly, he knocks the door of Pooja-Naina's room, after getting back to his normal self.

***

At boy's hostel

"Neelu..",

shouts Yudi, as she enters without knocking.

Picking up his shirt from the floor, she throws it towards him and says,

"zyada sharmane ki zarurat nahi hai, mera hi bhai hai tu!"

Meeting Yudi's sister for the first time, Huda tries to impress her,

"Hi myself Huda. Aap yahin rehti hain?",

smiles Huda.

Rolling her eyes, she looks towards Huda,

"Zada shanapanti dikhayi na, chalne layak nahi rahega!",

replies Neelu.

"Waise aap hai kon?"

"Iski behn hu",

she points towards Yudi.

Smiling Huda says,

"Kamal
hai, lagti hi nahi hain ki aap iski behn hai",

pointing towards Yudi, but not drifting his gaze from Neelu. Yudi places his hands on either side of his waist and glares at Huda. Huda ignores his glare, and continues staring Neelu.

"Kya baat hai, aaj wo hero nahi hai yahan?"

"Haan Bol!",

says Alekh entering the room, wiping his hair with a towel, holding it in his left hand.

Turning to look at him, she says,

"Uss din humari baat puri nahi hui thi, mujhey jana padha tha. Ab bol!"

"Kya bolun?",

asks Alekh, throwing the towel towards Yudi, who is sitting on the bed.

"Dude!",

scolds Yudi, and places the towel at a side.

"Mujhey teri kahani sunni hai!",

demands Neelu.

"Chal na itna vella nahi hun".

Getting towards him, Neelu pulls Alekh by his collar,

"zada shana mat bann mere samne!" ,

but this time there was a bit softness in her voice, Alekh also noticed it.

"Ye kya tu mujhey iss tarah dhamki deti rehti hai? Darta nhi hun main teri dhamkiyon se!",

warns Alekh.

"Bolega to sahi tu. Ab bata seedhi tareeke se bolega ya tedha kuch karun?"

"Dude! Neelu! Tu chup ho ja. Tu..",

Alekh cuts him in the middle,

"Theek hai batata hun!"

Then he dictates his whole story. During this process, Ali also enters the room and sits silently, listening to the story. Neelu gives Alekh an understanding look and smiles a little.

As he ends dictating his story, he says,

"Khush? Ab apun ko jaane de",

and gets up to leave.

Neelu holds his hand to stop him,

"ruk to Bhai ki kahani nahi sunega?"

Turning Alekh looks on her hand, holding his, then looks at her and says,

"Iski bhi koi kahani hai?"

Changing his expression, getting irritated, Yudi says,

"What do you mean bro?"

Looking at him Alekh says,

"Chal teri bhi kahani sunn lete hain!"