In the academy, in boys hostel...

"Yaar I wonder, ye Naina aur Rajveer Sir kahan reh gaye!" says Yudi, sitting on his bed, while Alekh was already sharing his bed; Ali and Huda were sharing Huda's bed."Haan yaar Yudiye, aaj jo kuch bhi hua academy aane ke baad... Yaar Brigadier ne kaha tha, agar ek ghante tak wo nahi pohnchey to unhe saza milegi, yahan to do (2) ghante ho gaye hain..." "Zarur wo raasta bhatak gaye honge, apun ko bharosa hai Rajveer Sir aakar zarur achi tarah inhe samjha denge ki kya baat hui thi aur unhe saza nahi milegi". "Par guru, Rajveer Sir ek sipahi hain, aur wo bhi bohot ache. Humein nahi lagta ki aisi choti-moti batein unn par asar kar sakti hain" retorts Ali. All the others stare at him, astonished.

Creasing his brows out of anger, Alekh says,"matlab kya hai tera? Dekh apun ko ghuma-fira kar baat karne wale log bilkul nahi pasand. Jo bhi kehna hai seedhe-seedhe bol" "Arey Alekh Bhai aap gussa kyun ho rahe hain?" "Dekh Ali, tu mane ya na mane apun Naina ko apni behn manta hai. Aur apun ki behn ke barey mein koi kuch kahe, ye apun ko bardasht nahi hoga, samjha?" saying this, he gets out of his room.

Out of frustration, Alekh starts pacing back and forth on the corridor. "Arey Alekh putar tu iss tarah idhar-udhar chakkar kyun laga raha hai?" asks Suriji, placing his hand on Alekh's back, as a gesture of love. "Suriji, apun Naina ko lekar pareshan hai".With a worried look on his face, Suriji says, "main janta hun puttar, tu Naina ko lekar kafi jazbati ho jata hai. Par tu chinta mat kar puttar, mujhey pura yakeen hai ki Captain Rajveer aur Naina puttar jahan bhi hai hain, changgey honge. Waheguru unki rakhwali karenge. Main na aisa karta hun, gurudware hokar aata hun". Rolling his hand on Alekh's head, Suriji says, "tu na tension na le puttar, sub theek hoga. Ek aur baat puttar, puttar iss tarah apne dil ki baat, ghabrahat dusre se baant leni chahiye. Isse mann halka hota hai. Apne jazbaton ko dil mein qaid rakh kar koi khush nahi rehta. Bohot khushi hui ye jaan kar ki tu ne kitni aasani se apne dil ki baat mujhse keh di. Humesha yaad rakhiyo puttar kuch bhi ho jaye", then he touches his chest, "tere ye Suriji humesha tere saath hain. Jinda reh puttar, jinda reh. Waheguru har museebat se tujhey bachaye",Suriji blesses Alekh wholeheartedly, then leaves. Alekh smiles, after he leaves, touched by Suriji's words and emotion.

Even after Suriji leaves, his words keep coming into Alekh's mind. Reaching the telephone, he dials a number. Receiving the call someone answers, "Bhai apne call kaise kar liya aj?" "Neelu..."Alekh's voice takes her by surprise.

"Alekh!", exclaims Neelu, happy on hearing his voice."Hmm...kya baat hai beedu, aaj tujhey apun ki yaad kaise aa gayi?"asks Neelu, her happiness on listening to his voice palpable.

"Kaisi hai tu?" "Main jhakas. Tu bata!"answers back Neelu, with full enthusiasm, but she doesn't fail to recognize an edge in his voice. But rather than digging, she waits patiently for him to tell her with being asked."Apun theek hai. Baki sub kaise hain?" he asks, trying to relax himself. He knows had Neelu been here, he would have hugged her tightly, because that's what he needs right now, a tight hug by someone who understands him without him making an effort to word his feelings to let that person know, what he is feeling like. He knows he has never been good at showing his emotions. But he terribly needs someone's support right now, and who else can be better, than Neelu? She has never tried to judge him, she has simply accepted him like he is. "Kya baat hai beedu, tujhey mere gharwalon ki bohot chinta ho rahi hai? Impress karne ki koshish kar raha hai mujhey?" she jokes with him, trying to lighten his mood, without even trying to know what exactly the matter is. Smiling, she continues,"dekh Bhai to tere saath hi hai, uske barey mein kya bolun? Mom-Dad theek hain. Apne barey mein to main tujhey bata hi chuki hun",saying this she waits for him to reply. "Neelu apun 'subke' barey mein puch rela hai" says Alekh, serious. "Kya matlab? Maine to subke barey mein bata dia!"answers Neelu, unable to understand whom is he asking about in particular.

Taking a deep breath, Alekh says, "Neelu, tu ne kaha tha ki tu..." "ki main...? Main kya?" "ki tu...", he checks, if he is all alone, then whispers, "ki tu pregnant hai!" For some moments after that silence persists between them. It's when Alekh pushes her saying,"Neelu?", that she bursts out into a laugh, unable to control herself any longer.

At first Alekh thinks that she must have not heard him. As soon as he was about to ask her, Neelu says, in between her laugh, "tu... tu ne... such mein socha ki main...?" she keeps laughing. Understanding her untold words perfectly, Alekh gives a sigh of relief. Soon after that he realizes that Neelu had lied to her, getting angry, he asks, "tu ne apun se jhut kaha?" Still laughing too hard, she speaks in between her laugh, "to... to... tujhey laga...hahaha! Alekh tu ne socha bhi kaise? Pata hai...", before she could even complete her line, Alekh puts down the receiver out of anger."Hello... hello Alekh... Oh no!" she curses herself, as she hears the beep.

"Pata nahi Rajveer Sir aur Naina, Brigadier Chandok ka signal kyun nahi pakad paye! Haye rabba Naina aur Rajveer Sir ki rakhwali karna".Looking on to the bed, placed next to her bed Pooja says, "Naina, tere message ke bina inbox kitna khali lag raha hai. Kuch bhi kar, koi to signal de ki tu theek hai. Jaldi aja", she wipes off the tear that happens to escape her eyes.

"Ali, look man mujhey nahi lagta ki bina such janey humein apna opinion rakhna chahiye. Rajveer Sir humare teacher hain. Main manta hun ki aaj jo kuch bhi hua, nahi hona chahiye tha. Par main ye bhi manta hun ki tumhe Alekh ke samne aisa nahi kehna chahiye tha. What say Huda?""Yudiye, information sub ko mili thi. Map subke paas tha. To wo bhatkenge kaise? Haan ye ho sakta hai ki shayad unn tak information late pohnchi ho, aur wo aa hi rahe hon. Par ye soch, wo apni Phoolan devi hai, chahe pahad hi kyun na todna ho, wo apne mission mein kabhi bhi fail nahi hoti. Wo achi tarah janti hai ki mission na complete karne ka asar uske overall marks mein parhega. Aur wo kuch bhi ho jaye apni parhayi ke saath compromise nahi karti, apne marks ke saath compromise nahi karti. To akhir kya baat ho sakti hai?" asks Huda, not to anyone specifically, but rather thinking."Yaar kahin Phoolan kisi museebat mein to nahi?" Listening to his words, the bloods drain out of the faces of all of them.

"Hey bhagwan, ye ladka kabhi nahi sudhrega. Gussa to jaise iski naak pe baitha rehta hai. Main to bus mazak kar rahi thi. Par Neelu, tu janti hai ki uss din tu ne kuch zada hi bol dia tha", Neelu realizes her mistake and shuts her eyes tightly. Opening them, she says, "Par meri kya galti thi? Main agey bolne wali thi, par achanak baat change ho gayi, mujhey rukna parha, mujhey laga ki koi sunn raha hai mujhey. Aur uske baad aisi situation hi nahi ayi ki main usse akele mil paun aur usse samjha paun kuch uff..." cursing her luck, she sits on the corner of the bed, placing her fingertips on her forehead, her head bent down."Mujhey kal jana hoga ussey milne", she decides. Then suddenly she thinks, "ye log to kisi camp pe gaye the na? Bhai ne kaha tha. Aur jahan tak mere paas information thi, inhe time tha abhi wapas aney mein. Fir achanak Alekh academy mein...?"Getting up out of worry and concern, "Oh god! Sub kuch theek to hai na? Mujhey pakka kal academy jana hi hoga".

****

At around 2100 hours Rajveer and Naina reach academy, Brigadier Chandok is informed about the same by an orderly.

Soon Brigadier Chandok along with other faculty members reach the main hall of KMA, where Naina and Captain Rajveer were asked to wait for them. Among cadets only the five cadets were asked to join, knowing it too well that these five cadets, along with Naina form a group.

"Captain Rajveer, kya aap humein batayenge ki apko itni der kahan lag gayi? Jo task apko do (2) ghante mein khatam karni thi, ussey khatam karne mein apko chaar (4) ghante kaise lag gaye?" Knowing it too well that it had been Major Bhargava's plan which has lead them to this consequence, Captain Rajveer clenches his fist. Keeping a check on his temper, Captain Rajveer replies, "Sir hum raasta bhatak gaye the", while Naina stands next to him. Her once braided hair now kept loose, since the time she cleaned herself after the mud incident. "Oh really Captain? Aapse aise answer ki umeed nahi thi! I didn't expect you turning into such a poor soldier".

"Frankly Sir, humein koi information mili hi nahi thi, that we were expected to return back. Iss mein Captain Rajveer ki koi galti nahi hai",says Naina, unable to bear Captain Rajveer's humiliation anymore.Turning to address her, Brigadier Chandok says,"Oh to Cadet Singh apka matlab hai ki ek mentor ki zimmedari nahi hai ki wo apne protegee ko theek time pe wapas layein? Alright I accept ki aap logo tak information nahi pohnchi thi, par fir bhi, you were expected to complete the task in a certain time limit, about which you were aware very well. It had been informed to you before you were assigned the task isn't it?" Naina lowers her head, realizing he is correct. But again with determination, she looks at him and was about to reply, when she feels that Captain Rajveer is looking towards her, standing next to her. She turns to confirm, and as always she was correct. Rajveer shakes his head slightly, indicating her to remain quiet. She lowers her eyes.