AASRA

Chapter 12

Naveen comes for breakfast and dinner to Rajveer and Naina's place everyday. They are having so many conversations about their training days, some other stories about their postings. Naina is getting to see a totally different side of Rajveer with Naveen, much less inhibited and much more happy.

Naina: acha fir kya hua bhaiya?

Naveen: are fir vo ladki bechari, jo is namune ke lie maine as a date dhundhi thi, akele baithi pure ball me.

Rajveer frowned on Naveen, "use maine pahle hi kahan tha ki kisi aur ko dhundh lo"

Naveen, "kamine us bechari ko kya pata tha ki tu aise karne vala hai. Shakal pe mar miti thi tere"

Naina chuckled over this. Her laughter, innocent like her filled the house with happiness and Rajveer smiled looking at her.

Naveen can recognise the love in the eyes of Rajveer. He saw it before, but for some one else.

——————————————————————————

Rajveer and Naveen are going to the base situated in Trivandrum due to some work.

Naveen is watching Rajveer lost in his thoughts, finally after some time Rajveer noticed it.

Rajveer: Itna chup kyu hai? Suit nai karta tujhe. Aur ghur kyu raha hai mujhe

Naveen: sale khud ko itna flatter mat kar. Mai bas kuch soch raha tha

Rajveer: kya?

Naveen: Ritu ke sath kya hua tha Rajveer?

Rajveer sighed deeply, he knew this is coming. He cannot have any secrets from Naveen, he will get it out from him.

Naveen: Bata na. Achanak se tune bataya ki tu shadi kar rha hai. Us waqt mission par tha to attend bhi nai kar paya shadi teri.

Rajveer: hmm. She left me aur kya. Jo bataya tha call par. Use US jana tha.

Naveen: aur tu use jane nai de rha tha?

Rajveer: aisa nai tha yar. Of course I didn't want her to go par aisa bhi nai tha ki mai samajh nai rha tha ki she needs to go.

Naveen: fir? Don't you think you should have waited for her?

Rajveer: she didn't want me to wait.

Naveen: matlab? Why she didn't want you to wait?

Rajveer: she didn't want any baggage while moving from here.

Naveen: ye kya bakwas hai? Tu baggage tha matlab?

Rajveer's face became stoic and he didn't replied anything on that.

Naveen didn't said anything for sometime. Rajveer keep driving until Naveen asked him to stop for tea break.

They are sipping their tea when Naveen asked, "Naina kya hai Raj? Rebound?"

Rajveer who is sipping the tea at that moment coughed on it. Naveen smiled, Rajveer always be caught off guard by his questions.

He took a moment to catch his breath, "aisa kyu pucha tune?"

Naveen, "14 saalon se tu aur Ritu ek weird se relationship me the. Itni jaldi tu move on kar jayega, aisa insan tu lagta to nai hai mujhe".

Rajveer was rubbing dirt with his shoes, concentrating on it, "to you mean, I shouldn't have moved on"

Naveen, "no, I mean ki you couldn't do it".

Rajveer snapped on it, "yes I did moved on, kiske lie wait karu mai? Uske lie, jisne khud mujhse move karne me zara bhi waqt nai lagaya. She has moved on. Infact, she got engaged. Ritu got engaged. Jane ke kuch din bad hi".

He was breathing heavily. He was avoiding this from a long time but Naveen brought all those bitter memories again.

Naveen, "so you got married. Race thi kya ye Raj, ki kaun pahle move on karega? Kya kar rha hai tu?".

Rajveer, "kya bol rha hai Naveen. It was nothing like that. Maa ne fix ki thi yar shadi".

Naveen, "Raj ye bakwas na kisi aur ko sunana. Mana ki Maa ne shadi fix karvai hogi par ye tu bhi janta hai aur mai bhi, ki tune is shadi ke lie han kyu ki hai".

"You wanted to win the breakup"

Rajveer, "ok fine........It was like that initially par ab.....".

Naveen, "ab kya? Now do you have real feelings for Naina?".

Rajveer, "pata nai. Par jab mai Naina se mila tha I did promised her, ki I'll give a honest chance to this marriage. And I plan to keep that promise".

Naveen, "What?? Naina, Ritu ke bare me janti hai?".

Rajveer, "Not by name. She knows ki mai ek long term relationship se bahar aya tha, jab hum mile the. Bahut detail me nai pata hai use kuch".

Naveen, "why did she agreed to marry you then?".

Rajveer hung his head low thinking on how to put her situation in words.

Looking at him, something strikes Naveen, "Raj, Naina ... Naina kaise background se ati hai?".

Rajveer hung his head low, " Naina is an orphan, raised by her Uncle and Aunt".

Naveen held his head in his hands and sat on jeep. He understood why she agreed to marry him despite his past.

Naveen, "Raj... tu ye kya kar raha hai yar".

Rajveer, "tu jaisa samajh rha hai vaisa nai hai Navu. I really do care for her"

Naveen stared at him with angry eyes, "Raj, she doesn't deserves the messy situation you put her in"

Rajveer, "use kuch nai pata hai Navu.....I mean usko koi shikayat nai hai".

Naveen, "this is really fucked up Raj. Tune kabhi uski aakhen dekhi hai. Saf dikhta hai ki tujhe chahne lagi hai vo".

Rajveer hung his head low, "pata hai mujhe"

Naveen, "Dekh mai ye nai kah rha hu ki tu use dhokha dega. Of all people you know how it feels, par ye zarur kahunga ki uski feeling kabhi hurt mat karna Raj. Bacchi hai vo"

Rajveer, "I really don't want that Navu. She is my responsibility. Shayad uske lie mai vo kabhi na feel kar payu jo Ritu ke lie karta tha par I really do not have any intention of hurting her".

Naveen looked at him for sometime, Rajveer's eyes are genuine.

Naveen, "I wish tune khud ko kuch waqt dia hota Raj shadi ke faisle se pahle".

With this he sat on the driver seat and started the jeep. Rajveer took the passenger seat. Both of them lost in their own thoughts.