Love Amidst Chaos

Chapter 1

"Are you sure, beta?" Naina's mother looked at her daughter's eyes, trying to change her mind. But the girl was stubborn like her brother.

"Han Maa. I can do this. We can either sit back and hide or we can come out and prove that he was innocent." Naina said with determination in her eyes.

"Kuchh sabit nahin karna hai humein duniya ko. Humein sirf tujhse matlab hai. Naveen to chala gaya. Tujhe bhi..." Naina's father pretended to be strong but his heart was scared for his little girl. He had always being strong for his family. Even when they declared their son a 'Traitor', he always stood tall like a wall, to protect his family from the harsh words of the society. But now, when his daughter was standing right in front of the place which was the reason of their misery, he couldn't help but feel as if he has failed to protect his children

"Maa-Baba, mujh par bharosa rakhiye. Kuchh nahin hoga. Main sab thik kar dungi. And I promise, if at any point I feel that it is getting too much, I'll inform you guys right away. You are not going to lose me. Main aap dono ko chhod kar kahin nahi jaane wali. Relax. But I am not going to let them away with this. They took my brother away. I am going to make sure that those people are punished." Naina said as she held her parents' hands.

Her parents stared at her with tear-filled eyes. They were strong enough to send their elder son to serve his mother nation. But, after whatever happened with him, they were scared to even trust this academy, it's people with their daughter.

On the other hand, Naina knew that she might get emotional if she stayed a bit longer.

"Chaliye... ab aap log wapas jaiye, I need to report on time." Naina said with a smile and picked up her bag.

"Naina.... dhyan rakhna apna. At any point, if you feel that it is getting too much for you, don't even think twice before coming back. I am sure, Naveen kabhi bhi nahin chahega ki uski behen suffer kare." Naina's mother said to her as they saw their daughter enter the premises of the prestigious, Kanchunjenga Military Academy.

INSIDE THE ACADEMY

Naina maneuvered through the hallways, her eyes focusing every single brick, every single artifact on the way. Naina was the perfect pampered and even-a-bit spoilt sister of her dear brother. When Naveen decided to join the army, it was hard for her. She was very close to him and hence, not being able to see him for even single day was hard for her yet she somehow accepted her brother's wish. But the moment she lost him, she grew up in an instant. She was no longer the cherished and protected little daughter of the house. She had to finally step up for her family and protect them. It was too sudden. And this did take a toll on her. She became more silent. She began to remain quiet and observe the so-called well-wishers of her family. She got smarter to pick the hidden taunts in the so-called advices for the family. She became more silent as the noises around her increased.

She entered the cabin of the head, Brigadier Chandok, to report.

"Come in." She heard a gruff voice from inside.

She took a deep breath and entered.

"Kya naam hai?" Brigadier asked without looking up from his papers.

"Naina Singh." Naina said cautiously. 

"Naina Singh? Ya Naina Singh Ahluwalia?" Brigadier said in a calm yet dangerous voice.

(A/N : This was the first thing which irked me, since Armed Forces Academies are famous for their strictness and discipline. There is absolutely no way for Naina to get in by hiding her identity as it would have been revealed right in the first place, i.e., DOCUMENT VERIFICATION STAGE. But as I have already mentioned in the beginning of the book, I have only taken up the characters and plot, but the progress of the story will solely be my imagination. There can be some incidents which I'll include from the original show but majority will be my imagination. Please continue.)

"Naina Singh Ahluwalia, Sir." Naina said in a clear and determined voice as she held her head high.

"To ab tumhe bhi apne naam ke aage Ahluwalia likhne mein sharm aane hi lagi." He said in a cold voice but Naina knew what he was trying to do.

"Sharm nahi, Sir. I want to serve my country. But I wasn't sure that I would be allowed after...." She couldn't find the right words.

Brigadier Chandok stared at the young girl in front of him. He could clearly remember her smiling face on Naveen's passing out parade. She was so happy and practically latched to her brother's side, the whole time. But the girl standing in front of him was far from that little, bubbly girl. The one standing in his office was a strong and determined young lady, fighting to stand on her own feet against all odds. He may have not trained Naveen personally, but he was always aware of his outstanding record in the academy. So, it was natural for him to be shocked when he found that Naveen was accused to be a traitor. He never said to anyone, but deep down he tried everything in his might to find one proof.... one proof that would prove him innocent. On a professional level, he was angered by the fact that now, the entire nation was suspecting the security and decorum of the academy. But on a personal level, as a father-figure of so many young cadets in the academy, he was devasted.

He was brought back to reality as he stared at the sister of the same young lad.

He sighed and said, "Kyun kar rahi ho ye sab? Aaram se ghar lauto aur apne parivar ke sath zindagi jiyo." He tried to knock some sense into her but Naina just kept staring ahead as she silently gave her answer through actions. She was not going to quit.

He was in an emotional turmoil. On one hand, he wanted to let her in the academy as it would be too harsh to judge her on the basis of what her brother did. In his military career, he has seen enough examples which clearly proved that there was no law that proved that the family of a traitor would also cheat the nation. He had seen enough families banishing and disowning their children as they put their country first. He had seen enough young children of militants who later joined the forces, to repay the nation and its people.

Also, a little part of him was suspicious... what if... what if she does the same thing..... So, he decided to test her.

"Tell me Naina, do you believe that your brother was a traitor." He asked as his gaze focused on her face.

She was slightly taken aback but quickly hid it and answered, " No. My brother was not a traitor. He was a true patriot." 

"Then do you mean that we are lying? Do you mean that evidences are fake?" He pushed her to see how she would react. His sole purpose was to make sure if she was against the system or against the culprits.

"The evidences can be planted, Sir." She said in a monotonous yet clear voice. 

"So, you are trying to tell me that the entire army and even the military court didn't conduct their investigations properly." Brigadier said. 

That's when Naina snapped as she replied in a confident and clear voice, "Of course not, Sir. It is impossible for the entire army to be fooled. But, the strength of a building, depends majorly on the foundation." 

Indeed his experience won as he caught the hidden meaning behind the words. She wasn't against the system. She was against the ones who framed her brother. She was upset with the fact the army didn't try harder and failed to find the truth. But she was not blinded by that rage. She wanted justice not revenge. And therefore, he could clearly see the glint of patriotism in the girl's eyes, unbeknownst to her.

"Fine. I'll let you in the academy. But trust me when I tell you this.... if I find anything suspicious in your actions or your behavior, I won't wait for an enquiry to expel you from the academy. Am I clear?" He said in his strict and loud voice.

"Yes Sir." Naina said with equal determination as she took the paper which had the Brigadier's signature as approval.

She smiled a little as she exited the cabin and moved to salute the Amar Jyoti.

HELLO. HERE IS THE FIRST CHAPTER OF THE STORY. WHAT DO YOU GUYS FEEL ABOUT THE LITTLE CHANGES HERE? LET ME KNOW IN THE COMMENTS AND DON'T FORGET TO VOTE. TAKE CARE ❤️

THE NEXT UPDATE WILL BE : NOT DECIDED YET

WORD COUNT : 1484 WORDS

DATE : FEBRUARY 15, 2023