Rajveer-Naina - The Mystery Begins!

Chapter 56

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.