Left Right Left - The Revival...

XXVII

Captain and a Cadet, who came extremely late and covered in different colors was not a story anyone could understand, but nobody dared to ask about it because Brigadier announced the punishment, he already had decided.

"Captain Rajveer, you are an experienced and responsible officer but I fail to understand how you couldn't find the way back today. I am giving you an option, either you take the punishment or share it with your cadet, what it will be captain? " Brigadier gave an option to Rajveer, who answered without thinking and wasting a second. "Sir, I accept this was all my fault. I will accept the punishment, and will not share it with someone." with an emotion less face Rajveer gave his answer. "Captain, your punishment is Solitary confinement for one day, with effect from now." saying this Brigadier looked at Dr.Shalini, who took Captain Rajveer to his punishment.
Cadets were sent back to their rooms, after they witnessed an event, which none of them fully understood. They were confused but most of them had pity in their eyes seeing their beloved Captain going towards the room.

"Time for Plan B, Major." Major Bhargav whispered to Major Nair, who knew what he was supposed to do now. Once Captain was no longer present to intervene and save his cadet, the Major knew this was perfect time to execute their plan.

"Naina, what happened? Are you okay? Why are you covered in colors? Why... " Pooja couldn't stop asking questions but Naina said, "Pooja, I will tell you the story tomorrow, can we sleep right now? " Pooja just nodded, and they both went to sleep, after Naina cleaned up.

The night was extra long for Rajveer. The solitary confinement meant that Rajver would be confided to one room, without any light, without anyone, just in silence.
Silence is sometimes good, it helps the person to realize things, to feel his emotions, to accept some facts which were till now unknown to the person himself. Silence allows a person to talk to himself. That is exact thing what Silence did to Rajveer. The darkness, the quietness, the stress, forced Captain to ask himself some questions, which he could never think of before this. Why did he had that dream? Why he had such inappropriate feelings for his cadet? What were they feelings? Why did he accept the punishment? Why he couldn't see Naina in pain? Why he wanted to save Naina so badly? Was it because she was Naveen's sister?

"Really Raj? That is the reason? " someone asked, a figment of Rajveer's imagination, and he knew that. It was Naveen's voice echoing in the darkness.
"You really don't know what is it?" the voice, now had a source. Naveen was sitting in front of Rajveer, carrying his same boyish smile. "Isn't it something which we all call Lov... ?" before Naveen could continue, Rajveer said, "No, it can't be. She is my student. She is your sister. She is... " "Raj, Love doesn't see all this. And it doesn't matter what you say or what reasoning you give, it has happened. You are in Love Raj and it can't be undone. Accept it Raj. Accept it." Naveen's voice echoed before he completely vanished. Rajveer was confused and wanted to deny the fact, his heart and brain registered right now. He knew he was in Love, and it didn't matter if it was wrong or not."

The morning had surprises, bad ones for not only Naina, but every cadet and every teacher. "Cadet Ahuluwalia open the door." Ms. Lolita's knocked at Naina's and Pooja's door, early morning. As soon as they opened they opened the door, Ms. Lolita came inside with Major Bhargav, and two more girl cadets, who started searching their room. "Ma'am what is happening?" Naina asked but no one answered her.
"Ma'am here is what I found."one of the girl cadets said, holding a bunch of papers in her hand. Taking it from her, Major Bhargav read it silently and then passed it to Ms. Lolita to read. Her expressions turned from confusion to surprise to shock and the last one was anger. "Take her to Brigadier." Ms.Lolita said and the cadets held Naina by elbow, forcing her to go to Brigadier's office. Rajveer was also brought there. He didn't know why his punishment was cut short but he feared he wouldn't like the reason.
"Captain, we found some letters from Cadet Ahuluwalia's room. And what shocked all of us was that they were love letters, written and signed by you. What do you have to say about that?" Brigadier was angry, very very angry. His voice clearly told that. Last night Rajveer just accepted the fact that he was in love with Naina, but he didn't plan to express it anytime soon or ever. He didn't know what they all were saying or what was written in those white sheets. But he knew that this was some sick and cheap plan of Major Bhargav.
"Sir, I..." before Rajveer could say anything, Dr. Ritu entered the office and said, "Sorry sir, but those letters were for me, which by mistake Cadet Ahuluwalia found when it was misplaced by me." Rajveer and Naina looked at her as she had gone crazy. Naina knew it could be true, after whatever she had heard in the forest, but her heart denied to accept it. On the other hand, Rajveer was confused, he never called Dr. Mishra by her first name, and here she was claiming he wrote her love letters?
After some more lies from Dr. Ritu, everyone was allowed to go. Naina didn't say a word since she woke up because everything was happening too fast to say something. But the first sentence she said was,"I don't believe this." she said this, because she really couldn't believe what she saw. A large chart paper hanging on the notice board with to boxes in front of it, one for YES and one for NO. This was an answer to the question the chart had.