Chapter 9
"Hello." I said as I picked up the phone, located on the other side of the mess.
"Cadet Singh Rajveer collapsed once again. We can't reach his doctor. Bring Dr. Shalini and come immediately." Colonel Chandra's voice said from the other side.
I dropped the receiver and ran toward Dr. Shalini's office.
“Will anyone tell me where we are going? Major Bhargav’s class is about to finish and the cadets will need me.” Dr. Shalini said, riding on the back seat of jeep that Huda was driving.
“Ma’am please. You are urgently needed where we are going. Your assistants can handle the cadets, but we currently need you.” I said.
“But…” Dr. Shalini started, but was cut off by Ali.
“Ma’am I know you are confused, but please. Someone needs you now. Huda Bhai, please drive fast.”
“God, I hope he is fine.” Yudi said.
“Nothing will happen to him. Nothing.” I said as tears tried to fall from my eyes, but even I didn’t believe what I was saying. Sensing my worry Pooja, who was sitting next to me, gave my hand a small squeeze and an encouraging nod.
Huda brought the jeep in front of a very familiar house. I jumped out of the jeep, before it could come to a complete stop and ran toward the door. I rung the bell repeatedly, while banging on the door at the same time. I could hear a confused Dr. Shalini asking questions, but at the time I really didn’t care enough to answer. The door was opened by a very worried looking Capt. Abhimanyu. I could hear Dr. Shalini saying something, but I didn’t gather what she was saying.
“Dr. Shalini, Thank god you are here. Guys please come in.” Capt. Said and we literally dragged Dr. Shalini up the stairs to Capt. Rajveer’s room.
“Dr. Shalini you might be confused by what you see, but you need you to fully concentrate.” Capt. Warned before opening Rajveer sir’s room. When I saw inside the room made my heart die once again. Capt. Rajveer laid there, pale as a snow, with coal dark circles under his eyes. He look weak…and dead. He looked as if he hadn’t been taken care of since…since forever. I was broken by my chain of thoughts when Alekh shook me.
“Captain…!” I heard Dr. Shalini exclaimed. I turned around to see her standing with eyes wide as if she saw a ghost and her face colorless. I have to admit, it was kind of a funny sight.
“Dr. thank god. Please come in.” Colonel Chandra said. Dr. Shalini slowly and carefully moved toward Rajveer sir.
She stood up next to him and took out her stethoscope. She checked his BP, pulse, his eyes ears and his mouth.
“Dr. Shalini?” I questioned.
“His pulse and everything else seems normal. I can’t tell why he fainted.” Shalini ma’am said
“He just came out of coma. Maybe that’s why.” Alekh suggested.
“But he was recovering so well.” Capt. Abhimanyu said. I just stood there, watching Rajveer sir and hearing the conversation. I didn’t trust myself to say anything without breaking down, and I don’t want to cry in front of Rajveer sir.
“No, this is not because of Coma.” Dr. Shalini said. The room fell into silence as everyone thought about what could have cause Rajveer sir to collapse. A minute or 2 passed in this silence.
“Coma.” Dr. Shalini exclaimed all of a sudden.
“Dr. everything ok.” Colonel Chandra questioned.
“He just came out of coma. Meaning that he must be taking some medication.” Dr. Shalini stated as if it was the most obvious this in the world. I picked up the medicine from the side table and handed it to Dr. Shalini, without saying a word. As soon as she saw the medicines she stood up from the stool in which she, at some point, sat in.
“What is wrong Doc?” Abhimanyu sir inquired.
“What is wrong is that this is slow poison not medicine.” Dr. Shalini said, throwing the medicine, or rather slow poison on the floor. Gasps could be heard around the room.
“Thank god Captain hadn’t consumed too much of this. 2-3 more doses and he could have…” Dr. Shalini left the rest of the sentence hanging, but we all understood the unspoken. The room, once again, filled with pin drop silence, until a small moan came from the bed. Lying on the bed, Capt. Rajveer had his eyes open.
“One knows I am alive except you all. Who could have…?” Capt. questioned, shocking all of us. This means he was awake the whole time.
“Raj?” Capt. Abhimanyu asked.
“Chauhan saab, I am not that week. I will not leave you all this early. “Rajveer sir said with humor, and that got to me. Here we were dying of worry for him, and he was cracking stupid jokes. What did he think of himself?
“Are you crazy Capt. Here we are worrying about your wellbeing and you just don’t care? Hell you can’t even take care of yourself, and you have the gull to crack jokes.” I said shocking everyone.
“Cadet…” Captain Rajveer said but I cut him off.
“Do you know how worried I was, thinking you… Promise me, just promise that this kind of thing will never happen again.” I said expanding my hand forward. Tears were, uncontrollably, flowing out of my eyes. Rajveer sir, placed his hands on top of mine, making the hair on the back of my neck stand up. “Promise…Only if you promise to never cry. Remember I told you that tears in my cadet Naina’s Nain (eyes) don’t suit her.” He said. I gave him a small smile and wiped my tears with my free hands. I don’t know how long I stood there staring at his eyes, his hand on mine.
“If the love birds are done staring, than can I say something.” Captain Abhimanyu stated, making everyone in the room burst into laughter. I blushed the deepest shed of red as I pulled my hand from under his, and a rosy color also creeped up Rajveer sir’s cheeks and I felt like a stupid teenager.
“Huda, Yudi and Pooja… find the doctor who gave Raj that medicine. I will talk to Major and BC and give some excuse about you being out of academy. Naina, Alekh and Ali, go back to KMA with Dr. Shalini and find out everything you can about Eagle from Cadet. Saxena.” Abhimanyu sir said once the room quiet down. I gave a loot to Rajveer sir and he gave me a nod.
“Let’s go” I said heading out the door.
“Oh my god. All this happened and nobody told me. Didn’t you guys trust me enough?” Dr. Shalini said.
Right now, we-Dr. Shalini, Ali, Alekh and me- we riding the jeep back to KMA. It has been about 5 minutes since we left the house, and between that time we narrated Captain. Rajveer’s story to Dr. Shalini.
“It is not that we don’t trust you, it is just that we don’t trust your mouth, no offence.” I joked, feeling relived as Rajveer sir was fine.
“Yes, Shalini ma’am, you are not really known for being good at keeping secrets.” Alekh added from the driver’s seat. The entire jeep brusted into laughter.
“Anyways. How are we going to get that pocket knife from Cadet Vidiya?” Dr. Shalini asked, changing the topic.
“I say we steal it.” Alekh suggested.
“We can’t do that.” I said
“We don’t have any other way. Vidiya herself said she never gives that knife to anyone.” Ali said to my surprise, supporting Alekh.
“Ali how would you feel if someone touched your sister. Or Alekh, how would you feel if someone stole your alcohol. That thing is special to her, and we can’t just take that from her. That is just…inhuman and heartless.” I said
“Cadet Singh is right cadet. We can’t just steal.” Dr. Shalini said
“I will talk to her. Vidiya and I have gotten pretty close. I am sure she will let me see it.” I said as the Jeep came to a stop in front of KMA. I walked toward the girls’ hostel without looking back.
I stopped in front of room #212 and opened the door. I opened the door and saw Akriti and Vidiya sitting on their bed. It took a minute for Vidiya to notice meat the door.
“Naina, where had you guys gone from the Mess. We were so worried.” She stated as I walked inside the room. Akriti also looked up from her book and gave me a nod.
“Vidiya. I have to talk to you about something…Privately.” I said the last part looking at Akriti.
“You can’t even stay at your own room. I don’t know why I decided to join the army.” Akriti murmured as she exited the room.
I walked over to Vidiya’s bed and sat down.
“Any problem Naina?” Vidiya question.
“Vidiya, actually we need your help.” I said
“What kind of help?”
“Can I please see the pocket knife Lt. Vansh gave you?”
“What why?”
“Vidiya, I think that pocket knife might have something as to Capt. Rajveer’s death.”
“Ok…but just know Vidiya has never given this to anyone.” Vidiya said. I nodded as held the small pocket knife Vidiya handed me. I slid open the outer over of the knife to see a microchip hidden inside it.
“What?” Vidiya exclaimed as she saw the chip. I took it out, and handed the chip to Vidiya.
“Thanks” I said, as I got up and walked out the room, leaving behind a confused Vidiya.
I pushed open the door to my room, ran to the closed, and took out my laptop. I set the laptop on my bed and opened it. I inserted the chip and opened the file attached to it. The information in my computer sucked the living life out of me. It had information in it that…that...I don’t even know. I slammed the laptop shut, carried it and ran out the room.
I ran into the mess and immediately saw Suriji scolding some orderlies at the back of the room. I ran to him.
“Suriji, where is Ali, Alekh and Dr. Shalini?” I asked
“Putter, they got a call from Capt. Abhimanyu, and they immediately rushed out. Told me to tell you to come to the house as soon as you get the information.” He said and added “Naina putter what is going on?”
“You will find out soon enough” I said running out of the mess to catch the cab.
I searched for the key, where it is usually hidden. Finding it beneath the 4th flower pot, I opened the door to the house that I had become very familiar with. I rushed inside and climbed the stairs to get to Rajveer sir’s room.
I opened the door to see the doctor who gave Rajveer sir that medicine, tied town to a chair.
“Naina this doctor is saying that Lala sir is the one who said to poison me. What did you find?” Captain Rajveer questioned as soon as I entered the room. I didn’t utter a word, but instead place the laptop on the table and turned it on. The information on the screen shocked everyone.
“I knew Lala Sir was evil, but I could never imagine he would be Eagle. I just thought he wanted to own the highest position as a minister in our country, by hook or crook, but this.” Rajveer sir stated. I could imagine what Rajveer sir was feeling. Knowing that that person you trusted the most lied to you is not easy, but this is not the right time to become emotional.
“This would also explain why he would want to close down academies such as KMA. The less the amount of security, the easier his job gets.” I said
“Disgusting. I am going to arrest him right now.”
“No. This is enough prof for us to believe he is Eagle, but it is not going to be enough for the court. We have to find more proof if we want him gone forever.” I said
“So what do we do?” Pooja questioned
“We kill two birds with one stone. Keep KMA open and expose Lala.” I said
“So what’s plan?” Yudi questioned.
“To get to expose the enemy…we become enemies” I said and turned to see confused. “Let me explain” I explained the plan to everyone and they all had a satisfactory smile by the time I finished.
“We need someone to look after him.” I said pointing to the doctor.
“I will be glad to be his host.” Colonel Chandra said.
“Have to admit cadet, you really did pay close attention in Raj’s class. At lease more than my class.” Capt. Abhimanyu teased and the entire room, once again, laughed as I blushed.
“Looks like the time has come for me to rise from the dead” Rajveer sir said and winked at me.
My note.
Hope you liked the book. Sorry for the late update, but this week is my spring break so I will be posting a lot this week.
I just wanted to ask are you as excited to see Rajeev back on small screen as I am? I can’t help but wonder how his chemistry with Kritika will be. I have watched all promos and can’t wait for the serial to start.
I have also noticed that this story has a lot of grammatical errors, so try to understand the emotions and look over these errors for the time being.
Lots Of Love
Misha