Naina woke up panting but immediately stopped herself from screaming loud. Many years have passed but still she was experiences the after-effects of all the things that happened in her life. So, she sat on the bed, contemplating whether she should listen to her heart or not. She then took her decision. She tip-toed to the room beside her, careful not to wake the girls in the room. After the attack they decided to stick together. So the entire team was staying in four rooms, where all the girls were in the same room.
Raj and Naveen were sleeping in the same room whereas Captains and Gunny were downstairs, doing god knows what. Gunny knew that Naveen and Raj were already really stressed out ever since they came to know that even Pooja was infected now. And truth to be told, the anti-dote of the poison was not available in India. In short, there was not any confirmation, if they'll get it on time or not. The 4 of them were doing everything that they can. This was the reason why they were really scared but were acting as if everything was fine.
Naina pushed the door open. Both Naveen and Raj were awake but thought that it was Gunny, so they didn't react.
Naina went towards Naveen's bed and slipped beneath the covers. Naveen opened his eyes and immediately his eyes were filled with worry.
"Gudiya, kya hua tujhe? Tabiyat thik hai na?" Naveen asked as he searched her face for any sign of pain.
Raj too, got up immediately. "Naina, kya hua?"
"Neend nahi aa rahi." Naina said and snuggled closer to Naveen, hiding her face in his chest.
Truth to be told, Naina was scared. Because she and Pooja had searched about the anti-dote in secret but there was nothing positive on the internet. Needless to say, the Majors were hiding the truth from their cadets and the cadets were hiding it from the Majors, both trying to hide their pain to keep the other safe and happy.
Raj and Naveen both realized the hidden thought behind her sentence, so Naveen just laid next to her and covered her with the blanket. He began patting her head and humming to make her sleep. Raj too, laid back in his bed while keeping his face towards Naina.
Naveen's sleep was all gone now. He just stared at Raj and both the men looked at each other, as they both were feeling the same thing. The helplessness of protecting the ones they love.
Raj got up abruptly. Naveen stared at him and asked him silently where he was going, to which Raj just responded by nodding his head towards the door and left.
Here, Pooja was sitting upstairs on the terrace. She got up sometime after Naina. She thought that maybe she'll find Naina upstairs and came here but then, she felt peaceful in the night breeze and sat there instead.
Raj noticed that the door to the terrace was open, and his instinct told him to check. He found Pooja sitting there, cocooned up in the blanket. He realized that not just Naina but all of his cadets needed him now. They were forced to grow up and forced the harsh reality, way too soon. They never got a chance to actually enjoy and live their first posting, the thrill of finally earning the uniform, as they were too busy, fighting for justice for him.
So, he went and sat next to her. Pooja immediately wiped her tears and said in her usual cheery voice, " Are Shahrukh aap? I mean Rajveer Sir, aap yahan?"
Raj just chuckled and said, "Han, neend nahi aa rahi thi isliye yahan upar aa gaya."
"Mujhe bhi. Neeche signal disturb ho raha tha isliye yahan upar aa gayi." She too replied.
"Dar lag raha hai?" Raj asked her quietly.
Pooja shook her head in no. But Raj knew better, so he continued, " Mujhe to lag raha hai."
Pooja looked at him shock.
"Aur nahi to kya. Mere zinda hone ke baad bhi... tum log us poison se infected ho aur main yahan aaram se, safe house mein tha. I should have been there to protect you guys."
"Par Sir, isme apki koi galti thodi na hai." Pooja tried to explain.
"Please don't do that." Raj said.
"Kya Sir?" Pooja was now confused.
"Itne maturely baatein mat karo. Pehle jaise lado mujhse... zid karo... gussa karo ki itne din kahan tha. I feel so strange. I feel like a complete stranger. Mujhe Major ki treat karna band karo. Aur meri chhodo... tum log khud bhi itna serious... itna mature behave mat karo. Don't let the child in you die." Raj poured his heart out.
Since day one, not a single person asked him how he survived or why did he leave them like that or why he never tried to contact them in so many days. This was really unsettling. Kuchh logo ko shanti achhi lagti hai. Par humare Raj ko ye shanti chubh rahi thi. He wanted his cadets to fight, complain. In short, he wanted them to be his cadets, not Captains talking to their mentor or their senior. The bond that all 6 of them shared with him was not just of Senior-Junior, Mentor-Protégé or Faculty-Student. It was more than that. It was a family. And all these things were piercing his heart. He was wondering that whether they grew up so much, that now they have started to perceive him as their teacher or senior only and not like a family as they did before.
"Chalo, I'll take my leave." And Raj left without saying anything else.
On his way down, he gestured Ali to take care of Pooja upstairs and make her have enough rest.
Gunny told Raj that they were bound to receive some positive news in the morning. This brought a smile on Raj's face.
When he entered the room, he found Naina sleeping like a kitten next to her brother. Raj told the news to Naveen and immediately saw his friend relax a bit.
"Abe udhar kahan jaa raha hai?" Naveen said to Raj.
"Umm... sone. Kyun kya hua?" Raj asked.
"Idhar aa." Naveen called him.
"Abe kya hai Naveen?" Raj grumbled.
"Mera kandhe mein attack wale din thodi chot lag gayi thi. Idhar aa ke yahan so. Mujhe tere bed par sone de. Naina ke sar ke neeche hath rakh dena warna uski neend khul jayegi." Naveen said and started to get up. Poor Raj stood at the end of the bed gaping like a fish.
"Muh kya dekh raha hai. Idhar aa." Raj immediately ran to support Naina's head. Naina stirred in sleep so Raj immediately supported her head and she went back to sleep.
"Saale jhuthe. Sach bata. Tere kandhe par laga ya sar par? Tu apne rehte, mujhe Naina ke sath sone de raha hai." Raj said
"Use right words. Warna kamre ke bahar fenk dunga main." Naveen said.
"Abe sone ko sona hi to bolunga. Tera dimag ulta hai to main kya karu?" Raj said. Both of the idiots were whisper-yelling at each other.
"Whatever. Sach sunna hai to sun... tu jis tarah se creepy stalker ki tarah mere bed ki taraf dekh raha hai. Main nahi so sakta aise. Isliye tu hi udhar so." Naveen grumbled annoyedly.
"Wow." Raj didn't know what to say. But he couldn't miss a chance to tease Naveen.
"Aww... you care Naveen. Tu khush hai is rishte se." Raj whispered.
"Raj, I swear tu pitega mere hath se. So jaa yar chup-chap. And to answer your question, I am glad that she chose you warna mujhe mehnat karni padti." Naveen said.
"Naina ke liye sahi insan dhundhne ke liye?" Raj questioned.
"Nahi... jise wo chunti uski laash chhupane ke liye. No one is going near my baby girl." Naveen replied casually.
"Abe saale, tu psycho hai poora." Raj said bewildered.
"Sone do naa yar aap log. Apna bromance kal continue kar lo na." Naina said in a sleepy voice.
Raj chuckled and kiss her forehead while moving the strands away from her face. "Achha so jao. Kal baat kar lenge hum dono."
"Main yahi... is kamre mein so raha hu Raj." Naveen said glaring at him.
"Kya yar Naveen.... sone de na humein. Don't disturb us. Chal lights off kar de." Raj whispered and laid back down as Naina snuggled closer.
"Lights to aaj raat off nahi hongi is kamre ki, samjha tu?" Naveen said and turned around to sleep.
Naina pulled the blanket to her face in irritation and Raj just chuckled as he waited for dawn to bring rays of hope.
HEYA GUYS, THIS IS THE UPDATE. LET ME KNOW ABOUT IT IN THE COMMENTS. THERE WILL BE MAJOR REVELATIONS IN THE COMING UPDATES. SO I AM LEAVING THE REVIEW TO YOU GUYS. ALSO, THANK YOU.. THANK YOU SO MUCH TO ALL THE LOVELY WISHES AND I AM SO SORRY THAT I COULDN'T REPLY TO ALL THE WONDERFUL COMMENTS OF YOU GUYS, BUT I AM SO THANKFUL AND GRATEFUL TO EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THEM.❤️