"Yes Ma'am",
answers Naina, smiling a little.
Looking at her for sometime, she focuses her attention back on the class.
"Anyways I am going to teach you all Psychology. I guess you all would be familiar with the word. But only few of you would actually have dealt with the subject, may be during your school days. Anyone who is familiar with the subject?",
she scans for raised hands but there were none.
"Alright, I know it's a rare case that ek school mein ye subject teach kia jaye. Anyways, now that you all are here, so let's begin with the subject. Well, class the first thing I would like to ask you is 'What is Psychology?' Yes anyone?"
As she finds no one raised his or her hand, she continues,
"Well psychology is the study of mind and behavior. It is helpful in understanding individuals and groups by establishing general principles and researching specific cases"
"Ma'am main samjhi nahi",
says Pooja, raising her hand.
Smiling, Dr. Mishra says,
"It would have been a surprise, agar aap samajh jati Cadet Ghai".
Pooja looks embarrassed.
"Oh no! no! no! Cadet Ghai, nothing to get embarrassed about. Agar aap logon ko sub kuch aata hota, to aap log students nahi hotey, nahi Cadet Singh!",
smiles Dr. Mishra.
Noticing that Dr. Mishra is pointing her again n again, Naina feels weird.
"Well, there is nothing to get embarrassed Cadet Ghai, I'll explain".
As the class ends, all the cadets leave for their rooms.
Naina and Pooja were walking towards their room, that Naina collides with Suriji,
"Arey puttar ji kahan khoye hue ho? Sambhal kar"
"Sorry Suriji, wo Pooja se baat kar rahi thi na pata hi nahi chala ki aap aa rahe hain".
Placing his hand on her head, he says,
"arey koi gala nahi puttar ji. Tenu malum hai, main bhi jab training mein tha na, mere bhi kayi dost the. Hum bhi aise hi khali time mein ek saath batein karte hue ghumte the"
"Ek baat kahun waise...",
whispers Suriji, then continues whispering,
"kisi ko batana mat! Wo kya hai, maine bhi kayi baar classes skip ki hain, wo kya kehte hain, han 'bunk' bunk ki hain classes",
Suriji laughs with pinch of hesitation in it.
Embracing him from behind, by placing his right arm on Suriji's shoulder, Captain Rajveer takes him by surprise,
"Acha ji Suriji. Humein to apne kabhi nahi bataya. Oh ji kabhi kabhi kuch kissey humein bhi suna dia karo".
Enlarging his eyes out of shyness and hesitation, Suriji says,
"ah! ah! Wo kya hai na putarji, aap itne busy rehte ho baat karne ka waqt hi nahi milta",
saying this he tries to hide his embarrassment.
Then getting casual he continues,
"bulao kabhi humein bhi kahin",
he indicates with his hand, that he is talking about drinking together after classes,
"kayi raaz kholenge apne bhi aur apke bhi kayi raaz khulwayenge",
laughs Suriji.
"Acha ji, hum busy rehte hain? Time nahi milta?",
jokes Rajveer.
There Pooja bursts out into a laugh.
*****
After sometime they all head towards Captain Rajveer's class. As Naina enters the class, she finds only the students sitting there. She gives a sigh of relief thinking that at least this way she has escaped from facing Captain Rajveer directly. But as if her fate isn't that helpful, Captain Rajveer walks into the class, his face turned back, talking to Dr.Mishra and therefore it results into a collide of Captain Rajveer and Naina. Rajveer turns and apologizes, doing the both almost together,
"I am sorry Cadet...",
as he finds that it's Naina, whom he collided with, he keeps looking at her.
(Slow Rajveer-Naina tune starts playing in the background)
Naina looks anywhere but into his eyes. There Dr. Mishra notices the look of Captain Rajveer's face, then turns her attention to Naina, to check her look. Noticing her creased brows, and her vision transfixed to the ground, Dr. Mishra breaths a sigh of relief and leaves for her class.
"Alright Cadets, lets begin with the class",
says Captain Rajveer and picking up the chalk from his table, he writes on the blackboard "COMMUNICATION".
"What do you mean by Communication?",
Cadet Huda raises his hand,
"Yes Cadet Huda!"
"Sir ji Communication matlab baat karna"
"Tu ne to kaha tha con.. con.."
"Converse",
completes Captain Rajveer.
"Haan woyich. Tu ne jhut kyun kaha?"
"Dude, maine jhut nahi kaha! I mean come on man, main jhut kyu kahunga?"
"Dekh waise hi mujhe ye angrezi bhasha samjh nahi aarela hai. Tu na galat sikha kar apun ke dimag ki dahi, mat kar, warna acha nahi hoga",
Alekh gives Yudi an angry look.
"But maine to...",
starts Yudi, but Captain Rajveer interrupts,
"Cadet Yadhuvansh Sahni
"Yudi Sir!"
"Cadet Yudi, wait let me explain, to Cadet Alekh Sharma",
smiles Captain Rajveer.
"Cadet Sharma, Comm..."
"Aap apun ko Alekh hi bulayiye Sirji".
Smiling Captain Rajveer continues,
"Cadet Alekh, communication matlab ek dusre se baat karna. Jis tarah se aap apne doston se, apne parivaar se baat karte hain, ussey communication karna kehte hain. Par communication humesha bolne se hi nahi hota. Communication kisi bhi tarah se apne bhavnao ko apne doston ya apne logon tak pohchane ko kehte hain. Sub ka communication karne ka tareeka alag alag hota hai. Kuch log bol kar apni baaton ko dusro tak pohncha sakte hain. Par kuch log, jaise ki wo jo bol nahi sakte, wo sanketon, isharon ke dwara bhi apni baat dusro tak pohnchate hain.That is also a medium of communication".
Then turning again towards Cadet Alekh, he repeats the line in Hindi
-"ye bhi ek zariya hota hai communication ka".
"Ladayi, war ke time kayi baar aisi situation aa jati hai jab humein apne sathiyon se baat karne ke liye ishaaron ki sahayeta leni hoti hai. Jab hum words mein, shabdon mein apni bhavnaye dusre ko nahi samjha patey, iss darr se ki kahin humare aas-paas jo log hain wo humari baat na samajh jaye. Uss waqt indications, play a major medium of communication."
"Now communicate karne ke liye bhi patience and concentration ki zarurat hoti hai. Specially ek soldier ko."
"Wo kaise Sir?",
asks Pooja.
"Cadet Ghai, agar apka saathi Cadet, apse durr ho, farz ki jiye Cadet Singh",
saying this Captain Rajveer turns to look at Naina, who is sitting next to Pooja.
They both stare each other for sometime, then Captain Rajveer continues,
"aur agar apko unhe kuch batana ho, to apko iss baat ko dhyaan rakhna hoga ki aap excited na ho. Apki excitement, apki badhti breathing rate apke aas-paas ke logon ko, i.e. apke dushman ko ye jatane mein bilkul der nahi lagayingi ki aap kis mental state se guzar rahi hain."
Listening to his words, makes Naina to realize, that her own breathing rate is exhilarating, seeing him walking towards her.