Hello, Mr. Major General (1)

Chapter 150 - The 18th Birthday (2)

The birthday party would be held later that night.

Shehnaaz was feeling a little uneasy. She got out herphone and dialed Brother Khatri’s number.

“Sana?” Brother Khatri’s cheerful voice sounded over her phone. “Hey there, Birthday Girl! Are you on the cruiseship?”

Shehnaaz relaxed. She said with a smile: “I just arrived.What about you guys? Where are all of you now?”

“We’re a much bigger group, so we have to fly to Barbados first, before switching to a speedboat to get to the ship.”

Shehnaaz was relieved to hear that. Rashmi had told her the same thing, and Shehnaaz knew now that she had been telling the truth.

She thought of the day Kartik had had to leave for his hometown: he had called her to say that he would be back in time to celebrate her birthday.

She had politely told him then that he should put his family first, especially if the family matter was seirous and urgent.

But deep down, she knew that Kartik always kept his promises.

He was the type to stay true to his word, no matter the circumstances. His pride and moral integrity did not allow him to behave otherwise; he and Sidharth were similar in that regard.

Shehnaaz decided she should believe Kartik. He had never let her down, after all.

“All right, I’ll wait for you.” Shehnaaz smiled as she ended
the call.

“Well, let’s go to our rooms to unpack and freshen up. It’s going to be a grand birthday dinner, we should get ready.”Rashmi winked at Shehnaaz cheerfully.

Shehnaaz forced herself to smile at her.

Shehnaaz had to grudgingly admit that Rashmi was a lot more refined and mature than she was. Shehnaaz could not pretend to like Rashmi, but Rashmi was
different: she was evidently capable of concealing her true
feelings with graceful ease.

Shehnaaz returned to the third floor with Deepak.

They chose one of the suites near the middle, and moved in.

“Sana, let’s not be strangers now. We’ll stay in this cabin together, you and me. Is that okay with you?” Deepak opened his suitcase and began unpacking his usual array of electronic devices and equipment.

Shehnaaz nodded. She had been about to make the exact same suggestion herself.

Out on the open sea, she had to stay with someone she was familiar with to feel safe.

“Brother Deepak, where are Uncle Sid and Brother Rohit now? Will they know how to get here?” Shehnaaz asked uneasily.

“Don’t worry. I’ve sent them our coordinates.” Deepak recalled what Sidharth had chosen for his mode of transportation, and had to bite his lip to keep himself from laughing out loud.

He looked up and saw the concern in Shehnaaz’s eyes. He tossed his iPad over to her. “Mr. Shukla always creates a big commotion whenever he travels. See for yourself.” He made a silly face at her.

Shehnaaz took the iPad skeptically. She unlocked it and
found herself staring at the front page of the famous American news website, CXX.

The words “Breaking News” were splashed across the top of the page in big red letters!

Under the headline was a photo, taken from a satellite.

A submarine—long, black, and massive—had emerged amongst the rolling waves of the crystal blue sea. A bright red flag stood from the hull, fluttering gaily in the wind.