In the prestigious Air Force Academy, love takes flight in the unlikeliest of circumstances. Sahasra, a determined widow with dreams of becoming an Air Force pilot, finds herself bound to Nikhil, a widower, in an arranged marriage. As they navigate...
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At 5am, all the female trainees were ready on the ground. Nikhil was waiting for them. His eyes, however, only followed his wife unintentionally. He cleared his throat and asked himself to focus. This is work, Nikhil. Concentrate on that, he said mentally.
"ALRIGHT LADIES LISTEN UP. BEING PHYSICALLY AND MENTALLY FIT IS THE FIRST STEP TO BECOME AN ARMY/NAVY/AIRFORCE OFFICER. THERE WILL BE TIMES DURING THE DRILL WHEN YOU WOULD WANT TO GIVE UP — THATS WHERE YOUR MENTAL DETERMINATION WILL BE TESTED," Nikhil glanced at his students and continued, "MY BASIC RULES — NO TALKING, NO DISRESPECT AND ANSWER ONLY WHEN ASKED. THE TASK GIVEN TO YOU MUST BE COMPLETED ELSE YOU'LL BE SITTING ON THE BENCH FOR THE REST OF THE SESSION. UNDERSTAND?"
"YES SIR!" the girls replied in unison.
"Five laps around the ground. Go," he stated and the girls started running. Katha was heaving by the second lap. "Bhagwaan ji bachalo!" She prayed as she ran.
Sahasra on the other hand was used to this — she was the first in the group to finish laps. She bent down, catching her breath and waiting for others. Ramya came next.
"You're too fast, Sahasra," she said. "My mind was on our handsome coach for half of the time."
"I agree he's handsome," Sahasra said and then mentally facepalmed herself for calling her husband 'handsome'. Pagal ho gayi hai kya? She said to herself. "But don't you think he's khadoos?"
"Nah, he's just giving us tough training so that we can endure tough situations in the future," Ramya replied.
"GEET COME ON! KEEP YOUR MOUTH CLOSE WHILE RUNNING. IT WILL HELP YOU... RUN! FOCUS! COME ON!" Nikhil coached Geet through her last lap. She was the last one to complete. After finishing, she fell on the gound. "HAYEE! MAIN TOH MARR GAYI YAAR!" She said as she took in heavy breaths.
"EVERYONE GET UP! WE'LL BE GOING THROUGH OBSTACLES NOW!" Nikhil showed the trainees the course that was set up. "BELIEVE ME, THIS IS THE EASIEST COURSE SINCE IT'S THE FIRST DAY."
Sahasra looked at the course — there was tyre jump, rope climbing, plank climbing and mud crawling. Yeh easiest hai iske liye? Koi iss gadhe ko nayi dictionary lakar dedo! She thought.
"GEET WILL GO FIRST," Nikhil stated and Geet's eyes went wide.
"SIR PLEASE, NOT ME," she said, folding her hands.
"See how he's torturing Geet, khadoos kahinka," Sahasra whispered to Ramya.
"She came last in the laps, so he's doing that. You're just calling him khadoos for no reason," Ramya rolled her eyes. "I haven't even seen him being mean to you, why do you call him a stubborn guy then?"
Sahasra just shrugged her shoulders. "Just try to see him with a new light, maybe you'll find something else beneath his khadoos heart," Ramya whispered.
"GO I SAID!" Nikhil ordered. Geet gulped and started her course followed by Katha, Ramya and other trainees. Sahasra was the last one to go.
"Sahasra, your turn now," he ordered. She smiled at him and started the course.
Nikhil, for the first time throughout the training, smiled as well. Oh wait, why did I smile? She can't be the reason for my smile, right? He wondered.
Once everyone completed the course, Nikhil dismissed them until the next morning. Next was the 'Basic Skills Class', and Mr.Raj was already there.
"Good Morning, Ladies!" He greeted the batch. He introduced himself and proceeded with the lecture. There was a lot of information being discussed — and Sahasra noted everything from salutation and ranks to different types of planes.
"He's handsome as well, isn't he?" Ramya nudged Sahasra's arm.
"Not as much as my—" Sahasra stopped at the right time, else her secret would've come out. "Mr.Raj is okay-ish"
"Not as much as your what? SPIL!" Ramya squealed. "Do you have a boyfriend? Or are you already married by any chance?"
Sahasra choked on her water. How did she get the idea that I was married!? She thought.
"RAMYA! I EXPECT YOU TO KEEP QUIET AND NOT DISTURB THE CLASS!" Raj scolded Ramya, and Sahasra was thankful for it. "Tell me in the hostel," she whispered and then shut her mouth.
After an hour and a half, the class was over. Everyone hurried to leave — so did Sahasra. "Sahasra Kashyap Reddy," Raj called out and she had to stay back.
"You're very focused I see. You and only few other girls were listening attentively and noting down the important stuff. Good job," he patted her back. "I'm sure you'll be successful. Infact, I feel you'll be in a top-ranking position."
"Thank you sir," Sahasra replied, smiling. She was happy that atleast some coach had praised her. "I'll do my best."
"Good. Now you can leave," Raj said and Sahasra went to the canteen. Her friends — Ramya, Geet and Katha — were already chomping down on the food. Sahasra got her tray and sat next to Katha.
"Ladies, may I?" Raj interrupted them.
"Of Course sir," Katha said and Ramya kicked her under the seat to agree. Raj then took an extra chair and sat with the girls.
"So ladies, where are you all from?" he asked, but his eyes were on Sahasra — who was busy with her food.
Soon Nikhil also entered the canteen with his friends, laughing and having a good time. But the jolly expressions were wiped out of his face on seeing Raj talking to Sahasra. He took his food and sat down on the table behind them.
His eyes were on his wife, who was paying no heed to Raj. Sahasra looked over and smiled softly at Nikhil, who realized he had been shooting eye-daggers on Raj.
"Yaar Sahasra," Ramya whined, "can you please bring my phone — I think I left it on the ground. If it's not there, check in the Basic Skills class."
"Yeah, sure," Sahasra said and went to the ground.
"Hayee! Ramya loses her phone and I have to do all the work!" Sahasra exclaimed as she frantically searched for her friend's phone. On finding it, she jumped in joy — but her excitement was short lived. It started pouring down heavily, and she was miles away from the canteen or hostel.
"IT HAD TO RAIN NOW? SERIOUSLY?" she frowned.
Suddenly she felt as if it had stopped raining. She looked up to see the clear sky, but instead saw an umbrella. "Let's go," she heard a voice.
That's Nikhil, she thought and looked beside her, she was right. "Why did you come here?"
"Can't I share an umbrella with my wife?" he said.
Sahasra felt something cringe in her gut. Not knowing how to answer Nikhil's question, she looked at Ramya's phone — only to get reminded of something her friend had told her earlier:
"Try to see him with a new light, maybe you'll find something beneath his khadoos heart"
Sahasra looked up at Nikhil, maybe he isn't so khadoos after all, she thought. "Thank you," she said and the couple started walking towards the canteen.
