And as Naina said, she kept her word. It has been 3 months to that incident, Naina never entered his room. Not even with her friends around. Always looking for some reason or other.
"Capt. Rajveer is back." Alekh tells her as he sat beside her in the mess.
Rajveer had gone for some mission a few days back. That's what she knows. After that day, she never straight forwardly talked to him, always trying to escape. And he also never forced her. He understands his mistake and doesn't want to give anyone any chance to speak again. He has been waiting for her to graduate before reaching out for any further talk.
"How is he" how much ever she ignored him, she still loves him deep down. And she is aware of it. Love is just not something to get over. It's an eternal part of you. With what you have to live.
"He had been shot. Dr. Shalini is treating him" he informs her. And there her hands stopped stirring the soup in bowl kept in front. She loves him. And cant bear a scratch on him. Without thinking much she rushed to his room, though pretending to be normal but failing to keep up the facade of not caring, leaving a smirking Alekh behind. He knew everything.
She was about to enter his room as usual without a knock when she remembered her words. "I will not come to your room henceforth." but how can she leave him alone. And that's when she won the war against herself. She pushed the white doors and entered his room. It feels like home. Finally.
There he was sitting on his bed, head pushed behind and Dr. Shalini dressing his arm. Where he was shot. As he sensed the door to open he opened his eyes and found his heartbeat getting back to him. His life was here.
"How are you now" she asked in a minute voice. "I'm fine" he replied.
"Although he is fine right now cadet, but he needs assistance. He'll get fever tonight due to medicines. Can you please look after him for me. I have to go somewhere urgently." Shalini intervened.
"Sure Ma'am" Naina replied.
After Shalini left, Naina made him lie on the bed and covered him with a comforter.
"You don't have to do this for me Naina. I know you don't wan to be with me. You can go, I'll be fine." he requested.
"I came here on my will, and I will leave when I will" Naina affirmed.
Making sure he was comfortable, and well, Naina decided to be with him incase he needs any assistance
Picking a book from his shelf, where her books are also placed she sat beside him, ruffling his hair and eyes on her book.
"I missed you Naina" he said with a teary voice. Looking off from her book she saw him looking at her as if his life lays in.
"I am sorry." Naina said. "For troubling you so much" she further confessed
"Mistake was mine"
"And I exaggerated it. You just wanted my betterment."
"But-" he was cut by her, who denied him the permission of speaking.
He lay there looking at her, compensating for all the days he missed. Because of his stupid act.
"You've read this book" Naina asked him in surprise. He never liked fictional books. And she found annotations on the book further from where she had left.
"Thrice"
"Prr aapko to pasand nahi hai na"
"Tumhe to hai. It was my way of feeling you near"
"I missed you so much." Naina said with teary eyes. Getting near to him. "I love you" she confessed. Tired of the distance. She can't deny the universal truth.
"With you, life's an adventure, a beautiful quest,
For the one that I love, I feel truly blessed.
In your embrace, I find warmth and pure bliss,
You're the love of my life, my eternal kiss."
He replied to her, with a stanza from her poem, which she wrote for him, on his birthday, which he read almost all day. Which he remembers with all his heart.
Through every endeavor, you shine like a star
--
I hope you liked it. Thanks for reading, voting and commenting. I'll reply to the texts soon. You'll be notified about the new story soon.
Signing off
Kikaberry
