𝓛𝓸𝓼𝓽 𝓒𝓸𝓷𝓷𝓮𝓬𝓽𝓲𝓸𝓷𝓼 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓕𝓸𝓾𝓷𝓭 𝓑𝓸𝓷𝓭𝓼 [*Complete*]

Ch. 07 ⭐

Three days later.

Around 05:30 in the morning, the bus made a halt at the Nainital bus stand. Alekh, feeling the stiffness in his body, raised his arms in a stretch. Naina and Alekh had started their journey from Ambala at 8 pm the previous night, and after a 9.30-hour ride, they had finally arrived. Alekh gently tapped Naina's shoulder, rousing her from sleep. Suppressing a yawn, she too stretched, the bus conductor's announcement signaling their arrival. Naina and Alekh gathered their bags, stepped off into the brisk morning air.

Eager and excited, Naina's parents stood at the bus stand, waving enthusiastically as Naina and Alekh approached. Naina and Alekh shared excited grins and quickly closed the distance. Warm hugs and affectionate greetings were exchanged, and Naina sensed the joy her parents felt, especially since it was the first time they would have Alekh with them. Since she considered Alekh as a brother 'from another mother,' her parents had embraced him as another son. Witnessing her parents treating Alekh with such love, Naina couldn't help but smile, appreciating the genuine happiness that had returned to their lives after the loss of her older brother, Naveen.

Amid the joyous reunion, Naina's parents urged the youngsters to hurry to the car for the journey home, where they could all share a meal together. Sensing that the time for honesty had come, Naina took a deep breath, feeling the weight of truth in the air. Summoning her courage, she looked at her parents and confessed, "Maa, baba, I want to celebrate Diwali in Delhi... with Rajveer sir."

Curiosity and puzzlement sparked in her parents' eyes, exchanging glances as they wondered about this unexpected twist in their Diwali plans. "With Captain Rajveer? But why, beta?" her father questioned.

"And as far as I remember... Naveen once told us that Captain Rajveer was an orphan... that he didn't have any family. So, why is he in Delhi? You could've brought him along. We wouldn't have minded. We like him a lot," her mother expressed, feeling puzzled.

"Actually, maa, Rajveer sir lost his family in a car accident 17 years ago.." Naina proceeded to share Rajveer's family background with her parents.

"Oh my! That poor man went through so much at such a young age," Naina's father commented, impressed.

"That means Captain Rajveer would be celebrating his first Diwali with his sisters. That's really special.... But I don't understand one thing... why do YOU need to go to Delhi to join him?" Her mother, Meera, asked, raising her eyebrow suspiciously.

Alekh turned away from the trio and began snickering, attempting to hide his face. Naina shot a glare at his back, while her parents exchanged a knowing look.

"Alekh dear, do YOU know why your sister wants to go to her mentor, instead of staying with her parents for Diwali?" Meera asked in an affectionate tone.

Alekh turned and vigorously nodded his head, making it clear that his answer was 'yes.'

Naina glared at him even harder before turning to her parents. After a brief hesitation, she decided to share the truth. "I fell in love with Captain Rajveer Singh Shikhawat, and I want to marry him," she confessed, her words carrying a mix of nervousness and determination.

To her surprise, her parents smiled, and her mother nodded approvingly. "Captain Rajveer, huh? We've heard a lot about him from Naveen during their academy days. When the whole world had turned their backs on us, he stepped forward to protect you in that academy. We've seen the bond he shares with you. He is a good man," her father remarked, his gaze filled with understanding.

"How old is the captain?" Meera asked, smirking at her blushing daughter.

"He's 32," Naina mumbled.

"You're 24 this year. By the time you graduate in 6 months, you'll be 25. Hmm. I guess that's a good age to marry. But he's 8 years older than you. Will that be a problem, you think?" Meera inquired.