Ishq-e-Watan

Chapter 82- Protection

CHAPTER 82

PROTECTION

Karan glanced up from his laptop when someone sat across him on the desk of the mess and his eyebrows furrowed. Koel. She offered him a slight smile. "Are you okay?" She asked, gesturing to the wound that covered his face. He nodded, eyeing the dimness of her face. "I needed to talk to someone. Can I talk to you?"

His frown deepened and he shut the lid of his laptop, leaning forward. "Kya hua?"

"Tell me, honestly, how much danger are you guys in?"

He stared at her. "Kya karogi tum yeh sab jaankar? The only thing you need to know is ki hum abhi theek hain and you need to be careful." She sighed, rubbing her face. "I know tum by nature, bahut curious ho. As a commando, bahut achhi baat hai. But as someone who is in a relationship with a commando, you need to step back. Naa Faizi tumhe har cheez bata sakta hai aur naa tum sab cheezen handle kar paogi. Sab ke liye yeh hi behtar hai ki tumhe naa pata chale."

She sighed, covering her face with her hands. He sighed, eyeing her distressed form. What really could he say to her? The only way to get through it is to accept it. "I just don't want to lose him", she said, lifting her head to look at him.

"Main tumse koi vaada nahi kar raha hoon but ek cheez zaroor keh sakta hoon ki I promise I'll try everything to get him home to you", he said quietly.

She offered him a small smile. "Thank you", she whispered. He nodded, gently patting her head in comfort.

---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---

"Kya soch raha hai?" Monami asked, flicking Sid's forehead. He made a disapproving noise, glaring at her in annoyance as he rubbed the spot.

"Kuchh nahi", he muttered, looking down at the strategy assignment he was given. The assignments were harder, each more practical now, each requiring to look at an angle they had never thought of before. It was interesting. Very interesting. But something that required more concentration than he had to spare at the moment. He looked up when she tapped the table. "Kya hai?"

"Sid... kya hua hai?" She asked quietly.

He sighed, twirling and twisting the pen in his hand as he watched it for a short moment. "I... have been told ki... mujhe Param Sir se baat karni chahiye." He looked up, finding her face fell slightly, much like his mention usually did. His jaw clenched slightly.

"W-Will you?" She asked hesitantly.

"Pata nahi", he muttered. "Still thinking. Tujhe kya lagta hai?"

She tilted her head. "Agar tujhe lagta hai tu calmly baat kar paayega, toh maybe getting a new prespective will help. Maybe you will find out why he left. Tu jaanna chahta tha, na? Par... agar tujhe nahi karni toh don't push yourself. Koi compulsion thodi naa hai."

Sid hummed. A new perspective? Should he talk to him? Sanju said he should. Karan said he should. And now, even Monu. He took a deep breath. Should he, really? What... would he say to him? There was a lot to be thought about.

---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---

"You can take your cadets to the jungle but only if you take protection", Colonel Batra warned. Karan sighed, nodding. He had expected as much. "Please... apna dhyaan rakhna, Karan. Don't do anything stupid. I know tum apne aap ko handle kar sakte ho par I... I don't want to lose you."

Karan looked up, nodding. "Sir... aap chinta mat kijiye. I will... I will take the protection."

The Colonel stood up, walking around the desk and closer to him. He gently kept a hand on his head, and Karan closed his eyes. He had never called him 'Dad', and really, the role was fulfilled more by his brother than him but it was moments like these when he knew he was his father. He opened his eyes. Would his father, if he was alive, fear for him as he did? "Unhe sirf tumhe maarna nahi hai", he said quietly, leaning back against the desk. "Unhe tumhe miserable dekhna hai. If I have to bet, they wanted to make you feel the same kind of pain. But you don't have a son."