Time passed by. So many things happened that shook KMA. Major Bhargav, the revelation that Naina was Naveen's sister, the mentorship camp, the fight between cadets, the solitary confinement...but through everything, Rajveer stood beside Naina, strong as a rock for support and as protective as a shield.
These days, he felt he was going crazy....crazy in love. He was dying everyday...unable to hide his love from her nor able to shout it to the world. No matter how much he tried to suppress it, his love for her resurfaced like a float in water. He had started waiting for her to come into his room. Spending those 10 minutes with her became the best part of his day. He used to make sure that he always reached class early as he knew she would be the first one there. His special classes with her so that she coped up with the army training were always filled with unease for him, as every time he touched her either to hold her rifle properly or to lift her up when she fell down burnt every nerve of his skin. His heart fluttered every time she uttered his name.
"Rajveer" he told himself " This is wrong...U cannot feel such things for her, if it was wrong before, it is a 100 times more wrong now...she is your student...somebody else's wife....Naveen would never approve...she must still be in love with Abhimanyu...."
But no matter what he told himself, all logic and reasoning flew out of the window as soon as he saw her. The trust in her eyes, the way her face used to light up when she spotted him across the hall, the right she would exercise over him if he was sick or hurt....it had started making him hopeful...hopeful that someday...after everything was sorted..No..he could not hope that, he always told himself....after everything was sorted...after Naveen's honor was restored...Abhimanyu would come to his senses and it would be upto Naina to forgive him...which she would...he was her husband and she did love him enough to marry him.
Making himself strong as every morning...he set off for the day.
"Sir" called Naina.." Sir...yeh dekhiye...yeh papers jo Alekh ne churaye...isse saaf pata chalta hai ki bhayya koi koi slow poison kar rahe the...humein yeh medical report saboot ki tarah pesh karna chahiye...ki koi bhaya ko phasa raha tha..."
"Yes Naina..par yeh kaafi nahi hoga...they'll easily say ki unhi logon ne ye kiya hoga, jo Naveen ke saath kaam kar rahe the...usse hatane ke liye...after they got what they wanted...mein ek kaam karta hu...jaake col Chandra se baat karta hu...I ll keep you updated."
"Theek hai sir, aap ye medical report apne paas rakhiye..."
"Mere paas kyun Naina."
"Hostel mein bohot log aate jaate rehte hai...aur waise bhi...aapke paas safe rahega...I trust you." she said as she left.
Rajveer wondered if she would trust him if she ever came to know of his feelings for her.
*******
The new year party was going on in full swing at KMA. Shalini entered the washroom to freshen up when she saw Naina kneeling against the wall breathing heavily.
"Naina...you ok ?"
"Yes Maam I m fine..." she said setting her hair.
"Naina " said Shalini concerned and a little drunk. " You know ki mein tumhari dost bhi hu right ? And vaise bhi mein tumhe dusre cadets ki tarah nahi dekhti...after all that you have been through..as a woman I can understand your position...Is this about your husband...I heard he has been calling you at the hostel quiet a few times and you have'nt been responding.
Naina looked up at her not knowing what to say. She was about to go from there when..
"You know Naina...I was also married to someone who I thought I was in love with...but love is not just for the happy times and convenient situations...and sometimes you might think that just because you are married that you have no way out....but believe me...it is better to get out than stay.
"Maam...mera parivaar already ek bohot bada inzaam ke tale dabe hai...mein agar unki pareshaani kam nahi kar sakti...toh badana bhi nahi chahti." said Naina.
******
She sat on her hostel bed, taking of her earrings. Something odd was happening. Why was she so confused ? Why din't she want to take Abhi's calls ? Why was her face so flushed after she danced with Rajveer ? Was she so weak, that she was falling for anyone who held her hand at a difficult time. Why did she often forget she was married ?
