From Dawn To Dusk - A Rajveer Naina Short Story

Chapter - 5

"WHAT GREATER THING IS THERE FOR TWO HUMAN SOULS THAN TO FEEL THAT THEY ARE JOINED... TO STRENGTHEN EACH OTHER... TO BE AT ONE WITH EACH OTHER IN SILENT UNSPEAKABLE MOMENTS.

GEORGE ELIOT. "

The bus had stopped the moment the first bang had rocketed the surroundings. All the six cadets had got down from the bus and were now looking around in growing confusion and fear. Confusion because they did not know what had happened and fear because they were worried that something had happened to their favourite teacher, Rajveer Sir. As it is they were worried about his safety. The man hardly cared about his own self. It did not matter to the man whether he lived or died. But it did matter to them. And so they worried, and still tried to present a ignorant front to their watching enemies. For they were sure that they were beng watched.

"Ye kaisi awaaz thi?" Yudi asked to no one in particular.

But it was the driver of the bus who answered. "Ji, pata nahi. Aisa laga jaise kahin pe koi blast hua ho. Isliye maine bus rok di. Ye sochkar ki kahin koi terrorist humla to nahi ho raha."

"Terrorist humla? Iss jagah par? Aakhir yahan hai kya?"

"Kuch keh bhi to nahi sakte."

"Hume lagta hai hum logon ko aas paas chanbeen karni chahiye. Kya pata koi problem ho to."

"Tu theek keh raha hai usool. Chal dekhte hain."

All the six were eager to get away from the prying eyes of the bus driver and conductor and so they pounced on this opening given by Ali. Brushing off the still talking driver, they spread around in groups of two, pretending to look around but conversing in low tones as they moved around.

"Kya lagta hai Aalekh. Kya hua hoga?" Naina all but whispered.

"Pata nahi Naina. Par apun ko lagta hai jis taraf se rajveer sir ja rahe hain usi taraf se awaaz aayi thi."

"To chalkar dekhen?"

"Aur khel shuru hone se pehle bhanda fod den?" Aalekh cocked an eye brow at her.

"To kya Karen Aalekh. Ye jaante hue bhi ki Rajveer sir musibat me ho sakte hain, hum haath pe haath dhare baithe rahen?" Naina was frustrated.

"Apun jaanta hai Naina, tere ko fikar ho rahi hai. Apun ko bhi... aur yahan sab ko sir ki fikar ho reli hai. Par agar humne achanak se kuch kiya, to ye soch ki sir ke liye khatra aur badh jayega."

Naina was about to say something, about to ask him what he meant. The others had joined them by now. She could see the concern and worry in their eyes. But they were quiet, looking up to Aalekh, letting him lead this. For they knew that Aalekh was talking sense. But it made no sense to Naina.

Just then a loud explosion occurred somewhere up in the hills. They all felt the aftershocks, as the sound waves hit the surrounding hills and rebounded with a vengeance. There was no mistaking the direction from which it had come. Together as one, all the six pair of head turned towards the east. The noise had yet to subside when another cry echoed in the hills. It was so heart breaking, so gut wrenching that the blood froze in their veins. Not because of the intensity of emotions in the voice, but also because they recognized the owner of the voice and also the name the person called out.

It was Captain Chauhan's voice and the name he called out was... Rajveeeeer.

Without any conscious decision, all the six cadets began running up the hills in the direction which their two teachers had taken. Nothing could stop them now.

@*@*@*@*@*@

They reached the valley just in time to see Abhimanyu complete a full circle of the jeep. He emerged from behind the yellow glow of the fire with tears streaming down his cheeks. As they watched in growing horror, the man fell down on his knees... hard. That had to hurt, for the forest floor was not soft. Instead, the terrain here was rocky and filled with small pebbles, stones of various sizes and boulders.