Chapter Nineteen
Two weeks later they're all on a train together, headed towards a wedding.
Naina sits next to the window, Rajveer beside her. Their fingers are threaded together as they hold hands and they have spent most of the journey so far looking at each other, matching grins on both of their faces.
"In the total time I've known you both, more than three years now, I don't think either of you has smiled as many times as you have this fortnight." Huda comments, "It's getting a little sickening."
Naina rolls her eyes at him and Rajveer has the grace to look embarrassed, though he still doesn't let go of her hand. "I'm sorry Huda, but I can't help it. It's just... she loves me." He turns towards Naina then, his gaze decidedly heated, and they lean in towards each other, as if having forgotten the others are there.
Aalekh clears his throat to bring them back to themselves and they abruptly pull back again.
"Well perhaps Naina and I should go for a walk up the carriage, so that you don't have to look at us for awhile." Rajveer suggests, tugging on her hand as he stands himself.
"Sit back down right now," Aalekh tells him sternly, before belatedly adding "Sir. Stay where we can see you, the last thing I want is for you to be thrown off the train for inappropriate behaviour."
"Shut up, Aalekh!" Naina tells him, looking as if she'd like to throw something at him. "Anyway, it's not inappropriate, he's my fiancé."
Aalekh smirks. "Technically he's not, unless you got reengaged after breaking it off."
They turn to stare at each other for a moment, the same thoughts going through both their minds.
"Well we didn't tell anyone other than you three."
"And I never changed my army personnel records."
"And we never removed our rings."
Aalekh shrugs, "You still broke it off and I say you're not engaged unless you go through with it again."
"Oy, why are you putting them off the idea after everything we did to get them together? I still say we make them get married alongside Ali and Pooja before they change their minds."
"Nobody is changing their mind, Huda." Naina tells him sternly. "And if it's bothering Aalekh so much we can swap rings again now."
"No, we can't." Rajveer breaks in, "Now that Aalekh has pointed it out this is a good opportunity. We'll do it properly, as it should have been done the first time. I'll say everything that I should have said then."
They turn to gaze at each other again, and he lifts Naina's hand to his lips to place a kiss on it, before swinging his own arm over hers, so that he can press her hand to his heart with both of his.
"That's it," Riddhi murmurs to the other two, "I think we really had better get them married alongside Ali and Pooja. Naina's parents probably wouldn't even mind, they'd be grateful to us."
Aalekh tilts his head in the direction of the happy couple. "You really think those two are going to agree though?"
"They will if they know what's good for them. The sooner they marry, the sooner she can move into his quarters and stop all of this sneaking around."
"Riddhi!" This time it's Huda who kicks her, "I don't need to hear that, that's my commanding officer you're talking about."
"Yeah well, your commanding officer needs to stop kicking me out of my room to 'talk' to his fiancée."
"Ex-fiancée." Aalekh mutters, though he can't help but smile at the couple seated opposite them, so obviously happy, so obviously in love. He thinks back to the moment Naina had first announced her engagement to him, and all that needed to happen to get them to this point.
Two hours later they arrive at their destination. Yudi is waiting on the platform to greet them, his own train having gotten in an hour earlier. He hugs each of his friends in turn, giving Naina a pointed look when she has to let go of Major Rajveer's hand to return it, then shakes Riddhi's hand. Finally he salutes Rajveer, as his ex-teacher laughingly tells him there's no need and pulls him into a hug.
"It's not like your batchmates have been showing me much respect lately." Rajveer jokes.
"That's a little unfair, I always show you respect." Naina comments.
"Is that what they're calling it now?" Huda asks slyly and Yudi suddenly grins.
"Do you mean that you two... you finally..." Cheering, he throws his arms around Naina again, hugging her. "I always knew it would turn out like this!"
"I'm glad that someone did, because we certainly didn't." Rajveer comments. "Well, shall we get to the venue before we miss the first ceremony?"
While Naina and Aalekh had been away on their mission, Ali was finally promoted to Captain, fulfilling the conditions of his and Pooja's parents. The couple had only been waiting for their friends to return to schedule the wedding, eager to finally be able to be posted together after more than a year and a half of maintaining a long distance relationship.
Naina can't blame them, only two weeks of knowing that Rajveer loves her and she dreads the idea of being parted from him for any length of time again.
Riddhi might joke about the reason for her being kicked out of their shared room, but Naina and Rajveer really have been talking. After far too long of concealing their feelings for each other, they have each determined to tell the other as much as possible. He tells her of realising that he loved her during his solitary confinement and the struggle to distance himself from her afterwards. In turn, Naina tells him of her feelings at the time, so close to a realisation without ever reaching one.
They are older and wiser now, and they have fought to reach where they have. If there is one thing they agree on then it is that they will always be honest with each other from this point onwards.
That doesn't mean that talking is all they've done, although things have certainly not reached such an extent as her friends seem to think. There have been kisses, long and lingering, his fingers tangling in her hair or curving down her cheek. Naina has relished the freedom to thread her own hands through his hair, soft under her fingers as she tugs him to her. The day that her bandages had come off he had kissed her scars, slowly and softly, his lips gentle against her jaw.
Naina feels as if she may be ready for more, but Rajveer is too much of a gentleman to try and take things further, keeping his hands and lips only to the places that they should be, always pulling away when things become too heated.
Naina supposes that a military base is not really the ideal place to carry out a courtship, with the need to remain restrained while they are on duty and in the public eye. It is a good thing that their engagement has already been on official record for the last few years, given the way that she finds Rajveer looking at her whenever they come across each other on base. She wonders now how she could never have seen it before, how she could ever have doubted he loved her.
Everything that he has ever done for her, he has done for love.
They are happy, and even though Naina does not know why Rajveer wants to wait to tell her parents and organise their marriage, she accepts it. He has asked her to trust him, and for now Naina is enjoying just being engaged, properly engaged, and finally able to express her feelings for him.
He glances enquiringly at her bag and Naina shakes her head, letting him know that she'll handle it herself. In return he nods, then brings their joined hands up to tuck in close to his body, placing a kiss on her knuckles as he does so.
Yudi actually makes an aw sound. "How long have they been like this for?"
"Two weeks, and we're all at risk of getting diabetes." Huda comments. "Spare some thought for the rest of us please, Sir, and stop doing that."
"Speak for yourself, Huda. Some of us spent six months on a covert mission, with nothing else to think about in our spare time, coming up with intricate plans to bring them together." Riddhi breaks in. "Witnessing this is like seeing all my hard work come to fruition."
"You didn't actually do anything towards this."
"My moral support was vital!"
As they bicker, walking towards the exit, Yudi claps a hand on Aalekh's back. "I like her, she'll be good for you."
Aalekh nods. "I'm glad. I was hoping you would."
"Hey, as much as I would have liked things to work out between you and my sister, Neelu was too young to settle down. It's all worked out for the best for her."
"How's she doing?"
"Enjoying the freedom of doing a Masters overseas! She keeps in touch with Shalini to hear how her son is doing, but she wasn't ready to be either a wife or a mother."
"And you? Do you keep in touch with Shalini too?" Aalekh asks.
Yudi just laughs, "There's no getting anything past you, Chief."
/
When they arrive to the venue of the mehendi, Pooja shrieks, rushing over to greet them all and a full ten minutes is spent exclaiming over each other and hugging, as Ali also comes over to join them, a contented smile on his face.
"Congratulations Ali, you'll make a wonderful Captain, I know you have earned it." Rajveer tells him sincerely and Ali stands to attention.
"It was because of you that I ever came this far, Sir. You taught me what it meant to be a good soldier and a good officer."
Rajveer hugs him once more and Pooja then directs them all towards their rooms to get changed, detailing the sharing arrangements for the next two days. As Pooja will be sharing with her parents, she's placed Naina with Riddhi, the boys together in a room for three people.
"Who am I sharing with?" Rajveer asks her, as he looks down at the key in his hand.
"Oh we wouldn't have dreamed of giving you a shared connection, Rajveer Sir, don't worry about having your sleep mode disturbed! We've given Abhimanyu Sir his own room too when he arrives."
Rajveer almost doesn't notice the mention of his old friend's name he's so conscious of all the eyes upon him at that moment, Naina studiously avoiding looking at him.
"Stop it," He tells them, "You all need to remember I'm still your superior officer, as well as your commanding officer, Huda. I don't want a single comment from any of you."
"Don't give us anything to comment on then, Sirji." Huda smirks.
"I, for one, won't mind if I have my own uninterrupted sleep mode, without any roommate to..." Riddhi's statement is abruptly stopped by Naina grabbing her arm.
"Stop it, all of you stop it. He's your superior officer, have some shame." The statement might have been a bit more effective if she wasn't laughing as she said it.
"What's going on here?" Pooja asks cautiously. "Naina, does this mean that you and Rajveer Sir have finally worked things out?"
"They've ended their engagement." Aalekh breaks in, deadpan.
"We're hoping they'll compromise each other so that they don't have any choice but to get married." Huda adds, "We've all put in far too much effort for this not to work out."
"Sir? Naina? You've really ended your engagement?" Ali asks, obviously saddened by the news. "Are you sure you can't work things out?"
"Ali, don't listen to a word they say, we are engaged-" "No you're not." "-And finally able to admit that it's what we both want. So never fear, things have very much worked out."
Pooja is ecstatic, springing forward to throw her arms around Naina and jumping up and down. "Finally, my Veer and Zara have worked things out!" She exclaims, "This is the best gift you could have given me for my wedding!"
There's another round of laughter, jokes and teasing, before Pooja shoos them all away to their rooms, letting them know that they're expected to be dressed and ready in an hour before the day's ceremonies start. Considering the shortness of the leave granted to all of their friends, they've condensed several ceremonies into one day, with two wedding ceremonies and the wedding register to be signed on the following day.
They will all be departing the day after, another long train journey factored in for each of their destinations.
Naina and Riddhi quickly settle into a routine in their room, taking turns to shower and iron their outfits, before quickly completing their hair and makeup. Naina knows that Pooja won't forgive her if they're delayed, she's been talking about everyone being together again for the ceremonies ever since she found out that Naina and Aalekh had arrived back.
Smoothing the pleats on her sari and checking the pallu one more time, Naina does a quick spin so that Riddhi can check her, grinning when her friend gives her a thumbs up.
"Has the Major ever seen you in a sari before?" Riddhi asks as she makes her own last minute adjustments to her outfit.
"Uh, no. In fact I think the last and only time he ever saw me dressed up was at my fresher's ball." Naina comments. "I hope he likes it."
"I don't think that's going to be an issue, Naina." Riddhi tells her with a teasing smile and Naina rolls her eyes.
"Try not to tease him too much, he really does get embarrassed." She smiles then, "No matter what you all might think, he is the perfect gentleman, nothing like that has happened."
"I'll tell the boys to be on their best behaviour, but Naina..." Riddhi reaches out to grasp her hand. "If you do want to stay with him tonight, nobody is going to judge you for it, least of all me. In fact I would consider it a favour, given that it will allow Aalekh and me some privacy for once."
Riddhi winks and Naina laughs, "So I would be doing you a favour would I? Why do I feel like this is one giant setup?"
"If it is, then you should be grateful for it. One last thing though, at least go prepared, because I'm quite certain your perfect gentleman of a Major won't be."
Crossing to her bag, Riddhi removes a couple of foil covered packets, putting them inside the potli bag that Naina has planned to carry with her.
"Riddhi!" Naina has turned bright red, almost matching her sari and Riddhi laughs.
"Use them or don't, I won't ask you if you did or not, but you should at least have the option. Now come on, let's go and see your not-fiancé's reaction to you in a sari."
/
Rajveer's reaction does not disappoint her.
He's already there when they arrive to the hall, chatting with Ali and Pooja's parents, whom he'd met previously at the academy. The moment that he sees Naina though, he seems to lose all power of speech, his words abruptly stopping as he stares at her.
She tucks a strand of hair behind her ear, made almost shy by the way he's looking at her, as Rajveer excuses himself from his conversation and makes his way towards her.
"Naina..." he exhales, her name one long drawn out breath. "It's a good thing you already knew I loved you or I definitely would have revealed myself today."
"So all it would have taken for me to find out the truth is to wear a sari in front of you?" Naina jokes, "We could have solved this all much earlier if I'd known that."
She notices that Rajveer's gaze has drifted, as if he'd been inspecting her sari but has not managed to tear his eyes away from her exposed waist. He looks back up, visibly agitated, the look in his eyes decidedly heated.
"Naina, come with me." He requests her in an undertone, his hand already wrapping around hers as he gestures in the direction of one of the side doors. "Just, just two minutes."
Naina nods, and follows in the direction he's indicated, as he leads her out the door and into a stairwell.
"What is it?" Naina asks, even as he closes the door decisively behind them, his hands coming up to Naina's shoulders as he looks down at her once more.
"It's just... I don't think I can get through a whole evening with you looking the way you do, unless I can at least kiss you once."
Naina brings her hand up to brush the hair away from his forehead, slowly tracing a path back down from his neck to his chest. As hesitant as they'd been with each other at first, she has loved learning about this part of him as well, the part that wants her as badly as she wants him, that loves her so much that he struggles to keep it inside himself.
Both of them have been so alone for so many years, that it is difficult to know what to do with so much love when you know it's yours.
Naina nods once, and begins to walk them backwards, until her back hits the wall, each of them clutching the other, Rajveer deliberately taking a deep breath in. Her eyes not leaving his, Naina reaches for his hand, bringing it down to rest upon her bare waist, and he shudders, bringing his forehead to rest against hers, his eyes closed. Naina tilts her head, her lips brought up to brush against his, and Rajveer's reaction is immediate. He clutches her, one hand warm upon her waist while the other comes up to cup her cheek. He kisses Naina deeply, passionately, bringing her flush against him as he does so. She matches him kiss for kiss, winding her arms around his shoulders as he bends his head to kiss the crook of her neck, her collarbone, before returning to her lips.
"We should..." Rajveer gestures towards the door of the stairwell.
"Just a bit longer," Naina tells him, pulling him back down towards her again. He gives her no objection this time, deepening the kiss once more, his hand returning to her waist, caressing it.
It is quite a few minutes more before they part again, Rajveer smoothing Naina's hair back before running a hand through his own. She pulls her lipstick from her bag to reapply it, and within a few moments they are ready to return.
Naina's hand held tightly in his, Rajveer places a lingering kiss on it before he swings the door open. He will behave himself for the rest of the afternoon and evening now, both his gaze and his actions entirely proper. At most he will allow himself to hold her hand, that one simple pleasure that he has been denied for so long before now.
They step through and Rajveer is just about to suggest that they look for their friends when he spots the figure waiting for them.
"Chauhan!" Rajveer exclaims, letting go of Naina's hand to briefly hug his friend. They have kept in touch ever since the cadets' graduation, and things have been easier between them. "When did you arrive?"
"Around the same time that you were leading Naina through that doorway. I've been waiting for you to return ever since." He raises his eyebrows, amused, "There must be something quite interesting through that door."
"It's good to see you, Abhimanyu Sir." Naina breaks in smoothly while Rajveer tries to formulate a reply. "Pooja mentioned that you were coming."
"Yes, I wouldn't have missed it for anything. Apart from Ali and Pooja's wedding, I thought it would be a good opportunity to see you two as well, and go over all of the clues that Naveen left us once more." Abhimanyu gives his friend a knowing look. "I see more has happened in my absence than I was aware of though."
Rajveer can't help but grin. "Nothing gets past you, does it, Abhi?"
"I'm happy for you, my friend." Abhimanyu tells him and they embrace, each of them laughing. "Naveen would be happy too."
"I hope he would be," Rajveer answers seriously, "I'll certainly do my best for Naina."
Naina leans upwards to place a kiss on his cheek, and then squeezing his hand, heads towards where Pooja's mehendi ceremony is beginning, joining her friends.
Rajveer turns back to Abhimanyu. "I also agree that it's a good chance for us to go over what we know again, we might be able to come up with something new once we put our heads together. Meet us in my room tonight post the ceremonies so that we can talk."
Abhimanyu nods as they head towards where Pooja and Ali sit. "Do you know if Naina has Naveen's recorder with her? If she does, then have her bring it along. I've been thinking about him requesting that it be handed it to her and I'd like to examine it..."
/
The day passes well, both Pooja and Ali's families happy with the arrangements, and their friends and batchmates taking the opportunity to catch up properly, sharing everything that has happened since the last time they met.
While Yudi and Neelu's parents have chosen not to acknowledge her son, Yudi has taken every opportunity to visit his nephew, and he shows off pictures to them all. If they all privately think that he probably sees the ability to visit Shalini as an added bonus then nobody comments on it.
Naina is asked to recount how she and Rajveer finally worked things out between them for the benefit of Yudi, Ali and Pooja, and she does so with multiple interruptions as the others add their own comments.
Ali is asked for details of his promotion and he shares them almost shyly, the bravery and leadership skills that led to him becoming a Captain applauded by all of them.
While Riddhi might never have previously met the others, she gels well with them, laughing and joking along with everyone else. She knows a great deal of their shared history from conversations with Naina and Aalekh, which helps in catching their signals correctly as Pooja would say.
They have all missed each other, and yet here together once more it is as if no time has passed at all. Naina knows then, that nothing will ever come between them again. There was a time when she feared she had lost the friendship of three of them, when she had believed that their bond could never be repaired. They were all younger then, and too confident that whatever they believed must be the absolute truth. They have each learned from their mistakes and Naina knows now that no matter how many years may pass, their friendship will endure.
"So when will you be getting married, Naina?" Pooja asks, as they sit waiting for the mehendi to dry. "You've had such a long engagement, now that your networks are connecting properly you must want to finalise your lifelong connection soon."
Naina laughs, "Our engagement might have been long, but in that time we barely spent a few weeks together. I'm in no hurry, and Rajveer has asked for us to wait for the time being before we finalise things."
She looks towards him where he stands with Abhimanyu, and sensing her gaze on him, he turns back, his smile warm.
"Yeah, if they get through another six months months without getting married I'm going to be very surprised." Yudi murmurs to Huda.
"Lagi Shart? 500 says they're married in less than 3 months."
Naina gives them both a sharp look. "Stop taking bets on my wedding or you're both uninvited."
It's enough to start everyone laughing all over again.
/
It's late when they gather in Rajveer's room, the recorder that Naina almost always carries with her brought along.
She doesn't listen to it as often as she used to, but it is a comfort to know that her brother's voice is there, speaking to her if she should need him. Naina has listened to it many times throughout the years, not to the end, but the early parts, when Naveen was so happy at KMA. She has heard Rajveer's voice on it too from time to time, usually laughing and joking, and she wonders at how carefree he was in those days.
She sees that side of him returning little by little and Naina knows that a large part of it has to do with her. After Naveen's death he had doubted himself, doubted whether he deserved happiness at all; she knows it without him needing to say it. Rajveer carried such a burden of truth and loneliness by himself for so many years that it couldn't help but affect him, his sense of self worth alongside. Naina knows what that's like, because little by little she also finds herself returning to parts of the girl she used to be, one who could smile and laugh and dream of the future. She had set those parts of herself aside for so many years that it is like rediscovering an old friend, to know that she can be that person once more.
Returning with the recorder, Naina enters to find Rajveer and Abhimanyu in conversation. None of them have changed, and they make an interesting tableau, ranged around the room in their formal wear. She comes to sit beside Rajveer on the bed as Abhimanyu relaxes in one of the chairs, placing the recorder on the table between them.
"I'm guessing that both of you have listened to this multiple times and there's no clue on the actual tape?" He asks them. At their confirmation, he turns the recorder over in his hands, looking at it carefully. "It could be nothing, but I wonder whether Naveen had a hidden meaning in asking you to get this to Naina. If not the tape itself, could something be hidden in the recorder?"
Raj thinks about it, nodding carefully. "Naina, take the tape out and keep it safely. I've got a pocket knife, we can try dismantling it to check."
He does so carefully, removing each component to be examined and then set aside. Naina is about to give up when one of the inner panels is removed, and there in front of them sits a small piece of paper, cleverly concealed.
Naveen has left them a code.
/
They puzzle over it for an hour, figuring out that each of them have their individual parts to break, but in the end they all agree that it might be best if they were to sleep on it. After so many years without any progress, it is too good to be true that they could figure it out in one night.
They will do everything secretly. Rajveer's investigations have led him to believe that someone powerful at the ministry was involved in the conspiracy and they cannot take a chance by involving anyone else.
"Well, perhaps the wedding will inspire us and we'll all come up with the answers tomorrow." Abhimanyu says, standing and stretching. "For now, I'm off to bed, and wishing you both a good night."
He closes the door behind him on the way out and Naina turns to look at Rajveer. "Are you tired? Would you like me to go too?"
"Naina, I never want you to go." He replies honestly and she blushes, all too aware that there is nothing to keep her from remaining here, no risk of the gossip that stops them from staying too long in each other's rooms on the base.
"Well, Riddhi did tell me that she and Aalekh would appreciate some privacy if I wanted to stay with you." Naina tells him, and watches as his expression changes, desire clear in his eyes before he looks quickly away.
"I, uh... certainly there's nothing wrong with you staying here with me. We're engaged after all."
Naina grins suddenly, still amused at the disagreement over their status earlier. "Are we though?"
Rajveer laughs. "I've been meaning to fix that." He tells her, and removing his ring, holds it out to Naina and gestures for her to do the same.
Naina removes her own ring, giving it to him. Holding it carefully, Rajveer takes her hand in his, looking into her eyes.
"Naina Singh Ahluwalia, my very own Naina 'Ah' Singh. I love you more than I ever believed it possible to love another person. You have had my heart for far longer than you know, and you have already given me more happiness than I can measure. You would make me the happiest man alive if you agree to marry me."
Naina feels tears come to her eyes as she grips his hand. "Rajveer Singh Shekhawat, you have always been both my strength and my inspiration. I love you, I will always love you, and today of my own free will, I tell you that you are the only man I could ever want to marry."
Rajveer releases Naina's hand to brush away her tears, kissing the corner of her mouth before he takes her left hand once more, sliding the ring onto her finger. This time Naina takes time to savour the feeling, to look down at their joined hands and the ring on her finger, before she takes Rajveer's own hand in hers, sliding his ring back onto his fingers where it belongs.
They look down at their joined hands and then back again at each other, answering smiles on both of their faces. It is Naina that surges forward then, her hands framing either side of his face, kissing him sweetly. Rajveer slips his arms around her, urging her closer to him, and she moves gladly as he lifts her to his lap, taking his time as he kisses along her jawline and down her neck, pausing by the hollow of her throat.
Rajveer leans his forehead to her shoulder, taking a deep breath in, and Naina realises that his hands are shaking slightly as he holds her.
"Naina, maybe you had better go back to your room after all. I'm not so certain this is a good idea."
"Why not?" She asks him, tilting his chin up to make him look at her. "I know you've asked me to wait to set a date, but we will be marrying soon. It's not a crime for anything to happen between us before we're married."
Rajveer's gaze locks with hers and he pushes the hair back from Naina's face. "I want to do right by you," he admits, "When we've waited this long... I don't want anybody to be able to say that I didn't treat you with the utmost respect."
"Rajveer, when your fiancée, who loves you so very much, is telling you that she's happy for something to happen, then I don't think it's a matter of disrespect." Naina tells him teasingly.
For a moment, there's a hopeful light in his eyes and then he shakes his head. "I hadn't planned though... I mean, I didn't want to assume anything, so I haven't brought anything." He takes a deep breath in, even as one hand flexes against her bare waist. "It wouldn't be safe, Naina, we can't risk it."
"Lucky for both of us then, that my roommate did plan for that and so I do have something." Naina bites her lip, trying not to smile. "Any more objections?"
A fierce kiss is Rajveer's only reply as he captures her lips. Naina kisses him back, even as she tries to unbutton the top of his kurta, wanting to remove it as soon as possible. Rajveer pulls back momentarily to lift it over his head, breathing hard as he turns back to face her, half undressed and still almost hesitant. Naina reaches out to place one hand over his heart, his skin warm under her fingertips, almost blushing as she brings the other to his hip, finger tips digging into the hard lines of his abdomen.
For all her bravado, she is nervous.
"It's alright," Rajveer tells her, immediately picking up on her change of mood. "We'll take things slowly. Any time that you want to stop at all, you just tell me. Do you trust me, Naina?"
"More than anything." Naina replies, and removes the safety pin attaching her sari to her blouse, setting it aside.
He does move slowly, almost agonisingly so, as he places soft kisses along her shoulder, easing the fabric slowly down. When it lies in a pool in her lap, Naina stands, placing the edge in Rajveer's hands as she slowly turns around, untucking it bit by bit. When the sari is removed and Naina stands there in her blouse and petticoat, she takes it back from his hands and also sets it carefully aside.
"I'll have to put it back on in the morning, when I leave." She explains.
Rajveer grins, and pulls her back down to kiss him.
/
Later, she lies in his arms, her head cushioned on his shoulder as he caresses her back, occasionally pressing a kiss to the crown of her head.
"You're going to be promoted," Rajveer suddenly announces, "That's why I wanted to wait to set the marriage date."
"What?" Naina lifts herself up to peer at him through the darkness.
"They've decided to promote you to Captain, for the leadership you showed during the mission. It should be announced a few days after we're back. When I told your parents that I wanted to wait until you'd made your own name for yourself in the army, it wasn't just an excuse. As soon as you're made a Captain, we'll tell them."
Naina thinks it's lucky that they have all night together, because how could she do anything other than pull him into another kiss after a statement like that.