Chapter Twenty
Naina is redoing the pleats on her sari when Rajveer stirs, she has been trying to get them into a semblance of order to allow her to walk down the corridor to her and Riddhi's room.
"Why didn't you wake me?" He asks, making his way towards where she stands and switching on the lamp. He helps her as she completes the tucks and drape, and once she's done his arms find her, pulling her close as he kisses her.
"This is why I didn't wake you," Naina teases him, "I was worried that otherwise I wouldn't make it back to my room before everyone wakes up."
"You didn't think I'd let you go by yourself, did you? I'll walk you to your door."
Having said it, Rajveer starts looking around, trying to find his pants and kurta from where he'd thrown them the night before.
"I'll be alright," Naina reassures him, "There's no need for you to do the walk of shame too."
Pulling his kurta over his head, Rajveer crosses back over to her, his pants still held in one hand. "It's not a walk of shame if you've got nothing to be ashamed of." He tells her seriously, bending his head to place a chaste kiss on her shoulder before he straightens to look her in the eye, completely earnest. "I hope you don't regret what we did."
"Never," Naina reassures him, leaning over to kiss him quickly before releasing him so that he can finish pulling his pants on. "Come and walk me to my room then."
They make it to her room undetected, everyone else still sleeping. Naina uses her key card to open the door then raps lightly on it, calling out to Riddhi in a whisper and only opening it wider when her friend answers, telling her to come in.
"I'll see you later," she tells Rajveer, turning back to look at him where he leans against the corridor wall, his gaze focused upon her.
"Try to get some more sleep." He tells her, leaning forward to kiss her goodbye. "I'll see you downstairs later."
Naina shuts the door behind her, unable to stop the smile that comes to her face as she momentarily leans against it, shutting her eyes. Shaking her head at her own behaviour she makes her way further into the room, to find Riddhi sitting up and rubbing her eyes.
"Aalekh didn't stay here with you?"
Riddhi shrugs. "He went back to his own room a little after midnight. We thought it would be a little too obvious that you were spending the night elsewhere if he didn't."
"Thank you for that," Naina tells her honestly, "I've had enough teasing as it is lately, it would be nice to be able to keep this relatively secret."
"Well, we're both up so we might as well start getting ready. You go and take a shower first."
/
Naina is humming to herself, combing her hair, when an idea about the code suddenly comes to her. She rushes to retrieve her copy where she'd kept it in her bag, pouring over it to confirm that she's right. Grinning, Naina knows that she's cracked her part. Now she just needs to hope that Rajveer and Abhimanyu can understand theirs.
Placing the paper back into her bag where it's safe, she rushes out of the room and down to the restaurant where breakfast is being served. Making her way quickly to the table where Rajveer sits with Abhimanyu, deep in discussion, Naina quickly pulls out a chair and sits down. "I cracked my code," she tells them excitedly, "Did you have any luck?"
Rajveer turns to her and grins, lifting her hand to place a kiss on it in greeting. "It seems like it's the right morning for it, Naina. We were just discussing our parts and I think we may have them worked out."
/
They puzzle over it together as they eat and drink their coffee, but the final picture won't come together just yet. "We may need to enlist help, Huda was always good at codes." Naina suggests and Rajveer nods, agreeing with her.
"I would trust all of them with my life, it's safe to share it with Huda if we ask him to keep it secret."
"We should do it today," Naina suggests, "It's too much of a risk to discuss it over the phone later."
They all nod, and having finished her breakfast, Naina collects the three parts of the code, walking over to where Huda sits with Yudi, laughing over something.
"Huda, could I speak with you please?"
He nods, following her as she walks onto the terrace outside, leading them both to a bench where they won't be overheard. "What is it, Phoolan? Have you finally seen some sense and decided to leave the Major for me?"
Naina gives him a look, and Huda grins in return, wanting to show that he's joking. Enough time has passed that he can now look at Naina and remember that there was a time when he was wildly in love with her, without any of the associated pain. It sometimes feels like that was a different Huda, another man to the one he has now become.
"I need a favour from you, Huda. My brother left a code for me, Rajveer and Abhimanyu Sir to crack. We've worked out our individual parts, but we're having trouble fitting it together." Naina passes the pieces of paper over to Huda, pausing to touch his hand. "It's vital that you don't tell anyone about this, the people who trapped Navin Bhaiyya are dangerous, they can't know that we have a lead and we have no idea who's involved. Rajveer thinks the conspiracy might lead all the way to the ministry."
For a moment Huda has to pause, overcome with emotion. Naina has entrusted him with such an important task, when there was once a time when she didn't even want to look at him for what he'd done. Huda knows then, that this is the moment he truly redeems all the mistakes he ever made. He will prove himself to be as true a friend as Naina has ever had.
"Trust in me, Naina." He tells her, "And I bet I'll have cracked it by the end of the day."
/
The ceremonies go off without a hitch, and as Naina watches Pooja and Ali finally be joined in matrimony, the glow of happiness on both of their faces, she can't help but think of all they went through to reach this stage. She wipes a tear away, clutching Rajveer's hand tightly, and prays that they have a long and happy life together, that she can be as good a friend to them as they have been to her. They have all grown so much since the time they first entered KMA, becoming the people who they were meant to be along the way.
After the ceremonies, Naina helps to prepare Pooja for the reception. They embrace when Pooja is ready, crying happy tears, and she can barely remember a time when they were not friends.
"You and Ali are going to be so happy together," Naina promises her friend, "I hope that your transfer comes through to join him."
"I think it will only take a few weeks," Pooja tells Naina, "But I'll be counting every one of those days. He's my husband now, at long last. Can you believe it, Naina?"
"I can," Naina tells her sincerely, "I can believe that you have every happiness you deserve."
/
Once the reception is in full swing and they have all taken their turn on stage with the couple, Huda comes to find Naina and Rajveer, making a sign that they should join him outside. They quickly find Abhimanyu, ensuring that their exit is casual, laughing and talking as if they're just looking for some fresh air.
Once they are outside, Huda talks them through the solution, earning him a hug from Naina, Rajveer's arm slung around his shoulders, and a proud smile from Abhimanyu.
"It's all up to you now, Abhi." Rajveer tells him. "Make sure that nobody knows what you're doing, and be careful. I don't want anyone to guess that you're searching for the red box."
"And what do you want me to do with it once I find it?"
It's on the tip of Rajveer's tongue to tell Abhi to take it to Lala Gehlot, who had been a mentor to both of them, and would have the power to take action. The years have made Rajveer more cautious though, and something stops him.
"The moment you have it, you take it straight to the media." He tells Abhimanyu, "To the most honest journalist you can think of. Make sure you keep copies, but that's the only way they can't cover it up."
"Don't worry, Raj. We all made a vow to prove Navin innocent. The time has come to fulfil that promise."
They separate then, not wanting anyone to question why they've been meeting outside for so long, and Rajveer nods at the other two to go in, squeezing Naina's hand to show she should remain there with him.
"It's better if we don't all return together," he tells her, "And I haven't actually had the chance to tell you how beautiful you look today."
Naina smiles up at him, her arms winding around his waist as he folds his own around her. "You're looking rather handsome yourself. Did you ever imagine we'd be here one day, when you first met us all at the academy? All of us the best of friends, Pooja and Ali married, us engaged."
Rajveer laughs, "I remember what a mess you all were when you arrived at the academy. Do you remember when you were all ragged by the seniors? Or when you snuck into my room to try and find evidence and I then had to rescue the others from a bar fight?"
Naina laughs along with Rajveer, hugging him to her. "I was so angry at the time, all of that pain and I didn't know how to keep it inside. Then you gave me a way to channel it and I began to grow past it."
"I'm so incredibly proud of you, Naina." Rajveer tells her, "For all you've accomplished and all that you still will."
Naina stands on her toes to kiss him, keeping it brief in case anyone should spot them. "Will you be walking me to my room later?"
"Well..." Rajveer draws the word out, looking down at her with a sparkle in his eyes. "How about if I walk you to my room instead, and then I can walk you to yours in the morning?"
Naina stares at him for a moment and then she grins. "Major Rajveer Singh Shekhawat, I believe that may just be the smoothest thing you've ever said to me."
"Did it work though?"
"You'll just have to wait and see."
/
He does walk her to his room later, barely waiting for the door to shut before he has her against it, his lips demanding against hers. Naina gives him back as good as she gets, almost biting his lip in her haste to kiss him.
Rajveer lifts her, his hands supporting her legs until she's wrapped them around his waist, stumbling towards the bed with her. There is none of the awkwardness of the previous night now that they know the way around each other's bodies, and he soon has her kurta over her head, her patiala halfway down her legs before she kicks them off herself.
Rajveer pulls back to look down at her, breathing hard. One hand grips her thigh with almost painful intensity, as he brings the other up to cup her cheek. "God, Naina, I've wanted you so badly all day long, it was a challenge to stop myself from dragging you away from there."
"Pooja would never have forgiven us if we'd missed anything."
"That's the only thing that stopped me." He leans down, kissing her again, long and deep, smoothing one hand up along the side of her body. "Marry me, Naina. Marry me as soon as possible, I'm done with all this waiting now that I know you're mine. As soon as the announcement is made we'll go to your parents together and then we'll set a date. One as soon as possible."
Naina pulls him down for another kiss then, "Yes." She tells Rajveer, nothing more needing to be said. "Yes."
/
Later, as they lie together, arms and legs entwined, Rajveer suddenly groans.
"I just realised I need to go and look your parents in the face, after everything we've done."
He can hear Naina's sharp intake of breath. "So do I. Do you think we should just elope, and turn up already married to see them?"
"They might want to know why we felt the need to do so when we'd waited so long already, and then we'd really be in trouble."
They're both laughing as Naina pulls him into another kiss. Rajveer supposes that what Naina's parents don't know won't hurt them.
/
They farewell Ali, Pooja and Yudi early, heading towards the station for their train. Yudi has a few more days leave and is intending to visit his nephew.
On the train, Naina closes her eyes and rests her head on Rajveer's shoulder as he tightens his grip on her hand. She is tired, from a combination of the excitement of the last few days and too little sleep, and they have a long journey ahead of them.
"Old aunties are giving you looks." Aalekh tells her, his tone teasing.
Naina opens her eyes briefly to look at him. "Tell them to mind their own business, we're engaged."
"Are you though?"
"I certainly hope we are." Rajveer mutters, his voice so low only Naina can hear it. "Or I really won't be able to face your parents."
Naina struggles not to laugh, closing her eyes again. "Don't worry, Aalekh, it's all fixed now." She can't help the smile that comes to her face as she thinks about it, the vows that they had exchanged that night. "I finally got the engagement that I deserve."