20:00 hours,
Captain Rajveer's room:
Naina entered Rajveer's room as she usually did, but was taken aback by the scene that unfolded before her. The room was adorned with numerous candles, giving it the ambiance of a romantic setting rather than an interview. Confused, Naina gave Rajveer a perplexed look, only to realize that he was staring at her with his mouth hanging open in disbelief.
Naina was taken aback to see the desire in Rajveer's eyes for the first time. Although he had always looked at her with affection, she had never seen him gaze at her with such passion before. Sure, he had stolen a few glances when he didn't know who she was, but those had stopped as soon as he found out that she was Naveen's sister. Naina felt a mixture of shyness and happiness to see that Rajveer felt the same way about her that she felt about him. It was clear to her that he wasn't as unaffected by their mating bond as he pretended to be.
Rajveer, on the other hand, was completely captivated by Naina's beauty. He had never seen her in Indian attire before, and she looked breathtaking in a light blue chikankari kurta paired with white pajama pants. Her light blue mojri shoes were adorned with delicate pearl work, and she wore a pair of silver ethnic jhumkas and silver bangles on one hand. A small stone bindi on her forehead and a touch of kajal completed her elegant look. Rajveer couldn't help but feel like he had forgotten how to breathe as he took in her stunning appearance.
Rajveer finally came back to his senses when Naina cleared her throat shyly. "Rajveer sir? What is all this?" she softly asked, not being able to look into his eyes that were admiring her so thoroughly. "This doesn't look like an interview," she added.
"That day, I scolded you unnecessarily. So, I thought I would show you my appreciation like this. This is, in fact, an interview," Rajveer told her as he got up from the couch. He rounded her and added, "...but it's also a date."
Naina smiled shyly. She felt like that teenage girl she used to be who used to get butterflies in her stomach when she saw her favorite actor on TV. "A date?! Interesting. But how were you planning on reporting this to Major Bhargav, though?" she asked with a teasing smile.
Rajveer chuckled. "Naina, the most important thing in a mentorship program is trust between the mentor and protégé. That night's interview was a task to see how much we trust each other, especially how much you trust me," he explained before rounding her again to come in front of her. He stepped closer to her and asked, "So, how much do you trust me, Naina?" he asked, staring deeply into her eyes.
"I believe that every person is trustworthy... until and unless he proves otherwise. But one thing you should know that I completely trust only two people in this academy: you and Alekh," Naina told him, keeping her eyes on his.
Rajveer smiled and made her sit on one of the couches. "I'm honored that you trust me so much," he told her, sitting on the armchair opposite of her. "Tonight, I wanted to learn about 'Naina'... not Cadet Naina. I wanted to know the girl under that uniform," he told her his real motive.
"But... aren't both 'Naina's the same?" she asked.
Rajveer chuckled. "No. I'm not talking about Naina Campbell. I'm talking about Naina Singh Ahluwalia... the Naina Naveen used to talk about... his gudiya [doll]," he explained.
Naina started smiling, recalling those old memories. Due to her change, she didn't remember much, but as she tried to remember consciously, she soon started having clear memories. Over the next three hours, Naina and Rajveer spoke about those old days. They laughed, had fun at Naveen's expense, and shared fond memories as they ate the food Rajveer had cooked for her and drank cold drinks.
Even after lights-out, they continued to talk and eventually moved to the bedroom, chatting until it was almost midnight. Unaware of how close they were sitting or how much they enjoyed each other's happy smiles, Rajveer unconsciously held Naina's hand and played with her bangles as she recounted one of Naveen's pranks. When Naina said goodnight and started to head out through the window, Rajveer stopped her.
"Why are you going out that way?" he asked, confused by her decision.
"Major Bhargav is just waiting for a chance to defame you, and as your protégé, I can't let that happen," Naina answered with a smile.
Rajveer chuckled and nodded in agreement. "Oh, and Naina?"
"Hmm?"
"Please don't stop talking to me again. I... I missed our nightly chats. I'm sorry I yelled at you that day," he said apologetically.
"You're forgiven," she told him, beaming. Naina would always remember Rajveer's answering smile that night.
...-...
...-...
...-...
The next morning, Major Bhargav announced that it was time to test the level of trust between the faculty members and their proteges. He had already received reports from the faculty members about their interviews with their cadets. All the cadets assembled in the training ground where Major Bhargav showed them a pulley system and explained how it worked. A heavy weight was tied up with a rope that would be released to fall freely on top of the mentors, and the proteges were tasked with stopping the weight and saving their mentors.
One by one, pairs were announced by Suri ji. Major Nair moved away from his position even though Pooja had stopped the weight. Yudi stopped the weight in time, and everyone sighed in relief. Ali stopped the weight well before it even came near Sub. Maj. Lolita's head. Alekh wanted to let the weight fall on Major Bhargav, but he behaved like a good boy and stopped the weight while keeping his face blank. Huda stopped the weight in time and grinned widely at Shalini. Finally, it was Naina and Rajveer's turn.
Naina calculated how much to slow down so that it would seem humane but still be fast enough to stop the weight. She also tightly weaved her illusion around her so that if something unnatural were to happen, the people present wouldn't notice it.
Rajveer walked up to the pulley system and stood on the 'X' mark. He folded his arms over his chest and closed his eyes with a smile, leaving Naina gasping. She felt so many emotions at that moment that she was getting dizzy from their heady cocktail.
Bhargav raised his eyebrow at the scene. "Wow... Captain Rajveer is a complete gone case. He's so in love with his cadet that he's not even caring about the fact that there are other faculty members present. I can see Cadet Campbell trying to maintain professionalism between them, while Captain Rajveer is doing his best to impress her with his charming ways. It seems Captain Naveen didn't only train him in pranks," he thought to himself with a smirk.
Naina successfully completed the drill and stopped the weight when it was still four feet away from Rajveer's head. She sighed in relief and then allowed herself to feel all the emotions. Yes, she was touched that he trusted her so much, but more than that, she was angry. Angry that he put himself at risk again. She wanted to shout and scream at him for this. "How could he just disregard his safety like this?" she thought to herself. She went back to her position, not returning the proud smile Rajveer had given her.
The rest of the super six exchanged knowing looks at the open display of love their favorite teacher presented that morning. They made sure not to react at the moment as they noticed Bhargav attempting to do something. When all the cadets and faculty were dismissed, Naina left the field first. Her friends stayed back until the faculty members left before following her.
Suddenly, Major Bhargav stopped them and said, "I thought you guys were Cadet Campbell's friends."
Pooja retorted, "What do you mean, sir? We ARE Naina's friends."
"If that were true, then you would've done something to stop that scene Captain Rajveer was creating. Couldn't you see how uncomfortable poor Cadet Campbell seemed?" he taunted them. "And you, Cadet Alekh? I heard she considers you her brother. Shouldn't you perform your brotherly duties then? Cadet Huda? I heard you have a soft spot for Cadet Campbell. Shouldn't you protect her from people who are making her life harder? Cadet Ali? Cadet Yudi? I heard she tied a rakhi on your wrists too. So that means she's both of your sister. You're still silent. What a useless bunch of friends you all are."
Huda was about to retort when Alekh put a hand on his chest and stepped forward. "Bhargav sir, Naina is not helpless. She will tolerate things to an extent, but when her limit is reached, she will teach the opposite party a lesson they will never forget. So don't worry, sir. Everyone will get what they deserve. On behalf of my sister and friends, I thank you for caring for our well-being and taking an interest in this matter." Alekh spoke respectfully, devoid of any malice.
Major Bhargav nodded, feeling proud of himself. "Of course, cadet. Dismiss." He left the group.
"Oye Alekh! Why did you play such ringtone that made it seem that out Shahrukh is a roadside Romeo?" Pooja inquired angrily.
"Because, Panjaban, we need to play along with Naina's plan. We have to make it seem like we're on Bhargav's team to win his trust. We also need to search his cabin, but he won't let me, his protégé, into his room until we gain his trust," Alekh explained, smirking.
"Thanks for stopping me," Huda said, patting Alekh's shoulder.
Alekh smiled and nodded. "Let's go tell Naina about this conversation," he suggested.
"Maybe we should give her some space for now. She seemed angry, and if we go near her, she might burst out at us," Yudi pointed out.
"Right. Let's get some coffee and wait for Naina to join us when she's calmer," Ali suggested. The group agreed and went to the mess.
... - ...
Rajveer had noticed the fire in Naina's eyes as he opened his eyes at the ground. He knew that she was angry with him. He had observed that Naina had become very protective of him, and whenever he put himself in danger due to his own actions, she got angry. She expressed her love and concern through her anger. This time, he knew she would be even angrier because he had knowingly put himself in danger. He felt a strange sense of excitement and giddiness at the thought of her angry face. He imagined how she would scold him and couldn't help but snicker.
Eager with anticipation, Rajveer entered his room and made sure to close the door behind him, not wanting anyone to see him being scolded by his protégé. Just as he had predicted, Naina was pacing around the room, muttering under her breath, probably scolding him and hissing like an angry kitten. Rajveer felt a strong urge to pull her cheeks, but he didn't want to risk losing his arms in return. Finally, he cleared his throat to alert her of his presence.
Naina turned to Rajveer with narrowed eyes and demanded, "What was that?"
"I wanted to show you that I trust you blindly," he replied calmly.
Approaching him, Naina cupped his face and advised him, "Rajveer sir, it's good to trust others, but it's even better not to trust them blindly. Betrayal often comes from friends and loved ones, not enemies."
Hearing this, the smile on his face disappeared, and he admitted, "You're right. But Naina, I want you to know that I trust you more than anyone else. I know you would never break my trust."
While flattered, Naina still urged caution, insisting, "I'm honored, but please don't trust anyone blindly, not even me."
"Why not?" Rajveer asked.
"Because do you really know me that well? Just because we have the same goal and I'm your best friend's sister doesn't mean you should trust me like this," Naina cautioned him. She wanted him to be aware of his surroundings, as she could be a danger to him if she lost control.
Rajveer took hold of her shoulders, looking her in the eyes as he spoke. "Naina, I don't trust you because of who you are. I trust you because... loving someone means taking a leap of faith and trusting that the person you love will catch you at the bottom."
Naina was left speechless as she comprehended the indirect meaning behind Rajveer's words. Her mouth hung open in shock as she struggled to find the right words to respond.
Rajveer smiled shyly, seeing her reaction. He had made the decision to live his life without worrying about the past anymore. After their interview [date] the previous night, Rajveer had decided to keep his guilt aside and return Naina's feelings. He felt like the Almighty was finally giving him the happiness he deprived Rajveer of in his early life, and Rajveer decided to embrace that happiness with open arms.
Rajveer pinched the tip of Naina's nose and teased, "Stop mimicking a goldfish. Calm down. Go and relax with your friends now. I'll be fine as I have you to take care of me and worry about me all the time." He winked at her playfully.
Blinking rapidly, Naina nodded her head and headed out, still in a daze. She was having a hard time believing that he also loved her. She bit her lip to contain any sound and hurried to the furthest corner of the academy. Then, she squealed and jumped and danced around there for more than twenty minutes before calming down. She hurried to her hostel room and called Jeremy and Natasha on a video call.
"Hey, sweetie-pie! How are you?" Natasha greeted with a smile.
"Hello, baby girl! Everything okay?" Jeremy asked with a warm smile.
"AAAAAAA!" Naina squealed.
Both Natasha and Jeremy instantly placed their hands on their ears. "STOP!" they screamed.
"Why are you making that strange sound? Even the dogs of that area might have ran away." Jeremy teased. Natasha giggled but nodded in agreement.
"He said he trusts me because... because he loves me.." Naina shared with a wide grin on her face.
"Hell yeah!" Jeremy fist-pumped.
"YAY!" Natasha cheered and started dancing around the room.
Naina also started bouncing on her feet excitedly. Then she proceeded to tell them everything that happened since their date last night. Yes, she now understood that it was indeed a date.
"I'm so happy for you... and to tell you the truth, I'm relieved. When you started your journey to prove your brother innocent, I was worried that you might lose yourself. But I'm so happy that you found your soulmate and are giving yourself a chance while still investigating your brother. I love you and I'm proud of you, sweetie." Natasha told Naina affectionately.
"I love you too, mom." Naina replied with a happy smile.
"Natasha is correct. We were all worried about your mental well-being. But thankfully, you're way, way stronger than any of us thought. You're making us proud each and every day. The things you're doing while still being a relatively new vampire, we wouldn't have been able to do. On top of that, protecting your mate from one's own self is a huge task and you're doing so flawlessly. We love you, Naina. And we're so proud to be your family." Jeremy told her.
"I'm the lucky one. Love you, guys. Please tell Dad and Tom about it. Where are they, anyway?" Naina inquired curiously.
"They went out to the places Major Bhargav was posted before to investigate. Hopefully, you'll get some information." Jeremy informed.
"Okay. Thanks. Bye. I have to go. I have class. Love you." Naina blew them kisses before ending the call.