The next morning, BC announced three days of Diwali vacation for everyone. Now that Rajveer also had a family, it was almost expected for him to spend the holidays with his new family – his in-laws. Alekh playfully teased him about it after their drill that morning, while Naina, Huda, and Yudi watched, amused as Rajveer turned various shades of red in response to the teasing.
After the drill, Ali and Pooja had rushed off the ground as they received calls from their homes. However, their friends and Rajveer were intrigued when they saw Ali and Pooja running back towards the group with excited smiles on their faces, gaining their full attention.
"Cadet Ali? Cadet Ghai? Is everything alright?" Captain Rajveer asked curiously.
"Yes, sir. We just received the most incredible notification!" Pooja announced. Rajveer turned towards Ali for further clarification.
"Sir, Pooja ji means that we got some fantastic news," Ali explained, equally excited.
"What's the news, guys?" Naina asked, curious to know the reason behind their friends' joy and excitement.
"Our parents fixed our marriage, and they want us to have our engagement during this Diwali vacation," Ali announced with a shy but happy smile on his face.
"Hurray!" The rest of the Super Six cheered before rushing to hug Pooja and Ali to congratulate them.
After their friends moved away, Rajveer approached the couple and affectionately cupped their faces. "May you guys be blessed with eternal happiness and remain together forever!" he wished them sincerely.
"No wonder you guys looked so excited running towards us!" Yudi commented with a grin.
"No, that's not why we were excited," Pooja clarified.
"What do you mean, Panjaban? Aren't you excited about marrying our Usool?" Alekh teased with a smile.
Pooja chuckled. "Of course, I'm thrilled about connecting our networks permanently. But we're even more excited because this occasion will give us the PERFECT excuse to be seen occupied in an event completely unrelated to someone's truth revelations," she explained in a low tone with a mischievous smirk.
Understanding her clever plan, everyone gasped. "That's actually brilliant! No one would be able to connect the dots," Rajveer whispered, making sure only their group could hear him.
"Then, let's proceed with the plan. The day before Diwali, the Super Six and Rajveer sir will be celebrating Pooja ji and my engagement while the rest of the world prepares to bring justice to the deserving," Ali declared with a smirk.
Everyone grinned, fully in agreement with the proposal.
...-...
...-...
...-...
Dr. Shalini was in search of Captain Rajveer for an important matter when she noticed the door of his room was open. Assuming he was inside, she decided to peek in. Just then, Pooja called out to her from behind.
"Shalini ma'am, are you looking for our Shahrukh... I mean, our Rajveer sir?" Pooja asked.
"Yes. Have you seen him?" Shalini inquired.
"I saw him with Captain Gunny in the mess," Pooja informed.
"Thanks. By the way, do you know why Captain left his door open?" Shalini curiously asked.
"Maybe Naina opened it. I was actually looking for her," Pooja replied with a shrug.
"Really? Does Cadet Campbell have access to Captain's room key? How romantic!" Shalini exclaimed excitedly. Ever since she found out that Naina and Rajveer were dating, she had been eager to witness some romance between them. However, as Brigadier Chandok had forbidden any public display of affection, Rajveer and Naina always maintained a professional demeanor around others (except the members of the Super Six, of course). Dr. Shalini didn't want to miss the chance to catch a glimpse of their private moments. "Let's go inside and look for Cadet Naina," she suggested eagerly.
Pooja chuckled and nodded in agreement. They entered the room and found the living area empty. They proceeded to the bedroom and from the doorway, they saw Naina rummaging through Rajveer's cupboard with a displeased frown on her face.
"Oye Missed call, what are you up to? Do you have any idea how long I've been searching for you?" Pooja complained as she entered the room.
"Sorry, yaar. What did you need me for?" Naina inquired.
"There are only five days left before we go home, and just six days until the engagement. I don't have anything to wear for my own engagement ceremony. I also want to get Ali an outfit of my choice for the occasion. I need you to go shopping with me," Pooja explained her predicament.
"You're not the only one, my friend. Look at this man's cupboard. He doesn't have anything festive to wear at your engagement either," Naina said, pointing inside Rajveer's cupboard. "The outfit I got him last year is black, and I don't want him to wear that. Let's do one thing. Since it's Saturday today, we should go shopping," she suggested.
"I was hoping you'd say that." Pooja clapped happily.
"Cadet Naina, you got this outfit for Captain last year? Can I see it?" Shalini requested, joining the girls.
"I'm sure you've seen him wearing it during Diwali, but sure. Here," Naina said, pulling out the black kurta set she had gifted him the year before.
"Do you know how many compliments he received that night for this outfit? He was truly shining. Were you guys dating at the time?" Dr. Shalini asked as she returned the outfit to Naina.
"No, we weren't dating then. I liked him, and he had just started to understand that I had feelings for him after receiving this," Naina answered with a smile.
"That's so sweet!" Shalini beamed. The romance lover in her was overjoyed.
Pooja and Naina were amused by her enthusiastic reaction.
... - ...
A few hours later.
Rajveer and Gunny were engaged in casual conversation when they stumbled upon the boys of Super Six at the gym. The girls were nowhere to be seen. Both captains took off their shirts and joined the boys in their workout. "Alekh, where's Cadet Ghai and your sister?" Rajveer inquired as he started doing pull-ups.
"I really have no clue, sir," Alekh replied with a shrug while using the treadmill.
"Pooja was grumbling about something under her breath when I saw her after breakfast," Ali informed Rajveer.
"I saw Phoolan heading towards your room a few hours ago, sir," Huda added.
"That's strange. I didn't see her in my room," Rajveer stated with a frown. Usually, if Naina wasn't with her friends, she would be in his room.
"But didn't you lock your room earlier?" Gunny asked, feeling puzzled.
"She has a spare key," Rajveer replied casually, causing the rest of them to smirk.
"Gunny sir, if you have no plans on Diwali, then please come to Pooja and my engagement." Ali requested with a shy smile.
"So, I shouldn't come if I have other plans?" Gunny asked with a teasing smile.
"THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEANT!" Ali exclaimed.
Gunny chuckled. "I was teasing, cadet. And of course, I would love to attend your engagement. I have no other plans." he told the younger man.
Ali beamed in answer. Rajveer hid a slight smile by turning his head. Inviting Gunny to Pooja and Ali's engagement was also part of their plan. After all, they needed an impartial witness.
... - ...
Later that evening,
Rajveer's room.
"Where have you been all day? I've been looking for you," Rajveer complained as he watched his girlfriend packing his bags for the vacation.
"Pooja and I went shopping. It's my best friend's engagement, and we needed to find perfect outfits for ourselves and our better halves," Naina answered with a grin.
"You got clothes for me as well? Why?! Didn't you buy me so many shirts and t-shirts just a few months ago?" he asked, bewildered.
"A few months ago? Rajveer, I bought those last year. And you didn't have anything appropriate to wear for Pooja-Ali's engagement," Naina pointed out.
"What are you talking about? I have 2 suits, a tux, and that traditional black kurta pajama set you gave me on Diwali last year," Rajveer insisted proudly.
"Exactly my point, my love. While you would look amazing in your black kurta pajama set, everyone has already seen you in that outfit. Plus, it won't match my outfit. So, I got us outfits that complement each other. Everyone should know that we're a couple at one glance," Naina stated with a determined nod.
Rajveer was amused by her logic. It was not often that his girlfriend acted her real age – like that 18-year-old girl who got frozen in time. "If that's what you want, then that's what will happen," he told her with an affectionate smile.
Naina smiled and went back to selecting which outfits of his she wanted to pack. Suddenly, her phone started ringing. Since she was busy, she told Rajveer, "Can you please answer my phone?"
"With pleasure," Rajveer replied instantly.
Naina paused and turned to give him a confused look. She didn't understand his eagerness to answer her phone. She watched as Rajveer sauntered up to her and then placed his hands on her bare waist. Naina was wearing a pair of jeans with a crop top, so her waist was exposed. She felt her eyebrows raise as Rajveer smiled mischievously, and slowly caressing her waist, his hand went behind her back. Then, his hand started going down and slid into her back pocket. Taking his time to give her butt a playful squeeze, he pulled out her phone. Showing her the phone with a cheeky smile, he returned to the bed as he answered her phone. Naina was frozen in space at his action. She was stunned and amused, feeling a mixture of surprise and affection. Shaking her head, she went back to work.
"Hey Tom, how are you?" Rajveer greeted cheerfully.
"I'm good, Raj. How have you been? Naina told us that it's almost the end. Are you doing okay with all of this?" Thomas asked affectionately. Their relationship had taken a new turn. Now that the Campbell family officially welcomed Rajveer, they treated him just as warmly as they treated Naina. He was, after all, their baby girl's soul mate.
Rajveer sighed. "Yeah. It's been a bitter pill to swallow, but... I'm doing okay. Once Naveen's name gets cleared, I'll be relieved."
"Just hang on a little longer, my boy. Everything will be alright. Don't forget that you have your whole family behind you now. You're no longer alone," Tom told him firmly.
A smile bloomed on Rajveer's face. "Thanks, Tom."
"So, where's our girl?" Tom inquired, "I have some information for you guys."
"Our girl is currently busy packing my bags for our vacation. Apparently, we need to have matching outfits for the engagement or something like that. I don't quite understand the logic behind it, to tell you the truth. But she seems really enthusiastic about it, so I'm just going along with it," Rajveer informed, chuckling.
"Wow. I saw my mom do the same thing with my father when I was human like you," Tom commented nostalgically, "Natasha also does similar things with William. I guess it's their nurturing instincts that make them do things like that," he mused.
"Makes sense." Rajveer agreed.
"Can you guys please get to the main point?" Naina scolded from the other side of the room. With her enhanced hearing due to her vampiric abilities, she had picked up on both sides of the conversation. She had been patiently waiting for Tom to come to the point, but it seemed that the conversation had gone off track instead. "Tom, what's the important thing you needed to tell us?" she directed her question to her brother while giving a stern look to her boyfriend.
"Absolutely, sorry about that," Tom chuckled. "So, I've identified the perfect news channel for exposing Lala Gehlot. Khalid, who is one of my men and also a co-owner of KKN channel, can be trusted. He recommended his most promising reporter, Ananya Kashyap. Khalid mentioned that she's one of those reporters driven by the pursuit of truth rather than money and fame. Naina, you should meet her in person. It doesn't have to be the entire truth, my dear, but share a heart-wrenching story that motivates her to uncover Naveen's innocence and expose Gehlot's involvement. Do you understand?"
"Understood," Naina confirmed, fully grasping the gravity of the situation.
"I'll text you her name and address. I'll leave it up to you to handle things as you see fit, but do keep in mind that we have just two days to get everything in place," Tom reminded, emphasizing the urgency of the situation.
"Rest assured, I won't waste any time. I'll head there within a few hours," Naina assured him, showing her determination.
"Great. Now, for the second piece of information, Raj, I'm sending you the names of two of my reliable associates who are stationed at the Military headquarters. I've already briefed them about our plan. Your task is to provide them with copies of the evidence. They will be waiting for you at a location two miles away from the academy tomorrow morning at 5 am. I'll be there with them, so don't worry. You guys did make multiple copies of the evidence, right?" Tom inquired.
"Yes, we made sure to have several copies. Thanks for coordinating this, Tom," Rajveer expressed his gratitude.
"Good. I'll catch you tomorrow, Raj. And best of luck, Naina. Let us know how things go after your meeting with Ms. Kashyap," Tom conveyed before ending the call.
Rajveer looked at Naina with a concerned expression. "But didn't you decide not to reveal your connection to Naveen?"
"Yeah, I did. However, this time I need to share enough genuine details to convince Ms. Kashyap to take up our cause. Don't worry, I'll have my illusion up the whole time. She won't see my true appearance or features," Naina reassured Rajveer, who nodded in understanding.
"Alright, then. Take all the precautions you need. I trust your judgment," Rajveer said, his worry dissipating a bit after hearing Naina's explanation.
"I will, don't worry. And I promise, as soon as I'm done, I'll tell you everything," Naina assured him, a sense of determination in her voice.
Rajveer smiled at her. "I know you will. Just be careful, okay?"
Naina smiled back. "Always am."
...-...
...-...
...-...
Kashyap house,
Delhi.
0100 hours
Ananya Kashyap worked as a junior reporter at KKN. Residing in a modest single-story house, she lived with her mother and younger brother. Ananya's father had vanished years ago, unfairly accused of a crime. This history of injustice motivated her to tirelessly seek and present the truth to the public through her reporting.
Late that night, the Kashyap family was sound asleep when Ananya's phone unexpectedly rang. Groggily, she picked up the call, her eyes still heavy with sleep. "Hello?" she answered, her voice reflecting her drowsiness.
"Apologies for calling at this hour. Is this Ms. Ananya Kashyap?" a female voice inquired from the other end.
"Yes, speaking. How can I assist you?" Ananya responded, now sitting up in her bed.
"I possess news that I believe deserves airtime on your channel. I possess concrete evidence linking a minister to... in fact, I hold substantial proof that he is the mastermind behind an anti-national organization known as 'Eagle'," the voice on the other end relayed.
Ananya was taken aback. This was undeniably a groundbreaking story. "Are you truly in possession of substantial evidence?" she inquired to ensure the authenticity.
"Indeed. The evidence I hold could lead to his prolonged imprisonment... and more importantly, it could restore the reputation of an innocent man from 'traitor' to 'martyr'," the voice stated, its undertone conveying the pain of the situation.
"Let's meet. When and where can we arrange a meeting?" Ananya asked with a surge of excitement.
"I'm currently outside your residence. If you step out, we can meet in person," the caller's voice carried a distinct note of anticipation.
Filled with anticipation and curiosity, Ananya's heart raced. Hanging up the phone, she swiftly left her bed, donned a pair of comfortable shoes, and made her way to the front door. The door swung open, unveiling a figure in the midst of a heavy downpour. A peal of thunder echoed through the sky, its illuminating light unveiling the girl's face. In the dimly lit night, Ananya closely observed her visitor, clad in a black and gold three-piece salwar suit, she stood a few feet away from Ananya's house. Her head was covered with a dupatta, seemingly offering protection from the downpour.
[Imagine Naina dressed like this.]
"Are you the one who called?" Ananya inquired as she stepped out, her voice carrying a blend of caution and excitement.
"Yes, I am," the girl responded, her voice resolute despite the downpour. "I possess information that could unravel the foundations of some highly influential individuals. I was informed that I can place my trust in you, that you're one of those reporters who values truth over fame or money," she added.
Ananya's journalistic instincts immediately kicked in. "You can absolutely trust me. You're drenched. Please, come inside. We can discuss the details more comfortably once you've dried off."
The girl entered the modest living room, droplets of rain falling from her attire onto the floor. Ananya promptly closed the door behind her. "I'm Ananya Kashyap. And your name is?"
"Naina... Naina Singh Ahluwalia," the girl introduced herself, her gaze fixed on Ananya's as if conveying the immense weight of her revelation.
Ananya gestured toward the sofa. "Please, take a seat. Let's get out of these wet clothes." She carefully looked at the young woman in front of her. She seemed to be in her mid-twenties, with smooth and flawless skin that had a natural rosy glow. Her lips were a lovely shade of pink and looked full. Her eyes were a stunning blue, adorned with naturally long eyelashes. She had dark hair, neatly braided and falling down her back. The shape of her face was like a heart, and wet strands of hair framed her face gently.
Naina settled onto the sofa, the dampness of her clothes producing a faint sound against the upholstery. Ananya retrieved a towel from a nearby shelf and handed it to Naina. "Here, use this to dry yourself."
"Thank you," Naina expressed her gratitude, accepting the towel. She began to gently pat herself dry, her gaze unwaveringly focused on Ananya.
"So, Naina, what's the nature of the information you possess?" Ananya inquired, her journalistic curiosity ablaze.
"I believe it's better if I start from the beginning rather than diving into the ending or the middle," Naina said with a sigh.
"Absolutely, take your time," Ananya encouraged.
"My elder brother was a Captain in the Indian Army, Captain Naveen Singh Ahluwalia," Naina began.
Ananya's brow furrowed. There was a sense of familiarity about this name. "Where have I come across this name before?" she mused aloud.
"He was labeled a traitor a little over five years ago," Naina stated, her tone devoid of any emotion.
Ananya gasped, starting to grasp the seriousness of the situation. She signaled for Naina to keep talking. Naina then explained everything that had happened to her brother Naveen (except who had shot him, of course). She then spun a tale about how Naveen had hidden a Redbox containing all the evidence against Lala Gehlot and his group in their old childhood home. She described how she came back to reunite with her family and find out what had occurred to them. After three tough years, she finally cracked her brother's code and managed to get hold of the evidence.
"My brother, Naveen, was wrongfully accused and labeled a traitor. He lost his life due to these accusations. The truth was concealed, and an innocent life was sacrificed. I've gathered irrefutable evidence that a powerful minister is the puppet master behind the scenes, using my brother as a scapegoat for his own malicious agendas."
Ananya leaned forward, her eyes intent on Naina. "This is a grave accusation, Naina. Can you show me the proof so that we can be sure that these will be enough?"
Naina's expression grew more determined. "Absolutely. I have documented evidence, recordings, and documents that directly tie the minister to the anti-national organization 'Eagle.' I want justice for my brother, for the honor of his memory."
Ananya considered the gravity of the situation. "If this evidence is as substantial as you claim, it could be groundbreaking. But we must approach this with utmost care. You understand the consequences of exposing such powerful figures?"
Naina nodded. "I'm aware of the risks, but the truth must come out. Our nation deserves to know the real villains and the sacrifices that have been wrongly exploited."
Ananya held Naina's gaze for a moment before reaching for her hand. Taking Naina's hands between hers, Ananya said, "I believe in the power of the truth. Let's start by discussing the evidence you have. And if it's as solid as you say, we'll work together to present it to the world, no matter the challenges."
Naina smiled and then took out her phone, showing Ananya the evidence she had gathered. Over the next three hours, Ananya meticulously examined each piece of evidence. She felt a growing sense of disgust that a defense minister, who was supposed to ensure the country's safety, was actually causing harm. "Let's proceed with this," Ananya stated firmly. "I'll present these findings on tonight's news broadcast."
Naina shook her head. "No, I want you to reveal this information on the day before Diwali, during the 9 pm news broadcast. Because it's a matter of his words against Naveen's, I want to be absolutely certain. That's why three things will happen simultaneously. You'll air the news, someone else will release the evidence online, and another person will submit these proofs to both the military board and the president. Only then can we ensure that this man faces the consequences for his actions."
"Good idea. I have to talk to my seniors then."
"Talk to Khalid. He was the one who told me about you." Naina revealed.
Ananya was surprised but nodded.
"One more thing, Ananya. I'm trusting you with something more valuable than money... I'm trusting you with my brother's honor. Please don't let me down... because you won't like the result if you do." Naina stated coldly.
Ananya blinked at the veiled threat. "Of course, I won't break your trust. I know what it feels like when your family gets wrongfully accused for something they didn't do." she assured.
Naina nodded before getting up. She handed Ananya a plastic file that contained one copy of all the evidence against Lala. "If for some reason, you loose this or someone steals this, contact me. And make sure to not tell anyone other than Khalid about this news before tomorrow evening. That way you'll ensure that Lala's men doesn't harm you or your family." she warned.
"I'll be careful." Ananya promised.
"Thank you, Ananya... for doing this." Naina told her with a pained smile before leaving the Kashyap house.
...-...
...-...
...-...
A/N:::