The morning after their night out, Rajveer followed his usual routine and embarked on his hour-long jog. Upon returning home, he took a refreshing shower and proceeded to toss his dirty laundry into the laundry basket. However, to his surprise, his beloved green polo t-shirt was nowhere to be found. He distinctly recalled wearing it the previous morning and tossing it into the basket before their outing. "That's odd. Where could it have disappeared to?" he pondered, scanning his room in search of the elusive garment.
Just as he was contemplating the mystery, Rajveer's phone suddenly began to ring, prompting a furrowed brow as he glanced at the caller ID. Since the untimely demise of Naveen and his family, Rajveer had acquired the Ahluwalia house and enlisted the services of a housekeeper to maintain it. He had given explicit instructions for the housekeeper to preserve everything as it was, only performing a weekly cleaning. Over the past three years, he had been unable to muster the courage to enter the house himself.
"Hello?" Rajveer answered, his curiosity piqued.
"Captain sir, this is Surita, your housekeeper," spoke the woman on the other end.
"Yes, Surita ji. I have your number saved. Is everything alright?" Rajveer inquired.
"Sir, actually... Sir, my mother fell gravely ill, so I had to urgently return to my village for a month. I just arrived back in Almora yesterday. When I went to clean your house, I noticed something truly peculiar," she informed him with a sense of urgency.
"What do you mean by 'peculiar'?" Rajveer pressed, intrigued by the housekeeper's revelation.
"Sir, several personal items are missing from the house. I distinctly remember locking it, but now Naveen sir's personal diary shelf is completely empty, along with some of his clothes, files, and other belongings. In Mr. and Mrs. Ahluwalia's bedroom, madam's jewelry, sarees, family albums, files, and some of sir's clothing items and personal diary are also gone. But the most baffling part is that all the photo frames that adorned the house have vanished," Surita urgently reported.
Rajveer was taken aback by the revelation and immediately issued instructions, his voice filled with concern. "WHAT?! I'm on my way there right now. Please wait for me." With a sense of urgency, he hung up the phone and swiftly dressed himself. His mind was racing, trying to fathom who could have committed such an act. While he considered the possibility that those who had trapped Naveen might be searching for something, the missing items Surita mentioned seemed more like personal belongings. The idea of someone stealing family albums left him utterly perplexed.
As he hurriedly left the academy premises and embarked on the journey towards Almora, countless questions swirled in Rajveer's mind. The situation seemed incomprehensible to him. After a four-hour drive, he finally reached the Ahluwalia house. Surita, anticipating his arrival, stood outside, her eyes filled with worry.
"Thank you for coming, sir. I'm truly sorry. You entrusted me with this responsibility, and I feel like I have let you down... but my mother..." Surita's voice trailed off as tears welled up in her eyes.
"Don't worry, Surita ji. It's alright. Let's first assess what's missing, and if necessary, we'll file a police report," Rajveer reassured her, offering a comforting smile before making his way towards the house.
Nestled in a serene neighborhood, embraced by verdant greenery, the house stood as a modest single-story dwelling. It featured three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a dining room, a living room, a kitchen, a terrace, and a small front yard. Designed to cater to the needs and desires of a middle-class family, the house was a testament to Naveen's parents' aspirations. His father worked as a supervisor in a private hospital, while his mother held a junior executive position in a government firm. They had constructed their dream home when their daughter Naina turned seven years old, pouring their hearts into its creation.
The house held a special place in Rajveer's heart, as it was not just any other building to him. He had seen pictures of this house during his time at the academy, and it had always struck a chord with him. Every brick, every corner of this house had memories, love, and care involved in it. The thought of Naveen, his best friend, and soul brother who was no longer alive, made his heart heavy. This house was the only thing he had left of his family. That's why he had decided to buy it. As he stepped inside, memories of their time together came flooding back, making him feel both happy and sad at the same time. With a deep sigh, he looked around the familiar surroundings, missing his dear friend more than ever.
Behind him, Surita, the housekeeper, broke the silence, her voice filled with empathy. "Two of their family portraits accidentally broke while I was cleaning on the last day. I took those two photos with me to have them repaired. Apart from those, there are no other photos of them left in the house," she informed Rajveer, trailing a few steps behind him.
"Did you manage to get them fixed?" Rajveer asked, his curiosity piqued, a sense of urgency in his voice.
"Yes, sir," Surita confirmed before leading him to the side wall of the living room, where she had hung one of the restored photos.
It portrayed the Ahluwalia family during their earlier years, capturing a younger Naveen and his sister. As Rajveer studied the photograph, he couldn't shake the feeling of familiarity that washed over him. It might have been the hue of her hair or the contours of her eyes, but there was something about Naveen's sister that triggered a sense of recognition within him. A nagging sensation hinted that he had encountered her before, yet the memory remained just out of reach, teasing him with fragments of the past.
"I hung the other photo in the master bedroom," Surita told Rajveer before leading him to the room.
As soon as Rajveer's eyes landed on the family portrait, he felt like the ground had slipped from beneath his feet. The face in the photograph was unmistakable, even though it was taken years ago. Rajveer recognized her immediately. "Naina..." he breathed out, "...she is Naveen's Gudiya [Doll]."
"How can this happen?! Naveen's sister was... wasn't she... I don't..."he couldn't even form proper words in his mind."What is she doing at the academy? And her name? Does she know about Naveen? And what is she doing at the academy? If I remember correctly... Naveen's gudiya vanished more than 6 years ago... just a few weeks before our graduation. I remember how worried Naveen was... how desperately he was looking for his sister. I have to talk to Naina. I have to know what is the truth."he thought to himself urgently.
"You mentioned that personal items were missing. Please show me what's gone," he instructed.
Over the course of the next hour, Rajveer assessed the extent of the missing items. It became evident that only possessions of sentimental value had been taken. While the absence of Mrs. Ahluwalia's jewelry raised suspicions, Rajveer couldn't shake the feeling that it had been targeted with Naina in mind. He reassured Surita that he would handle the situation and advised her not to be overly concerned. With a determined resolve, he made his way back to the academy, knowing that there was a cadet he needed to speak with.
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Naina took a deep breath, feeling the burning sensation in her throat. The previous night, she had taken one of Rajveer's t-shirts from his laundry basket. Sneaking out to the jungle, she had let her bloodlust consume her, resulting in the t-shirt being reduced to tatters. Naina couldn't help but feel guilty for ruining his clothing, especially considering he seemed to have only a few items. Nonetheless, the release of her pent-up emotions had provided her with a sense of relief. She was now confident that she could maintain control and even be in Captain Rajveer's presence without posing a threat to him. She made a silent promise to herself that she would replace his clothes, but for the time being, she needed to maintain her composure and find solace in the comfort of his used clothing. She had tied a piece of the fabric to her wrist, allowing the scent to surround her and help her adjust.
As they were leaving Subedar Major Lolita's class, Pooja noticed the fabric tied to Naina's wrist. Teasingly, she asked, "Naina, are you practicing for Raksha Bandhan?"
Naina froze, realizing that the festival was indeed the following day. For the past six years, she had been unable to tie a rakhi on her brother Naveen's wrist, and she would never have the chance to do so again in her long, nearly immortal life. "Something like that. Remind me to send rakhis to my brother and brother-in-law later when you send yours, okay?" she replied, forcing a smile.
"Of course, I'll set a reminder," Pooja cheerfully replied.
However, there was someone who saw through Naina's lie. He called out to her from behind. "Naina, wait!"
Excusing herself from Pooja, she approached him. "Yes, Alekh?" she asked.
"This year, you can tie your other brother's rakhi on my wrist alongside mine," he said stoically.
A smile spread across Naina's face, venom filling her eyes but failing to fall. "Thank you," she whispered.
Alekh simply nodded in response. "I'll only get you chocolates in return, though," he stated as he walked past her.
"I can't eat them," Naina called out from behind. Frowning in confusion, Alekh turned to give her a puzzled look. "I mean, just look at my figure. I need to maintain it. I can't indulge in delicious treats since they're prohibited in my diet plan. How about getting me earrings the next time you go out to buy alcohol?" she suggested, not wanting to risk the possibility of vomiting up the gooey chocolate.
"Okay," Alekh agreed with a fond smile.
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The Super Six had gathered in the mess for their breakfast, and Naina arrived with an aarti thaali, sitting in front of Alekh with a gentle smile. Huda observed her actions and decided to sit as far away as possible, amusing the others. Naina found his behavior amusingly exaggerated and rolled her eyes, while Alekh jokingly called him a 'drama queen.' Naina tied the rakhi on Alekh's hand with a smile, marking the first time in six years that she was tying a rakhi on someone other than Thomas and Jeremy. The rest of their group looked puzzled when Naina picked up the second rakhi.
"This is for her brother since he's not here with her today," Alekh stated casually.
Rajveer observed the scene from the doorway of the mess. Having arrived late the previous night, he hadn't had a chance to speak with Naina. It was evident to him that Alekh knew something about Naina that her other friends didn't.
"Naina, please tie my sister's rakhi on my wrist for me. I asked Huda and the chief, but they didn't," Yudi complained, holding out his sister's rakhi towards Naina. Smiling, Naina tied his rakhi.
"Naina ji, please tie mine as well. All five of my sisters sent me rakhis," Ali said with a bashful smile.
"Pooja is free. Why don't you ask her?" Alekh suggested with a mischievous smirk.
"NOOOO!" Pooja and Ali exclaimed in unison.
Their group burst into laughter at their reaction. "Give them to me," Naina said to Ali and started tying all five of his sisters' rakhis as he shared which one was from whom.
"Why are there only five rakhis? I thought all the girls in Kanpur were your sisters," Alekh teased.
Ali rolled his eyes and turned to Naina, "Naina ji, your brother is teasing me," he complained.
"OYE! How dare you complain to my sister about me!" Alekh scolded, pretending to be offended, making the group burst into laughter again.
Yudi noticed that Huda seemed a little down. "Dude, are you okay?" he asked.
"I'm just missing my sisters," Huda said with a sad sigh.
"You have sisters?" Pooja asked, surprised.
"Yes, I do... but they don't send me rakhis," Huda replied with a pout.
"Why? Is there some problem?" Naina asked curiously. Even Ali and Yudi looked concerned. Only Alekh rolled his eyes, remembering their earlier conversation.
"They are so sad. They didn't even give milk properly today as they didn't see me home." Huda said with a sigh.
Rajveer, who was standing behind their table at the counter, turned around and gave Huda a puzzled look. The rest of the Super Six also looked confused. "Cadet Huda, your sisters give... milk?" he asked, unable to contain his curiosity.
"Same question," Pooja and Naina said.
"Yeah. My buffalos are my sisters. I have six of them," Huda replied. The Super Six and Rajveer facepalmed at his answer.
Just then, one of the senior cadets arrived and announced that the Freshers' Ball was scheduled for a few days later. The theme was red attire for ladies and black attire for men, and there was a catch - only couples were allowed to attend. Excitement filled the air as the Super Six and their friends started discussing the upcoming event.
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Naina met with Thomas and Jeremy in the forest behind the academy to tie them their rakhis. As a token of their love and appreciation, Thomas gifted her the Campbell family crest in the form of a pendant, completely studded with diamonds on a pure silver background. Overwhelmed with emotions, Naina hugged Thomas tightly, knowing that this pendant held more sentimental value than its monetary worth. She promised to wear it around her neck always, as a constant reminder of their bond and as a symbol of her deep respect and gratitude for their family.
Jeremy gave Naina a machine that could send electric impulses to trick any machine into thinking it was her heart rate. It was much more advanced than the previous ones he had given her. Naina thanked him, knowing it would be extremely helpful in the upcoming days.
It was time for Dr. Ritu Mishra's test. Since Naina first met the woman, something about her had made Naina feel extremely alert. Her instincts had screamed at her to take a deeper look into Dr. Mishra. That's why Naina always stayed on guard around her.
Dr. Ritu began her test, and for some reason, Captain Rajveer joined in. She explained the first test: she would say a word, and the cadet would have to respond with the first thing that came to their mind. The Super Six gave the test in their own styles, and then it was Naina's turn.
"Lie," Dr. Mishra said.
"Everything," Naina replied with a smile.
Rajveer immediately straightened up at her answer. It was as though her one word held all the answers to the questions running through his head.
"Everything is a lie?" Dr. Mishra asked, to make sure she had heard correctly.
"Isn't it?" Naina countered.
"Uh... I guess," Dr. Mishra replied, puzzled.
The second part of the test began, which was a lie detector test. Naina attached the fake heartbeat machine to her body, and Dr. Ritu explained the next test where the cadets would have to lie. One by one, each cadet gave their test, with some delivering more funny lies than others. Rajveer poured his complete focus on Naina as soon as she took the seat in front of Dr. Ritu.
"I'm Jia Rastogi. I'm a second-year college student. I'm introverted and shy in nature. I never get angry. I'm almost like the heroine of Hindi serials as I never think bad about those who harm me. Anyone can come and kick me down, and I will never even think of taking revenge. The truth is, no matter how I look... I'm not dangerous at all." Naina lied with a soft smile on her face, maintaining eye contact with Dr. Mishra.
Both Captain Rajveer and Dr. Ritu Mishra couldn't ignore the unspoken warning conveyed in Naina's statement. Her beautiful smile only heightened the unsettling nature of the situation. Dr. Ritu struggled to conceal her inner uneasiness, yet this young woman's beauty never failed to send shivers down her spine. Naina evoked in Ritu a familiar quote by Author Belva Plain - 'Danger lurks beneath beauty, and beauty within danger.'
"You seem to possess expertise in deception, Cadet Campbell. I noticed not even the slightest fluctuation in your heart rate," Dr. Ritu complimented, her unease still present.
"Thank you, ma'am," Naina replied, her smile retaining its sweetness.
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The Super Six stood before the grade board, exhaling with relief. Each of them had scored above 50 out of 100. Naina, Alekh, and Huda found themselves in the 'A' group, attaining scores between 90 and 100. Ali and two others joined the 'B' group, securing scores between 80 and 90. Yudi and a girl formed the 'C' group, achieving scores between 70 and 80, while Pooja and four others made up the 'D' group, scoring between 60 and 70.
Yudi grumbled about not scoring higher, providing an opportunity for Huda to playfully taunt him. Eventually, he managed to join the group, as it seemed their circle was willing to give the village bully a chance – recognizing the value of diversity within their ranks.
"Don't worry, Yudi. You'll be just fine. None of us arrived at this academy as trained soldiers. We're all here to learn and grow. You're a quick learner, and I have no doubt that you'll thrive in the upcoming months. I promise you'll be recognized as one of the finest soldiers in the Indian army," Naina reassured him, her smile radiating warmth.
Yudi's tension eased at her words, and both Alekh and Pooja beamed proudly. "Thank you, Naina," Yudi expressed his gratitude. When even his own parents lacked belief in him, he found solace in the support of his newfound friends.
"Cadet Campbell, there's a parcel for you," an orderly announced.
Naina accepted the sizable cardboard box from the orderly and responded, "Thank you."
"Here, let me lend a hand, Gorgeous," Huda offered.
"That's alright, it's not heavy. It's probably new clothes from my mom. Well, I'll catch up with you all later. I'm taking this to my room," Naina informed them before bidding her temporary farewell.
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A/N::: Finally, Rajveer knows the truth. Did you like how it was revealed?
How would Naina react to him knowing?
How will the confrontation go?
You're get the answers on Thursday. Bye.
***Raksha Bandhan is a traditional festival observed annually, typically in August. During this occasion, a girl or a woman ties a cotton bracelet called rakhi to her brother or someone she regards as one, who in turn pledges to protect her like a sister. The festival originated from Sanskrit and its name "Raksha Bandhan" signifies "bond of protection." Celebrated on the full moon day in Shravana, the fifth month of the Hindu lunar calendar, Raksha Bandhan is a significant Hindu festival commemorating the special bond shared between siblings.