Naina carried the parcel to her room, gently shutting the door behind her. Carefully placing the box on her bed, she swiftly untied the ribbon and lifted the lid. The distinct scent of aged papers wafted through the air, confirming her suspicions. Natasha had indeed sent Naveen's cherished diaries to her. Within the confines of the box, a treasure trove awaited Naina's eager eyes. More than 17 diaries, neatly stacked, held the memories and musings of her beloved brother. Bundles of letters, tied with faded ribbons, were intertwined with the pages. Delicate sketches, a testament to Naveen's artistic talent, added an artistic touch to the collection.
A soft smile graced Naina's lips as she settled beside the box, the anticipation building within her. Gently, she lifted one of the diaries, its worn cover telling tales of Naveen's academy days. With a tender touch, she began to flip through the aged pages, immersing herself in the intimate glimpses of her brother's thoughts and experiences.
Within the intimate pages of Naveen's diaries, his words painted a vivid picture of his experiences and emotions. He delved into the details of his interactions with the faculty members, expressing his thoughts on the tasks assigned to him. Naveen's longing for his little sister, the longing for their mother's comforting meals, and the nostalgic memories of their father taking him grocery shopping and imparting lessons on bargaining were all captured within the ink-stained pages.
Amidst the heartfelt accounts, Naveen's diaries revealed a profound bond that he shared with his roommate and best friend, Veeru. In the diaries, Naveen lovingly described how Rajveer transformed into Veeru, opening his heart and soul to their friendship. He extolled Veeru's virtues, highlighting his humility, loyalty, accountability, resilience, honesty, respectfulness, compassion, integrity, generosity, gratitude, empathy, and attentive listening. Veeru was portrayed as a person of immense kindness and respect.
Naina's chuckle reverberated through the room, evoking a memory from their past. She recalled a time when Naveen incessantly spoke about Veeru during one of his visits home, a conversation that had irked her back then. However, as she continued turning the pages, Naina found herself captivated by yet another entry, eager to immerse herself in Naveen's world once more.
"I cannot believe how someone can be so shy! Veeru literally ran away as soon as the girl proposed to him. He even had the audacity to call her 'Sorry, sister' before running away. I am giving up on setting him up with any of our classmates from now on. But to tell you the truth, I kind of like this about him. He's a one-woman man. Whoever is made for him would be really lucky as he would only ever love her... or him. He might be gay. Should I try flirting with him to find out if he is gay?"
Naina couldn't help but burst into giggles after reading that paragraph. "Bhaiya, you're too much," she said to herself in the empty room.
Naina's giggles subsided as she swiftly stowed the box away in a concealed space atop her closet. With the precious diaries hidden from sight, she turned her attention to the unexpected knock on her door. Curiosity piqued, she cautiously approached the entrance and opened it to find an orderly standing before her.
"Yes?" Naina inquired, her gaze fixed on the uniformed individual.
"Captain Rajveer has requested your presence in his quarters," the orderly relayed, maintaining a professional demeanor.
"Alright," Naina acknowledged with a nod of gratitude, appreciating the orderly's message. Mind buzzing with anticipation, she made her way towards Captain Rajveer's room, her thoughts consumed with what awaited her there.
...-...
Naina rapped lightly on Captain Rajveer's door, hearing his response from within, "Come in, Cadet! It's unlocked."
Pushing the door open, she stepped into the room and found him engrossed in perusing through a stack of files. "You wanted to see me, sir?" she queried curiously, secretly relieved to discover that his presence no longer triggered the usual burning sensation in her throat. It was merely the customary scent one would expect from a human.
"Close the door behind you. We need to have a conversation," he instructed, his tone serious as he set the files aside.
Naina raised an eyebrow at the gravity in his voice and obediently shut the door behind her, sealing off the room from prying ears. "What's the matter, sir? You seem troubled," she observed, concern knitting her brows together.
"I've stumbled upon something... intriguing. I wanted to hear your thoughts on it," Rajveer stated, delving into his phone's gallery. Retrieving a snapshot of the Ahluwalia family's portrait, he extended his phone towards Naina, keeping a keen watch on her reaction.
Naina hesitated, momentarily flustered. "Um... Sir, I don't believe it's appropriate for you to show me personal photos," she remarked, a hint of disgust flickering across her face.
"WHAT?! NOOO! No! It's not like that at all!" Rajveer blurted out, abruptly springing up from the couch. His cheeks flushed crimson with embarrassment.
"Oh!" Naina mumbled, catching on to his genuine reaction. Clearly, it was not an intimate image he intended to share. Recalling the passage from Naveen's diary, she relaxed. "I apologize. You handed me your phone out of the blue, saying it was something intriguing... I thought..." Her sentence trailed off, unable to articulate her misinterpretation.
Rajveer pinched the bridge of his nose in exasperation. "Believe me, cadet... I would never possess such photos, let alone show them to anyone," he grumbled, striving to clarify his intentions.
Suppressing her amusement, Naina bit her lower lip and cleared her throat before accepting the phone. Swiftly wiping the smile from her face, she realized it was an aged family portrait, taken when she was around 14 or 15 years old. Though the memory of posing for the photo was hazy, it held a distant familiarity.
Rajveer observed Naina's blank expression and found some reassurance in her lack of surprise. If she weren't the person in the photo, she would have shown some astonishment. But her stoic demeanor confirmed her identity. "You're Naveen's little sister, aren't you?" he inquired.
Naina placed his phone back on the coffee table. "I am. What do you intend to do about it?" she asked boldly.
"So, you admit that you're Naveen's sister... his gudiya?" Rajveer pressed urgently, stepping closer.
Naina silently regarded him for a moment. Then, with a subtle smile, she responded, "Six years ago, I was Naina Singh Ahluwalia. Now, I'm Naina Campbell. Is that what you wanted to know?"
Rajveer closed the distance between them, his expression filled with anger. "Do you have ANY idea what Naveen and your parents went through after you vanished? Do you comprehend how tirelessly they searched for you? How broken and sorrowful my best friend was? How much he cried?" he demanded, scowling at her.
Naina tilted her head and locked eyes with Rajveer, her smile growing ever so slightly. His eyes betrayed his genuine emotions, and she noticed that he stood five inches taller than her. A sense of satisfaction blossomed within her. "You don't consider him a traitor like others do, do you?" she playfully questioned.
Rajveer controlled his emotions and countered with a question of his own. "Do you believe he's a traitor?"
"My older brother was many things, Captain Shikhawat, but a traitor he was not," Naina replied firmly. "And judging by how personally offended you seem on his behalf, I don't believe you think so either," she added, a playful glint in her eyes. "By the way, where did you find this photo? I don't recall seeing it at home," she inquired, stealing a glance at his phone.
"So, my suspicion was correct. It was you who took those personal belongings," Rajveer remarked. "Please have a seat," he said, gesturing toward the couch. He went on to explain how he had acquired the house and now possessed both portraits.
"Thank you for looking after their belongings," Naina murmured softly, her gratitude evident in her voice.
Rajveer's urgency intensified as he questioned, "Naina, where have you been all these years? And why do you now go by Naina Campbell? And how did you end up at this academy?"
Naina let out a heavy sigh before answering, her voice tinged with sadness, "Shortly after I was abducted, I was sold to human traffickers."
Rajveer's expression twisted into a frown of shock. "What?!" he exclaimed, leaning forward in his chair, his concern evident.
Naina continued, "I tried to escape more than 17 times, but I wasn't successful. Finally, on the night before they were going to sell all the virgins in an auction, I made one last attempt and managed to get out. Unfortunately, I was caught soon after." She lied skillfully, as she couldn't reveal the truth about how her new brothers saved her.
Rajveer clenched his teeth tightly, a surge of anger coursing through him as he sympathized with the horrors Naina had endured in her past.
"The leader was super pissed about it. He and his men used me as an example for the other girls. They beat me so much that at one point my heart stopped beating. Thinking I was dead, they threw my body on the side of some random highway. But I wasn't dead yet. Somehow, I crawled out of the side of the road and fainted in the middle of said highway. Thomas and Jeremy Campbell, my brother and his husband, were on their way home when they found me. They took me to the hospital. The doctors told them not to expect me to survive. Thomas rallied against them and told them to do whatever they needed to do to save me. They lied that I was their little sister. My face was in a really bad shape so they also had to have plastic surgeons work on me. I just five cracked ribs, a punctured lung, a broken wrist, two broken legs, raptured spleen, fractured skull, broken nose, and broken facial bones." Naina shared the details of her injury. There was really no other way to save her other than turning her. Naina would always be grateful to her brothers for this gift of life.
Rajveer's eyes welled up with tears as he reflected on the immense pain Naina must have endured. "What happened afterward?" he asked in a gentle tone.
Naina took a deep breath before continuing her narrative. "I remained in a coma for over two years, despite the tireless efforts of Thomas, Jeremy, Mom, and Dad to identify me. Eventually, they made the heartfelt decision to adopt me as their own, embracing me as their daughter and sister. When I finally regained consciousness, my memory was completely wiped due to the head injury. They revealed the truth to me and extended their family to me with open arms. I embraced their love and care, never feeling like an outsider. Thomas was fiercely protective, Dad and Jeremy offered unwavering support, and Mom showered me with immense affection. It was everything I could have asked for. Eventually, we moved away from the country. About ten months ago, my memories slowly started resurfacing, and I confided in my family. Dad asked if I wanted to search for my biological family, but Mom assured me that I would always be an integral part of our family, no matter what. Thomas initially didn't want me to leave, claiming I was his little sister and he wouldn't share me with anyone," Naina shared, a soft laughter escaping her lips. "Jeremy managed to convince him, and together we embarked on a journey to uncover what had happened during my absence. It took us three arduous months to piece together the truth," she concluded, her voice tinged with a hint of defeat. "Joining the army was my way of restoring my brother's honor. Naveen would never betray his country, and I'm here to prove that," Naina declared, conviction resonating in her words.
"I apologize for accusing you earlier. The pain your absence caused Naveen and your parents was unimaginable. You were their lifeline, and your disappearance almost shattered them. Naveen became consumed by his duties, as though he couldn't bear to live without them," Rajveer expressed, his voice filled with empathy for Naina's family. "He would have been incredibly proud of you for being here," he added.
After a brief pause, Naina urged Rajveer to share his own story, curious about why he had chosen to return to this specific military academy.
"I'm here for the same reason as you," Rajveer replied, before delving into his thoughts on Naveen's case. "I have a strong intuition that there's more to the situation than meets the eye. They rushed Naveen's case and treated him unjustly. I suspect they wanted to conceal something else under the pretext of his case," he elaborated.
Naina nodded, acknowledging their shared purpose. "That means we're both here for the same cause," she remarked, letting out a sigh, "and to think I almost killed you that first day." she said without thinking.
"Wait... what?! Killed me?"
Naina's eyes widened. "N-No no no. I didn't mean it. I was just joking." she told him with a nervous smile.
Rajveer gave her a knowing smile. "Someday, you'll have to tell me what that's all about, but for now, I'll ignore it," he told her, giving her a playful look.
She laughed, though she would have blushed if she were still human. "Anyway, I wanted to let you know that my entire Campbell family is helping me with everything they have. So, I would really appreciate it if you share any information you find, and I promise to do the same," she said, becoming serious.
"I'll share everything I can, except for any confidential information," Rajveer promised, making Naina smile.