BC summoned all the faculty members to attend an urgent meeting, with a strict order for Major Bhargav to be present as well. As Rajveer hurried towards the conference room, he ran into Dr. Ritu at the entrance.
"Captain, do you have any idea what this meeting is about?" she asked in a hurry.
Rajveer shook his head in response, "No idea, Doctor. Let's find out." They then entered the conference room together, wondering what the meeting could be about.
As all the faculty members took their seats, BC arrived and began pacing behind the head chair with his hand behind his back. "Today...when Cadet Naina asked those questions...for the first time...I had no answer," he started with a deep sigh. "She asked why we weren't training them on how to find traitors. And she's right. I guess...in my anger towards Naveen and his betrayal, I forgot that hating him is not more important than loving our country," he told everyone.
BC continued, "This academy trains our future soldiers. They should be properly prepared and well-trained in the act of search, trail, and investigate in all kinds of country enemies...leaving the judgement and punishment to the military court to decide. That's why I've made a decision. From this day forward, no one will say Naveen Singh Ahluwalia's name in this academy. No one will use him as an example for either good or bad. It would be as if he never existed for us."
Rajveer couldn't believe what he was hearing, but was grateful that he wouldn't have to hear anyone badmouthing his best friend anymore. He was overwhelmed with emotion and thought to himself, "Naina, you amazing girl! How did you do this? Do you even have any idea what you accomplished?!"
However, Major Bhargav and Major Nair had concerns about the new decision. "But sir, how will the cadets learn what not to do?" Bhargav protested.
"Exactly!" Nair added in agreement.
BC glared at the two of them and roared angrily, "Majors, are you saying that before using Naveen as an example, we weren't properly training our cadets? How dare you even insinuate that?!"
Realizing that he had gone too far, Bhargav quickly apologized, "N-No, sir. I didn't mean to imply that. I apologize."
"Extremely sorry, sir." Nair also mumbled, frowning.
"If you want to use examples, find someone else... and it have to be multiple people in both genders. Like Cadet Naina asked why was there no photos or mention of any female traitors? Find out more about this topic as well and use them during the drills." BC ordered Nair sternly.
Nair nodded his head, understanding the gravity of the situation. "Yes, sir. I will start researching immediately and make sure to include examples of both male and female traitors during our drills," he replied.
BC nodded, satisfied with Nair's response. "Good. And from now on, we will make sure to properly train our cadets on how to identify and handle traitors, without any biases or prejudices. Our goal is to create the best soldiers who are dedicated to serving and protecting our country," he concluded. Then he turned towards Captain Rajveer, "Captain, you are to teach the cadets how enemy could use both males and females to get into our country's secrets to harm our country. Teaching them how to navigate through these types of situations would be your responsibility."
"Yes, sir," Rajveer replied with a crisp salute. He knew it would be a challenging task, but he was ready to take it on.
The faculty members nodded their agreement, and the meeting was adjourned. As they all filed out of the conference room, Rajveer couldn't help but feel a sense of pride for Naina and her ability to make a positive change in the academy's training program. He knew that with the new changes being implemented, the cadets would be better equipped to handle any situation that may arise in their future as soldiers.
... - ...
"Way to go, Naina! You made Bhargav run away from the field with his tail between his legs," Yudi exclaimed, laughing.
"If what Naina pointed out wasn't something I also agreed with, I would have scolded you by now. What she pointed out today actually makes sense," Ali stated thoughtfully.
"But did you HAVE to point out that females could be traitors too? Now Major Nair will start taunting and accusing us with that," Pooja complained.
"Today, our gorgeous turned into Phoolan Devi on the drill field. I think I'm going to start calling you 'Phoolan' from now on," Huda stated with a grin.
As the others laughed and reminisced about the day's events, Alekh watched his sister closely. Although she appeared to be unaffected on the surface, he knew that seeing the dummies with her brother's face had shaken her deeply. Despite this, he was proud of her for achieving something remarkable - she had convinced the academy to stop using Naveen as an example without losing her composure.
"Cadets, while you are required to eat the meal that Major sahab has planned, I have made something special for you all," Suriji announced, a huge grin on his face. He distributed bowls of kheer to everyone and placed one in front of Naina before sitting beside her. "Puttar ji, I... thank you," he whispered, patting her head.
Naina was confused but understood that Suriji wanted to speak privately. Meanwhile, Alekh ate his kheer while keeping an ear out for their conversation.
Suriji sighed when he saw Naina's confusion and began to share, "Naveen... he was a good boy when he was a cadet here." The rest of Naina's group noticed Suriji saying something and gathered around him to hear.
Suriji chuckled with teary eyes, "Naveen was very naughty and an absolute prankster." Yudi, Ali, Pooja, and Huda exchanged silent looks, glad that they would finally get to know about the man the academy claimed to be a traitor.
"He was the life of his batch. Rajveer sir was his best friend, and it's rare to see such loyal friends in these times. Rajveer was always shy in nature, but Naveen used to bring out his inner child. There were no rules in this academy that those two brats didn't break, but they always made sure to keep their grades on top. They were both really dear to me. When they graduated and left, I felt like a proud father," Suriji said with a fond smile. He then sighed and continued, "A few years later, Naveen came back as a faculty. He was not the cheerful guy I used to know. He hinted that something bad had happened in his family, but didn't share what it was. He was like a living corpse. Then, a few weeks later, there was a change in him. He had started smiling again, like someone had breathed life into him. Soon, an Alumni night was arranged for the past cadets, and he came to me all excited. He told me that he had a girlfriend and wanted to introduce her to me on Alumni night."
Naina and Alekh looked at Suriji in surprise. This was a new story to them.
"Wait... so are you saying he had a girlfriend?" Naina asked.
Suriji nodded. "Hmm... but alas! I had to leave the academy that night for an emergency. When I returned, Naveen was already arrested. They said he tried to steal something related to national security. It made no sense to me. The guy who was so excited about his girlfriend... how could he steal something in that excitement? But I'm just a lowly Subedar. My thoughts are not important. He was judged to be a traitor. But there was something that always puzzled me... where was this girlfriend during his trial? And why did he remain silent? Not once did he say anything in his defense. It was as if... he was broken all over again." Suriji exhaled heavily. "While my heart never accepted it, I learned to live with it. But every time they called him a traitor, it felt like my heart was being bayoneted, and I wasn't even allowed to react." Tears welled up in his eyes. "Naina, my dear, because of you, my heart finally has a chance to heal." he whispered.
Naina placed her hand on his. "Suriji, I didn't do it for him, but after hearing your story, I'm glad I did it. I'm happy that I was able to bring you some relief." she told him kindly. Her heart ached for the man who considered her older brother his own child, even after so many years. She understood how he must have felt hiding his true feelings until now. Since she and her brother respected this man so much, she was happy to have been able to bring him this much solace. Suriji smiled at her gratefully before leaving them to eat their kheer.
Later that evening.
The Super Six sat together around a carrom board in the game room, each lost in their own thoughts. With an hour left before lights out, most of the cadets were hanging out with their own friends, leaving the game room empty except for the Super Six.
Suddenly, Ali stood up and closed the door before joining his friends. Speaking in a low tone, he said, "While I would never doubt the judgment of the military, the situation surrounding Captain Naveen's arrest seemed strange, don't you think?"
The rest of the group looked at him in shock. Ali was the most rule-abiding cadet in their batch, and after the incident with his parents, he had become even more straightforward. It was surprising to hear him question the military's judgment.
Feeling self-conscious after seeing their reaction, Ali stammered, "W-What? I was just saying..."
Huda chimed in, "I agree with our Usool (Principles). If a guy is busy romancing, he would hardly think of stealing something other than that girl's heart... and sometimes her... you know what I mean," with a suggestive wink.
"Do you think the girlfriend's handset was corrupt, or maybe she was a virus sent to corrupt the captain's network?" Pooja whispered, leaning in so that only her friends could hear.
"Are you suggesting that his girlfriend was a spy, and she was the one who tried to steal whatever it was Naveen was accused of stealing?" Naina guessed.
"Could it be? I mean, didn't you question this morning that the enemy could also send their females to harm our country?" Yudi added.
"Guys, all these are just theories without proof," Naina pointed out. She was thoroughly surprised by how brilliantly her friends worked out these clues. She would have done so as well after some time, but the addition of five other brains worked wonders in that moment.
"How about we look for evidence?" Alekh suggested. "Since it's not an active case, this could be a game of find the clue. Let's see if the six of us can solve this case when the army couldn't." He said with a naughty smirk. His tone had enough mischief to intrigue almost all of his friends. Pooja, Yudi, and Huda agreed almost instantly.
Ali had a thoughtful look on his face. "I'm also in, as long as it doesn't get in the way of our studies and drills, and if we don't support anything that goes against our country," he put forth his conditions.
Grinning, the group agreed. "This mission needs a name," Yudi suggested with a smirk.
"How about 'Find the Truth'?" Ali proposed.
"Meh, boring," Huda and Yudi replied, with Pooja nodding in agreement and a sheepish smile.
"What's the name of that bird that is reborn from fire or ashes or something?" Alekh asked.
"Phoenix?" Naina guessed.
"That's actually creative, but it doesn't go with the vibe," Yudi pointed out with a shrug.
Naina suddenly smiled and said, "Guiding Light... We'll call it Guiding Light. It goes with the vibe and doesn't clue anyone in on what we're working on," she stated with a grin.
"Brilliant!" Yudi and Pooja cheered.
"Perfect name, Naina ji. That's what we're aiming for, after all... to guide the light in the right direction," Ali praised with a smile.
"Let's make a pact then," Alekh suggested as he stood up, holding out his hand towards his friends. "We will defend those who cannot defend themselves. We will speak up for them when they can't even talk," he vowed in a strong voice.
Naina stood and placed her hand on his. "We will not tell anyone about this mission without the agreement of all six of us," she added sharply. While this might be just a mission for the rest of them, it was her only aim in life.
Pooja stood and placed her hand over Naina's. "We will not let falsehood cover our eyes," she said in a firm tone.
Ali stood up and placed his hand over Pooja's. "We will not let anyone hide the truth from coming out, no matter what it might cost. Sometimes it is necessary to fight for the truth," he vowed, as some instinct in him was screaming that he needed to do this.
Huda stood up and placed his hand over Ali's. "We will fight against all powers to get to the bottom of this matter. We will not let fear influence our decisions," he vowed, remembering the path he had almost gone down. He wanted to be better.
Yudi stood up and placed his hand over Huda's. "We will not give up until we uncover the truth... whatever that may be."
Then, all six of them said at the same time, "Agreed!" and smiled at each other.
The rest of the group nodded in agreement. They were all excited to work together on this mystery, but also mindful of their responsibilities as cadets. They spent some more time discussing their plan of action and brainstorming ideas. As they parted ways to go to their respective dorms for the night, Naina felt a sense of camaraderie and excitement that she hadn't felt in a long time.
...-...
...-...
...-...
Captain Rajveer entered his room after dinner, feeling worried about Naina. He hadn't been able to speak to her since the drill, and he wondered how she was coping after seeing the image of her brother being stabbed. Upon entering his bedroom, he found Naina standing in front of the window she usually entered through.
"Naina?" he called out softly, turning on the lights.
She turned around, and the look in her eyes broke something inside him. He could tell that she wanted to cry loudly, but her tears wouldn't fall. In that moment, the wall he had built around his heart shattered into a million pieces. From that moment on, nothing else mattered to him other than her. He approached her like one would approach a wounded bird and pulled her into a tight hug. It was as if Rajveer was trying to protect her from the world that was hell-bent on hurting her very soul.
"No, Naina, don't lose your courage. Don't break down. This fight has just begun. We have a long way to go," he told her firmly before pulling back to cup her face. "I know I couldn't save Naveen, but I promise... I'll be by your side till my last breath," he vowed.
Naina's lips trembled from trying not to cry. She knew how unfortunate she was that she couldn't even shed real tears for her brother. "It hurts so bad," she whispered.
Rajveer nodded, understanding what she meant. He made her sit on the bed and hugged her tightly as he sat beside her. Naina hid her face in his chest and started sobbing. She had the perfect memory of each of those stabs, after all. Each stab made her feel like they were really stabbing her brother and she just stood there. At one point, she was literally wailing... grieving for the brother who loved her the most.
Rajveer tightened his hold on her as tears of pain fell down his cheeks as well. He buried his face in her hair and sobbed. They didn't know how long they cried in each other's arms, but it took them a long time to calm down. Though they were calmer, they didn't let each other go. They stayed like that for more than an hour, silently giving each other the support they needed to continue on this journey filled with turbulence.
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A/N::: I had tears rolling down my eyes when I write the scene of Raina crying.
The S6's pact was inspired by Dauntless manifesto. It's always been an inspiration for me and I try to follow it as much as I could. Yes, Divergent is one of my most favorite book series.
If you haven't read it then here it is:
"*We believe that cowardice is to blame for the world's injustices. We believe that peace is hard-won, that sometimes it is necessary to fight for peace.
*We believe that justice is more important than peace.
*We believe in freedom from fear, in denying fear the power to influence our decisions.
*We believe in ordinary acts of bravery, in the courage that drives one person to stand up for another.
*We believe in acknowledging fear and the extent to which it rules us.
*We believe in facing that fear no matter what the cost to our comfort, our happiness, or even our sanity.
*We believe in shouting for those who can only whisper, in defending those who cannot defend themselves.
*We believe, not just in bold words but in bold deeds to match them.
*We believe that pain and death are better than cowardice and inaction because we believe in action.
*We do not believe in living comfortable lives.
*We do not believe that silence is useful.
*We do not believe in good manners.
*We do not believe in empty heads, empty mouths, or empty hands.
*We do not believe that learning to master violence encourages unnecessary violence.
*We do not believe that we should be allowed to stand idly by.
*We do not believe that any other virtue is more important than bravery."