Naina had an impressive collection of fruits that impressed Rajveer. However, Naina confessed that she was so hungry that she had already consumed half of her collection. Rajveer chuckled and ate his fill as Naina insisted. Naina set aside some fruits for Rajveer to eat the next day. Eventually, it was time to go to bed, but both were hesitant to go inside the tent. Rajveer suggested staying outside, but Naina scolded him, explaining that the temperature had dropped by six degrees since they arrived and they should retire inside.
"I trust you, Rajveer sir," she told him, understanding why he didn't want to go inside.
This was the first time the couple would be staying in such close quarters since becoming a couple. After sighing, Rajveer nodded, and they went inside the tent. They lied down with two feet of distance between their beds and turned towards each other, chatting softly. At one point, Rajveer fell asleep while holding Naina's hand.
Next morning.
Rajveer abruptly woke up, only to find himself alone inside the tent. He scanned his surroundings and discovered a small note. The note read: "Gone to meet my friends and fetch water. Naina." He smiled and carefully tucked the note into his pocket before getting up.
Meanwhile, Naina had filled three bottles with water before assisting her friends. They all exchanged stories about their mentors and experiences. Unexpectedly, Naina blurted out, "I informed Dr. Ritu that Rajveer sir is mine... I also warned her to stay away from him."
Her friends stared at her in disbelief. "Did you really send her that text message?" Pooja asked.
Naina responded in Pooja's language, "Hmm... I indirectly told her that if she tried to get in Rajveer sir's network again, then I'll turn into a virus and getting into her system, I'll delete all of her files."
Huda, Yudi, and Pooja erupted into laughter, clutching their stomachs. Alekh approached Naina and put his arm around her. "Don't assume that just because you two are adults, you can openly engage in romance. You have two brothers, a brother-in-law, and a set of parents who would need to give their permission for Rajveer sir to do anything romantic. If you think you can secretly romance him without your family finding out, don't worry. I'll inform them about everything... in great detail. So, he better not go beyond holding your hand," he possessively informed her.
Naina stared at him in disbelief. "What?!"
"Yes," Alekh affirmed with a nod.
"I agree with Alekh bhai. Until you two are legally married, there will be no funny business," Ali added sternly. "And remember, you have three brothers, including me," he pointed out.
Naina huffed. "Then I'll do the same when you romance Pooja."
"I'm fine with that," Ali responded with a casual shrug.
"I'm not." Pooja interjected, "Oye Alekh! Ali! Stop being a villain in our Veer-Zaara's love story." She added, pushing both Alekh and Ali away from Naina.
Naina pointed at Pooja and nodded in agreement. "Exactly what she said," she stated. Alekh and Ali maintained their stern expressions, giving her a serious look.
Huda looked at them with confusion. "How did they suddenly become such overprotective and possessive brothers?" Huda whispered to Yudi.
"Chief, when it comes to your sister, every brother tends to become a little overprotective and possessive," Yudi explained.
"Are you the same way when it comes to your sister, Nilu?" Huda asked curiously, finding it hard to imagine his dorky and nerdy friend as a protective brother.
"Absolutely. While she has the freedom to live her life the way she wants, any decision that has long-term consequences involves input from all of us," Yudi explained.
The entire group overheard Yudi's explanation. Naina gave Alekh a mischievous smile and raised an eyebrow. "So, Yudi, what would you do if you saw someone KISSING your sister?" she asked, maintaining eye contact with her brother.
"I would beat the living daylights out of that guy... what else?" Yudi replied nonchalantly, shrugging his shoulders.
Alekh rolled his eyes and relaxed. "She's an adult. If she wants to date or kiss someone, I guess she can," he stated, grimacing. While others assumed he was referring to Naina, only Naina knew that he was actually talking more about Nilu than about her.
"Thank you, brother," Naina said, expressing her gratitude before blowing him a playful kiss.
"I don't understand... why did you change your mind, Alekh bhai?" Ali asked, puzzled.
"Trust me, when your own sister threatens your own romance, you'll understand," Alekh explained, patting Ali's shoulder.
Ali tilted his head, and then his eyes shifted to Yudi. His eyes widened in shock. "Yudi bhai's sister?" he whispered. Alekh closed his eyes and nodded. Ali grinned. "No wonder you changed your tune," he teased. Alekh huffed, pushed him away, and walked off from there.
... - ...
All the faculty members gathered around for breakfast. Rajveer decided to keep his distance from Dr. Ritu after the incident from the previous night. It was clear to him that Naina was incredibly possessive about him, and her words resonated in his mind.
"You see this man here... he's mine. And he will STAY mine until he takes his last breath... and even after that, he will be ONLY and ONLY mine."
Her words echoed through his thoughts, and the way she boldly claimed him made his heart race wildly. He never imagined someone could love him so intensely. However, he also wondered what would happen if she were to discover the truth. Determined, he thought to himself, "No, Naina must never find out this truth. Just this once, I want to be selfish. Naveen isn't here, and I'm sure he won't mind if I prioritize myself."
"Captain?" Dr. Shalini called out, snapping him out of his thoughts.
He turned towards her, slightly startled, before offering her a smile. "Yes, doc?"
"Did something happen between you and Dr. Ritu? I noticed she's been giving you sad looks from across the fire while you seem lost in your own thoughts," she inquired.
"Last night, I made it clear to her that I never had any romantic feelings for her. I have a girlfriend whom I plan to spend my life with, if she says yes," Rajveer fearlessly replied.
Shalini gasped and stared at him wide-eyed. "You have a girlfriend?! And you didn't tell me? How could you, Captain?" she scolded playfully. "Tell me, who is she? Do I know her?" she asked eagerly, craving some gossip.
Rajveer smirked in response but remained silent. For the rest of the morning, Shalini chased after him, eager to uncover the identity of his girlfriend.
...-...
...-...
Later, the cadets began spending time with their respective mentors. Alekh, driven by curiosity, subtly posed questions to Dr. Ritu. There was something about her that made him eager to delve deeper. Yudi and Simran engaged in casual conversations, discussing various topics, and at one point, she even playfully promised to kiss him. Huda shared amusing anecdotes about his sisters with Dr. Shalini, and in return, she recounted stories from her past assignments and the sights she had witnessed. Major Nair had Pooja perform various drills, but she cleverly managed to ask him questions while feigning interest. Lolita ji enlightened Ali about the management system she and Suriji implemented to ensure the cadets were well-organized in their hostels. Naina and Rajveer spent their time discussing Rajveer's past deployments and the missions he had undertaken. Although he didn't delve into specific details, he did share the places he enjoyed the most during his assignments.
Naina and Rajveer decided to take a walk after Rajveer finished his lunch, during which Naina pretended she had already eaten. Unbeknownst to Rajveer, earlier that morning, Naina had consumed half of the hidden stainless-steel bottles filled with blood that Thomas had hidden in the forest two nights ago. With only six bottles remaining, she hoped they would last until it was time to return to the academy.
However, Naina suddenly halted in the middle of a sentence, her smile vanishing.
"What's wrong, Naina?" Rajveer asked, curious about her sudden change in demeanor.
"Major Bhargav has arrived," she replied.
"Huh? How do you know that?" he asked, surprised.
"I just felt a shiver run down my spine," she dryly responded.
Rajveer burst into laughter. "You're something else," he said, shaking his head in amusement.
Naina maintained her smile, but her concern grew as they heard Dr. Ritu's screams. They hurried toward the sound and were shocked to find her hanging upside down from a tree while Alekh stood on a landmine. As others arrived at the scene, Bhargav appeared and announced that Ritu and Alekh were chosen for his special drill. Rajveer's anger flared up, unable to believe that Bhargav would endanger the life of a first-year cadet like this. He engaged in a heated argument with Bhargav and tried to assist Alekh.
While Naina worried about her brother, she knew she could intervene and save him before anyone realized what was happening. However, her gaze met Alekh's, and he subtly shook his head, indicating that she should not interfere. Confused, Naina raised an eyebrow, silently questioning him. He blinked once, assuring her that he would be fine.
Eventually, Dr. Ritu took charge and propelled herself into the air, cutting the rope around her legs. She then swiftly landed on Alekh, pushing him away from the landmine and saving him in the process. Amidst the applause and cheers, Naina's eyes narrowed. Dr. Ritu's actions seemed beyond what a normal doctor could do. Even trained soldiers would have struggled with such a feat, yet she executed it flawlessly, as though she had been trained for such situations. A warning alarm blared in Naina's mind.
After the drill concluded, Major Bhargav taunted and insulted Rajveer in front of everyone. He even accused Rajveer of trying to sabotage the other pairs to maintain favoritism among his cadets. Rage coursed through Rajveer like molten lava, and without waiting to be dismissed, he stormed off from the scene.
Bhargav mockingly expressed regret over the bad manners before dismissing the rest of the group.
However, Alekh and Naina chose to stay behind. "Why did you prevent me?" she inquired.
"While I don't know the specifics, I have a sense that it's a secret that shouldn't be revealed to others. I also had a feeling that Dr. Ritu is not as simple as she appears. There's something more to her... my instincts are telling me," Alekh explained.
"I agree about Ritu. There's more to her seemingly innocent demeanor," Naina nodded in agreement. "By the way, you seem to have noticed quite a few things about me. Let's hear them," she said, crossing her arms over her chest and turning towards him.
"You possess incredible strength, surpassing what is expected. Your skin is as tough as stone, and you possess a heightened beauty like the rest of your family, even though you're not biologically related. Your eyes are the same striking red color, but with a brown tint that sets them apart from the rest of the family. Tears don't come when you cry, no matter how heartbroken you may be. You also possess a peculiar ability to find things that others struggle to locate. And for some reason, you occasionally consume blood. I won't ask why, but drinking blood is not normal," Alekh spoke in a hushed tone, ensuring only they could hear. "I also recall the veiled threat you issued when we returned home, warning me not to disclose what I see and learn to others," he added, raising an eyebrow.
Naina smiled and nodded, neither confirming nor denying his observations.
"Is there more?" he inquired.
"There is... much more," Naina sighed. "Rajveer sir is upset. I should be with him."
"Go," Alekh nodded, giving her permission to leave.
Naina discovered Rajveer angrily chopping wood in the depths of the forest. Upon seeing her, he vented his frustrations, expressing that his patience was wearing thin with the injustice surrounding him. Rajveer revealed that after the failed taunts regarding Naveen, Bhargav was now attempting to dismantle his support system. Once isolated, Bhargav would have an easier time removing Rajveer from the academy. Naina silently listened, understanding that he needed to release the pent-up frustration.
"It's possible that Bhargav may try to break your support system, but it will never be possible for him or anyone else to separate us," Naina assured him, gently cupping his face.
"Naina, it's good to be confident, but we mustn't be overly confident. You don't know what kind of person Bhargav is," Rajveer urgently warned.
"Do you trust me?" she asked.
"I do."
"Then have faith... in me," she stated firmly. Rajveer took a deep breath and nodded, placing his trust in her.
... - ...
A few hours later.
Bhargav gathered all the cadets and announced that their next drill was to engage in open-hearted conversations with each other. As the cadets formed a circle on the ground, Bhargav departed from the scene. "How dare he treat our Rajveer sir like that?" Huda growled angrily.
"I swear, if he continues like this, I'll cut off his network. He targeted my Shahrukh! How dare he!" Pooja seethed, vibrating with anger.
"I'm going to hack into his phone and expose his nude pictures online," Yudi vowed.
"EW... Who would want to see that?" Naina winced in disgust, exclaiming her distaste. Pooja made a disgusted face in agreement.
"While I would typically be against it, I think he deserves it. Rajveer sir is one of the finest army officers, someone we strive to become. And Major sir is targeting him? That's unacceptable," Ali added.
"Listen up, everyone! No one... and I repeat, no one will take any action. We'll play along until the right time comes to expose his true nature to the world. Until then, pretend to be on his side, agree with his views on Rajveer sir, but keep a close watch on his every move," Naina ordered.
"But let's not overdo it. We don't want to raise his suspicion. And I think it's time I inquire about Captain Naveen," Alekh stated.
"No, Alekh. Don't ask him about Bha... ah... Naveen," Naina cautioned, correcting herself at the last moment from saying 'bhai.' "Don't draw any more attention to us. We need to ensure that no one can link us to Naveen's case. That's the only way to solve it," she firmly explained.
"But he knows things. I'm certain he possesses evidence or leads that could uncover the truth about Captain Naveen's case," Alekh insisted.
"We will address it... but not now," Naina firmly stated.
...-...
...-...
...-...
An hour later.
Bhargav came back and distributed a map to each cadet for their route march activity. Following the guidelines, the cadets were supposed to locate specific points on the map and regroup at the designated meeting point at a specified time. With their respective mentors, the cadets set off on their route march. Two hours later, Bhargav received an urgent order from Brigadier Chandok, instructing him to halt the camp and return to the academy immediately. Bhargav's mind raced as he desired more time to ensnare Captain Rajveer. In that moment, a sinister plan took shape in his mind. Wearing a smile, he handed the orderly five maps and instructed him to inform everyone to return to the academy, while he discreetly concealed Rajveer and Naina's route march map.
"Apologies, Cadet Naina. You must endure the Captain's advances a little longer so that I can succeed in getting him expelled from this academy," he whispered to himself after the orderly departed. Adjusting his cap, he prepared to make his way back.
... - ...
A few hours later.
Around 20:00 hours
Naina and Rajveer were in the midst of their route march, focusing on their navigation and setting aside their romantic relationship. Rajveer took the opportunity to teach Naina about finding clues and reading the map accurately. As they conversed about the navigation system used during such marches, their conversation was interrupted by the ringing of a phone. Rajveer halted and turned to Naina, raising an eyebrow inquisitively.
"Sorry," she sheepishly apologized while retrieving her phone from beneath her t-shirt. "May I answer it? It's Thomas, and he wouldn't call unless it was urgent," she requested, showing the phone for permission.
"Go ahead," Rajveer responded, amused by the situation.
With a smile, Naina answered the phone. "Hey, Tommy!" she cheerfully greeted.
"Naina, kiddo... I have some information," Thomas sighed deeply.
Naina frowned. "Tell me what you found. Captain Rajveer is here with me. I'm putting the phone on speaker," she informed him.
"Naina, your suspicions were spot on. Major Bhargav is highly corrupt. He operates as a front worker for a politician, executing their illicit tasks indirectly. The politician issues orders to a select group of high-ranking army officers who work for him. These officers then pass on the orders to Bhargav. That's how their system functions," Thomas revealed.
"Damn it! It's a massive conspiracy," Rajveer exclaimed angrily. "Mr. Campbell, can you provide me with the names of these officers and the politician involved?"
"Yes, Captain, I have the names... and I have more information. Are you familiar with a terrorist group called 'Eagle'?" Thomas inquired.
"Yes, I am," Rajveer responded eagerly. The mention of the elusive Eagle group, which had managed to evade Indian intelligence for quite some time, piqued his interest.
"This politician is the head of Eagle... or rather, you can say he is Eagle," Thomas revealed.
"Do you have any evidence to support this claim?" Rajveer asked.
"I apologize, Captain, but currently, we only have circumstantial evidence against him, which may not hold up in court. However, I do possess evidence against Major Bhargav and his superiors, Colonel Bajaj and Colonel Handa. Oh, and there's one more thing. There appears to be something suspicious happening within your academy. Colonel Bajaj seems to be in contact with someone from your academy, discussing weapon-related matters. It may be worth looking into. Additionally, Colonel Handa is the one who approved the appointment of the psychiatrist in your academy, Dr. Ritu Mishra, if I recall correctly. I suggest conducting an investigation into her as well," Thomas informed.
Naina and Rajveer were stunned. The revelations about the hidden activities left them in disbelief. "I conducted thorough background checks on all the faculty members when they first arrived. Dr. Mishra had impeccable credentials and was recommended by the headquarters," Rajveer informed.
"Well, I regret to inform you that Colonel Handa is stationed at the headquarters. Be cautious, both of you. I have a feeling that Captain Naveen Singh Ahluwalia's case is not as straightforward as it appears. There is more to it," Thomas cautioned. "Captain Rajveer, my sister loves you, and that makes you a part of our family. Although I would have preferred if you had sought our family's permission before dating her, we will still treat you as one of us. So, please be extremely careful. I sense that the individuals behind Captain Naveen's case are now targeting you. Do not disclose your current investigation to anyone other than your commanding officer. It might save your life," he added with a serious tone.
Rajveer stared at Naina's phone, his cheeks turning bright red. He couldn't believe that her adopted family was aware of their relationship. Opening and closing his mouth like a goldfish, he finally managed to respond, "I... I will be careful. I apologize for not asking for permission first, but her feelings mean everything to me."
"You're lucky that she loves you," Thomas replied before ending the call.
"You... you told your family?" Rajveer exclaimed in surprise.
"Yes, I don't hide anything from them," Naina responded.
Rajveer let out a sigh. "Okay, we'll discuss our relationship later. Right now, the most important thing is to investigate two matters. First, why was Dr. Ritu sent here? And second, we need to inspect the academy's weapons to ensure there are no issues," he pointed out.
"Let's prioritize dealing with Bhargav and Dr. Ritu first. We can address the academy's weapons later," Naina suggested, stepping back without noticing the small cliff behind her. Her foot slipped, and she nearly fell, but she managed to regain her balance just in time.
In his attempt to save her, Rajveer instinctively reached out his hand but ended up losing his footing and tumbling down the cliff instead.
"Rajveer sir!" Naina screamed, rushing down to find him. When she reached the bottom, she was frozen in place by what she saw. Rajveer had fallen into a pool of wet mud, his face down. Naina approached him and knelt by the muddy pool. "Rajveer sir... are you okay?" she asked softly.
Rajveer lifted his head and turned to look at her. With concern in his eyes, he asked, "Are YOU okay?"
"Um... yeah, I'm perfectly fine. No harm done to me. But you, on the other hand..." she trailed off, pointing towards the muddy pool.
Rajveer's attention was drawn to his surroundings, and he looked down at the wet mud with a contorted expression of disgust. "EEWW... I hate kichar[wet mud]!" he exclaimed, his face crinkling in distaste.
Naina couldn't contain her amusement any longer and burst into laughter at Rajveer's reaction. The combination of horror and revulsion on his face upon realizing he was stuck in the mud was too amusing for her. As Rajveer attempted to free himself from the muddy pool, he ended up slipping and falling back in, much to Naina's amusement, causing her laughter to intensify.
"Will you please stop laughing?" Rajveer said, shooting Naina a glare, but it only fueled her laughter even more. "Naina, seriously, can you stop laughing?"
Amidst her laughter, Naina managed to compose herself and stood up, extending her hand towards Rajveer. "Come on, give me your hand."
"No, thanks. I can get out on my own," Rajveer replied stubbornly, his ego slightly bruised. Inadvertently, he wiped his face with the back of his hand, unintentionally smearing more mud on his already muddy face.
"Yuck!" Naina made a face, cringing at the sight, before bursting into laughter once again.
Rajveer narrowed his eyes at her mischievous laughter. Then, all of a sudden, he seized her hand and pulled her into the mud pool as well. Despite Rajveer's action, he had a feeling that if Naina hadn't wanted to be pulled in, he wouldn't have been able to do it so easily. A loud splash echoed through the air as if a massive boulder had been thrown into the pool, splattering both of them with more mud. Naina, now equally covered in mud, voiced her displeasure.
"Eww... why did you drag me in?" she whined, her voice laced with mock annoyance.
Rajveer couldn't help but burst into laughter himself. "I'm sorry... but you were enjoying my misery a bit too much," he teased.
In retaliation, Naina splashed him with a wave of muddy water, initiating a playful mud fight. Rajveer joined in, and soon they were engaged in a spirited exchange of muddy splashes and laughter. The mud clung to their clothes and covered their once-clean faces, creating a comical sight. After a while, their laughter echoed through the surroundings as they finally emerged from the mud pool, still chuckling and covered in mud from head to toe.
"Great... now we're completely caked with mud," Rajveer said, shaking his head in amusement as he took a good look at their muddy state.
"It's all your fault. I would've been clean if you hadn't pulled me in as well," Naina pouted, playfully accusing him.
"It's actually your fault. Who told you to laugh at me? Who laughs at their senior officer like that, hmm?" Rajveer questioned, mockingly raising an eyebrow.
"Well, you're also my boyfriend. And I was laughing at my boyfriend," she retorted, poking her tongue out at him mischievously.
Rajveer couldn't help but grin at her playful response. "Come on, you silly girl! We should clean up. There's only an hour left until we have to report to the main meeting area," he reminded her, getting to his feet.
Naina gladly took his outstretched hand and stood up as well. "There's a lake down that way. We can clean up there, I guess," she suggested, pointing in a direction.
"How do you know that?" Rajveer asked, genuinely amazed by her observation skills.
"By the sound of water rushing by and the refreshing scent of wetness in the air. What else?" Naina replied nonchalantly, her eyes sparkling with a hint of mischief.
"Maybe I was too busy being with you to notice those details," he joked, causing Naina to beam at him in response. Hand in hand, they began making their way towards the lake, their laughter echoing through the surroundings.
...-...
...-...
...-...
A/N:::