Rajveer

I am about to enter the lecture hall when Abhi's voice stops me.

Turning to him, I look at him questioningly.

"Are you free tonight, Raj?" He asks, and I frown at his cheerful demeanor.

Ever since Naina shouted at him in my quarter, he has been actively avoiding me, only talking with me when absolutely necessary to discuss the drills of the cadets.

But now, he suddenly is smiling and even asking me if I am free tonight.

Why?

"I have not made any plans for tonight yet. Why do you ask?"

"That's wonderful then," he says. "Actually, I have arranged for a small gathering in the academy's mess tonight. Just us faculty members and the cadets. To celebrate my appraisal's win. And I want you to come too, Raj."

I give him a wry smile. "Are you sure you want me to come? After everything that has happened between us--"

"That is one of the reasons I want you to come, Raj," Abhi says, interrupting me. "After everything that has happened, I think we both need to keep past in the past and move on. I especially need to do that. I don't want to keep burning in jealousy and resentment anymore. I don't want to keep clinging to my anger of our past, Raj.

"Me inviting you to tonight's gathering is the first step I have taken to mend our friendship. I hope you also take a step by coming to the mess tonight."

I feel pleasantly surprised by his words. "If that is the case, then count me in, my friend. I will definitely be there."

Right at that moment, a strange look flits across his face. It was there for just a moment, but I had seen it, sensing slight uneasiness creeping within me due to it.

If it were any other time, I would have pondered more on it. But looking at the lecture all full of cadets waiting for me, I shrug off that uneasy feeling and walk inside.

***********

Getting to my living room, I immediately text Lieutenant Roshan Chaubey and tell him to be extra careful about the security of the trigger that is currently in a safe location inside Ambala headquarter.

After the recent update I got from the army officer who had been posted to the another academy with the duty of the security of another trigger in that academy, it is crucial that we safeguard the trigger at our end while he and his team will be doing the same with the other trigger at their end.

After reading the reply sent by Chaubey, I slightly relax, knowing the whole two layers of security are up and about in that safe place and the security code is changed every three hours. Except for me, Abhi, Chaubey, and Colonel Chandra, no one else has the information about the code. Not even the officers who are posted to guard that location.

I send him another text, asking him to meet me in the academy tonight to discuss if addition of another layer of security will be feasible.

As Chaubey has been assisting me in this mission since the start, I usually make plans with him first and then further discuss it with Abhi and Colonel Chandra to finally decide whether or not to implement the plan.

Chaubey replies, telling me he will meet me in the academy at 2300 hours.

Putting the phone on the table, I am about to go and take a shower, before going to the gathering Abhi has arranged when I hear my quarter's door bursting open.

"Naina, what are you doing here?" I ask, frowning when she narrows her eyes at me.

"Are you teasing me, Rajveer? Or did you seriously forgot you were the one who asked me to come to your quarter after my classes finishes for the day?"

As soon as she says that, I remember telling her that in the morning.

"Oh, yes! I am sorry, Naina. I forgot. I have been so focused on the other things the whole day that this slipped my mind."

She smiles at me. "That's ok, Rajveer. I can understand. At your age, it must be hard for you to keep track of things."

Narrowing my eyes at her, I start stepping forward toward her while she starts stepping backward. "What did you say? Would you please care to repeat that?"

I smirk when Naina gulps and continues stepping back.

"What happened, Naina Ah...Singh? Cat got your tongue?" I ask, keeping both my hands on the either sides of her face to stop her from escaping from the side when she bumps on the wall behind her.

"Were you implying that I am too old for you by saying that?" I get closer to her. So much so that I was sure she could feel heat radiating off my body as I could feel it radiating off her.

She still does not say anything. But I notice her breath coming in spurts, and she gasps when I suddenly press myself against her.

"Speak, Naina." I gently bite on her earlobe. "I am only six years older than you. Is that too old for you?"

Goosebumps line the skin right below her ear and I trace it with my tongue, feeling her suck in a sharp breath.

When she still does not say anything, I suck on the throbbing pulse over the side of her neck. "Tell me."

"No..oo," she whispers. "Not old at all."

I smirk, hearing the shakiness in her voice. I knew it was due to the desire I could see in her eyes as I leaned back to look at her.

"Are you sure?" I ask, snaking my one hand around her waist to pull her close and tracing her bottom lip with the thumb of my other hand. "If you have any doubts, I can show you why I am not old for you at all."

It is my turn to suck in a breath when I see her biting her bottom lip. That makes desire stir within me.

She must have noticed it too because she leans closer to me and places a chaste kiss on my lips.

"How do you plan to do that, Captain Shekhawat?" She asks.

"Are you sure you want to know, Cadet Singh?" I counter, tightening my grip on her waist.

"I would love to know," she says, putting her hands around my neck.

"If only we did not have to go to Abhi's gathering," I tell her, looking at her regretfully. "I would have skipped it, but he said he wants to mend our friendship and this gathering is the first step we both take toward it."

"Abhimanyu Sir apologized to me too. He said he was wrong in demanding respect from the cadets. He also said that from now on, he will try his best to earn it," Naina says.

Smiling at me, when she starts to move back, I do not let her.

"We do need to go to that gathering, Rajveer. And for that, I need to go to my room and get ready first."

"You are right. And you can go. But before that, I need to do one thing," I tell her.

She furrows her brows at me. "What do you nee--"

She is unable to complete that question because I put my lips on hers, showing her what I needed to do.

When I increase the pressure on her pliant lips, it readily opens, letting me explore her taste.

She moans when I deepen the kiss, making me groan with her fervent reciprocation.

Sensing her need to breathe, I leave her lips after a while, but move down to place kisses on her neck while she arches her neck. Soft whimpers escaping her lips when I continue kissing her.

With my hand now clutching the hem of her top, I am about to take it off, when the shrill ringing of my phone breaks our moment.

We immediately get apart, looking at the table from where the phone was ringing.

"I will see who it is," I tell her, placing a kiss on her forehead and walking to the table after she nods.

Looking at the screen, I see it was Lt. Chaubey calling me.

"Yes, Chaubey. What is it?" I ask as soon as I receive the call.

I frown when I hear his reply. "But you had said you would be here at 2300 hours. Why did you arrive now?"

I sigh when he tells me he has some plans with his friends tonight and tells me he is waiting for me at the room next to Brigadier's office.

"Ok. I will reach there in ten minutes," I tell him.

"Who was it, Rajveer?" Naina asks me as soon as I hang up the call.

"It was Lt. Chaubey. I need to go and talk with him, Naina. Need to discuss something important regarding my mission related to the trigger."

She nods at me. "Ok. Go on then," she says first, but then looks questioningly at me the very next moment. "If you are going to meet him now, will you be able to come to the gathering in time?"

"I am not sure, Naina. But I will try my best. This is more important to me than the gathering. I am sure Abhi will also understand when I tell him the reason if I got late."

"Ok, then. You go and meet Lt. Chaubey. I will also go to my room and get ready for the gathering," she tells me, and steps closer to me.

Once she is near, she leans to me. "By the way, Captain Shekhawat. I will be wearing a red Sari to the gathering tonight. If you want to see me in it, you might want to get your discussion with Lt. Chaubey over at least before the gathering is over."

My whole body warms up as I imagine Naina in a red Sari.

I had seen her in lehenga on our engagement day, and she had looked ethereal in it.

I can't wait to see how she will look in a Sari. That too in red.

My favorite color on her.

Tucking a stray of her hair behind her hair, I slide my hand to her nape and pull her closer to me.

"If I am unable to come there on time, you will report to me in my quarter tonight. Is that clear, Cadet Naina Ah..Singh?"

"Are you ordering me, Captain Shekhawat? Taking advantage of being my mentor?" She teases me.

"I am not trying to take advantage," I tell her. "And yes, I am ordering you. But not as your mentor."

"Then?"

"As your lover, Naina," I reply, and immediately see red creep up on her cheeks. "Tell me, Naina. Will you come here tonight, wearing that red Sari?"

She gazes at me for a few seconds, before giving me a slight nod. "Yes. I will come, Rajveer."