HIFAAZAT:

Karan adjusted the pillow behind her back. He tilted his head, before yanking the pillow from underneath Faizi's head, making him hit the doorframe.

"Janaab", Faizi protested, rubbing his head.

He put the pillow underneath her leg, before taking a step back and nodding in approval.

"Ab tum bilkul nahi hilogi", he ordered. He gave her a look when she opened her mouth to protest. "It's an order."

"Karan, main theek hoon", Monami said.

"Kya theek ho? Goli lagi thi tumhe! Ab chup chaap meri baat maanogi tum." He crossed his arms, giving him a stern look. "Main coffee lekar aaya."

Monami chuckled, as he went out of the room, shaking her head. His protectiveness and concern was endearing, if a touch overbearing, but it wasn't anything she couldn't handle.

Fear was almost a constant for him when she was on a mission, she knew. It was rare for the two of them to be together on a mission. Their relationship was fairly well known in the academy after a little over a year of them being together, and it usually hindered them being partners, which only fueled Karan's protectiveness and worry.

He never refused or protested to any mission she was sent on, assured by her capabilities, but if she got anything bigger than a teeny, tiny cut that needed to be seen with a microscope, he'd panic. Silently. Violently, at times with a punching bag. But it was panic, nonetheless. She preferred the few days of overbearingness over his almost self-harming panic.

Partners had been shuffled around in the academy. Of course, they were never a constant, depending on the missions they were sent on. But, some got paired up often enough. Koel and Sanju, Bala and Chitra. And surprisingly, Sid and Karan, and Faizi and her. They were really an incredible team, and on the rare missions the four, or even better, the six including Koel and Sanju went together, they demolished the enemies.

"Mahutarma", Faizi said, sitting up. "Aapke pair mein bhi chot hai?"

"Nahi", she said. "Sirf haath par hai. Par Karan kahan hi sunta hai?"

Faizi chuckled. "Use sirf tumhaari chinta hai."

Ek cheez hai jiske bina main bhi jee nahi sakta. Tum.

"Jaanti hoon", she said, smiling a little. They had been on tons of dates after that first one, but that one would always hold a special place in her heart.

"Coffee", Karan announced, entering the room, carrying a tray. The three cups were handed off, and Karan offered her a rose, making her smile.

---x---x---x---x---x---x---

"Faizi, please, na?" Monami begged.

"Nahi. Hum nahi jaane de sakte tumhe", Faizi said. "Tumhaara wound abhi tak poori tarah theek nahi hua hai. Aur agar Karan ko pata chala ki humne tumhe field mein dobara bhej diya hai... Monami, use toh shaheedi bhi nahi kahenge."

She clicked her tongue. "Aisa kuch nahi hoga. Un logon ko doctor ki zaroorat hai. Please, na, Faizi?" She widened her eyes a little, staring at him with hopeful eyes.

He tried to deny her again, before melting at her look. "Aise dekhkar tumne uss patthar dil zaalim ke patthar dil ko pighla diya. Phir, yeh naacheez kya hai?"

She squealed, hugging him. "Thanks, Faizi. Tum asli bhai ho mere."

"Karan ko mat bataana. Wo sau bahaane bana lega, aur tumhe yahin rok lega", he warned. "Aur hum Batra Sir se baat kar lete hain. Tum ready ho jao. Wo aadhe ghante mein jaa rahe hain."

She nodded happily, running off, and Faizi sighed a little.

"Bas, mahutarma, aapko kuch ho naa jaaye. Karan humaari bali chadha dega."

Exactly half an hour later, Faizi looked at the four agents, all in gear. He gave a look to the team leader, and he nodded back. Karan's protectiveness when it came to his cadets was well known, and when it came to his own girlfriend, it was almost a warning. 'This is Karan Shergill's girlfriend. If something happened to her, he'd throttle you, and use you as stuffing inside his punching bags.'

---x---x---x---x---x---x---

"Mission Sher is a success", Faizi announced, plopping down on his bed. Sanju and Sid followed, both taking their usual chairs. Karan looked away, pride and victory flashing on his face.

"Any injured?" He asked, typing something- likely, a mission report- on his laptop.

"Sab", he said, and he glanced up in concern. Faizi shook his head. "Nothing serious. Minor injuries hain. Sprained ankle, fractured arm, par yeh sab toh thode time mein theek ho jayenge."

He nodded. "Chaar log gaye the, na? Kaun kaun gaya tha?"

The three paused, glancing at each other. "Uh, Vikas Bansal ne lead kiya tha", Sid said.

"Okay", he said, nodding. "Aur baaki?"

"Pranav Sethi, Parwinder Singh aur..." Faizi trailed off.

"Aur?" He prompted, glancing up. He frowned, eyeing them. "Ek baar mein batao, na? Kya atak atak ke bol rahe ho. Faizi, bol na?"

"Uh, Sanju, tum batao", Faizi said, and Sid nodded.

Sanju looked at the other two in disbelief, before looking back at Karan. He crossed his arms, glaring at the three. "Kya chhupa rahe ho tum log?"

"K-Kuch naa, Sir ji", she said.

"Toh bata kyun nahi rahe ho? Sanju, kaun gaya tha?" His eyes narrowed.

"Monami, Sir ji", she admitted.

His eyes widened. "Kya? Ky- Faizi! Yaar, tere approval ke bina kaise bhej diya? Tu toh-" He paused when he looked away guiltily. "Faizi, tune approve kara? Tu paagal hai kya? Wo abhi tak poori tarah theek nahi thi. Aur... aur tune mujhe bataaya bhi nahi? Ek second, tune kaha ki sab-" He was out of the door before they could even blink, running up to the infirmary.

---x---x---x---x---x---x---

"Tum sunti nahi ho meri baat kabhi bhi", Karan scolded, spraying the medicine on her ankle. He glanced up when she hissed in pain, eyebrows dipping in concern. "Zyaada dard ho raha hai?"

She bit her lip, nodding.

"Main pain killer lekar aaya. Bilkul bhi mat hilna", he said, getting up. She clutched his arm, halting him, and he glanced down at it, before up at her.

"Wo waali pain killer nahi chahiye mujhe", she said. She tilted her head, tapping her cheek.

He couldn't help the smile, leaning over and pressing a soft kiss to her cheek. He sighed, sitting down next to her. "Kya zaroorat thi Faizi se zabardasti approval leni ki? Tum jaanti ho wo tumhe mana nahi kar paata. Kyun gayi tum iss mission par? Aur... aur mujhe bataaya bhi nahi?"

"Bataati, toh tum mujhe jaane nahi dete", she said.

"Haan, kyunki tumhe das din pehle goli lagi thi. Ab tum toh dhyaan nahi rakhti apna, kisi ko toh rakhna hai, na?"

"I am fine, Karan. Do hafte mein theek ho jayega. Tumhe bhi toh kitni baar chot lagti hai. Humaara kaam hi aisa hai. Aur itni choti choti chot par tum panic karte ho."

"Haan, bilkul. Kyun nahi karoonga? Meri jaan ki baat hai. Tumhe kuch ho gaya toh mera kya hoga?" he said.

She smiled, sighing a little, before letting him fret over her. She tilted her head, staring at Karan as he checked over her medicines again, roaming around the room and adjusting things.

---x---x---x---x---x---x---

Faizi looked around, giving a questioning look to Sanju. "Yeh meeting kis liye?" He asked.

"Pata naa, Sir ji", Sanju said. "Batra Sir ji ne bulaayo ho."

Footsteps made them both turn around, finding Sid walking in with Monami. Faizi automatically moved in to her other side, helping her walk.

"Main theek hoon, guys", she said.

"Batra Sir ne bulaaya aur ab khud nahi aa rahe", Sid said, looking around. "Aur training room mein kyun?"

The door closed behind them, and they all turned around, eyes widening. Karan was leaning against the door, arms crossed.

"Mar gaye", Faizi muttered. The three had been avoiding Karan for the past three days, and Karan's annoyance had resulted in several people- mostly new cadets- scared and even crying or so they have heard.

"Karan! Bro", Sid said. "Uh... tum yahan kaise? Actually, never mind. Mujhe abhi yaad aaya ki mujhe aur Sanju ko ek bahut zaroori kaam karna hai."

"Achha?" Karan said, crossing his arms as he walked closer. "Kya kaam karna hai?"

"Baby", he blurted out the first thing that came into this mind. He froze. Shit! 'Baby se bhi abhi hi baat karni thi. Karan se pitne ke bachne ke chakkar mein, Sanju se pit jaoonga.'

"Sid!" Monami said, staring at him in shock, the other three not too far from this reaction.

"Siddharth", Sanju gritted out, and he winced.

"Wo, matlab, uh... Baby se milna tha mujhe aur Sanju ko, toh... hum... hum chalte hain."

Karan kept a hand on his shoulder before he could leave. "Koi baat nahi. Baby wait kar legi." He tightened his grip, and he swallowed, looking at Monami for help. She shrugged helplessly.

"Sir ji, aapne... aapne k-kyun bulaayo hai?" Sanju asked nervously.

His gaze lifted to her, and he cracked his knuckles, offering them an almost sadistic smile. "Thank you gift dene ke liye. Tumne mujhe har cheez bataayi, aur Monami ka bhi kitna achhe se dhyaan rakha."

"No problem", Faizi said. "G-Gift ki kya zaroorat hai? Ho gaya decide, toh hum chalte hain."

"Aise kaise? I insist", he said, slinging an arm over his shoulders.

Two hours later, Monami winced as even Sanju dropped to the ground, groaning in pain after the brutal workout-cum-punishment the three had.

"Agli baar, agar aisi stupid permissions leni hai, toh jisse logi, use aisi state mein imagine kar lena", her boyfriend said. "Phir bhi zidd karni hai, toh... tumhaari marzi. Uski kismat." He turned back to the three groaning special agents, and barking, "Up! And repeat!"