...... "all right... We will be heading towards the barracks tomorrow morning....while two of you accompany me.... I want one of you to talk to local people.... Collect as much information as you can....."
One of them eagerly interrupted you.....his eyes glued to your bosom.... His perverted brain.... Was desperate... That he completely forgot about the decorum
"mam why not me and lt. Shergill accompany you and lt. Sharma goes talk to localites...."

You shoot him a killer look..... Indicating him to shut his over smart mouth.... But these idiots.... Never get a cue.....and honestly have no idea when to shut the fuck up....

" so its decided then.... Lt. Sharma you proceed towards the town... "
The other two ordering this poor fellow.... Even as you were standing there......
This poor guy... Constantly gets bullied in the regiment... You've noticed him.... Sitting alone for lunch... Having a hard time fitting in....
You know what that feels like

You sugarcoat your voice....
"lt. Bisht.... Its so nice of you to take the responsibility of assigning jobs to your team mates.... I really appreciate your kind gesture of trying to help me in my tedious and tiring job..... But mind you sucker... If you dare open your explicitly long tongue again while i m briefing.... You'll find yourself in serious pickle..... And yes... I would rather like to know if you can show same expertise and communication skills with the localites.... You go off to the town... While lt. Shergill and lt. Sharma accompany me...."

His face looked like hung curd... And that wimpy smile he was giving you faded in a second....

" but mam.... "

" and yes... Offering to help someone when its not needed.... Isn't nearly half as impressive as you think it is.... It only makes you look like a pathetic wimp... Dismiss....."
The other two looked at you... With their jaws dropped and mouths opened.... Didn't dare to ask another question...
On their way back you heard the two of them showering all kind words in your respect....and cooing and cheering lt. Sharma..... Telling him that his line is clear.... And that he should make a move on you... As it is clear that you've got hots for him....

Poor fellow was too mortified to utter a word....

That's why you hate teamwork...making peace with idiots is a serious pain in the ass....

Next morning you again headed towards the decided location....
You hiked towards the jungle and other two were panting... Like thirsty dogs.... Damn... Its just been 5 miles...
How do they train these people.... These days....
Army academies these days are heaven for slackers....

Your mind raced back to your training days..... You remembered the days when you accompanied your mentor to the root march.... He would make you hike ten miles squarely..... And any protest would easily lead to an increment of 10 more....
You used to curse him under your breath... Muttering all the swear words you 'd learnt from huda and aalekh..... And he would smile as he listened to them....

Who could tell by his greek god look and puppy eyes... That he was such a nasty hitler.... When it came to training cadets...and especially you....
He was extra serious about your training.... Would always expect you to be the best.... And on every single mistake of yours.. He would shoot a look of sheer disappointment... Thet would pierce your heart....

They were both alike... Him and naveen... Both passionate and serious about their work... Both principled.... And both of them... A perpetual pain in the ass.....except you loved both of them... And you've lost them both...

You tried and tried to live up to his expectations.... To simulate him as you develop to become a soldier......
And in the process...... You can't remember when and how you fell hard for him......
You fell in love with everything related to him..
Those dark and exceptionally beautiful eyes which at times would show a reflection of you in them and at times would be simply unreadable.. That mysterious air about him... That charm....
And that stubble.... You found it sexier than anything else... And how you would start to fantasize him doing forbidden things to you in your dreams...

How his breath would fan on your shoulders.... As he taught you to use a 303rifle....he would unintentionally pull you closer.... While adjusting your shoulder... And you would be all flushed up and flustered.... And he would again scold at you for missing the aim....

Damn... You were lost in memories again..... As you felt a tap on your shoulder.... And you jerk back into reality....

After about 24hrs...you and your team manage to track down two of the militants... And make an arrest....

You head back to the base... And slump on the chair in your quarter
.... Just as you were about to doze off
That damn phone rings....and you reach towards it with an intention to smash it in pieces .... But its your mother on line.....

You receive a shock of your life as she informs you about your father's state being critical.... And you rush towards your commanding officer requesting him for a leave......

You head back to nainitaal that very day.... And as you try to deal with the fact that your father is on his deathbed.... Muttering his last wishes.... You brush off tears from your eyes and you see him.... Yes him with all his charms standing opposite to you....

You see him.... And everything goes blur.... Your ears are deafened and your voice choked and you are finding it hard to gasp a breath.....
This is the effect he has on you every single time.... And you dread it...
Honestly... Pain of seeing your father in this state was more than enough..... And you were clearly not prepared to deal with the freshly evoked havoc in your mind..... On seeing him....

Your legs fallen weak and you were about to slump on the ground..... But the time had stood still.... And everything was going on in slow motion....... You were just hanging in there with a miserable look on your face... While he was looking at you with sympathy and reassurance.... Like he always did when he found you in trouble.....

"rajveer hppened to coincidentially visit us the very day your father had a heart attack... We tried to call you... But there was no means to communicate to you.... But as your father's condition is deteriorating....and He wants to talk to you.... I called your commanding officer.... "

Your mother explained.... As you listened quietly.....
Your parents clearly trusted him more than you.... After he managed to probe naveen innocent...they considered him as a substitute offered by god... In exchange of their son.....

He was closer to your parents.... Even more than you....and in a way it was a relief ..... As you were clearly not the one to live up to their expectations...

You were dawdling with a bowl of soup and spoon in your hands... As you tried to feed baba while he showered looks of affection on you.... Muttering crap like now he can die in peace as his family is complete....

You looked at him questioningly....

He called rajveer closer.... Took his hand and yours and made you hold his hand....
You were startled to the core.... As you noticed what he was doing... You tried to interrupt and he silenced you....
After taking a long pause and building more suspense than a stanley kubrick movie..... You father finally......pronounced his last wish.... Of you to getting married to each other....

You were too flabbergasted and were about to protest as he shook his head in negative indicating you not to speak.... And you obeyed....
Damn... He still owns you completely.... What sort of authority does he have over you that you get tongue tied each time in his proximity.....
But wait... He's agreed.... Neither protesting nor saying a word... Just silently agreed to your father's last wish....
He had this coming... Perhaps already knew about all this...

You gather all courage and will power to resist yelling at him... As your father's last rituals are being carried out.....
You are completely shaken from inside... And there is nothing that could probably coax you.... When will life stop throwing curve balls on you.... It screws you hard every single time you seem to have figured it out....

A/n.... Naveen wasn't killed by rajveer in this fic.... And naina was head over heels for him.... Since academy days