The following weekend somehow Raj and Naina ended up together. It was not planned. Naina had to visit a friend while Rajveer had to report to HQ regarding some official work. But over the texts they exchanged the information of being in Delhi together.

Naina impatiently waited for Rajveer. The hesitancy and guilt was long washed off. She had become more daring and accepting of Rajveer. Like the way he cracked jokes. Naina swore no one could ever say the funniest jokes in a simple manner. His persona of a teacher was slowly slowly fading. Instead there was a guy. A guy named Rajveer singh shekhawat who was making her laugh, giving her good company and sharing good meals with her. Naina loved spending her time with him. It was weirdly pleasing. It was way different. Being with him was new. Sharing dinner with him was attractive to her eyes.

Her phone chimed with his text. She happily opened the text and found that he was waiting for her outside. She came out of the cafe, she was meeting her friend. She recognized him by his car color. It was not red. It was not orange.

It was mox of red, orange and yellow.

Some God damn new color.....

With a huge smile and furry eyebrows she approached him.

"Aap ye car badal kyu nahi dete? "

"What nonsense, Naina! Aadmi biwi badal sakta he lekin car nahi." Hearing it naina couldn't help but laugh.

"Your sense of humor has improved. Sometimes even I can't believe ki aap aise joke bhi maar sakte ho." She teased him.

"Majak nahi. Sach he ye. Aadmi biwi badal dega lekin car nahi. As a man I can vouch for it."

"Aapki biwi he?" She looked into his eyes

"On my friends' behalf! " he winked. And she again laughed. This difference was palpable and strong. The old Rajveer sir was still there but this Rajveer sir was living. He was beaming and lighting others at the same time.

Naina couldn't feel weird anymore. This rajveer sir had fit himself around her in such a manner as when she started enjoying and expecting to see him more she didn't even realize.

"Do you know I literally waited for your text all September? I thought maybe we will meet."

"Yeah. I did too. But somehow all work and tasks kept me super busy. "

"Agar main text karke nahi batati to phir? Aap mujhse kab milte? Agle saal?" She made a face.

"Nahi. I would have come to see you. Agar off nahi milta to I would have bribed my CO to see you!"

She at once turned to him. His eyes spoke sincerity. She couldn't help but trust him more. The car suddenly felt too big for her. She felt like she wanted to stick to him. Hold his forearm and tell him that she missed him a lot. Duty had kept her busy still there was a lack of him in her life. She missed hearing his voice in person.

She kept on looking at her. He was turning his car. Her heart beat loudly. She wanted to be next to him. Close to him... So much close that if he turned he should land on her. He should touch her. He should melt in her.

She wanted to kiss him.

And this thought didn't even feel like a sin anymore.. In fact this thought felt so much anticipated. She wanted to feel him more. To let him know that she had missed him. That she couldn't wait to run to him. That there was so much inside her that now she was feeling a tsunami in her guts.

She held his hand which was on the gear making it seem like an accident .His touch sparked something. She felt it in her fingers. The heat almost burnt her tips.
They shared an eye lock.. Nobody Said a thing. The car moved at its speed and stopped at red light.

Naina saw rajveer turning. His eyes again focused on her.

Something happened. Something changed. And something just got broken.

For few seconds nobody spoke. Both relished the silence and let the feelings sink in.

After few moments rajveer spoke.

"Kya khaogi?"

"Jo bhi aap kahe. I don't feel like eating something specific right now."

"Thai chalega?" He asked while hia eyes we're on the road.

"Thai, Chinese, korean, Philippino, malaya sab chalega."

Rajveer took a look at her eyes quickly and then broke into a loud laughter.

"Itna to milta bhi nahi he...no restaurant provides the whole of South East Asia in their menu."

Naina turned her face. And they reached their destination. Naina came out and followed him. Watching him leading the way to some South indian restaurant. She couldn't feel anything but sheer happiness. Even if the food lacked salt today she wouldn't complain.

______________

Later
That evening when he dropped her back.
He took out a Tupperware

"You own a Tupperware"?
She asked masking her mocking face but he knows...

"So what
I like collecting all kinds of boxes and containers...

She smiled
"Apko pata hai na ke ap sundar susheel aur sanskari ho .... "

"You know what
You won't be getting this now..."

And he started keeping it back in the bag

"Ok sorry sorry sorry....
Bataiye kya hai"

He took it back and hand her over

"Maine aur Shalini ne is weekend cook Kiya tha ..... Gulab jamun."

She took a bite and praised his culinary skills ..

Last time he had got her besan ke laddoo.

He just loves to feed her ...

_________

When you spend time anticipating and living at the same time it flies. It flies like it never did. The same is happening with naina. She met Rajveer sir in delhi just fifteen days ago yet the wait feels like it's been weeks, months. Somehow his presence has become like an addiction to her. She tries everything in her to see him.

Rajveer sir does the same.

This makes her happy. Very happy. To know that he is as anxious and willing to see her again as she is.

But this willingness to see each other as frequently as they can surely get a lot of attention from their friend group. Alekh leaves no chance to tease her. And other people too. But all this teasing and leg pulling don't matter. She doesn't take it to her heart.

For her his opinion and actions matter more than what other people are saying. Seeing him getting comfortable around her and opening up gives her a much needed peace. It's not only about seeing him and relishing some good moments. It's about getting involved in his life. To know him more. To understand him more. The past they shared has been left way too behind. The urgency to own him, control him, the stubbornness to raise her right everything is now part of a long forgotten past. They have surely come so far.

They have come to give each other a right... Willingly. Without a preposition. Without some obligation.

If naina feels like meeting him she would run to Ambala Or any place if it is possible. The same goes with rajveer. It's more about being present with the person she cares so much about. It's more about them. It's more about their present.

Her brain rewinds their sweet memories. Naina gets a small blooming pinch at her heart. The choice can never be so right. Seeing him standing next to her gives her something inexplicit. Something which she can understand but not shout out. The calm and serene love she feels with him for him is what she can never feel for someone else.

Not because rajveer sir is very different or he is the only one who can make her feel this way.....

Actually she has never seen someone moulding himself the way he has done for her and at the same time he keeps his individuality intact.

He is her rajveer sir yet at the same time he is her senior who would not let her go if she commits a mistake.

He holds his principles dear along with letting her roam in his territory.

He respects his duties along with letting her smile doing silly things.

Naina knows she can never fall so deeper for anyone else as she had done for this man.

A huge smile spreads on her lips and her senior officer pays her a quick stern glance. She at once shuts her mouth. The grin gets swallowed to her stomach. The giddiness erupts there.

Suddenly her cell goes off and she goes out to receive the call.

Alekh is on the other side

"Ha . Naina..Sir kaise he abhi?"

She takes a turn. Sir? What happened to him? Last time they talked on the phone he was doing good.

"Sir? Sir ko kya huya? "

Alekh suddenly goes silent.

"Bol na. Kya huya sir ko?"

"Wo... Wo kuch nahi. Apun aise hi haal chal lene ke waste phone kiya tha."

"Alekh... Stop lying! Bol na kya huya he? "

"Umm... Left hand me shayad fracture aaya tha. Yudi ko shalini ma'am ne bola tha. To... Mujhe laga shayad tujhe pata hoga...

Sir ko mat bolna ki apun tujhe ye sab bataya."

Naina feels hurt. She knows him. She understands him but she never anticipates that he would hide his pain. Whatever reason he had or have she knows none of them can be so logical as she would be kept on pedestal while he writhes in pain.

She disconnects the phone.

The hurt is still there. In fact it increase with every passing hour. Having no other option she applies for half day leave citing a severe headachw and rushes to see him.

The confrontation is not in her mind. What she needs is to see him. To see him what happened with him. Rajveer sir never shows how much he is in. Naina wants to sit next to him. Hold him and tell him without saying anything that if she could she would take all his pain away. If she could she'd never let anyone harm even a cell of him. If she could she'd hide him away.

The chaos in her mind makes it almost impossible to wait for kma to arrive. She is literally on the edge. She keeps on shifting in her seat. Impatiently.

The fracture pains a lot.

He must be in sveere pain!

On top of that the term exams are in progress in KMA. He must be skipping rest to pay attention to the students. He could never relax when it comes to being a teacher.

When ambala finally arrived naina is among the first passengers who get down the bus. She is almost running to kma.

The guard on the gate checks her id for a little too long. She gets offended.

"I did study here. 2007 batch. Do you really need to check my id for so long? I am already an officer." Guard looks at her weirdly. A woman clad in a dark grey t-shirt which has some lines now. Her forhead having so many drops of swear. Her jeans has few oatches of dirt here and there.

She doesn't look like an officer right now.

However she doesn't give any attention to people giving her looks and runs straight to his room.

She rings the bell and waits for him to open up..

He does after two minutes.

She sees him and breathes out. She let's out the breath which she was holding inside for so long. The urgency to see him had almost have her breathless. She herself had no idea she could be this restless with just the news of him being in pain. When alwkh let's her in about his wound shw could not be in even a minute of rest. She could not wait to sit around. All she needed was to see him. At any cost.

"Naina....

Tum yaha?" He is surprised. This makes her angry.

"Ha. Main yaha. Aap ye expect nahi kar rahe the. Hai na?" The anger is visible in her voice. She goes inside without paying him more attention. Rajveer follows her after shutting the door.

"Chai piyogi?" He asks with a smile on his face. Naina glares at him.

"Areee..... Itna gussa kyu ho? Chai ko kaun mana karta he, bhala?" He looks at her amusingly.

"Mujhe aapse baat nahi karni." She turns her face when rajveer sits next to her.

"Kyu? Maine kaun sa tumhe kabhi kisi exam me fail kiya tha. Kis baat par gussa ho? " He messes with her more..

"Aap ko mazak soojh raha he?" Her glare can choke him. He however with a small smile holds her hand. She pulls her hand out but his grip is tighter.

"Accha. Seriously batao. Kyu itna gussa ho? Kisne tumhe pareshan kiya. Bolo. Main uska court martial karwa dunga.."

Naina gets more angry and slaps his hand away.

"Ha. To apna court martial kara lijiye."

"Aree.. But maine kya kiya?" Hearing him naina pulls his slung hand. He cries in pain.

"Aapne mujhe kyu nahi bataya ki your hand got fractured. Her eyes get serious. Rajveer attempts to hold her hand again and is successful.

". The fracture was not serious. Moreover it would have healed in a week or two. It is no big deal." He looks in her eyes lovingly.

"For you!

But not for me."

"Naina... " He calls her with so much love that her eyes start brim

"Main... Main tumhe bewajah pareshan nahi karna chahta tha. Moreover it is just a fracture. It will heal. I am doing all my things comfortably. I am good. Believe me."

"I... I don't like the idea of you getting hurt. And more than that i can't bear that you hide your pain from me.

And it's not about your fracture being a small or big deal. If you are in pain no matter how big or small it is.... I want to know. I want to know your problems. I want to get involved.

Rajveer is silent.

"I.. I am sorry. Naina..

I... I just thought I... I shouldn't bother you with this small thing."

Naina holds his hands.

"How can this be small and how can this be bothering me?

? Why are you treating me with this formality?" She looks in his eyes with conviction. Rajveer is frozen.

"I... I am sorry. Naina." His eyes are down.

"How did it get fractured?" She is looking at his fractured hand and her fingers are tracing the plaster.

"During football match." He is bit hesitant

She looks up.

" I slipped." He holds her down. She nods.

Her fingers move more on his fractured hand. Here and there randomly. Then they land on the skin next to it. It's bit dry. Naina slowly traces the skin with her smooth finger. Rajveer gets goosebumps.

"I had learnt to make soup. I"'ll make that for you." She is getting up after playing with his heart for a little too longer. Rajveer comes out of his dreamland.

"Naina mera kitchen mat jala dena.. Bas." He tries to stop her.

"Bakwas mat kariye aap." And she rushes in. She returns after half an hour ... Alive and unharmed. Rajveer proudly looks at her.

"Wow. I am impressed. Does my kitchen look as fine as you are?" He bites her tongue seeing her angry expressions.

She puts the tray down and lets him see her hard work.

"Not too bad. Hope it's edible."

"Rajveer sir! ” she whines. And rajveer laughs.

After tasting a spoon rajveer nods.

" You are passed cadet singh. You can survive in deserts. You qualified the first stage.

For the next stage learn how to cook daal. That will lead you to the third round."

She is laughing now.

"Zyada mat haso.

Tell me how's your preparation for the exam going? They will take an exam within the next month. You should be ready."

"Sir.. Soup pijiye." Naina makes a face and thrusts that spoon back into his hand.

"You have to study. Don't forget. I'll be keeping a tab on you... "

"Yes sir." And she turns her face in irritation.

As she has assumed rajveer sir has a teacher at his core. He would never change. But at the same time his touch which has started to soothe her doesn't change.

A man of words and her world...

Shout out to mona for. Writing this