"Kya kaha aapne ?" asked Rajveer, sure that he did not hear right.

"Nikah karana chahte hai tumhara....tum ne hi ek baar kaha tha na...ki zindagi mein bade mukam haasil karna chahte ho...humare daamad banne se bada kya mukam ho sakta hai ? sahi kaha na meine janab ?" he asked looking at Col. Bisht.

Col. Bisht too did not know what to say. He just smiled.

"Humare beta aur bade daamad ko toh aap jaante hai...ek mein sirf gussa hai par akal nahi...aur dusra toh bas sharab aur juve ki lath...aise mein humein aisa koi chahiye jo humare iss...iss rayisat ka khayal rakh sake. Toh..kya kehna hai aapka ?"

Col. Bisht took a few seconds to think.

"Hum kya kahe ? Aap ke ghar se rishta jodna toh humari achi kismat hai...humein kabool hai."

Rajveer turned to Col. Bisht.

"Chachaji !!!"

"Arre..Parvez...hum bade baat kar rahe hai na....aur hum aapke ache bure ka khayal rakhne ke liye hi toh hai yaha...aap jayiye...hum Quereshi saab se baat kar ke aate hai." he said firmly.

Rajveer left from there, not understanding anything, nor able to go against his commanding officer.

******

He waited for Col. Bisht in their living area. 

"Sir...kya tha yeh...aapne aisa kyun kaha ki qubool hai...ye aap unse kya baat karne ruk gaye...Sir, mujhe kuch nahi samajh mein aa raha hai...ki aap kya soch rahe hai."

"Calm down, Major...I know what I am doing. I m doing what we came here to do. Get all the information and Raid. "

"Par sir..."

"Rajveer...iss mission ko khatam karna hai na ?"

"Haan Sir...par mein kya mission ke liye shaadi karunga ? Aap shayad bhul gaye hai ki meir shaadi ho chuki hai...aur Naina jaan le legi meri, agar meine aisa kuch kiya toh."

"Meine kab kaha ki aapko shaadi karni hogi ? Hum sirf Shaadi tai karenge...taaki saara information nikal sake...aur shaadi ke din...jab sab relaxed honge...hum tab attack karenge. Iss se acha mauka nahi milega humein raid ka....and relax....mein aisa kuch hone nahi dunga...aapke biwi se mujhe bhi dar lagta hai.."

Rajveer looked at him amused..as Col. Bisht winked.

**********

Everything was going according to plan and Rajveer started uncovering more information as the marriage date was fixed.

Rajveer couldn't wait to go back home. He so wanted his regular life back....waking up next to Naina, looking at her sleeping, peaceful face, playing with his son..dressing him for school...sneaking a few romantic moments with Naina behind his kid's back...going to the job he loved...and coming back to his happy home...listening to the various ways Naveen got into trouble...laughing at his antics as Naina rolled her eyes...pampering his wife...making love to her...

Rajveer jerked out of his thoughts...he ruffled his hair, smiling.

*****

Rajveer went into the kitchen , one day. 

"Khalla..."

"Haan janab boliye ."

"Woh..umm."

"Kya hua...kuch chahiye aapko."

"Ji woh..hum Nausheen ke liye tofa laye the...aap usse de denge ?"

"Arre wah..tofa...badi jaldi hai aapko nikah ki...hum kyun...aap jaake de dijiye.."

"Nahi woh...humara unke kamre mein jaan theek nahi rahega...ghar mein sab kya sochenge ?"

"Kya sochenge ? aap na bade sharmile hai...aayiye humare saath..hum khaya rakhenge...ki koi uss taraf na aaye..."

She knocked Nausheen's door.. " Nausheen...dekh tera hone wale shauhar, tere liye tofa laaye hai ."

Nausheen opened the door in a hurry. She looked at Rajveer and immediately adjusted the dupatta on her head and looked down, blushing.

Khala left from there,as he approached her.

"Yeh aapke liye..." he gave her a jewellery box.

Nausheen pened the box and exclaimed.." Wah...yeh to kitna sundar hai."

"Aapko pasand aaya ?" he asked.

"Bohot...yeh humari zindagi ka sab se anokha tofa hai...bohot bohot shukriya."

"Aap pehn ke nahi dekhenge ?"

Nausheen looked up at him. " Ji zarur. "

She was about to wear it when..." Aap in kapdon pe pehnenge...aap Nila rang ka kuch pehenge to hi to yeh dikhega theek se."

"Haan...aap sahi keh rahe hai...par mere paas toh nila rang ka kuch...umm..didi ke paas hoga...hum abhi aaye...aap baithiye...hum do minute mein aate hai. "

As she hurried out, Rajveer quickly reached in for the phone. He called his house.

"Hello" said Naina.

"Hii." 

"Aap ? Jaan...kaise hai aap ?"

"Mei bilkul theek honn, bas ab kuch hi din...mein bohot jald tumhare paas honga. "

"Sach ?"

"Sach...abhi se neend poori karlo...kyunki mein ek baar aajau..tumhe sone nahi dunga."

"Jaann !! Mein bohot intezaar kar rahi hu...aapse itni baatein karni hai ki...."

"Jaanta hoon...mera bacha kaisa hai ? bhul toh nahi gaya mujhe ?"

"Bilkul nahi...har roz puchta hai aapke liye...kabhi kabhi toh samjhana mushkil ho jaata hai."

"Mujhe ab rakhna padega...mein koshis karunga ki dobara..."

"Naina...." called a male voice from behind.

Rajveer tightened the hold on his receiver. "Theek hai...jaan khayal rakhna apna...Bye." said Naina.

Rajveer put down the phone too. who was that in the background, he thought ?

Nausheen came back in and after speaking to her for a few minutes...Rajveer left for his place.

Who was that ? It is not any person I recognize ? May be someone from work...or someone wh came to fix something. But why would they call her Naina and not Mrs Shekhawat or Lt. Singh. Was it a friend ? Someone new ? Someone close enough she would call home ?

And for the first time in a year...Rajveer felt really uneasy and insecure.