CHAPTER 96

OF PEACEFUL MORNINGS AND BLUSHING DATES

Faizi was having a great morning. The paperwork from the raid was all done, the drills went smoothly, and the classes were engaging. It was peaceful and he had even gotten the time to sneak in a breakfast with his girlfriend. Even now, post lunch, it was almost a team meeting. The cadets- their cadets- were sitting over to the other side of the mess and the three trainers had somehow also settled over the mess. He was pretty sure Karan and Sanju had only joined him because Monami and Siddharth were on the other side of the room and as vehemently as they liked to deny it, they just liked having them in their sights.

His peace, however, was broken by a loud screech. He sighed, looking over to the cadets. It was Chitra. She had even climbed over the bench, standing on it as if she already hadn't garnered enough attention. For a moment, he was concerned over how terrified she looked. "#Exams aa rahe hain", she screeched dramatically and his concern vanished. "#Date sheet out."

"What?" The rest screeched, diving for their own laptops. It was silent for a moment as they read through the email.

There was another screech, this time from Bala. "Strategy mein koi break nahi hai", he gasped in horror.

"I am going to f-fail", Monami gasped. Across Faizi, Karan rubbed his forehead, shaking his head. He just knew the other agent had spent hours counselling her that of all the things, she was not going to fail at least. The thought of Monami failing an exam was laughable. She studied too much for it.

"Tum pratham thi, Monami", Prem ji said. "Tum toh yeh sab kaho hi mat. Hume padha do."

She stared at him in disbelief. "M-Mera koi d-dost nahi hai ab", she declared dramatically. She got betrayed looks for that declaration.

"Dhokebaaz", Parikshit gritted out, although the fact that he seemed more or less serious made it even more hilarious. Monami kept a hand over her chest at the declaration- dramatically offended, but turned her head away even more dramatically. Faizi laughed.

"Kaa namoone hoge", Sanju muttered, laughing lightly under her breath as she watched them. "Pariksha se itna darr raho hain."

There was another choking sound. "Yahan likha hai hum sabke exams aur zyaada mushkil aayenge", Koel said, staring at the rest with big eyes.

"I was wondering woh uss point par kab pahunchenge", Karan said, amused.

There was another pause as they digested the information given. Monami's eyes suddenly lifted to the three trainers, who were laughing quietly at their panic, amused smiles on their faces. "Aap logon se b-badla liya j-jaayega", she threatened, but her gaze zoomed to Karan, who pursed his lips. He looked at Faizi, slight alarm in his eyes.

"I support you, Monami", Koel said, glaring at Faizi.

"Mahutarma..." He trailed off, unsure of what he could even say. What has he done? It wasn't like he was the one who invented the concept of examinations. He looked at Karan and Sanju, who both shrugged.

"Tum padha rahi ho mujhe", Siddharth declared to his own girlfriend, who quietly nodded. It was strange to see her quiet, but Faizi was sure there was some strange dynamics between them and while everyone thought it was Sanju that dominated their relationship, it was not entirely true. They had some weird power balance between them. She listened to him. It had done her good, made her just a little bit calmer.

The cadets dove into their books, scrambling for notebooks and pens as they started to tore in the tons of syllabus they were supposed to prepare. Faizi shook his head. It was a good morning, but perhaps, peaceful was a farfetched word for it.

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

"Did you think about it?" Sid asked.

Sanju sighed, looking up. She shrugged, nodding. "Hume bas lagto naa hai woh hum jaisi ladki ko tere laane chahte honge. Unhone socha hogo koi ameer si, badhe ghar ki ladki honi chahiyo, hum jaise gaaon waali naa." It wasn't that Sanju was ashamed of her roots. No. She flaunted them. But it would be ignorant of her to say there wasn't... difference. Oh, there was a lot of difference, their lifestyles, their thinking, even their ethics. And it was a general opinion that those two worlds should be kept separate. Her family had been reluctant about him for the same reason and she was pretty sure his father would be reluctant about her too.

He shook his head. "You might be from a different background, Sanju, but really, unhe sirf yeh chahiye ki main khush hoon. And I am. I am very happy with you. And you know, agar woh disapprove bhi karte hain, humaare beech mein koi problem nahi aayengi."

The thought was even stranger to Sanju. She loved Sid, she really did. But she had seen her parents stand beside her, fight for her against the very society they lived in. If they said she wasn't going to marry him, she was not going to marry him. But Sid seemed to have no such concern. He would marry who he wanted, not who his father wanted. But Sanju wanted his approval. "Par humaare laane woh zaroori hai", she tried to explain softly.

His relationship with his father was getting better but she knew, it would only really take a big enough fight to crumble. She did not want to be the cause of it. He sighed. "I know", he said. "I know you want his approval. And I think he'll like you or at least, give you a chance. But agar tumhe nahi milne ka mann, toh we can leave it at that."

She exhaled. "Aisi baat naa hogo." She shrugged. "Theek hogo. Tu... Tu baat kar le unse."

He smiled softly, leaning over and kissing her forehead affectionately. "Thank you."

"Ismein thank you ki kaa baat hogo?" She said, shaking her head. She kissed his cheek. "Tujhe pato hai hume bataane mein koi dikkat naa hogo. Hum bas... koi jhagdha naa chahto hain."

"I know", he said, standing up. "It'll be okay." He grabbed a book, sitting on her bed. "For now, padha do mujhe?"

She laughed softly, grabbing a notebook as she settled on her bed too. "Chal, Chirkut."

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

Nawaz stared at the dirty ceiling of the lodge he was holed up in. The four of them had sneaked out of Deolali, saying their goodbyes before parting on to different cities. EFR was spread out, and there were a lot of leaders and higher ups spread across. They had been contacted by the ones who wanted them. He doubted he would ever see the others again. The thought didn't really bother him.

He sat up, rubbing his face. It had bothered him. Running. Running so much. From the academy, from their own base, from the city. Running, terrified of what the soldiers could do. He wouldn't be back in Deolali for quite some time now. Months, years, who knows?

He reached in his bag, rummaging through till he found what he was looking for. A picture of Kitten. No, Monami. That was her name. That was who she should have been to him. He exhaled, taking her happy features in. A big smile that she had never offered him, her eyes glinting in happiness.

He had lost sight of himself. She was a cadet- not really a soldier- but it didn't matter. She was close enough to become one. If he ever saw her again, she would be one by that time. He grabbed the lighter, letting the corner of the picture catch fire. He watched the picture burn, letting it go when the flame reached his fingers uncomfortably.

He exhaled. It was time to let her go, let Deolali go. He would never see her again. For now, his next stop was Delhi. Imam was waiting.

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

Monami hummed to herself under her breath, ecstatic after the past hour. Karan had come to meet her and while she had initially freaked out about the exams, he had soothed her with such confidence in his tone that she just couldn't doubt herself. The rest of the hour had been smoother, and the two had ended up talking about the history chapter she had been reading of World War II. She had been needlessly scared. Things haven't really changed between them. Just... relaxed.

"Monami", a voice made her pause. "Tum itni khush kaise ho?" Koel plopped down on her bed. "Exams aa rahe hain."

"It'll be o-okay", she assured softly.

Koel watched her for a few seconds, before a big, genuine smile broke out on her face. "You know, Monami, I am really happy ki tum itna khush ho."

Her head snapped up to watch the woman. Had Faizi told her? Karan had told her he would tell Faizi. But Faizi wouldn't tell her, would he? "M-Matlab?"

She ruffled her hair affectionately. "Tum hamesha itna darti thi pehle", she explained gently. "Ab, you are still thoda unusually quiet, but... I think tum humaare saath ab comfortable ho. And I am glad."

Monami relaxed, and the smile she offered was half relieved and half of kindness. She sat down, shrugging. "Thank you", she said earnestly. "M-Mere saath itna p-patient hone ke l-liye."

Koel smiled, ruffling her hair again. Monami frowned, batting her hands away and fixing her hair. The woman chuckled. "I actually needed help", she admitted after a moment. She glanced around at the books strewn on Monami's bed before plucking one up and patting the front cover. She chuckled, nodding and grabbing a notebook.

"You know", Koel had commented when she had started to leave later in the day. "Agar Karan Sir buddhu bankar confess nahi kar rahe hain, toh maybe you should." She had frozen, staring at her with wide eyes. "You like him, right?"

"M-Main... what?" She had squeaked.

Koel laughed, shrugging. "You guys will be so good together." Monami's mouth had dropped open as she left. Would they find out that soon? No! No, she did not want that.

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

Karan glanced at his Bhabhi, keeping the knife down. He had told her he was a little busy in the evening- his date with Monami- but she had insisted since it was Sunday, he come and meet them with Param. "So", he started. His Bhabhi glanced up, nodding her attention. He glanced outside, making sure Baby was busy with his brother. She didn't need to know it. She blurted things out so fast. And he needed to keep Monami hidden away. It needed to stay hidden.

"Kya hua?"

He took a step closer, lowering his voice. "Aapko pata hai, na, aaj shaam ko main thoda busy hoon?" He said, his voice low. She frowned, nodding. A small smile spread over his face. "It's because I have a date", he admitted.

Her eyes widened and a grin spread over her face. "You asked Monami?"

"Well, date ke liye usne puchha but... I told her I loved her."

Her hands flew to her mouth. "She's your girlfriend?" She gasped out. He nodded, grinning. She clapped her hands together excitedly. "Mujhe toh laga hi nahi tha tum mein kabhi bhi akal aa sakti hai. Maine toh umeed hi chhod di thi tumse."

"Bhabhi!" He gently hit her shoulder, and she laughed, shaking her head.

"I want to meet her."

He tilted his head. "Aap mile hue ho usse."

She clicked her tongue. "As your cadet, Karan. I want to meet her as your girlfriend." He blinked. There was a difference? She was the same person.

"Dekhte hain", he dismissed vaguely.

"Karan..."

He looked at her. "It's been six days", he said. "I need to ask her pehle agar woh comfortable hai toh. She's really nervous about this."

She sighed, nodding. "Okay", she said. She gently patted his shoulder. "I just... I just wanted her to know ki uske jaise bhi relation hai Param ke saath, it doesn't change ki agar woh tumhaari girlfriend hai, toh woh humaare liye family hai."

He stared at her. "You know?"

"Of course I know, Karan. Jab Juhi Ma'am shaheed hue the, mujhe uss time ke around se hi pata hai what happened. Mujhe laga tha that was it and kabhi dobara humaare paths cross nahi honge. When... Param told me he saw Monami again, I knew she was Juhi Ma'am's daughter. Mujhe details nahi pata zyaada but I know the brief overview. I just didn't expect ki this will be how it's going to turn out." She smiled. "I am so happy for you, Karan."

"Chachu!" Baby squealed, running into the kitchen, his brother behind her. The conversation was abandoned, not that there was much left to talk about anyway. Karan hauled her up, her legs swinging around his torso and hugging him. "Papa tang kar rahe hain!" He grinned, pretending to mockingly scold his brother for it.

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

Monami played with the loose threads of her clothes, smiling as she talked to her father. They talked now. It was mostly trivial, and never on their conflicting topics- never on academy, never on the army, never on her mother. But they talked. He knew about her friends and she knew about his work. Sometimes, they even talked about therapy. She had started to relax and while she still stuttered, even that had lessened. In general, she had noticed, her stuttering had lessened, even with new people. She was ecstatic the day she had realized it.

"I... I a-actually also n-need you to m-meet someone", she slipped in.

There was a pause. "A friend?"

A boyfriend. "K-Kind of", she muttered nervously.

He hummed. "As long as it's not a boyfriend", he teased, laughing lightly. She froze. "Waise itni kitni achhi dosti ho gayi hai tumhaari ki tum mujhse milwaana chahti ho? Naam kya hai?"

She closed her eyes. As long as it's not a boyfriend. "Karan", she answered softly. "I w-want you to m-meet Karan S-Sir." The 'Sir' was an afterthought.

There was another pause, longer. "Param ka bhai."

"He's my f-friend", she said. "My tr-trainer. He j-just also h-happens to be his br-brother."

Another pause. A thoughtful one. "I am not sure I want to meet him", her father said quietly. She swallowed, closing her eyes. "Tumhe pata hai I don't like Param Shergill. I am not sure main Karan ke saamne utna calm rahunga. We can talk about it later but main bahut khush nahi honga usse milkar. You know that."

As long as it's not a boyfriend. He wasn't happy at his mere name. What would he say if he knew they were dating? She bit her lip. "Of c-course", she said, her voice not betraying the conflict of her brain. "I am s-sorry."

The apologies came easier now, even if she didn't mean them. A way to make sure the peace wasn't tampered with. "It's okay, baccha", he said softly. "But... just be careful with Karan, okay?"

"He's a g-good p-person, Papa", she said.

"I am sure he is, Monami", her father said soothingly and she pretended not to hear the disbelief. "But I don't want to hear it. Please. I am trying. I really am."

"I know. I am s-sorry", she whispered. "Thank you."

He hummed, swiftly changing to another topic and she humored him, telling him about her upcoming exams and he told her about his stranger medical cases and the light-hearted incidents around the hospital.

As Monami rummaged through the closet, trying to find an appropriate outfit for her date, she found herself losing herself to her thoughts. She took a minute, sitting down with a white top in hand, as she took a deep breath. Her father would not like Karan, if only by association. She clenched the top tighter, closing her eyes. She took a deep breath, shaking her head and standing up. She will deal with it when it was time to.

Still, the words lingered. As long as it's not a boyfriend.

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

Monami laced up her sandals, flats because they were going to walk around, standing up and turning to the mirror in the room. She had curled up her hair just enough that they fell in soft waves to her shoulders, wearing a simple outfit of jeans and top. It was a fancy top, in her defense and the date was supposed to be casual. She had thought of going all out- a fancy restaurant- and she was sure Karan wouldn't mind. But the weather was nicer now and Karan liked open air, and the easy, unstifled comfort that freedom brought and she was sure a little coffee date and a walk would be better suited. It was more... personal.

She picked up a pair of earrings, and she smiled, content with how well they complimented her simple outfit. Jewelry really did make everything elegant. She hummed lightly under her breath, trying to stow away the nervous excitement from the date and the dread of the afternoon conversation with her father. She looked up at the mirror, almost freezing. Karan leaned against the doorway, watching her quietly with a small smile on his face.

She spun around. And sure enough, he was leaning on the doorway, his arms crossed and staring at her. "Karan!" She said, walking over. "Aap... When d-did you c-come? Aap... Aap mujhe chh-chhupkar dekh rahe the?"

"Main kahan chhupa tha?" He countered. "Your fault for not noticing. And I liked watching you get ready." He smiled, walking past her. "Especially because tum mere saath date par jaane ke liye taiyaar ho rahi ho."

She bit her smile back, turning around and shaking her head. His smile widened, and he sat down on her bed. As he leaned back on his hands, her gaze dropped down to his clothes. He looked... hot. There was really no other word for it. He wore a simple, black button up shirt, and jeans but the sleeves of his shirt were folded up, revealing his taut forearms and he had trimmed his beard and it looked perfect. "You look... r-really good."

He smiled a little, dipping his head in thanks. "Tum bhi", he said softly. For a second, she didn't breathe, staring into his soft eyes that seemed to drown in a sweet, admiring affection for her.

She clicked her tongue playfully, grabbing her purse. "Itna pheeka c-compliment?" She teased, turning away to get her purse and checking to make sure she had everything. "You know, agar aa-aap ch-chahte hain main aa-aapke liye aise t-taiyaar hoon, you should g-give better compliments."

His eyebrows raised and she turned her head, grinning at his surprised look. "Ji, Rani Sahiba", he said. "I think... aap bahut sundar lag rahi hain. Is that better?"

She turned around, giving him a big grin. "Better", she confirmed. "Ab ch-chalein?"

"Yes ma'am."

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

"A coffee date?" Karan said, thoroughly amused. She wasn't sure if it was because they drank coffee every night or some other joke she didn't understand. It was still a fancy café, and the coffee was supposed to die for, and the ambience was great. He hadn't known where they were going- Monami wanted to plan everything and she had only told him to wear something good but casual.

She shrugged. "There's m-more", she admitted nervously. "I m-mean, do you h-hate it? I a-actually have a b-backup plan and-"

"I love it", he cut her off gently. "The only thing I really care about date mein is you." He smiled, watching her turn red but the smile pulled through, and she beamed happily. She ordered a brownie alongside, raving about how the ice cream went along just perfectly with the coffee. He wasn't sure what she was more excited about- the food or him. And he did not want to ask because he was pretty sure the answer wasn't him and he would like to stay in the doubt that it might just be him.

"Try?" She held out a spoonful and even though Karan wasn't fond of chocolates and brownies and ice cream, he leaned forward, tasting it. It was actually, really good. When he looked back though, she had turned redder, and he became aware of his hand that clutched her wrist, keeping the spoon in place. He decided he loved the effect he had on her.

"It's good", he said. She beamed, nodding in agreement.

The date was great. They drank their coffee, walked around and explored the interiors of the city. He, of course, had been there plenty of time, having grown up in the city, and he smiled as she tried the cakes of the local shops, squealed about the little cupcakes she had hoarded for the academy, and gushed even about the cute stationery she had gotten. All through out, Karan found little ways to make her blush, which was easier than he imagined. The slightest touch made her freeze and got her blushy and it was brief enough that it didn't make him nervous. It was perfect.

She had caught on halfway through their date. "You are tr-trying to make me b-blush", she had accused and he had smiled at her a little, shrugging.

"No proof", he had replied innocently and she narrowed her eyes, turning back. She had not retaliated and that was making him slightly wary as the evening went on.

It was a little after half past 7 the two came back but neither wanted the evening to end and Monami had found herself in Karan's room- which was empty and Faizi was apparently, occupied with routine checkups- and the two had talked before they fell quiet, Monami's head resting on his shoulder.

"I liked th-this", she said, looking up at him.

He smiled. "Me too." He looked down at her. "I can plan the next date."

She straightened up. "Khaana hona ch-chahiye", she said seriously. He barked out a surprised laugh, nodding in agreement. "No, listen, I love you but kh-khaana. That's... n-necessary."

"Ji, Rani Sahiba", he said, shaking her head fondly. "Aapke saath date aur khaana naa ho?"

"Exactly", she said, nodding as if he finally got it. He shook his head fondly. The door opened and the two looked up. Faizi.

The man froze, raising an eyebrow as he looked at Karan. "Uh, hum... jaayein?" He asked hesitantly.

"Nahi", Monami said before Karan could say something. "I w-was just g-going."

"You were?" Karan asked, looking at her, startled by how abruptly she pulled on her shoes, standing up.

"Yes", she said. "M-Mujhe room tak chh-chhodkar aao?"

He nodded, standing up and pulling on his own shoes. Monami pretended not to notice how Karan hit the other special agent on his arm, or his loud, whispered- 'Thodi der baad nahi aa sakta tha?' and Faizi's spluttered defense and apologies. But he fell quiet next to her and the two walked back to her room.

"Karan", she said and he hummed. The two paused outside the door of her room. She leaned up closer, her hands on his shoulders to support herself. He swallowed, suddenly aware of her proximity. "It's m-my turn. To make you bl-blush." He hadn't quite registered the sentence before he felt her lips brush his cheek. He froze. His heart beat wildly in his chest, and if he was in a cartoon, it would be about 5 feet out of his chest. He closed his eyes, feeling her lips kiss his cheek gently, before she pulled away.

It took him a few seconds to open his eyes and when he did, he was sure she was a little redder than normal, but he was pretty sure he could act as a heater with how hot his face felt and between the two of them, he was definitely more blushy.

She beamed at him. "Good night", she said cheekily, turning around and walking to her room.

He still felt her lips on his cheek and he lifted his fingers, gently brushing the skin where her lips had touched- just to make sure he wasn't imagining the heat. He wasn't. He took a deep breath, shaking his head as he turned back. This woman was going to be the death of him. And he would gladly let her be.

Note- I hope you liked this chapter! Please comment or vote if you have the time or the will. The next chapter would be posted on June 26th.