"Ananya, are you ok ? " asked Gunny concerned. "Meine suna waha par aag lag gaya tha."

"Yes..I am fine now sir, Thank You."

"Tumne Naveen ko bachaya..hum sabko tumhe thanks kehna chahiye. In fact, how about I take you out to dinner today. To say Thanks. You can tell me all about Xavier days." 

"Umm..sir..I am sorry, but I have plans." said Ananya.

"Yes..." said Rajveer, entering the room. " I am taking her to dinner tonight. "

"Oh.." said Gunny. " So you want to say Thanks tonight ? Can I join?"

"Sorry Gunny, some other time. This is kind of our..first date. "

Gunny stiffened a little. "Oh..I see...Carry on then."

As Gunny left, Rajveer smiled. Ananya came to him.

"Raj..I din't think you wanted to tell anyone..about us."

"Yaa..I don't want to. But he had to know. I din't him want to get his hopes up on you."

*****

"Do logon ne uthaya tha mujhe..aur gaadi mein daal ke mera muh and kar diya." said Naveen, putting his hands on his mouth.

Rajveer hugged him closer. "Bacha...dar gaye the ?"

"Nahi...kyunki mujhe pata tha aap mujhe chudaloge..Mummy humesha kehti thi ki aap unhe humesha bachate the...mogambo se...Muchaad se...aur woh kaun...jisne mama ke saath bura kiya..."

"Mummy ne kaha ye sab ?" asked Rajveer, softly.

"Haan...woh kehti thi..ki aap unke hero hai."

Rajveer smiled sadly. " So jao bacha...Good night. " He tucked him into bed, kissing him before leaving the room.

****

"Ananya..can i ask you for a favour." asked Rajveer.

"Sure."

"Chalo." He took her to an old office. 

"Yeh mera friend hai...pehele police dept mein kaam karta tha.  Can you describe to him , the face you saw in that house."

Ananya was a little surprised as to why he did not use the army sketch guy, but obliged. 

Rajveer picked up the sketch. He looked at it carefully for a moment, before discarding it.

******

Rajveer and Alekh were sitting in the hall talking when the bell rang. Rajveer opened the door. 

"Sir, aapka order tayyar hai."

"Order ?" asked Rajveer, confused.

"Yes Sir..Mein K-jewellers se hu..Aapne jo ring order kiya tha..". He held up the box.

Rajveer stood stunned.

Flashback

"Rajveer, dekhiye...kitni pretty ring hai...carvings kitni intricate hai." said Naina, mesmerized.

Rajveer watched her pretty face with equal fascination.

"Haan ..wakai...tumhe pasand aaya ?"

"Bohot." said Naina, without lifting her head from the glass case.

Rajveer called the salesperson.

"Yeh ring kitne ki hai ?" asked Rajveer as Naina looked up surprised.

" 8 lakhs sir."

Rajveer's face fell. " 8 lakh " ?

"Yes sir, london blue topaz gem in platinum setting, one of a kind."

"Thanks." answered Naina, " par humein chalna chahiye." She pulled Rajveer away.

"Rajveer, kya kar rahe hai aap ?"

"Tumhe pasand aaya tha na Naina...mein actually khareed sakta hu" said Rajveer still thinking. "mere paas ek FD hai.."

"Rajveer...pagal hogaye aap...mein 8 lakh ki ring pehen ke kaha jaungi ? aur aap bhi...kharidne nikle...apna sara savings laga ke...Rajveer, ab hum sirf do nahi hai..koi aur bhi aane wala hai...". SHe put her hand on her tummy. "Uske baare mein sochiye. Waise bhi, mera sabse keemti gehna toh aap hai."

They share an eyelock.

"Ooh...panipuri" said Naina, spotting a stand on the opposite side of the road.

Rajveer moved towards the exit, when he turned and clicked a picture of the ring on his phone.

"Sir" Alekh called out. He pointed towards the guy who was staring at Rajveer. Rajveer snapped out and signed for the delivery. 

"Kya hai sir yeh..kahin ye woh..aapki nayi girlfriend ke liye toh nahi ?" asked Alekh, a little bitter.

Ever since he heard about the two of them, he had been angry. He din't understand why, but the thought of someone else taking his sister's place was burning him inside. He wanted Rajveer to be happy, but somehow felt really queasy about this relationship.

Rajveer smiled a sad half smile.

"Pata hai Alekh, 5 saal pehele Naina ko ek exhibition mein ek ring bohot achi lagi thi...bohot expensive tha...aur mein usse dila nahi paaya...waqt chala gaya..Naveen ka paida hona...humare missions...hum bohot busy hogaye apne life mein...par mein isse nahi bhula...bohot dhunda ki koi jeweler, jo aisa ek ring bana payega..lekin nahi mila....Last year, at last koi ek mila, jo raazi ho gaya...yeh topaz nahi hai...sirf ek ordinary gem hai..white silver ki setting hai...but I tried my best ki jitna similar ho sake..utna similar banau." Rajveer sniffed,  trying to hide his tears." Mujhe hi pata hai ki kitni mehnat kiya meine..ki yeh perfect bane, aur aaj an gaya...lekin jiske liye banaya...aaj woh."

Alekh looked down, tears forming in his eyes.

Rajveer picked up the ring and threw it softly into the dustbin.

"Sir" yelled Alekh. " Yeh kya kiya aapne ?"

"Nahi Alekh...iski ab mere zindaagi mein koi jagah nahi hai."

******

"Alekh...Naina ne tumhe kabhi apne mission ke baare mein baat kiya ?"

"Nahi sir..ussne kaha ki woh jo wo kar rahi hai..usmein secrecy raakhna bohot zaruri hai. haan..par ek baar ussne mujhse phone pe kaha...ki usse Naveen bhaya ki bohot yaad aa rahi hai...aur shayad pehli baar sacha sipahi hone ka matlab samajh mein aaraha hai... sab kuch dav pe lagana kaise lagta hai, yeh mehsus ho raha hai...kuch kuch...apun ko toh kuch samajh mein nahi aaya tha"

"Hmm..Alekh, iss case ko investigate karte karte mujhe kuch cheeze mili, mein tumhe dikhana chahta hu...file mere cabin mein hai.."

"Haan toh sir, chalte hai...aate aate Naveen aur Ma ko bhi pick up kar lenge."

****

As Rajveer and Alekh's jeep left, the kitchen window opened. A black hoodie, jumped inside. Moving cautiously, it made it's way to the dustbin. Rummaging through it and not finding anything, it bent down deeper.

"Isse dhund rahi ho ?" asked Rajveer, coming out of the shadows, holding up the ring.

The hoddie straightened.

"Ek acha sipahi woh hota hai jo apne emotions ko chupake aage bade." said Rajveer, in a serious tone, with no expression n his face. " par mein tumhe yeh kabhi sikha nahi paaya na...You were always emotional..especially jab bat meri ho."

The hoodie turned and Rajveer gulped in as much air as he can.