Rajveer and Alekh returned from the mission so had pooja and Alekh.

"Aap ko dekhna chahiye tha, sir. Pooja ne kitni asani se sab ko ullu bana kar Col Bisht tak pahunch gayi thi." said Ali, pride evident in his voice. Rajveer suppressed a smile.

"Aur sir, Ali ne Col Bisht se apni usuloon ke saath itne ache se baat kiya ki Col Bisht ne nahi sirf humein saari baatein batayi, balki agar hum kabhi trial pe gaye, woh gavahi dene ke liye bhi raazi hogaye ki Col Shakti ke paas red box tha hi nahi. Aur unke paas agar tha hi nahi toh uske liye aap unhe maarte kaise ?"

"That's great, Cadets. Good job. Atleast your experience was better than ours." Rajveer and Alekh had gotten the laptop, but it had been wiped clean.

"Sir, aap uss laptop ke baare mein fikr mat kijiye." said Yudi. " I can factory reset it and restore the files. I just need some time."

"Aaur phir aapun ko kya saara maal mil jayega ya aadha adhura. Aur yeh kaise, delete dabane se jaata nai kya permanetly ?" asked Alekh intrigued.

"Nahi Chief. Aur haan, jab tum mere laptop borrow karte ho aur downloads delete karte ho, mein exactly jaanta hu ki tumne kya dekha.."

 Alekh looked funnily embarrassed while everybody laughed..

Rajveer sat with Yudi till late night, while the rest went off to sleep, helping him as much as he can in the restore. It was taking a lot of time, and Yudi dozed off on the sofa itself. Rajveer looked outside. naina was standing overlooking the lake. The wind was blowing her loose hai everywhere. Rajveer thought for a minute, before taking a shawl and moving towards her. Just as he was about to slide the glass door open, somebody put a jacket around Naina's shoulders.

Naina looked up. "Thanks Huda".

Huda put his arm around her, rubbing her to provide warmth. " Thanks kaisa phulan, dost hote hi issliye hai."

Rajveer stopped in his tracks, tossing the shawl aside. He considered both of them. Unlike him, huda and naina could still step away from all this, and go back and lead normal lives. Safe lives. He was a fugitive, a murderer in the eyes of the world. He had nothing to offer her. What if he doesn't succeed in this mission ? What if he get's caught ? And even if they succeed, will her parents ever agree for them, knowing he was the one who pulled the trigger on Naveen. Thinking or even hoping for a future with her was not an option.

Rajveer looked down smiling sadly at his fate. So close, yet so far.

"Toh, phulan. kabhi socha hai, ki yeh mission kamyam nahi hoga to kya ?"

"Nahi Huda. mere paas koi aur option nahi hai. Yaa toh yeh mission kamyab ya phir ladte ladte shaheed."

"Mar jayegi, par saath nahi chodegi na unka ?"asked Huda.

Naina turned towards him.

"Kuch kehne ki zaroorat nahi hai Phulan. Huda andha nahi hai. Dikhta hai. Jo unhone kiya aur jo teri jo halaat thi unke jaane ke baad. Pichle kuch din hi dekh le, jab tak woh wapis nahi aaye, teri toh saase atki hui thi." said Huda, a little bitter.

"Toh tujhe bhi ye galat lagta hai ?" asked Naina.

"Nahi jaanta. Par ye jaanta hu ki tujhe khush dekhna chahte hu. Aur ab samajh bhi gaya ,ki teri khushi mujh se nahi hai."

Naina din't know what to say. "I am sorry Huda. Mein tujhse se bohot pyaar karti hu. Bas uss tarah se nahi jis tarah se tu chahta hai. Par mein tujhe humesha hi apni achi dost manti aayi hu.  I hope hum aage bhi ache dost reh sakte hai. "

Huda nodded slightly. Naina left , to go inside the house.  Huda stood at the same point till late in the night, thinking and occasionally wiping a tear or two.

**************************************

 A car stopped at the farmhouse. Dr Shalini got down from one side while Capt Abhimanyu got down the other, holding a cake and a champagne case.

"Thank You for coming with me Captain." said Dr Shalini.

"C'mon Dr Shalini, aap apne husband ke liye birthday party throw kar rahe hai, aur hum madad bhi nahi karenge, toh aapke colleague aur dost hone ka kya matlab?  "

"Yaa...chaliye...bada se surprise hone wala hai...." said Dr Shalini "yeh party" she added quickly.

Dr Shalini rushed in while Abhimanyu carried the cases inside. He came inside and got a shock. All the cadets were there.

"Aap sab yaha ? Party ke liye aaye ? Naina....why are you not in Canada ? and.."

Abhimanyu dropped the case. Rajveer stood up from the sofa.

"Raj.." said Abhi tears welling up in his eyes. "Hum jaante the...humein yakeen tha..." he came forward and hugged Rajveer. Rajveer hugged him back.

Dr Shalini motioned the other cadets to give them some time. All of them with Dr Shalini to the garden.

"I am so sorry Raj. For everything." said Abhi, breaking the hug.

"No Chauhan. Tumne sirf apna farz nibhaya. Par waqt aagaya hai ki hum ek dusre ko samjhe aur saath lade. Saari gal fehmiya door kar de."

" I was the insecure one, Raj. Jealous of you because the cadets preferred you over me."

"No Chauhan, you were insecure because Nandini preferred me over you."

Abhimanyu looked at Rajveer, stunned. It was an unsaid rule in their friendship never to talk about this topic. It was when the drifting in their relationship started. But the time had come to clear everything out.

"When the cadets behaved badly with you, it brought up an old resentment, resurfaced an old wound " said Rajveer confidently , having analysed it a lot in the past few weeks. " You were Nandini's best friend , Chauhan and you liked her. Of course, you felt bad when we..we became a couple. But you stood by and never said a word and never let it affect our friendship, like a true gentleman. But I broke her heart. She wanted love and pampering all the time, and that is not wrong. But I couldn't giver her that and after I shot Naveen,I caved into a shell, avoiding her, not talking properly. I don't blame her for wanting a better life and choosing a civilian. I drove her away from me. I now you hated me for that."

Abhimanyu looked everywhere except him. Rajveer was right on every point.

"I am sorry Chauhan. I am sorry I hurt your best friend."

"I am sorry too Raj. I shouldn't have held that grudge for that long. I should have spoken to you and let it out. But Believe me, I din't let that anger affect my statement in the witness box."

"I know Chauhan. I trust you. And I have been in your place at Naveen's trial. I know how hard it is."

With vows of friendship renewed, they entered the other room to show Abhi the progress in the case so far. Abhimanyu shared all the work he had been doing the last few weeks.

*******************************************

"Ok Captains, take a break , woh sarre drinks aur khana jo mein apne husband ke fake birthday ke liye laayi hu, waste ho rahe hai. So come out. " ordered Dr Shalini.

" Cake ? par hum celebrate kya kar rahe hai" asked Rajveer, openin one of the boxes..

" Hum sab ka saath. Cheers." said Dr Shalini.

The cadets lit a fire, and all sat around it, drinking and having fun. Raj and Abhi in 2 chairs a little far away.

"You know , she is single now" said Rajveer.

"You know about the divorce ? " asked Abhi, stunned.

"It's never too late to confess your feelings. You always stood by her through thick and thin. You never know.. " said Rajveer , smiling.

"Nahi Raj..." said Abhi

"Love is not a sin, Chauhan" said Rajveer. He looked over at Naina. Laughing and joking with her friends. Rajveer felt unknown emotions.

"I know that. Do you ? " asked Abhi following his eyes.

Rajveer turned and looked at Abhi. Abhi gave him a knowing look. 

"umm..Chauhan waise , tumhe abhi bhi lagta hai ki meine Col Shakti ko issliye maara kyunki woh mujhe red box nahi de rahe the ?"

"Not anymore, Raj. Woh bas mein confuse hogaya tha. Aur phir Lala Sahab ne kaha ki Col Shakti ne unhe phone karke kaha ki tum Red box ke peeche, unke eeche haath dhoke pade ho..toh..."

"Wait, What ? Col Shakti ne Lala Sahab ko phone kiya ? par ye kaise ho sakta hai? woh toh kidnapped the ?"

Abhimanyu gave him a " I don't know " look.

************************************

"Sir" called Yudi. " The restore just got completed."

All of them gathered around the computer. "Sir, Col Shakti ne Government  name change database access kiya tha. He was trying to find the alias name of someone called  ....Lalmani Shankar."

"Sir" said Pooja. " Col Bisht ne kaha tha, ki Col Shakti, unhe Isi naam ke insaan ka old illegal activities ke baare mein pucha tha."

"Raj.." said Abhi " yeh naam toh Lala Sahab ka purana naam hai na. Before he joined politics."

Rajveer din't say a word. He din't need Abhi to point this out to him. He had made the connection when Yudi uttered the name for the first time.

"Nahi, yeh....koi unhe phasa raha hai." said Rajveer in utter denial.

"OMG" exclaimed Dr Shalini. "When I bugged Major Nair's room, he always referred to someone as sir. Only once, he said something like..jaldi kar ,Cheetah ko Mumbai jaane se pehele update dena hai. I din't understand, but there was news that day, that Lala Sahab was inaugurating the airport in Mumbai" 

Everyone turned to look at Rajveer. Rajveer was stone faced. Shock and Hurt were written very clearly on his face.

"NAHI. " he yelled." Yeh sach nahi hai. Tum sabko koi galat fehmi hui hai. Tum log kiske baare mein kya bol rahe ho pata hai ? Woh aisa kabhi nahi kar sakte hai..kabhi nahi."

Saying this, he turned and stormed off into the basement.

Abhimanyu went till the door, and stopped sighing. Naina came till the door too, concern evident on her face. She looked at Abhi.

"Shayad use mujhse zyada, iss waqt aap ki zarurat hai Naina." said Abhi, clearly knowing he won't be able to handle Raj.

Naina nodded and went down the stairs. She found him at a corner, hands gripping the stone wall tightly, breathing heavily in anger."

"Sir"

Rajveer turned angrily. " Agar tum wahi bakwaas karne aayi ho jo upar wo log kar rahe hai, toh tum jaa sakte ho "

"Nahi sir, sirf ek sawal puchna hai, jo bohot dinon se mujhe pareshaan kar raha tha. Kya aapne kabhi kisi ko bataya ki aap mujhse pyaar karte hai ?"

Rajveer lost it. She was asking him this at this time ? 

"Naina" he yelled in anger " tum yeh..."

"Toh phir ye baat Capt Salve ko kaise pata chala tha. Aur kaise pata chala unhe ki iss baat ko court mein uthane se aap kamzor padenge ?" asked Naina.

Rajveer stood shocked. His mind raced back in time.

"Mujhe khud ki fikar nahi hai, par yeh sach Naina tak pahunchna bohot zaruri hai"

"Kya"

"Haan Lala Sahab, yehi sach hai"

He had confessed without confessing.

Rajveer turned. His breath was choked. He felt his heart breaking. His body shivered. His tears weren't in his control anymore.

"Kaise kar sakte hai woh...aisa...mere saath" Rajveer asked sobbing. "meine unhe apne baap ki jagah..." he was crying out...

Naina's eyes welled up too. Hatred for this man built up inside her. He not only managed to take her bhayya away from her, he shattered the soul of her love.

Rajveer dropped down to the ground. Naina rushed forward, hugging him from behind.Rajveer tried to free himself, but Naina hugged him tighter. he gave up, held her hand and cried his heart out.

"Unhone hi cheena humse...naveen...meri wardi..." he was sobbing.

"Sir...sir...samhaliye apne aap ko. Hume yeh jung sachai keliye ladh rahe hai. "

"Mujhme ab takat nahi hai Naina...nahi hai takat...Kaise ladu mein unke khilaaf....kaise chalau kisi apne ke seene pe goli"

"Kyunki aap hi ne kaha tha...ki desh se bada, sach se bada kuch nahi hota. Aur uss ke khilaf jo bhi jayega, usse khatam karna hi humara lakshaya hai.  wohi ek sipahi ka farz hai."

Rajveer sat down on the floor. Wiping his tears, Naina looked at him. "Aap akele nahi hai Sir. Mein hu aapke saath."