PART- 25

 

After ten days of Major Bhargav's arrival, there was a drill of tolerance. It was devided in three parts. One was to tolerate cold, the other one was to tolerate heat and the third and most difficult one to tolerate hunger, cold & darkness everything together. Most of the cadets completed first two parts while some of them failed. The last one was optional as it could be dangerous so nobody came forward to do that drill except six cadets. They all wanted to do that and Naina wanted to support them morally by performing this drill. She knew that it wouldn't be as difficult for her as for her friends but she also knew that they would be able to finish it.

 

All six of them participated in the drill, and they were kept in a quiet and dark room without food and the room was cold though toleratable. There were two candles and water to drink. They had to stay there for 16 hours and if any of them would like to quit then they just had to knock on the door for three times. The one thing for their benefit was that they all were together.

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Everybody started and there were two orderlies outside.

Huda- Are, ye 16 ghante to aise hi nikal jayenge.

Aalekh- apun ko bhi aisa hi lagta hai.

Riya- yeah, but I am little scared as I don't think I would be able to finish the drill.

Pooja- I think so too.

Adi- aap dono darte kyon hai, hum log hai na saath main.

Naina- Actually, we need to do something to pass this time so we don't have to concentrate on drill's problems but we will be able to finish it easily.

Huda- yeah, let's play something.

Aalekh- kya cricket?

Huda- don't joke, I am more thinking about antakshari.

Riya- good idea.

Then they played antakshari for at least four hours. They were tired after that so adi, pooja, huda & riya slept. Meanwhile aalekh & naina were awake and aalekh asked naina about this drill in her first year @ NDA and a lot of other things.

Naina was delighted to tell every story and every mischief that she and her friends did. This way she remememberd her friends as she was missing them too much.

After a while, everybody woke up and according to naina's watch there were still six hours to go.

Everybody talked about themselves, their dreams, mischief and other things, and now it was just 10 minutes left to finish the drill.

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That 10 minutes passed by and the drill was finished but nobody opened the door. They thought that may be they counted time wrong so they spent half an hour more but still there wasn't anybody @ door. Two more hours passed by and by now, riya and pooja weren't able to tolerate cold anymore and aditya, huda and aalekh were tired too. Naina still didn't feel anything as she was trained for this. But she was worried and finally she knocked the door three times and the orderly opened the door and Huda and Aalekh helped pooja and riya to take outside. The orderly called Dr. shalini as pooja and riya now needed medical attention.

Dr. shalini: oh my god, they had a dehydration and they are cold too. Just get them to infirmary.

Orderlies took them to infirmary and naina checked her wrist watch. It was almost 19 hours and 30 minutes before they came out. She was confused that why nobody finished the drill and she saw Major Bhargav coming in their direction.

MB- so no cadet was able to fulfill their drill huh!!!! Everybody is outside and there is still 30 minutes left.

Naina and other cadets were confused and rather shocked that they already did finish the drill.

Naina- no we did, even we stayed a lot longer than it already required. It was 19 hours and 30 minutes and orderly confirmed that positively to naina's favor.

MB- oh, yeah cadets I am really sorry that Major Niar and I forgot to tell you that from this year, the drill is going to be extended for 20 hours instead of 16 hours.

All the cadets were shocked and naina was quite angry at Major Bhargav.

MB- but anyways, even if it was for 20 hours you wouldn't able to finish it because you guys have tolerance of only 19and half hour right?

Huda- If we would have known, than we tolerated more. This is not fair.

MB- well unfortunately, you all failed this drill and there is nothing more I can do and I hope your friends will feel better soon.

Saying this Major Bhargav gave a wicked smile and left from there.

They all were angry and they went to Major Niar but MC said the same and didn't care. Now the talk was all over the academy and every cadet was angry but nobody supported them as there was nothing they could do.

Even raj, abhi, nandini & shalini were angry too but they were ordered by MC & MB that they wouldn't interfere in grades and exams instead they will just teach cadets all the drills.

Raj- I can't believe this. How can do this?

Abhi- and the other frustrating thing is that we can't do anything about it.

Shalini- yeah, riya and pooja were really in bad condition you know but now they are much better. If they would know that they failed the drill and their confidence will break.

At that time, naina entered there.

Naina- sorry to disturb you, but I would like to talk to you.

Nandini- sure naina, go ahead.

Naina- well I was here to talk about the drill that we just did.

Abhi- yeah we know.

Naina- then why wouldn't you say something?  This is totally unreasonable and they failed all of us even if we did finish.

Raj- We know cadet, but may be it was something that you misunderstood that Major said and you all failed the drill. (Raj didn't want to say this and even his face didn't give the support on what he himself said but he wanted cadets to feel that everything is all right and MC and MB are not against them even if he knew that they were.)

Naina couldn't believe what raj said.

Abhi also supported raj thinking that cadets will forget this thing but naina asked them a question seriously with a firm face.

Naina- Would you support us to fight with this unjustice or not?

They all looked @ her but nobody would able to say yes because they didn't have any authority.

Abhi- well cadet, why don't you guys forget this thing and concentrate to win other drills. It was just a simple drill.

Naina- Would you help us or not sir?

Nandini- we are really sorry naina, but nothing is in our hands.

Naina looked @ them and then at last she looked @ raj trying to find something other than his sorry face but to her disappointement, he was just sorry as the other three, so naina left from there without saying anything further.

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Naina was pacing around in her room when somebody knocked on the door, and she opened the door and found raj standing there.

Raj- can I come in?

Naina- yeah, sure.

Raj came in and closed the door, and said- I really need to talk to you about this naina.

Naina(angrily)- What that you are going to help me but not in front of everybody just secretly is that it?

Raj- no, I can't help you @ all, and I don't want you to do anything either.

Naina- what do you mean?

Raj- Just try to understand naina, this is not a time to involve with Major Bhargav. He is not going to spare you and plus you will have a problem investigating your mission.

Naina- so I shouldn't take stand for what I believe in.

Raj- No, it's not like that. I am just saying that you shouldn't do anything until Brigadier Chandok comes back after that I will support you all.

Naina- so you are saying that you can support us when BC is around here and without him you are like a rat of MC and MB.

Raj- Come on, naina you are now saying just too much. I am not scared of them but think practically.

Naina- well no, I won't tolerate them because you think that they will harass us more. Those five cadets deserve not to fail the drill and it's just unjustice which I am not going to let happen.

Raj- I think you are over reacting. It's just one drill and all of them already proved that they can be good soldiers. They don't need wining stamp to prove themselves. You need to let go things to see the bigger picture.

Naina- may be you are right that I need to see the bigger picture. But this is not just about a drill. It's about principals and to stand up for them. I think it's a lesson that all of you faculty members need to learn that you need to see the truth for yourselves not just follow your superior's orders like monkeys even if they are wrong.

Raj- You wouldn't understand at all, would you?

Naina- Apparently, you don't either.

Raj- well then what can I do?

Naina- I am going to do whatever I need to do even if you are with me or not.

Raj- I can't help you in this because now you are making an issue out of a very small thing.

Naina- well, to you may be it's just first year cadets and their issues. But to me, they are my friends and all I need to know is that they feel betrayed by their teachers and right now they need support. And I am going to stand for them and with them.

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Raj sighed and left from there. For him, it was difficult because he was thinking practically as he didn't want naina to loose her cover by protesting too much. To him and his mission, her identity needed to be hidden. And on the other hand, he knew that naina was right and he also knew that she is not going to listen to anybody so he decided not to support naina but try to save all the cadets and her from Major Bhargav with further problems by doing whatever he can do.

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Naina heard enough and beared enough crap from Major Bhargav and Major Niar and now it was time for some action and this time she wasn't going to spare anybody or listen to anybody no matter what happens. It was time for everybody @ KMA to learn that to stand up for truth or your principals is not a crime even if it means that you have to go against the rules. Naina didn't take any help from her friends to set up her plan as she didn't want any of them to get into the trouble. It was afterall her fight. She carried out her plan very carefully and it was a three step plan that she had learn during her academy days. She wasn't going to use any dangerous or harmful things but she was going to make their lives hell for weeks by irritating them.
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Preview: Naina's brilliant plan and Major Bhargav's frustration. Raj gets  clues about the case. Major Niar and Major Bhargav go outside the academy. Abhimanu gives raj a surprise birthday party with cadets' help and naina's present for raj.