Hey guys, I know this part is shorter than usual, but I hope that you enjoy it anyway! And yes, I do smile while I write when it's a good part!! Which is especially funny when I'm on the bus writing, as I think the rest of the passengers think I'm weird... every morning I ignore everyone else and sit up the back writing in a notebook and listening to my ipod! Enjoy, guys!

Chapter 34:

After breakfast the cadets and their mentors climbed into two jeeps and drove to a nearby dam where BC was waiting to instruct them in what they would be doing.

"So cadets, this morning you will be canoeing in teams with your mentors. You will have to use both speed and agility in this exercise. I realise that Dr Shalini's team has an unfair advantage, so only one of her proteges will be allowed to paddle. It's your call, Doctor."

Looking at her two cadets, Shalini couldn't decide. Huda obviously had more strength in his arms, but he's too over confident and she also doesn't want to hurt Yudi's feelings either.

The dilemma is solved for her when Yudi leans over and tells her quietly, "Choose Huda, ma'am, he'll be able to paddle faster than me."

Shalini nods. "Cadet Huda will be paddling and Cadet Yudi will direct us." She announces.

Pooja groans, there's no way that she and Lolitaji will ever be able to win now.

"Alright, now I'll hand you over to your instructor who will teach you what you should be doing." BC told them, and stepped back.

They all put their life jackets on and grabbed their paddles, watching the instructor show them how they should move in order to turn the canoe in certain directions.

Finally when he was satisfied that they knew what they were doing, the instructor told them to go to their canoes.

In front of them was the dam, and as BC explained, they would have to paddle hard for the first stretch then make their way around a series of buoys and obstacles, then paddle hard for the final stretch until they reached the finish line and grabbed their flags.

"Are you ready to win, Cadet Singh?" Raj asked her, a twinkle in his eyes.

"Always, Sir!" Naina responded confidently, knowing that why she and Raj were on the same side, they always made a great team.

"Alright, get into your canoes and be ready to go on my whistle!" BC announced.

Raj held the canoe steady while Naina stepped in, and then carefully got in himself. All of the other pairs and the trio were also trying to get in without upsetting their canoes. Lolitaji and Pooja, and Major Nair and Ali were soon seated. Yudi and Huda were bickering about who should get in first until Shalini solved the argument by declaring that Huda should get in first since he was the heaviest and would be able to balance the canoe while they got in.

SPLASH

Everyone turned in the direction of the sound to see Alekh still standing on the shore. He just shrugged as if to say it wasn't his fault and they looked down to see Suriji sitting in the shallow water, having unbalanced the canoe when he tried to get in.

"Alekh, putar, just hold the canoe and I'll get in." Suriji told him, slightly embarrassed. This time Alekh grabbed it firmly, not wanting the race to be over before it had even begun for his team.

As soon as BC blew the whistle, everybody started paddling as fast as they coul. They were all making good speed, although Alekh and Suriji's canoe lagged slightly behind as Suriji was not very fit and had already run out of breath!

Ali and Major Nair were going well when Major Nair spotted Lolitaji and Pooja gaining on them. "Quick Cadet Begh, we'll cut them off and force their canoe to capsize!" He ordered Ali, wanting to eliminate the competition.

"But Sir, I…"

"Just do it, Cadet Begh!" Major Nair yelled and began paddling furiously towards the other canoe.

Ali was conflicted, on the one hand he couldn't refuse his mentor and on the other, he couldn't purposefully tip over his girlfriend's canoe. The two canoes were just about to crash when Ali began to paddle in the other direction. The sudden change of movement was too much for the small canoe and it tipped over, both Ali and Major Nair landing in the water.

"Cadet Begh!!!"

"I'm sorry, Sir!"

"Just get back in the damn boat!"

Meanwhile Raj and Naina were paddling fast but not too fast, knowing that there was a long way to go and they should save their energy. They were currently in second place behind Shalini's canoe.

Shalini and her team had been doing excellently, mostly due to Huda's strength. However it was when they reached the obstacles that the trouble started. Yudi was meant to be directing them, and when they reached the first buoy, Yudi called out "Paddle left!"

Shlaini obeyed, but Huda decided that he had a better idea, "No, right!" he yelled, "Go right!" Shalini had already started paddling to the left, while Huda went right and all they succeeded in doing was turning the boat in the opposite direction.

"Cadet Huda!" she yelled at him.

"Sorry ma'am!" Huda told her sheepishly, "But we should've paddled right!"

"I know exactly what I should do with this paddle!" Shalini told him, and whacked it hard down on the water, sending up a splash of water than drenched Huda.

"Ma'am, what are you doing?" Huda yelled and turned around to face her, getting up slightly, but his weight tipped the boat over and they all landed in the water.

"Cadet Huda!!!" Shalini's yell could be heard right to the end of the dam.

Surprisingly, Lolitaji and Pooja were now in the front, although Major Nair thought of Pooja as weak, her arms were strong from years of playing hockey. The two of them had managed to make their way gracefully through the obstacles and were now beginning the final stretch. Raj and Naina weren't far behind and were catching up fast. Slightly behind them, Major Nair and Ali were paddling hard, and had almost caught up to Raj and Naina's boat.

"Don't fail me this time, Cadet Begh, or you'll regret it!" Major Nair threatened, and began to turn the canoe towards Raj and Naina's, intending to jam it. Ali wasn't happy, but he couldn't disobey Major Nair a second time, so he paddled in the same direction, shutting his eyes just before impact.

CRASH

The two boats collided, and Raj and Naina's tipped over, throwing them into the water.

"I'm sorry!!" Ali called out, as he and Major Nair paddled away.


"That bloody cheat!" Raj yelled, and then turned around to see that Naina was laughing, unable to stay angry for long he quickly saw the funny side of it and started to laugh too.

"Alright, Cadet Singh, we'd better get back in this canoe." He announced, and watched as Naina unsuccessfully tried to climb up. Moving closer, he gave her a hand, supporting her by holding her waist and then giving her an extra push to help her get in.

Seeing that Naina was safely in the canoe, Raj quickly lifted himself over the edge and hopped inside. However he misjudged the distance, and end up landing on top of Naina.

"I'm sorry, Naina!" he told her, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine!" she told him, "But you're squashing me, and if we don't start paddling again we're going to come last!"

Raj grinned, he loved it when Naina became competitive.

Picking up their paddles again, they quickly made their way to the finish line and grabbed their flag. They had lost their chances of winning but had ended up coming third. Pooja and Lolitaji had managed to come first, and Pooja was absolutely ecstatic. Major Nair had an especially sour look on his face, and Ali was trying not to grin. Suriji and Alekh came fourth, and after a great deal of trouble, Shalini and her cadets finally made it to the end.

Stepping out of the canoe and onto the shore, Shalini announced, "I am never…"

"Coming on mentorship camp again." Raj finished for her.

Shalini just nodded, glad that he understood.

"That's a pity," Raj told her, "I love mentorship camps, I wish we had more of them." And he grinned at Naina with such an affectionate look on his face, that everybody couldn't help but notice. Everybody except Major Nair that is, who had already stomped away, too upset about the fact that he was beaten by a girl.

Soon after this they climbed back into the jeeps, on their way back to KMA. Major Nair drove one jeep with BC, Suriji, Lolitaji and Shalini in it.

Raj drove the other one, taking all of the cadets back with him. Naina sat in the front seat beside him, while everybody else was in the back. Halfway through the journey, Pooja fell asleep on Ali's shoulder, exhausted after all of the effort she had made to win.

Raj met Naina's eyes in the rearview mirror, and smiled at her. It might have only been a little more than a day, but they had some good memories to keep them going over the coming weeks.

He knew that from now on, Naina would have even less time to meet him as she would have to study hard from now until the final exams.

It didn't matter to him, all that mattered is that she was here, and she was happy. He would do anything to ensure it.

The day wasn't far off when she would graduate, and after that he didn't know how long it would be before he was able to see her again.

For now, Raj would take whatever he could get.

He wasn't going to waste time worrying about tomorrow until it came.