Hey guys, soooooooo sorry for the delay. Actually I arrived in Mumbai Wednesday night and haven't had proper internet access since then to be able to post! So without further delay, here's your part!

Chapter 42:

The next three weeks passed slowly for Naina, she constantly missed both Raj and her friends. Her only solace was that she would be seeing Pooja again very soon, and possibly Neelu as well. Neelu had made a definite decision to transfer her college to Delhi and was in the process of doing so. She reasoned that this way she could get away from her parents nagging, and that when Alekh and Yudi got leave, they could spend it with the three girls in the same place without needing to go back and forth between Delhi and Ambala.

Naina didn't get to speak to Raj very often as she could only do so when there wasn't a chance of her parents overhearing them. She would coordinate it with him by sms, coming up with a time when she would have an excuse to be out of the house. Their conversations might have been short but both could hear the longing and the warmth in each others' voices. While she couldn't take the risk of receiving letters from him yet, she wrote to him at least once a week.

Naina couldn't wait to begin medical college, at least there she would be able to write and receive letters from him and talk to him more often. She tried to enjoy the short time that she had left with her parents, but she was still upset about their treatment of Raj. In a way she understood how they felt, but she had finally realised that she may never be able to change their opinion of him. It scared Naina that she might have to choose between Raj and her parents. She already knew what her choice would be, but she prayed that the day never came when she had to make it.

The only thing that comforted her was the presence of the ring on the chain around her neck. She couldn't wait for the day when she would leave the house and be able to wear it upon her finger once again.

Naina had been in contact with the rest of her friends too, who by now had all found out where they were going to be posted. Huda and Ali were going to be posted to Jaisalmer, close to the border. Ali was very proud about this, but Huda… he couldn't stop complaining about how much sand there would be and what the desert would do to his good looks.

Alekh and Yudi were going to be joining Captain Rajveer, something they were both overjoyed about. Yudi could barely stop gushing about it on the phone to Naina until Alekh grabbed the phone off him when he couldn't get him to shut up.

"Don't worry, Naina. We'll look after the Major for you." Alekh had told her, and Naina knew that he meant it. Alekh and Yudi would never let anything happen to Raj, just as he wouldn't let anything happen to them. She was at least relieved that they would all be together there, as she knew it was a dangerous posting. She wished that she could be out there with them, but she knew that becoming a military doctor was a good option. She would just have to wait a few more years until she was in the field.

Finally two days before the course was due to start, Naina's parents dropped her to Delhi so that she could get settled in early. She hugged them goodbye tearfully, no matter how they felt about Raj, they were still her parents and she knew she would miss them.

Rather than stay in a hostel, it had been decided that Naina and Pooja would stay with Neelu in the Sahni's apartment in Delhi. As she approached the door to the apartment she could already hear cheerful chatter inside and knew that she was the last to arrive.

Neelu opened the door when she knocked and practically dragged Naina inside as Pooja grabbed her bags.

"Oy missed call, we've been waiting for you since morning!" Pooja said excitedly, not allowing Naina to reply before she hugged her. "Our talk time has been incomplete without you!"

Naina laughed and hugged her back, then hugged Neelu.

"What time did you arrive?" she asked them.

"Well I arrived last night, then Pooja got here at about 11am." Neelu told her. "We were expecting you much earlier!"

"Sorry baba!" Naina told her, "We stopped for lunch on the way, my parents wanted to spend a little more time with me until I left them."

The three girls quickly began unpacking and setting up their apartment, chatting away as they did. All of them were missing their boyfriends, and were glad that they would have their friends there to support them through this difficult time.

When the apartment was more or less set up, Naina reached up to the chain around her neck, undid it and slipped the ring onto her finger. It felt good to be wearing it properly again, reminding her that she belonged to somebody and that he belonged to her.

Unable to control her curiosity anymore now that they were alone with Naina, Pooja finally decided that it was the time to ask.

"What's this new connection, Naina?" she asked, picking up her friend's hand to look at the ring as Neelu oooed and ahhed "Have you upgraded your old plan?"

Naina nodded with a grin blushing, as the other two girls squealed, hugging her excitedly.

"He gave it to me on the night of your engagement, Pooja." Naina told them, "Nothing is official, it's more of a promise for the future."

Pooja became all dreamy at this while Neelu sighed, "Well now I'm the only one of us girls who doesn't have a ring." She said, trying to make a joke of it but still sounding a little disappointed.

"Don't worry, Neelu." Naina told her confidently, "I know how much Alekh loves you, I'm sure he would buy you a ring if he could afford to."

"I know," Neelu replied, "And I don't need expensive gifts from him to know how much he loves me. I'm a bit afraid of asking him for a commitment though, he's such a carefree guy that I don't know if he wants to get married or not."

"Should I tell you a secret?" Naina asked Neelu, "I think that Alekh's biggest desire is to have a family to call his own. It's what he's always wanted."

Pooja nodded at this, "We're the closest that Alekh has to family. Don't worry Neelu, I think he just wants to prove himself before he asks you."

Reassured, Neelu became happy again. The girls spent the rest of the afternoon grocery shopping and gossiping. All of them were starting at their courses on Monday, and until then they had a million things to do.

Luckily their apartment had its own phone and waiting until 6pm when she'd arranged to call, Naina dialled a now familiar number, trying to stop her heart beating so fast as she waited for him to pick up the phone.

**

Raj had decided that one of the definite benefits of being a Major was that you were able to have your own phone in your room.

He knew who it would be as soon as it rang, and picked it up as soon as possible.

"So you've reached Delhi?" he asked her, his smile spilling over into his voice.

"And what would you have done if it wasn't me?" Naina asked him teasingly.

"I knew it would be you." Raj told her, not feeling the need to explain how. "So have you settled in yet?" he asks her.

"Well enough," Naina replied, "I was the last one to arrive so Pooja and Neelu had already set up their things before I reached here, and there wasn't much to do."

"I should've given you a key for my apartment in Delhi," Raj tells her, "I can't believe I didn't think of it before."

"You can give me one when you come to visit." Naina told him, and it's impossible for Raj not to notice the hope and longing in her voice.

"I'm afraid that will be a few months away," he tells her regretfully, "It's impossible for me to get leave any sooner."

"I understand," Naina tells him, and he knows she's disappointed but trying to hide it. "I should tell you now that both Pooja and Neelu say hi before I forget and they both kill me," Raj chuckles, imagining the two girls threatening her, "Would you like t talk to them?" Naina asks.

"Sure," Raj says, "Just make sure they give the phone back to you when they're finished."

Raj has a brief chat to both Pooja and Neelu. He asks Pooja if she can send some of the photos she has of everybody, particularly as many of Naina as possible. Pooja giggles at this.

"Hai! So cute!" she tells him, "How could I ever refuse my Veer photographs of his Zaara?"

Raj can't believe that even here alone in his room he's blushing at her comments.
He talks to Neelu next, who asks him to look after 'her boys'. She's worried having both her brother and her boyfriend in such a dangerous area. Raj promises her that both Yudi and Alekh will be fine with him and he won't let anything happen to them. Finally the phone is passed back to Naina again and they both sit quietly on their own ends, neither wanting to say goodbye.

"I miss you." Raj tells her softly.

"I miss you too." Naina's voice as sweet as honey to his ears. "Did you get my latest letter yet? I sent it about three days ago."
"Not yet." Raj tells her, "You know how slow the postal service is here. Hopefully it will arrive within the next few days. This time you'll get one in return."

"I'll look forward to it." Naina tells him, happy at his promise, "I'll call you again after my first day at college."
"I'll be waiting until then."

"I love you." Naina tells him softly, and Raj wonders whether she has any idea what the effect of those three words on him really is. "Stay safe and say hi to Alekh and Yudi for me when they arrive."

"I will." Raj promises her, "Enjoy your first day at college. I love you."

They both hang up, neither of them wanting to say the word goodbye.

Raj leans back on his bed with a smile, he can't wait to receive Naina's latest letter or the photos that Pooja has promised to send. He looks across to the photo on his bedside table, the only one that he has so far. Taken on the night of Ali and Pooja's engagement, Naina and he are both smiling into the camera, his arm around her shoulders.

He is attempting to learn to live without her and the only thing that allws him to is because he knows it's only temporary.

**

Two days later, Yudi and Alekh arrive in the afternoon along with the newest batch of soldiers to join the battalion. They're both tired from the journey but while their comrades immediately go for some food and rest, both Yudi and Alekh are determined to see Raj before they do anything else. Making their way to the main office, they ask where his quarters are.

As soon as they've found the room they knock on the door then wait expectantly, both of them excited to see their old teacher.

"Come in!" Raj called from inside and Yudi swung the door open.

"Lieuteant Yaduvansh Sahni and Alekh Sharma reporting for duty, Sir!" he announced.

"Yudi! Alekh! It's wonderful to see both of you!" Raj's face lit up with a smile as he moved forwards to hug both of them. "How were your holidays?"

"Fine, Sir." Alekh told him, "But now we're ready to join our duty."

"Excellent, I knew you would be." Raj said, patting him on the back, "You both must be tired. How about if I have some food sent here and we'll have a chat over dinner then you can both go to bed."

The boys both agreed that sounded like a good plan. They spent the next hour eating and catching up. Raj warned them that although they were his favourite cadets they wouldn't receive any preferential treatment, they would have to work just as hard as everybody else.

Neither Yudi nor Alekh were disappointed by this, both of them wanted to prove themselves in the army based upon their own merits. After all, when Raj was their favourite teacher how could they not have learned his values for themselves.

Saying goodnight to Raj, they left for their own quarters. From now on they were soldiers officially on duty for their country. They knew they would need some rest if they were going to fulfill their duties properly.

**

The next few months passed quickly as everybody adjusted to their new duties and routines. The friends remained in contat with each other through calls, emails and letters, communicating at least once a week, although those of them who were in love talked far more frequently.

Pooja and Naina didn't have much time for anything else once their course started, medical studies were difficult and they had to study hard to keep up with the work. Ali was doing fine in Jaisalmer although he missed Pooja but Huda couldn't stop complaining. He was especially annoyed that Rajasthani girls were not as easy to flirt with as Punjabi girls were and he was much more likely to get slapped.

On a sunny afternoon, Yudi and Alekh were both enjoying some downtime and had decided to write their letters for the week.

Yudi had already begun on his first one while Alekh lazed around in the sun. "Who are you writing to?" Alekh asked him.

"Shalini." Yudi replied without any trace of embarrassment. Alekh hid a smile but didn't ask Yudi anything else, he thought it was best to let the two of them sort things out for themselves.
Instead Alekh prepared to write his own letters, pulling out two photos from his chest pocket that always remained there. They were of the two most important people in his life, Neelu and Naina.

Placing them in front of him, he tried to decide who he would write to first. He was just about to begin a letter to Neelu when one of their fellow Lieutenants called Rakesh came and joined them.

"Now you're both reminding me that I should be writing letters." He sighed, then spotting the photos in front of Alekh, he picked them up. "Wow, these girls are hot!" he commented, "You're too much, Alekh, writing love letters to not only one girl but two."

Alekh was giving Rakesh a look that clearly said 'give me my photos back right now or you'll regret it' and was about to say xactly that when Rakesh started speaking again.

"This girl looks familiar." He said, examining the photo of Naina with a confused expression, "I know I've seen her somewhere before… hang on, that 's right, the Major has a picture of her in his office!" Rakesh looked at Alekh accusingly, "What are you doing with a picture of Major Rajveer's girlfriend? I mean I know she's hot but…"

"Shut your mouth before you say something that makes me hit you." Alekh warned him. "And if you'd really like to know then SHE," he pointed to Naina's photo, "Is my sister."

Rakesh's mouth opened in astonishment as he tried to work out how the very refined Major Rajveer had ended up going out with a tapori guy's sister.

"Sorry yaar," he said sheepishly and put the photo down quickly. "I didn't realise. What about this girl then?" he pointed at Neelu's photo.

"Woah, dude." Yudi cut in. "She is MY sister."

Rakesh suddenly decided that it would be best for him to go and write his own letters now, preferably as far away from these two as possible before he said something else to offend them and got himself beaten up.

Yudi sighed melodramatically. "It's such a burden having a beautiful sister, isn't it, Alekh? I 'm just glad that Naina and Neelu have both found nice guys to settle down with so we don't have to worry so much."

Alekh couldn't help smiling, touched by Yudi's approval of him as Neelu's partner.

"You said it correctly, Nautanki." Alekh told Yudi. "No matter what happens, I'll do my duties as a brother."

It was his job to make sure that Naina was happy and he would do it. He would never allow anyone to come between Naina and Raj, even if it was her own parents.

This was Alekh's promise.