Whispers of Spring.....Chapter 25

Chapter 25

“Colonel Rajveer Rathore, isn’t there something you have to say to me?”

Raj turned off the ignition and faced Naina. He was so close that she was momentarily mesmerized. His nearness always intoxicated her. It surprised her…to be so aware of this man, when she had spent the past seven years deliberately maintaining her distance from the male fraternity. Even when she was this irate with him, all he had to do was look at her with that enigmatic smile and every fiber of her being would come alive. There was no denying the sheer magnestism that radiated from him, and which had captivated her for life. His beauty rolled off every inch of him, like dew drops across silk. It was not only his dark eyes, eyes that held in their depths the profundity of life itself, or his chiselled face and sharp jawline, or his sensual mouth, but his entire aura that pulled her. Even the scar added to his allure…to the perfection of his charisma. Yet, this man was so much more than his persona. There was something about him that seemed to immediately connect to her soul. She loved him, and he divined her love.

Naina had to struggle to remember that she was upset with him. Nevertheless, she was… upset and somewhat disappointed. She thought that after that meaningful night they had made a pact. Yet, here he was, concealing things. She gathered her wayward thoughts and glowered at him.

Her mercury shot up more when he smiled lazily and drawled, “Oh Naina! I have always so much to say to you…about you. For instances, your eyes….I love the way your eyes dazzle when you are furious. Like, they are now.”

“Raj!”                                                                                

“These eyes…” He reached out to lightly brush his fingers across them.

“Raj! What are you doing?”

“…they are like mists in woods…like sprays over oceans. I look at you and I drown in them. I…”

“RAJ! Stop flirting. I am serious.”

His wandering fingers settled on her cheek as he cupped her face, a seriousness creeping into his eyes, “So am I, sweetheart. I would never joke about your eyes. They are the doorway to your heart where love flourishes…for everyone…and for me. There is something about these soulful eyes that hold me in place. They see right through me, yet I am not afraid what they will see. When I am worried…they blanket me in a cocoon of warmth and comfort, and love, freeing me of all doubts. They are my strength.”

That was it. Moisture flooded Naina’s eyes. She reached up and covered his hand with hers, and just held his gaze, her anger forgotten.

Raj caressed her jawline with his thumb and whispered, “These eyes cradle my soul in this stark, gray world and show me the other side of life…the one that is brightly lit. Since the day I looked into them, they have been for me the command to obey, the sacred commandment. I know what they command now.”

“Liar!” A lone tear escaped her eye. Raj’s lips swooped down and kissed it away before it passed her cheek. He pressed his lips on her eyes, and then rested his forehead on hers, a position that was fast becoming her favorite, “No, Naina. This is how I feel. These eyes have spoken to me when you could not. Call me crazy, but I even revel in the blaze of anger in your eyes, especially when I know that fire is all for me…all mine.”

“If you know why I am angry, then why did you keep me in the dark?”

“I didn’t want to worry you, sweetheart.” He tucked her head in the crook of his neck, “You have just rejoined your work. Your physical recovery is still ongoing. You have too much on your platter right now than to sit and worry about some minor mishaps. None of them were serious.”

“But they could have been.” She mumbled.

“Yes. That’s why I am getting them investigated. So far nothing has been found that would show that they were deliberate acts of sabotage.” He didn’t tell her that the crane driver was missing since morning and that the name that he had entered at the mahal’s gate was false, as no driver of that name was registered with the hauling company. In addition, a groom in the stables had confirmed that he had seen the crane driver the previous day standing behind the hedgeline of the stables. The groom was on his way to work his shift when he had noticed the man loitering around. On inquiring, the man had said that he was a crane driver and had come to deliver a message from his manager to the festival superviser. Obviously, that was a lie, since no such message had reached the superviser. Raj had sent someone to Chahal to make inquiries in the garage where they had their flat tire repaired. So far, everything was circumstantial. He wanted to be sure before seriously thinking who would want to harm him in Palampur. In the meantime, there was no point worrying Naina.

Raj tilted her face up with his hands and kissed her forehead, “I am sorry I upset you, Naina. Please don’t be angry.”

Naina sighed and said, “It’s not my anger that is the issue here Raj. It is you treating me like some porcelene doll. I am not. And you of all the people should know that. You are my best friend, and I believe I am yours…which means there should be no secrets between us. If there is a problem, we should be solving it together…and not have you go on the silent, protective mode on me. How can I be there for you if you won’t let me?”

“Naina…” he tried to cut in but she wanted to deal with this once and for all.

“No Raj. Let me finish. Today I realized how you must have felt when I kept such a huge part of my past from you, even though you kept on giving me the latitude to open up. That’s why that night I promised you that I would never ever keep anything from you. I had thought that we made a deal that night. Obviously, I was wrong.”

“No Naina. You are not wrong.”

“Then, what is this “I didn’t want to worry you Naina” all about? Raj, I need you to know that if are concerned about something, you can come to me. That you can trust me enough to help you.”

“Shshh! Calm down love.” Raj took her hands in his and said, “I trust you sweetheart. Never doubt that. I am so sorry I hurt you. You are right, I was being overprotective. It’s just something I have always done….taking care of people I love. However, I do understand where you are coming from. I shall never keep anything from you.”

“Promise?”

“Promise.”

“So, now tell me what you kept aside when you were telling me about the accidents.”

Raj stared at her and then threw his head back and laughed aloud, “Nothing goes past you, does it?”

“Nah!” She scrunched her nose cutely and smiled, “You forget that I head a school. I have learnt to see beyond the smokescreen. You’ll be surprised what stories little kids can concoct when they are asked to explain a wrongdoing.”

Raj smiled and then paused for awhile before telling her what he had kept from her. Naina listened quietly and then asked, “No Raj. Whatever you say, my gut feeling is someone wants to physically harm you. These incidents cannot be put down to coincidences. They seem too pat…in fact, very much premeditated.”

“Right. I have considered everything. Still I need proof before I go to the police. I need a motive. I can’t be crying wolf everytime a little mishap occurs.”

Naina thought for awhile and then looked up, “You saw that crane driver. Can you recall his face?”

“Hmm! He was high up, but I remember he had a thick moustache and something glittered in his ears…probably ear studs. He looked….” That’s when his phone rang, “One moment, Naina.” He checked the screen and glanced at her, “It’s Amar. Hello Amar! All OK buddy. We are running a little late. We’ll be there in ten….Yeah…sure….OK.”

“Naina, we’ll do this later. OK? Amar and Aastha are waiting. I’ll get the flowers. “

She nodded pensively, biting her lips….her mind whirring with speculations. Raj had not been in Palampur for long. In the short time that he was here, he had only done good for the town. People genuinely respected him. He had earned that respect, not because he was Ranima’s grandson, but because of his own background and his vision for the future of Palampur. Naina looked out of the window, watching Raj shake hands with the florist and laugh at something the man said. She found it hard to believe anyone from Palampur bore any grudge against Raj. Something Raj had said flashed through her mind. Before she could dwell on it, Raj was back. He put the flowers on the back seat, and extended a single red rose to her.

“What’s this for?”

“No reason. Just for you.”

Her face broke into a smile. How could she not love this man!

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

Naina held the guitar in her hands, her head bent at an angle as she tweaked the strings to her requirement and then brushed her fingers over them in satisfaction. She looked up, her eyes searching for and finding Raj, who stood next to Amar, his eyes on her. She smiled shyly as he raised his glass to her in a subtle gesture.

Most of the guests had left after dinner. Just a few close friends of Amar had stayed behind for a nightcap. This was a group of friends who had been together since childhood. Whenever Raj visited, he was imbibed seamlessly into their friend circle, notwithstanding the fact that there would be months of gap between two visits. Someone mentioned that he had heard Naina sing in a school function a couple of years back. Within no time, Amar’s forgotten guitar was fetched from the loft and planted in Naina’s hands. She was not given any choice. A chair was placed on the lawn for her and everyone made themselves comfortable around her.

Naina bit her lips as she saw Vimi come out of the house and stand beside Raj. She held Raj’s elbow and tiptoed to speak something in his ears. Raj shook his head saying something and very gently removed her hand. Vimi’s mouth tightened into a thin line and she glared at Naina. Taken aback, Naina wondered what that was all about.

As the hum of the conversations ebbed, Naina said, “This is a song from the movie Guide. Of late, I find myself humming it a lot. I guess the movie title and the song both hold a lot of significance in my life at the moment.” She looked at Raj for a moment and then lowered her head. Her fingers moved, the strings struck a soft rhythm, and Naina sang….

kaanto se khinch ke ye aanchal 

tod ke bandhan baandhee paayal

koee naa roko dil kee udaan ko,

dil wo chalaa…aa…aa…aa

aaj fir jeene kee tamanna hai

aaj fir marne kaa iraadaa hai

She concentrated on her guitar while singing, but when she came to the final stanza, Naina lifted her eyes and met Raj’s. Her lips moved in harmony with the brushing of her fingers, and her eyes conveyed her feelings…..

kal ke andheron se nikal ke,

dekhaa hain aankhe malte malte

phool hee phool, jindagee bahaar hai,

tay kar liyaa..............
aaj fir jeene kee tamanna hai...

Raj couldn’t take his eyes off Naina through the entire song. He listened to her sweet voice ride the waves of melody and fuse with the words that reflected the meaning of her own life. He knew she sang it for him…to convey to him that she was ready. This was the first time his Naina had voiced her feelings…even if in a roundabout manner. She had enthralled everyone…her rendition had enticed everyone’s senses. God, she was perfect!

He saw her accept all the applause with a smile. He lifted a finger to flick off a tear that was lingering at the corner of his eye and looked up to see Amar lifting his brow.

“What? Something…”

“Don’t Raj. You and I both know nothing went into your eye.” He looked at Naina and then back at his friend, “She loves you, you know.”

“I know.”

“So what’s holding you? Why haven’t you proposed yet?”

“I plan to…on her birthday. That’s about a week away.”

“Good luck buddy! You both deserve this happiness.”

The two friends clicked their glasses on that note.

Naina helped Aastha carry glasses and dessert plates to kitchen. Although she had formally met Aastha in school, this was the first time she was meeting her on personal level. She had loved the perky, elfish looking girl on first sight. Aastha greeted her as if they were long-lost friends. She didn’t ask questions and was certainly not judgmental. Naina looked forward to spending more time with Aastha. She hadn’t realized how much she had missed having a good girl-friend.

In the kitchen, Aastha got busy putting the leftovers in fridge and turned to Naina, “Do me a favor Naina. I saw some guests having a discussion in the family room. There must be some glasses there. Would you fetch them please? Those crystals are from Amar’s favorite set. He’ll freak out if we lose even one.”

“Sure. It’s that room at the end of the corridor, right?”

“Yup. Thanks Naina.”

Naina smiled and went to get the glasses. She entered the room and stood rooted. The room had a Rajasthani décor. Aastha was from Jaipur, and the room evidenced that fact. There were pictures, pottery, paintings, quaint furniture, and exquisite curios. On the sidewall, there were a series of miniature paintings depicting Devisar and its culture. In the center of the collection was a painting of a young couple in front of a temple dressed in typical Devisar attire. Naina had seen a similar painting at Rawin mahal. She guessed these must be a gift from Raj. The woman’s face was hid behind a veil. She wore a bright, multi-colored lehenga and had on stunning jewellery. Naina stared at the picture of the man. He wore the traditional dhoti-kurta, cut in a typical Devisary style. He sported a thick mustache, like majority of Rajasthani men. He wore a turban, and the ear lobes peeking out showed a pair of gold studs. Naina stared…and stared…and suddenly she had to get to Raj immediately.

She rushed out and ran into Vimi near the lawn, who stopped her with a hand on her arm, “Hold on Naina. I have to say something to you.”

Vimi seemed a little flushed. Naina realized she was tipsy and said breathlessly, “Not now Vimi. I need to talk to Raj urgently.”

“Why?” Vimi slurred, “You think he is interested in you? You foolish woman, you are nowhere near his class. He is a highly decorated soldier and a royalty to boot….And you? You are nothing but a woman with a suspicious background who surfaced in our town out of nowhere. On top of that you killed a man.”

“What are you implying Vimi?”

“Just that Raj deserves better…He deserves a woman of impeccable background and a clean conscience…not a damn murderer.”

“Stop right there. Stop this bloody nonsense. One more word against Naina, and I won’t be responsible for what happens next.” Vimi swirled around to find Raj stare daggers at her, the icy coldness in his voice conveying his rage.

Naina was stunned for a moment at the venom spewed at her. Vimi whimpered, “Oh! Raj darling. You misunderstand. I was only telling Naina what everyone thinks of her. If you are associated with her, people will…”

“Shut up Vimi, and apologize to Naina.” Aastha stepped forward, Amar right behind her.

“What? Why should I?”

“You have five seconds Vimi. Apologize or none of us will have anything to do with you ever again.” Amar threatened.

“Are you serious? We have been friends since ages. You will leave me for her?”

“In a beat Vimi. The only reason you are still here is because of that friendship. We all respect Naina a lot, so does everyone in Palampur. I am guessing you know that, and the only reason you are turning on her is because Raj rejected your advances. Grow up Vimi!” Amar’s tone didn’t mellow. Others had closed in on them, all agreeing with Amar.

“Raj?” She looked to Raj for help, but Raj was only looking at Naina, “Oh OK! I am sorry Naina.”

Vimi stomped away. Amar was extremely contrite, “I am sorry Naina. She was always a bit crude when drunk.”

“You need not apologize Amar. I am fine…Really. I understand why she is so against me. I’ll have a talk with her some day and clear things. You better go and ensure she has someone to drive her home. In her state, she shouldn’t be driving.” Vimi was last of Naina’s worries at the moment.

“Yeah! I’ll do that.”

 Once Amar left, others too said their goodbyes. Aastha went to see them off. 

Naina turned to Raj who hadn’t uttered a word after the initial outburst against Vimi. She walked up to him and held him by his arms, “Raj!”

“Blasted woman! How dare she?”

“Let it go Raj. I am fine. Honest. Whatever she said only shocked me for a moment. But it’s OK. I am not the least disturbed.”

“If she were a man, I would have killed him.” He still had not moved. And as she was contemplating what to say next, he surprised her by pulling her into his arms, “You OK sweetheart?” He whispered into her hair. His body was still shaking with the anger he had felt when he heard Vimi. Only Naina’s shake of head had stopped him from doing something drastic. Throughout the evening, Vimi had made passes at him, until he told her that she was wasting her time as he loved Naina.

“Calm down Raj. Forget the incident ever happened. We have more important things to think of. Hmm! I have something to ask you.”

“What?”

She pulled away, “Do all the men in Devisar wear ear studs? Gold ones?”

“Yes. Why?...Wait. Are you saying…”

Naina nodded, “Yes Raj. I think the attacks on you are by someone from back home.”

“The crane driver?”

Naina nodded.

Raj frowned, “I can’t see why anyone would want to harm me….especially since I have left that place for good. Still, I’ll go home and call Somsinhji. If your suspicion is right, he may have heard something. Let’s go.”

“I am driving.”

“Naina, my love, a couple of drinks do not make a man unfit for driving.”

“Maybe not. But I am not taking any chances. Besides it’s illegal to drink and drive.”

Raj chuckled, “OK sweetheart! Have your way. Come. Let’s say our goodbyes.”

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

They had just hit the main road when Raj stiffened and cursed under his breath, “Damn it!”

“What’s wrong Raj?”

“My gun is not in the car today. I took it out to clean it and forgot to put it back.”

“Why do you need a gun now?” Naina glanced at him with a frown.

“Naina, we are being followed.”

“Oh God!”

“Don’t worry. Just drive on. He won’t do anything stupid in traffic.” He picked up the phone and dialed a number. “Do you see it? A black Mahindra….Yes....Good….We are taking the next turning on the left and will take a detour from behind the Govt. college. OK?”

“Who was that Raj?”

“Our security. They have been with us since evening.”

“Oh!”

“Take the next turn to the left Naina. Be careful. This road has no streetlights.”

Naina took the turn, and a mile later she suddenly braked. Right in front there was a truck parked horizontally across the road.

Before Naina could put the car on reverse, there was a tap on the side of her window and a voice rasped, “Come out Colonel saab. No tricks.” Whoever that was obviously thought Raj was driving.

“Raj!” Naina looked to her left, but Raj had slipped out. She heard a shuffle and then a loud thud. She scrambled out to find Raj in a struggle with a man, trying to pry away a gun from his hand.

“Get inside the car Naina!” Raj shouted.

The man took advantage of the momentary distraction and kicked Raj’s good leg. Unable to maintain balance with the prosthetic, Raj stumbled.

Naina looked on with horror as Raj’s knee bent and he groped for balance. She had fraction of a second before the man pulled the trigger. She shouted without thinking, “You won’t get away with this. I know who your contact is in Devisar. The police have already arrested that person.”

The man froze and stared at her, “You are lying. I spoke with her minutes ago.”

“So call her now and find out for yourself.”

From the corner of her eyes Naina saw Raj get up. The man realized she was stallling him and shouted “You b***ch,” pulling the trigger at her at that same time as Raj hurled himself at him.

The next few seconds were a blur to Naina as a jeep screeched to a halt amd men jumped out. The man was pulled away from Raj’s iron grip on his neck. She stared across at Raj and saw his white shirt soaked in blood, “Oh my God! Raj, he shot you.”

She ran and touched his face, his chest, “Where? Where? Dear God so much blood.”

She didn’t even register Raj’s arms pulling her to himself, “Naina, listen…”

But Naina was out of control, completely panic stricken, “Doctor…I have to take you to a doctor…so much blood.”

“Naina…sweetheart…”

“I cannot lose you. I love you so much. I don’t know how to live without you anymore. I won’t live without you. Don’t leave me…Please hold on for me Raj.”

Raj cupped her face and made her look at him, “Look at me Naina. I am not dying. I am fine. It’s just a shoulder wound. The bullet only grazed it. A couple of stitches and I’ll be whole. OK! I am not going anywhere. I am right here with you.”

She stared into his eyes and felt calmness seep in. He was going to be fine. He was not badly hurt. For a moment there, she thought she had lost him. She never wanted to feel that way again. Naina raised her hand and touched his face, down to his lips that were smiling now, “Why are you smiling?”

“If I knew that all I had to do was take a bullet for you to make you say the words I had been waiting to hear for so long, I would have done that long back.” He grinned.

“Don’t even joke about it,” she whacked his shoulder lightly.

“Ouch!”

“Sorry…sorry.” She raised herself on her toes and touched her forehead to his, “I love you Raj. I may not have been brave enough to say it loud, but I still loved you…with the last piece of my soul.”

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

To be continued………….

{Note: The song inspiration is from Riya. She always picks up appropriate songs to go with the chapters and writes down in her comments. Thanks Riya. :) }

Complete lyrics of the song Aaj Phir Jeene Ki Tamanna Hai……………….

kaanto se khinch ke ye aanchal  tod ke bandhan baandhee paayal koee naa roko dil kee udaan ko, dil wo chalaa…aa…aa…aa aaj fir jeene kee tamanna hai aaj fir marane kaa iraadaa hai apne hee bas mein naheen main, dil hain kaheen to hoon kahee main jaane kyaa paa ke meree jindagee ne, has kar kahaa…aha…ha…haaa aaj fir jeene kee tamanna hai... mai hoo gubaar yaa toofaan hoo, koee bataaye main kahaan hoon dar hai safar mein kaheen kho naa jaaoon, rastaa nayaa…aha…ha…haaa aaj fir jeene kee tamanna hai... kal ke andheron se nikal ke, dekhaa hain aankhe malte malte phool hee phool jindagee bahaar hai, tay kar liyaa aaj fir jeene kee tamanna hai...

(Link for the song Aaj phir jeene ki tamanna hai....)