Monica walked in to the hall looking for familiar faces and there weren’t many. She looked for her friends and her batch mates and none were anywhere in sight. Her face dropped. Monica’s eyes kept searching. Then she heard the voice.

Aur aahista kijiye baatein, dhadkanein koyi sun raha hoga

(Speak even more softly for someone may be listening to your heart beats)

Lafz girne na paayein hothon se, waqt ke haath inko chun llenge

(Let not the words drop from your mouth for the hands of time may choose them)

Monica was astonished to find Ali singing at the party. Cadets were not allowed at army get together but he was there and was singing and was smiling at her. Ali never fails to surprise her.

Ali looked at Monica. She was so different. Her hair was straighter and darker than it used to be. She was wearing a knee length dress which was new for him. He had never seen her in anything other than Trousers. She had put some make up on as well. Ali smiled at Monica and she smiled back.

Monica walked to the middle of the hall searching for familiar faces. Brigadier Shah was talking to many higher officials. Lt General Sardesh Gupta was there and she couldn’t believe it. She was considered for the medal of bravery directly by him. He was one of the officials whom she had saved during the terrorist attack along with Brigadier Shah. Lt General waved at Monica and smiled. It was not usual for someone of his rank to wave at a Major in a party full of people, but he did. Monica waved back.

Aise bolo ki dil ka afsana, dil sune aur nigaah dohraaye

(Narrate thy hearts affairs such that the heart hears, and the eyes repeat in silence)

Apne chaaron taraf ki yeh duniya, saans ka shor bhi na sun paaye

(Let not this world around us hear even your soft breathing)

Na sun paaye

Monica heard Ali singing and it was beautiful. He should have been a singer, Monica smiled to that thought of hers. Suddenly someone touched her shoulder and she turned around.

Ardeep: Hai Monica. It’s been long since we have met. You look beautiful.

Monica: Thank you, Ardeep.

Ardeep: Would you like to dance?

Monica: Not now Ardeep. I am not in the mood.

Ardeep: Please, I insist. What’s in a dance?

Monica agreed halfheartedly. She sensed that this won’t turn out well.

Aayiye band kar lein darwaaze, raat sapnein chura na le jaaye

(Let us lock the door before the night steals away our dreams)

Koi jhonka hawa ka awaara, dil ki baaton ko uda na le jaaye

(Let not that vagabond of whiff of breeze blow away the words in your heart)

Ardeep and Monica moved softly to the music and there were many others who were dancing. Ali watched them dance and smiled looking at Monica.

Ardeep: How is your training going on in here?

Monica: Good.

Ardeep held Monica’s waist and pulled her closer and slowly moved his hand towards her butt and Monica caught his hand.

Monica: Stop it Ardeep, let me go.

Ardeep: Why are you overreacting, Mona? It’s not the first time that I am touching you.

Monica: Ardeep, we are not together anymore, and I don’t want you to touch me. This is a party and don’t make me hit you.

Ardeep: You are just being too much Mona, you know that right. Why the hell do you want to break up?

Monica: Because you are an asshole.

Monica forcefully removed his hand from her body and checked around and found that no one was watching them. Then she looked at Ali and she found him fuming with anger. He had stopped singing for that moment. Monica walked out of the hall.

She could hear Ali singing again. She walked towards a bench outside the hall and sat on it.

Kaan rakhte hain yeh dar-o-deewaar, raaz ki saari baat sun lenge

(They will hear all your secrets for these doors and walls do have ears)

Aur aahista kijiye baatein’

(Speak even more softly)

Monica sat on the bench and watched the night sky. It was her last day at the academy. She closed her eyes listening to the surroundings.

Ali: You should have hit him.

Monica: It’s not that I didn’t want to, but it was a party and it would have created a scene.

Ali: But he deserved one.

Monica: I won’t disagree, but the guy is pretty heartbroken because of me.

Ali: What did you do?

Monica: I broke up with him last month.

Ali: I don’t know him, but I am pretty sure that you did the right thing.

Monica laughed softly.

Monica: Why are you here?

Ali: Because you are alone and sad.

Monica: I didn’t mean here, here, I meant in the party. Cadets are not allowed here and as I heard all the batches have left for a camp night out in the forest.

Ali: I was supposed to go as well but then the party organizers came and asked if I want to sing as the lead singer who had promised to entertain the guests got drunk on the way. So, I agreed.

Monica: You sing well. It’s good that you came. You will get another camp night within a fortnight.

Ali: I didn’t come to sing here. I came to see you. If I had gone tonight, I might not have been able to see you again.

Monica looked at Ali while he gave her something that looked like a small canvas, or a chart paper.

Ali: Happy Birthday Ronald.

Monica was surprised, and she took the paper and looked at her drawing on it. It was beautiful. She thought it was pencil strokes first, but it was not. The drawing was made of words. Urdu words.

Ali: It’s a lyrical portrait that I made with few of my favorite shayaris.

Monica was stunned.

Monica: It’s beautiful. Thank you.

Ali smiled.

Monica: You can’t fall in love with me. You know that right.

Ali: I am not in love with you. I respect you, admire you and I think that you are amazing and attractive, but I don’t think what I have for you is love. So please don’t worry about it.

Monica: That’s good then. Maybe, I should leave now. You go back and enjoy the party.

Ali: Is it okay if I walk with you till my dorm? I am done with the party.

Monica: Yeah why not.

Monica and Ali walked towards the dorms without speaking a word. The night wind was smooth and cold on their faces. Monica hugged herself and shivered in the cold wind.

Ali: I can’t offer you a jacket today. I don’t have one.

Monica: You look good in kurta though.

Ali: It’s not mine. I have to return it tomorrow.

Monica only smiled. They walked further. When they reached Ali’s dorm Monica stopped. Her quarters were a bit further.

Monica: So, it’s a good bye then. Hopefully we will see each other again sometime.

Ali: We will. I thought about what you said before. All my life, I have only known Kashmir and the people of Kashmir. So, I only cared about them. I only saw the rest of India with the eyes of a Kashmiri. But now I know you, I know Ansh, Krishna, Diksha and all of you are good people and I will do anything to protect you and everyone else and their families. I will defend what is theirs, what is mine, I won’t show any differentiation, I will defend the whole of India. And also, I won’t hurt anyone in kick boxing practice as well. I will take the back foot.

Monica smiled looking at Ali.

Monica: I am so proud. See you then.

Monica smiled at Ali and the moment reminded him of English romantic comedies in which the leads kiss and say good bye, but here it was Major Monica and Cadet Ali and the kiss won’t be happening this night. Monica turned around and walked towards her quarters and Ali walked to his dorm. He would sleep alone in the building.

Monica walked slowly.

We live, we travel to places, meet people, then we come across a certain someone who would probably stay in our hearts. We can’t actually say why and how and what is the reason for it, but they do. And we will never know who they are to us. But they mean a lot.

Monica slowly turned around to look at the dorm and what she saw shocked her. There were two men moving from one part of the dorm to the other. They had their faces covered and had guns in their hands. They didn’t see her. Monica was scared. Ali was alone in the dorm. She slowly raised her dress and took the Barrita that was attached to her thigh using a gun pouch. It was not her official weapon, but she always carried this small gun with her.

Monica moved stealthily to the dorm. Most of the lights were off in the building and Monica had to try really hard to see. She closed her eyes and listened to the footsteps. There were three people. Two together and one alone. But she saw only two and the third footstep was not of Ali as he was not wearing boots or formal shoes. Monica walked further holding her Barrita ahead of her. She was unfamiliar with the boys’ dorm. She was trying to catch the men from behind but when she came to the turning, one of them was standing in front of her aiming his gun at her and Monica shot him even before he could think of shooting her.

Monica walked further and then she took a turning and what she saw shocked her to core. Ali was sitting kneeled down in front of a person lying on the floor. Monica looked carefully to find a motionless Ansh with a single bullet wound on his chest, exactly at his heart. A shoot meant only to kill. Monica couldn’t believe her eyes. She kneeled next to Ali and looked at him and then at Ansh. He was dead for sure, but she had to check once. Monica put her gun down and checked Ansh’s breathing and pulse. He was gone. Monica looked at Ali. His face was a teary mess. He had his eyes down and she could feel what he was going through. Monica moved closer to him and let him rest on her shoulder. He started crying hard. Monica caressed his hair. She knew that there were two more men in the building and she had to alert the officials as well but then Ali was sitting next to her, broke and sad and that made her weak and it fogged her thoughts. Monica sat there for a few moments and then tried to get up leaving Ali to stay on his own to get to the panic alarm. She was walking towards the office room nearby, when another man came running towards her with a gun and he pointed it straight at her. Monica realized that she was unarmed and the distance between them was too much for her to strike him down. Then she heard a gunshot and the man was down. Monica was stunned, and she turned towards Ali and found him sitting on his knees turned towards the man with a gun. Ali had shot the man.

Ali was shocked and couldn’t believe his eyes when he saw a motionless Ansh. He broke down and sat on the floor. Ansh was shot just like Ahaad and there was blood all over his white pajama. Ali didn’t know what to do. He didn’t even have the courage to touch Ansh. He was shaking all over. Then she came and sat beside him. He could only feel her warmth. He couldn’t see her or listen to her. Everything felt blurry. Then she got up and walked from him and he was scared, and he looked at her and found someone holding a gun at her. Ali forgot about Ansh, Ahaad and his fear for guns. He had a sudden urge to take the gun and fire and he did it and then he realized what he did, and he dropped the gun and bend to the floor.

Monica suddenly took the gun and shot the man again. The blame can’t go on Ali. Ali broke down and Monica ran towards him and hugged him tight.