After a long, exhausting day of drills, Raghav lay quietly on his bed. His body was tired, so he closed his eyes, hoping to rest. But his mind refused to be still. Again and again, it wandered back to the same pair of eyes-the ones that had silently found a special place in his heart. No matter how hard he tried to sleep, their memory stayed with him, as if those eyes had become the calmest thought in all the noise of his day.

FLASHBACK

Two years earlier...

On the occasion of Basant Panchami, Raghav had gone to the village fair with his friends. The air was filled with laughter, music, and the cheerful chatter of people. They spent the day roaming around, teasing one another, enjoying the festive atmosphere, and celebrating Raghav's success after he had qualified the Lieutenant exam.

As evening approached, the sun slowly disappeared behind the mountains, painting the sky in shades of gold and orange. The gentle breeze grew colder, and within moments, it turned into a restless storm.

But the storm outside was nothing compared to the one rising inside Raghav.

In the middle of the crowd, his eyes met a pair of beautiful eyes. Time seemed to stop. The noise of the fair faded away, and for a brief moment, the whole world became silent. Those eyes held him still, stealing every thought from his mind and leaving him completely lost in their quiet magic.

___________________________

Just then, a familiar voice pulled Raghav out of his thoughts.

"Raghav... O Raghav!"

He blinked, as if waking from a dream, and looked up.

"Hnn, bolo Kishan," Raghav replied, quickly putting his usual stern expression back on his face.

Kishan crossed his arms with a mischievous smile.

"Bhaiii, kaha khoye rehte ho?" he asked in a teasing tone.

"Kahi nhi," Raghav answered, sounding a little irritated. Deep down, he knew that if Kishan sensed even the slightest hint of what was going on in his mind, he would never stop teasing him.

Kishan suddenly slapped his forehead.

"Ohh! Mai toh bhul hi gya tha. Captain sir tujhe bulare h."

Raghav narrowed his eyes.

"Kya! Aur joh sabse pehle batana tha woh ab batara hai."

Without wasting another second, he walked out of his room and headed straight towards the Captain's office.

Standing outside the door, he knocked lightly.

"May I come in, Sir?"

"Come in, Lieutenant Raghav."

Raghav stepped inside and stood at attention.

"Jai Hind, Sir."

"Jai Hind."

The Captain looked at him for a moment before speaking.

"Lieutenant Raghav, as it is not my matter of concern, but your father has been calling me repeatedly and requesting that you be granted leave. Tell me, why haven't you applied for your holidays?"

Raghav stood straight, his voice calm yet firm.

"Sir, mujhe laga border me halchal hori hai, kabhi bhi kuch bhi ho sakta hai. Mai aapne sathiyon ka sath dena chahta hun, unhe akela nhi chodna chahta hun ess samay."

The Captain nodded with pride.

"I understand, Lieutenant. Aap jawan khoon hai. Aapne desh ko sabse upar rakhte hai, aur esliye mujhe tumpar bahut naaz hai."

He paused before continuing, his tone becoming gentler.

"Par tumhari jarurat ghar par bhi kahi jyada hai abhi. Yaha hum sambhal lenge. Tum achche se aapni bhen ki shadi karwao. Aur woh sirf tumhari nhi, hum sabki bhen hai."

A faint smile appeared on his face.

Raghav's eyes softened for a moment. He nodded respectfully.

The Captain picked up a file from his desk.

"Kal ki train hai tumhari. 6 baje tak nikal jana taaki 9 baje tak train pakad sako."

"Okay, Sir. Jai Hind."

"Jai Hind."

Raghav saluted once again before turning around and walking out of the office. As the door closed behind him, a quiet smile appeared on his face. After months of duty on the border, he was finally going home-to his family, to his little sister's wedding... unaware that fate was about to bring him face to face with the pair of eyes that had never truly left his heart.

___________________________

As soon as Raghav returned to his room, he found Kishan lying comfortably on his bed.

The moment Kishan saw him, he quickly got up.

"Kya bola sir ne?" he asked eagerly.

"Unhone chutti de di hai."

"Huh!! Kya...?"

For a second, Kishan simply stared at him, unable to believe what he had just heard.

Then, with an overly serious face, he sighed dramatically.

"Bhai... bahut dukh hua. Mujhe nhi pata tha Humara yeh safar yahi tak tha. Tu pareshan mat ho,teri naukari mai lagwa dunga"

Before Raghav could react, Kishan stepped forward and wrapped him in a tight hug, pretending to console him.

Raghav immediately pushed him back.

"Abey oye! Kya bolra hai? Dimaag kharab hogya hai kya? Sir ne bhen ki shadi ke liye chutti di hai."

Kishan froze for a moment.

The sparkle in his eyes quietly faded. A faint sadness crossed his face, but he quickly hid it behind a small smile, as if nothing had happened.

He looked away and said softly,

"Chal, tu saman rakh le. Subah mai tujhe jeep se station chod dunga. Aur han, Tai ji aur Tau ji ko mera pranam kehna... aur mithai lana mat bhulna."

He smiled and pulled Raghav into another hug.

"Hmm... chal theek hai," Raghav replied, gently patting his back before stepping away.

Without saying anything else, Kishan walked out of the room.

Silence filled the space.

After packing his belongings, Raghav lay down on his bed. His eyes stayed fixed on the ceiling, but his thoughts had already wandered somewhere else.

Back to those beautiful eyes.

A small smile appeared on his lips.

"Kya pata... joh 2 saalon me nhi huwa, woh ess baar ho jaaye. Unn aakhon ko dubara dekh paun."

He silently prayed that fate would let him see them once again.

With that hopeful thought resting in his heart, sleep slowly consumed him.

___________________________

Raghav stood in his room, dressed and ready, his bag resting beside him.

After six long months, he was finally going home.

A part of his heart felt happy. He would see his family again, celebrate his sister's wedding, and spend a few precious days with his loved ones.

But another part of him wanted to stay.

The situation at the border was tense. Every soldier knew that anything could happen at any moment. Leaving his fellow soldiers behind didn't feel right.

Still, a soldier never questioned his Commanding Officer's orders.

With a quiet sigh, Raghav picked up his luggage.

Outside, Kishan was already waiting beside the jeep.

"Raghav, chalein?" he asked.

Raghav looked around his room one last time. For the past six months, these four walls had been his home. Countless memories flashed through his mind.

Without another word, he picked up his bag and walked outside.

Both of them climbed into the jeep.

As Kishan started the engine, the jeep slowly rolled out of the camp.

The morning air was cold, and the roads were unusually quiet.

The two friends spent the journey talking about everything and nothing-old memories, funny incidents, and endless teasing, trying to make the ride feel shorter.

Soon, they reached the railway station.

Raghav placed his bag on the platform.

For a moment, neither of them spoke.

Then Kishan suddenly broke the silence.

"Yaar... bhen ki shadi karwa kar wapis aa jana. Mere upar sotan mat lena."

He said it with a completely serious face, making Raghav burst into laughter.

"Oye... kitna dramebaaz hai tu!"

Raghav laughed as he lightly slapped Kishan's shoulder.

The next moment, both of them laughed so hard that people around them couldn't help but glance in their direction.

As the laughter faded, silence returned.

Raghav looked at his friend.

"Bas bas... ab jaa. Apna dhiyaan rakhna... aur chitti likhkar sab batana."

Kishan smiled and nodded.

"Hnn, theek. Tu bhi apna dhiyaan rakhna... aur mithai lekar aana."

Both of them shared one last smile.

No dramatic words.

No long speeches.

Just a firm hug that silently said everything they couldn't put into words.

The train whistle echoed through the station.

Raghav picked up his luggage and stepped towards the train.

Kishan stood where he was, watching until his friend disappeared inside the coach.

As the train slowly pulled away, Kishan raised his hand one last time.

Raghav smiled from the window and waved back.

Sometimes, the strongest friendships don't need big promises.

A simple "Jaldi wapis aana" is enough.

END OF CHAPTER

Some love stories never reach their destination, yet they remain beautiful forever.

Just like Kishan's love.

Maybe one day, life will bless him with someone who loves him just as deeply-someone who fills the empty spaces in his heart so completely that every old memory turns into nothing more than a gentle smile.

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