Epilogue

Naina adjusted her sari in front of the mirror before checking her hair, turning around to see Raj buttoning up the shirt of his formal uniform before adding his cravat. Crossing the room she went to help him, gently adjusting it until it was just right.

Tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear, Raj leaned down to gently kiss her, able to feel her smile against his mouth.

"Don't get distracted Captain Shekawat, or we'll be late for the ceremony." She told him teasingly.

"How can I help it when my wife is so beautiful?" he asked her flirtatiously, "If you would just stop distracting me then I could continue getting ready."

He was just about to lean down to kiss her again when a sound disturbed them and Raj glanced affectionately at the bed where their daughter sat clapping her chubby little hands.

"You approve of daddy flirting with mummy don't you, Asmi sweetie?" Raj asked her, reaching down to pick her up even as she raised her arms to him, asking for a cuddle. He tossed her in the air as she giggled before settling her in his arms, planting kisses on her little face.

Asmita was a gorgeous child, loved and spoiled by everybody at the academy including Brigadier Chandook. Six months after Asmi's birth, Naina had resumed her studies, leaving her daughter in Dr. Shalini's care during college hours. Shalini had been thrilled to help out, she had always wanted a child and after the divorce from her husband had come through she had needed a distraction. The little girl had once again brought a smile to her face and she was the same enthusiastic and cheerful Shalini that they all knew and loved.

"Are you ready to see all your aunties and uncles graduate?" Raj asked Asmita as she patted his face with pudgy little fingers. She was already dressed in her best frock and had been excited since waking up, having realised that something big was happening.

"Ready to see your Aunty Sherry become the best cadet?" Naina asked Asmita as she took her daughter in her arms, smoothing the little girl's hair.

"It'll be good practice for the day when she becomes best cadet herself." Raj commented proudly as he fixed up his uniform. "It runs in the family you know, little one. You'll have to follow in your Uncle Navin and Aunty Sherry's footsteps."

Naina laughed at this. "Don't get ahead of yourself Raj, there's plenty of time for her to decide what she wants to be."

"Whatever it is that she decides on… we'll be proud of her." Raj promised, leaning across to kiss first Naina's cheek and then Asmi's before checking his watch. "What time is your mother arriving?" he asked.

Now that Navin's innocence had been proven, Naina's mother had agreed to finally return to KMA. Both Aalekh and Sherry had become like her children and she wouldn't have missed their graduation for anything.

"She should be arriving in half an hour." Naina replied, settling Asmita on her hip. "And Abhimanyu?"

"I'm not sure… he promised to be on time and he had better be or Sherry is going to kill him." Raj commented. He certainly wasn't going to stand up for Abhi against his sister's anger if his friend was late.

After his release from hospital, Abhi had requested a transfer. His mission at KMA was over and he knew that it wouldn't be proper for him to remain there while he was in love with one of the students. The cadets had organised a huge farewell party for him and there had been quite a few tears shed when he had finally left.

Since then he had kept in constant contact, calling at least every few days to speak to Sherry, Raj and Naina, with Raj joking that he was going to spend the entire kingdom's fortune on phone bills. Abhimanyu had returned for Asmita's birth and had ensured that as far as possible his holidays matched with KMA's so that they could all spend time together. Last term break he had insisted on them all coming to Barmar with him so that his parents could finally meet Sherry. The meeting had gone well but she had been so intimidated by the surroundings that in the week they spent there she had worn salwar kameez every day without a single complaint about the dupatta.

It had been an opportunity for Raj and Naina to formalise matters with Abhi's parents and the roka had been performed with an agreement that the engagement would take place after graduation, the wedding some time afterwards.

Finally ready, they exited the room, running into Shalini in the corridor who was also dressed in her formal uniform.

"Can you believe that our cadets are finally graduating today?" she asked excitedly, "It seems like only yesterday that they arrived at the academy for the first time."

It might have seemed like yesterday but in that time all six of their favourite cadets had matured considerably. Pooja still talked in her mobile lingo but from a girl who had come to the academy chasing a lost boyfriend she had become a dedicated soldier, ready to serve her country. Ali still had the same principles but somewhere along the way he had learnt to relax, due mainly to the influence of Pooja and his friends. He was now more likely to choose his actions based on what the outcome would be rather than what the rules were.

Huda was still the most popular boy in the academy and still flirted with as many girls as possible but he had learned that love was not about possession and that the most important thing was to be a good friend. Yudi was no longer the insecure and uncertain young man he had been when he entered the academy. He now had confidence in his own abilities and the support of his friends and teachers had shown him that being a man was more about what was on the inside of a person than their appearance. Aalekh was practically unrecognisable compared to the angry young man who had entered the academy two years ago. While he would still use tapori language around his friends, Naina's English and Hindi tutorials had paid off and he could now confidently speak like an army officer. The love and affection he had received from Naina's mother had had an obvious effect too. He was now more settled, and much happier in life.

As for Sherry, apart from Aalekh, her change had been the most drastic. When she had arrived she had been sullen, hostile and angry at everyone and everything and especially herself. Now she joked and laughed with her friends, gossiped with Naina and Pooja and doted on her niece. Despite the changes in her, she still had a sarcastic retort for anybody that was foolish enough to mess with her. After her father's death and Abhi's departure she had dedicated herself to her studies, truly earning the best cadet award that she was to receive today.

Raj and Naina met Naina's mother at KMA's entrance, and Asmita happily went into her arms, excited to see her grandmother again. From there they headed to the parade ground where the ceremony was to take place, Raj and Shalini joining the rest of the faculty on the dais and Naina and her mother heading for the audience where they greeted the rest of the cadets families. Saving a seat beside her for Abhimanyu, Naina glanced around. Ali and Pooja's families were seated together, chatting to each other. Huda and Yudi's families sat nearby and as soon as Neelu saw Naina and her mother sit down she came over to join them, sitting next to Mrs Ahluwalia and playing with Asmi.

The ceremony was about to begin and Naina had just glanced around anxiously for about the hundredth time when somebody sat down in the seat next to her. Glancing at him briefly she was just about to tell him that it was reserved when she did a double take, staring at the person beside her.

He just grinned back.

"What happened to your hair?" Naina asked Abhi, indicating his now short hairstyle.

"I felt like a change… I'll be getting engaged soon after all, it's time I looked a bit more responsible." He said then laughed and added, "That and my mother threatened to cut me out of the official photos if I didn't."

Naina joined him in his laughter and was about to reply when Brigadier Chandook stood up, signalling that the ceremony was about to start.

Naina met Raj's eyes across the distance and they smiled at each other as they listened to the speech before she turned to see their cadets lined up and ready to graduate. By the end of the ceremony Naina was wiping tears away from her eyes and looking around she saw that she wasn't the only one as her mother was also dabbing at her eyes with a handkerchief. Abhimanyu also appeared to have tears in his as he gazed at Sherry taking the oath, the love he felt clearly written on his face.

As soon as the ceremony was over, Naina watched as the cadets made their way over to Raj and Shalini, hugging them and taking their blessings before heading over to where their families were seated. Raj came back with one arm around Sherry's shoulders, one around Aalekh's and an extremely proud look on his face. She was chatting cheerfully to him when she finally spotted Abhi in the crowd and letting out what looked like a surprised gasp she made an excuse to Raj and began to run. Standing up, a grin already on his face, Abhi stretched out his arms just in time as she ran into them, squeezing her tightly and lifting her off the ground.

"I swear I didn't miss a single minute of the ceremony," he told her when he had finally put her back down, still clutching one of her hands. "You can ask Naina for proof."

"I believe you, I know you would never have missed this." Sherry told him, "Nice hair by the way."

"You like it?" Abhi asked, a bit self consciously, "Actually I thought it was time for a change…"

"Don't lie, your mother threatened you to get it done." Sherry replied, a mischievous grin on her face. "She's been telling me to convince you as well."

They were all laughing when Raj and Aalekh caught up to them, Aalekh immediately bending down to touch Mrs Ahluwalia's feet who then gave him a warm hug.

Abhimanyu and Sherry were still catching up, his arm now around her waist as she looked up at him, and Aalekh and Neelu were now chatting to Naina's mother about their next plans now that he had graduated.

Taking a step back from them, Naina came to stand next to Raj who placed his arm around her shoulders, hugging her as she leaned on him slightly.

"I was just thinking… how incredibly lucky it is that Brigadier Chandook forced you to bring me to KMA." Naina told Raj softly as she looked around her. She had made so many new friends here, had received so much love and affection. Now she had a complete family and so much happiness that she almost didn't know what to do with it. She was bound to all of these people with inexplicable bonds, ones that she could never explain. They were a part of her now, part of her identity, and her happiness was very much connected to theirs.

"It was the luckiest day of my life." Raj agreed, looking down at her with love. "So many things have happened as a result of that day."

They stood there in a comfortable silence, watching the people that they loved. Life had been unfair to them in the past, it had tested them many times, given them tragedies and disappointments. In many ways it had been the shared pain that had bound her and Raj together in such a close relationship. However Naina had a feeling that the worst had passed, that from now on all of them would receive all of the happiness they deserved.

"Bhabhi, Bhaiyya, are you going to stand there all day or are we going to go join the party?" Sherry called out teasingly as she and Abhimanyu started to walk back towards the main academy along with Naina's mother and Asmi and the rest of the cadets.

From now on she would not look back at the past with regret, not when their futures were so bright.

Naina took Raj's hand and together they began to walk forward.

Life was waiting, and they would not be left behind.