4

Dhatri got up late in the morning.  Dharini and Disha had already finished their morning chores.  Dhatri had no energy to get up.   She looked around.  There was no one in the room.   She got scared and screamed.  “Rini Didi....!” Dharini came running into the room.  “Dhaa? Are you ok?” she removed the duvet and ran her hands over her body.  “Umm.. where is baghira?” she asked in a hushed voice.  

“Out in the backyard.  Laxmi bai is there...!” she said grinning.  “Come!” she picked Dhatri up and Dhatri locked her legs around her waist.  They both came into the kitchen where Mamma was working with Laxmi Bai.  “Where is Baghira?” Dharini was panic.  “That bagi is in here!” Laxmi bai said pointing at the corner where it was busy licking the milk.  Disha was at the door but didn’t utter a single word against it and turning her back on everyone, clutching a big fat book went out in the veranda.  Mamma looked at Dhatri suspiciously.  Dharini carried her to the bathroom hurriedly away from Mamma.  “Brush your teeth... Come on hurry up!” she pushed her inside closing the door.  Dhatri came out looking relieved and fresh.

“Done? Ok. Come, I will give you milk!” she said holding Dhatri’s hand.  “Umm... no.. Tea! I want Tea!” Dhatri was all set to take advantage of the situation.  “shuuu... Mamma will be angry....!” Dharini tried to pacify her.  “No.. Tea... Awanwaaaa....!” She opened her mouth crying loudly throwing tantrums everywhere.  “Shuuu... stop stop... I will do something.. wait!” Dharini carried her into their room.  “sit here! I will get tea for you!” she went out closing the door behind.  Within a few seconds, she opened the door.

“Humm... take care of this!” she threw baghira inside and closed the door again.  Dhatri had a broad smile on her face and started following the exploring kitten crawling on her knees.

“Dharini came in within few minutes clutching a cup of tea in her hands.  “Humm  have it..!” she thrust the cup in Dhatri’s hand.  “Sweet?” Dhatri asked suspiciously.  “Very sweet!” Dharini frowned.  Dhatri sipped and was satisfied with the sweetness of the tea.  “Humm...Love this!” Dhatri gave her sister a due credit for the sweet tea.  Dharini grinned.  “Didi is quiet.  So I think we can keep this!” she said picking up struggling baghira in her hand.  Disha grinned. “Dhaa.... Mamma won’t agree.  We have to push it more.  You know what to do ....!” Dharini was thinking over the strategy to keep the kitten in the house.  

“Yeah.. i should go blue...!” Dhatri said sniggering.  “But careful, Haan?” Dharini warned her.   “Don’t get over excited..! I will manage Papa..!” she said taking the empty tea cup from Dhatri’s hand and going out, closing the door behind.

“Where is Dhatri?” asked Mamma seeing Dharini with empty tea cup.  “Umm.. she is sleeping...!” she said keeping the tea cup in the sink.  Mamma had poured milk for Dhatri in a glass.  She kept it aside.

“Go with your father, before she wakes up and leave that kitten..!” Mamma ordered to no one.  Dharini had already vanished.  

“Papa...!” she held his hand pleadingly.  “What?” he looked confused.  “Baghira...!” She said on the verge of crying.  “Baghira?” Papa was more confused.  “That kitten..!” Dharini said in a bear whisper in his ear standing up on the bed.  

“Oh! Yeah! Ok. We will go and leave it..!” he said looking at his middle daughter intently.

“No!” she had tears.  “Please Papa... please... We want to keep it!” she said putting her arms around his neck.  “But... Disha has asthma and you know... the effect of animals on her and your Mamma..!” he was serious too.

“Papa, please... please.. please... We will keep it away from Disha didi.. Please papa... please tell Mamma...!” she started crying.  “Ok.. Ok.. let me see what I can do.  Right now I am going to the college for paper correction...!” he said patting her.  She broke apart happily.  “Yeah! And you come late in the evening ok?” she said raising her finger and he nodded grinning.  Dharini gave a winning roar “HaHaHaHa....!” 

“Where is Disha?” he asked and Dharini looked panic.  “she is reading a big fat book!” she said.  “Why?” she asked suspiciously.  “Yesterday night she had some breathing problem and today morning she was sleeping on sofa” Papa looked at her suspiciously too.  Dharini avoided his questioning gaze.

“Umm... Dhaa cleared her chest congestion..!” Dharini said guiltily.

“What?” Papa was shocked.   “Why didn’t you stop her?” he asked holding her wrist angrily.

“Umm.. I was sleeping...!” she said looking down.  “No, you were not!” Papa knew.  “You told Dhatri, right?” he asked her sternly.  She nodded locking her fingers in front.

“Why, Dharini? You know the effect on Dhatri.  Do you want her to suffer, only for this little kitten?” he asked in painful voice and Dharini broke into tears.

“No Papa, I am sorry! But... Didi was breathless... so we thought of giving her a little dose...!” she tried to justify in vain.  Papa had already dashed to the room to see Dhatri.  She was sleeping and Baghira was curled up purring on her tummy.  Papa stood there looking at his youngest daughter.  

“Papa... she is ok!” Said Dharini standing by his side and holding his hand.  He looked at her and came out with her.

“Beta, promise me! You will not do this again.  Your Dhaa endures beyond your imagination.  Please don’t put her in such suffering...!” he pleaded sitting on his knees and placing his hands on her shoulders.  Dharini nodded with tearful eyes.  “Yes Papa.  I am sorry!” she said pressing her palm on her chest.  “I promise!” she said hugging her father. 

“Now go and get ready.  You have your results at eleven.  Mamma will come with you to school.  Ok?”  he  pushed her a bit and she ran inside.  Papa sighed “Nilima..” he called out and Mamma came out smiling.  

“Going ....!” he said hugging her lightly and went to his college.  Prof. Dr. Salil Dixit stopped at the door, looked out of the house and through the straight road vanishing in the horizon, sighed heavily and took a step out with his car keys.  Mamma was busy getting ready to go to school for the Sr. KG and Third standard results of Dhatri and Dharini.  Her eldest daughter Disha was awaiting her  10^th CBSE Board results which would be declared soon.   

Dr. Salil Dixit ignited the engine and took his car out on the road.  He was heading towards his college Samrat Ashok Technological Institute, SATI.  Every one in his friends circle and relatives were shocked at his decision some two years back to go back to his native, Bhopal.  A renowned Professor of Mathematics in IIT Delhi had suddenly decided to quit and go back to his home town, Vidisha.  Fortunately when the principal of SATI came to know about his decision, he offered him the chair of dean of mathematics for the undergraduate and post graduate courses.  Dr. Salil accepted without any reservations.  He had shifted to Vidisha and was serving in the institute.  Nilima had left her job in the high school in IIT Delhi campus and had shifted with her husband and three daughters.

The two years had gone by peacefully... luckily uneventful.  The moment they had recovered Dhatri from at incident, Dr. Salil had decided to quit and leave Delhi forever.  They were doing well here in this small town.  Disha was upset initially but now had settled well.  Dharini and Dhatri were too young to understand the pains of shifting and were super excited to come to this peaceful, little lazy down with surrounding of evergreen trees everywhere and to stay in a huge house under the shelter of the tall huge trees all over the place.  The house was on the outskirts of the town gifted with peaceful environment with very few houses in neighborhood.