"What is this? How can this be possible?" Dr. Salil threw the paper on the table. Nilima picked it up. As she read her face changed color. "How is it possible?" she couldn't believe her eyes.
"What's going on?" Salil blurted dialing a number. The call couldn't get through. He clenched his fist in frustration.
They had received a warning letter from the College stating that Dhatri had fallen short of her required 75% attendance for the month and also had missed her internal assessment examination. Dr. Salil was aghast. Just a day before he had talked to Maasi Maa and she had said everything was going on very well and Dhatri is studying well.
"Sure, there must be some mistake...!" he looked at Nilima who looked horrified.
Dhatri was into her Third semester of Engineering, Computer Science. She couldn't get through JEE for IIT, but had scored enough to enter into REC. Radha Raman College of Engineering (Regional Engineering College, Bhopal!) Maasi Maa, an old lady, Nilima's Masi had offered to stay with Dhatri and Dhatri had escaped hostel. Maasi Maa had a house in Bhopal and Dhatri joined as a day scholor. First Year, two semesters, everything was new... She hardly understood anything...! The subjects were common and Dharini provided remote help telling her what to study and what to mug up! Dhatri, being best at it had cleared her first examinations without any backlog. Dr. Salil had taken a sigh of relief.
Dharini had cleared her SSB for Army but was disgruntled that she was given Services and not Forces. She wanted the armed forces but despite being cleared with highest rank she was thrown into Research and Development... Services...! Dharini was not at all happy but had continued as she was promised an interdisciplinary transfer... She had completed her training and was posted in DRDO .. (Defence Research and Development Organization), Pune. When Dhatri's 12th results were out, she was in her training in Channai. She suggested that Dhatri should live in hostel but Maasi Maa offerred to stay with Dhatri and Nilima was all happy about it.
The letter from the college had shocked both of them, Salil and Nilima. They considered her to be a sincere student and a well behaved girl. It was hard to believe that Dhatri could remain absent without reason. They both talked to her and maasi maa almost everyday and Maasi Maa had assured them that everything was going on very well. Rini too used to call Dhatri almost everyday. No one knew the reason. Dr. Salil called up Rini in the evening.
"What? What are you talking about? Not Possible... There is some mistake...!" Rini concluded. "Papa... Don't call her or Maasi Maa right now.... Don't alert them if it is true..!" Rini's military brain worked with super speed. "Instead, go and meet the department head first!" Rini almost ordered. Salil agreed. "I will go tomorrow and meet the Principal!" he said gravely. Nilima shook her head hopelessly. "I will come with you...!" She said. That night they both did not sleep.
Next day, early morning the door bell rang. Salil opened the door to find Rini with her bag. "What?" He couldn't believe his eyes. "I couldn't stay...! I have to see her, Papa...!" Rini said making her way in.
*********** ************
"Look at her attendance report!" The Head of Department showed them the report. She had missed college for few weeks. Rini got up.. "She is absent today also..." The Dean said gravely. "Ok. Sir, we assure you that this will not happen again. She will attend all the classes" Dharini assured. Dr. Salil nodded.
"Umm... Sir, can I talk to her friends?" Dharini asked and Sir nodded. Dharini went out with the HOD leaving Salil and Nilima crestfallen and apologizing to the Director for their youngest daughter. "She is a good student. We are more concerned about her!" The Director said. Salil had no justification.
"She missed her internal exam !" The Director went ahead. The Dean walked in. "I have been counseling her but this time, I had to inform you...She missed her internals... !" Dean said showing the report. "I am sorry...!" Dr. Salil apologized. "Almost every Saturday and Monday she is absent.. and sometimes Fridays too!" Dean analysed the report. Nilima and Salil had no clue at all. They gaped at the Dean. "Find out, Dr. Dixit..Before its too late..!" The Dean warned. "Meet her teachers before you go, Dr. Dixit..!" Dean suggested and Salil got up to go with Nilima.
"Papa... there is something wrong with her... Purva and Ragini, her childhood friends said she has stopped talking to them... !" Rini was driving and Salil looked at her gravely...
"Rini, do you think she is involved in....!" Salil couldn't speak. "Papa.. I don't know! May be.... but looking at her nature, she stays away from boys....!" Rini dismissed the thought. "Humm... Saturdays and Mondays... Is she ...?" Nilima said from behind and Salil winced. "You mean treks?" he asked aghast. Rini too looked lost. "Possible...! She is crazy about it...." Salil said and Rini nodded. "But she has not done it without permission...!" salil said dismissing his own thought. They reached Maasi Maa's house. Rini rang the bell.....
************** ************* *********
"Are you going somewhere?" Asked Sayajirao and Ray nodded. "Nebraska... Lincoln!" he answered strapping his traveling bag. His Dad looked on.
"Installation and deployment, Dad... huge one... !" informed Ray. "I this is done, I am sure to get partnership in the business...~" He said dreamily. "When?" asked Dad. "In couple of hours..! I am driving the truck..!" he said and Sayajirao turned in shock. "You are driving? Why?" He asked concerned. Ray smiled. "I earn... I am paid for that...!" he said grinning and Dad looked hopelessly.
"Don't worry, Dad! I will be careful!" he said getting up and hugging his father. "Humm... " his father sighed. Ray was into Survelliance and security systems, working for "Axix Cameras" after his post graduation in communication systems. The company was into security systems, surveillance cameras and access control systems... The company had bagged a huge contract in Lincoln of deployment of software and installation of 172 surveillance cameras, 23 Access control systems and three control rooms. Ray was given charge of this entire deployment.
"Leaving.. Dad!" he hugged his father tightly and went out of the house.... Sayajirao sat on the armchair for a long time closing his eyes. He already was missing his son. "Humm..." he got up to open the door when the bell rang... The maid, Mrs Russel had taken a break for a week to meet her son. He pulled open the huge door and froze...
"You...?" he had seen a ghost....!
"What's going on?" Salil blurted dialing a number. The call couldn't get through. He clenched his fist in frustration.
They had received a warning letter from the College stating that Dhatri had fallen short of her required 75% attendance for the month and also had missed her internal assessment examination. Dr. Salil was aghast. Just a day before he had talked to Maasi Maa and she had said everything was going on very well and Dhatri is studying well.
"Sure, there must be some mistake...!" he looked at Nilima who looked horrified.
Dhatri was into her Third semester of Engineering, Computer Science. She couldn't get through JEE for IIT, but had scored enough to enter into REC. Radha Raman College of Engineering (Regional Engineering College, Bhopal!) Maasi Maa, an old lady, Nilima's Masi had offered to stay with Dhatri and Dhatri had escaped hostel. Maasi Maa had a house in Bhopal and Dhatri joined as a day scholor. First Year, two semesters, everything was new... She hardly understood anything...! The subjects were common and Dharini provided remote help telling her what to study and what to mug up! Dhatri, being best at it had cleared her first examinations without any backlog. Dr. Salil had taken a sigh of relief.
Dharini had cleared her SSB for Army but was disgruntled that she was given Services and not Forces. She wanted the armed forces but despite being cleared with highest rank she was thrown into Research and Development... Services...! Dharini was not at all happy but had continued as she was promised an interdisciplinary transfer... She had completed her training and was posted in DRDO .. (Defence Research and Development Organization), Pune. When Dhatri's 12th results were out, she was in her training in Channai. She suggested that Dhatri should live in hostel but Maasi Maa offerred to stay with Dhatri and Nilima was all happy about it.
The letter from the college had shocked both of them, Salil and Nilima. They considered her to be a sincere student and a well behaved girl. It was hard to believe that Dhatri could remain absent without reason. They both talked to her and maasi maa almost everyday and Maasi Maa had assured them that everything was going on very well. Rini too used to call Dhatri almost everyday. No one knew the reason. Dr. Salil called up Rini in the evening.
"What? What are you talking about? Not Possible... There is some mistake...!" Rini concluded. "Papa... Don't call her or Maasi Maa right now.... Don't alert them if it is true..!" Rini's military brain worked with super speed. "Instead, go and meet the department head first!" Rini almost ordered. Salil agreed. "I will go tomorrow and meet the Principal!" he said gravely. Nilima shook her head hopelessly. "I will come with you...!" She said. That night they both did not sleep.
Next day, early morning the door bell rang. Salil opened the door to find Rini with her bag. "What?" He couldn't believe his eyes. "I couldn't stay...! I have to see her, Papa...!" Rini said making her way in.
*********** ************
"Look at her attendance report!" The Head of Department showed them the report. She had missed college for few weeks. Rini got up.. "She is absent today also..." The Dean said gravely. "Ok. Sir, we assure you that this will not happen again. She will attend all the classes" Dharini assured. Dr. Salil nodded.
"Umm... Sir, can I talk to her friends?" Dharini asked and Sir nodded. Dharini went out with the HOD leaving Salil and Nilima crestfallen and apologizing to the Director for their youngest daughter. "She is a good student. We are more concerned about her!" The Director said. Salil had no justification.
"She missed her internal exam !" The Director went ahead. The Dean walked in. "I have been counseling her but this time, I had to inform you...She missed her internals... !" Dean said showing the report. "I am sorry...!" Dr. Salil apologized. "Almost every Saturday and Monday she is absent.. and sometimes Fridays too!" Dean analysed the report. Nilima and Salil had no clue at all. They gaped at the Dean. "Find out, Dr. Dixit..Before its too late..!" The Dean warned. "Meet her teachers before you go, Dr. Dixit..!" Dean suggested and Salil got up to go with Nilima.
"Papa... there is something wrong with her... Purva and Ragini, her childhood friends said she has stopped talking to them... !" Rini was driving and Salil looked at her gravely...
"Rini, do you think she is involved in....!" Salil couldn't speak. "Papa.. I don't know! May be.... but looking at her nature, she stays away from boys....!" Rini dismissed the thought. "Humm... Saturdays and Mondays... Is she ...?" Nilima said from behind and Salil winced. "You mean treks?" he asked aghast. Rini too looked lost. "Possible...! She is crazy about it...." Salil said and Rini nodded. "But she has not done it without permission...!" salil said dismissing his own thought. They reached Maasi Maa's house. Rini rang the bell.....
************** ************* *********
"Are you going somewhere?" Asked Sayajirao and Ray nodded. "Nebraska... Lincoln!" he answered strapping his traveling bag. His Dad looked on.
"Installation and deployment, Dad... huge one... !" informed Ray. "I this is done, I am sure to get partnership in the business...~" He said dreamily. "When?" asked Dad. "In couple of hours..! I am driving the truck..!" he said and Sayajirao turned in shock. "You are driving? Why?" He asked concerned. Ray smiled. "I earn... I am paid for that...!" he said grinning and Dad looked hopelessly.
"Don't worry, Dad! I will be careful!" he said getting up and hugging his father. "Humm... " his father sighed. Ray was into Survelliance and security systems, working for "Axix Cameras" after his post graduation in communication systems. The company was into security systems, surveillance cameras and access control systems... The company had bagged a huge contract in Lincoln of deployment of software and installation of 172 surveillance cameras, 23 Access control systems and three control rooms. Ray was given charge of this entire deployment.
"Leaving.. Dad!" he hugged his father tightly and went out of the house.... Sayajirao sat on the armchair for a long time closing his eyes. He already was missing his son. "Humm..." he got up to open the door when the bell rang... The maid, Mrs Russel had taken a break for a week to meet her son. He pulled open the huge door and froze...
"You...?" he had seen a ghost....!
Hello
ReplyDeleteNisha, Thank you for commenting... hope this one is also good.
ME :p Thank you for being persistent in commenting...
Dewdrop : Thank you for the comment and please give me the link of your new story...
Mymind, humm... so does my son... these things he shares with me immediately... not his pizza..! Thanks for the comment. Was waiting for your comment..
Thank a lot once again and hope you will all like this update too...!
Love
KF
Loved the Update....
ReplyDeleteSO where's dhaa gng on sats n suns?
whos is at d door...?
Curious 2 know whats happening....
So my usual...Update soon...update soon...
Yours,
ME :P
"Who could be that at the door?"...ummm...the moment you do that crinkles appear on my forehead... but again ...I love you and your writing style for doing that to me.....someone he knows but a threat?...no one is at home...so whatever the next update is going to have...it's between them and us readers...and ofcourse you!..
ReplyDeleteDhaa has selected the right college.. for her intentions to materialize...and she has started to differ from her Rini didi's decision....how is she going to make her magic work on Rini?...who already knows her tactics to the T..
Hahaa...rightly said....Kids really smart these days....and forget they have smart mothers;)
Hi Khushifan!!
ReplyDeleteWow, each part of this update ending with someone ringing the doorbell. What is Dhaatri doing on weekends with extra days added to it?? If she has stopped talking to her childhood friends means there is something seriously wrong. Rini taking control of the pressing matters so superbly. Hmmm, why is Sayajirao concerned with his son driving the truck?? Oh well, who is at that 'final' door.... someone who Sayajirao knows, but come back as a 'ghost'?? So someone who he never thought of seeing again??
Again, a lovely update... so very-well written!!