44

"Can I come in?" Sayajirao moved away.  "I am glad, you recognized!" 

"How can I forget?" Sayajirao looked up with anguish.  The ghostlike figure sat on the sofa and looked around.  

"Quite a big villa...!" a compliment came with twisted lips. 

"Why you here?" Sayajirao asked clutching the back, standing behind his chair.  Silence prevailed for a while.  

"Saya... I just wanted to meet you all...!" came a weak voice but Sayajirao refrained from reacting.  The figure moved and picked up the photoframe from the mantal shelf.  Sayajirao fidgeted nervously.  "This is...?" he refrained from answering and looked away. 

The figure kept on looking at the photo frames on the wall.  Sayajirao poured drink in the glass and kept it on the table.  "Drink?" he asked and she turned.  Her eyes saw the label on the bottle... one of the finest wines... she grabbed the glass greedily and gulped it in one go.  Her throat soothed. 

"Where is he?" she asked looking around.  He didn't respond for a while and then said "Stays with me!" she looked up in surprise.  "Oh!" she said digging her chin in her chest.  "Why are you here?" he asked her again.  She looked up.  "Can't I...?" she had a question in her eyes.  "No! You can't!" he gave her a plain answer.  She looked down again.  "I am sorry!" she said fidgeting and he sighed. 

"How is he?" she asked looking at his photos... "Grown up!" came the answer.  There was not an extra word from him.  "You are not happy to see me! Aren't you?" she asked hurt.  He looked into her eyes.  "No!" he said turning his face. 

"Goodbye, then....!" she turned and he opened his clenched fists.  Her eyes fell on the bottle.  "Can I have another drink?" she asked hopefully.  He went upto the table and picked up the bottle.  "Large... please" she said sheepishly.  He came with the bottle and giving it to her said, "Have it all!" she took it greedily.  "Thank you!" she murmured. 

"Can I see you, sometimes?" she aksed looking up.  He looked into her eyes... "Please leave..." he said gravely.  She lingered... "umm... Saya... umm.. can you help me?" she asked hopefully.  He clenched his fists again.

"How much?" he asked.  "A few hundred..." she said sheepishly... He took out his wallet.  She looked at his fat wallet... "May be a grand?" she asked.  He was disgusted... "Thank you!" she took the money and turned.  He pocketed the wallet and closed the door.  He stood standing there hitting his back on the closed door and sighing, poured himself a drink. 

*********  ***********

"Aray, Aap log?" Maasi maa asked with color draining out from her face.  Rini pushed her a bit and made her way inside.  Salil and Nilima still stood at the door.  They were surprised at the little gathering of people sitting on the wooden benches arranged in a raw inside. 

"What is all this?" Rini asked sternly.  "P..Pu...Pooja...!" replied Maasi Maa gesturing at the corner where a photo was worshiped with flower garlands on the table, a bunch of scented sticks were burning, lot of sindoor was put on the photo of some deity and a copper pot was kept. 

"Where is Dhatri?" Rini did all the talking.  Salil and Nilima were turned into statue...  "Ca...collage...!" Maasi Maa blurted  stammering... Salil and Nilima looked ghostly.

"College? You said collage?" yelled Rini with her pulse on her forehead throbbing with rising anger...

The people sitting on the benches looked on.  Maasi Maa came hurriedly and requested.

"Please leave... I will talk to you later...please... " she said joining her hands and the group got up reluctantly.  "What about ....?"

"No! I will talk to you... please leave now! I have guests...!" Maasi maa said hurriedly looking at Rini's narrowed eyes. 

"Where is she?" Rini asked looking around suspiciously.  "Sh... she... she is ...umm... Aray, Nilima... come ... sit..!" Maasi maa tried changing the subject.  Rini came forward and holding Maasi Maa's shoulder asked in deadly voice...

"Where is Dhatri?" She saw a woman coming out of a room and stopped talking.  The woman came out and Prayed in front of the photo and placed something in the copper vessel. 

"Please go...!" Maasi Maa said not giving her any chance to talk.  The woman went out confused...! Maasi maa took a sigh of relief.  Rini's jaw dropped.  "What...?' she dashed inside.  "No... wait...!" Maasi maa whimpered.

"Dhaa?" screamed Rini and Salil dashed inside.  He held the door frame for support losing all his energy.  What he saw was beyond comprehension.  Rini was lifting Dhaa's motionless body screaming in panic.  Dhaa's blood red, swollen hands said it all.

"Oh my God!" Salil couldn't believe his eyes.  "Sh... she is not well today...!" Maasi maa murmured and Rini ran to support her mother who fainted looking at Dhaa's condition.  Salil dashed forward to support his wife and Rini came back to Dhaa.  She carried her to the bathroom.  Dr. Salil supported his wife to sit on the bench.  Maasi maa looked ghostly. 

"Nilima... Please... please.... !" Dr. Salil held her tightly pressing her head against his chest.  Rini brought Dhaa out wrapping her in towel and took her into the room.  Her temperature was getting to normal after the cold water bath but Rini's temper was rising....

Rini got her dressed.  Dhatri blinked open her eyes after a while and seeing Rini on her bed tried to get up...

"Rini Didi...!" Rini hugged her tightly with overwhelming emotions...

"Rini Didi... what a surprise...!" Dhatri said breaking away from Rini and holding her by arms.  "Dhaa... stay here and don't come out...!" Rini said and went out leaving Dhaa puzzled.  Maasi Maa looked at Rini's face and sat on the chair with a thud.

"What were you trying to do? Kill her?" Rini came on to Maasi and pulled her by shoulders.  This time no one intervened...

"No... I... I... thought she is not well....!" Maasi Maa said weakly.  "Oh yeah? and what is all this? What were you doing with her?" Rini pointed at the so called pooja.  "Th... that has nothing to do with her....!" Maasi maa tried to defend..

"Oh yeah? you filthy old woman... nothing to do? " Rini had lost her control.  She left Maasi Maa and went to the pooja place.  She picked up the copper vessel and turned it upside down raising it up in the air.  Quite a few currency notes flew all over....

"Nothing to do? you greedy old woman...! You were running a business! A bloody curing business...!" Rini shook her furiously and Nilima looked at the money all over.  "Oh God!" Salil sat on the bench with a thud.  "Papa... she was using Dhaa.... to... to mint money....!" Rini yelled and pushed Maasi Maa who fell back on the carpet. 

“Dhaa….!” Nilima dashed inside.  Dhatri was on the bed under the blanket.  She had no energy to get up.  “Dhaa…” Nilima pulled her up with a force and embraced her tightly.  “Mamma… leave her! Let her take some rest…!” Rini took over.  Nilima rested Dhatri’s head back on the pillow, adjusted her blanket and came out crestfallen.

“What have I done… Leaving her with this… this Aunt of mine…!” Nilima banged her head on the wall.  “I should have known… this woman… she left me all by myself when I gave birth to Dhaa… a third girl…. And now this…!” She came on to Maasi Maa…

“Why did you do this? You wanted money… you could have asked…! Do you have any idea about her ordeal, every time she cures someone…? She dies… slowly… with every endurance… by suffering… by taking other’s pain… by hurting herself…!” Nilima sat on the floor losing her strength… “She dies… every time she cures… Its not a Power, Maasi Maa…It’s a curse…. To die … giving life to others…!” she spoke in anguish… Maasi Maa gaped. 

“You saw money… you didn’t see her suffering?” Dharinii yelled gritting her teeth, shaking Maasi Maa.  “I…I feel like hitting you… you old wicked witch…!” Rini yelled with chosen words…

“I won’t stop you…!” salil stood up clenching his fists.  “I am taking her with us…!” he said going into Dhatri’s room.  Nilima didn’t stop crying.  She had seen Dhatri’s condition.  She looked at trembling Maasi Maa. 

“Why did you do this to us?” she asked with pain.  Maasi Maa looked up. 

“Believe me, Nilima.. I didn’t do it for money… When I found out her ability… I just wanted to cure people as a social service… they paid me… I didn’t ask anything… They kept money before the God!” Maasi maa had a weak explanation.

“And you staged this so called pooja ghar… where they emptied their pockets… to get cured… You filthy woman… !” Rini yelled pulling Maasi Maa up and shaking her vigorously. 

“Bu… but, I was not doing it for myself, Nilima… I wanted to share this money with you…!” Maasi Maa opened her dirty mouth and Rini came on to her with raised hand.

“To hell with you and your money… you damn woman…!” she went out of control in rage.  Salil brought Dhatri out supporting her.  She was boney like a skeleton, weak and pale…! She couldn’t even walk properly. 

“Dhaa…!” Rini felt her anguish.  “Why didn’t you tell us earlier?” she asked holding Dhaa’s hand.  Dhatri smiled faintly… “I couldn’t… Maasi maa said this is social service and I should keep it a secret…” Rini banged her forehead at Dhatri’s innocence…!

“You were enduring.. and she was minting money….!” She said dejected.  Dhatri trembled… “Rini Didi… I… I am scared…. Scared of all these people around…. Didi…!” Rini’s heart went out for her Dhaa.  She dashed and embraced her sister, her pulse throbbing….!

“Dhaa.. why didn’t you say No? You should have called me….!” She said cupping Dhaa’s face. 

“You know… I don’t have control over my mind… wh…when I sense illness… I…I… can’t control ….Didi..!” Dhatri broke down.  Rini held her tightly for a while supporting Dhatri…

“Rini… We are taking her back home… to hell with her college..!” Nilima had made up her mind.  Rini thought for a while and said…

“Mamma… don’t worry.  I will handle this… She will continue… but not with this filth…!” she was determined. 

“Papa… take Mamma out for lunch.  I will take care of Dhaa here.  I will manage everything….!” Salil nodded.  Dharini took out her phone.  She had to make a few phone calls.  She gestured Dhatri to go inside and take rest throwing a disgust at sobbing Maasi Maa…