49

"Your presentation was good!" Dhatri admired Suresh when he finished his presentation after a couple of days.  "You were good too!" he reciprocated and she shook her head.  "With your help...!" she said seriously.  

"No.. No!  The dog saved you!" blurted Suresh and she gave him a wicked grin.  "Not dog! I saved myself...!" she said mysteriously.  Suresh rolled his eyes. 

"No! Seriously... I saved myself...!" she said looking around in the canteen.  "Ha!" Suresh shook his head hopelessly and the dog barked and growled again.  He looked around startled so did the guys who heard the growl ...

"Hihihi..."  Dhatri giggled.  "Now this...!" and he heard the loud cry of a crow...! He looked out of window to find no one.  "See?" she giggled again sipping coffee and chomping on Samosa.  Suresh was flabergasted.  He looked at her. 

"I can mimik anything, anyone without opening my mouth..!" she said in hushed voice leaning towards him.  He saw a ghost in her.  "You mean...?" he lost his words... "Yeah! I am a ventriloquist...!No one knows from where the sound comes....." she said. "I can create any sound effect...!" grin appeared on his face. 

"Ayi Cchottu... two caapii.." the canteen boy turned and came to Suresh...! Dhatri had called him in Suresh's voice.  His mouth fell open... "See?" Dhatri smiled.  "I call it voice engineering....hehehe...!" she whispered.  "Better than computer Engineering...!" She didn't mind sharing her secret with her friend.  Suresh's eyes flashed.

"HOD!" he demanded.
"YOU SHOULD MAINTAIN THE DECORUM OF THE CLASS.... ~" HOD's deep, monotonous, heavy, voice reverberated ....and the CS guys glanced at the entrance, startled.  The voice was coming from somewhere else, Dhatri had not opened her mouth...!

"Hehehehe...!" they both laughed giving hi fives..! "Shuuu don't let anyone know about it...!" she said seriously and he nodded.  "Caapii on you!" he blackmailed and she nodded opening her bag to pay money. 

"Have to push off... Got OS Lab!" she ran out of the entrance and Suresh ordered another samosa....! "Daatri..." he murmured in his heavy mallu accent. 

************    **********  **********

Rini was surprised to see Maj. Vinit on the jogging ground.  Normally it was his squash time.  He completely ignored her.  She didn't bother either.  They crossed twice with no recognition on his face and she had to greet him per the protocol.  "Good morning Sir!" she saluted and simply gave her a nod.  Exactly at seven she returned.  The handing over the charge had started and she was to prepare a detailed documents of her work and designs in Autocad...! All the unfinished work had to be kept aside.  She had started preparing the document and felt the shadow of a tall figure.  She knew who it was. 

"Sir! Its almost done sir...!" she reported getting up.  "Don't use such fuzzy terms Lt. Dixit... Done or not done?" he asked sternly.  "Not done sir!" she reported.  "Ten minutes!" he warned.  "Yes Sir!" She said turning to her desktop.  "Director's office...!" he added and she nodded.
She finished bifercating the files into done and TBD (To Be Done) and saving the excel sheet came out marching towards Director's office. 

"You are called in Command Office" The Director said looking at both of them.  "Both!" he clarified.  "Yes Sir!" they both nodded walking out of the office and towards the vehicle.  Her papers were handed over to her with the Jammu Tavi Ticket and the instruction sheet.  She didn't understand why Maj. Vinit accompanied her.  "May be to make sure, I am really leaving...!" she thought bitterly.  They were returning back.  "Do you mind coffee with me?" he asked and her jaw dropped.  She glanced sideways trying to keep her face straight.  He waited for her answer. "Ok!" she spoke faintly.  "He can be polite....!" she thought.  He turned the gipsy and parked infront of Barista on law collage road...! She got down...  Heads turned to look at her... in her olive uniform...She walked straight, eligantly clutching her cap under her arm, into Barista.  He was there to pull the chair for her.  "Humm  show off....!" she thought.  He took the opposite chair.  "Latte?" she nodded and he ordered. 

They had nothing to talk.  She looked at him.  A Tall Six Feet, Lean body displayed his rough frame.  His piercing eyes bored into her.  She looked away embarrassed.  He still gazed on.  She stirred her coffee nervously, taking a sip.  He just had clutched his mug. 

"Leutient ... " she looked up.  "You will hand over in next couple of days..." he threw the meaningless statement.  "I will be relieved in three days...!" she said in realization.  "Yes..!" he said in a bare whisper.  She looked up again sipping.  His chizzled straight nose made him invincible, hard! She couldn't take her eyes off from his thick mustaches... ! "He is handsome..! Very Impressive..! He must have been fairer... Fair Reddish complexion.." she concluded her observation. 

"Finished?" he asked and she was confused... "Measuring me up?" he nailed her and the color of her cheeks changed.  She didn't answer but avoided looking at him. 
"I must say... you are an extraordinary person...!" he gazed straight into her eyes.  She clutched the coffee mug. 
"Do you have any idea where you are posted?" he asked and she came back to the conversation... "Now he has come back to his own self..Bitter..!" she thought opening her mouth to answer.

"I mean... Do you know the weather?" he asked clarifying himself.
"Yes Sir! I have done the homework!" she said confidently and his lip curled up.  "Have you been there?" he asked.  "No Sir!" she said and his eyes flashed malice.  "But there is always first time, Sir!" she nailed his contempt.  He gave a nod.  "Yes, Ofcourse~" he said finishing his coffee and getting up, not bothering to know whether she had finished or not! She got up and followed him gracefully.  He was there to open the door for her.  "Showing off...his courtious behaviour..!" she thought and walked out of the door.  He followed. 

"Good night!" he held out his hand pulling over at her place.  "Good night, Sir!" she said giving him a firm handshake. 
"Would you mind Dinner with me...?" he asked gazing at her, daring her to say no!" She looked up confused.  "Tomorrow evening at 1900 Sharp.. Be ready!" he issued military orders, his courtious behavious gone with the day light.  She gaped at the moving tail lights astohished....

**********   *********   *********
"Come over!" Bhanu invited.  "What? You are at the other end of the country!" blurted Ray. 

"So what? Come over this weekend!" Bhanu urged.  Ray looked at his father... he nodded.  He already had planned to visit Bhanu, with Ray or without him. 

"Ok! will call you later!" he said disconnecting.  "Yeah.. sonny, we should go...!" his father insisted too. 

"Dad..!" he gave up.  They were in SanFransisco and Bhanu stayed in Detroit...!

"We should go ... She is also coming...!" father pestered his son.  "I will book the flight..!" Ray offerred to fly his father.  Sayajirao gave him a nod of approval.  After all his son was a grown up man now, into his own business of serviellance and security systems...!" he thought proudly.