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"Daatri... be brave...!" Suresh consoled her.  Her worst fears came true.  The teasing and ragging had intensified.  Even her juniors were teasing her.  She sat crestfallen on the chair in canteen with Suresh, her only friend.  He too looked helpless but kept on encouraging her to face it bravely.  Suddenly a flash wave hit him.

"Daa...!" he held her hand in excitement... "Use your other ability..." he said brightly and she looked up surprised. 

"You are a ventriloquist...! An amazing ventriloquist...!" he clarified.  She still looked blank.

"So?" she asked confused.  "SO? So? Daa.... use it to your advantage... to shoo them away....!" he said grinning.  But Dhaa looked at him with fallen face.
"I can't! When I am under stress....!" she was helpless.

"You can! Daa... Remember? Seminar?" he asked still holding her hand.  She withdrew...

"I don't know.  I think I forgot everything...!" she hung her head.  "I miss my Rini Didi...!" she said desperately.  Suresh looked at his friend's helplessness...
"Daatri... I am your Rini Didi, now! And I am telling you to do it!" he said and she looked overwhelmed.  Smile appeared on her face...

"Yeah! My Rini Didi with mustaches, and adam's apple in the throat and this ugly hoarse voice ...!" she grinned and Suresh added more features to it with her mood lifted considerably. 

"But you be always with me, haan?" she requested and he nodded. 

"Daatri... I need to go now... " his eyes were fixed on the girl coming in through the entrance.  Dhatri looked at the direction and raised her eyebrows grinning.
"What happened?" she whispered.  He shook his head hopelessly.

"Ghaas nahi dal rahi?" she asked and he looked away.  The girl sat on opposite table with her other friends.  Suresh gaped at her dreamily.  Dhatri got up and patting on his shoulder said, "Keep it up... suresh... Go for it..!" She hurled her bag and left canteen. 

The things were not the same from that moment.  The moment the boys tried some ragging.... they would yelp in fright as the HOD's voice would reverberate  from somewhere.  Dhatri managed to escape with her friends Ragini and Purva.  They were great support to her.  The boys and girls around would whisper and give a weird expression seeing the trio. 

Suresh had no success with that third semester girl.  She just ignored him everytime.  He was losing hope and Dhatri giggled seeing his plight.

"Darpok..." she teased him.  "Shut up!" he yelled back.  Dhatri giggled and went away.  Suresh sat there losing hope.  He had seen his heartthrob with another guy from her class.  "Poor Suresh.... So sad...!" Ragini joined the band wagan...! Suresh threw his hands in air in frustration. 

**************
"Mamma, take care.... I will come soon...!" Disha had tears in her eyes.  Nilima wiped her cheeks.  "Take care Disha...!" she said hugging her.  Disha touched her parents feets and Dr. Salil pulled her bags out of the main door.  Taxi was waiting for her. 

"Papa... your cell..." she asked for the cell and dialled Dharini's number.  Rini was discharged and had joined her maintenance duty again... but this time she was given the shop floor duty and not in the fields.  She was recovering. 

"Rini...!" Disha chocked.  "Didi...! Wish you happy journey...!" wished Rini pleasantly.  "And don't worry Didi... I will arrange everything...!" she assured.  Disha smiled faintly.  "Rini.. take care...I will miss you...We couldn't even meet this time...!" Rini could hear Disha's sob.  "Didi... We will meet... don't worry...!" Rini consoled.  Disha disconnected.  She missed her younger sisters badly. 

She dialed Dhatri's number.  "Dhaa..." Dhatri stopped hearing Disha's voice.  "Didi.." she blurted.  "I am going... Dhaa... take care...Please... don't misunderstand me... my l'il sister... Dhaa... I love you...!" Disha said it in one breath.  Dhatri was rendered speechless.   "Didi... happy jouney..." she barely whispered.  "Dhaa... please take care of yourself... and study well..." Disha couldn't continue.... she sobbed.  Dhatri closed her eyes clutching her phone.  She too missed her sister.

"Didi... you too! Take care...! And...And ... don't worry..! I will help Mamma for your wedding...!" she assured and Disha cried out..."Dhaa... love you..."
"Love you too Disha didi... !" Dhatri said in a heavy tone and disconnecting the phone rushed to her class. 

****************
"Sir...!" Rini Saluted entering Bridgier's office.  Brigdier Ranaut gestured her to take a seat.  She sat and saw someone sitting on the other chair.  She glanced and got up struggling.  Maj. Vinit looked at her like a stranger.  She saluted him too.  He gave a curt nod.

"What is he doing here?" she was shocked to see him in the Engineering Brigade office.  She was called for an urgnet meeting in the Office at Shrinagar...!

"Southern Command... Maj. Vinit Pandit...!" Brigadier Ranaut introduced formally.

"We worked together in DRDO" Said Vinit with straight face and Dharini nodded.  "Why is he here?" she didn't know.

"Sir..!" came a  gruff voice with a salute and Rini looked back.  The third empty chair was occupied soon by Maj. Vikram Singh.  She looked at him surprised when he gave her a broad smile.

"Time for Postmortem analysis...!" he threw a file with some contour maps.... The army intelligence reports... he gestured at another file....!! Maj. Vikram picked up the files.

"Colonel Rawat is waiting..." he said and all three officers got up to enter the conference room.  Maj. Vikram opened the door and waited for her to enter.  Vinit ensued. 

"Col. Rawat with eight other officers were already into the discussion and the trio joined them....