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Dhatri fastened her seat belt looking at how Indroneel Sir did.  This was her first flight and that too of eighteen hours to NY airport.  She frowned with the thought of being tied for eighteen hours.  Indorneel patted on her shoulder smiling kindly.  She flared up. 

“Why did you have to insist, that I should come with you…?” she barked and he grinned.  “ki balachēna?Dhaa…!” He faked shock muttering in Bengali.  She clenched her fists.  The plane took off.  Her insides winced in fright churning….  The drone blended with her adrenaline rush, she pressed her hands on her ears. 

“Stop being a kid…!” Indroneel said sternly looking at her tears.  “And, Disha will be there…” he said pinching on her arm.  She screamed rubbing her arm.  “Uncle…! Stop it! I am not a kid…!” she nudged him and looked out of the window.  Her jaw dropped, the aerial view of Delhi was so mesmerizing…! She forgot everything…! Indroneel smiled inwardly. 

“And… I am returning with you…! Don’t ask me to stay with Disha Didi..!” She turned and raised her finger.  Indroneel smiled again.  She fumed…!

She had no intention to go to US of A.  She gave all the excuses to avoid.  But Disha, Rini, her Mamma Papa, her friends… all turned against her.  She had tried her best to get selected in Campus interviews in vain.  She would clear the written aptitude and technical tests but would flunk miserably in group discussion and interview…! She couldn’t get through..!  Many, including Purva, Suresh and Ragini had got through compus…! They had tried their best to pump confidence in Dhatri, failing utterly. 

Had it not been this conference, Dhatri would have been happy for not getting the job.  But now she wanted a job desperately to avoid attending this conference.  Indroneel insisted that she should come.  Soumya was married and was in Canada.  She had informed that she would be attending with her husband.  Dhatri gritted in frustration.  Disha, Salil had worked hard to her passport done.  Delhi VISA office was a nightmare.  But Indroneel and Salil was with her.  She got the VISA and Salil took a sigh of relief.  Disha had gone back planning Dhaa’s stay in US of A.  Nothing was happening her way.  Dhatri was frustrated.  She said she was scared of planes, seeing Kajol getting frightened in the flight in ‘Pyaar toh hona hi thaa’ and played that trick also.  But Purva took her to flight simulator and observed that Dhaa was not frightened.  She came back and declared it.  Dhatri stopped talking to Purva.  She was not bothered either.  She was very blunt with Dhatri…telling her that Dhaa was a ‘Darpoke’.  In fact, Dhaa was…! She couldn’t sleep for days…!

Finally, they all had pushed her bundle into the air plane and took a sigh of relief when the plane took off.

“Dhatri, come on…! Have something…!” Indroneel held a orange juice glass.  Dhatri looked away morose.  “No!” she pursed her lips. “Dhatri.. “ he pulled her hand and she took it reluctantly…

“And I am not going to talk to anyone there…!” she again put her condition and Indroneel nodded smiling.  “And don’t laugh!” he ordered.  He looked away hiding his grin.  She suddenly became panic.. “Uncle..! What if they… I mean… they ask me to talk?” she asked miserably.  Indroneel shook his head.

“Don’t worry…!” he said kindly.  “I will handle it!” she felt better. “And Dr. Nixon is there to help you..!” he said looking at her face.  She nodded.  Maria knew her problem.  Dhatri would stutter talking to strangers… would lose her speech… her thinking..! She would gape blankly and gaze down not uttering a single word.  Maria knew this and had saved her from talking to strangers. 

“Dhaa…Close your eyes and pray..!” Indroneel gave her the solution for her nervousness.  She nodded joining her hands, closing her eyes… “Mari mai… Mari mai..” Only her mari mai would save her from attending and facing strangers. 

“And don’t leave me alone… don’t leave my hand!” She held Indroneel’s hand tightly.

“Yes, Dhatri! I won’t..!” he assured her patting on her head like her Papa.  She smiled sheepishly.  Soon she pulled up the blanket and went to sleep snoring faintly.  Indroneel kept patting her gently. 

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

“Humm…!” Rini sighed while returning from the Airport.  Vinit looked at her.  She was worried.  Dhatri had never gone alone except her expeditions in the jungle.  For any trek she didn’t need anyone.  She would join the group… trek, hike, climb, in the jungle with no need to talk to anyone. She just would be with the group, because her family wouldn’t allow her to go alone and she would require a group to accompany. 

“Don’t worry! She will be alright!” Vinit held her hand.  She looked around pulling her hand from his.  He smirked. She concentrated on driving.  Vinit relaxed.  Salil and Nilimaa had gone to meet their friends in IIT Delhi and Rini and Vini were returning. 

“Vinit… Tell me! You were in US… Will she manage there?” she asked anxiously.  He looked at her surprised.  “Why are you so worried?” he asked.  She shook her head. 

“You don’t know her!” she thought gravely. 

“Were you so worried, when I went away?” he asked her expectantly.  She shook her head.  “Ohh!” he looked away.  She smiled, holding his hand said… “I don’t have to! I know you well!”

“Really?” he slid towards her sliding his hand around her waist.  She jerked his hand away.  “Stop it! We are in traffic!” she said concentrating on the road ahead.  He smirked.  She drove silently still worrying about Dhaa.  Vinit closed his eyes…!

Vinit had vanished for almost three months.  She had read about the Prime Minister’s official visit to Afghanistan. But she was shocked when she saw the photographs of the two Prime Ministers and behind them the security officers.  One of them was a tall figure of Maj. Vinit Pandit.  She didn’t know he went on official duty. 

She continued with her duty on the Border.. Khemkaran, maintaining the gun carriers, tanks, vehicles, trucks!! One night she got a summons to the administrative office.  She rushed to the office only to find herself alone in the office.  She waited for Brigadier Randhawa…!

“Hello!” came a deep voice and she shuddered turning abruptly.  Vinit in full olive was gazing at her through his cap.  She gaped stupidly dropping her jaw.  He stepped forward and she came back to her senses.  “Sir!” she saluted following the protocol.  He smirked. 

“Happy to see me?” he asked in a bare whisper.  She didn’t look at him. 

“Lieutenant Dharini Dixit…!” Entered Brigadier Randhawa..!  She turned to salute him. 

“You have a off day tomorrow..!” he said winking at her and she gaped in shock.  Vinit spoke on her behalf.  “Thank you, Sir!” He pulled her out of the office. 

“When did you come?” she asked him after a while, walking with him.  He didn’t answer.  She didn’t pester.  He came upto her room and without her permission walked into the room.  She felt nervous.  “What is he up to?” she didn’t know. 

He pulled her inside.  “Vinit..!” she whispered.  He didn’t bother.  His grip around her tightened.  His desire appeared in his eyes, her nervousness grew.  She tried to free herself in vain.  His aggression forced her on the bed. 

“Vinit…!” she tried to resist in vain before his force.  She looked away.  Tears gushed out for the first time in her career in Army.  She didn’t know how to stop him.  Her values didn’t allow her to ride his waves of passion.  She held her breath… not enjoying his kisses and hugs.  He gently kissed her lips…. And released her. 

“Rini…!” he whispered in her ear.  “I have strong sexual urges…!” she whimpered in apprehension.  He paused and then said “But. I have stronger moral values…!” He released her.  She looked at him.  Her tears twinkled.  He cupped her face. 

“We should get married…!” she nodded eagerly and he pulled her in his arms…!

“As early as possible!” she pressed her cheek on his chest. 

“Rini…!” he suddenly became very serious.  She looked up breaking away. He stared at her unblinkingly. 

“I have another duty…!” he said gravely.  “When?” her quivering voice could ask. 

“Tomorrow!” he said stepping back, releasing her from his embrace and she repented for stopping him from what he was doing a few minutes back. 

“Got to go!” next moment he was out of her room.  She gaped at his vanishing figure, sighed gravely and turned to change her Olive…!

After that, he had resurfaced a week ago and before meeting Rini, had gone to meet Dhatri to wish her for her US of A trip. 

“Disha didi said you too were in NASA..! Really?” Dhatri asked him.  He nodded.  “You are a James Bond!” she blurted proudly and he laughed.

“No Dhatri… I am a security officer and was in NASA when our President Dr. Abdul Kalam visited NASA…!” he said simply.  “Oh!” she sounded little disappointed.  He smiled ruffling her hair. 

He was with the then President of India, as his personal security officer.. But altogether on a different mission.  He was set to meet the Head Kennedy Space Center… This time will all the documents.  The MI knew, that the data of NASA was controlled by Pentagon…! The US Military HQ.  The observatories worked on monitoring the spy satellites and collect the data. 

The Indian MI had intercepted the encrypted signals and was successful in decoding and deciphering the information.  Vinit was on a very Risky mission of confronting the US officials involved in collecting the data from the spy satellites.  He went with official convoy and had got entry in NASA administrative office.  The rest of things he did with the MI support from India and had made them to pull off the satellites spying on Asian skies….! It took longer time than expected and he had to stay back with select few, when the other members returned to India.  He wouldn’t tell this to Dhatri… To anyone for that matter…! The mission over… The data is deleted from his memory…! He had learnt to erase data from his brain….!!