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“ITANAA SHINING MARANEY KI JARURAT NAHI HAIN..!” Dhatri snapped getting up with a jerk.  Purva and Ragini grinned giving hi-five to each other.  Dhatri clutched her notebook and picked up her laptop.

“I am going to the library... you carry on with your gossip...!” she snarled and went out.  “Humm....!” Ragini sat on Dhatri’s bed dreamily.  Her aunty had brought a proposal of NRI groom and Ragini was on cloud nine.... shining, shimerring, grinning brightly all the time.  That boy had talked to her and she had fallen for him flat.  Poorva’s BF had got a job with fabulous package of 10.2 Lacs per annum and her family had accepted him as the son in law.  Suresh had a new find; a junior girl in first semester and had no time even for his project...! Dhatri was bugged up with their lovey dovey talks and had buried herself in covering up the backlog of studies.  She had missed several lectures, and nine practicals... Luckily, this last semester, they had only three theory subjects, two practicals and the rest was to be devoted to project work.  The Director of the institute was kind enough to allow her to keep terms... Her award and the conference was a talk of the institute for several days.  She had not told anyone what had happened after the conference and no one had bothered to ask her, assuming that she had spent the rest of the days with her sister in US of A. 

The students wished to arrange a facilitation program for her and listen to her experiences to which Dhatri had outrightly said “NO!” But had shared some of the photographs of the conference and they were displayed on the notice board...! That was it...! The matter ended there.  The chapter of her US trip closed ...! She didn’t bother to tell anyone anything....

.........  ..........

“You won’t understand Dhaa... The blues of love...!” Ragini said dreamily and Dhatri flared up...!

“Yeah... I don’t understand the blues, reds, browns, yellows of love.... “ she barked contemptuously. 

“You know? You all are going to land in big trouble... Concentrate on your studies, guys... That is going to take you to your blues... not your blue dreams...!” she yelled irritably.  Suresh grinned ear to ear. 

“Stop getting blue and green in rage, Dhatri... You don’t know what it is like to have a beautiful GF... “ Suresh said closing his eyes dreamily... “And a handsome BF...” Ragini added clutching her bag to her chest... as if hugging her BF.  

 Poorva merely nodded... She was a veteran in this... she had already passed this phase of love blues....! She was more practical now, thinking (Not Dreaming) about her future with her BF... her would be groom...! She was into planning stage of life with her life partner...! Dhatri was not even on the first rung of the ladder.  She shook her head hopelessly...! “Bullshit...!” she mouthed and all the other three pounced on her...! She ducked and ran away from that place leaving her friends in their own dreamland...!

“What’s so special in that?” she didn’t understand.  “Who cares...?!!!” she shrugged and walked into the library.  She had more important things than disillusioning her friends...!

As the days passed, she became more frustrated with the constant talks of her friends about their BFs and GF...!

“SHINING MATT MARO...!” She snarled.  “I too have one...!” she said and others stopped dead! Dhatri turned her back.

“Wait a minute... You have one! What?” Asked Poorva.  Dhatri was caught on wrong foot. 

“What? you have one? You mean we have many?” Ragini turned the direction of the discussion.  Dhatri breathed relief.  “Wait a minute...” Poorva’s sharp mind was not to let the topic go off the track. 

“You have one...! What do you have Dhatri?” she asked thumping her hands on her hips. 

“I am going...! I have ONE backlog practical to go!” Dhatri somehow brought herself to face the firing from Poorva.  Poorva narrowed her eyes suspiciously but let Dhatri go for the time being.  Dhatri turned back.  “Poorva... Please.. you all manage, ok? I won’t be there...!” she requested.  Poorva nodded... Dhatri dashed out of her room.  She had to complete her Lab Experiment....! The creepy compilers were bugging her...!

****  *****  ****

They gathered in the Lab waiting for the call.  His figure flashed.  After the initial pleasantries Ray Dave kicked off the first meeting for the project.  The discussion went on for a long time with the week’s schedule and the source code to be uploaded.  Ray Dave had dispatched the model conveyer system and the licence for the software and an Industrial camera.   It was expected to reach them in a week.  The entire project was chalked out.  Ray Dave was satisfied with the progress the team had made.

“Where is the other member...?” he asked casually running his finger in his hair.  “What happened?” Ragini asked looking at his bandaged left wrist.  He immediately took his hand down blurting... “Oh! Nothing...! Just a minor injury...!” he dismissed further discussion on his injured wrist.  He didn’t get the answer for his question.  He logged off after fixing the schedule for next skype call. 

****  ****  ****

“You know? He looked so handsome...!! His blue eyes.... His fair skin...! Haiii... “ Ragini went on.  Suresh shook his head hopelessly.  Dhatri frowned. 

“Ragini... don’t blurt out such things in front of your BF, ok?!!!” Poorva snapped.  Ragini took out her BF’s photo.  “See! He is just my dream prince charming...!” she said dreamily. 

“Don’t you guys have anything else?” Dhatri snapped closing shut her book.  “I am dying to cover up my studies and you guys have all the time in this dream, charm, farm discussion....!” she frowned. 

“You won’t understand, Dhaa...! The feeling is soo  heavenly...!” Ragini had touched heaven by now.  “Shut up..!” Dhaa shut her eyes closed, frustrated. 

“I am going...!” she said moving towards her room.  She already was feeling out of place in the group of love struck friends. 

“Yes, Dhatri, even if you refuse to see the doctor, I will marry you...!” his gentle voice echoed in her ears and “Oouch...!” she had banged her head on the closed door, she had forgotten to open to get inside!  

“Hungry Gudda! As it is, I am all riot in my head... and this... this Gudda...!” she stopped at the thought of gudda.  A faint smile appeared on her face.  Her eyes mellowed down and she took out her bag.  She held the packet he had given her and smiled.... “I am not going to open it...! And I am not going to talk to you...!” she said puffing her cheeks and stuffed the gift back into the bag. 

*****  *****  ***** 

“Disha, take care beta...!” her father Salil said with a heavy voice concluding his call.

“Take care, Papa...” she too was overwhelmed, missing her family, her parents...!

“Umm... Disha... Umm... This Ravi.... I mean Indroneel was talking about him...!” he didn’t know how to ask about Ravi. 

“Papa... you know Ghosh uncle, his exuberance and haste... Just forget what he said.. Papa.... Forget about everything.  Now We have to take care of Dhatri and she should complete her degree... Get a decent job, first...! Let us not talk about it, Papa...!” Disha was convincing passionately, not to think anything about Dhatri and Ravi.  Salil nodded brushing away all the thoughts of Dhaa and Ravi.  Indeed Disha was right, he thought.... Dhaa should complete her graduation first...!

*****  *****  ****

“Ooii Baba, Dhaa... how are you?” Indroneel shouted and Dhaa took away her cell phone from her ear.

“What happened uncle? Did you get the schedule of the trek?” she asked enthusiastically.  Indroneel snorted from the other end to her annoyance. 

“No... Dhaa... Look at my age... I am 56, will retire in four years.... I can’t do that thin air trek now... My lung power is all gone....! Dhaa...!” he said grinning, tricking her...! She flared up...!

“Uncle, you promised me...!” she yelled throwing tantrums...! He grunted .... like a pig with low snort...!

“Ooii Baba... Dhaa... you want me to die in that snow?” he asked with mock seriousness... Dhatri kept quiet for a while and then retorted yelling over the phone. 

“Nothing can happen to you when I am there...!” He again grinned...!

“don’t pull my legs.. tell me the schedule...” she threatened.

“Schedule...? I will have to ask Ravi... He is planning an expedition...!” Indroneel dropped the bombshell...!

“I am not coming...!” Dhatri disconnected angrily.  Her phone buzzed again.

“I told you, I am not coming...!” she yelled irritably. 

“Ooii Baba... Dhaa, I forgot to give you the news...!” he created enough suspense.  She waited with bated breath.  All her loved ones floated before her eyes in that fraction of second....

“Rovi... injured his hand.... Poor fellow... slit his wrist while repairing something..” he said and waited for her reaction.  She forgot to react.  “Is he ok?” she asked in a small voice.  “Yes... Yes... Dhaa... he is alright.... was asking about you...!” Indroneel told her smiling inwardly.  She disconnected, feeling her frustration mounting... Already her studies were impounding her brain and now this disturbing thought will disturb her sleep too!

“Damn this... Why didn’t I attend the call?” she banged her head not knowing what to do!!

“Why can’t he call me and tell about his injury? His big ego..! Let it be... I will not talk to him...!” she had inadvertently taken out the unopened gift packet again.