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“What is this Dhaa?” Ragini waved the docket before her eyes and poorva held the packet.  Dhatri’s eyes flashed, defiance apparent, she stood up with a jerk.  Pulled the docket and the packet from Ragini and Poorva….

“Don’t you dare, touch my personal things…! You understand?” she yelled at the top of her voice and the next moment she was running back to her room…. With flushed, furious face, paning and sweating profusely. The nightmarish trauma flashed before her eyes.  The things she had tried to forget came back like a ghost engulfing her into the ordeal again.  She broke down…. The trauma took over again and again pushing her again in pain and anguish.

 All her friends, Poorva, Ragini and Suresh were so stunned, they just couldn’t digest the reaction from Dhatri.  This was shocking …! Dhaa had never behaved like this.  There was nothing personal or private between the friends….! They had shared their feelings…. Their anxiety, their fears…. And helped each other come out of it….!

“Dhaa… How could she?” wailed Ragini sitting on the bench, sobbing.  She felt insulted.  All of them fell silent thinking hard on Dhaa’s reaction. 

“She is not our Dhaa…!” Ragini concluded.  “I know her since childhood…. We grew up together…. !” she stopped talking, pondering over.   “I tell you, she is not Dhatri… She is somebody else…! An impostor” Ragini said gravely and Poorva looked up in realization. 

“She is changed… Since her US trip… I mean… there is something different in her…!” Poorva said. 

“May be she is stressed out… overwhelmed… catching up with backlog… and extra study…. And our pathetic teachers….!” Suresh said reasonably. 

“Humm….” Ragini said nodding…! “There is something else to it…. Did you see that file?” Poorva, the level headed person in the group asked looking at others, who merely gaped at her. 

“The medical reports and all? I didn’t understand much…! But I think she was seriously ill in the US..” She deduced and Suresh nodded.  Ragini was furiously trying the number.

“Stop it Ragini…. Dharini Didi is not reachable… I tried!” Poorva snapped and Ragini pocketed the cell phone. 

“I just wanted to pull her legs on that unopened gift… and she?” Ragini said chocking.  “Did you all see, the way she reacted?” Ragini looked at everyone for sympathy.  Purva was deep in thoughts.  She was all set to find out.  Dhatri had run back to her room with the medical file and the gift packet. 

“We called it treatchery…. May be simply she was hiding something from us…. Some bad memories?” Suresh said in repentance.  Poorva nodded.  “We got to find out…. What happened after the conference…. “ she said. 

“Yeah… she refused to talk anything about it… She seems to hate this trip to US…” Suresh added. 

“Yeah… that docket had some Haight-Ashbury address….~” Suresh remembered.  Poorva had made up her mind….!

“Let us call Mr. Ray.  He was there with her for the conference… Right?” she asked and Suresh pulled the laptop. 

Ray was surprised to see the popup message and immediately responded to the skype call.  Poorva did the talking…..!

“What? What happened? Is she alright? Where is she?” Ray couldn’t stop himself when the team enquired about Dhatri’s stay in US.

“Yes… she is alright…. But those medical tests!  We are little worried, you see…!” poorva said vaguely.  Ray gaped.  “Does that mean these people do not know anything about her stay in US?” he too decided to play safe.  He didn’t want to put Dhaa in trouble again. 

“Oh! She was ill here… so was hospitalized…! And the doctors advised her to repeat the tests in India ….!” He said sounding casual.  Poorva took a sigh of relief. 

“Thank God!” she blurted.

“Why? What happened?” he asked curiously.  “And where is she?”

“Nothing…. We found out the medical file in her bag and she blew her top in rage….! We were worried… you see..” Ragini poured her heart out.  Ravi fell silent thinking and worrying about Dhatri.  He didn’t want to let out anything, but at the same time, wanted Dhatri’s wellbeing….!

“Look…. She was very scared to be hospitalized…. For some minor infections…. But this could be PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder).  She was given medication for this.  But please take care of her…!” he urged.  Poorva nodded determined to know more about PTSD….! She was not convinced…. How can it be a trauma, getting hospitalized? She didn’t know.  

“Wait here….!” She dashed to the library …..

They came back to the room to be horrified to see Dhatri ready with her bags packed.

“What? Where are you going?” Ragini asked aghast.

“Going home…!” was the curt answer.  “Why?” she asked.  There was no answer. 

“Dhaa….!” Purva came forward.  Dhatri retorted…. “No! Not a word…. I am leaving… to hell with your friendship…. To hell with you all…. ! To hell with the studies…. Its all worthless…. Everybody is worthless…. I am the useless person on this earth….” She turned her back on them.  Ragini gaped and turned to Poorva for help.  Purva held Dhatri’s hand.

“Dhaa…. We are sorry…! We shouldn’t have touched your things….!” She said with a deep regret in her voice.  Ragini gaped…. Poorva, who never took Dhatri seriously, and always put an end to her dramebazi, was putting up a big drama of remorse…..! 

Dhatri looked at her.  For a fleeting second, Poorva felt the same happy Dhatri turning in…. but the next moment she jerked Purva’s hand “I don’t want to talk to anyone….! Just go away….!” Ragini gaped at Dhatri’s furious face. 

“Ok.” She said sadly and stepped away.  Dhatri came to the bed and sat with a thud clutching her head.  

“I just want to put an end to all this…..!” she blurted pulling the sheet over her head.  Purva and Ragini stared at each other for a while and then tiptoed out closing the door behind.  

“We got to watch her carefully…..!” Purva said raising her finger.  Ragini nodded.  They took turns to stay awake to keep a watchful eye on Dhatri. 

**********  ****

Dhatri blinked open her eyes and saw a flask with Sooji toasts in a plate… her favourite… Tea and Sooji Toasts…! She stretched and pulled the plate nearer and suddenly remembering the last night’s row, pushed away the plate.  She saw her packet bag, looked around to find none and got up with a sigh.

“Time to go….!” She murmured and headed towards the bathroom with a towel on her shoulder.  When she came back, Poorva and Ragini were ready to go for the class.  She avoided looking at them.  Her phone buzzed.  Not wanting to answer the call she looked at the flashing name.

“Why?” she answered reluctantly.  “Ooii… Baba… Dhaa…. Congratulations…!” bellowed an exhuberent voice of Indroneel and Dhatri frowned. 

“Now what?” she asked irritably.  Ragini and Poorva turned to face her. 

“Dhaa….. Our Rini…. Ooii Baba… What a girl! Brave… Like Rana Chandi…! I am so proud….!” He said brightly shouting in the phone.

“Come to the point, Uncle!” She yelled over his voice. 

“Oh! Yes, Yes…. Our Rini…. Is.. going to receive Sena Medal This January 26^th…! Baba…. I am so Happy…. Gallentray Award… Dhaa…. Our Rini…!” With every word he uttered, Dhaa’s face lit up with happiness….! Poorva stared at her and held out her hand to take the phone….!

“Poorva…. Rini Didi…. Got Sena Medal….!” Dhatri forgot everything so did Poorva and Ragini.

“What? Congratulations to us…. Our Didi…. First Girl Army Officer from Vidisha… Sena Medal….!” Ragini hugged Dhatri and Poorva embraced both tightly. There was time to celebrate….! “Saaray Gile Shiquve Bhool Kar…..!” The friends were together…..!