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The discussion had again picked up momentum...! Dhatri could hear clearly but failed to understand.  “Why are they arguing on the past?” She looked at the gift once again. 

“Past? What past do I have? The same painful and shameful past, my parents would dread to discuss openly... The girl who was kidnapped twice...” Her lips curled up in a bitter smile.  “What a glorious past I have...!”

“Disha, that was twenty six years ago... Its over...!” Bhanu was trying to convince Disha.  She remained unconvinced.  She wanted to know what happened exactly..! 

“Ok.  The fact is... They couldn’t get along .  Sanyogita and Sayajirao separated... Ravi stayed with him... Sanyogita moved on...!” Kalindi said as briefly as possible...! 

“A month old infant stayed with his father...!” Bhanu said with a bitter taste in his mouth for his wife...! Disha gauged his reaction and tried changing the track....!

....

“I mean... will it not be difficult for Papa to arrange ...? We should think about it too...! Ofcourse we are all there to help...!” Disha had changed the track successfully.  

“Umm... I had made arrangements....” Salil said weakly.  In fact for Disha’s marriage, he had emptied his savings and arrangements of all the three daughters...! 

“Oh! Don’t bother about it.. We will request them to keep it simple...” Indroneel was a spokes person of Ravi and Family.

“Disha, money is not a problem... you do not know...” Kalindi couldn’t complete as Disha had taken over again.  

“I mean, look at her age... She has not even completed her graduation... “ Disha appealed and for this both Nilima and Salil nodded.  Encouraged by this, Disha went ahead...

“Papa, you taught us to be strong.. independent... “ She said proudly.  “Encouraged us to pursue our dreams...!” she said and Nilima hung her head.  She knew, Dhaa had no ambition, no dreams to pursue... She was somehow trying to complete her degree with no plans to study further or take up a job...! 

“Papa.. I want to see her happy... satisfied... achieve something in her life... “ Disha was emotional.  Dhatri frowned with disgust... 

“What am I supposed to achieve? A 9 to 5 job? Take home some salary and feel the achievement, counting the notes? Bullshit...!” she clenched her fists...!

“And we have to think about Rini too...! She has gone through so much recently..! I am not sure about her decision now, with Vinit on wheel chair, disabled ...! I mean... everything is in the dark for now...! We must help her come out of this crisis...!” Disha went ahead.  Nilima nodded in acceptance.  Yes, her heart cried for Rini.  ‘Poor girl... only because she doesn’t speak about it... doesn’t mean she is not anguished, worried....! She must be thinking about her future too... !“ Nilima felt a stab in her chest.  She was rethinking...

“Why are we discussing about Dhaa? We should be thinking about Rini... “ She looked at Salil who reflected the same feelings. 

“Put an end to this futile discussion, Dhatri... Time to speak up...!” she said to herself and got up.  She missed her Rini Didi.  “She would have handled everyone... and saved me from all this...!” Dhatri’s throat hurt. 

 “You are your Rini Didi, Dhatri... Atleast for now...! Face it.. Put an end to all this..!’ she reprimanded herself.  Smile appeared on her face.  She is being Rini Didi..! Tough and solid like a rock.. A soldier! The thought itself was so encouraging and almost stood upright, straight like her Rini Didi.  She walked a few paces and again came back.  She pulled out her laptop...!

“Time for some action...! Rapid Action Force...!” she smiled and went outside....! The raised voices died out suddenly.  They all looked at her.  Dhatri in her,  shuddered with fright and Rini in her stood up....!

She opened her laptop.... ! Everyone gaped at her.  Pindrop silence prevailed... Her skype rang through.... Ravi’s figure appeared....! Indroneel closed in, in excitement.  

“Hey JL...!” Ravi could see her face and greeted pleasantly.  She raised her left hand and showed him the back of her palm.  He looked confused and when he realized, the blue tinge in his eyes darkened... smile appeared on his lips and soon spread all over his face... !

“I opened it now...!” she said with no guilt, taking her hand back.  “You liked it?” He asked happily...! She didn’t answer....! 

“Was it an offer?” She chose the best word...!

“Offer?” he asked surprised.  

“Umm... I mean Proposal...!” she corrected.  Others just looked at each other thoroughly confused.  Indroneel inched closer to hold Dhatri’s hand.  “Stop it!” she snapped at Indroneel..

“Yes!” Ravi answered.  

“Without any questions asked about our pasts?” she asked clearly, with no stutterring.

“Yes!” he said firmly.

“With no money spent?” she asked again.

“Yes!” he said...! 

“With no burden on our parents?” she confirmed.

“Yes!” he said.  

“With legal wedding, without any rituals...?” she asked remembering the boring rituals getting on to her nerves during Disha’s wedding.  

“No!” Kalandi jumped into the question-answer session hearing the word wedding...! . 

“Dhatri... may be with minimum rituals?” she urged.  Dhatri fell silent for a while... thinking hard what to ask next...! And then getting up and turning to others, said in what she thought to be a firm voice...

“Ok! Done! I accept the proposal...!” Ravi leaned forward in excitement...!

“Dhatri.....!” he said emotionally and Dhatri turned to face him.

“These people...” She panned the laptop to bring all of them into the frame...! Ravi looked at everyone thoroughly puzzled.  “Ravi..!” Kalindi was the first one to respond in her good senses.  She was happy...!

“Hey.. maasi...” Ravi greeted...! By this time Indroneel had grabbed Dhatri’s hand and was surveying the ring with wide eyes...!

But before he could utter anything, Disha burst out... “Are you out of your mind, Dhatri?”

Dhatri looked at her blankly.  “Am I?” she asked innocently and Nilima wiped her tears... Disha came into the picture.  Leaning forward to face the camera she spoke...

“Hi Ravi... Just ignore, ok?!.  She is upset...! We were just discussing the possibilities...!” she looked at others for support.  Dhatri had stepped back.  She felt sadness creeping in...! She had done this to stop the argument which would lead to new wave of arguments now...! Disha Didi was unstoppable.  She had taken up with Ravi, now...! 

“Dhatri...?” Ravi called out puzzled...

“Ravi... please.. don’t!” Disha spoke with authority and Ravi gaped at her.

“We need time... She needs time! She doesn’t know what she is doing...!” she said ready to log off.  But Kalindi spoke stepping forward...!

“Ravi... Saya... I mean is he there? Can I talk to him?” she asked looking at Ravi’s confused face.  He nodded and moved out of the frame.  

“Disha... please stop! Let me talk to Saya...!” She looked at Salil and he nodded placing his hand on Disha’s shoulder to stop her...! Dhatri had merged into background.  She ran out in the backyard, feeling a knot in her stomach.

“Rini didi..! Where are you?” Now a days her Rini Didi was never by her side in crisis... She had to handle everything by herself...! She ran towards Laxumbai’s cabin.  Dayal Kaka was on the bed.  She ran inside closing the door.  Dayal kaka looked at her in confusion.

“Dhaa?” he called out.  She sat on his bed without a word, fuming.  They didn’t speak for a long time...

“Why this is so complicated?” she asked in anguish.  Dayal kaka looked at her and asked... “Bhook Lagi hain? Are you hungry?” she only pursed her lips in response.  He smiled with twinkling eyes....!  She got up.. took two bowls, the container,  took quite a few fistful of rice flakes (Poha), poured milk in the bowl and looked around for ‘gud’ jagary container.  She stirred it till the gud got dissolved, made two part of the contents and brought bowls to the bed.  Dayal kaka smiled gesturing her to lap it up.  She did... after a few spoonful went into her belly, she felt better and smiled.  He was looking at her intently...

“Are you upset?” he asked she nodded.  They heard the loud yells... “Dhaa... Dhaa...!” Disha and Nilima were searching for her frantically.  She came out of the cabin...

“You don’t have to yell my name, Didi.. everyone around knows me...!” Dhatri yelled back.  Nilima came forward and held her hand.

“Come with me right now...!” she said dragging her.  “Ravi’s father is online...!” she whispered making sure that Disha was out of earshot.  Dhatri entered her house...!  

“Look...! BaBa.... This needs pooja.... Dhaa... I am so happy.... Look at the ring...!” Indroneel dashed forward and raised her hand in excitement and everyone saw the ring in her ring finger...!

“This is the one Ravi gave you at the airport...!” Indroneel concluded and Dhaa gave a nod. 

“I had not opened it...!” she said guiltily.

“BaBa.... Dhaa... Chalo...!” He dragged her to the pooja ghar...! In few minutes they heard the bells ringing to bring them back on earth.  Kalindi was the first to dash to pooja ghar, to bless Dhatri....! Disha stood rooted to the ground.  Dhatri again had failed her...! Disha was sure, Dhatri had blundered with her life by this decision...! 

Dhatri breathed a sigh, that she had put an end to all this ....! Ravi was on cloud nine that she accepted his proposal....! Sayajirao kept gazing at his son intently.... wondering the way things turned out....!

“Saya... I told them.... Some rituals will be there... and for you, it’s a must..!” Kalindi opened her mouth when things settled.  Sayajirao nodded and Ravi looked at him shocked.

“No Dad... You had promised...!” he said holding his hand.  “Sayajirao smiled from ear to ear... Yes ok.  But I was thinking of an Indian marriage in India...!” he said grinning and Ravi’s mouth fell open.  Does this mean he intends to visit India? He looked at his father questioningly and Sayajirao nodded happily.  Ravi’s protests died out... After twenty six years, Sayajiroa Dev was returning to his hometown....! Dhatri was instrumental in bringing him  back....! Ravi’s heart filled with love for his love... his Dhatri...! 

“Kalindi... “ Sayajirao looked around and found Avadhesh waiting with his wife...

“Avadh... and Kranti... Call Raheman... “ he said with a strange authority.  Avadh nodded and Kranti smiled happily.  “You two will do the needful...!” he gave them the authority and Kranti smiled smugly looking at Kalindi...

Another big revelation was on its way....which would blow Disha off....!