125

“All the best, Beta...!” blessed Virender with heavy heart.  Rini was all set to join her duty again in Khemkaran... The bags were dumped into the car... Swarnima couldn’t see her going.  She dashed to her room....! It was nine thirty in the night and Virender was waiting in the car.  Rini turned patting Vinit’s dear ones... Sandy and Goldy...! 

“Ammaji?” she called out softly.  “Please... I can’t see you going...!” came a muffled voice from the room.  Suddenly Swarnima had become sentimental... the mother who withstood her elder son’s death had collapsed...!

“But I will be coming back.. soon!” Rini said knocking on the door.  The landline rang and Swarnima picked up from her room.  Rini waited....

“Rini....!” Swarnima almost screamed.  First time she had called her Rini.  Otherwise, it was always Dharini ...! Swarnima opened the door and almost screamed... Call Abba...! Rini ran down to call Virender, with tension mounting...!

“Now what?” Virender wondered worriedly as he jumped the steps to reach their bedroom.  Swarnima was still on the phone talking animatedly...! 

“Rini... Its Dhaa... ! Oh! Thank you God...!” She handed over the phone and ran into a dumbstruck Virender’s arms without any inhibitions...! 

“Dhaa and Ravi...!” she whispered as she pecked on his cheek.  “What?”His grip around her tightened.  

“Mamma... Congratulations... I am so happy....!” Rini was jumping up and down letting her serious mask down and becoming a small girl again ...! Virender dashed forward to snatch the phone from her.  She refused to give... He waited sulkily.  She turned her back on him...!

“Papa... Abba is breathing on my neck... but I want to talk to Dhaa... and keep it short and sweet ok? Only two minutes...!” she too said sulkily looking at Virender and handed over the phone...!

“Only two minutes...!” she said and looked at Swarnima sulkily.  Swarnima smiled dialing Dhatri’s number...! 

“Hey.. Dhatri... Congratulations... ! Beta... I am so happy...! Here, talk to your Rini Didi...!” she said handling over the cell phone.  Rini ran down to talk to her Dhaa...!

“Rini Didi...” Dhatri chocked and Rini’s happiness, excitement evaporated...!

“Dhaa... Are you ok?” she asked in a hushed voice moving outside into the garden.

“No Didi... I am not ok...! Why does she complicate the things?” Dhatri flared up and Rini understood that there was some tension between the eldest and the youngest.

“Tell me what happened, Dhaa...!” She said forgetting that she had a train in an hour... ! 

“...And I ended up accepting his proposal...!” Dhatri said dejected and Rini felt a knot in her chest...! “What have you done Dhaa...!” she thought dejected but then recovering from the initial shock ....

“What do you want to do now Dhaa?” she asked with bated breath.  She didn’t know how she would convince Ravi about Dhatri’s hasty decision.....

“What can I do Didi? Stand by my decision... that all!” Dhatri said and Rini took a sigh of relief. 

“Are you sure, you want to go ahead with this?” she asked her again.  There was a killing silence for a while from the other end.... 

“Yes..! What else can I do  Didi? I will just finish my graduation.... and get married... Finished...!” Rini could hear the unsaid words from Dhatri.  

“Dhaa....!” Rini’s heart cried.... “What has she done....! She doesn’t even know what marriage...is” Rini thought gravely resolving to call Ravi....! The situation was complicated..! She was getting over with one crisis and now this one...! She should handle this very carefully...!

“Vinit....! I must call Vinit...!” Rini thought without even listening to what Dhatri was cribbing...!

“Dhaa... I will call you later... Ok? And don’t worry...” she said hurriedly disconnecting the phone.  She came back to see both Virender and Swarnima staring at her expectantly.  She avoided their questioning gaze...! 

“Beta... is everything ok with Dhatri?” Virender asked and Rini shook her head.  “I don’t know... I think she has taken a hasty decision...” She finally confided her fears.  Virender fell silent but Swarnima said confidently... “I am sure... Ravi and Dhatri ... I mean they are made for each other... Like you and Vinit...” Rini looked up at her.  

“Ok. Dharini beta.. don’t worry... We will go to Vidisha and let you know...” Virender released the huge burden from Rini’s shoulder.  “Yeah... and we will talk to Vinit about it...” Swarnima said.  Rini nodded.. “I... I will call Vinit...” she said dialing Vinit’s number....! 

..................

Rini’s name flashed on his cell and Vinit smirked in anticipation....!

“Hey Rini...!” he responded pleasantly.  “Vinit...!” Rini called out in panicky...!

“Yes darling...?” he responded... “Darling?” Rini was surprised....! 

“Vinit... we have a situation...!” she said seriously...! “When do we not have a situation, sweetheart?” he asked mocking...! “Sweetheart?” Rini was shocked...! 

“Cut it, Vinit...! Its about Dhaa...!” she said eyeing on his parents...

“Dhaa? What about Dhaa? What did she do this time?” he asked and before Rini could answer him said... 

“By the way... I couldn’t reach her... Convey my best wishes to her..!”

“What?” He was giving shock after shock to Rini.  

“Vinit.. be serious...!” she said sternly. 

“Dharini.... I know she fixed her marriage... Spot fixing...!” he was in a different mood to Rini’s dismay.  

“Vinit...!” Rini shouted and looked away in emberrasement. 

“Calm down... Dharini! I know...! Ravi had called some time back...!” he said and Rini let out a sigh...!

“Now don’t bother about these things... I will take care of it...!” he said pacifying her successfully.  She looked relieved.  

“Now... you need to rush to the railway station...!” he reminded her and she looked at Virender....

“Abbaji... Train!” she said and rushed to the car hurriedly clutching the phone to her ear.  

“Ok. Bye, Vinit .. take care and call Ammaji...!” she said disconnecting the phone.  Vinit pocketed his phone in the rehabilitation center undergoing his rigorious physiotherapy, still on wheel chair. 

.....  .....

“Just stop it, Disha Didi...! Whatever is done is done...!” Dhatri stomped in frustration. 

“Why can’t you understand Dhaa...?” Disha asked equeally frustrated.  

“Whats wrong with it, Disha Didi...? You wanted me to settle in life..” Dhatri asked flaring up...

“Dhaa... I wanted you to be something in your life... Look at Rini... She...” Disha couldn’t complete...

“Yeah... Look at Rini Didi... look at you... Look at every body else around me....! But don’t look at myself...!” Dhatri yelled and Disha looked confused.

“Why do you always want to have benchmark for me? Why can’t I be me? With no benchmark... not following anyone... Going on my own way? Why do you all want me to follow someone?” Dhatri asked and Disha threw her hands in the air in disgust....! 

“You want to be you, Dhatri? What are you? Who are you? A mediocre girl having no ambition... dreaming on living like a parasite on someone else’s earnings? “ Disha had lost her balance.  Dhatri was unable to grasp her point.  

“Disha... Please... stop... Please...!” Nilima intervened requesting, joining her hands...! 

“No Mamma... don’t stop her... “ Dhatri retorted...! “Let her vent out... all the venom she has about me...! I know... Disha Didi, I am an unwanted child... you don’t have to tell me again and again... I did what I felt correct at this point of time and ...” She stopped to breathe... 

“And... Mamma Papa, you don’t worry about my future... I have taken the decision and I will stand by it... No matter what happens to me... And Disha Didi...” She again stopped gulping the lump formed in her throat.  Sweat dripped down her forehead.... She chocked... 

“You were probing about his past... What past do I have?” Disha gaped at Dhatri.  

“Do you think anyone will be ready to marry me knowing that I was kidnapped twice?” Dhatri pressed her hand on her chest... She felt demented with shallow breath. ... Something was churning inside... Her ordeal flashing,  she closed her eyes to regain her composure....

“Yes, Dhatri.. even if you refuse to see the doctor.. I will marry you....” She heard him...! 

“Dhaa....!” Disha came forward aghast.  Dhatri staggered backwards.... “No Didi... No use... I will stand by my decision...No one will try to convince me..” She said threateningly raising her finger looking at her parents ...

“And I am going back to collage tomorrow morning...!” she declared and locked herself in her room.....!

........  ......

“Ravi...!” his father was at the door of his room.  The slide show of the photos of Dhatri were flashing on the big screen.  Sayajirao stared at his son’s bright happy face.

“Dad..!” Ravi beckoned him inside.  “What is this feeling? Is he in love with her? ..” He wanted to make sure.

“Sonny... Don’t you think... this all happened in a haste...?” he asked sceptically with apprehension.  

“Not from my side, Dad...” he kept his head on his Dad’s laps. 

“Humm...” Sayajirao fell silent stroking his head.  

“Don’t you feel she has not thought over it..? he again asked.

“May be...!” Ravi responded casually...!

“What if she realizes after some time, what she has done....?” Sayajirao worded his inner fears...! Ravi looked up at him confused.

“I mean... What if she goes back on her words, after realization?” he asked and Ravi instantaneously shook his head.

“As far as I know her.. she will not go back on her words...!” Sayajirao gaped at his son’s confidence feeling relieved...! Ravi was studying his father’s changing expressions...!”

“Are you not happy?” Ravi sat up suddenly startling Sayajirao...!

“I am very happy, beta..” he pulled Ravi closer in a hug.  

“Agar woh iss ghar main aaegi to yeh ghar swarg ban jayega...! Kitanay dinonse mujhe isaka intazaar tha....!” in excitement he blabbered in his mother tongue...! Ravi studied his father’s bright face intently and slowly turned his gaze to his big screen where an image of Dhatri looking somewhere into the sky with her palm on her forehead blocking the sun, smiling showing her deep dimple, was flashing.  “Dhatri...” his heart filled with happy thoughts. 

******  ******  *****

“Disha.. please give her some time ... It has not sank in yet....” Nilima tried to pacify fuming Disha.

“Why can’t she understand Mamma...? Its a lifetime commitment...!” Disha asked in anguish.  Nilima kept quiet for some time.  

“But Ravi is a very good boy...!” She said after giving time for Disha to cool down.  Dhatri had locked herself up in her room. 

“You know mamma, why was I insisting on background check...?” Disha asked her mother.  Nilima looked at Disha questioningly.

“Because the separation was not that easy... they had more complications... “ Disha revealed and Nilima gaped.

“How do you know?” she asked.  “I heard it from Ravi’s mother...!” said Disha inching closer to Nilima..! 

“The things she was telling me were so horrifying... I am not sure about Dhaa’s safety, Mamma...” Disha broke down in tears...! 

“Ravi’s father is not a good person, Mamma... A pervert...!” she said remembering the conversation with Sanyogita...!

“What kind of accusation is that, Disha...?” Nilima was shocked.  

“Even I was shocked, Mamma... I couldn’t believe, a person like uncle could be so pervert and devilish...!” Disha pressed her hand on her chest.  Nilima fell silent weighing the statements Disha made.  

“Did you ask anyone about the truth?” Nilima asked looking up.  She was really worried about Dhatri now! Disha knew her mother hinted at Bhanu.  

“Mamma... Bhanu is very close to Ravi and his father... He would never tell me the truth...!” Disha justified herself..  Nilima shook her head a bit...! 

“You are the closest one to him... aren’t you?” Nilima asked suspiciously.  

“Of course Mamma....” Disha said looking up hurt.  

“There shouldn’t be any hesitation in asking the truth...!” Nilima said getting up.  There was no point dragging the discussion.  She needed to think about the options she had....!