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“How are you?” he asked her kindly.  Dhatri’s heart pounding, some gurgling sound left her mouth.  She fidgeted nervously.

“You study here?” he asked and she saw another pair of shoes next to him. 

“GP...!” Someone chirped excitedly in a high pitch.

“Tu ruck ni dikri...!” he snapped.

“What is your name beti?” he asked Dhatri softly and she looked up forgetting what name her friends had given her when in his car....

“Dh... Dhatri...!” she said. 

“She stammers....!” the girl next to him chirped again... Dhatri tried to turn and run away from that place...

“Shut up...!” The man reprimanded the girl. 

“Dikri... Dhatri... nice name...!” he tried to make her comfortable.

“Got to go....!” she muttered sensing danger, seeing another pair of shoes...She turned and in no time vanished from there.

...........

“Where were you?” Ragini whispered angrily when she saw Dhatri coming in hurriedly in study hall.  Dhatri came and sat behind.  The call continued... Dhatri wiped her sweat.  

“What happened?” Ragini couldn’t stop... “That Daruwala... I mean.. that Batliwala... I mean... Damn it! That Bandukwala...!” Dhatri’s voice raised as she tried hard to remember his name... Suresh looked startled.

“You mean... that Riotwala?” he asked forgetting that they were on the conference call.  Ray Dave stared at all of them.  Dhatri’s face had lost its color... she looked pale and frightened...

“You ok?” he tried to ask her, but no one paid attention to him...

“What do you mean... Bandukwala...?” Ragini asked aghast.  Dhatri simply nodded.  

“I... I s.. ss.  Ss...saw him... he s..s...s...stopped me...” Dhatri stammered. 

“He had a gun?” Suresh asked remembering their plight after the movie when the riots broke out after the series of bomb blasts... And the person brandishing the gun...

“I... D..Don’t know!” Dhatri clutched her head. 

“Dhatri....!” Ravi couldn’t hold his patience.  She looked up startled....

“Ravi.... Woh...Woh... Bandukwala....!” she stammered and Ravi looked at others for some explanation.

“Oh! Actually that person had helped us when we were caught in riots...!” Suresh tried to make some sense...

“why is she so scared, then?” he asked pointing at Dhatri.  

“Oh! She gets scared of everything, now-a-days...!” Suresh tried to coverup.  Ravi didn’t buy it but kept quiet looking at Dhatri’s drained out face....!

“Dhatri, are you ok?” he asked and she merely nodded not looking at him.  With this new problem, they all had forgotten about Dhatri and Ravi’s so called distant engagement...! 

“Dhatri Dixit...! Principal Sir wants to see you in his office...!” the peon had appeared at the study hall door...! Dhatri clutched Ragini’s hand.  Poorva stood up.

“Umm... Mr. Ray... Can we talk later... I mean... She needs to go...!” Suresh said apologetically and Ravi logged off. 

“I am not going alone...!” Dhatri declared and Poorva nodded. 

“Ok. I will come with you...!” she said and Dhatri was relieved. 

................  ......

“Ah! Ms Dixit...!” The Principal greeted accepting the ‘Good morning Sir...!” from the girls.  The old man turned and Poorva gaped with open mouth.  He was the same person who was saved by Dhatri.  Poorva gauged him suspiciously ignoring the two persons sitting on either side of the old man. 

“You know him... he is  Mr. Pirooz Bandukwala... !” The old man smiled happily and took over...

“Yeah, I know her... ! And Dhatri, he is my son Fredie and she is my grand daughter Afroz...!” he introduced.  Fredie nodded smiling and Afroz got up.  Dhatri gaped stupidly  at a tall heafty girl.  She was wearing a red shirt and a Khaki cargo.  Her streaked hair tied in a tight high ponytail and she wore a thick silver bracelet in her left wrist and a wrist band around her right wrist...! She had a ring in her nose, and had pierced ears wherever possible with silver ring creating a halo around her ears  and her piercing eyes were highlighted with the Soorma.  She extended her hand and Dhatri staggered back in fright.  Poorva was the first to come back to senses. Fredie came forward and shook hands with the girls.  There was no need for further introduction by the Principal.  They all came out with Poorva leading the way and Dhatri lagging behind everyone thinking hard of means to hide herself somewhere.  

“Hello... I am Poorva...!” she introduced herself with a smile.  The girl gauged her narrowing her eyes and then turned to her grandfather...

“GP, you really think I should hang around with these ‘chirgut’ types...?” she asked and the old man flared up...

“Tu chup kar ni Dikri... I am telling you...!” he warned her.  “GP?” Poorva exclaimed and Afroz clarified...

“GP, GranPaa!” wrapping her arm around GP’s shoulder.  He jerked her away...! She grinned ..!

“Dhatri...!” He turned and waited for Dhatri.  Dhatri had all plans to ignore him but Afroz held her wrist and pulled her infront of her GP.  

“Beti... Afroz has joined this year.  Will you please help her around?” he asked politely and Afroz frowned.  Dhatri merely gave a nod.

“Please treat her as your younger sister...!” he urged bringing an instant smile on Dhatri’s face.  

“Younger sister?” Dhatri was thrilled.  She was always a younger sister to her elder sisters bullying around and imposing on her.  In the college too, she was bullied around by her friends... bossing on her everytime... Now here was her chance to boss around as elder sister... She turned grinning.... but seeing the figure of Afroz... her happiness died out...! 

“Younger sister?” Afroz chirped with a grin... “GP... I will carry her in my arms..You really think she can be my elder sister?” She thumped on Dhatri’s back and Dhatri had to hold on to Poorva to retain her balance.  

“Size doesn’t matter... What matters in this institute is... Seniority... Remember..!” Poorva warned Afroz and Pirooz had a big smile on his face.

“Yes... and she is your senior... and beware...She has friends...!” Fredie said and Afroz turned her face contemptuously...!

.......  .....

Soon the formal interaction session of freshers and seniors turned out to be a ragging session with the teachers gone after the formal function.  Each fresher was called on stage and a grilling session took place bringing tears in every fresher’s eyes.  They were asked odd questions... 

asked to do some weird gestures... sing backwards... blind folded and asked to touch the senior’s feet... asked to propose the senior... eat chillis... stand on the ice brick till it melted ...

Few freshers came out unscathed.. turning out to be smarter... Some were pathetic.. some ran away half way... some had tears and some tried to put up a brave face... Dhatri sitting at the back enjoyed every bit of it.. reliving her freshers’ days...! She was spared most of the times... Thanks to her Rini Didi and her senior friends! But this time, Dhatri was senior and had nothing to worry about....! Her close friends were at the front taking part in ragging the freshers but Dhatri sat at the back watching the fun...!  

Everyone was asked about the hobbies and interests and there would be someone from the senior to throw challenge at the fresher,  mocking and teasing at his/her abilities.  A person interested in drawing and painting was asked to paint a face of a senior to look like the Head of Department (HOD) another was asked to sing with the senior who started the song in a very high pitch...! Freshers were asked to beg for alms, to frog jump, to propose a senior, to take out his shirt....!

There was a pindrop silence and apprehension when Afroz climbed the stage ... Her tall hefty figure and her boyish looks were prominent.  For a moment even the seniors were confused about what to ask her as she herself introduced... She was from Mumbai and had taken admission through sports Quota.

“What kind of sports?” Seniors finally got something to ask. 

“I am a National Shooting Champion... in Rifle and Pistol shooting...!” The glint and smug on her face was visible.  There was no one among the seniors who would challenge her on that front...! She looked around victoriously.  Dhatri hid her giggle.

“Finally... these guys have a match...!” she thought admiring Afroz....!

“Is there anyone from this category?” Afroz had the tune too high.  Everyone looked at each other....!

“No challange..? Strange...!” she shrugged pitying the seniors.  There was a roar of revenge from the juniors.  Afroz had clearly emerged as winner.... 

“Yeah! I accept....!” Dhatri got up raising her hand to shock everyone .....! Afroz was shocked too...!

“Accept?” The senior compering asked over the mike.

“I accept th..the...!” Dhatri’s courage was fading out.

“Shooting Challenge? Rifle? Pistol? Which one?” Afroz had a chance to show her one-up-manship.  Dhatri nodded swallowing hard...

“A..Any...Anything.....Pi...Pis...to...l!” the words rolled out from her mouth, her legs wanting to run away from that place...!

“Ok. Done!” Afroz said rubbing her palms scornfully.  Seniors whistled and clapped to encourage Dhatri but that had an opposite effect on her.  She just sat down dumbfounded.  Suresh banged his head with his fist.  “What a mess...!” he looked at his other friends.  All her classmates looked equally worried.  

***  *****  ****

“Why do I feel so pathetic?” Disha buried her face in Bhanu’s shoulder when the plane took off.  He didn’t respond.  She cried her heart out.  Leaving her family was the most difficult thing...! Bhanu knew, how much she loved her family...! He merely patted on her head pacifying her.  

“You really think, she will be happy with him?” Disha sounded so vague, looking up into his eyes.  Bhanu pulled her closer.  “Yes, Disha... She will be very happy...!” he said comforting her.  She sniffed.... “Bu.. but what I heard was so horrible...!” she clutched his arm.

“You should always check the source of information...!” he said searching the truth in her eyes.  She nodded but then said... “You don’t like your Maasi... Isn’t it?” He looked at her thoroughly hurt but didn’t answer.

“I know... even your mother... I mean maaji..! You all are against her...!” she said accusingly.  Bhanu looked at her... 

“You only have met her once... Disha... Don’t judge people by first impression...!” Bhanu looked away dejected.  Disha looked up angrily.  “You don’t like she being close to me, isn’t it?” she snapped.  He shook his head.  “No Disha, I don’t mind you being close to her... but I want you to think, why her sister, my mother is not close to her...!” Disha seemed lost in her own thoughts. 

“The point here is Dhaa’s happiness... Why are we discussing Ravi’s mother?” Disha asked after a while... Bhanu’s lips parted with a smile.  

“I just want her to be happy...!” she concluded and Bhanu nodded sighing relief. 

******  *****  ****

“Vicky...!” Vinit urged calling him out.  Vicky’s figure appeared at the ward entrance. 

“Sign the form... !” he ordered and Vinit looked up not picking up the form.

“Vicky.. call her back... I want to talk to her....!” he urged again.

“Then rot here... I am going...!” Vicky turned.  “No!” Vinit stopped him.

“Please call her back... ! I want to talk to her before I sign on this...!” Vinit was determined to confront both Vicky and Rini.

“Sign on the form and I will call her..!” Vicky gave him the ultimatum.  Vinit looked at that one page printed form.  Vicky gave him the pen.  Vinit folded the form and kept it in his pocket.

“I need to talk to her first...!” he said firmly.

“I can’t sign on this Notice of Intended Marriage form...!” he said turning his wheel chair and moving out of the rehabilitation ward....

******  *****  *****