135

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“This time, it was difficult to get the grants...!” Said Dr. Koite when they moved out of the Command office and were gathered in a small hotel.  Dhatri had refused to join them after she was denied the participation in the expedition.  The team size had reduced and was to be carried out with the help of forest rangers accompanied by an Ayurvedic Doctor.  It was only a four member team.  Dhatri felt alienated and turned her back on them.  Koite shook his head hopelessly and Jim desperately tried to accommodate her in the team, in vain.  Dhatri went away with her friends but not before warning Ravi....

“Khabardar jo unke saath gaye...!” Ravi raised his hands surrendering.  Dhatri puffed her cheeks and without talking to anyone of them, left.  Afroz lingered behind....

“Hey Mr. Ravi...” She approached and turned.  “I mean... if I could help....” she said eyeing him from top to bottom.  He waved at the others.  “I am not a team...” he said gesturing at Jim.  She turned and Jim took over.  Ravi sighed relief.  He turned to his partner Mr. Bill Thomp, a middle aged person with a tall, lean body and freckled face. 

“Bill... We need to move.... !” Bill nodded and they both left waving at Maria and Koite.  leaving Jim to handle Afroz. 

.........

“You should be with Ravi...!” Poorva said and Dhatri turned her face.  Her old team was there but she was not a part of it.  She was hurt....! Her jungle trip was declined....

“You don’t have to tell me, what I should do...” she snapped back and Poorva kept quiet.  Dhatri preferred looking out of the window.  The bus was weeding out through the heavy traffic.  The evening cool breeze made her dizzy.  She soon drifted to sleep in that moving bus. 

“Dhaa...! Utho...!” Ragini and Poorva were waking her up.  She woke up with a start to get down from the bus.

“I am hungry...” she said once they were in the campus.  Poorva took out peanuts from her bag.

“Humm... have this... “ she threw the pack and Dhatri caught it in mid air. 

“Dhatri... I still feel you should have talked to him nicely...” Poorva said seriously and Suresh nodded concurring.  Dhatri kept quiet. 

“Dhaa... Next Monday, is our Project Demo.  That person with Ray must have been his partner our sponsor and external examiner... “ Suresh said thinking about the last examination....!

Dhatri had not bothered to ask about the accompanying person.  “Humm...” She didn’t want to think about the examination. 

“Stop talking about Examinations... I want to have a nice sleep...” Dhatri muttered moving ahead of the group towards her room....

She suddenly stopped in her track... A pain surged through her spine... her brain filled with pain... Awaaa.... she groaned .... Her fingers twitching... her hands moved above her head....

“Awaaa.... “ She sat down groaning in excruciating pain....

“Dhaa....!” her friends came to her help.. but she was not in this world... Someone was calling her desperately... Someone wanted help... She didn’t know who was calling her... This pain was like never before... The illness was different... someone was seriously injured, calling for help.... slowely giving up... losing the fight with death... the breathing slowing down....

Dhatri screamed in anguish... she saw death in its true form... separating the soul from the body.... the motionless body floundered for the last time....giving the meak fight.....!

“No....!” she darted into the darkness, directionless....

“Where are you?” she asked screaming her lungs out.... the fight had stopped... the painful anguished calls for help had stopped... Dhatri dropped to the ground in a heap... She couldn’t help... Whoever it was... had lost it... she was of no help... Death again had defeated her.... She looked at her twitching fingers feeling her body temperature rising... she got up with efforts....

“Dhatri... Dhatri.... Dhaa...Dhaa...” she heard frantic calls of her friends....

“Yeah... I am here...” she said somewhere in the darkness and within few minutes, her friends caught up with her.  She still was rooted to the ground...!

“Rini Didi....” Dhatri wailed in pain.  Poorva and Ragini helped her to her room. 

“You stay here with her... I will get something for you both...” Poorvai said and dashed out to the mess to pack some food for Poorva and Dhatri.  Suresh was waiting outside. The two of them didn’t know what had happened to their friend. 

“Is it because of that experimentation, in that bloody infirmary..?” Poorva asked.

“I do not know... but she clearly was suffering someone else’s pain... she was searching... that which was sick, seeking help....” Suresh said .. “Should we take her to the hospital?” he asked getting up.  Poorva stopped him.

“I go and check... then may be call you...” she said picking up the food packets.  They both returned.  Suresh lingered in front of the Ladies Hostel gate for a while and then went back to his hostel block.  Poorva came in and found Dhatri had bathed and was waiting for food.  She messaged Suresh that all was well.

********  **********

“What? No...No!” Vinit disconnected.  “Rini....” his anguish saw no boundary....

Rini had reached Kabul and then the plan was suddenly changed.  She was sent to Iraq with two others on some rescue operation and then there was no news of the trio.  MI could trace them upto to Kurd... and the team went missing.... The cross firing between the US aided forces and the Militants had intensified and the entire region was destroyed and brought down to ashes. 

There was no communication and the team had not contacted anyone.  When Vinit heard this, first, he thought it was pressure tactics ... but then the reports started pouring in and the news was leaked out to media.  Genral Saini had to issue a press note stating that no Indian Army personnel was involved in the UN convoy and no one is missing.  Vinit knew, such press release was the first step towards disowning the persons... Rini and her team mates will be disowned and all the records will be deleted from Army records ...! The tragic outcome of under cover operations...!  Army would declare that there was no Army involvement. 

Vinit frantically dialled Lt. Gen. AK Singh’s personal number in the middle of the night... There was no respite for him.  The only alternative was to wait for some clue, some news from the trio.  On Army records.. the three were absconding....!

Vinit had threatened Rini to take her to the other side of the fence ... She had done that on her own... not to return.....!

“Rini.... for God sake... please come back... Please... Rini... wherever you are... “ Vinit lost his emotional composure.... He was losing the battle... He was all alone... !