145

Everyone was dumbstruck, not knowing what and how to react.  Swarnima’s heart went out for Ravi.  She had lost her son ... Somehow she saw her son in Ravi and his pain became her pain...!

Salil’s phone buzzed and he was startled to see Disha’s name flashing.  He had avoided answering her calls till now.  He declined the call looking up at Nilima...!

“Pick up the phone...!” Nilima gestured and Salil waited for Disha to call again...

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

“Hey... you ok?” Afroz jumped to her feet seeing Dhatri dashing out.  She had let Ravi go but Dhatri was her big sister...! Dhatri tried to dodge her but this time, poorva held her hand.

“Dhaa... you ok? What happened?” she asked gravely.  Dhatri shook her head dejected...!

“This is not going anywhere... Poorva... I believe I messed up again...!” Dhatri clutched her head.

“Stop.. Dhaa.. let us wait...for the elders to decide...” Poorva was ready to take it patiently but Afroz shot up..

“Big sis.... You want me to intervene? I will straighten them all up...!” she said taking out her gun.  Dhatri held her gun in panicky...

“Shut up Afroz... Wait...” Poorva snapped but Afroz had sensed uneasiness in Dhatri...!

“Where is Ravi?” she asked ignoring Afroz and Poorva waved her hand in the direction.  

“Dhatri...!” Salil called out and Dhatri turned.  “Come here!” he ordered taking her along in the hall again....! Dhatri sat there reluctantly...!

*********  ********  *********

Rini was into the thick of her task.... a detailed topographic survey of the area... She had slipped into the labor camp with the help of the security guard of the industrial establishment she had bumped into...! The guard had taken her to a woman who worked at team lead of a group of unskilled worker women.  She had offered Rini a job of carrying material... Rini had agreed.  The only reason to get her a job was she could speak some Hindi/Urdu words and could understand the local language.  She was enrolled as Mehrunnissa Razani without any testimonials... There was no need for the credentials for the unskilled workers.. They were a non entity.! 

“Kya Banatain hain yahan?” she had asked to get no answer.  The team lead had no clue what was the product where she worked...! 

“Taka panay se matlab hain ya phir jutain khane se?” she asked snubbing Rini’s 

inquisitiveness....! Rini gave up.  She knew she would soon find out...! She walked through the gates of the Industrial establishment with the herd of workers wearing safety gloves and boots...!

“A rupee per crate...” the rate for that week was declared and they were divided into groups...! The packing list with pictures of how to pack them were issued.  A person came in and without a word showed them how to pack the material.  Rini calculated the approximate time for packing one item... !  “That is five rupees per hour....” she calculated... Sighing...! The mechanical work of packing started and the supervisors went into their cabins to relax...! 

Rini’s hands were packing the material.. her mind was racing to join the dots... her eyes were darting everywhere, her brain memorizing every small detail and the place around, her ears capturing the slightest of the sound and creating a clear picture in her mind of the area.. the machines... the people around.. the so called product... the packing crates... the conveyer belts... and the hands of other fellow women working mindlessly not knowing what the product is...! 

***** **** **

Afroz couldn’t control her anger....! “What are they doing with her? I won’t spare anyone if they try to harm her...!” she tried going into the hall but Suresh stopped her.

“Let us wait for some time, Afroz... have patience...” he said trying to hide his impatience.  Ragini was growing impatient too.  She wanted the decision ... and the wedding to happen, the possibility of which seemed very bleak....! 

“This is not done, Poorva... we must do something...” Afroz said desperately.  She needed action.... the thrill of this wedding was giving her the kick of a drug...! Poorva had a hard time containing her over enthusiasm....! 

“Just stop it and sit here..! ...” Poorva stopped Afroz clasping her wrist.  

“No  way... didn’t you see how devastated they both looked? And he just disappeared somewhere and My big sister is dragged inside again... I can’t wait now...!” She strode into the Hall ...! No one looked at her...! 

“I want to talk to Mr. Deo...” said Salil pausing a bit and then said “Alone...” Dhatri looked down with pale face...! 

“Big... I mean... umm.. Dhatri..” Afroz entered calling out for Dhatri loudly.  Dhatri got up with a jerk...

“Yeah... coming..” she said almost running towards Afroz and went out with her in no time...! 

“Where is Ravi?” She asked once she was out of the hall and with her friends.  No one knew... The palace was so huge ...! Suresh waved at some direction and Dhatri marched out in that direction....! 

“Ravi...” She called from behind and he turned .. “Dhatri...” he said gravely.  She held his hand authoritatively...!

“Let us go...” she said “Where?” he asked... “To finish the unfinished work...” she said pulling him along.  This time he didn’t stop her, but led the way out of the palace... into the garden.. out of the gates.. on the crossroads, without any questions! She walked and he followed... giving in ..!

“Hey... hey.. wait for me...” Afroz caught up with them...! 

“Where are you going?” she asked exhasperated...! “To get married..!” Dhatri said not looking at Ravi.

“Where?” Afroz asked... “Temple” was the answer... Dhatri this time looked at Ravi questioningly.

“Vyaghreshwari Temple... Our Family Goddess...” Ravi answered and walked holding Dhatri’s hand.  Afroz followed...! 

In the middle of the night... Vyaghreshwari Mandir bells reverberated, booming, waking up everyone around, with all the lamps lit... and the door of the sanctum opened for the son of Royal Family of Kanker...! 

Afroz froze looking at the fearsome, formidable, larger than life size Kali, riding the fierce tiger with Trishul in one hand and Sword in other Trampling, pinning down a Monster to death....! The conch sound echoed in the sanctum...! Afroz had the hair-raising experience of the fierceness of the Goddess ...! 

144

“The article about such people who cannot be changed....” He said mysteriously.  Suleyman appeared at the entrance and Ravi stopped....

“Saya wants a con call...” he said looking at Kalindi for her permission...

“No...!” Ravi said at once.  Salil looked alarmed.  

“He will be devastated...” Ravi pleaded and Suleyman said...

“Ravi... Saya wants to talk to Dr. Dixit...” he said gravely sealing the confirmation of the con call... Ravi looked at his maasi for support but before she could say anything....Indroneel shot up...!

“Yeah.. That is the right thing, Mr. Deo is doing.... Talk to him directly, Salil... He will clear all your doubts...” He pressed Ravi’s hand saying... “Ravi... let him talk to your father..!” Ravi hung his head helplessly.... 

“Namaste...” Sayajirao Deo’s image appeared on the screen and Dhatri shot a glance at Ravi’s face.  He didn’t want his father to go through the hell again... He had avoided discussing his mother...! But this would take Saya back to the hell....! 

“Dad... you don’t have to ....” he said coming into the frame....! Sayajirao shook his head and addressing Salil, said...

“Dr. Salil... I will answer all your questions, I avoided all my life.  I want to do this for my son... for his happiness and for Dhatri’s happiness too... !” Salil merely gazed at Sayajirao’s image..! He couldn’t make out what kind of person Saya was or whether he would tell the truth...! He looked away sceptically.  Virender understood his nervousness...

“Goodmorning, Mr. Sayajirao... I am Virender Pandit... Rini’s father in law...” he greeted pleasantly and Sayajirao bowed his head... ! 

“We know, Ravi is a gem of a person.   I personally thank him for his support during my son’s hospitalization... He was always a support pillar for us...!” Virender looked at Salil and waited for him to gather himself.  

Sayajirao waited for someone to start the conversation... but the awkward silence prevailed....! He understood...!

“I believe Ravi’s mother met you...” he said looking at Salil...! he merely nodded.

“Rehman briefed me on the issue... I understand your concern, sir..!” he again waited for Salil’s response.  There was none.  

“I don’t know from where to start... but understand that the issue is about me...!” he said gravely and Ravi swallowed hard looking away, hiding his moist eyes.  

“Ravi has business in California... he is doing well here...!” he started off and everyone looked at the changing track....! But Sayajirao continued....!

“I move around everywhere for my consultancy in automation...I do not have any problem at all...in relocating to some other place... Ofcourse... we have a ranch and my office in Orlando... “ He went ahead.  Salil and Virender looked at each other, totally bewildered.  

“Would it solve the problem, Dr. Dixit... If I move out of their lives ... so she wouldn’t run the risk?” Sayajirao asked solemnly joining his hands...

“No!” both Ravi and Dhatri shot up...! Salil shook his head, shocked...!

“No no...! Please don’t misunderstand me Sir...” He urged joining his hands.  

“Dr. Salil... I just want my son to be happy and I am sure he will be, only with Dhatri...! It really doen’t matter, where we stay... I too will he happy if he is happy... No matter where I stay.....” Sayajiroa swallowed the lump formed in his throat...! 

“I understand your concern, Dr. Dixit... “ he glanced at the faces on his video window and making up his mind said... “I just want to say ... That the last time I slept with a woman was Sanyogita, before Ravi’s was born....!” 

“Dad... No... Please... You don’t have to go through this... I will answer all the questions... Dad please, log off...” Ravi urged blocking everyone from the camera view....!

“Ravi... let me do this....Please...” Sayajirao was ready to face anything for his son’s happiness... Ravi was tormented.. !....

“No Dad...!” Ravi turned the power off...! Waited for people to gather themselves and said.... 

“So. I needed to make sure my guess was right .... I came back to India....” Ravi continued ignoring confused looks on the faces of listeners...! 

“I saw her in Disha’s wedding... gatecrashing without invitation.... Maasi, that night took me upstairs ... I knew I was right...!” the mystery was thickening...! 

“I was shocked, pained, anguished.  Hatred surged through my body.  I decided to go after my mother to finish her off..  But when I came back...I saw Dhatri sleeping peacefully on the sofa, smiling in her sleep.  She was the victim ... she had suffered, had passed out... my mother had tried to kill her throttling her...! And she was there sleeping peacefully.  Dhatri gave me strength to face it... and face it bravely... to accept the fact...!” Ravi looked at Dhatri, so did everyone else with different emotions... ! Dhatri looked up at him with beady eyes... surprised to the core!  She couldn’t believe, she could be strength to someone...! She remembered the resistance she had faced for the first time while curing...! She shuddered recollecting how the lady had strangulated her... threatening her to death...! Ravi had continued...! 

“I went back and took steps to sever ties with my biologic

al mother, getting a restraint order against her....! He stopped to breathe...!

“This is it.... I do not have a mother...I stay with my father and he is everything to me...!” He ran his fingers through his thick streaked brown hair and turning his back on the dumbstruck family, went out of the room.  Dhatri struggled to go after him, but Salil stopped her....! Everyone looked at Kalindi.. It was her turn to take over....

She looked down to gether her strength...

“Baba... Where is Maa?” A little six years old Kalindi was pulling Randheer’s hand.  He had no answer to her question.  He didn’t know where his wife was.. They had a row a week back and she left the house ....! He stroked little Kalindi’s head losing himself in thoughts...! After a long time he said gravely..! “She will be back soon, beta... go to sleep now...!” He hummed some soothing tune...! 

“I am eight years elder to my sister Sanyogita...!” Kalindi said and everyone looked at her.  

“Baba... Look at the baby... cute baby... my little sister... my dall...” Kalindi was so thrilled to see the baby girl in her maa’s arms...The baby opened her eyes yawining and Kalindi sqeecked...! “Baba.. she is just like a dall... white white with blue eyes...” Kalindi pulled her Baba’s hand again.  Her baba held her hand and took her out of the hospital room... “Lets go home...” he said gravely...! 

 She was never like me. She behaved differently, looked different...! Kalindi said running her tongue over her lips.  

“The two are so different...” One of her mother’s friends was staring at both the sisters... Mother smiled smugly and picking up Sanyogita, asked Kalindi to go out and play. Kalindi picked up her dall and Sanyogita snatched it from her...  Kalindi went to her father, who was in his study... He rarely came out of that room...! He took Kalindi inside into his world of books...! She felt happy...! Sanyu would never come into this world...! 

She is very beautiful, smart, charming, witty... unlike me...!” Kalindi said and Nilima shook her head in disagreement...

“Mother took her to England when she was eight and I was sixteen.  I preferred the local college where I met Bhanu’s father.  We got married and Sanyogita came back, after what she said, completing her studies, with my mother...! When my father died.. we all were shocked to read his Will.  He had given away everything in charity, infuriating my mother...! I introduced Sanyogita to Saya when he had come back for good after his MS, during Bhanu’s third birthday... They fell in love and soon got married... She was on the top of the world with all the grandeur and Royal family status... 

Kalindi’s face shadowed with sadness... But that too was short lived... She soon came to her true self... And I was buried under the baggage of my own guilt.  Within few months of their marriage she disappeared for a few months and appeared with her friend, A British Neval Officer...! Saya was shocked... I had no face to face him... He was liberal, had come from a country of free sex.. but his father couldn’t tolerate and they had a big argument.

Kalindi sighed....!

“The next thing they found was a call from the police officer stating that Sanyogita had met him to file a complaint against Saya’s father on the charges of sexual harassment....! Saya had to rush to the police station with Rehman... She demanded a huge sum of money.. Saya agreed.  But his father couldn’t take it... He committed suicide...!  Sanyogita now turned to Saya’s old grand father... But the man was much stronger. He had seen her through.  He failed all her plans...He tried to keep Saya away from her...! 

Kalindi had had enough of preface to her story... She came to the crux...

“Saya was madly in love with her.  She took advantage of this, blackmailing him everytime.... He tried his best to save the relationship.  But only once lost his control when a Doctor called him saying Snayogita had visited his clinic for abortion...! He slapped her and faced the music all his life...! She went to the police commissioner with complaint of cruelty and physical torture.  Saya parted with a chunk again...! Every month of her pregnancy... He paid through his nose for her maintenance...To keep her in good humor, to keep the unborn baby safe...! “

“He heeded to all her demands... And she came up with the altimate strategy... She declared that after the child’s birth, she would divorce him...! “ Kalindi was reliving that torture....

“But this time, his old Grand father jumped in the fray.... He asked Saya to stay away and with the help of Suleyman, told her to go ahead....! He himself prepared the divorce papers, offering her the maintenance of the child too...! Sanyogita was taken aback.  She would never take the responsibility of the child.  After much deliberations... they struck the compromise... that Sayajirao would keep the baby she would move out of his life... with the moeny ofcourse...!” Kalindi couldn’t stop a sob...!

“The petition for divorce was signed when she was in her pregnancy....” Nilima hid her face ...sobbing hard...!

Saya’s grandfather had retained the title “Maharaja of Kanker”  and had all the powers of a Maharaja.  He, through his Will bequeathed all his inheritance to the child of Sayajirao.... 

“When she left, Saya renounced all his title... converted everything into a Trust... and shifted to US for good.  He has not returned, since then....!” Kalindi said wiping her sweat...!

 Salil shifted nervously...Dhatri got up.  Salil tried to stop her but this time she dashed out, making up her mind to put an end to all this ....!! 

143

Dhatri failed to understand why the elders were fussing so much on the crap the lady, who was not to be trusted, spat...! She just gaped at everyone’s face and then looked at Ravi.  “Why is he doing this? He is in pain... He should be stopped...” She tried getting up but Ravi raised his hand. 

“I want to get it over, Dhatri...!” She was immediately quietened.  

“Ravi... I can... I mean... we will talk...” Kalindi started off trying to release Ravi’s burden but Ravi was determined.

“No.. Maasi... It has to be me or Daddy... And It is me...!” he said since his daddy was not present.  Salil looked at them sceptically.  

“Ravindra Pratap ...please do not misunderstand us.... But...” Salil spoke gravely glancing at his wife.  

“She is our daughter.. and as father.. I feel its my duty to make sure she is safe and happy...” He looked at Dhatri’s blank face.

“My safety? I was the unwanted child... Nothing works well in my case...I have always put them in trouble... I am trying to save them from all the trouble... and these people... What do they want from me? “ she looked away.

“Please.. Dhaa... listen to me...! I am not your enemy.. I want you to be happy... and the things I heard from his mother, does not allow me to go ahead with this relation...!”  He looked at Ravi and Ravi looked down for a moment and then said gravely.

“I understand your concern... I request you to listen to me..” he looked at Kalindi who had hung her head feeling ashamed ...! 

“I am not justifying.... I just want to put forth the facts... without any emotional attachment... Then it is up to you to decide...” Ravi looked at Salil and he nodded...! 

It must have been a good decision to migrate permanently to US where single parenting was not a big issue.  I grew up with my other friends with single parents... The difference was, most of them stayed with their mothers and I did with my father...” He said. 

“I don’t remember asking him about my mother again when once he told me about their breakup.... I took it as normal... “ 

“I was around ten when I saw her first ... She had come with a man.  Mrs. Russel took me inside.  I heard raised voices and arguments... She was yelling at my Daddy and I couldn’t stop myself ... I ran out to help my devastated Dad. He spent sleepless nights after that.

“Dad...” he ran towards his daddy.  Saya turned and shocked to see Ravi behind him.  He picked him up and held him tightly to his heart.  

“Daddy... who is she?” Ravi asked.  Sayajirao gestured at her and said... “She is your mother, son...”

“Wow... Dad... you are getting married? With her...? When is the wedding? ” Ravi was surprised. remarriage was also normal for him..!

“No.. Son... umm.. I mean... Um... She is your biological mother...” he said still holding Ravi to his heart...!

“What is that?” Ravi was confused.

“That is.. I am your mother... and he is your father...” Sanyogita had moved ahead to touch him....

“No... I have only Daddu... not mother...” Ravi repelled instantaneously.... and she took a step back.

“What did you tell him, Saya? That I was a bad mother?” she yelled again...!

“Stop yelling...” Ravi ran aggressively towards her raising his hand.  Saya caught him from behind....

“Mrs. Russel... please take him to the park...” Saya requested and Ravi had to leave with Mrs. Russel...! 

Ravi swallowed hard....!

The next I saw her was when I was about sixteen.  By that time I had visited India alone, several times and had heard a few things about my mother.  I knew what a biological mother meant...! But Daddy never told me anything about her... “ He continued.  

"They again had some argument and she demanded money, ignoring me completely...! I stepped in and asked her to move out of the house...! 

“Dad.. You don’t have to give her anything... She has already squeezed you...!” Sayajirao looked up at his son, surprised.

“I know everything, Dad... I am not a kid now... I talked to Rehman Uncle...” Ravi said holding his hand and he slumped back on the chair dejected... Ravi sat with him without a word for a long time.  He had seen all the files and read all the papers... He knew, by now that Snayogita had already taken away everything Sayajirao had earned ...  ! Everytime a new aligation and Sayajiroa parted with a big chunk of money...! 

"She was always on the Money sucking drive...!"  He said looking at Kalindi and she looked down with guilt..!

“My great-grandfather did the damage control when my father lost my grand father... he succumbed to the mental pressure and agony when my mother filed a complaint against him of molestation and sexual harassment ...!” he said with dry throat.  Nilima felt her throat hurting.  Salil looked alarmed...! 

“My father again parted with his earnings to settle the matter...!” he again looked at Kalindi who nodded sighing...! 

My great-grand-father then ninety, bequeathed everything he inherited including the Maharaja Title to me... i.e. unborn child of Yuvraj Sayajirao Deo. She got a minimum maintenance”

“It was my father’s turn then, to face the wrath... when she came to know about the trust and his will......” 

There was an array of police complaints alleging physical and sexual torture...! Every time demanding more for out of Court settlement.  All the complaints and the outcomes are filed here...!” He looked at Rehman and he placed a file on the table.  No one had any intention to read the contents.  But Indroneel picked it up and giving it to Salil, said...

“I think you should read it.... Or may be he can give you a copy of this...” Salil gaped at Indroneel’s sarcasm...! “No..!” he pushed the file away....! 

“I feel so awkward to narrate... It gives me pain ... I had left everything behind... but when I heard about this poor girl.. I felt it was my duty to warn you people...!” Sanyogita had started, with tears gushing out ...! Salil had felt pathetic....! 

“.... When that torture was unbearable ... I had to take a decision to move out... They wanted only the child... And I was thrown out ruthlessly...” She had broken down, crying her heart out...!

“You can’t imagine... leaving a month old child, it stabled me million times... But I couldn’t do anything... They wouldn’t allow me even to see my child.... I was no body...! Just a surrogate mother...! I had seen him in bed with other women... but had no power to voice it...!” Sanyogita had said between her uncontrollable sobs...! 

Salil didn’t know whom to believe...! 

“I came here all the way to warn you.... Please don’t push your innocent daughter into that monstrous pit...! I... I don’t know... in what condition you will find her next...” she had urged joining her hands and Salil had decided to break the alliance..! 

His Dhaa had already been through hell since her childhool.  The slightest likelyhood of such things for his Dhaa had pulled him back.  He wouldn’t let this happen... Dhaa’s happiness was his only priority...! 

He shifted nervously...! Indroneel was looking at him intently.  He gestured Ravi to continue...! 

"The things were clear when I came across that article.. And I knew what to do.. But I had to make sure... join the dots... " Ravi said gravely and Dhatri looked up at him.... 

"He doesn't have to.... I don't care... what danger they are talking about... he is in pain... He doesn't have to.... I can't see him in pain..." Dhatri got up struggling and Ravi looked at her startled... 

"You don't have to do this... The answer is still yes..." she said stuttering, but Salil asked...

"Which article...?"   

------------  -----------

NOTE  : Whom would you believe if you were Salil  A father of a girl who went through hell throughout her life......?"