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“Bolo beti...!” Rahman took his chair...! Dhatri gazed at her feet.  Afroz stared at Rahman to gauge him.  Dhatri sat there in silence.  Rahman watched her, waiting for her to speak up.

“Is she the one?” He wondered... “Ravi is in love with..! What is so special about her?.” He stared at her ordinary looking figure... She had never looked up...! Her curly, frizzy, thick, dark brown hair tied up in a tight braid, the drops of sweat springing on her forehead; soaking her symmetrical eyebrows sticking her curly hair strands on her forehead.... he could see her thick, long curved eyelashes.  

 She could have been passed easily as a fair girl per Indian Standards.  There was no trace of make-up!  with a simple grey salwar-suite, her face was shadowed  with nervousness; she was biting her lips fidgeting with her fingers.  He could make out her dilemma...!

She looked up gathering her courage and Rahman couldn’t take his eyes off.  The bright brown eyes bored into his for a fleeting second and they again disappeared under her eyelashes...!  He gazed....! I should introduce her to Rehaanaa...! His daughter, a very bold, talkative girl, a bit older than Dhatri, now married to a builder in Bhopal believed, ‘only the make up highlights the beauty...!’  His eyes twinkled with the thought of Dhatri meeting his daughter...! 

“Big Sis.. say something...” Afroz nudged Dhatri.  Dhatri wrapped silence.  Afroz lost her patience.

“Ok.  We came here to know the status of her VISA...” she started off.  Rahman was in dilemma...! “Does she know the situation in US ?” he didn’t know.

“Oh! It will be done soon.  Other documents are ready, only the marriage certificate and her educational transcripts ....” he looked at Afroz.  

Afroz took out a file.  Dhatri’s mark-sheets... Final result not declared yet..” she threw the file on the table and Rahman nodded, still unsure about Dhatri...! Dhatri wiped her sweat and taking some time to open up... said...!

“I know...!” Dhatri looked up again and Rahman gaped.

“You know?!!” he couldn’t stop himself.  Dhatri nodded and Afroz burst out...

“Yes.. we know about Ravi... and she needs to go there, be with him, Damn it!” she thumped on the table forcefully.  Rahman looked at Dhatri aghast...! “Does she really want to go there?” he still was not sure.

“Un...Uncle... I wa... wa.. want to go!” Dhatri opened her mouth stuttering..! 

“Look... My GP can help... He is a very influencial man in Bhopal...” Afroz spat rudely... throwing a Challenge to Rahman’s social status in the city...! Dhatri was scared...! Raised voices always gave her shivers....! 

“No need!” Rahman spat back, picking up the file.

“Here... free slots ...!” afroz forwarded a handwritten slip...! Rahman gazed at the dates and time slots available for VISA...! “This means she really wants to go... I must talk to her parents...” he looked around and gestured the beara to clear the table.  Dhatri waited with bated breath.

“Ok.  I will do it at the earliest.  I will meet your parents...” he was cut off...

“No... please.. d..d...don’t tell them anything about Ravi... “ Dhatri pleaded for the first time looking into his eyes for a longer period of time.  He just nodded.  “What was going on? She knows and her parents do not know about Ravi’s problem?”  He looked at Afroz for some explanation...

“Look Mr. Rahman... They do not know anything about the problem with Ravi.  We don’t want to tell them anything...” she started off...!

“Th... they will be devastated...” Dhatri said at once and Rahman nodded.  

“I promise.. I won’t tell them anything... but I will have to meet them once the VISA interview date is fixed...” he said reasonably.

“Promise?” Dhatri asked extending her hand, with beady eyes like a small girl asking for a promise to get chocolate...and Rahman nodded smiling... Smile of relief appeared on Dhatri’s face and He gaped.

Her dimples and bright brown eyes were so captivating...”No wonder Ravi fell flat for her..! Her simplicity touched his heart...! Lucky man!!” he concluded.  

“Ghar jao beti... And I will manage everything...!” He placed his hand on her head.

Afroz gave a slip... “Call me, if you need anything...” she said confidently.  He merely gave a nod.  Afroz turned holding Dhatri’s arm and Rahman looked at the note.

“Oh! Bandukwalas... !” He smiled knowingly.  No wonder she was so arrogant..! Bandukwalas were the big name in Bhopal in business community... One of the richest families, Rahman knew Mr. Pirooj Bandukwala well enough to know his influence.

“How does dulhan know this girl?” he wondered.  He didn’t know the bond between Afroz and Dhatri....!

*********** *********

Rini/Mehrunnissa bidding her time... was undergoing the torture and rigourous imprisonment in Lahore..!

The tiffin and the cloth had reached safe hands...!

“Another nine days...” she was fixing the membrane key pad on the IEDs as a part of her duty...! A trained militant.. she was given the assembly work.  Soon she will be given new responsibility.

....................  ...

“Its like digging the tunnel from both the ends, with precision planning... one single, slight mistake and we end up digging two parallel tunnels...!” Vinit thought gravely looking around at the herd of Yaks and Camels loaded with the ‘material’.  

“Look.. These five will come with you..  The transfer should be done carefully... We will be ready to strike anytime... One single mistake and you all will be dead in no time..with our bullets...!” Khan baba warned flounting his AK 47 and Vinit nodded takeing out his oxgyne mask and handing over the cylinder...! They were on the tapering terrain on the borders... There was no need for the supporting oxgyne now..! Vinit, a trained soldier in high altitude terrain, never needed such extra support..But sometimes he faked breathlessness to gather sympathy!  He emptied his money bag infront of Khan baba.  Kahn’s eyes widened, seeing bundles of green dollar notes..! He could have killed this lone traveller anytime for this kind of money...! But he had a bigger motive.  Vinit had promised him to get in touch with an Indian who would pay double the amount plus the chemical drugs, Khan was getting now for the Chinese Combat tools...! The deal was tempting enough to keep Vinit alive...! 

Vinit watched Khan’t hungry eyes and played his card..! “If anything goes wrong... Next time, I am going to try the other troop...” he warned Khan baba.  Khan touched his ears...

“Naa Naa...!” he wouldn’t leave this ‘murgi...’ He grinned from ear to ear and Vinit turned his back on the troop with the five member team....a herd of 25 yaks and 18 camels..! hey were entering the hostile territory where Afghan-Pak borders meet...! 

*********  ********  *********

“Dad... “ Ravi ran his fingers through his unruly hair sitting on the chair.  Sayajirao patted on his back, swallowing hard.  He had seen his son after it seemed like ages.  Ravi looked up at the officer requesting for some privacy.  He was on the other side of the bars and Sayajirao’s heart ached for his son.  Ravi’s company was trying hard for the bail of three of his employees, Ravi included...! Sayajirao had appointed one of the best lawyers in the region shelling out moeny like anything...! The so called sex scandle had spread all over ... like a conflagration....! Ravi’s remand for judicial custody was extended by another fifteen days.  He was interrogated several times a day by different people...!

“Go home, Dad...” he said holding Sayajirao’s hand and Saya shook his head.  “Not without you...”  His phone buzzed.  Mrs. Russel... spoke to him for a long time getting his monosyllable responses.

“Ok!” he said flipping his phone.  It seemed like Sanyogita was asking for the Library keys and Mrs. Russle had said politely that she has no access to his private rooms... his study and Library...! Sanyogita fumed, frustrated... She couldn’t lay her hands on anything big...! Mrs. Russel was a through and through Saya’s person, not letting anything at all.  She just was there to guard the fort for her Masters...! Sayajirao had given in, in the condition of distress but Mrs. Russel had not given up yet.  She was waiting for some miracle to happen, praying day and night ...!

“I need those damn keys...right now..! Sanyogita yelled and Mrs. Russel was unmoved. 

Can’t you see? I got a call and Ravi needs money for his bail, damn it!” Sanyogita spat anger...

Mrs. Russel looked at her blankly.  “I don’t have the keys... Mr. Deo has them...” she said staggering backwards...! Sanyogita stared for a while and clenching her fists... said

“Fine.. I will let Saya know about this...” she looked at Mrs. Russel threateningly.  Mrs. Russel clutched her hands at the back not giving in...!

Her phone buzzed and she lept up to grab it before Sanyogita could lay her hands on. 

“Yes... Yes... Yes... Ok.  Ok! Yes... I go...! Don’t worry....!” she was unusually agile to her age.  She clutched her palms praying... crying... wiping her eyes.... and surprisingly lighting a lamp in pooja ghar....! Sanyogita gaped in disbelief.

“What happened?” she asked shocked.  Mrs. Russel shook her head saying...”Nothing much... Case will come up for hearing this Monday...!” she said moving out of the room...! Sanyogita stood like a statue and then sighing... came out to fix herself a drink...!