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“Five minutes debriefing... five minutes planning...” The commander took out the map and weaponry...! They all nodded gathering in the middle of the river...! 

“Fifty minutes to take positions...” Vinit blurted and the others gave a nod.  

“No casualty so far... all sixteen on their respective positions... Four are in Karachi.... You will join them in two days... Third Day.. Operation Macchali..!” Commander handed over a batton and

“Yes Sir..” Rini saluted getting ready to jump out.  

“Careful..!” Someone held her shoulder and she turned with the familiar touch...!

The girlish hand gripped her arm.

“You..?” Rini tried to focus..1

Vinit saluted and Rini gaped with dropped jaw.

“Col.  Avasthi... MI.” The girlish voice said sweetly.

“What?” Rini was horror struck.  Col Awasthi... Ati Vishish Seva Medal, Posthumous, 2005.. was standing before her in that tiny dingi, issuing instructions and others were taking her orders...!

“Stop worrying.. Do as I say..!” Col awasthi ordered and Rini came back from the ghostly world.

“She didn’t die? Then who died in her place?” she was shocked.  Col Awasthi’s battered and mutilated body was found during the clean up after the encounter with the terrorists..! She had killed seven of them single handedly and had laid down her body for the nation...! And now she was standing there in thick of the events, planning and executing... Being with Rini like a shadow, keeping a vigilant eye on her... reporting, planning, changing the route.. leading the team...being an insider...! Rini’s eyes filled with pride...! Col Awasthi’s small figure loomed tall over the horizon, engulfing Rini completely, her role model..! 

“Vicky...?!! “ Rinit said ghostly...! Vinit looked at her shocked...!

 “Yes.. Vicky.. he is with those fishermen...” Rinit stepped out of that dingi into the waters..!

“No.. wait..!” Col Awasthi held her hand..! .

“Mission not accomplished, yet..!” Awasthi handed over the gun and Rini turned her back on them and walked away through the thinly flowing river water.  Vinit looked at the vanishing figure and sighed...! He too had his mission incomplete... He needed to find out the other camps... !! 

Rini walked out of the River and stood on the bank for a brief while thinking hard...!

“Rini...!” Vinit stood next to her.  She was shocked to see him...!

“Why are you here?” she hissed..! A shrill whistle echoed ....! He made some weird whistling sounds .... A silhuiet of camel appeared on the horizon.  Rini gaped... and soon the scatterred herd was back... loaded with ammunitions and portable rocket launchers...! 

“Take these...!” he said holding her at arms length...!

“There has to be some fight! Right?” she grinned and wrestled strangling him...! He hit her with the butt of his gun and she fell on the ground... he removed his chopper and she graoned in pain taking the chopper slash on her arm...! Vinit vanished in no time... Rini got up with efforts... looked around ... the coast was clear... there was no one barring a couple of camels, and  yaks.. with some warfare weaponry on their backs..! Rini held the rein of the camel and moved limping badly...! 

She saw Awasthi jumping off the dingi and crossing the river ...! She smiled saluting her hero...! 

***********   *********  **********

 “Beta...!” Salil didn’t know from where to start.  Dhaa stared blankly at him.

“Umm... I mean... May be.. Ravi is busy... or in some problem... I mean...if we couldn’t meet him...” he fumbled for words.  Dhaa merely nodded...! 

“I mean... Disha...!” Dhaa looked up at once sceptically.  Salil shook his head..!

“No... I mean.. we are going to Ravi’s house... but you know... just in case... I mean...if.. we,,!” Dhaa looked away.  She had anticipated this issue.  She nodded a bit.

“Ok. Papa..! Let us see...! And of course Disha didi is always there...!” she tried to smile... Salil couldn’t see her face with tears in his eyes...! 

“Kaisa naseeb leke aai hain yeh ladaki? Her destiny was taking twists and turns, one wouldn’t bear in one lifetime..!” he looked away wiping his eyes.  Dhaa wrapped silence turning her head...! 

******  ********  ********

“Yes, Mr. Rahman... Yes.. Oh!.. Yes Yes... I will do it..! Yes Ok..! Yes...!” Mrs. Russel ran into the kitchen while Sanyogita watched her ruefully.

“Poor Lady... She doesn’t know... what my dear son is into..!” she sipped relaxed.  Mrs. Russel came out with her car keys...!

“Will be back soon...!” she said and went out hurriedly.  Sanyogita ignored for a moment and her eyes flashed...! This was her chance.. .. chance to search for the keys...! She got up with agility and dashed to Sayajirao’s bedroom first...! Her desperate search started....!

“Damn...You Saya...!” Sanyogita threw a file on the floor.  The papers scattered....! She picked them up scanning them connivingly...! 

“Ok...! This should do...Let me see...!” she picked up her keys... closed the door behind her and raced away, with the file...! 

********  ******  *****

“A what?” Disha almost screamed....! 

“Yes... Disha...That's true...Finally....!” Banu said pressing his hand on his chest.  Disha had already started praying, closing her eyes... Bhanu drove on happily.  Disha burst out in tears..!

“Oh! Dhaa... my Baby sister...!” her heart filled with happiness with the possibility of meeting her sister and father...! 

“Oh! Bhanu...!” She kissed him hard and he smiled happily. 

“I am so happy...!” Disha said hugging Bhanu...! 

“You know, what, Disha? Sometimes I fail to understand you...!” Disha raised her eyebrows questioningly...!

“You were the one to oppose their wedding... You were the one who raised questions about uncle and Ravi’s character... You were the one ....!” Bhanu couldn’t continue as Disha interrupted him.

“I know... I did all I could to stop the wedding... I was the one who was disappointed with Dhaa’s behavior... But now that she is married... I must help her to make it a success... To be happy in her married life... to spend her life with her life partner... I am an Indian, after all...!” she said proudly.  Bhanu turned to Disha and pouted a kiss...! 

“My Indian wife...!” he winked and Disha rested her head on his shoulder...! Bhanu pulled over at the parking lot of the Airport..!