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“Damn...! Pick up the phone, Ravi...!” Sayajirao swore...! Ravi failed to answer the call... He was busy deploying the security systems in a Data Center..! 

“Mrs. Russel...!” Saya called back home again...!

“Yeah...She is alright...!” Mrs. Russel Squeaked happily.

“What?” Saya couldn’t believe his ears..!

“Yes Mr. Deo... talk to her..!” 

“He...Hello... Da...Daddyji..” Dhatri stuttered.

“Dhatri...! Thank God! You are Ok.!” Saya breathed a relief.

“What happened, Beta?” he asked..

“N... Nothing... J..Just slipped ...” She said smiling inwardly.  

Mrs. Russel had dragged Dhatri out of the pool and was frantically banging on her heart to revive.  Dhatri had just opened her eyes and Mrs. Russel had turned ashen faced seeing a ghost.  Dhatri had gently pushed her away and had sat up.

“Wha... What?” Mrs. Russel found her voice return to her throat.  By that time Dhatri had got up and was walking away.  Mrs. Russel struggled to her feet and ran behind her.

“Baahoo... “ She had held Dhatri’s hand.  Dhatri smiled faintly shivering with cold.

“I go and change..” she had said pointing at her drenched state.  Mrs. Russel had run behind her to help.  

Dhatri had grabbed her clothes and went into the bathroom.  Patting herself dry and wearing warm clothes she had sat on the edge of the bath tub...

There was no one around and Dhatri had sat on the edge on the pool.  Someone had pushed her and she couldn’t see who it was.  She had tried to prop her head above the water and was forced underwater with a heavy object, pushing her further down into the water.  She was struggling... going breathless... She had only one option....  ‘Thanatosis ‘...Feigning death, which she had learnt during her lessons on survival. For one final try, she had propped her head above the surface and inhaled...one last time.  She had stopped struggling and her lifeless.. breathless body floated on the pool water.  She was dead for all practical purposes and the predator had moved away drowning her successfully.  Dhatri was dragged out of the pool before she could regain....! 

She remembered...~ She had almost drowned her Papu Mari ... The rigorous morning training session was over.  Grumpy had punished her with no food in the morning... He asked her to take a dip into the lake and be ready for the next gruesome exercise.  Her rage going over board she jumped into the lake... swam across underwater and had surfaced on the other side.  Pulling herself out of water she had plastered soft sticky mud all over her necked body (Another survival lesson to protect oneself from scorching heat insect bites) and ran into the woods....!

Papu mari had come searching for her and had found her dress on the edge of the pond.  No one had seen Dhatri coming out of the waters.  They only had seen her diving into the water from the rock above.  Papu mari had dived into the pond in search of Dhatri ...  Dhatri was nowhere... Papu mari had kept her search on and now grumpy also had joint along with other divers....

With the night fall Dhatri had returned from the woods with belly full of fruits and tubor nector.  She saw her papu mari lying on the ground and grumpy was still in the pond searching for Dhatri’s body..! 

“Baby...!” someone screamed seeing her in a mud soaked condition hiding behind a tree and Dhatri had turned on her heels running away at jet speed.  But a bigger boy was faster and he had caught her.  Grumpy had given her the due punishment and papu mari had cried her heart out holding her to the heart, for no reason...! 

“Baby... Please don’t do this again...!” she had pleaded between her sobs.  Grumpy had another round of cane spanking and Dhatri was crying her heart out in pain.  Somewhere in the midnight she had opened her eyes to see herself on grumpy’s laps and he was massaging and daubing neem paste on her wounds...! She had kicked him hard in the chest with all her might and rage.  He had pinned her down and continued daubing the paste....! She had slept peacefully plopping her head on his shoulder...! 

“Baahoo?” Mrs. Russel tapped on the bathroom door gently and Dhatri had come out of her childhood memories.  She had opened the door smiling, smelling coffee...! Sayajirao had called...! 

 “Beta, what happened?” he asked.  She didn’t know what to answer.  She didn’t want panicky spread all around either. 

“Nothing...” she said and there was a silence....! Hurriedly she continued...

“I can swim...!” she said to his relief and Mrs. Russel grinned happily.  

*****  *********  ******

“Someone pushed me in the pool....wanting me to drown...!” Dhatri thought... But decided to keep it to herself..as she had not seen the person.  The door bell rang and Sayajirao dashed in.  Dhatri came out of her room.

“Dhatri, beta kaisi ho?” he asked her with worry.  She merely nodded.  She saw Sanyogia leaning against the door.

“When did you come?” asked Mrs. Russel asked, shocked.  Sanyogita glanced at Dhatri, sidelining the question, raising her voice asked...

“Whats going on?” Sayajirao had picked up the clue.

“Where were you?” he asked her suspiciously and she turned to him...!

“Had gone out, Saya...! I told you... I am leaving this Monday and had to meet someone...!” she was vague enough ... Saya looked around...His phone buzzed.

“Ravi...” he said pleasantly.

“Yeah..! Just that I reached home...” he said not wanting to tell him anything.  Dhatri had come out...!

“You want to talk to her?” he thrust his phone in Dhatri’s hand...!

“Y..Ya.. I am fine..Yes... Humm... !” she only responded to his querries ... looking around shying ...!

“T..Take care...A... And come home... s...soon..!” she finally gathered courage, turning her back on everyone and said in a bere whisper.

“Yeah... Dhaa... only two days...!” Ravi assured her.  She sighed disconnecting the phone.  Hearing his voice, she missed him more...! 

*********   ******  ******

They had gathered for dinner.  Sayajirao was unusually quiet and Sanyogita still was sipping her drink before the food. 

“Ahem. Huff... “ he pulled out a paper from his pocket...and gave it to Sanyogita...!

“What is it, Saya... I don’t want anything...I just want your love... Saya... I just want to relive those old magical days...!” she said dreamily clutching the paper.  Sayajirao swallowed and glancing at Mrs. Russel, making sure she was listening to him, said...

“Its your booking... in the motel...You can check in the night...!” 

“What?” Sanyogita got up with a jerk.  Dhatri looked up at once.

“Umm  Its near the airport... So you can board the flight on Mpnday..!” he said avoiding to look at her.  

“Fine...!” Sanyogita sat down fuming... “Can I finish my drink? Or do you want me to have it in the hotel room?” she asked scathing...! Sayajirao looked away refraining from reacting.  He didn’t want her around when Dhatri was alone at home....! 

“Oh! I got it...! A new find has arrived... You won’t need a old woman now... She is here... raw... curvy...at your service...” Sanyogita had lost her mind as she gulped a large drink...! Sayajirao looked pale, drained out...Mrs. Russel dropped the plate.  Sanyogita had got up fuming with rage...!

“Old habits die hard, Saya... Like father, like son...! Remember? Your father tried to rape me once...!” she turned to Dhatri...

“And you... whoever you are... beware of this family...! But of course... You would want him... with your husband going away every now and then... you would want a man... you subhuman creature.... you...!” But before she could continue...Dhatri had got up.. sensing the tension... She had shut her ears not wanting to know what she was ranting.. She only had understood that this woman was alleging her daddyji... she must defend... she must defend...!

“Stop...!” Dhatri yelled and came around.  Holding Sayajirao’s hand firmly asked...

“When is she leaving daddyji? Should I get her bags?”  Sanyogita’s rage saw no boundary...

“You... you filthy girl... You are asking me to leave from my house? This is my house.. and this is my husband....! You are an outsider.... Just move out of this house with your so called husband... who doesn’t even have guts to move out of his father’s shelter even in his adulthood...! You swine...!” she had lost control.... Dhatri had clasped Sayajirao’s hand stopping him from doing anything.  Mrs. Russel knew her limits....She would refrain from interfering..! 

“You.. you... filth... you should have....” she suddenly stopped...in shock.  She was about to let out ....

“Go...!” Dhatri hissed spitting fire... threatening her.. Like a cornered cat..! 

“Saya.....!” Sanyogita had suddenly changed her stance... she came a step forward with teary eyes....!

“No!... Sayajirao staggered back holding Dhatri’s hand...! He wouldn’t let anything to happen to Dhatri.  

“I think.. you should leave...!” He said firmly and Sanyogita stopped....!

“You? You want me to go, Saya? I am your wife... I love you...!” she continued playing a victim card...!

“Your father.... and that old man...They broke us apart... Saya.... Remember? Those magical days.... I couldn’t even see anything beyond you...Saya... We love each other.... !” she sobbed and Sayajirao swallowed... He just wanted this to get over....! Dhatri looked at Daddyji’s moist eyes....

“He loves her?” for a second she thought so....

“Go!” Sayajirao had said firmly and then turning to Mrs. Russel... said

“Please help her pack her bags, Mrs. Russel...!” Mrs. Russel nodded with relief... She had seen this drams many a times before and Sayajirao letting down his guard...before Sanyogita’s drama.. ending up paying her huge money....! 

“Saya... For God Sake.. Don’t do this... I am your wife..!” Sanyogita had clutched Sayajirao’s hand by now and was all set to push Dhatri aside.

“No! You are not my wife...!” For the first time Sayajirao said jerking away her hand...!

“Leave... Now!” he said and she turned fuming...!

*********   ******

“Saya...!” Sayajirao looked at Sanyogita with all her baggage in the living room....

“Wish.. I had seen my son before going...!” she said dabbing her eyes.  Dhatri still by his side, Saya shook his head a bit...!

“I will tell him ... He will come and meet you...!” Sayajirao said still not buging to her tactics..!

Sanyogita turned to leave....!