Mishal Raheja as Major Dutta Patil
Painful Rapture: Chapter 42
"now go we in content"..Shakespeare
Khan was smothered by her colleagues avid interest in nothing short of , but from the horse's mouth report of what transpired in her life. Kapur ,Bhatnager, Tiwari, pushed her in the direction of the canteen. Kapur looked at her , his eyes searched for some untold hint, that may soothe his heart. Khan with her narrow oriental eyes scored their faces that were desperate for a rapid shot of sensationalism. She sipped her tea and her wide mouth stretched into a smile ,as it revealed her patent slightly chipped top incisor, " kya , hai tum logon ne tu mujhe film star bana diya hai! reporters ke theran you're on my case big time!"she chirped, "nahi, Rajoo,tu fimstar nehi, but jo thujhe wapis lena gaya tha, woh hero zaroor hai, Parekh Sir ka aur pura military school ka !chaal ab out with some tall stories start to finish!, cajoled Tiwari. Khan, held her head back ,a tad taken aback, "what! how did you know that Sir went to collect me? ,"well it was no hidden news ,well ..no it was not formally disclosed or announced for that matter ,but..it was no rocket science for us , who knew your inside story, to deduct that it was official business ,reasoned Kapur, Khan glared at him ,"what are you talking about Kapur, my inside story? there is no scoop, she confirmed. Kapur ,looked straight into her eyes and closed his mouth, after all how could he disclose in front of everyone, that, it was he in the main who speculated the most that she would have perhaps gotten married..he with much relief reviewed her fingers sans a wedding ring, or better still no sign of henna on her hands!. Khan ,decided to over look Kapur's insinuations , twofold ,one she withheld any such personal information which had no current confirmed truth ,and two because she still rejected his advances of affection towards her, especially so in the present climate where by word of her own mouth she had committed, she would marry Wasim...insaan ke zabaan, she firmed up in her thoughts, she began on a lighter, "well the truth of the matter was that there was a slight hiccup in a personal family matter, shall I say a difference in views from my side, slight altercation occurred ,the direct results of which were that I could not leave my family home to resume my duty..so upon learning my rather sensitive state of affairs ,it only seemed appropriate to send my tutor to retrieve me and bring me back to work!",explained Khan, "charming Rajoo! but don't you think this is a bit of a waste of our defence budget in using the services of an accompanied officer ,travel all the way to bring you back! Bhatnagar pointed out, Khan, took in the varied view of her course mate, and replied"from one statistics point of view yes, it is public funding...but on the other hand life is not all about statistics only ,for surely it has to been about situations revolving around human plight too, so professionally, I suspect we all have to follow orders, all types ,even the ones we shy from, but follow we do especially in the field we are in, but what of our commitments to our selves, the internal self, the private self that which is our personal mechanics of who we are..she paused as she noticed their confusion and continued, "in other words Sir was involved in this mission ,for he felt that I was pupil and he my teacher! so he acted in the true spirt of a good teacher!",Khan concluded. They smiled and patted her shoulder,"chaal look! we are all chuffed that you have returned in one piece, and oh by the way, how is your mama jee now ? asked Bhatnagar, in deliberation, clear without a doubt that Khan was not telling it ,nor would she as the story really went, "oh haan he's much better now, but I plan to bring him down to warmer zones once I am posted at a place where I am officially granted accommodation."Khan replied much to everyone's satisfaction. She saw her course mates leave ,and pondered ,there was never any dire need to disclose everything about one's life ,especially at a work place ,if it can be avoided with curt shrewdness, for it means laying oneself open to all sorts of malicious gossip and title tattle...now to off load she has Nakusha!, totally, honourable and upright, yes Sir was a fortunate man to have her as his soul mate , she smiled as she left the cafe ,she almost visually wiped her hands clean, there! the quiz session with course mates was conducted as she wanted, now to all else inquisitive by her sudden departure and sudden arrival, these three would spread the news, so she was well pleased by her first day back accomplishment!
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Naku, walked towards the main reception of the Dera hospital with three boxes of sweet meats tucked under her chin . She smiled, AS, has to the world's exemplary mother in law ,cum mother in the true sense of the word ,trust her to send Naku with homemade ready fresh galebi's to be shared at her work on the colourful occasion of Holi..Naku stopped at the reception desk and un loaded ,"holi Mubarak ho ,ye ap sab ke liya ha , fresh meetha hai, meri hooni wali saas ne bhechji hai.."she added shyly, "saas Naku, she must love you a lot ,sounds more like a mother, Naku blushed and responded, " haan ,pyar kerti hain woh mujhe beti ke theran ,aur muhje bhi bahut pyar hai un se, hamesha se he, is leye kyon ke aaj jo kuch hoon mein ,un ke waja se hoon, unhone he mujhe apna ghar mein jaga de, apni parethia khatam ker ne ke liya.. Naku , proclaimed her affection for her Saab's mother.. also ,even his thought never failed to flood blood into her face and neck, she smiled and moved on to drop yet another box of sweet meats for her boss with the PA. Finally she arrived at the wards and Nandi sat on the visitors seat by her bed side. Naku smiled and presented the box of sweets to patient, with a bright smile, "happy Holi, rangoli!, she teased as she noticed Nandi dressed in a multihued shift dress and red skinny leggings ..hey colourful chick! ,you look so inclined towards the event..ye le have some gelabi...ghar ke hai..home made" ,bragged Naku, Nandi held her hand ,"Hain? did you manage to go home ,but how come you are here I ,don't understand"she said, Naku, smiled ,and looked into Nandi's eyes, "oye don't waste your pretty little brains on it, yess I did go home briefly on my way back from my personal business ,it was in the way that's why, otherwise it was out of question to go home pointedly for Holi ,and that too during working hours ,not done girlie ,not done Nandi so it was like a touch and go situation" divulged Naku. Nandi picked a gelabi between her finger and thumb ,and brought it to her mouth, where she nibbled and crunched into it ,"ookey Naku was he there ,your soldier boy!"? asked Nandi, in expectation of an equally tasty answer as the sticky gooey confectionary.. "he was ,maintained Naku, and Nandi pulled a face on account of the short shrift answer, and decided to wheedle Naku to throw out some "oh la la answers"!, "pata hai kya Naku, I have watcched the serials ,and every single one carried a scene ,a very touchy ,feely scene between the hero and heroine, now let me see ,you had the gathering of the heroine in his arms by the love torn hero ,then you had the frozen in time interchange of their pupils, graduating further into a close hug where by the heroine rests her cheek against the hero's chest.. then finally you had the brushing each other's cheeks with powder colour..ab bol Naku tera saath kiya hoya? asked Nandi, and Naku just sat and smiled her lower lip parted and slanted to the side at Nandi's half amusing recounts of the popular observations, "well if you must know Naku it was the last one, blushed Naku, Nandi dissatisfied moaned ."bas sirf ek dossera ka gaal per rang liya !that's so boring Naku! I expected more from your Major man!, "but I didn't Nandi, I know him well, itna bhi unhoone ne ker diya bahut tha , what with his sisters and mother ,and others around , I don't think so, you see he has his own style, exclusive" ,defended Naku, "oehy ,hoey! Naku, tere tu life set hai! ya phir Major Shahib ke! kuch bhi kera ,he'll get away with it, kyon ke pata hai ke biwi wohi expect kerti hai ,ju woh karta hai!..so technically no dissension ! sab smooth sailing haina Naku?" premised Nandi, as she found Naku in agreement by her silence! Naku got up on her feet and announced "ok mademoiselle! We need to get our act together now ! enough of the dilly dallying now! So let's see you walk on your crutches to the physiotherapy room... Nandi grabbed her arm crutches ,and independently balanced herself and began her walk ,with an air of reasonable confidence ,as Naku walked by her side ,her breath held with some unease, lest Nandi missed her mechanical, almost mathematical sequential rhythm of which leg first and next.. well pleased they arrived at the vast, therapy room. Naku raised her hand as she touched Nandi's arm , with a word of praise which was imperative Naku thought, in an mammoth endeavour like Nandi's ..finding her feet! "Well done, Nandi, you have done it yet again! ok today! like I told you before the session will involve, teaching you how to sit yourself down, and then how to get yourself up from a sitting position, both of course using your crutches, "explained Naku, and she signalled her patient to crutch herself towards the spacious arm chair with arm rests,.."Ok now Nandi once you approach a chair you want to sit on, support yourself with your crutches in one hand, yes great, tha'ts right ,now Nandi place your free hand on the arm rest of the chair, excellent!, inspected Naku, ,"ok now lower yourself with the other hand into a sitting position, well done! now how do you feel ?asked Naku with a smile, Nandi , somewhat over came with emotion, vouched "Naku how do I feel? well such an insignificant feat in reality but carrying it out now is nothing more than highly significant! really" Naku ,received her patient's answer, however tied back the next action into the existing task, "ok Nandi my poppet now the reverse action.. rising up from a sitting position, ok hold both crutches in one hand, again, now this time ensure the tips of the crutches are firmly on the floor, yes that's the way Nandi, ok now Nandi take your time ..and then push yourself up on the armrest of the chair with your free hand and support yourself with the crutches! see it's basically reversing the previous action stressed Naku as she watched Nandi carry out the treatment ..Naku, asked Nandi to practice her walk a few more times in the room, alongside the sitting and rising positions she had learned today, Nandi was a good patient indeed and Naku, decided to reward her, plus assess her input amongst the public..."ok what do you say to a short walk in the garden area of the hospital? she suggested. Nandi was game! and not before long Naku took her patient down the short corridor into the garden area, past the recreation and tv lounge. Nandi paused a bit on her crutches and Naku looked at her sideways, filled with apprehension, "are you tired Nandi?, she hesitated, Nandi smiled with mischief on mind, "tv dekhan Naku?saas bahu ke drame?"she jabbered as she turned to step into the lounge , Naku grabbed her by the arm, "you must be joking Nandi, same old kitchen politics! I doont think so! besides I don't have any intention of making you into a couch potato! you need to be walking to ensure circulation to your legs , you want them up and running don't you?" professed Naku with no nonsense firmness, Nandi smiled, "see Naku again you are acting like your man! I pity him! for I am sure there are many moments where he confronts himself in the form of pretty female!, Major versus Major! she asserted, as she crutched towards the garden. Naku just shook her head as she walked beside Nandi, "nope Nandi I am no way like him, he's disciplined, stoic, grounded ,invincible... yet mysteriously unpredictable! she added and giggled as she really wanted to say and has a foul temper! ..but didn't till they finally found a bench without handles, Naku crooned "this is unbelievable! ab tu kaise baithe gi is bench pe? she questioned irritated, and after a pause acknowledged, "haan abhi tu main hoon I'll help you, but.., she helped Nandi to sit and went off to make a quick count of the benches, four of them without handles. She returned and sat down beside Nandi, "what were you doing Naku? quizzed Nandi ,"well I was making a note of provision for the disabled in this garden area, Nandi, ab see what happened to you ,had this bench had wrought iron handles ,at least you could have managed your sitting and raising postures unaided..."condemned Naku, "yes that's true Naku", agreed Nandi as she looked on at Naku engulfed in pensiveness, this woman is over and above her call of duty, always on the lookout for health and safety issues as well.. Nandi held in thoughts, however perked up and asked ,"Naku why did we not use the main door ,to come here?, Naku answered ,"because Nandi that has stairs...and that reminds me that the next lesson I need to give is going to be all about descending and climbing stairs ! so till then, we use the knowledge and practice of what you do know!. Nandi noticed that people within the garden area ,some existing patients recognisable due to their pyjamas and dressing gowns, and others just plain visitors ,never failed to give her a rather prolonged stare..she looked into the distance of the garden and appeared deep in thoughts .Naku nudged her ,"hey a penny for your thoughts!, Nandi smiled with a nod , "nehi kuch nehi Naku..bas was just reflecting that since I came here people keep looking at me, I am trying to work out ,is it that they pity me ? they probably say to themselves , bechaari lardki , itne young age mein crutches use ker reha hain.. makes me feel down Naku ,why do our bodies sometimes unknowingly, talk in a manner that can be hurtful to others", Naku shook her head to show disagreement. "oh don't be silly Nandi ,log ye bhi tu sooche sakte hain ke is adventurous girl ne kya aisa keya hoga ga? some acrobatic! some energetic exploits!, so now you tell me what have you accomplished Nandi? ..waited Naku. Nandi smiled ,and replied ,my act is that I have made friends with a super woman !testified Nandi with a nod. Naku who was never any good best of days, at receiving compliments was a bit taken by surprise, she had expected Nandi to say ,her biggie had to be her ability in attempts to walking! but no, the young girl applauded her, which Naku could not accept entirely.. but Nandi continued in a reflective mode, "Naku , I can see the up side of things with these crutches ,so I could see the light hearted side ,which you pointed out ,but Naku you know and I know that for me this is a temporary phase..now what about people for whom it may be long term disability..how do they come around to accept that? Naku ,looked at her eyes, "pata hai Nandi, as much or as little that I know about life, I think if given a choice ,a person with a sane disposition would chose to live rather with physical impediments than die..but this is entirely my view Nandi, views over disabilities differ, but this I know that out dated views of disabled people being freaks of nature and therefore social pariahs are now readily challenged and increasing numbers are now incorporated in jobs ,education, government, family units more than they did a decade ago, for now as you are aware disability comes under the banner of equal opportunities, besides day and day out, new therapies ,new contraptions are being manufactured to facilitate patients independence", Naku explained as though life was so simple and trend oriented ,but Nandi thought otherwise, "well in the real world you will find that people are discriminated due to their disabilities, apart from faith,race and gender bias, pata hai mere friend ko job nehi mila because she had a slight hearing disability, and to top it all she wore a hearing aid to show she was doing all to be part of a normal healthy environment.. and to consider applicants with disabilities ,Naku was on their job specification ..yet she was rejected ,and what was worse Naku, she knew that, as it was pointed out to her in an overt manner by the interview panel, and therefore she suffered a blow to her self esteem"... Naku heard ,Nandi's plea, and emphathized with a supported response, "haan Nandi ,especially after dealing with patients that require help in overcoming a physical hindrance, I too belief that someone with a disability ,be it long or short term has no less right to enjoy life, than their counter parts , i.e livability than disability! however in actual fact, there are many issues that need answers, like how best we can make use of existing resources to facilitate the needs of the physically challenged?.. she paused, "like here today, providing additional armrests to theses benches".. but still more is needed, to raise public awareness to the difficulties faced by such people, perhaps launched with a fund raising event ,for Nandi, fulfilling needs in such areas requires funding", asserted Naku. They both made their way back to the hospital, both preoccupied with the notion, who would have contemplated that a moment in the park would tinkle these thoughts.
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Dutta smart and stout in his camouflaged combat uniform , beret perched in a slant on his square head, kliptikloped! towards his boss's office ,as he almost dug his heels on the polished and in reasonable speed scoured the steps. He was ambushed by a selection of his uniformed outs with hurried salutes , and exclamations of what he believed to be joy ..without stopping he nodded, pulled his mouth to one side and his narrow eyes dished out what the pupils could have sworn by a minuscule smile ! they looked on as he kliptikloped and his tall elegant commanding frame disappeared around the corner of the long corridor .Dutta, pulled his combat top, smartened his shiny black leather belt and knocked at the door, to Parekh's office. Once the door was opened by Brig. Parekh's secretary, Dutta knew there would be an official air around this meeting between him, Parekh and Khan, he nodded to the secretary as she smiled and showed him to his seat at the small formal oval table ,that appeared less formal than a court room proceeding but still official enough to spell out that this was not a tea party for three! With another knock on the door Khan entered and saluted both her seniors and stood before them, to attention ,head held high ,hands behind her back. Parekh, with a spread of palms ,spoke "do be seated officers," and both Dutta and Khan sat facing each other formally ,while Parekh occupied the mid portion of the table so he could maintain eye contact with them ,and also reserve his presiding senior officer role. He placed his arms length wise on the table and looked at Khan with a straight firm face. "ok officers this as you may have well judged by now is the first step towards , we need to now take further from here ,with regards to, he nodded Khan," your rather if I may say so, peculiar house arrest by your family, most odd ! he repeated, "now it's my duty to pull you up on the fact that you failed to report your delayed absence to the proper channel , i.e, the attendance section of this school ,instead you decided that you would inform and involve another civilian, guided by a whimsical notion that she was a friend ,would you be good enough to tell us what we are ?your foes?..oh come on officer! have you passed the fact that you are enlisted in the army, and as yet still undertraining, into oblivion! what the devil possessed you! ?answer me ? demanded Parekh. Khan looked at Dutta with clear effects of being shell shook! Dutta raised an eye brow and folded his chin ,in a yes tell us attitude, which made Khan realize she was alone on this one ,in a spilt of a second she decided on the best option for her, " Sir! under the circumstance that I was in, it was my only option, to tell a friend ,for I had faith in her that she would relay the message to the right channels ,but Sirs, I recognise the folly of my ways, and gracefully accept whatever is meted out to me" ,she admitted with her head held, Parekh withdrew back a bit at her compliance, but Dutta continued with a resonance and command in his voice, "officer you need to realize in the main ,that in a disciplined work environment ,there are certain ground rules that are set in stone ,as standard policy to keep the wheels ticking, now if one individual due to a bad decision steps out of line ,so to speak , there is a domino effect all along.. there is accountability that has to be adhered to , your act does not only make you answerable to us ,but it makes us answerable also to the tier above us, we have to provide justifications! but it appears for the moment officer, you need to grasp attentiveness towards this issue ",he alleged. Khan half dared to meet his narrow cold gaze and said a clear and loud, "yes Sir! .Parekh nodded towards Dutta and then carried on ,"ok, now, it is my duty to apprise you both that after having spoke to the base commander about the complete case , and after taking into consideration the seriousness of the incident, whereby a civilian holds an army personnel under house arrest, we have come to the conclusion that there would be an army conducted trial, with lawyers provided to both sides ,and if the appointed jury finds the defendant guilty than there would be a sentence in accordance with the army law and regulatory system"..Parekh paused for a moment for Khan to gather the information, and then he continued in his formal manner, the date of the proceedings would be duly noted to the defendant in due course"..promulgated Parekh as he looked at Khan, who appeared white as a sheet, "ummhh Officer Khan ,we are stopping for a short coffee break ,I suggest you take a short breather too" hinted Parekh, and watched a crest fallen Khan leave his office. Parekh sat at his desk this time as he sipped his black coffee ,"so what do you think Dutta?, and before Dutta who sat rigid and up right in front of his boss ,hands stiffly posted on his knees, could respond ,Parekh rattled on, "what do these bloody civvies think they can push us round? I mean Dutta this old fogey takes the mick! cheek! to keep an officer as a prisoner, I bet he didn't know what was coming!".. professed Parekh, Dutta watched his senior officer in reserved silence , he of course agreed with Parekh's views about holding an army personnel prisoner, his heart whispered emotions he preferred not to hear ,but his heart did get the better of him and he matched it with a certain degree of reason, "now I understand full well the implications of this serious incident if left unaddressed ,but it did cross my mind that is there a way out? given the fact that it was resolved without any form of resistance from the said defendant, surely this would be a key ploy that the defence lawyer is likely to use, promulgated Dutta to an all ears Parekh. Parekh ,nodded in response to his very able officer, "there is a way out Dutta...if she decides to drop the charges that she was kept as a prisoner against her wishes.." said Parekh, paused for an instant, and then continued, "but it has to come from her Dutta! not from you influencing her decision or suggesting it to her as an easy option to come of this bloody mess she is responsible for herself! now if I were you I would let her squirm and swelter for a bit, as part of punishment for her non professional behaviour! fumed Parekh. Dutta decided to speak up in her defence ,and also to save Parekh from further embarrassment, "Sir if I may shed some light on the matter" , he asked and Parekh nodded, so Dutta continued "because the actual truth as I know it is that, Khan was called by her mamma due to his illness , now she did not suspect what was in store for her, so really Sir , she went with good intentions to tend to her ailing relative ,the only one she has if I may also add ,however when she got there she found other another hidden agenda , but she stood her ground more so Sir as a woman, ok may be not much as she should have as an officer, but are we then going to penalise her guardian for that?, think about that in terms of supporting and promoting harmony between soldiers and their families" Dutta made known, while he paused and finally finished off, "that's all I have to say in her defence both as her senior officer and her tutor. Parekh ,looked at him and smiled, "you know son of a gun you may be born with your finger on a trigger but your heart sure is in the right place Dutta, never short of compassion!..
Under the orders of Brig. Parekh, Khan once again entered the office and saluted as she waited to be seated . Dutta stood as a mark of respect and very briefly noted her eyes appeared slightly puffed out ,he lowered his own eyes bit his lower lip and turned his head the other way . Finally all three sat ,and before Parekh could start, Khan squared her shoulders nervously and in a clear voice sought permission to speak, Parekh, nodded in consent and Khan began, "Sir, I have to admit ,I am very devastated buy the repercussions of this entire occurrence, like I accepted before, I am willing to the bear the brunt as far as facing the worst case scenario ,decommissioning " , she stuttered with a gulp "but the last thing on earth I want is to have my elderly and ill relative subjected to gruelling court proceedings which are being carried out so he can be convicted... it would kill me and worst of all Sir it would cut me off from him forever,.. the only relative I have, for if he is found guilty he would hate me for life, and I could not live with his hate, so hence forth Sir ,I respect the army's stance and cannot ask you to treat me with empathy , but after careful thought I have decided to drop the charges of being kept prisoner in my own house by my mamma, so without my charge there is no case, as such Sir, specified Khan with a bit more confidence. Parekh and Dutta exchanged a furtive glance and Parekh spread his palms on the table and questioned, "and how do you justify your extended absence officer Khan?, she looked up with her head held high ,Sir! it was to nurse my mama back to health, so it was leave taken to tend to next of kin", professed Khan. Parekh looked at Dutta with a do not intervene look!, and accepted Khan's reason for absence, but firmed up his expression and announced, "you officer, will receive your share of punishment ,now let this be clearly recorded he looked towards his PA...that officer Khan is served with a formal written reprimand for future uninformed absences, should this recur, action would be taken on the next disciplinary level", Parekh said curtly and gave Khan a cold look and felt the need to further assert the gravity of the matter," may I remind you officer ,your attendance and punctuality are vital inclusions of your personal portfolio! kindly take on board the gravity of the issue ,and with regards to the case against your family member, the school requires a formal written letter stating your withdrawal of charges against he said defendant, is that understood he commanded. Khan replied in affirmative, "yes Sir!". Brig. Parekh paused and stood up ,as Dutta too stood up with his hands behind his back, as he alongside Khan, and waited for Parekh ,to utter his verdict, "ok ,given the fact that you an army officer ,have herself dropped the charges against your maternal uncle for holding you against your free will, the Military school authorities will not be carrying out any further proceedings regarding this case...the matter is closed, you are dismissed officer! ordered Parekh, and Khan saluted and receded from Brig .Parekh's office. Parekh looked at the his tall young officer ,the best of the finest!, "well my boy, another feather in your cap, what would I do without you Dutta ? tell me chap ,once you finish tutoring what are your next set of plans ? Dutta lowered his eyes, and pulled his lower lip into his mouth hard and gently compressed it to maintain formality ,and with a butter would not melt in his mouth expression of the eyes ,loosened his lips and replied, "I think AS wants me married ,Sir!",he said briefly, and Parekh confronted him with a tease question, "and you Dutta ?, don't you want to see your self married? or I dare say, are you having second thoughts about giving your independence ,eh! laughed Parekh, Dutta moved his jaw a tiny bit and replied, shyly, with a twinkle in his wide school boy eyes "I guess that's one house arrest I am looking forward too! Sir!, and Parekh stood with his head thrown back in shock, at Dutta's slight melt down...Dutta saluted and made way towards his office, ...tu lagan hone de Naku phir kaun kis ko bandi banaey ga dekha jayega ,he smiled furtively ...
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Half the day was over as Dutta, carried out rapid changes to the teaching for the late afternoon, session, he pressed a few buttons on the phone in his office "yes Major Dutta, here I was wondering if there is a possibility that I could bring my class for a teaching and handling session of the light support weapons in the hands on room! " he asked briefly ,upon hearing an affirmative he left his office and headed towards his classroom and they all stood to attention. He stood before them, feet slightly apart, hands held behind his back, not an eye batted as he gazed at them with narrow intent eyes, his jaw firm and fixed. He bowed once and they took the order to sit themselves down, backs stiff and upright fingers poised on knees, !"right ,first of all I am pleased to note that your behaviour has been reported as impeccable during my absence , so I am likely to let you off earlier than usual, to occupy your selves in recreational activities of your choice, erhh on the premises, but before that there is a change to the timetable ,we will be heading for the light weaponry hands on department, I suggest you take your note books with you for jotting down main pointers, ordered Dutta .The class cheered up in semblance and their roll of the eyes at each other said it all! to everyone, Dutta blanked out the at mass change of expression, and ordered them to file up in mixed gender pairs and follow his booted steps .The corridor rung out with united lift and drop of boots as they smartly marched towards the small weapons study enclave, in the building. Once in the outs looked in fascination at the arms displayed on sturdy wood tables, complete with weapon handling method and instruction booklets. The room itself was a high ceiling, old Victorian style semi cemented and semi wood panelled ,amply spacious with tall Georgian windows that let through lots of natural light in. Round the room sturdy wooden tables with thick curved legs held the small arms on board. Within the inner space were metal foldaway chairs for pupils, and an old Victorian comfy armchair with padded arm posts , Dutta looked at the chair and raised an eye he wouldn't be sitting in that if he had his way, he slanted his mouth and clasped his palms in front of him, "ok officers if we can gather here ,please grab a chair so we can begin, he stretched his muscular arm and scrawled in bold with his pen, "small arms and support weapons, is what we shall be looking at today in this room, now as you are aware, soldiers are trained by an armoury of powerful and versatile weaponry from grenades to heavy machine guns, this then officers happen to be the tools for the soldiers' task of taking and holding ground"!, emphasized Dutta as he delivered factual looks to the all attentive officers," now you may recall you have covered the long range rifles, during the course, today we continue to look at small arms, focussing first of all on this beauty here, he walked across to the table and held up A3 long range rifle. Bhatnager, raised her hand ,"Sir how does this differ from the first rifle you mentioned, she asked, Dutta folded his chin ,"well this one in particular is for snipers!, now as you are aware a sniper fulfils a vital and enduring role on the battlefield ,he paused a moment and slanted his mouth ,then continued, "snipers are important in terms of intelligence gathering, target identification and eliminating high value targets", he revealed. He passed the weapon around with his perfectly manicured hands, "you see officers the Snipe S, is as you can see a large calibre weapon, please pass it around and comment on the features, Khan held it ,observed the rifle and commented, "Sir it provides state of the art telescopic day and night all weather sights..,Dutta heard and concluded she was always good in this field ,hence he nodded once and continued himself, "ok officers it is designed to achieve a first round hit at 600 metres and harassing fire out to 1000 metres ,such is its potent range" ,informed Dutta as each of his officers ,handled and felt the weapon. Singh ,enquired ,Sir, what would the bullet size be? Dutta bowed his head and raised it up again and replied, "it fires an 8.59mm bullet, but some other features of the Snipe S is night sights, spotting scopes laser range finders"!..continued Dutta. He finally held the rifle between his hands and , with narrow eyes, lectured, "now let me give you a brief demo of the rifle parts, this on the top of the barrel is your day scope, which magnifies up to 25 times allowing the sniper to identify targets more easily, right! here near the grip hand is the folding stock, this reduces the length of the weapon when being carried in a back pack", Dutta explained as he palmed his stubble cheek briefly, "this piece here above the handle is the cheek piece, hummh ,he went ,allows the sniper to comfortably align his eye with the day scope here ,he pointed with his slender finger. He threw the rifle up a tad and caught it again between his palms, "this here at the end of the nozzle is the suppressor , which reduces the flash and the noise signature ..and officers the suppressor also reduces the chances of detection and thus increases the chances of survivability of the sniper, he pointed out. Final two points officers! are ,here beneath the barrel,. you have the adjustable bipod, that allows the sniper to support the rifle in a set position while locating the target, again beneath the barrel close to the trigger ,there is the 5 round magazine which allows the sniper to fire 5 rounds rapidly!" showed Dutta ,and paused and pulled his mouth down and almost raised his eyebrows and with enquiring eyes asked" any questions officers", Kapur raised his palm, and Dutta give a short head butt for a yes, ,"Sir! if you could explain in figures the calibre ,weight and length of this rifle please ,we can make a note .Dutta ,bowed his head once and replied, "as you have seen and felt ,it is a small arm,so the calibre is 8.59mm, the weight, is 6.8kg , the complete length is 1300mm," he made known while he scrawled on the board, eventually he passed the rifle to Kapur so it could be placed on the table where it originally sat. He stopped for a moment and then proceeded, "if you all walk this way to the rifle on this table ,they followed him and he stood on the other side of the table and opened his palm and pointed with his palm to the small arm ,"this then is another small arm ,it's the sharp shooter rifle.. now this can fire 7.62mm rounds, and enhances accuracy during longer range fire fights, the best shots in infantry officers! get to use this! he concluded ,"now that'll be all for today ,officers, so as I said the rest of the evening till bedtime is yours to utilize it as you wish, and oh ! dont do anything I wouldn't do! class dismissed! he declared ,and they all stood straight, saluted ,he saluted back and walked out and headed for his apartment.
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Naku, still in her PT clothes arrived at at Ms.Tendulkar's office and waited to be called in, after a short while she stood in front of her boss. It was clear that her boss was pleased to see her gem of a PT, the best one on the premises, "yes Nakusha, come ,now listen young lady! I have been getting positive feedback about you from nearly all that I have spoken to, you see I have been doing management by wandering around, which means also carrying out unannounced reviews about staff performances, so my dear how best to find out how well you are performing is to ask your patients! who had nothing but praise for you in terms of treatment and application given by you, her boss paused and smiled ," especially that young Nandini, she is doing ever so well ,and she said it was all due to you ,so well done Nakusha, it appears you are in the right place at the right time very fortunate for us ,now tell me ,how may I help you? Ms.Tedulkar encouraged. Naku smiled, slightly aghast by all the unexpected praise showered upon her, but still endeavoured to make her point, "well ma'am funny you should mention Nandini here ,for she alerted me even more to an issue she experienced it this afternoon. Naku recapped the incident , and she found her boss used all the important body language like nods and smiles that implied positivity, which in turn impressed upon her that what she was asked for reasonable and needed. However, it was not meant to be s such, "look Nakusha, I agree, we need benches with handles in the garden area ,but the truth of the matter is we have suffered a loss due to our mobility aids funding being cut ,so nothing can be done this year , next year we can earmark, upgrading the benches from our main budget, but his year we have to let it go am sorry Nakusha, I appreciate your concern for the patients", rejected her boss. Naku heard her boss, but literally squared her shoulders with determination, and asked solidly,"if money is raised by charity alongside awareness raising regrding disability equality, would you and the hospital support me?". Ms.Tendulkar smiled and nodded and Naku decided she would not waste time ,and arose to leave with a brief thank you. Ms.Tendulkar, watched her leave and pondered ,now did she tell me what she plans to do ,or did she seek my permission? ...whatever it was , thought her boss the girl has the spirit of a lioness!
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Naku reached home and changed into her pyjamas and, lifted her bed cover and slid into her bed she pulled out her mans 's kurta from under her pillow and put in on her face and closed her eyes in bliss as Saab's white once worn kurta just lay on her face still she lay,moitionless, but it's presence expedited her breathing from normal to heavy, the smell of his body from his kurta transported her in secret realms of pleasure and his name escaped from her mouth Saab from under the white kurta .She pulled it gently from her face ,full length on her body and lay calm and tranquil under it .
Dutta stripped off his clothes and dived into the cold smooth sheets on top of the chunni crushing it under his weight lay on his belly ,propped up his elbows dug them into the bed and started dreamily into her chuuni under his nose he bowed his head and rammed his face in it and went agrrrh!,Naku, frantically nuzzling his face left right and centre his lips feeling it and finally despondent and frustrated he rest his stubble cheek on it , miss you baaaby! miss you he whined in her chunni and his cheeks flushed and he rolled and lay on his back as he pulled her chunni and lay half of it on his naked hairy chest...he thought would a rotten to the core start of the day ,she was there ,so close , their first flight and all he could perform was a bloody shallow ,controlled want you baaaby though his eyes! ..what? is he coming down down .may be he should have been a bit more up front ! like grabbed her near some quiet corner ,he furrowed his brow ,it's not that he would do a complete Casanova act on her ..only ek hug ka sawaal tha !,just a little holding her petite ,damned bloody attractive body next to mine ,that's all! ,harmless really he thought as his eyes twinkled with up to no good thoughts..hummmh he had to admit she looked prettty sensational in her white shalwar kameez ,especially the curves and the contours areas he smiled as he stroked his face , and tauted his long legs , but hain! ...she is hell bent on packing up the pounds by the incessant eating.. he bit his lip may be she misses me like mad! ,tu depression mein zayeeda kha rehai hai, he thought ,and he lay there as the thought made him chuckle and his hairy torso shook with mirth...ooohh baaaby! ah ja mera pas abhi ke abhi! and he hugged her chunni on his chest and mumbled sweet nothings to it ..love you baaby ..but he soon stopped ,come to think about it why in ruddy hell this woman had rung me yet ,what the hell is she up to? he thought ,and his curiosity plus his madness for her! made him ring her... "huunoon kyon hai? she answered , "gadhi aurat mera sawa aur kaun ho sakta hai! bol!"he yelled, "aacha ap ho Patil Sahib" ,she teased, "hain? bhang pee rakhe hai kya tuna ,Patil sahib ke Kolavari de!" he retaliated, she smiled, "nehi mein ap ke koi nehi hai, muhje koi pyar nehi karte ho ap", bas, kam, kam, kam, kam!, kam se he kyon nehi lagan kar leta hain ap" she moaned, he perked up and replied ,"haan tu kiya hoya hai ,kiya hai lagan main ne kam se , tera se lagan ho bhi gaya to tu dosseri patni he khelyega samjhe Ms.PT!,he warned, "ok if I am to be your second wife Saab than I'd rather be a spinster all my life!" ,retorted Naku, Dutta changed tune ,"oye rok! kya hoya hai baaaby ?aaj bahut hot hai ,but not the way I like it ,mirchee wali hot.. with this taste tera Saab ka mouth is on fire ...so just calm down..tera kya khayal hai, I enjoyed the plane ride ..man baaby I thought we'd sit together and when the lights would dim in the plane, I would land one on your luscious lips ,but salle kiss tu dor ke baat the couldn't even bahane se brush yours lips with mine! ...do you know Naaku tera Saab felt very deprived today , ke sab kuch hota hoi bhi apne pas kuch nehi" ,and he suddenly snorted as he couldn't contain his feigned acting, Naku ,alerted and asked "Saab ap has rehe ho, pun mujhe to hashi nehi ah rehi hai ,mujhe tu roona ah raha hai, hai re ! dekho mera naseeb aaj meri pehli holi the ap ke saath , aur ap ne sirf mera gal pe he rang lagya ,aur kuh nehi..she mock leered , but he rasped "oye tu aur kya kerta main? thujhe gale me latka ka pura ghar mein ghumta ? he yelled, and she gives herself a thumbs up ,"nehi Saab mein na aisa tu nehi kha ?pun ap gala tu laga sakte thein mujhe ,mera haat pukar sakte thein ! mera haath chum sakte thein! he listened patiently and then erupted "aur tera galla bhi daba sakta tha sab ke samne! jhal unparthe aurat ! wahan ,AS ,Baji ,Roops, duno Tai sab ke same mein tera saath ye ouchee harketien karoon Naku! tera dhamak theekh hai ,not in a million years baaby..Dutta itna besharam nehi hai ju family ke samna apne biwi ke pallu mein lipat ke beith jaye got it woman! if not then ruddy get it straight! now! he bellowed, and she smiled you tried to pull my leg ,so there!I have learned a few tricks of the trade too, from your being in your company.. she thought..and she became silent..he unhinged a little and gave in.."chaal choor let's not have a go at each other...talk about something else instead, she felt she need to off load ,so she attempted to ask first, "Saab can I tell you about a work related challenge I am facing, I know you said we would never discuss our work, but Saab I would like to consult you on this one" she beseeched , Dutta propped up slightly in bed his folded arm, tucked under his head, "haan bol Naku main sun raha hoon...",she told him about the fund raising and he replied, "Naku ,I love you in totality , for your ,beauty ,your innocence ,and above all your desire to make a difference by your presence to the world round you..yes of course I am with you on this one completely, talk to Lauren and involve the family as well, Icannot promise If I can get involved due to security reasons ,but will certainly mull over it baaby.. but haan tera Saab tera saath hai ,aur sun ,I am glad you consulted me on this one ,my love..chaal ab jaldi se ek kiss de apni Saab ko ,missed my chances today at PN too! ,tell you what I should have taken one of you, jab tu mera kamre mein aye tha mera kapre nikalne"...he moaned "chaal ab de bhi de ek kiss bring your warm lips next to mine ,she giggled and buried her face in his kurta ,and he buried his stubble face in her chunni and went hummmh,ahhh..niceee" over the phone...and the call ended...to be continued ~ Hamlet.16.3.12
Precap: "Roops ke baachee! Meri taraaf maat dekh, apne kam se kam rekh! yelled Baji..
Edited by Hamlet53 - 13 years ago
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
Bade Achhe Lagte Hain
