Painful Rapture~thread2~ chp.59 ~ pg 144~3.8.12 - Page 8

Mishal Raheja as Major Dutta Patil

Painful Rapture ~ Chapter: 39

"I have no other but a woman's reason"Shakespeare

Naku roused and budged dreamily, opened her beautiful sleep ridden green eyes and shifted her fingers to his white kurta sleeves entwined around her neck. She pushed her legs straight under her quilt and her hands shyly shifted to smooth the rest of his kurta on her bosom and abdomen.. Saaab, uthne ko man nehi hai aaj , she giggled as she kissed his sleeves around her naked neck ,she sniffed deep and ,closed her eyes to make yet make another deliberate attempt to transport herself in the land of his blissful nearness, oohh , his distinct smell of Armani cologne..lingered and she rolled on her side clutched his kurta tightly across her tiny torso and closed her eyes quiet in hidden unprofessed ecstasy ...ap nehi tu ap ka kurta he sehi, she mumbled on his sleeve under her cheek... .Once dressed, she headed towards the wards to tackle the day however, before that she carried out a study of her notes regarding crutches , that Lauren, Saab's PT gave her, during Saab's Rehab. Naku , smiled as she headed for the store room to confirm the presence of a pair of crutches for Nandi, upon seeing them she requested their transport to the PT room..Naku , arrived at the ward and beamed at her patient, "Nandi! kaise hai tu? ready to embark upon a new milestone! a further step towards walking then! encouraged Naku. Nandi as usual two fold excited, one as always at seeing her PT and second at finally heading towards further mobility, "of course in a situation where the PT is so motivating with ever present help, no room is left for the patient but to jump in with both feet she high fived!. Naku, smiled "chaal phir let's head for the therapy room, and charge on with renewed vigour! She sounded off in battle mode as the two headed towards their treatment room, Nandi twisted her neck to catch Naku's flushed face as she walked along side Nandi's self propelled wheel chair, "waise Naku, your language is emerging more and more militant, his company ka assar ,I suspect! ,Nandi giggled, as she aimed for some little natter about Naku's love life .Naku equally jocular, replied, "now my nosy Nandi if you want to know if he took me out for valentine's day ? tu the answer is yes, have to say took me by surprise, it's not like him to follow the crowd he's more of a shaker than a mover! Naku said with an undercurrent pun ,which to her relief went unnoticed by Nandi... but Nandi, being a young single teenager still wanted to know the nitty gritty of the where ?what and how!. Naku, gave her a quick synopsis of how she was brought to the venue, a tent in the middle of a forest, not in a horse drawn carriage but in a simple cab, how she was made to prepare his favourite culinary delights for him ,and how he gave her a worn article of his night clothing as her valentine gift!. Nandi's jaw dropped," oh my word Naku! your man is so innovative ,so original, so one of a kind! ab tu Naku, for sure tere life with him mein ,there'll be never a dull moment"! Nandi exclaimed, with eyes that shone with part envy , part fascination. Naku accepted Nandi's comments, but deep down, reasoned and spoke," what the future holds , dull or lustre Nandi, is still ahead ,so cannot really and truly read too much meaning into it, but yes one can speculate about one's future, as I believe it is self driven to a large extent..and now it's the moment to sort your future!",chirped Naku as she flung open the doors to the therapy room..."viola my dear ,a pair of spanking new walking aids for you! she shouted as she pointed to the pair of crutches. Nandi , looked at them "oh, crutches" she responded, "nooo Nandi not crutches ! but, equipment that will facilitate, assist, and trigger you off to walk, tu bol you up for it? challenged Naku .Nandi nodded with a light salute, in a tease "yes Major! she giggled, as she watched Naku, move towards the mobility aids. "ok Nandi, now look and listen, these crutches here I specifically ordered for you, they are comfortable and practical to use, the double adjustment allows you to adjust crutch length from floor to handle and also to adjust from handle to cuff for improved forearm comfort; Nandi I chose these crutches for you as they are suitable for short term as opposed to permanent use", Naku paused and semi aided Nandi to balance on one crutch, "excellent, Nandi, chaal fit this cuff crutch on your above elbow of your good leg, there well done you have got it !said Naku ,as she saw her patient, and continued, "now, Nandi, if you look at the cuff crutch, it has these anti-rattle screws present on both the crutches , which will reduce crutch noise when you are walking, and also Nandi the closed cuff crutches, allows it to remain on the your arm when the handle is released to carry out tasks", explained Naku, to a nodding yet apprehensive Nandi. "ok Nandi, now tell me what you know about your crutches?, checked Naku for her patient understanding of the contraption under use in current treatment...ok comment on its weight, as you feel, also ,functional ease, quizzed Naku, as she alongside carried out a tick list assessment, Nandi, although in slight fluster ,still answered about her understanding ,"well Naku ,it certainly feels very light weight, and I can carry out double adjustments both from this handle to the floor , and from this handle to my cuff ,and these screws here are special as they don't make these crutches creak when I walk...is that right Naku?, she concluded nervously. Naku, squared her shoulders ,"of course Nandi, spot on! ,but just a couple of things more, the crutches can also be adjusted according to height, and for your information, the handle has a feature name ,Nandi ,it's called ergonomic handle which means ,designed for maximum comfort, efficiency and safety", explained Naku, and soon after decided to give the session a break ,as Nandi tottered a bit, "ok sit on your wheel chair for a few moments and just play around with the crutches ,get a feel of your momentary legs so to speak".. after a few moments Nandi, felt the impetus to have a go at putting herself and the aids to use, "Naku, chaal shall we make a start! I want to see how I fare.. said the expeditious Nandi, Naku smiled, content , she could see that here was her patient , where the spirit was ready now it had to be seen how well the body complies... how crucial it was for the patient to be brought to a point where he or she is goaded from within to receive the healing process, Naku, reflected ,she felt as a PT she could motivate from the onset but, more vital was Nandi's own decision to move on from strength to strength! from the inset! Naku put her tick list aside and announced "ok young lady let's go sound the bugle!", Nandi cupped her fist and sounded off, here was an admixture of jest and attempting a feat for her! Naku bent over her and instructed ,"now here you go Nandi, fit the cuff handles on both your above arms ,ok brilliant! now slowly stand, now what we are attempting is walking on partial or non-weight bearing leg, one leg ,Nandi , got it? explained Naku," now move both crutches and your affected leg 6-8 inches forward, good keep your body balance, ok! now bring your strong right leg forward, bearing most of your weight on the crutches, no Nandi too soon yet to put weight on the left weak leg" guided Nandi as she enacted the instructions. Nandi felt empowered by her resilient fighting spirit and fervently requested, "Naku please I want to see myself walk in this first attempt!" she pleaded. Naku, as her PT knew the iron was hot for the strike, for it was a matter of building Nandi's self esteem too... "and so you shall walk my dearest Nandi abhi! said Naku ,"ok now you attempt partial and full-weight bearing on both your legs, now Nandi gradually, advance right crutch and your weak left foot at the same time...excellent, ok now move the left crutch and your good right foot at the same time, yes good work, now proceed further in the same manner you are doing ,till you get to the end wall of the room, now stop there! and wait for me to help you turn around ,and you can walk back to me", instructed Naku. Once she helped her patient make the turn , she returned and watched with great pride her patients accomplishment, which she attributed all to her patient's, own determination and vigour. Nandi , plodded towards, her PT with a sense of achievement glowing in her face, "yes we did it" she shouted as she stood before Naku, who stroked Nandi's cheek and responded "yes we did it ,but who has put in the effort you my dearest ,you!, ok now Nandi, this type of crutch –walking which you will practice more in days to come ,is just like your normal walk, so for today we call it a day, however from now on, you can use these for short journeys like now from here to your ward, for going to the loo, may be to the TV lounge, however after a week ,I am going to help you work on other uses like climbing the stairs, descending and other movements...now we stop..and you should be very pleased for yourself, as I am, and if I were you Nandi I would give thanks to Bappa and then tell your family of this wonderful news" ,encouraged Naku...and the two emerged one step closer to victory from the therapy room...

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Dutta ,in his wood chip and beige ,combat suit uniform, complete ,with beret on head ,all the ribbons and buttons visible , strode heavily in his above ankle black combat boots ,he nodded left and right ,as required to answer salutes and good mornings ,he headed straight towards the dining room and sat at his usual place, he pulled his mouth down and shook his head as he raised one of his eye brow..the waiter arrived and Dutta moved his palms and held the table by the edges in front of himself. A huge smiled incurred as he saw his beloved's hand made sandwiches he smiled more as he continued to bite his lower lip while his eyes danced in mirth when he enquired from the waiter, "tu kitchen mein mera sandwiches phoonch gaye the?, the waiter nodded "yes Sir! your batman Rahman delivered them last night ,and they were kept in the refrigerator for freshness", replied the waiter respectfully, while Dutta gazed at them with hooded eyes ,on a platter before him. The waiter for a moment observed the unusual mirth on this ordinarily ,rather at best of times unpredictable officer "Sir your tea, milk ,no sugar" continued the serving waiter, Dutta looked up at the head bowed waiter and acknowledged " hummh yes thanks very much, that is swell! he chirped, and disdainfully ,but delicately pinched off the sprig of parsley used to garnish the sandwiches, nope! he wants his sandwiches the way she serves them, simple ,straightforward ,sandwiches put before him in a platter...he grabbled the first triangle and almost caressed the soft bread with his lips before popping it in his hungry mouth , hummmh ,hum, bahut tasty, dil kerta hai tera unglien bhi saathe he kaha jaon , Naku humm, he chomped and mused about her alongside! his up to no good thoughts about her ..as far as the rest of the crowd there ,they were nonexistent to him ,he was lost in his own world of brief ecstatic culinary delight. Once, breakfasted he arose to leave and was stopped mid way by Kapur, "Sir! excuse me ,just to let you know that both Khan and myself completed the cross country run, you may check , with the Artillery Outs they were carrying out a cross country as well Sir!, Dutta slowly reeled his head and faced his officer ,opened his mouth gradually and menacingly replied with narrow eyes, "firstly by completing the run you have not done me a favour, but only fulfilled a punishment that was your due, secondly I have no intentions of checking up on the validity of the act ,as I take your word for it officer, for I consider you a gentleman who stands by his word"..said Dutta in a slightly mellowed tone, and with that he walked off. Kapur, watched his tutor stride away, and was hit by his aura ,surely this man ,is not here to give us academic lessons ,but he also in his words and actions tends to appeal to character building of one's person, and Kapur felt a tad ill at ease of things he knew that Sir doesn't know, like what he really said to Khan that night, and also what Khan told him this morning...but that in confidentiality, of her having to leave henceforth, although Sir called him a gentleman, he may not be that entirely ,he thought ,as he looked at his watch and rushed towards class..

Before his classroom there appeared a small gathering of female officers, giving some form of assured support to another officer whose identity Dutta could not decipher from a distance ,but as he neared ,the group dispersed and as the officers headed towards the class room door to enter ,he could gather that the officer requiring support was Khan. Dutta entered broad shouldered, well turned out in his combat uniform. He saluted his alert and focussed officers and with a bob of his head, indicated to them to be seated. He gave his usual swift budged gaze to his officers, they all appeared alert and ready to begin today's session ,he folded his arms ,squared his shoulders and questioned, "someone please apprise every one of today's lesson. Bhatnagar , raised her hand, "you 'll give us a smattering of chemical ,and biological warfare, she said briefly, Dutta nodded once and started use of his flip chart as he wrote CBRN on the flip chart, he turned his face side ways to ask the obvious question ,"ok any smart alec here who can tell all ,the meaning of this acronym", he could tell by the vacant looks that he needed to supply the answer, "ok the words should make you go oh! as heard off! and common as that!...CRBN ,chemical, radiological, biological and nuclear defence... it is commonly used world wide , and generally refers to protective measures ,taken against CBRN weapons and hazards, explained Dutta to his rather astounded pupils. Dutta could see a buzz run through the tutorial a few hands were started to rise, "please Sir could you simplify" requested Sinha ,it was clear he had to erase from their minds that wars are not fought in modern times by the usual age old arms and weaponry only!, "ok officers we start first by identifying the nature and the method behind the use of such weapons , make it clear in your minds that CBRN incidents are deliberate ,they are malicious acts with a clear cut intention by users to kill ,sicken and disrupt society" ,explained Dutta his jaw firm and fixed. Tiwari ,raised her palm, in query ,and Dutta moved his palm to encourage her to speak, "Sir as Outs in line Infantry combat, how can we see our role in this area, Dutta nodded with approval, "yes pertinent question, right! the CBRN tasks are primarily concerned with carrying out military operations within various types of hazardous environments ,he paused for a brief moment "or they may be involved in elimination or mitigation of these environments", he continued. Subramanuium, asked "Sir how do these environments come about in the first place", Dutta, folded his arms and replied, "these environments officers, can be generated via the use of weapons ,or they can be the result of accidental contamination of the environment", reasoned Dutta. In order to provide a visual aid, he turned the projector and brought up a full screen picture of a Reconnaissance vehicle, he parted his lips and used his long stick pointer and began his commentary in his clear crisp guttural voice, "this here then officers is a nuclear and biological recon. vehicle, it stands fully loaded with a road range of 800km, the crew it takes is four persons, its operational weight is 18 tonnes , so by no means a light vehicle, and it is loaded with 1x7mm machine gun, and 6 dischargers" ,he paused briefly for questions and his eyes shifted for officers who had not yet spoken in this session, "yes Bose" he asked,"Sir! who are the crew?, Dutta, replied, the crew is the commander ,the driver and two operators", and he continued ,this vehicle is fully amphibious and as such operates with speed underwater too, the vehicle is part of the armoured section of CBRN core and facilitates freedom of movement while the land forces advance, part of which is your core officers line Infantry combat, Dutta explained, "ok now have a break, after lunch, we shall carry on with a session on familiarising you with biological defence systems and light role team.. "ok officers dismissed! , they stood to attention and saluted and left the classroom.. Dutta walked over and switched off the projector. As he walked down the corridor towards his office , he once again noticed a group of women officers ,offering some form of comfort to Khan, he saw and ignored ,probably female talk , he didn't need to get involved unless approached, and opened his office stepped in, opened a bottle of still water lifted it up and brought it down to his pouted lips and in one go guzzled the 100mls of water.. "haaah! he went, as he wiped his lips with his back hand, flipped the empty bottle in the bin and opened up his assessment pupil profile folders and buried himself in his work..

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Naku sat in the Dera cafe , her delicate hands cupped her warm cup of tea, the spot light above her head caught the twinkle of her solitaire diamond on her engagement ring ,she looked at the play of light that bedazzled her ,as she lowered her eyes shyly ,even now when she recalls his presence near her she becomes a mushy mass ,she very nearly burnt her lip on the hot sip and bit her lip ,which even more brought blissful recollections on his passionate kisses ,she collected herself and almost sighed, when will I see you again my one and only beloved Saab. She continued to warm her insides with the stimulating beverage , she was on a high today , her lovely young Nandi was taking steps towards normalcy, she looked above her and ,murmured a prayer ...thank you Bappa for granting your grace and strength to overcome challenges ...the phone suddenly rang ,her heart missed a beat, simultaneously she looked at the time ,it was highly unlikely for him to ring her at this hour , she was for a split of a second gripped with panic ,was he ok...but she checked the phone it was Khan!,"hey Khan tujhe kaise ah gaye aaj meri yaad , sab theekh hai na? bol jaldi" joked Naku, "haan Naku , me fine! listen I always think about you, bas time nehi milta , always classes ,exercises , tutorials , it's tough being in the army uppar se training mate! takes a lot out of you confided Khan, "haan ! haan! Ms. Leftan! it takes a lot out of you but it also gives you a lot back as well haina ? the aura, the jante ke admiration, and lots of opportunities to excel in serving apna desh ,haina? ,chipped in Naku ,"aaja Naku looks to me you are half convinced ,tub hi join ker le , phir kya pata thujhe mera jaise mind blowing tutor mil jaye! Khan teased, Naku giggled "nehi nehi Rajoo tu mujhe maf rekh , tere tutor ne ek he goli chaliye tu mein tu udher he dhar ho jayegi! Naku teased in return, and Khan ,off guard replied "like me ! Naku killed by him from the day I set eyes on him", she said and then gave a nervous laugh when she realized what she had inadvertently confessed...Naku ,stiffened for a split second ,surely Khan jested , she mused as a dark cloud appeared out of nowhere over her.. Khan could sense her friends unease, and with speed she changed the subject, "listen Naku , the real reason I rang you was to give you the good news that I have been recommended for the ATS, by both my tutor and Brig. Parekh ,so Naku once I finish this course I'll be whisked off to bigger and riskier fields, new avenues Naku! I am so excited ,pata hai I was selected because of my abilities Sir ne bolo tha! he has high hopes from me Naku ,he is such an excellent tutor, saach mein tu kitne lucky hai to have a man like him in your life!" commented Khan with utter spontaneity. Naku ,much taken aback with Khan's remarks about her future husband ,finally uttered with true authenticity, "ohhh Khan ,congrats my friend ,main bahut kush hoon thumra liya, no one can be more deserving than you ,you're motivated ,you are intelligent, energetic, pragmatic and above all my dear friend ready to take risks!, you have my good wishes and saache dil se dau for all the best in the future! Naku said joyously, Khan accepted her friends good wishes and began to take her leave, "aacha Naku I'll have to go now ,tutorial hai! and listen Naku I'll not leave such a big gap, will keep in touch ,chaal me off ,nice chatting to you , bye...said Khan and she cut off the phone . Naku held her mobile in her hand ,yes bye Khan...bye" she gathered her tote bag and moved towards her office ,what peculiar, thoughts burdened her spirit, she gulped and chided herself in fear, if ever he found out that she was falling prey to insecurities of losing him, he would condemn her for petty emotions ,she blinked to push back tears in her eyes and bit her lower lip to check a gasp rising from the inner recesses of her heart from escaping her semi trembling mouth...but one thing was evident and Naku knew it always that Khan had feelings for her future husband...

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After lunch, Dutta stood before his class his hands clasped behind his back, he paced up and down in complete charge, finally he stopped midway and full front faced his class ,"right officers, we now proceed to BDS, he scrawled on the board and then as usual asked for their understanding of the acronym, "anyone would care to say what this stands for ?", Singh attempted, Sir, is it biological defence?, Dutta bowed his head once, "very nearly there Singh, yes biological defence system", he confirmed , "ok officers please take notes he instructed with one eye brow raised, now the BDS is installed in a container ,as you can see from this image ,in this second image you see it can be vehicle mounted or ground dumped and here in the third image it is transported by either fixed wing air craft or helicopters also" ,explained Dutta, any questions ,so far officers? "Sir! so what is the purpose of BDS, queried Bhatnaager , Dutta looked towards her, "officers BDS provides the commander in the field with early warning of chemical or biological warfare attack, so again crucial links with surveillance", elucidated Dutta ,"Sir, questioned Kapur, so for information purposes what are the main features of BDS?, Dutta scanned his pupils with keen eyes ,opened his lips and replied " right the main elements of the BDS , is the existence of a detention suite", he likewise scrawled on the flip chart as well, and alongside officers ,the detection suite also contains equipment that carry's out atmospherhic sampling, he paused and with narrow eyes looked at them ,and further fragmented information for easy understand, meaning "meteorological station and GPS detection, and detection suite can also, very importantly detect chemical agents, Dutta instructed, Venkatesan, raised his palm and enquired, "Sir how is this system fuelled?" Dutta, acknowledged the query and responded, "yes , its activated by its own independent power supply, exclusive to the BDS". Dutta turned off the projector and tuned the flip chat paper over the easel, now the final section of today's segment", he stretched his long muscular arm and scrawled light role team, "ok , the CBRND also has this particular team , which is a 8 man team ,and before you ask me from which cores , the team is comprised of Para and commando trained personnel who are capable of fighting alongside expeditionary forces with specialist operations" instructed Dutta as he faced his class and finally spoke and summarised his lesson in a scrawl, "ok please note then the main features of CBRND, firstly detention, secondly identification, thirdly monitoring, fourthly analysis and decontamination, and finally to provide to the ground commander information, so officers take on board these 5 key pointers which lead to tackling a situation of this nature in the war zone!" Dutta concluded, turned to face his class paused, narrowed his eyes and gave further lesson extension activity to his class, "now what I would want you to do for the next hour or so, is to use your computers to gather information on BDS plus CBRND, and prepare notes for a project, which will be marked and go towards your final grading".

Dutta, unexpectedly noticed that one of his pupil was missing from the afternoon session , he cleared his throat to draw pupil attention from IT based task," may I ask where exactly is Khan?, he fired generally. There followed a sheepish exchange of looks amongst the female officers and Kapur too managed to give a blank expression. Dutta's jaw twitched as he felt the palpable withholding of information, he mused further, they clearly think it is tantamount to squealing on their course mate ,and he lashed out, "now look here officers! as your tutor I damned well need to know why my pupil suddenly during the middle of the day decides to play truant, and you lot ! by keeping back any information regarding this matter are not being heroic ,but utterly juvenile and irresponsible ,for all we know she may have a genuine reason for her nonattendance ,like being ill, now come on out with it! he demanded. Kapur, raised his hand and obliged Dutta,"Sir! she had some news from her home, but on asking she refused to comment and just packed her gear and left, Bhatnager and myself dropped her the bus stop during lunch time, Sir!. Dutta moved his head to one side and glared at all of them ,"in future should any of you need to leave in the face of some emergency ,you need to inform me on first port of call, should I be off site ,you need to inform the attendance officer in the main school's office ,you can't just bloody well leave at the drop of a hat ! got it! he roared in rage . The Outs sat upright , still as statues ,their palms on their knees their eyes fixed on his scowl ridden face, within their own minds they were trying to comprehend why was he irate , was it because she by passed him ,or because she missed his lesson... he took a deep breath in and with a somewhat calm ,and gripped manner ,further explained, "look officers, your attendance counts towards your grades, and so does your general welfare, as your teacher I am held responsible for each one of you, hence what goes on in your life whilst you are under my care is most certainly my business, be it pleasant or adverse", he said curtly and continued, "ok now we'll call it day for today officers ,I suggest you head for the library, and continue to work in pairs or small groups on your assignment on today's tutorial, he commanded ,the Out's stood and saluted ,and Dutta saluted back ,picked up his brief case and left his classroom...

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Dutta sat at his desk, in preparation of his lesson for the following day, the phone rang, his beautiful slender fingers ,enclosed around the receiver "yes?" oh Major Dutta ,it's the attendance office, just to inform you Sir that Khan took half a day attendance today , so Sir just for you to update your personal pupil profile ,with reference to pupil attendance", helped the attendance officer. Dutta tweaked his mouth in gratitude, "yes thanks very much, officer, just one query, what was the reason given for early leave , he questioned, "Sir it was her guardian's sudden illness ,informed the officer", "fine officer I'll make a note in PP, that'll be all!" and the call ended.

Khan sat in the crowded train that would take her to her home territory, strange only yesterday she delved about her home ground with Kapur, little did she know that before long that she would be home ward bound. Home ... she mused, well not quite,'twas the usual abode where one lived with one's biological family ,a father ,a mother and siblings ..she looked with empty eyes as the scenes sped by..home! well where she headed for was more like a domicile, a place of birth with virtually no family, bar her mother's ailing brother. Tears welled up in her oriental eyes, she was anxious, and anticipated, he must be rough for him to call for her. He knew the job she was involved in, which usually does not grant leave especially during mid training unless an emergency is show, it in this case ,his respiratory system...how many a times had she suggested they move to warmer more temperate zone as opposed to the cold mountainous terrain which time to time triggered off his asthma, but he was in such a stage of life where removing him from his an environment where he lived all his life ,would be subjecting him to emotional cruelty, that which was equivalent to displacement ,thought Khan gravely. She had intended that once she received her full commission, she would be able to keep her guardian, her mamma with her ,she smiled ,may be this home coming was an opportune moment when she could broach the subject of moving, with him, after all once her parents died in the ill fated bus crash, her dear, dear, mamma jee ,consoled ,comforted ,educated her and pulled her back into shape ,whatever she was to date she owed to her mamma,... Khan concluded. She took a deep breath, and pressed the back of her head against the train's communal seat head rest, her head joggled, and her eyes lay shuttered with her eye lids ,humhh she was going home but as the train headed away... further and further away from, fragmental geographical sections of the country.. before her one dormant issue loomed up, she experienced a pang! , having to leave the military school created a certain regret within her, yes undoubtedly, it was if there was such a feeling leaving home! for over a passage of time she felt she had gelled with her course mates almost like a family unit. She stiffened up as the train juddered to a halt, and she readily dismissed her thoughts about family etc, ah well... she acknowledged, school yard and campus bonding feeling, nice thoughts but within the army duty comes first , she only needed to keep in mind to work as a team, so her relationship with her course mates was based on duty ,directive and combat! and not silly school girl sentiments!

The train waited for all passengers to disembark as this was the last stop .Khan bent to collect her wheelie suit case and was about to close her fingers on the handle when a strong hand covered her fingers ,"choor de Rajoo., main paker ta hoon, said a strong bold voice, she looked up at the young middle twenties man, lean and tall, with a fairly grown beard and shoulder length wavy hair, "Wasim, ap yahan? kaise pata chala ap ko ke main ah rehi hoon?"she beamed as he looked fondly at her face, "Rajoo tera mutalaq mujhe sab pata hota hai, chaal chaddar ureh la ,yahan sab ,mujhe aur tera mamaa ko sab jante hain" she let him carry her luggage and ensured she was wrapped well in her white chaader, as they both alighted the train and began their walked towards the exit, she however turned and almost in a firm voice maintained,"tu phir log ye bhi jante hoon ge ke main ek fauji hoon", he looked at her and gave her a half a smile ,"haan ab to tu apne afsaari ,jharhe ge ,maggar mera liya tu sirf rajoo hai meri maangater ",he said quietly .Khan thought it best to ignore the discussion ,rather than challenge what he declared. They arrived near the taxi , he loaded her luggage in the boot and opened the passenger seat for her as he slid into the driver's seat. Khan senses feasted on the winding , treacherous mountainous roads leading to her mamma jee's home ,she looked at the deep ravines and valley below as they scaled heights of the twisted precarious road, she held her hand to her mouth for a split second, "daar lag raha hai,thujhe Rajoo?, he asked as he looked at the winding road ahead, she nodded her head, and changed the topic, "woh Wasim? mamma kaise hain ?koi serious baat hai kya? she asked question upon question, he paused and answered, "woh tu ja ke khud he dekh lena, bas ghar phoonche wali hain, ye le ah gaye" he said as he turned his taxi onto the slight gradient path leading up to the simple ,humble mountainous home stead. Khan, disembarked from the taxi, as, Wasim brought her suitcase. Khan heard her Mamma call out to her "Rajoo beti tu ah kye,kab se tera intezar me tha mein, aur Wasim bhi"...

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Life at the military school ticked on as normal , drills, tutorials and updating profiles. Dutta was occupied ,but as a teacher he did notice that his finest pupil was still absent .The thought niggled him to the extent that he himself showed up at the attendance office and demanded to know exactly how many days Khan had taken off, he was anxious as she was missing vital sections of her training. He leaned over the attendance officer, as she checked the information Major Dutta required regarding his pupil, "ah here it is Sir, she left on Friday lunch time and was due to report back at the military school on Monday", Dutta placed his fore finger on his lip and his eyes brows creased a little,"and today is Tuesday, have you tried ringing her given contact number officer ? queried Dutta ,"I haven't Sir but I could do so right now!" said the officer as she dialled the next of kin contact number that Khan had given .Dutta stood in wait, with his arms folded across his chest, he was interrupted by the voice of the officer, "sorry Sir its ringing but no response" she said regretfully, Dutta compressed his mouth and finally spoke ,"thanks for trying officer, but I would like you to continue to establish contact ,as this is ridiculous she needs to be back, talk about being bloody blas! ,he muttered and stomped off in a huff! He walked and grated how he hated his Outs to act like bloody civilians ,when she gets back she will have words from me ,tough ,serious words ,cannot swallow such disregard of army discipline ,after all ,he thought we all have families we would like to spend time with ,I should know ,I would cook up a story just to beside the woman of my life! , he realised his insanity and shook his head slowly, careful not to create a spectacle!. Dutta entered his office sat on his swivel chair and yanked his legs above his desk , ahhh, he went as he dug his posterior on the base seat of the leather chair and folded his brawny uniformed arms behind his head, hummh, odd she did not get in touch with the military school. The official phone on his desk prummped! and he answered, it was Brig. Parekh ,"Sir! said Dutta as he lowered his legs swiftly and sat respectfully as he held the phone to his ear,"aah yes Dutta , look here Major just going through the weekly attendance figures of the school, now yours are not bad, when compared to the other cores like Armour and Artillery, however, this time your class failed to reach 100%, due to Khan ,how come she's been off since Friday pm session? and she's off today as well! what the bloody hell is going on with her? !bellowed Parekh, Dutta folded his chin ,narrowed his eyes and moved his head slightly ,"well for starters Sir, yes I am in the know how regarding her strange absence, what is even more alarmingly for me Sir is her irresponsible attitude, for she has not bothered to inform us of the reasons for her delay ,if you ask me Sir it's bad enough that she is unpunctual she was meant to return by Monday and she is two days late., I am most dissatisfied with her un accountable and on unreliable attitude ,so much so Sir that I am actually thinking of withdrawing her name from ATS course, she gave some cock and bull story of her uncle being unwell, apparently she was sent for by him, explained a wound up Dutta. Parekh knew Major Dutta well, both as an officer and a tutor he perceived Dutta's anguish, this man was preparing his officers to become leaders and any snag apparent in any of them pulls him down, and so maybe he needed to once a while take a step back and not be too hard on himself ,concluded Parekh, "now look here Dutta have to admit that, although in terms of army discipline we are both united in condemning her present approach to her absence ,but I am worried about Khan as no news about her is not good news but it could be bad news, which may be a loss for us. So Dutta keep your eyes and ears open on any news about her", warned Parekh, "I am already vigilant about this issue Sir! and have and alerted the attendance officer to try to establish contact with Khan at her home address", assured Dutta, "ok then my boy I leave it in your capable hands Major! after all she is your pupil , prompted Brig. Parekh.

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Naku , amid lunch break ,left the Dera cafe for a breather. The weather was only just turning milder, the bite of the cold dry winter was gently and gradually being pushed aside by signs of spring, the buds of flowers surfacing on green saps. She took a deep breath , when her fleeting moment of blissful harmony with nature was, shattered by the onslaught of the phone ,she looked down at her phone, baffled! Khan?... Naku responded, "hellooo, this is a bit of surprise... "Naku! Naku! cried Khan bewildered, almost touching brink of hysteria ,"Naku! help me! she cried ,Naku gripped her self , "look Khan aram se ,phelay you clam down ,listen get a hold of your self ,and tell me slowly what has happened?, questioned a confounded Naku, ooohh! sobbed Khan ,and sniffed loudly and assured ,"ok ,ok, I'll tell you..you might not know Naku but my mamma had an attack of asthma , and on Friday he ,phoned the military school asking me to come home...I adhered to his wishes as he is the only family I have ,I took leave to tend to him for the weekend ,with an intention to be back on parade by Monday!...but Naku! you have to help me please! Khan pleaded, Naku, consoled her yet again and tried to make her stick to the issue,"haan baata phir kya hoya Khan?, Khan cried and continued,"well on getting here I found out the real reason ,for my sending for me ,Naku, mamma is fine but unho nehi meri shaadi fix ker de hai..within a week !oooh Naku,"its against my wishes! I do not want to go through this marriage have , tried to reason, with my mamma, begged him to have mercy on me! but he has turned a deaf ear Naku! his stance is that the marriage was arranged in childhood between our family and the boys family! and my parents knew about it and I should do it for their honour! He says his izzat is at stake also! but I reject this Naku! it's utter brute force!...Naku, intercepted"tu where are you now Khan? ,are you safe tell me are you ok? ,Naku repeated. Khan , cried Naku ,"haan mein theekh hoon, but Naku for how long mujhe nehi pata!? she cried, pata hai mujhe kamre mein bund ker ke rakha hai! jab tak main haan nehi kerti !do you hear me Naku! I am banged up!..you have to help me Naku, this is a cry for help! ,I had to borrow a childhood friend's mobile to contact you as they confiscated my mobile phone and pulled out the wires of the landline! please Naku! you must on the double inform Sir! he'll need to take some form of action!, please Naku help kere gi na mujhe? beseeched Khan, "look Khan ,good you phoned me , just lie low for the moment , don't do anything I wouldn't do!" bas leave it to me yes .I will tell your tutor, as he is a vital link to the military school, chaal now relax, and wait for the army's response"!, said Naku, firmly ,but nevertheless distraught about her friend's situation.

Dutta in his officed beavered over his pupil assignments knee deep in marking . his mobile phone rang against his chest inside his uniform breast pocket . he put his pen down ,screwed his mouth a little ,half annoyed at being interrupted in his train of thoughts! ,he glanced at the caller ID,.. Naku? now what the hell does she want at this hour? surely the edhri knows not to ring me during duty hours ,but still ,he thought she might have a reason ,a fear gripped him AS!, "haan Naku bol,AS theekh hai na?" he asked ,half panicked, "haan Saab AS bilkul theekh hain , and before you yell at me ,this is not a courtesy call, she replied tersely, Dutta jerked his neck back, and mused... ohh tu hawa nikle hoya hai is ke ,she doesn't sound quite right he sucked his lower lip in, yet gibed "tu phir kyon phone kiya hai, if its not a courtesy call, speak your business than lardki ,don't waste my time, Iam in the middle of marking!"he sounded off irritated," Saab I thought it best to let you know that I just received a phone call from your student Khan! Naku continued formally. Dutta , perked up and got hold of his note pad and ,commanded, "ok tell me, everything! the complete conversation from ,beginning to end! ,"Saab to cut the matter short, she is at her mamma's thekhna under house arrest!, her call was an SOS, reported Naku, "what?! house arrest how the hell did she manage to do that! what the frigging hell did she do? Sarre faujioon ke nak kata de us Khan ne ! wait till she gets back here I'll crucify her! bellowed Dutta ,Saab if she ever gets back? replied Naku, "what in the blazes do you mean Naku! ,she's not a damned civvie! she's an officer, no one but absolutely no one messes with us and gets away with it! he roared, "Saab looks like someone may get away with it this time! now are you calmly going to let me to report the situation? or are you going to carry on throwing your wobbler! Naku said rigidly , unamused with his manner, "ok my initial reaction is under restriction now ,you carry on, assured Dutta, "Saab! Khan was extremely distressed she was called home on the pretext of her mamma being ill but on reaching there she found out that she is being compelled into marrying someone she was engaged to since child hood , she has declined the forced alliance and as a result is now locked up in one of the rooms in her mammas house ,to be released only if she consents to this marriage.." Dutta, although in accordance of his word to maintain composure, still intervened, "fine Naku , have heard the account, now just one obvious question that comes to my mind is why won't she marry this guy? what's the issue? did you ask her?, "mujhe pooch ne ke zaroorat nehi Saab mujhe pata hai woh kyon nehi shaadi ker rehe hai? ,Naku disclosed, "thujhe pata hai tu bolte kyon nehi hai tu? enquired Dutta, "hummh does Khan like someone else Naku? has she told you who that is ? waise between you and me Naku I could swear she there is something going on between her and..ummh another male officer ,said Dutta with some unease at the work slip, but continued with narrow eyes as he realized here it was in context,so he continued , "Naku, I thinks she fancies him", speculated Dutta, as he stroked his stubble cheeks..."Saab, she likes you , ap ko pasand kerti hai woh"..Naku said serenly with some difficulty, Dutta, launched himself on his two muscular legs like furnance a propelled rocket! "NAKU! kya bak rehi hai tu? teri gandhe zabaan se use filthy words nikle kaise ! main tera zabaan khanch loonga with my bare hands! ,samjhe tu ! if you ever frigging repeat such muck again,"! he roared at the unacceptable proposition! Saab, listen to me please , meri baat suno aap" , she pleaded Dutta as he held the phone shook his head visibly like a sulkly little school boy who was going into a strop completely losing the plot of the original conversation! ,"ab sune rehe ho na Saab ?Saab! she shouted he flared his nostrils and ran his slender fingers over his mouth, as his eyes filled with hurt and he reacted "nehi mein nehi suna ga ,bloody woman ,tu sun ! kaise aurat hai tu? kitne aaisne se khe deta hai ke koi dosri aurat mujhe pasand kerti hai, don't you even give a ruddy damn Naku? you don't seem to mind? that! in turn makes me think? about you! do you really love me ?how the hell can you not possibly react, like a normal woman! he ranted, "Saab the issue here whether Naku is normal or not is debatetable ! for this I know that I am a woman ,who can clearly see another womans' love for a man , I know! that Khan has feelings for you, she has had them since the day she saw you ,I sense it and hear it in the way ,she looks at you ,talks to you ,refers to you, that' why she is refusing to get married to any one! because she likes you Saab! Naku confessed , I understand Saab for I am a woman too I know how a woman thinks and feels, pun mein nehi bura mante Saab , kyon ke Naku jante hai uske Saab sirf aur sirf us ko chate hain ,kaise aur ko nehi!" argued Naku "chup ker! what utter bull s##t!he hollered ,maat ye bikwas filmy dialogue mujhe suna "ek aurat he aurat ka dard samjhe te hai", me not gives a toss about your talk, tera dhamak mein bhossa! bahra hoya hai! Naku!, and if she is refusing to get married because according to you she bloody likes me , tu main kya karoon , apni ghood mein baieth loon use? he stopped for a moment to galvanize and Naku held her breath and closed her eyes as she held the phone, and then he bellowed again ,"besharram!jahal aurat! thujhe kya lagta hai meri koi izzat nehi? that I stand here like a oaf in my office and you cast aspersions at me that some dim wit girl! actually no correction my pupil! is in love with me ! Naku! do you realize what you have insinuated! this behaviour is not accepted teacher pupil relationship! It is a can of worms! he roared on ,but once spent! he took a deep breath in and in a much calm revised tone said," now Naku had you said she is refusing to get married because she aims to build her career, I would have respected her as a person!..but enough is enough! he hollered yet again over the phone, as he raised his palm, "now shut up! and get back to the subject , he yelled as his heavy breathing carried into her ear passages via her phone and she physically bent to one side. Dutta stood hot and bothered, "theekh hai Saab ap tu Naku ko jahal aurat he samjhe tu ho na? tu samhjhe tu reho ju aap ka dil aur dhamak kehta hai ,pun Naku woh kerge ju saacha hota hai, ek dum saaf , dokha nehi, maine jaise feel kiya ap ko bata diya,"she said quietly, Dutta slightly ashamed of his tirade, sheepishly remarked, "I know Naku , you don't have a crooked bone I your body, tera dil saaf hai, you have always due to the largeness of your heart put others forefront rather than yourself"! "aacha chaal continue I won't butt in, teri kasam" he said as he pulled his breathe in and his eyes softened as swore by her reference ,but Naku ignored his sweetness of tone and continued matter of factly "Saab she wanted me to tell you... ,she now expects some changes in her circumstance as a result too..and fairly quickly too , she sounded terrified and assumes that the army as her employers will intervene ,! Naku alleged. Dutta once again was beginning to lose his cool and crisply replied short sharp "tu army kya ker ge ja ke udher bomb phoorthe gi?? baata muhje Naku ! bol? he rasped and she cringed, as she grit her teeth ,and literally hissed the words "that is for the army to decide Saab , my job was to relay Khan's message now it's up to you and Brig Parekh, how you handle the situation" ,she said sounding as if she was ready to leave, Dutta, perked up "oye Naku rok !he called on the phone, "what do you want me to do baaaby? tell Dutta, Naku was knocked for six! he was asking for her opinion! ,he sensed her silence and nervously added ,"after all woh teri dost hai , aur phone bhi us ne thujhe he kiya hai, asking for help, mujhe nehi" he taunted , Naku closed her eyes he was a nasty ogre today ,a toad! Ummmhh ,tune kuch bola Naku? phir se bole gi? he questioned as he suspected her internal cussing of him, .. she grit her teeth "look Saab yes she's my friend! and yes she phoned me and not you, but you are her tutor apart from being her employer as well in the large sense of the word, and you are a man who if I may jog your memory also believes in empowering women not depowering them !so yes Naku would expect her Saab to help Khan ..she said , "aacha Saab mein jati hai! she said and before he could continue she disconnected the phone. Dutta felt a hot flush run through his whole body, he felt bowled over! he had wounded her in some way, upon which he could not put his finger on, but now that she had gone he clearly felt a piercing pain in his heart! he brought his palm to the seat of his heart and rubbed it gently... baaaby I love you tera liye main kuch bhi ker ga ,but main kush hoon that you seem to now very clearly that I would help the lady in distress ,but how can I help you Naku, kehin tera gussa se abhi phone kat dena , elements of jealousy tu nehi?, he pondered with a pair of twinkle dancing eyes, as he sat briefly and studied his immaculately groomed folded fingers...

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Dutta , pressed his buzzer and spoke with Brig. Parekh's PA, " Major Dutta here, please arrange a meeting between me and Brig. Parekh, asap!. Dutta entered Parekh's office saluted and stood with his hands behind his back, Parekh looked at Dutta in anticipation, "well Major any news on Khan?, Dutta taunted his neck and held his head high , "I have Sir, Khan has been located, reported Dutta , Parekh raised his eyebrow with a cock sure semblance ,"so where the devil is she? and did she phone the office ,questioned Parekh, Dutta kept his eyes levelled ahead and like a robot answered, "she is at her residence Sir! and no she did not ring the office ,Sir!, she rang my fianc Sir! Parekh folded his arms and clasped his hands as he looked at Dutta, "she rang your fianc , why the hell did she do that? why her Dutta!, Dutta highly embarrassed replied, "they are friends Sir!, Parekh's eyes widened and he yelled "since when?! Dutta opened his lips and almost gasped lightly ,as he blinked his eyes once ,"since the time Khan spent Diwali at my residence" , and he added "on your behest!", Parekh laughed ,lightheartedly ,he knew that he had to put Dutta at ease before he gave him orders to carry out duties , especially where Dutta may have certain reservations, "ok major relax ,at ease now ,do sit down and continue. Dutta sat with his back straight his long slender fingers spread on his knees , "well Sir! Khan is under house arrest she gave Naku ,I mean my fianc ,a call for help , she is being forced to enter into nuptials that were arranged when she was a minor , now her uncle wants her to honour the traditions set up in that area, and Khan Sir! has refused to adhere and therefore she has been locked in a room till she gives way...she is under a lot of emotional duress Sir and she wanted her message to be passed on to us, which now it has been", relayed Dutta with a slightly creased brow and added, "quite a tricky situation Sir if you ask my opinion" he continued with his eyes lowered. Parekh stood up and put his hand on Dutta's shoulder, "why tricky Major?, surely you know and believe too, no one can trick us ,no one can bloody take us for a ride ! we have our officer under house arrest , due to some honour issues !what nonsense! why Dutta indisputably you can be the knight in shining armour for this damsel in distress! get her released! Pointed out Parekh, Dutta 's jaw nearly fell open and in haste he clenched it and moved his head sideways with narrow eyes "me Sir ?", he asked in disbelief , "yes you Dutta! my finest officer ,no job is big for you, you lift your palm and the job is finished! smooth and clean cut!, argued Parekh , Dutta stood up to attention and faced his senior officer, "I understand and respect your confidence in me , but I beg to point out that this is an internal domestic ,matter which stems from age old traditions which may appear , irrelevant and inconsequential to us but in the area that Khan belongs too it may not be so trivial and so Sir!, to meddle and, tamper or to challenge them might have serious repercussions both for us and Khan... argued Dutta, Parekh looked at Dutta ,and responded, "may I remind you Officer, this is not a domestic issue! for the person under house arrest is an army officer! and also another reminder Dutta, she is your pupil! Placed undr your goddamn care! and the last one is an order do it! you son of a gun, it's an order! and oh another thing If I were you I'd take Nakusha as well, you know? adds to the soft touch strategy"..chuckled Parekh... to be continued... Hamlet53 ~ 24.2.12

Precap: " dekho Major shahib, ap ko ye batna hai mujhe, ke ye hamre ghar ke mamala hai, fauj aager is se dor he rahe tu baither hoga , said Khan's mamma jee...