FF~Fettered Affection.chp20.p144 23.8.13 - Page 53

Originally posted by: Hamlet53

twinkyyy..
loved your expressions of dutta.. I ESPECIALLY LOVED THE RAGE syndrome ones...⭐️⭐️ nothing to beat them..
the smiling dutta is too angelic.. 😛😛 jitna angry utna lovable..
rage takes him to another level!
so my friend many thanks for the pics..😃😃.. much love hammie.

Mishal Raheja as Dutta Patil

Fettered Affection ~ Chapter 9

"put money in thy purse"..Shakespeare

Bogged down by work, yet forced by her hunger, Naku munched and crunched through her apple. Bob walked past her desk and commented, "now what do call this lunch?.Naku smiled as she munched her way through her reply, "yes Sir! it's called a working lunch. Bob raised an eyebrow, "just an apple Nakusha surely that's not adequate enough just one apple? he insisted. Naku swallowed and nodded ,"it is enough Bob really, don't you worry", she assured him as she studied through some case histories. Before she reached the core of her apple the phone rang and she attended to it, "helloo Supriya how are you? yes buried under a pile of paper work, bolo kaise yaad kiya?Supriya who was still at work got to the point,"woh I just wondered about Dutta Patil he was meant to go for a second interview.. I did ask him to keep me posted on how it went but he didn't bother so I thought it best to enquire from you in the hope that you might know" she enquired. Naku smiled knowingly and obliged,"yes Supriya I phoned him myself, found out that yes he got the job, in fact he said he has started at the showroom already and was extremely busy with the customers, seemed happy when I spoke to him"Naku reported.Supriya although convinced, still wanted to hear it from the horse's mouth. She acknowledged that the news was positive, "It would have been worthwhile for me Naku if he would have had a word with me as well ,it's obvious he seems to have some sort of affinity with you.."admitted Supriya. The last thing Naku wished was to have some sort of professionally rivalry with Supriya so she clarified,"nehin aise koi baat nehi hai Supriya, it's just that I phoned himself, perhaps if you phone him I am sure he'll be happy to chat to you as well".Supriya agreed, but she felt slightly patronised by someone much junior in status and expertise, but still arose from these sentiments and ended the call with, "thanks Nakusha I knew you would have some inkling and tell you what else, I might just ring him myself"..

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Dutta stroked his stubble, casually as he took over the wheel and resumed his driving.Baji darted his Bhao a furtive sideways glance, and sniggered. Dutta distracted by the sound sided his friend with contracted eyes and parted his lips and took a deep breath and remarked,"phir koi nautanki sooji thujhe , please give my mind a rest.."he implored as he gripped the steering hard with his outstretched arms.. Baji went ahead and spoke any way,"waise have to say when it comes to me and you going out or coming back from a jolly or business meeting you always prefer to be at the wheel, haina Bhao, it's a being in control always issue with you haina Bhao?, Dutta with eyes glued to the road muttered ,"haan have to be when living life with a nutter like you nautanki! so bloody imbalanced you are that given the chance you would turn my world topsy turvy!Baji guffawed "no Bhao that's your forte, turning people upside down.. ab dekh na Naku ko you said you were working in the showroom.. between you and me her world would turn when she finds out tune lies bole usko".Dutta growled, "look Baji give me one good reason why I should have told her where I really was.. woh kiya lageta hai meri? what is she to me? not my friend or my confidante?. he argued. Baji felt Dutta was conducive to listen so he reasoned, "well for starters you are linked to .. woh uske kam ke wajah se, next Bhao she's too nice to be lied to, tell me didn't you once feel uneasy?.Dutta rammed the accelerator with his right foot and aggressively put the jeep in fifth gear, he barked,"eyyee Baji. shut your face, remember, business ke nitty gritty should never be discussed with her, what we do really do at the showroom is our business not hers! so I am bloody not accountable to her in anyway.. !"Baji shook his head, and quipped silently ,"why Bhao? you scared if she finds out what we really do she'll take you to task?" Dutta let go off the steering from his left hand and growled, delivering a back hand ..almost "oyee shutup! don't talk rubbish !she wouldn't dare when I stare her to the ground! and yell my lungs out at her! he roared. Baji interrupted "so you'll intimidate her because she will touch your raw nerve! find out that you lie! Bhao tu aurat par chilai ga keya ? very bad, confirmed a wide eyed rather dismayed Baji.."haan I will intimidate her as you put it !pun Naku ummh aurat nehi hai! he stuttered stupidly. Baji picked up on it "aree Bhao aurat nehi hai tu kya Naku koi pari hai"? he sniggered. Dutta turned to glare him with a mimicking funny face ,"ha haha very funny, how come I am not laughing Baji at your clowning! he said distastefully.Snubbed Baji, complained,"tu kitna dry aadmi hai Bhao, koi sense of humour nehi hai teri life mein!.Dutta drove and replied "hai ne humour meri life mein tu!..itna ke apne kismat pe muhje roona ata hai kabhi kabhi".Baji most put off by the usual biting remark of his mate, looked out of the window of the travelling jeep suddenly and abruptly burst out"areee Bhao! woh dekh ah gaya tere ummh dead end!.Dutta looked his friend's way and his narrowed eyes sparkled, kali gori .. and his firmed up mouth curled a little towards the side, "ignore her Baji"..he commanded and kept on driving but braked slightly.Baji knew Bhao here meant, attract her attention and henceforth raised his hand up!.Dutta shifted his eyes to the oncoming on foot Naku ahead, and muttered, "leave her, phir she'll come up with her wise crack," but his heart told him other wise and slowly from third gear he came down to two and then one and finally braked as Naku stood across at level with the jeep. Baji chirped clearly at the sight of her,"chaal Naku thujhe lift de dien ,ab ye na bolna ke you don't take lift from strangers".Dutta gave her a look across and watched her blush plus defend herself, "no Baji , I trust my life with you two.. besides hum ab dost hain", she said eyeing Dutta, who pulled his lips to one side and commented dryly, revving the engine"ab jeep mein beithe ge bhi ye mera petrol waste kare ge". She nodded, and moved towards the back of the jeep. Dutta turned to look at Baji,"where are your bloody manner, get off peeche beith" he ordered. Baji sheepishly snorted and opened the front passenger door for Naku," here madame ji , don't say us two don't treat you like a lady!. Naku sat next to Dutta, who pondered this Baji! he takes the mick!..

As expected Dutta went mum and Baji jabbered away merrily,"waise mujhe kyun lagate hai mein kebab mein hadi hoon" he confessed and Dutta checked his mate through the rear mirror and confirmed ,"tuhje thek lageta hai, tu hadi nehi bahut bara hada! hai!, Naku giggled loudly and covered her face with her hands as Dutta suddenly darted her with a sideways glance, and Baji cheered, from the back,"see Naku tera ane ke daer aur Bhao lapses into good cheer!".. and both Baji and Naku laughed as Dutta pulled his mouth to one side shyly and looked the other way.The jollity was checked by a phone call and Dutta asked Naku to check the caller off his mobile that lay near the gearstick compartment. Supriya's name flashed and she informed him.. he pulled his lowered lip into his mouth and mused then ordered Naku, "bol use I'll call her back I am driving.."

He turned into the home territory area, and looked towards Naku,"chai peeiye ge?".Her eyes widened with a clear affirmative and he stopped the jeep near Bhel kaka's dhaba... shoved one long leg out then the other and flung the keys towards Baji, "ja chai aur wafers ka ek packet leta ah" he came around and waited for Naku to step down the jeep. All three settled down at the rough table chairs of the teastall, and sipped their tea and munched the wafers. Dutta then flipped open his phone and dialled Supriya's number.."haan Dr. Supriya , you phoned , woh main drive kar raha tha' tu now I am not, so returning your call,he spoke civilly. He caught Naku giving him an approving look, and he ignored her look , and continued," so kyun ring kiya ap na? koi kam hai mujhse,?"he enquired rather irritated, Supriya who was already not amused with his blase behaviour remarked, "you seem to be aware of rules Dutta, like not speaking on the mobile whilst driving, so how come you broke my rule?".He jerked back his head and went"ap ka kaunsa rule maine tora , please tell me? , she retorted, "well Dutta I specifically told you to tell me how you got on at the interview , and you didn't abide by that ,I get to hear from Nakusha that you got the job".Miffed by her attitude he responded ,"jab ap ko pata chal gaya hai tu, itna kaun se problem ho gaya hai",she reminded him,"haan but Dutta the point is that tum ne mujhe nehi batya! I found out from third party". He pushed his glass of tea aside and stood up on his feet ,"haan tu ab bata raha hoon, mujhe job mil gaya hai aur kam start bhi kar diya hai, main busy tha isliye didn't have the time to tell you "he said hoarsely, but she carried on his case, "well this is what I want to point out to you that in official or formal matters one has to make the time, just making it clear to you that next time you need to be more vigilant in such matters, have to say that a person who abided by rules and regulations for the last ten has become lax", she pointed out. His face became red at her unpleasant reference to his not so recent residency in the prison cells, and Naku had a horrible feeling he was getting a grilling as his nostrils flared as he heard Supriya , that which added much to his further annoyance, "so when can I hope to see you Dutta for a therapy session?"he rolled his eyes and clenched his square jaw and replied,"woh busy hoon naya naya kam start hoya hai dehko jab leave mile I'll let you know" he replied firmly with a "aacha main phone band kerta hai".Angrily he closed his phone and growled ,"mujhe rules pata rehe the tera ye Supriya Naku! bole time keeping par, use pata nehin, time nehin chalta Dutta ko, Dutta time ko chalata hai!".Baji's face soon after clouded , but he consoled his Bhao,"aree Bhao tune meri baat kerne the us se! mint mein seedha kar deta use kya yaad kerti kis se pala para hai". Naku got up and collected the empty tea glasses, hers and Baji's and left his half drank one, with a remark,"waise Saab bura na manoon, uske baat par dhaiyaan do, she is right". Dutta glared at her,"ayeee! Naku mujhe na bata , tu bhi aur woh bhi, jab dekho mujhe seekh deti hoon , tum na zindigi mein dekha kiya hai? ju maine dekha hai!"he bellowed, and she diverted his attention,"aacha chaloo Saab apne chai tu khatam karo", he snapped back ,"nehin peene mujhe le ja! Baji ja is ke saath aur paisa bhi de ke ah!"he ordered and Baji got up immediately...Baji whispered to Naku,"baach ke rehena ree babaaba baache ke rehena ! mausam aaj kush gawar nehin Naku.."Naku giggled and mumbled back,"woh kaunse naye baat hai!" as she looked across to the scuffed lovable lion. Dutta felt their gaze upon him as he finally went back on his word and went ahead and gulped down his tea, wastage of food was not tolerated in prison.. there wasn't enough to be wasted in the first place he concluded.. and as for these two right pair they made.. Baji pulled a chair for himself and one for Naku at the tea stall and eyed Dutta with a full smile as he turned to Naku,"pata hai Naku, what Bhao really needs is a stable woman who can not only control Bhao's anger gauge but can also predict the fluctuations, and possible arrivals of his anger! see I have been with him for so long that ,that now I cannot differentiate between his hotness and coolness!, Baji guffawed ,and Dutta sat and stretched his arms across the wooden table and cranked his neck and narrowed his eyes at Baji,"so now you too have started to fuss over me like women! mujhe lagta hai I need to pull you back in shape! being a man !he jerked back his fist clenched arm and Baji near feel back from his chair but caught himself and jumped to his feet, as his phone rang. Roops yelled at him" Baji where are you and Bhao? AS is waiting tu aye tu chawal aur aate ke bore lay kar aye! Baji looked at Dutta and replied back to Roops , "haan coming , me and Bhao together! woh raaste mein we met Naku tu abhi talking to her" he explained in the hope of being let off " but new when domestic duty called, as he always carried within himself a sense of responsibility towards the family so he acted promptly..He turned to Dutta "look Bhao, I better dash , kam hai ghar mein, tu you can walk Naku , home.." and he leaned towards Naku ,you don't have a problem being dropped by this gentleman do you Naku?. Before she indicated her dissent or consent, Dutta protested,"mugaar mujhe problemn hai! kya tamesha hai ye! why can't you drop her on the way, to her home!? Baji knew when Dutta dug his heels in it was no good reasoning with him..as often Bhao may do it without a reason! , so he gave a safe option,"chaal tu bhi Naku, humra saath humare ghar, you can say hello to AS as well, hummh?baad mein we'll drop you." Naku glanced shyly at Dutta as she shook her head , while he held his hand together behind his back. in subdued complacency...occasionally Baji may come out with sensible ideas, he mused.

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AS, much relieved to see Naku, as she was seen as a perfect deterrent for today's unpredictable occurrences ..meeting Chameli at the temple, Dutta dropping them home, realizing that they were alive and kicking.. She in her usual manner greeted Naku and suggested a cup of tea, which of course Naku offered to make. With a furtive glance Dutta, headed Baji to be off to complete the chores of purchasing the rations and himself made way up the old metal stair case towards his room .Once inside his small excuse of a room, he undid his shirt and donned a fitted beige kurta.To ward off the heat he kept his collars undone and pushed up his sleeves close to his elbows. To a moistened brow brought about late afternoon sun he palmed his stubble as he rested his back by the boundary wall of roof top.The subtle breeze soothed him and he rested his arms behind him against the wall, his pink palms compressed against the hard wall. AS, tenderly looked at Naku who busied herself in the ritual of tea making.. AS dreamed how blessed a woman she would be agaar ye lardki uske Dutta ke patni bunjaye..The thought invoked religious notes within her shayed Ganpati deva ki yehe marzi ho , that's why he brought Naku into their lives... She wiped her brow and became inspired by the thought, why think in riddles? why not rise to the occasion and encourage these two to get to know each other better, make use of every opportunity at hand ,like this one that's just dropped by.. she mopped her brow again, and Naku but couldn't help notice.."AS, ap beith jayen main kar lete hoon sab , jayean ap,"and she gently pushed AS' back and pressed on her shoulders to make her sit down..Roops, who was slumped in her chair relaxing laughed,"haan Naku! that's the way to deal with AS, she never listens to us, never puts her feet up, bas all the time worries about us three, I tell you Naku what we needed is for Bhao to get married, get a wife who would look out for him and AS, too!"AS nodded as she sipped the cup of tea that Naku offered to her caringly and commented,"haan Naku hum tu yehe chate hain, ke Dutta shaadi kar le, humre grandchildren hoon, maagar woh kya chata hai ye tu woh he jana, hum abhi us par dobao nehi dalte , khahen naraz na ho gaye. kam ka bhi booj hai us par.."she stopped abruptly and reminded Naku, with a quiet smile,"woh ja go and give Dutta his tea.." and Roops chipped in, "knowing him he'll stay up there if he had the choice , till that Baji Rao returns, Bhao ka right hand man! waise Naku you can get to see Bhao ka room, if he lets you that is .. so cute na!" she teased. Naku nodded and held his mug and quietly ascended the stairs, thinking should be interesting to note his surroundings..

He was mighty surprised to see her and gave her a quizzical look as she progressed towards him to pass him his mug of tea,.He looked at it and she added,"woh ap ne thek se chai nehi pee the tu thought it why not get you a fresh one.."she pleaded with her large green doe eyes.He continued to lean his bottom against the wall , but accepted the tea , with a slanted smile, "waise main chai nehi peeta hoon, main desi tharra peena ka shauqeen hoon"he said sarcastically. She bit her lower lip and replied,"dekho Saab if you meant to shock me, tu I am not in the least bit! woh even my babba drinks cheap booze, can't afford anything other than that",Dutta held his neck proudly and declared, "but I drank the real stuff today imported!.. and then he realized his slip and amended his tone,"woh I dreamt that I drank some foreign ka maal!, don't mind me " he said as he brushed aside the topic with his hand. She studied him, and clearly he could see that she suspected something so he propped himself and gazed back at her with defiance. Naku ignored his back off expression and looked around where she stood and stared at the lone room on the terrace.. "ye kamra is it like a store room?", he looked at her with one eyebrow raised, his head shaking arrogantly,"nehin! mera kamra hai! thujhe main koi store mein rekhne wala item dekhta hoon?"he very nearly exploded. She raised her eyebrows and moved towards the room and before he could have stopped her she pushed open his door she exclaimed "ohhh"" and covered her mouth with both palms. He quick stepped and towered behind her wondering what made her react the way she did and only saw his bed a little untidy, sheet tousled; a few scattered tees and top shirts; and scrunched up socks on the floor.. she felt his breath behind her a tad too close for comfort.Spontaneously she twisted her neck as she felt his closeness behind her decrease and looked up into his inclinded face, "ummh kitna untidy kamra hai ap ka Saab! now going by the evidence needs fixing".He looked into her eyes with a narrow hooded stare,"tu yahan inspection karne aya hai Naku!? no one asked for your opinion, single retha hoon is kamra mein, it's my wish to keep it the way I do! tidy ho ya na ho erhh mera hasab se it's a lived in room!"he ranted and she turned to face him and embarrassed he took a step back and straightened up. With a big wide eyed smiled she declared," but mera hasab se I think Saab you should find a nice girl and settle down, it's about time and besides you look like you need looking after!". Bemused he folded his arms across his chest, and slanted his head with a wee smile,"hummh so you too have joined the let's pressurize Dutta into marriage brigade!,frankly you disappoint me Naku, I thought you would see more sense into settling me down in normal day to day life first than to pile on more responsibilities upon me, and have you considered my views on this subject of marriage! hummh? he challenged. She studied him, it was obvious he was not amused , perhaps she should back off, but then because he referred to rehab.. may be she should delve deeper into what he meant, "so what are you views Saab? about getting married?" He heard her and his face somewhat became grim,"woh Naku, aaj main thujhe apne ateet ke barre mein kuch batata hoon..".He took her to the coarse cement step that gave access to the water tank,"beith ja" he suggested. He stood and over her, to imagine that he would sit beside her on the step would be asking for too much so she held her hands in her lap and waited.."you see Naku, I don't believe in marriage, in short I am not the marrying kind ummh I have impressed this upon that Seema woman too ,when she tried to dig her teeth in my neck! ... nehin, on the other hand, I don't mean that I, ummh believe in taking clandestine amorous liberties with women..not at all, main us type ka aadmi nehi".Naku hung on his every word and her green eyes softened upon his stubble face, so every so often he would move his face the other way but continued to share his past;"look Naku , usually from a young age one sees one's parents as role models in this bond of marriage. Now meri life mein I witnessed a very shaky marriage in my parent's life.. that which eventually ended up being a farce, my mother an abandoned woman and me and my sisters fatherless so to speak". He paused as he furrowed his brow above his proud nose,"Naku my father was a hapless, plus useless man who deserted his wife and children, to set up life with a loose woman.." her eyes widened with empathy at his words but she daren't speak, lest she barred his train of thoughts, after all it was not every day he opened up to her.He paused and covered his stubble face with his long slender fingers and then ,brushed them on down his face. With deeply troubled eyes, he looked at her and continued .. "pata hai Naku meri maa ke saut , aur uske beti , yes my half sister I met them today.. Naku. he moaned bitterly, "aur mujhe un ko tolerate kerna para! ghar tak chorna pare , you know why? apne Aye ke liye! and because deep down I am not such a black hearted person jaisa mera baap tha! callous , selfish !I hate him! he cried. Naku placed her hand on his arm, "dekho Saab, mujhe maaf kar do, for not realizing that you feel so embittered towards the subject, she said regrettably.He doubled his chin, "haan you see, you and woh teri Supriya don't realize that I could do without your lectures about I need to be Mr.nice son to my AS, and woh teri dr. friend of yours uske theoretical gyans mera dhamak ghuma dete hai, abhi she wants me to visit her again! .. bas! I have seen the bad of life .. he paused and took a deep breath, "now I crave to see the good of life first".. He paused and looked into her green eyes, " marriage; ummh I'll deal with it when I feel the need for it arises within me ,"he said cautiously.. and stood up from the cement step and looked down at her crouched frame,"ummh ghar nehi jana tune hummh?"She stood up embarrassed... and he let her go down first and followed her down the stairs..

AS, looked across to them as they came down and looked for signs of mollification especially on her sons face. As his mother all she wanted was to look for possibilities where her son would be at peace, now be that at the hands of someone else.To her mind Naku could be the guardian angel in his life. He on the other hand had other issues that he had to iron out, so he got the first one sorted,"woh Baji, ise ghar drop kar de, jeep le ja, aur wapis jaldi ayean kuch kam hai .."

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Naku sat in the jeep next to Baji and couldn't help feeling a burden on them,"woh Baji, you know I could have walked home, I do it every day, there was no need for this.." Baji looked sideways at her,"pata hai you are one independent girl, but what Bhao says he does, no sense in opposing that take it from me. So, how did he treat you on his home territory?hope he wasn't short and aloof?"Baji probed.Naku smiled and revealed,"nooohh as a matter of fact he sort of opened up about his parental relationship, it's obvious it's a sore phase in his life and by what he said an integral part of it has resurfaced again Baji, but have to say , I was just pleased he could talk about it. He seemed in control." she judged. Baji pressed his lips and wondered if Dutta had talked about the incident.. but by the sounds of it not, he mused .. Baji braked in front of her house , "aur kuch nehi Naku tu at least he knows he has friends like us who genuinely care for him.. chaal off you go and I'd better dash back pata nehi kya baat hai.."

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Dutta sat perched up on the third last step that led to his room. He looked keenly across to his mother and sister, and blinked an eye slowly as he saw Baji enter and grab one of the chairs beside AS. It was clear to Baji, that this was some sort of family meeting that Dutta was about to chair sitting raised up on a step higher than every one else.. Dutta peered across at them with his narrowed eyes purposefully, with his knees up and his arms rested on them.." now I have got some news for all of you.. ab ye news may shock you, surprise you, but some big changes will be taking place in our lives and pretty soon too," he said firmly.. Roops bopped up ready to speak but he raised his palm firmly as he looked down upon her from his elevated position, "not now Roops! let me finish, meri baat abhi puri nehi hoi hai.. baat ye hai ke we are moving from here.. to another house".. he said clearly. AS, raised her hands in shock."hai Bappa , ye kya bol raha hai tu Dutta?. Dutta shook his head as he stared at his mother,"wohi ke ham ab is ghar ko chor kar ja rahe hain", Roops stood up and protested,"Bhao please this has to be a two way live discussion, surely you don't mean that we move bag and baggage to some poxy shack"! Dutta yelled at her "beith ja jab main bol raha hoon tu meri baat ko maat tok!" he warned, and then continued, "now! we move to a huge house.. not some shack! .AS nearly swooned at the revelation, "maagar Dutta bara ghar woh kaise? aur is ghar se humari yaadien jore hoi hain,"she protested. Dutta stood up from the step and spread his palms downwards," kam waloon ne diya hai mujhe bara ghar , you can see it's a perk with the job! rehe baat is ghar se jana ke tu mera liya sawai buri yadoon ke aur kuch nehi hai yahan, jitne jaldi edhur se jaen unte jaldi humra liya aacha ho ga.."he confirmed. AS, sounded off her fears, "ye kaisa kam hai jis mein ek dum se he thujhe tera boss ne ghar bhi de diya?".Dutta stared at her with a scowl,"AS ap mujhe batao ap ko bare ghar mein jana hai ye edhur he para rehe hai?.AS thought of comfort levels , excitement of perhaps moving up in status, doing away with want and hand to mouth situations, and living in contentment with her family ,responded after fore thought,"dekh Dutta jaise tu thek samjhe , waise humien tu tera chinta rehe ge, ke ye kis kasam ka kam hai? "she added concerned. Dutta stood where he was and looked down at her from his height,"dekho AS, kuch pana ke liye , kuch khona tu parta hai.. mera kam showroom ka hai, car ka business karne ke liye mujhe kisi bhi time ghar se buying party se milne ke liye jana par sakta hai.. tu yuon samjhe lein ke out of working hours bhi business mein busy hoon ga mein" he reasoned.But concerned she still asked, "dekh koi khatre wala kam tu nehi?.Dutta gave Baji a quick look and bowed his head and then turned his face to convince and assure his mother,"dekho AS, kam kaisa bhi ho, risk lena parta hai, pun nehin meri ya Baji hum dono ke jaan ko koi khatre nehi.. bas ap aam kahien AS , ghutlien maat ghenien", he warned.. Roops stood up, " so cute na Bhao! we are finally getting out of this hell hole! can't wait to move in, i'll have my own room haina!? how big is it have you seen it? when can we move in? she rattled off super excited her face aglow .Baji stood up and yelled, "dekha Bhao how desperate she is to move, chaal at least Roops is happy with your decision" ..he said looking at AS,. AS looked at both Baji and Dutta. Overcome by this strange turn of fortune she moved towards her older son.Tenderly she held his face in both her palms,"Dutta humre beta tune hamesha humare kushi ka khayal rekha hai, hum ne bahut dukh dekha hai, tu ab teehk hai aagar tera kam waloon ne thujhe ghar diya hai tu ab hum sukh ke zindagi dekh sakte hain.."she confessed. Dutta looked down into her face and slowly put his hands on her shoulder and said with a small smile."thek hai AS, ab aap jane ke tayre karo..", Roops clapped," yeah! chaal Bajirao, start with the packing!" she ordered, and Baji ,retorted back, "areee Roops no packing , that place is fully loaded haina Bhao?, Dutta nodded once,"hummh, kuch nehi lejane ke zaroorat hai, sab hain wahan pe," but Roops insisted,"woh Bhao at least I need to pack mine and AS's clothes.." but Dutta raised his palm,"no Roops is ghar se kuch nehi jaya ge only us four! leave everything behind! good Riddance to bad rubbish! he confirmed..

AS, went back to her room with an inexplicable emotion.. after years her troubled soul was granted some by peace.. funny but she thought of chameli .. how the tables have turned..

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For a breather, the two friends went out for a stroll leaving the ladies to celebrate their sudden change of fortune.Baji noted that his friend was morose.."tu thek tu haina Bhao? ummh do I detect regret at your decision."he queried, Dutta kept on walking, straight ahead, his hands held behind his back ,"well then you detect incorrectly Baji, mujhe koi regret nehi , I don't do things to regret ,I have a hunch ,follow it and nine out of ten I am right, as long as I know what I want! and.. can I be rest assured that you too want what I want.. a good life from now on a life of Power! he said adamantly. Baji nodded, it was obvious that he would be always beside Dutta ,however he felt uneasy that AS may be misled towards the whole truth about their occupation,"dekh Baji as far as I wish to take on board, is that AS is fine , she seemed to have taken this change in life style in a stride, I don't think she would pry to much into the in's and out's of our work, bas, paise, de do everyone is happy , she is no different, gherabi ke sab gyan insan bhola deta hai, you saw how she welcomed the idea , and Roops too, so if I were you I wouldn't bother too much.."Dutta remarked. Baji nodded, but challenged,"aur Naku? what about her? how do you think she'll react to you moving away from here.."Dutta felt his stubble cheek with his finger tips pensively, "humm she can think what she likes, people move house don't they? so what's the big deal?" he replied irritated, Baji not entirely convinced replied,"haan people move Bhao but not over nite straight from the slums to a mansion... think about it".Dutta fell silent and somehow felt he needed to speak to her.. ummh it was a matter of doing things the right way officially..He pulled out his phone and dialled her number,"ummh Naku can you meet me in the park .. woh agaar tu busy nehi ummh at around 5.OO pm?". Baji smiled as he heard the developments..

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The sun was still in prime time, it was summer lazy days, the smell of ripe fruits and flowers in bloom filled the park with pleasant aromas of summer time natures boon. Sounds of laughter and glee from children on swings, seesaws and slides, added a sense of relaxation and lightness. People had come out with their families to beat the heat! and greet the fresh air. Dutta stood near a bench deep in thought tweaking the stubble on his cheek.. he needs to be unruffled, maybe he needed to rehearse his lines.. he twitched his jaw.. hai kya chezz ye kali gori!...ordinary sadharan lardki.. he wrestled inside, yet some how he feels accountable to her.. he slanted his lower lip to one side of his mouth and held the bridge of his nose between the fore and middle fingers of his right hand. She came alright , dressed in her mustard fitted shirt and churidar pyjama, chunni crossed against her bosom.As she progressed slowly towards him, her sided loose plait, moved subtly against her heart.One look at him, alerted her something was up with him.. she said a quiet prayer please, Bappa let it not be some adverse news , she dithered, inside why else what he call her here, a few hours ago she was with him at his place.. may be some new has happened in his life , some emergency..

He moved his head in her direction,"ummhh tu ah gaye Naku, I didn't even ask you if you were perhaps eating or not, but do sit down he pointed his palm to the park bench". She did as she was told and looked up his lofty frame,"wont you sit down?" she mumbled.He bowed his head and replied in his guttural voice,"nehin main khara he thek hoon",he paused and then looked down directly into her green eyes, "Naku we are moving from this area, soon.. so wanted to inform you.. woh tuna bola na official batien ,so I am officially informing you about my change of address".. he sounded distant ,official and curt. She cowed down her initial shock and donned on her professional persona.."ohhh ok, but Saab what your new address? I need that to amend my list? and besides Shamlal je ko bhi tu I have to inform,"he palmed his face peeved, "what is this? aagar main bolon mera address Hell! hai ,tu will you register that too!", she gave him a mock official look,"oh come on you are not serious? really? good joke Saab , but this will not do so please out with it! "she insisted. He looked down and pulled the corners of his lips and christened his new abode, quietly,"Patil Nivas".. she gave him a broad smile, "very posh Saab! sounds grand"! ab baki ka address bhi bata do,"He looked at her firmly, "the rest of the address, my memory fails me, it's a new place ,so will let you know soon" he brushed it aside.. but Naku questioned him further, "so tell me what's it like ? how big is it?" he looked at her exasperated,"mujhe nehi pata abhi, haven't seen it yet, but the boss said this company house is big enough to fit my whole family, and Naku , you know I do have a large family, there's me , Baji ,and Roops, but there's also Kala Tai her husband and children, and Leela Tai and her family..".Naku's eyes widened,"baap re baap! phir tu it must be a massive house, and your boss must be very pleased with you to give you a company house straight away! may be I need to find such a boss that would give me a similar house," she said lightly. Dutta looked at her cheekily and suggested, "you are only four people, my house is possibly large enough why don't you all move in with me as well!".Naku blushed profusely, "oh I was just joking Saab!" and Dutta folded his arms across his chest and looked down into her eyes meaningfully, "so was I Naku.. did you think I was serious?..."She lowered her eyes and some how her professionalism began to wear off, "Saab after all these years living here..don't you feel sad at leaving it ? Dutta nodded his square head ,"nope.. bilkul bhi nehi, Naku , I am going to pastures new , and the further I get away from this place the better.."Naku, stood up and faced him, "Saab woh.. main..I'll miss our walks from the bus stop"... and her voice faltered as she looked up at him with her large green doe eyes swimming with tears.. he pressed his lips together and moved his face the other way .. and mumbled.."is area se ja rahan hoon Naku, duniya se nehi"..She gulped her tears, what was the use, he was cold as a cucumber..and she turned to leave with a feeble, "sure".. she walked away and he turned his head and yelled, "rok ja! ummh I'll walk you home..". Her feet stopped midway and he caught up with her. The pair walked in silence, their arms hanging loosely by their sides.. once or twice he stole a side wards glance at her ,and found her profile fixed and stiff.."dekh Naku, I suspect we will stay in touch, the truth is even if I wanted to, you will still be on my case as my rehab officer.. isn't that so?" he asked decidedly. She turned to his sided face as they continued their walk, "that's fine Saab but once you move from this area into a newer area, you'll forget your Naku from the slums.."she admitted earnestly, casually he turned to her sideways and teased,"waise tu like Baji bholne ke cheez tu nehi! ummh lets put it this way are unforgettable" ... she waited expectantly, for him to carry on.. but she knew she had another thing coming.."well Naku, home safe and sound.. go in..ummh.. I'll see you around.."he said in a matter of fact tone, turned and walked away.. the farther he went away the closer she felt to him.. heart broken she run into her home and made a bee line for her room..

Dutta came home, funny but he felt a weight had been lifted up from his shoulders.. to night he felt easily to go to bed without eating. He heard Roops call behind him as he headed up the stairs to his room.. he wiped his brow in the heat of the night, a few mosquitoes flitted around him hungry for his blood, he waved them away..."sallou tumhare nagri se ja raha hoon main..bahut bun chooka gunde nali ka kera Dutta.. sher tha aur sher he rehe ga ,nadaar! ab uske dharrr suna ..."he growled and snarled.. his eyes flashing with all the fire of hell.. He inclined over the wall of this dilapidated place which he never accepted as his home..Home is now going to be a power communicating fortress that will speak fear.. in all..He paused as there seemed some confusion in his mind about what "all" implied..He pulled his mouth to one side and felt his indented chin as he surveyed the sombre, dull, needy surroundings, where the occupants were deprived, deprecated, and ohhh so depressed.. or at least they seemed to him ,their faces spoke volumes of what went through in their troubled hearts and minds.. hummm.. he turned his back to the wall.. look away Dutta look away... his phone rang and he narrowed his eyes as he answered ,"kyon aaj raat ko kuch kerna ko nehi mila thujhe Jeera?. Jeera laughed at the other end,"woh kya haina Dutta, tera yaad ah gaye tu bas phone kar liye!,chaal come on now tell you me ready to embrace your new lifestyle? "he challenged. Dutta held the phone to his ear and slanted his head to one side, "haan Dutta hamesha ready hota hai, dekhna ye hai tu mera liya ready hai ke nehi Jeera!"retorted a cocksure Dutta.Jeera, laughed heartily and decided to threw a spanner in the works,"now tell me kya Sher na apne kumba ko batiya ke un ke jangal mein mangal hone wala hai?", Dutta narrowed his eyes and with a slightly crooked smile, responded,"batya maine ke boss ne pura jungle he mera ghumne ke liye de diya hai".Jeera raised his eyebrows, "really and they bought the story?, Dutta replied,"yes really! jitna unhe batya hai , they find it credible".. and he paused a bit and then carried "now take a tip from me Jeera, keep everything on a needs to know basis, there is no need to in particular with family, to lay everything bare before them as they can influence one's judgement,"tipped Dutta, but Jeera was quick to reply,"tu family ke baat kerta hai Dutta , maine tu kudh ke samna bhi kabhi pura pate nehi rekhta!".Dutta doubled his chin and countered "pata hai bahut bara kamina hai tu Jeera! ab ja mera sone ke waqat ho gaye hai!", and Dutta heard him yell "areee sun Dutta! but Dutta had already disconnected the call... to be continued Hamlet53~ 27.4.13

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Precap: dressed in a black Pathiani, deep in thought his long fingers reached for the gold ear clips that he slid one on the top and bottom end of his left ear cartilage and then slipped on his Armani gold chain bracelet watch ..he turned to view himself in his dresser.."behold Dutta Bhau.. he proclaimed..