SS~Dutta~a trilogy~ thread 1. Follow the Heart. continued on thread 2 - Page 31

Originally posted by: Nakusha

hi hammieehope u r problem is soughted out...login wala😆ab ud post to cheer us...ase bhi bahut gham hai zamane mein...thanks for anno
mast magan tum sab ka nam dhorai...
this one for you.. yes done up will post tomm.

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-j6F012HtAM[/YOUTUBE]

Mishal Raheja

as Dutta

Out of my hands

Part 7

The slums where Dutta was born is an unhurried, easy going shanty village. Spatially being small and self- contained meant that everyone knew every one! and that news travels fast as a blink of an eye. Many note with interest when Dutta comes to town. Many warmed to the fact, that this was an exemplary son who shows up , whenever possible to meet his aging father. But they also notice the pretty young belle who sits next to him in the passenger seat of his black jeep. Naku pushes back a stray tendril of hair and a sigh escapes lightly from her lips. Dutta automatically turns his neck to check if she is comfortable. It's not that he hadn't noticed her clothes. But when she came in to see him initially dressed in a cream and turquoise cotton churridar suit, he had found her very becoming, but occupied in studio work, he had paid no attention to her attire's detail .However now, he leans to the side and notices her cream shirt's neckline, embellished by a turquoise embroidered pattern which as he trails his eyes down her lap, continues on to the rest of her shirt, eventually ending in a broad embroidered border at the hem line. She dresses quite simplistically yet is catchy! Dutta thinks so, as he drives on. A gust of wind blows off her two toned matching turquoise and cream chunni.. which she controls with a sweep of her shapely arm.. Dutta bites his lower lip and muses about her attire , modest ones seems to be dear favourites with her.. Naku, gather herself and her chunni in complete grace.

Naku gulps and muses as she looks sideways at the passing inquisitive public eyes , all staring at her..

"I wouldn't worry about these people giving you looks Nakusha? woh kya haina, thujhe phele bar dekh rehe hain is liye.. they are simple folk meaning no harm, Dutta tries to allay her concerns.

" DP I know, they are meek folk.. I should know , for I too live in plain unpretentious surroundings, but phir bhi I get self- conscious as this is not my home territory but yours.. jane kya soochte hoon ge".. she poses the question to Dutta..

" Nakusha ye jan lo tum , ke Dutta, kisi ke baton parwa nehin karta.. besides why have a guilty mindful.. kuch chal tu nehin raha humare darmiyaan, humm? he dispels anyward thoughts.

" yes you are right , what's there to be anxious about? ap ko sab jante hain yahan .. to looks to parien ge.. "she replies with a small unconvincing smile..

He gets the general idea , from her point of view, "actually you are right to feel awkward.. these idiots shouldn't be looking at ummh us... but on the other hand, they must be thinking that what a lovely girl.."

She blushes at his constant references to her appearances and says briskly and meaningfully, "I wish I just an ordinary looking person.. ,you won't believe it DP but truly I hate being in the limelight.. feel like a spectacle , gaped, at if you ask me especially from men.. I get a bad feeling" she confesses.. to a listening Dutta..

"It's strangely sad Nakusha that instead of feeling special that your physical attractiveness compels attention from onlookers ,you make it sound it's a drawback" adds a perplexed Dutta.. still he prefers to leave the subject as it was makes her wary..

She couldn't help but think , that Dutta too was yet another man, captured by the way she looks.. she does remind him though.. she has to..

" your are aware that this beauty of mine is only temporary a mere transient phase"

" I know Nakusha.. but then that is the fact of life, it suffers from the onslaughts of time.. every living species that comes into being, eventually has to be dysfunctional and turns to nothing ness.. but Nakusha in Art, beauty is captured and thus made immortal.. I will make your beauty go on forever.. for out of Dutta's hands will come eternity for you".. Dutta elucidates..

Naku senses a chill pass through her whole being. His near enough manic passion with her appearance, sets fears in her, how can he be so fixated with beauty, surely this is a single sided view of life. There is a certain imbalance in his vision. Or is it more to do with seeing what he wants to? she couldn't not ask him for further clarifications..

"DP, tell me aagar mein kubsorrat nehin hoti, would you still consider me as fodder for your imagination?

He turns to look at her through the rear mirror and almost gives her a crooked smile..

"Jawan aadmi hoon, khubsoorat lardki dekh ke kuch admiration tu hogi na Nakusha? as an artist , yes what I see through my naked eye , does inspire me, probably not as much ,if you were plain, and ordinary looking...but detecting a certain disappointment in your eyes, I would like to add , that I will also look for the suitability of purpose I wish to portray to the viewer also through a face. Apart from captivating your face in creativity; through your face I also challenge myself to bring alive to the viewer, colour, shape and relief !why Nakusha do you doubt my ability?

"nehin DP , I don't doubt your capability one bit, how can I? your competence is talked about and seen in the faculty"

Dutta held his palm up and muttered.. "doosron ko choor Nakusha , thujhe kya lagata hai? mera kam , mere dil ki akasi nehin kerta kya?

"maine aisa tu nehin bola".. she replied gently..

"tu bolna Nakusha.. main sun raha hoon.. pata tu chale tera dahmak mein kya chal raha hai? he urges.

"well ,all I wanted to say was, life is not just based on beauty and perfection.. there is the contrary , the ugly ,and the imperfect, side by side"

"dekh Nakusha if I am given the choice, I would chose beauty over.. the contrary as you put it..

"but that's an unrealistic view DP, it's not true to life.. " she presses on..

"tum ne suna nehi maine kya bola! Dutta chooses! and I choose that, which gives me pleasure, joy exhilaration , makes the world look like a place I want to be in.. I choose summer than autumn.. I warm to sunny skies rather than grey ones, I like the pulsating beat of the heart , rather than the hoary breath of dying..." Naku turns and catches him dab the outer corner of his left eye with his finger tip as his voice falters and he goes mum.

~~~~~~~~~

He stops suddenly before.. a simple, secure tin corrugated roof shack.. he turns his neck towards her as he pulls the handbrake.."mera ghar! he pauses, and she notices an old man comes out immediately!

Damoder Patil is already at his door step.. his large sagging eyes delight at the sight of his boy Dutta's black jeep before his smiling eyes. His eyes rest on his boy's sturdy frame fine boy he's turned out to be! "shanti dekhh rehe hai, apne beta ko" a proud father mumbles as he swells with pride.

But instantaneously, Damodar's eyes shift past Dutta to the young woman who sits demurely next to his son .As a father it doesn't take too long for Damoder's his face to cloud. Queries spring to his mind, in the first instance, why is Dutta driving around with a woman in full view of the village? who is she?. Someone had already given him the news.. that dampened his spirits even before Dutta had arrived at his destination .Hence so lost he is in his concerns, that he doesn't even detect when his son disembarks ,his jeep.

Not a child's needy voice, but a guttural plea.. "babba! sounds. Damoder snaps out of his reverie. Before him is Dutta's inclined broad back as his wide palms grope for his father's knees!. An overcome father pulls this boy/ man Dutta up! and clasps him tightly with fatherly arms around his son's wide shoulders and gives him massive hug and kisses the side of his son Dutta's warm neck.

"mera beta Dutta ! ek baap ka aacha naseeb hai tu! Dutta gulps, fights back a tear and brushes his stubble cheek against his father's warm wrinkled neck. Damoder moves back and grabs his sons strong folded arms.. his son's pretty passenger for a moment takes second place.. for both men.

"mujhe dekh lena de mera beta kaisa hai.? Damoder feels his son's stubble cheeks in his warm palms, kitna kamzoor ho gaaya hai tu Dutta..kahna thek se nehi khata tu..?

Embarrassed, Dutta turns his neck toward's Naku.. and she smiles in complete understanding. Damoder too mirrors his son's movement. Naku , feels obliged to disembark and pay her respects to DP's father. Two pair of eyes follow her as she narrows the gap between them and her. Dutta blinks his eyes at her with a small firm one sided smile, and gives her the look of approval. His father's gaze seems forbidding, but despite that she pauses before him and then attempts to bend , but is prevented by the elderly man

"bas, bas.. beti.." somehow the word daughter.. seems to relieve her tension. Naku straightens up and folds her palms, and utters a small," namaste"..

Damoder, by passes her, and revolves his neck to Dutta , who watches silently from the margins.

"maine suna nehin, ya tune batya nehin, Dutta, ye baachi kaun hai? his father asks authoritatively

A little taken off guard, Dutta replies," Art school ke chataar hai babaa.. main is ka ustad hoon.. mujhse gyan sekh rehe hai"

"aacha, name kya hai uska? Damodar asks, still distantly..

Nauskha .. she replies, expecting him to react any way, and DP's father does, yet again directed one way.. "Nakusha.. hai tumhara nam? woh kisliye..? itni kush sakal lardki ho, hairat hai tumhare Aye babaa ne tumhara aisa nam kyun rekkha? he says with some disagreement

"mera chera ka us se koi matalab nehin tha.. main Nakusha hoon ,kyun ke main apne ghar mein dosseri beti thi..woh.. mere Aye ,babba ,ne nehin, meri daddi ne ye name diya.." Naku says it as it was.. and had it to be said..

" waise Nakusha , tum janti hoon ne, beti ko hamre desh Lakshmi ka roop mante hain.." damodar says.. Naku thinks here she thought, that he is unapproachable and tough., likewise his son.. but inwardly he too like his son is sensitive and promotes positive vibes..

Damodar let go of Dutta's arm , moves out of the way and ushers Nakusha into his humble dwelling.. Naku steps in with a small smile, stands in the centre of the room. It had a charpoy, covered with a bed sheet, with a folded puffed up quilt at one end and a flattened pillow on the other end. This must be his babba's bed.. her eyes moves over to a lime green medium sized trunk, covered by a purple and gold bordered sari.. a befitting altar for a palm sized Ganpati Bappa idol.. Naku tiptoes towards it and a voice behind her tells it all..

"maine banya tha ye idol.. when I was three years old.. Dutta pauses and strolls up and towers beside her, leans forward and digs his middle and fore finger tips on the sari.. then feels it tenderly with his palm, as he reveals,"maa ke liye banya tha, when she was dying.. she had wiped my tears, Nakusha and bola.. main na bhi hoon tera pas Dutta.. pun Bappa tera pas hamesha hoon ge", he completes as he turns to his father who still stands in the middle of the door way. Dutta gathers his father ,most likely wishes to have a quick word with him and seeing that Naku seemed at home.. he pops out and he was correct. Damoder takes his son to the side and lowers his volume , and begins his word..

"ab bata Dutta.. why is the girl with you? have you no sense that what conclusions people would arrive at?. no! it's not about you I am worried, it's about her.. kisi ke beti hai.. lardki ke izzat phool jaise nazak hoti hai.. koi bhi ,kuch bhi bole ga us ke liye.. tu jo us saath le kar ghoomien ga.. age mujhe tera ana se phele hi, gullo ne bata diya! griped Damoder.

Dutta is most touched by his father's concern for Nakusha.. he was proud of him to be precise. Yet he has to answer his father's barrage of questions to defend himself too.

"babba , I have explained that she is related to me via faculty issues.. well, to be exact I have been given, art related tasks, which is going to represent Indian art work abroad .. I needed a girl for my work, many came, but I chose her.. and I have brought her here , because I wanted her to see where I was born.. kuch kam lena tha is se.. soocha this would be the right place for the purpose.. and babaa, I was bringing her to my home town not taking her abroad! jeep mein beitha ke liya hoon, din ka ujale mein.. koi chori nehin ke maine! Dutta rattles.

Damodar didn't want his son to be upset and he asks simply, that which absorbs him most,

"Dutta , pasand hai thujhe Nakusha ? the question is a shock, as it comes from one who happen to be his father. How can he answer this one! especially in the context his father ask's.

Kya matlab babaa? Dutta tries to pass off the subject.

"Matlab ye ke lagan kare ga tu is ladrki ke saath? aur mera baap bane ki koshish maat ker! saaf saaf jawab de? responds Damoder

"Kis bare mein babba sab kuch tu pata diya hai , tum tu Aye ke theran bun gaye ho , uff! Itne sawal kerte ho ke meri bheja satak gaye hai.. babaa, main lagan ka sooch bhi nehin sakta."

"Aagar nehin soochta hai tu sooch Dutta! meri zindagi bhi aasan ho jaye gi . koi khayal rehkne wali hoge.." suggests damodar in all honesty..

Dutta looks at his father with tenderness.. this is what he loved about his pater.. the out and out honesty.. he takes his father's hand and cups it in his hand and pats it gently..

"haan ye tu saach hai babaa , meri aagar koi baiko hoge ,tu tera is umar mein zaroor khayal rehkhe ge.. pun.. babaa , mera dil mein, ya is lardki ke dil mein koi aise baat hai.." but inwardly Dutta is somewhat pleased that his father has approved this girl.. that both father and son know nothing about..

"aacha ye bata Dutta khana pakana jante hai, ya sirf ,shakal he sundar hai? asks damoder keenly..

Dutta ,jerks his head towards the inside of the house and replies immediately "ye tu undar ja ke he pata chale ga..tum phooch lo use" Dutta knows that Nakusha will rise to the occasion, if asked to cook..

Dutta eyes confront her with a dare in them.. Naku waits for him to speak as he enters with his father and suddenly she stands awkwardly..

"my babaa is wondering if you can cook Nakusha.. tu sample de gi..humm?

Naku least expects this test.. but seeing that DP's father is elderly and possibly cooks for himself, Naku gladly obliges and practically ,asks where the cooking area was? Damoder offers to show her but Dutta , stiffly takes over and moves his hand to a narrow opening through this main , sleeping cum sitting cum puja room. Dutta weaves through the opening first and then beckons her with his hand from the other side. She comes through and looks at the slightly well used blackened mud hearth. Dutta observes her and adds for her information..

"whenever I come over to meet babaa, I try to make a new earthen hearth for him.. this one I made a few months ago.. you see Nakusha, this hearth keeps my mother's memory alive for babba.. makes him feel good to hang on to the way she used to do things.."

"humare ghar pe bhi meri Aye gas ka chota chulla aur meti ka bhi dono use kertien hain.. the thing is gas container is fairly dear ,so we try to save money and use other resources ,like wood for the earthen hearth.." she says sensibly..

Dutta is impressed by her foresight and watches her silently as she looks at the shiny , cooking ware resting on a couple of wooden shelves.. from every angle her eyes change colour especially when the light hits them.. he reminds himself of the real purpose of this visit and says to her as he turns to leave.. pointing to the compartmentalised vegetable basket stand.

"I need to get something Nakusha , you chose what you want to make, the lentils, as you can see are bottled there in the middle of that shelf! and with that he goes through the opening his head nearly touches the top frame, but he bob's his square head and misses a bump! Dutta hears a giggle as soon as he steps out and reverses and peeps in and remarks,

"bare hassi ah rehe hai thujhe humm? kam kar.. before babaa sings for his dinner".. Naku gives a small smile and moves to get some vegetables..

~~~~~~~~

When he returns , carrying his art folder he finds her sitting modestly on a low stool with a large sliver shallow platter, knife in one hand and a bunch of fresh green spinach stalks in a firm grip.. she is about to start chopping the greens when she notices his imposing figure standing over her. Naku raises her green eyes and asks,

"Kuch chaiya ap ko?

He continues to stare into her green eyes briefly and then , breaks the visual link and pulls a twisted woven stool and sits before her and opens his art folder.. pulls outa large sheet of draft paper, opens the tripod wooden easel , secures the sheet of paper against it and pulls out a graphite draft pencil and chalk.. then turns to face her and says,,

"ab start chopping Naku , I want to carbon sketch pictures of you involved in varied food preparation and cooking acts.. bad main I'll see how best I can use them in which ever medium.. but I need drafts first.. he explains briefly.

Naku starts to chop away making a soft crunching sound! and Dutta's graphite drafting tool screeches in a admixture of sounds sometimes, broad sweeps, other times, rubbing, tapping smoothing. With his lower lip pulled in he observes Naku's cautious concentration as she leans forward and passes through the bunched up spinach under the knife..he sketches her lowered green eyes and crowns them with the slight furrows of winged eyebrows.. once or twice she looks up to him suddenly! without prior notice to him ..and caught out he, calmly appears actively occupied at the easel, wielding his creative tools.. as he shades, rubs and draws the movements of her body in the activity. once she finishes her chopping he too stops his etching and careful furls the first draft sketch of Naku involved in meal preparation..

"can I get up now , I have to knead the flour too".. she informs him and he stands behind the easel and raises his eye brow and gives her a slow nod..

He pops out for a second to see if his father has returned.. he hadn't..

Dutta returns to the kitchen and gets himself ready to catch Naku's bends and inclines over another shallow platter that contains a small pyramid of powdery flour.. he begins to draw the twist of her shapely arm as her elbow juts out when she pours a trickle of water on the flour disfiguring the peak of the pyramid.. he is quick to catch the soft mixing movement of her beautiful fair hand as it turns gooey.. Dutta sketches, her other bent arm that pours in some more water.. a strand of her hair falls forward as she clenches her fists and begins to mix, knead and pound the dough.. her body rocks slightly as she heaves over the platter and Dutta almost hears her panting.. he watches her mechanical action of rocking, packing and kneading with her clenched fists.. and almost enjoys the spectacle .. her sudden blowing off her tendril from her sharp defined nose .. forces him to concentrate on the sketch.. where his main focus is to convey the amazing coordination of the human body! finally he hears her pat the dough all bound together .. all the powdery flour packed into a malleable form! How impressive.. concludes Dutta with a twinkle in his eyes..

"your body works like a machine Nakusha..he compliments her at dough making!

"really? meri Aye ne sekhia mujhe.. after all DP , roti is our staple food , so my Aye made sure I am good at it ! ..she says hurriedly and as he watches with his arms folded against his broad chest.. he hears her complain ,"mujhe abhi sabzi bhi bune hai , kam kerne do mujhe.. and she leaps to get a pot.. and Dutta retorts, put off by her tone

"tu ker kam ,maine kab roka hai.. pun rok I'll give you a hand unless you want to cook on an unlit hearth!

He gets up, and then pulls back his kurta sleeves further up parts his legs and bends his knees and lights the fire .. Naku remains sitting on the low stool as she watches him bend his neck and stroke the fire wood..a hiss and crackle! and few sparks and smoke.. and through the billowing smoke they look into each other's eyes .. that slowly begins to well up with tears..and Naku cries ,sniffs and then giggles and Dutta blinks his eyes and stares at her throw the rising puffs of smoke..

Coughing damodar comes in and says, "dhooien mein tum dono kya kar rehe ho?

Both the artist and the subject startle as though caught pilfering private glances..

Dutta compresses his mouth, rakes the fire and gradually hauls himself to respond to his father," aag jala ke de reha tha ise.. khana bunana ke liye.."damodar sees the evidence and accepts it, with a curt expression, while Dutta gives Naku a brief look and further instructions.. "start cooking!

Naku gives him an impish faced reply, "have to get the masala ready" and off she goes to fetch the spice container, sits back down for the next activity..

Dutta posts himself before a sheet of fresh draft paper and holds the drafting carbon tool.. with a slight curve of his solid neck turns his contracted eyes upon her.. with curves and sweeps he captures her sitting posture already as the subject.. and then shapes the curve both of her elbowed arm and twisted hand that pushes the chopped green spinach gently off the held platter in her corresponding hand, straight into the cooking pot on the fire.. the stillness prompts him back to work, but not for long as he hears the soft clang of her metal cooking ladle scrape against the side of the metal pot.. he turns and captures the robust swivel movement of her arm as she mixes the vegetable and blends in the mixture of granular colourful spices in the pot.. he details her face especially her green eyes bordered by thick black eyelashes that peer into the now simmering pot!

He moves back from his carbon sketch as she gently puts the lid on the pot, for the curry to be cooked!

He approves what he sees and then turns to her. It seems both complete the task in time. With a sigh Naku gets up and moves over to the other side and waits a short while for the cooking time to finish.. Dutta too puts his pencil down and walks over to her and stands before her. A pair of narrowed hooded eyes stare down at her face. Now tendrils frame both sides of her face. Dutta gives into the sudden impulse and moves aside one tendril gently with the side of his forefinger. Her cheek gets a tiny black smear, from the charcoal pencil finger that he carried out while smoothing bits of his draft. He desires to wipe it off but refrains...and simply points to the small patchy worn out mirror on the wall.. another heirloom inherited from his mother..

Naku becomes self- conscious all the more in the manner he gaped at one section of her face.. she moves and finds herself before the mirror .. and then finds him standing behind her in the reflection.. she watches his handsome face close to the back of her neck.. he inclines his neck slowly and says softly ..

" Kala teka Nakusha! kahien tujhe nazar na lag jaye" he jestsas he points to her reflection , then straightens up and she watches him walk away in the reflection.. Naku , wipes off the carbon smear on her cheek!

Dutta walks out to the other room and damodar, shows concern..

"Dutta kahana bane ga? I don't want you to hang about here , with her.. sham hona se phele is baachi ko uske ghar choor ana.." he orders Dutta..

The roasted smells of roti being made on a hot griddle wafts out to the nostrils of these hungry men, the younger one less hungry though..

Dutta briskly goes in and flips over the draft paper and then picks up his drafting tool the carbon pencil.. he looks her way and this time, though she still sits on the floor.. both her hands are occupied and cupped as she pulls out some dough, rolls it between the dips of her palms, flattens the balls, dusts them with dry flour and then begins to roll and stretch them systematically into a circular roti.. Dutta observes her odd mix of wobbling and rocking motions when she rests her palms loosely on either ends of the rolling pin.. Dutta sketches her backwards pointed elbows..the rolling of hands, and the light advance of her torso.. with smooth, detailing strokes as he captures her boisterous motion ,that flushes her peachy cheeks! Furthermore and then finally the gentle balance of the circular dough on her palm and gentle twist of her wrist as she deposits the roti on the hot griddle. He shades, scrapes.. faint furrows on her creamy smooth brow, with his drafting tool as she gingerly uses her finger tips to flip and bake the roti on either sides ! that was that! Dutta rests his carbon pencil.. as she wraps the hot rotis in a brightly coloured napkin.. She looks Dutta's way and finds him looking at the last piece of creative work.. it was a great session!! all representations of life. Naku could tell from far that he obviously got a bit of what he aimed to hanker for.. good! she muses, she is able to be of some constructive use..

~~~~~~~~~

To sum up this visitation.. the three of them sit together eventually on the floor, and partake the food this pretty visitor made for them.. "Naku... khana bahut aacha tha.." Nakusha startles at the shortening of her name by DP's father.. Dutta raises his eyebrow and reminds his father..

"iska name Nakusha hai babba" he says as he looks apologetically toward's Naku.. who smiles and replies shyly.."theek hai Naku.. ,mere Aye babaa or bhai bhi yehe bolte hain mujhe.." Damoder , reasons.. mujhe Nakusha bolna thuje pasand nehi.. aur Dutta tu bhi ise Naku khe ke buliya kar aur ise ghar tak chor kar anaa" he commands.

On departure , damodar.. places his hand affectionately on Naku's head," tera khana pakana ke liye thujhe dau deta hoon.. aacha laga tu humare ghar aaye Naku..."

Naku , bends to touch his feet ,and then leaves with a namaste.. now Damoder after meeting her isn't really concerned about people's chin wags.. aache lardki hai.. he concludes.

Dutta, gives her a sided look and says with some amused emphasis..

"kaisa laga thujhe mera isli ghar ja kar Naku..? ..to be continued. Hamlet53~ 12.9.14

Hi hammiee

Mein AA gai...😊.buhat din wait karaya...loved the ud

The joy ride continued...dutta took naku to his village...she was a spectacle...its seeing dutta with a beautiful girl

Dutta s luv for beauty...naku thinking too deeply...he is a artist ...her beauty inspire him...when the point will reach to relationship...she should think about it...she is thinking like a marriage proposal...don't blame her😆

Meeting with damodar...cooking food...dutta talking about his mom...too good...he sketching at different moments...she got his culinary approval...he liked naku too...

How it moves ahead waiting for...pls ud soon😊

Hi hamlet

Awesome ud... Damodar had decided & treated Naku as would be daughter-in-law...he checked her ability...he is very loving just like his son...stern from outside...loving & caring internally...Dutta & Naku should often take rides...good for artist & muse ...ud soon