Painful Rapture thread3 last part/ p.133~ 28.12.12 - Page 56

Originally posted by: Hamlet53

Originally posted by: tahera57

sorry afzal didn't come back to the forum after my last comment.

please forgive me tumhay muoiza ki kasam😃

Mishal Raheja as Major Dutta Patil

Painful Rapture~ Chapter 65

"O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?"

The slow descent of the aircraft alongside the fact that he was in the country of strangers, prompted him to catch sightings of the famous city of London. He was not into deciphering what was what, on the terrain below through aerial view,for the most obvious think that struck him was the weather, the lack of light, the cloud and the rain. As the plane drew closer to ground through fleecy clouds he found shapes of green squares and rectangles, dotted with more beige squares and rectangles, rows of greenery and rows of houses that looked identical. Also visible were pathways, roads, roundabouts .He pressed his nose against the cold oval shaped plane window, as his ears felt the blocked stabbed pain due to fluctuation of air pressure. The plane with a gentle bump indicated it had established touch down. Dutta looked out of the window at Heathrow, one of the major international airport of UK. An array of international aircraft stood parked on the wet tarmac, either carrying passengers or in the process of re-fueling. He noticed most of the Boeings, Jets, Aerofloats, air Bus were known international aircrafts, some European, others far Eastern and others middle Eastern. The airport itself lay surrounded by ginormous satellite and telecommunication systems and radars. Soon the sound of seat belts happened and there ensued shuffling and pulling of cabin luggage from overhead cabin compartments. Dutta too as was required, queued up in silence behind the rest of the passengers and moved along painstakingly slowly towards the exit. The cabin crew smiled at him as he turned from the narrow aisle of the plane on to the narrow exit caterpillar type tunnel held against the plane door. Dutta, alongside other passengers stepped on to the tunnel which heaved and shook under the weight of trudging feet of disembarked passengers. Every one walked briskly and minded their own business with only one thing on mind to get out soon as possible. No one by passed another, there as a certain calm order, broken only by the sound of united footsteps. Finally he was out of the tunnel and there was a subdued but nevertheless further walking on the linoleum floor and then over onto the automated walking machine. Here passengers did over take, as they dragged their cabin trolleys behind them. Dutta saw the choice and took wide strides on the walking machine till he stepped of it and continued the mission of making it to the Immigration hall. The hike continued as he noted empty waiting rooms to his left side, and concluded they were possibly unoccupied due to flights yet to happen. He noticed, amusedly as he walked smartly that due to his uniform, the departing passengers from the other side of the glass wall, threw interested glances at him ,but he carried on moving with the rest of the passengers, till finally the endless walk from air craft to arrivals seemed to come to an end when they went through automated double doors into the large immigration hall. This was the place he mused which determined who legally entered the UK. It was carpeted with clear signs of two queues people with British and EU passports and all others. In silence, passengers with British passport held their passports and filed past the immigration officer. While others fairly quickly went through to other immigration officers to have their papers checked. This took time as Dutta too although uniformed had to wait even though there were about four immigration officers out of which, Dutta noted with interest two were Asians one a with a turban and one without. He waited for his turn as he ran his fingers silently across his stubble cheek. He secretly lauded the idea that no preferential treatment was given to him on account of his uniform ,he was here like any one else. Soon his turn came and he presented his passport to the white UK officer , who saluted , which was totally unexpected as he held Dutta's passport and said politely, "well corps diplomat Sir, welcome to UK, have a pleasant stay ,"and he stamped Dutta's passport. Dutta muttered thank you whilst everyone noted his clout he walked towards the baggage area. Much to his delight the baggage had arrived , his was easy to pick out and he hauled it off the moving conveyor belt and wheeled his holdall towards the narrow glass tunnel through which he now could see the outside world. The steady flow of traffic, the blinking traffic and car headlights and human beings! He walked on the carpeted floor this time, towards the lift where again he awaited his turn to alight the lift, which would take him and the rest of the occupants to arrivals exit. As soon as he stepped out of the lift into the busy exit section he heard his name being announced.."Major Dutta Patil please report to information desk!". Dutta looked around at the signs and having found it progressed towards it, as he saw uniformed Bradley with two British Army soldiers in uniform making way towards him. Dutta found it hard to conceal his smile as Bradley shook hands with him ,and the two soldiers saluted and took charge of his luggage, "well welcome you son of a gun!" ,said Bradley as they moved towards a British army vehicle. As soon as Dutta stepped out of the airport, he felt the bite in the air, the 15degrees temperature difference. Bradley noted and pulled out his British army light weight jacket, "here get this on Dutta, don't want you catching a chill". Dutta accepted graciously and both officers sat at the back of the vehicle, as one of the soldiers drove the vehicle out of the Airport. Bradley, turned to Dutta,"well what do you think apart from the weather,mate,"Dutta gave him his narrow sided look, the sort he would give Baji, "don't you think it's a bit early for me to comment just yet Bradley?" he replied curtly, but Bradley, persisted as they stood stand still in traffic, "oh come on ol' boy, surely you have something to say ,like first impressions!". Dutta dwelt on the British officers question, and felt it was a grey, wet murky day, he felt a nip in the air, so this was London.. he thought as he peered out of vehicle, here was wetness all round even the sound of the wind screen wipers along with the fogged windows of the vehicle spoke a soggy tale. However he deferred his bluntness and replied with a smile, "well the rush hour traffic jam seems to be the same here and back home too, however Bradley, have to say I miss the lack of horning that is a common feature of home,"he remarked as his narrow eyes shifted on British traffic in general.He pulled his mouth to one side and observed out of his window and continued, "how come every one is so silent on the roads, fascinating it seems, it's almost emotionless automatons driving these cars.."remarked Dutta much impressed, and Bradley corrected, "oh don't be beguiled by this calm on the roads, we have our fair share of raod rage incidents , only here it's against the law to use the horn for another purpose other than to safety alert the other driver,"Dutta looked out of his window as they went past the huge multi exits roundabout at the airport. Systematically files of cars waited in their own exit lanes ready to leave the roundabout. Shortly they came to the dual carriage way and Dutta could make out rows of key chains of hotels like the Post house , Marriot Edwardian, Holiday Inn.Then soon came the rows of shops and here what impressed Dutta most was aslo rows of identical houses, that reminded him of dolls houses. Bradley ,notedhis interest and remarked, "you must be wandering how come they all look similar Dutta? well we British are great traditionalists who consider following a certain uniformity as a strength".Dutta nodded,"you mean each residential area follows it's own architectural setting ?asked Dutta, and Bradley responded ,"yes it does, Dutta, remember these houses you see are fairly old, like thirty, forty or even fifty years old, so each followed varied core patterns like, Georgian, Victorian ,here Dutta the older a house is the more dear it is to buy and to maintain, as it has to be constantly maintained and refurbished.. now new houses are constructed in newly developed areas like Nash houses or town houses, but these which you will see mostly are typical three bedroom houses, which are much sought after property in London," explained Bradley and Dutta doubled his chin and commented "very interesting Bradley, I appreciate that the British uphold and preserve their character and tradition as far as possible, which is commendable as it shows a rooted sense of preservation" acknowledged Dutta. For a moment the two fell silent, but Dutta recalled his own home ,his castle ,his territory where he lived with his family with the two most important women in his life . Bradley looked at Dutta and asked, "so tell me how is mum Dutta? and yes you devil I hear you are a married man now! well no chance of you going astray now is there Dutta?" jested Bradley. Dutta ,felt his stubble under his nose and replied with a tilted head, "now the answer to your first question Bradley is, my mother is fine, and to the second ,yes I am married now ,and yes you are correct no chance of me, having a jolly, even if I wasn't married! there would still be no chance" ,he said dryly, and Bradley, "yes I can bloody well believe that Dutta ! you need to let yourself go man , no one's keeping tabs on you here, and I promise I'll not say a word to your dear missus!, tempted Bradley, and Dutta chuckled, "I see Bradley you haven't grown up ,since the last time we met!", Bradley responded, "look, major neither have you , solid and rigid as a damn wooden plank, tell you what Dutta you with your stiff upper lip are more British than I am! ,but Dutta leaned forward in his seat clasped his palms ,turned his neck lightly and reminded, "now look here Bradley, I stopped being British long gone ,some 60 odd years, Dutta only Indian ,mate", he responded promptly as he yanked his neck and narrowed his eyes. Bradley, tapped his shoulder, "right you are Major, ok tell me how's Baji?. Dutta looked out of the window and shook his head,"ummh yes Bradley Baji continues treating life as one big joke, that's his way of dealing with dull situations!" confessed Dutta ,delighted inwardly to talk about a subject so close to his heart. Bradley, was sensitive to the fact that this visitor , tough nut as he may seem was pulp inside!. They entered the motorway, and were greeted with a spate of cars that whizzed in the fast lane, while in the slow lane heavy vehicles, trucks, and dinky slow cars whirred away slowly. It seemed to Dutta they progressed outside the crowed city of London , for he could make out vast expanse of cultivated land and rolled up bales of hay.Fascinated he watched sheep which grazed on the green pastures, they appeared like little balls of fleece from a distance. It was obvious this was farming territory, for distinguished also were farm houses built with solid stone, ring fenced with wood boundary fences, complete with stables. Dutta enquired with interest after he noted the neatly defined cropped patches of brown land, amongst the green patches of land, "so I take it Bradley, brown patches yonder signifies harvested land ?, Bradley noted the Major curiosity in the rural sightings ,and responded, "yep, arable crops like wheat, barley, beet sugar, oilseed rape have already been harvested in July, August and early September", Dutta listened keenly , and further queried about the bales that stood on the harvested land, Bradley explained, that "they were forage ,bales of straw , hay, rolled and used as a winter bedding for cattle ,also in shortage of food used as low value cattle feed as well, till the cattle forage is replenished", he explained. Dutta, checked out the large built up sections on the agricultural land too ,as they whizzed past on the motorway, and pointed to them with his slender finger and Bradley clarified ,"now those are granaries, Dutta especially formulated for grain storage and they have to conform to the health and safety standards set here ,which ensure that harvested crops are stored, free from pests and other contaminations harmful for human consumption". Dutta nodded, being a man who heralded from the small land holdings of Patil Wadi, it was but natural that heattached significance to this aspect of UK ,which he came in passing as he headed for his living quarters. The journey seemed fairly extended and he felt the brunt more as there was a time difference of four hours behind from where he came from. He looked at his wrist watch it was 1.00pm, which meant it was near 9.30 pm in India. The nonstop seven plus hours flight as such that his sleeping pattern too had been disrupted and he yawned rather awkwardly, and Bradley consoled him ,"not long to go now ol' boy , I suspect you are shattered, it's a manor we are heading for Dutta, turned into a residential base for officers, so something to look forward too" Bradley consoled, and Dutta , confessed ,"I tell you what Bradley , my mother and now my wife have both successively pampered me to death, so really and truly indeed I need to get back into the independent mode of life asap!" he said with some conviction, but with a thought also too as to how long he would be able to carry on in this mode.He parted his legs and clenched his jaw as he reprimanded himself on such useless thoughts , and repeated in his mind maat bhool ke tu ak fauji hai Dutta! and felt one side of his stubble cheek and flared his nostrils a little.

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Eventually the signs for the manor house that Bradley referred to were visible on the gigantic blue motorway billboards. From a distance the huge building stood outlined against a back drop of hazy cloud covered sunshine. Dutta craned his head almost like an eager child only to gape at the imposing mixed architectural style of Victorian gothic..that spoke of the serious and philosophical nature of the building being army residential. Alongside, to break the gravity, parts of the Tudor front facing sections displayed the more domesticated, cosier and quaint side of England in the form of triangular black wood panelled. As to maintain the staidness of the forces, the building stretched across in the Dutch baroque style to spell out sobriety and constraint. Such was the character of this structure, a tiny part of which was going to be home for Dutta for a short while. His heart missed a beat, as he wished for her to beside him to behold such a sight. Before they entered the military designated premises, Dutta noticed a parade of shops ,a news agent , dry cleaners ,a small convenient store. But what impressed him the most was the varied human activity he noted, once they were off the motorway on to the dual carriageway. His narrow eyes saw , pedestrians of varied ages , elderly , mothers with babies in push chairs , runners with bottles of water in hand all doing the ebullient dance of life. Like his own country people here too walked! So it was a myththat public here whizzed around in automobiles.., he reflected.

The army vehicle stopped outside the barrier, posed outside the black painted wrought iron gates of the manor. After various security checks the jeep moved forward into the mansion which now on closer examination was a gorgeous Victorian building set in sculpted idyllic green lush acres of grounds around it. Dutta could see it had incredible history and beauty to it. But found it hard to ignore which was the presence of army uniformed soldiers on duty. The vehicle stopped and both officers alighted, and Dutta in particular wanted to stretch his brawny arms but stayed subdued due to army decorum, as the two soldiers busied themselves, in retrieving his baggage from the boot. Dutta looked around impressed by his surroundings and gently inhaled the clear crisp country side air to refresh his lungs. Bradley invited him to step into the reception hall of the mansion, while he phoned for Dutta's batman. Dutta peered around at the details of the building, that lay painted in gold letters over a huge wood craved wall mounted sign. The impressive Mansion house contained magnificent period rooms abundant in character, the gold letters informed, coupled with what was described as the drawing Room, a library and for music lovers a music room. He smiled as he thought of Baji when he read in gold letters, the inclusion of a ballroom suite and a bar. He walked towards the huge French windows that revealed the exquisite grounds complete with ,follies, fountains and winding footpaths and arched hedges, and he knew he would give anything to have her by his side.. his woman.. and he bit his lip lowered his eyes and walked back to wait ..

A soldier dressed in olive green apparel entered and saluted, as Bradley turned to Dutta and pointed out "well Major this then is your batman .Dutta faced the short, rosy cheeked freckle faced young soldier, who stood to attention before him.The soldier clicked his heels and announced in a British cockney accent." private Bertrand Rus , Sir!, and Dutta bowed and instructed," at ease Private Rus! Bradley chipped in, "Bertie for short Major, he responds to that don't you Bertie?, humoured Bradley, and the young soldier smiled shyly ,and turned to Dutta ,"if you follow me Sir I'll take you up to your living quarters" he offered and Bradley tapped Dutta on the arm and encouraged "go ahead Dutta , check in , and unwind , dinner is served at 6.00pm, but if you want you can order lunch in your room, today on arrival you have the option, will not be so though not every day I hasten to add! and there should be a schedule of happenings in your room.. so please do check, and I'll see you later! suggested Bradley.

Dutta walked behind Bertie on the maroon carpeted dimly lit narrow corridor flanked on both sides by closed mahogany doors. They reached his room 007, his batman opened the door and held it open for his senior officer to enter. Dutta entered the room as his batman turned on the lights and pulled back the thick navy blue heavy velvet curtains to let the dull and murky light in. The room in the first instance to Dutta was smaller in diameter to what he was accustomed too. The walls were papered with broad navy blue, stripes against a background of ivory and gold ,and managed to give the room height but failed to expand it. It was conservative in outlook with a small divan bed, an austere Victorian wardrobe with a full length mirror on one of it's doors. Yes there was a sober looking dresser too with an old chair before it. He chuckled as he envisaged Naku sitting on that old chair grooming herself before the mirror. Bertie, broke his thoughts , "Sir! the bathroom is en suite would you like me to run he bath for you? , so whenever you are ready, Sir!, also would you like me to unpack?",he offered , but Dutta declined as he wanted his privacy, "no that'll be all Bertie, you may go now, I'll call you when I need to," he said authoritatively ,and his new batman left his room…

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He looked around for a power point to charge his phone and soon as he plugged in he checked the missed calls and found three ,two from home and one from his boss. With promptness he phoned his boss's direct hot line,"ah my boy! super to hear from you, so I take it then you arrived at your destination in one piece, ummh you do realize Dutta that you were not the usual passenger but one forces man..Parekh said empathically. Dutta doubled his chin, and replied formally,"of course I realize Sir, it's quite evident for me there is no other way around this trip," he said dutifully. Parekh, cleared his throat and said, "well Dutta, there's been slight extension of your trip, you see Major, high command has reviewed, the course you have gone for ,some new additional courses have been sent to us via fax ,and after taking them into consideration, along with the fact that you are already there, it has been decided that you attend those as well, for they too will prove beneficial for us , any questions, Major?" asked Parekh commandingly. Dutta blinked his eye and slanted his mouth as he studied his fingers, "yes Sir ,just one question how long for than? he asked quietly, and Parekh laughed lightly ,"oh dear Dutta , already getting home sick my boy? ok it's been extended by two to three weeks more so 4 to 5 weeks.. Major so better get acclimatized if I were you", Parekh laughed, and bade farewell to his best officer.

Dutta, undid his uniform belt and sat on the bed, his legs slightly apart. It was past 3 .00pm in UK, so rightfully his next call was to inform his family. He dialled his home number and left it to chance, as to who would pick the phone up. It was the most important woman in his life, his mother,"AS, main Dutta! phone kiya hai batana ko main theekh phoonj gayea hoon, aur is waqat apne karma mein hoon, ap tu theekh hain na? "he asked concerned. The sound of the phone brought Naku out of the kitchen and she could access, that it was her man .she tried to calm her beating heart as she slowly walked towards AS ,who smiled at her , and said to Dutta,"aacha Dutta ,wahan saradi hai kiya? , beta, dekhna ke tu apne sweater zaroor pehen ke rekhna!"she instructed and then she added, "ye le Dutta Naku se baat kar pas mein he khare hai, aur apna khayal rekhna", she insisted before she passed the receiver over to Naku. Dutta narrowed his eyes and took a deep breath before in a guttural voice he spoke her name lovingly,"Naku", she smelted at the sound of his voice ,as she swallowed the tears that formed in her eyes," Saab ,main hoon ,Naku, itne daer baad phone kiya, main kaab se intezzar mein the ke ap ke koi khabir aye", she moaned. He smiled devilishly, "jahil aurat , jab time mila tab he tu phone kiya maine ! tune kiya sooche ke jahez pe char ke main phoreen UK phoonch jaon ga? time lagate hai Naku, red tape follow kerna partha ha, aacha chaal, tu karma main ja , I'll ring you back hummh", he said and put the phone down. Naku although most put off, preferred to talk to him in their room.. but wondered what he was up to..

Dutta dialled room service and asked for tea and sandwiches as late lunch. Shortly the light snack arrived, he looked at the sandwiches and lifted one triangle up and smiled , and shook his head.. as he bit into them and chewed and swallowed the triangle. But he was distracted by the desire to chat to her .so he dialled her mobile and she hurriedly answered ,"Saab hain bolo ab.."he swallowed his sandwich and in a choked voice saidin a muffled voice ,"kya bolon baaby , miss you woman ,want you so badly I am choking !"and he coughed and she much alarmed, screamed,"Saab,ap theekh hoo na? , kiya hoya bolo na",she said seductively," I am eating pagal aurat! and Naku, you'll never believe, what the bloody hell I am eating as we speak"!he yelled, Naku ,excitedly asked "batao na phir",and he said ,"sandwiches! bloody cucumber sandwiches and before you ask do I miss tera haat ke sandwiches , tu yes my love I miss them , they are oozing with love…. Nakuuu…arghhh ah ja meri bhaon mein abhi ke abhi!"..he moaned. She blushed at his talk, and replied, "main ap ke pas he hoon Saab,"and a sob escaped her lips ,and he caught on and said,"aacha ye bata tu abhi kahan hai hummh? are you in my bed ,hummh?",she giggled and replied, "you mean our bed ,hummh yes I am in it" she said shyly, and he then asked with a twinkle in his eye,"aacha ab ye bata kya pehena hoya hai ,ye kuch ne pehena? he chuckled, and she retorted,"pehena hai na Saab, white kurta pyjama!" and he lay flat on his bed and uttered a long sigh over the phone,"hai..wish main hota tera pas is waqat Naku, bahut miss kar raha hoon thujhe main baaaby.."he cried, she too felt overcome by his love advances but thought it best to change subject and asked him about other things, "aacha tell, me how was your journey? how do you like the experience so far, ap ko apna karma pasand ayea kiya?,",he rolled over on his side full clothed, and hugged his pillow as if it was her ,and spoke through his blue tooth, "hummh, journey bhaut lambhi aur tiring the, jaga is beautiful , mansion hai, gardens are mind blowing , fountains hain , teri bahut yaad ati hi, ummh karma theekh hai, thorra jhoota hai ,but have to remind myself that I am not on holiday in a five star hotel ,but am on duty that the state has paid for" , and he yawned, and Naku realized he was jet lagged, and she whispered, "Saab sau jaon thure daer.."and he whispered his eyes, closed on the pillow,"Naku mera pas he leate rehe…. I lovvv.."and Naku switched of her mobile and shoved her crying face into his head cushion as she cried her eyes out for him.. Dutta stirred as he heard the dial tone and took of his ear phone and crushed the pillow under him and dozed off exhausted..

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The knock on his door woke him up as he uttered a guttural "ah ja Baji…" but Bertie entered with a call, "Sir, dinner will be served inan hour shall I run the bath for you or do you prefer a shower".. he asked politely. Dutta yanked his arm and checked his watch, bath could be deferred to another time, so he replied," that's fine Bertie no bath, thank you that'll be all "he said dismissively and stood up to unpack his baggage. Yes he had the facility to use his batman to arrange his clothes but that he was not going to! he thoughts as he placed his wheelie on the side table and unzipped his suitcase.. as soon as he opened it he could feel her every where in the clothes he picked up in each item of clothing and he buried his nose against it , rubbed it against his stubble cheek kissed the neatly folded shirts and vests .. he stopped suddenly as he became intoxicated by the fragrance of her fingers.. he sniffed the clothes and his eyes welled up , so that he had to throw back his head to swallow his tears,"Naku ,miss you my love" he moaned in the privacy of his room and giving each bundle a sniff and a caress on his cheek as he stacked his neatly folded clothes in the solid wooden wardrobe. He returned to sort out the last load and frantically in a state of panic, rummaged around, when he couldn't sight her chunni , till finally he found it in the concealed zip pocket of the suitcase , he pulled it out and smelt it dreamily and carried it to his beside and whispered.. "ye tera naya bed hai baaby , never fear Dutta is here". and he carefully put it to bed under his duvet..and turned to the en suite shower room…

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The land line sounded at PN and Baji skated across the hall to receive it ,he was desperate to talk to his friend, but was crest fallen when it was not. He ran up the stairs to AS's room where Naku sat in pooja with AS. Luckily they had finished and Baji passed the phone to Naku,"teri boss hain", Naku greeted her boss with a degree of surprise, her boss, Ms.Tendulkar, responded with an apology "yes Nakusha I am so sorry to bother you, while you are still on your honeymoon, which reminds me ,that many congratulations or your wedding, we haven't forgotten o give you a little party from everyone here it's just that we are so shorted staff as reshuffling of staff is taking place.",Naku smiled shyly and replied ,"why thank you so much ma'am, and please don't worry about a party for now, as my husband is on duty abroad and It'll be a shame, if he won't be able to make it.. I would want him to be present she, explained. Ms.Tendulkar accepted and then proceeded, "ok Nakusha, that's fine we'll wait for the Major to return and then for sure It'll make us very happy to have both of you among us," she paused briefly and then continued,"Nakusha there was a board meeting today and a need was identified in PW, that a physiotherapy unit needs to be established, as the people there have to scale quite a distance to come to the Dera hospital if they need minor physio treatment. Now this unit will be an extension of the disability unit already set up in PW. Now Nakusha since you live in the area, and are part of the middle management team ,it has been decided that you assist the senior manager in setting up this unit..of course if you agree, you will be given the option to live at you're own accommodation, and commute to and fro to work from there, erhh you can sleep over it Nakusha,"said her boss thoughtfully, but Naku with a huge smile just looked at AS ,and touched her feet and replied ,loudly, "yes, Ms.Tendulkar, I accept, I would be silly to turn down this offer, which gives me the opportunity of working in my home, territory, plus my husband is away from home and as such, I can care for my AS as well," said Naku cheerfully as AS chanted Jagdambe, as she caught snippets of the situation, Naku suggested, "ma'am I would be happy to start work straight away, I mean if you want I could visit the centre today and liaise with the senior manager and prepare a draft report of what needs to be done to get the unit up and running.." she suggested excited. Her boss smiled and was no two ways about choosing this young woman to spearhead a new project as Ms.Tendulkar knew that Nakusha's strength lay in her determination to perform to the best of her abilities towards maximum benefit.. and content, she appreciated, "ok Nakusha that would be just brilliant, if you could visit the place and keep me informed as well, and I'll now inform the board of your decision, thanks for your time Nakusha, and by the way give my regards to your AS.!" and with that the call ended. An excited AS, embraced Naku, and said,"aaj hum bahut kush hain , ke tu humara pas he rahe ge, aur lagata hai ke tu apna ghar ah chuki hai, Dutta jab suna gat tu phole nehe samai ga,waise ab to humein uske jana ka bhi inta bura nehi laga ga ,tu jo humra pas hai , humrai beti, ja Baji aur baki logon ko bhi bata aur Baji ke saath ja ke apna saman dera se le ana , Bappa aj hum bahut kush hain", said a delighted AS. Naku ran down and her news was received with great jubilation, and Baji remarked, "chal Naku ab tera haat ka khana rooz khana ko mila ga!dhinchak dhichak !,aur Naku is Roops ko bhi kuch kitchen ka kam sekha dena bas kitchen mein ja ke pani ka ek glass he la sakte hai ye aur kuch nehi,"he teased Roops, who complained loudly," vahini, good you are here, in Bhao's absence you'll be here to support me against this Baji Rao Patil!"she poked him in his tummy, and he jumped back to miss her further assaults, with a nod of his head,"han Naku ise saath mein ye bhi samjha ke hona wala pati ka nam saman se liya kerta hain…"Naku held her palms and declared "bas karro shor maacha tum dono ,aur Baji, tu ne mujhe abhi thori daer baad Patil vadi ke Disability Rehab. centre le kar jana hai..raaste mein baton ge kiya kam hai,"she said firmly.. but Baji didn't need any explanations ,as far as he was concerned a large chunk of his Bhao was here to stay in his house for keeps, today dulhan saach mein had come home to stay , he couldn't wait to pick all her stuff from the dera hospital… yes he Baji, was a happy bunny today as he skipped and barked at Kaley to get the Merc out…

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Dutta was conscious that today was the first time since his arrival this morning he would be making an appearance in the officers mess, he knew the dress code was non- uniform in mufti yet semi formal. He carefully slipped his brawny taut legs in his grey straight leg plain front trousers. He pushed his arms through the slim fitted the light blue Kent collar shirt which he buttoned from chest down and tucked neatly inside his trousers. He stood before the dresser and gently put a silk wine cravat speckled with tiny grey and navy paisley patterns, round the back of his neck and folded it to form a dandy day wear puff under his stubble chin. He narrowed his eyes and smiled as he said aloud ,"Naku main tu Saab bun gaya"! and he chuckled as he visually lauded what he saw of himself and finally he pulled on his wide shoulders the navy blue classic two button blazer, with welted chest pocket, two flap pockets and side vents. He turned sideways to check and then finally slipped on his silver chain watch on his wrist, pulled his shirt sleeves slightly out of his blazer sleeves. Slipped on his shiny black leather lace up dress shoes, checked his hair and stubble, patted his cologne, grabbed his mobile, keys and left his room.

Outside his door his batman stood stationed and saluted smartly and said, "Sir if you follow me please, I shall lead you to the officers mess. There was a slight chilly damp in the air it was 5.45pm and night had set. He heard the slight pitter patter of rain, against the cobbled foot path that led them towards an austere brick walled building covered heavily with creeping ivy. It's bold array of Georgian windows boasted glimpses of post war antique chandeliersthat dispersed yellow light..Dutta had noticed that the lamps posts here too, gave a putrid yellow colour as opposed to white, he wondered why, and walked till he came to the door of the mess. He stroked one side of his stubble, neatened his cravat, cranked his neck to one side, narrowed his eyes, as his batman opened the door for him to enter. The room was a fairly spacious dining hall with a high ceiling graced with a second suspended wooden framed country style ceiling that added to the traditional character of the building .The walls were a mellowed magnolia shade and boasted huge paintings round the theme of dining or fruits. The mess contained a bar and here there were officers having draughts of lager and pints of beer. Bradley moved towards Dutta as soon as he saw him, and many officers too out of curiosity caught sight of the tall stubble faced officer, as majority were clean shaven, bar only a handful that sported a thin hair line moustache. Bradley ushered him towards the bar and announced, "gentlemen may I present Major Dutta ,he just arrived late morning today.."Dutta doubled his chin, as he shook hands with the officers one by one, who mumbled politely that they were pleased to meet him.."so what would you like to have Dutta? asked Bradley, and Dutta suddenly felt a high that here he could drink and enjoy his drink at the bar without the added fear of being accosted by Naku or AS, "this one is on me every body!" he announced as he felt he had to put his good foot forward, to break ice. A few more officers rallied round the bar, on hearing the invite from the new lad in town! and orders were given to the bar man and pints were guzzled down. The officers studied him as they stood round him with their beer glasses in hand. He cocked his head to one side as he read their admiring glances towards his well turned out attire. Quite unexpected for him some women, he assumed were officers turned up, and he hesitantly noted as them when they joined the group of officers at the bar. He quietly mouthed his pint and looked the other way, till one of them sounded off, "now is somebody going to introduce us to the guest officer or do we introduce ourselves?, Bradley bowed his head as he turned towards these four women, "of course, young ladies , now this is Major Dutta Patil" and he turned towards, Dutta,"ummh major this is Major Jane Ashworth, Captian Clementine Butterworth, and Captain Rose Landworth, and finally this c Captain Patsy Huntington.. Dutta briefly nodded at each one in sheer politeness and decorum. Internally he tried to come to terms with their interesting names. He was not going to check them out, although the girls were checking him out ,his height ,his looks his rigidity of expression ,and he felt their stare and out of decency asked, "can I buy you a drink ladies?" before he knew it, in fact he admired their go get spirit , they went to the bar ordered their pints and almost guzzled them down. He harmlessly stole a glance at them and as he discerned their pencil black tight skirts..and sheer nude stocking legs clad in moderately high pencil heeled black shoes. The bell sounded for them to be seated at the formal round tables arranged neatly round the room and officers moved from the bar to take their seats. Bradley and a few other officers who had drinks with Dutta along with the female major joined Dutta and sat beside ,him , and waited for the dinner to start. Whilstthey waited, Jane attempted to make small conversation with him.He lowered his eyes on his bowl and plate and stared holes into the silver cutlery till he heard her speak," by the looks of it major you have arrived today I take it,? "without looking at her he replied,"yes ma'am this mid morning" he replied curtly. She nodded her head,"Major we are equal in rank, so please call me Jane" she insisted as she tried to catch his attention,"so which core are you? and before you ask,I am from logistics," she informed , he looked her with a sided glance for the first time and answered "front line Infantry ma'am.."and she smiled, and reminded, him of her name "Jane, "she wanted to call him by his first name but luckily forgot it ,and all the more better, as his icy distant looks stopped her from calling him by his name ,much to his relief which she noted, for his brawny chest even under his blazer swelled up briefly and settled again. Dutta rested his elbows on the table ,and looked up at the activity, around, basically waited upon his dinner. He could see that smartly dressed waiters in black and white attire and white gloved palms began to bring food ,he smelt the aroma but frowned as he couldn't tell what it was. Jane turned and informed him, "you know major this place caters to special dietary requirement so please inform the mess in charge in future.."Dutta turned his head towards her, "yes thanks I know, it says in the information pack," she smiled ,and added, "so you do know what we are about to be served then?" she challenged facetiously ,and he doubled his chin and gave her a sided narrow look, "I do know that it's going to be a three course meal, soup of some sort ,a main meal ,and pudding, "she nodded, "very good major, but did you know wine is served as well!" Dutta this time smiled at her and said "I wasn't sure about the wine but I am mighty pleased to hear that" he confessed a bit more relaxed. Bradley watched Jane and thought the stupid woman making bloody passes at him, cant she see the bloody ring on his finger he griped, as he glared at her, she caught his rather unkind expression and looked straight at him, and spoke across the table,"is anything the matter Bradley? you have a rather odd look on your face?"..she sneered ,and Dutta looked up and rescued him, "what's up major? ,I should be the one looking not quite here since I had a long haul flight, don't tell me a couple of pints have done you in ,"he chuckled. Bradley nodded , and replied "no major just famished and waiting for dinner".The soup arrived and was ladled out and poured into their soup bowls. Dutta could make out it was farmhouse vegetable soup, that was piping hot , and he could almost hear Naku say, "Saab dehiyaan se bahut garam hai mau na jalana.." he became lost in her thoughts while he waited for the soup to get cold.The soup did get cold and Dutta finished it, and dabbed the corners of his mouth. The main course was roasted chicken basted in garlic butter, herbs and spices, served with saute potatoes, green beans and broccolli. At the first morsel he desired chilli and he helped himself to black pepper and sprinkled it generously over his food as he cut and forked bits of food in his mouth.The waiter poured white wine which he sipped , and Jane asked, "tell me do you miss your hot food?","Dutta, wiped his mouth and replied,"I have to admit that I didn't realize but I do"..he began but was interrupted by Bradley, "you know Jane and every body,on my visit to India I stayed at his house along with Piggott and have to say I had the time of my life .. the meals at his house were scrumptious , spicy, you see his wife is an excellent cook" he said emphasising the word wife. Jane looked aghast "how interesting major you have a wife?.."she asked quietly ,and Bradley laid in, "what's surprising that the man's married, I am married aren't I ?"he argued, and Dutta shook his head as he was reminded of Baji and his buffoonery. An embarrassed Jane, "I hear marriages are arranged in India..",and before Dutta could answered, Bradley intercepted again, "well I can tell you Jane his was a full blossomed love marriage!..it's like they are made for each other, and him and his missus and looks wise his wife!.."and Dutta interrupted "ok Bradley enough of my love life and my wife.. ummh this wine is nice and sour the way I like it", he said changing the subject. Jane leaned on her side and asked "tell me, are your meal times similar to over here",Dutta bowed his head and indicated yes, but Bradley corrected him "no they are not Dutta, well at your house at least, there's a wider selection of dishes in one meal , and a big difference is, at least in his household no wine is served during meals regrettably!" he jested, as he slapped Dutta's arm lightly. Finally pudding was served apple crumble with custard. Dutta ate it gingerly as he found the apple very sour and tangy in the crumble. Just when the plates were cleared, and the meal had finished. Dutta made enquiries ,"what are the systems for an early morning jog Bradley"?, "well sure you can go for a jog, whenever, you can show your ID which you keep on your person at all times , in case you are stopped by civil or military police", explained Bradley, and then declared ,"well we'd better turn in you Dutta most of all" and with that everybody stood up. Dutta gave a wee smile ,and added, "well very nice to meet you all , no doubt we'll be seeing other in sessions more often.. goodnight" and he smartly walked off, as the rest of them watched the tall dark handsome officer leave.. Bradley took Jane to the side and rumbled "now listen here Jane lay off him, he's not your type, besides it's a big no go zone he's married for heaven's sake woman"! he shouted and Jane hissed ,"he's married is he? so what difference does that make? and with that she walked off, shaking her bottom…

Dutta, entered his room, slightly tipsy. Peeled off his clothes, and helped himself to his white kurta pyjama ,now he can fly home… he clutched her chunni around his chest and kissed it with a drowsy said voice .. mujhe miss kiya tune baaby, chaal main ah gaya hoon.. and his eyes closed.. to be continued… Hamlet53~ 5.10.12.

Precap: "mujhe kuch kehana hai Naku he said, and she replied,"mujhe bhi kuch kehana hai Saab"

Hi Lo Buoy... 😆

Major's travel, the descent n the touchdown at the airport, the formalities of immigration, familiar sights of any major international airport was a fascinating description. But its major's big luck that he didnt have to wait too long at the immigration desk instead smiling officers to greet him, even the vvips wil grudge this treatment.😛

How can one speak of London n not speak of the weather? ...gosh! first thing that major takes in is the gloomy sight of greynes n the wetnes on the ground n in the air..huh, im already put off, not a very welcoming sign. Ohh! Bradley how did i forget him, "london baji" 😃 there to accompany major on his maiden journey... enroute description of the sights n sounds, the countryside...aaww hammie, It was more like reading a novel, 👏transformed me to the place. The stark contrast of the place, the importance to preservation of one's heritage n the imposing architectural marvels..oohh who cares for the weather now, luv to be here really.

Our major a grounded man not known to displaying emotions.. YES! Bradley, loll he is indeed our very own Indian version of a stiff upperlip Brit, too GOOD! What a contrast Bradley is, already suggesting amorous plans.. holy moly!! but a wasted effort, he should know by now. How i wish our baji was there, they both would bring d place down.

Oooh lala, room no 007 dan tan an but what a dampening welcome to major, extension news throwing spanner at his early return, me sensing some devious deviation to the course of events, nevertheles im too excited to care... Hmm the first call to home sweet home, luckily AS after her mollycoddling chat quickly passed the phone to naku, sensing the love struck birds need to catch up.. the sweet nothings between the couple as expectedly but Good Lord! the fixation with naku's sandwiches n the chunni continues, iska kuch nahi hosakta. Cmon major, enjoy the variety offered on d platter,lol ..😆

Grt news for nakku from boss Tendulkar, relief n rejoice at PN from AS to baji to roops, ofcourse naku is on cloud nine. Atleast she has something to cheer. It is no mean feat hammie how easy u make it for us to visualize everything as one is reading...a sliding baji, AS chanting, roops poking baji, n not to forget the minute details of the dressup of Major in front of the mirror, TAKE A BOW LADY, me bowled totally, tohfa kubool karo, tussi grt ho..

Now with killer looks of major, it was obvious he would be the centre of attraction, everyone including the women officers taken by the suntanned dashing officer. So we have a readymade khani here as well or say lauren, lol.. Major Jane an equal in rank n attitude, the sparks already flying... But ooh bechara major imagining naku's reactions at every instance was cute, how is he gonna survive these 30 odd days i wonder, seriously! Hahaahhaa, loads of pepper to spice up, he wil need it every meal from now on but no such problems with the wine shine department... Now what a dull precap hammie a la baghban, mein yaha tu wahan..lol, expected something scandalous, [ducking from the flying objects]

.:: Painful Rapture * Chapter 65 ::.

Hi Hammie, great update as usual. Loved seeing London through Dutta's eyes. It is not his usual cup of tea and definitely I could see him miss the comfort of his homeland and family...

Bradley, what to say about him. Definitely reminds me of Baaji in many ways. Probably the chilled persona and the sense of humor. Loved the chatter about first impressions ...especially the remarks about traffic and honking. Then the architectural similarities between houses...houses that reminded him of doll houses lol...but none the less tackled much about the things that would catch the eye of a person who's new to not just the country but culture too...

Dutta pampered and now wants his independent life back ASAP? Now I'd like to see how long he'll last in that decision :P

Oh he has a Batman here too...I'm glad to see he has not taken advantage of that...always felt Rahmaan had to put up with a lot...can you imagine telling this new someone from this new place his long to do list...they'd think he's some spoiled brat...pampered alright ...and yes must not forget ...I guess he wanted his privacy also..

Oh extension to the trip ... how lovely ! Loved his question...how long? LOL poor thing is already home sick...haha ...4 to 5 weeks ? *raises eyebrows* now this certain length of timing puts other ideas and thoughts in my minds...ones we've discussed before...are you going that way?

Phone call between the married couple...haa tells her to go to their room and he'll call back...more privacy...because it's supposed to be more intimate conversation ? :P Oww major has it bad lol...so love sick...poor thing...even got sandwiches to remind him just how much he misses her...moaning over the phone...romancing on the phone...I guess that's all they can really do...

Oh the man's really out of his mind ... frantically searching for the chunni I bet he even had a mini heart attack thinking crap was it not packed...but it turned up...and loved the line "ye tera naya bed hai baaby , never fear Dutta is here" lol...yes we all know what he will do with it and how it will be protected LOL...

Great ! Naku will work in PW now...close to home. All will be excited and happy..for one she won't be alone either...

Oh you badly wanted someone to hit on Major huh...that Jane came in the picture LOL i could only chuckle. Well glad that the fact that he's married surfaced in the conversation...but yes so does his marriage make a difference to her...nope...but to him yes...we'll just have to trust he'll know to handle this...of course you know shove her off if she tries anything LOL...now if Naku heard about this wonder what she'd think and how she'd react..i mean when she saw Dutta teaching Khan it wasn't quite pretty LOL...I guess we'll see if it goes there huh?

I seriously am loving his relationship with this chunni...its so cute ...hahaa ...creepy but cute...

Precap sounds interesting...both have something to say ...I am sure hers is the happier news..

hi ham