Mishal Raheja as Major Dutta Patil
Painful Rapture: Chapter ~36
"our remedies oft in ourselves do lie"...Shakespeare
The new day had dawned, bringing with it that unavoidable prospect, that it was parting yet again from her love ,her man, her reason for existence .She straightened her legs under her blanket and groped around for her lion, she found it cuddled against her belly ,she reached out for it and brought it from underneath the blanket its fur and mane in a disarray, she held it up and admonished, "you beast, you love to give nasty shocks to your Naku ,don't you? ,she pinched its cheeks as she glared into its narrow eyes, you'd better change your look from a cub to a real Sher!,before I decide to do away with you! and no don't give me those cold narrow looks! I mean what I say!...,she giggled she clasped her lion to her bosom, "my sherro, kise jayegi ap ke bagher Naku, phir se judawai... and her eyes began to well up under the obvious. The sudden mobile alarm, brought her out quick fast from her melancholy ,and she shuffled out of bed to shower ,dress and pack her bags to return to work. Once dressed she stood before Bappa , and offered a quiet word of gratitude for AS's health, and begged for her longevity, as she wiped a tiny tear from the corner of her eye. She took one final look at herself in her mirror, and smiled at her reflection. She wore a fitted ,warm jersey material, red shirt with a mandarin collar and extra long fitted full sleeves which creased up in waves on her delicate fair wrists. Below her fitted shirt her shapely legs were fitted with a matching red churridar pyjama, that ended in folded layers on top of her tiny fair toes ,decorated with anklets that her Saab had given her as a Diwali present. She neatened her long braid and carefully brought it to rest on one side of her neck. She checked her large green doe eyes if the kajal was complimentary, and with one finger poked her middle parted hair to further highlight her hair, she knew her Saab preferred simplicity, so reached out for a pair of golden studs and secured them in her pierced ear lobes. In one final move she sprayed her subtle honey suckle peach blossom scent and made way towards her door ,retreated to grab her red chunni and left her room to make tea for her beloved.
Naku ,gently opened his bedroom door and as per usual her eyes sought out his frame. She was pleasantly surprised to note that for once he lay covered with a thin white counterpane, she turned anxious ,and hoped he was well ,and in haste moved towards his bedside table and placed his cup of tea ,and then bent down to feel his rounded shoulder,"Saab,she whispered ,he moved his head and struggled to open his eyes as he narrowly peeped from underneath the white sheet , cleared his throat and ,she moved his sheet to uncover his face. His eyes were open wide by now although still in a trance, he watched her face ,her beauty , and smiled just a little bit as he reached out for her hand and gently pulled her on top of his bare hairy chest and with a wallop ,put the white sheet over her head and twisted his mouth as his arms closed around her bent back," haan bol my unwed wifey, ah gaye as usual upne hoone wali pati ke kamre mein ,uska bhorre hal karne, hummhh"he drawled as he flirted with her shy gaze , she shook her head "no.Saab I didn't do anything out of the ordinary ,just as usual brought your morning tea ,that's all! she said as she stared in awe at his face, tiny, miniscule little cacti spikes of shiny jet black hair that managed to push through of his cheeks over nite, it was like a bluish layer of colour across his face ,her eyes widened and his lips fell apart as he gathered what caused her interest in him ,"bola tha thujhe maine ke main Saab he hoon, but honestly Naku, kya hysterics mein challe gaye the thu, waise baby are you thick or what, did it not occur to you that the hair on my face is likely to grow back? you know, men have hair sprouting on their faces ,that's how they are designed, so why all the raving and ranting he continued," oh be quiet Saab replied Naku, "of course I know how ,beards shaving and the lot, but that's not the point, the point is one gets accustomed to an appearance of a person, an image ,a portrayal and then suddenly without warning or reason ,the person as if by magic transforms an accepted look , it's justified that onlookers are likely to react somewhat", she reasoned. He moved one of his hands from her back and placed his warm palm on her cheek ,as she looked into his eyes ,both still enclosed under the sheet, his eyes pleaded to her eyes, "yes baby I shaved off my beard for a reaction, to break from the norm of my image , to deviate a little from what seems, so people can see humour in a contrary situation, now come on you cannot deny that it did stop the traffic! so to speak Naku! ,Dutta chuckled ,as she thumped her fists on his chest, "I don't care if it stops ..as long as you grow it back ...now! he laughed lightly, "oye pagal aurat hafta lage ga bal ugne ko , phir groom keroon ga tu waise he hojaye gi jaise thujhe pasand hai ,you fuss pot! he explained ,and smoothed her hair from her face as he continued to hold her bent body against his chest. " you stupid cow! you called me a lardki yesterday ,chaal ab feel my face, with your fingers ,and tell me the truth if it feels as smooth like a girl's? .Naku smiled at him and took his face in her palms and roved her fingers across his cheeks and suddenly rubbed her face "only just"!, she teased and let go of his face, Dutta's eyes twinkled and he said,"baata kuch faraq parethe , ab bhi lardki bole ge?,"nehin saab it feels prickly already, like the spines of a hedgehog! on hearing that he squeezed her back heard and she yelped, "hai Saab main mer jaye gi, itne zaoor se dabie hai ap ne! She grumbled ,he grunted in her face, "calling me a bloody hedgehog! main tera gala daba doon ga! he whined and opened his mouth and roared as he ,pushed his mouth towards her neck and her whole body shook with giggles and he smiled as she gasped for air and threw the bed sheet off both of them ,he moaned " oye cover me I am cold , jahal aurat! he yelled , then he calmed down as he folded his musclar arms and looked at her as she stood up to pass his cup of tea him. He sat up his hair messed up ,his forehead shining smooth, and he accepted his tea and sipped but his eyes shifted on her body ,hummh ,he approved very much of the figure hugging material she has on today ,he made her get his kurta from his lime green settee so he could check out her hind ,she moved and his instense looks made her blush and she quickly returned and faced him, as she laid his kurta...she peeped further underneath the sheets and could see that he had made a botch of her white chunni, and bit her lower lip...Bappa ,she mused help her after she gets married ,all the ordeals she would have to go through...she blushed, as he watched her intently reading her mind and mumbled "haan ,jaise tu sooche rehe hai waisa he ho ga Naku"... she heard and looked at his drowsy eyes and sped from the room. Dutta ,smiled like the devil himself and bellowed " Rahmaaan ,mera biker suit nikalo!" ,Rahman appeared in a jiffy and got down to his task...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The family sat at the breakfast table, engaged in table conversation , which was mostly based upon enquiries about AS's well being .AS ,smiled in deep contentment as she noted the relaxed buzz among her fold, she was pleased that she was up on her feet ,all due to the favour of Jagdambi... her eyes looked at the apple of her eyes empty chair across the table, adjacent to hers ,"Naku, Dutta ko jaga diya hai na tune ?she questioned Naku. Baji who was busy making a meal of his poha, replied "ho AS , Naku ko tu maine adhe gahte phela dekha tha Bhao ke kamre ke tariff jate hoi , pata nehin kya baatien kerte hain ye doono, jab bhi mauqa milte hai , jaise do pakki sahelian hoon " he sniggered as he winked at Naku who dished out a puri into his plate, "tu thujhe kyon taleef ho rehi hai Baji, Bhao ka saath jhoot raha hai"! teased Roops, he turned towards her and retorted, "aye Roops! Bhao aur mera saath tu Katrina kaif bhi nehi toor sakte, haaan, maagar ho bhi sakta hai ke main Bhao se door ho jaon aager mujhe filmoon me offer mil jaye! jested Baji, Roops elbowed him hard and he shouted, and complained "AS dekhein is Roops ko, koi izzat nehi kerti meri, Roops almost stuck her tongue out, "haan jee aagar khud ke izzat kerwani hai thujhe Baji ,to phela meri izzat ker je jaan se!, she teased with a broad smile ,Baji looked at her with big innocent eyes and stamped softely on her foot under the table ,that her caused her silence. AS looked at the majestic winding stair case and her face broke into a smile, her son was finally coming down, clad in his, black, body fitted biker's suit complete with knee pads and above the ankle tire soled chunky boots , his pair of black leather gloves secured under shoulder straps of his padded biker jacket with multiple ,across and slanted metal zipped slit pockets. He lurched forward across the hall to the dining table , his face smooth and cheeks ,slightly hollowed ,following his clean shave , but his eyes as always appeared narrow and cold. Naku looked up at him ,and thought , in moments whenever he close cut his stubble to number 1 the lowest cut ,he always looked coldblooded and icy. Its' like the warmth of his face was wiped off ,that could be seen ,once a while under his stubble face. He caught sight of her gaze briefly and raised an eyebrow and lowered his eyes, "the woman is smitten by you, you lucky son of a gun" he mused, as he smiled at everyone at the table and went first towards his mother to touch her feet and sought her blessings. AS, held his face for a brief moment and softly in a consoling voice ,acknowledged,"Dutta, humare beta aaj tu chala jayega? aur hum phir se ekelye ho jayen ga, maagar dil ko hum kehte hain kaun sa ye phhile bar ho raha hai, yaad hai humien woh waqat jab humien tera babaa ko ,duty per bhejhena pharta tha, chahie humara dil raazi ho ya na ho..laagta hai ek baar phir...she choked. Dutta bent and put his arms around her shoulder, "AS,dekhan ap ne khud he kaha hai ,babba,ke bare ,mein or mera bare mein, to phir ek fauji ke patni or maa , dil kyon chota ker sakte hai? ...chalenien ab nasahta kerien ap" he consoled and looked up at Naku, who with speed set ASs' dietary ,low salt ,low fat ,porridge. Dutta in almost polished pace reached his place at the table and rested his black fitted sleeved elbows on the table and gradually laid his sleeved arms to rest. He looked up across towards Naku ,who looked up and with a small smile asked, "Saab poha le ker ahon?, Dutta slowly raised his cold eyes at her face, he was speechless, how she could be that dense! she full well knew what he desired, he twitched his eyes and cried out to her silently, "what are you on ,baby? thujhe pata nehi mujhe is waqat kya chahiye" Baji looked at his friend ,dangerously fierce and calm, and he winked at Roops, Kala ,urging them to pick their forks and started off on a round, "why are we waiting? Oh why are we waiting ?the three sang tapping their forks on the table ,Naku looked and smiled as Dutta relaxed his lips, rolled his eyes and looked the other way as the rest sang, "we're waiting for sandwiches, why yes the famous love spread! love filled ! and love drenched sandwiches from Naku's pantry! they chanted, clapped and winked , as Naku came with the platter of his favourite meal and delicately leaned over him and placed it in front of him .Within a second he checked them out greedily for a moment his hands held above the paltter as he rubbed his finger tips ,and looked up at her and winked at her, and after that he bowed his head ,moved his fingers and started to make a meal of his beloved sandwiches. Every now and again he would, finger the corner of his mouth which seemed devoid of hair around it but still , it was a habit, to clean and feel his mouth whilst eating with his index finger. He bit , chomped and chewed till as per his habit he managed to consume the fare on his platter. His satisfaction was evident from his face as his eyes widened and carried a relaxed glimpse. Naku brought him his pure freshly squeezed orange juice , which he sipped at first and soon after closed his fingers around the glass and gulped down the liquid. He brushed his hands clean and looked at his mother who appeared satisfied that her son had eaten. AS questioned, "Dutta ,Naku bhi aaj he wapis ja rehe hai dera hospital, to uske jane ka kiya intazaam kiya hai tune, kaise jayegi woh?, Dutta glanced up at Naku who emerged perplexed ,and then at AS, and replied calmly, "mera saath jayegi aur kaise AS , main choore ga use Dera. Naku's eyes very nearly popped out , as AS jumped to her rescue," Dutta tera saath kase jayegi? tu to motor cycle pe aya tha, nehi mujhe kuch samjhe nehi ah raha, questioned his mother Dutta held his palms out and moved his head to one side and blinked unamused. Baji and Roops interrupted, "kuch nehi hoga AS , Bhao ke peeche bathe gi Naku, log aam he aise sawarri kerte hain,explained Baji, and Roops chipped," how cutie na! doono premi ek bike pe, how romantic", Baji cackled "haan Roops ye ke na tune ek pata ki baat , aur kiya pata Bhao hero ke mafaq , ek adad, gana bhi ga dela !"he shouted. Dutta shook his head in embarrassed ,"gana tu pata nehi ,per abhi thujhe zaroor dhoo daloon ga hero ka mafak! growled Dutta forming his fist at a guffawing Baji. AS raised her palm, "aacha theekh hai , per Naku tere pas garam kapre hain na? mausam thundha hai or motor cycle pe to hawa bhi hogi tuhuje sardi na lag jaye beti" asked a concerned AS. Before Naku could give an appropriate answer, Roops intercepted with an unworthy proposal ,"haan vahnini, main aap ko deti hooh apni skinny jeans aur knee high boots , upar se bomber jacket, challenien mera size aap ko ah jayega, she shouted as she pulled Naku by the arm, "bas! rok ja Roops! Dutta bellowed "koi jean sheen nehi pahne ge , she's fine as she is!" Dutta decided. Naku stopped but gave him an angry look , as if I was going to dress in a pair of jeans Saab, get real! you don't have to be my big daddy...she stared angrily at him ,he saw her look and just jut his chin and rolled his eyes at her. Naku looked at AS ,"jee AS ju main ne pehna hai ye garam ,woollen jersey kapra hai ,kafi garam hai" ,she said quietly AS, beckoned her closer to feel the material and gave her approval by blessing her head ,"haan theekh hai ye kapre ,maagar upar se shawl zaroor le lena, she suggested, Roops barged in yet again, "AS kya shawal! ,Naku ko aap ne daddi amma bunena hai kya? ,and she looked at her Bhao who tried to suppress his chuckle but his eyes danced in mirth... waise behave to daddi amma jaisa he tu kerti hai Naku ,buddi rooh hai thuje mein kahaien na kahaien, he mused as he pulled his bottom lip into his mouth. Naku , nodded and replied "jee AS, hai shawl mera pas ,jane ke waqat phenloon gi.." Dutta walked away from the dining area and shouted, "Rahmaan, sab saman check karo ke packed hai aur phir apni jeep mein load karo, baki Naku ka saaman meri bike per load karo ,hatch per or check karo motorcycle sab fit condition main hai ,aagar petrol kam hai tu pas ke petrol pump se tank full kar ke lao, chabi ye lo, commanded Dutta, as he threw the keys to Rahmaan who got on to obey orders with a head bowed, "jee saar". Dutta,moved towards his family and embraced each one ,and finally took his mother into his wide arms and buried his head in her neck. She clung to him and stroked the back of his hair kissing his strong sturdy neck. She loosened her embrace and clasped his face in her hands and he bent his head as he enabled her to kiss his forehead, " mera beta , ja Bappa teri raksha kare ,har mussebat thuje se door rahe, aur sadha kush rahe tu mera baache"she said half choked and he cuddled her close to his chest," chalien AS, bahdur beta ki bahdur ma hain ap, ab mein ja ker ata hoon"...he said as he grit his jaw and moved away from her and rolled his dewy eyes to the ceiling of his home and said in his heart,"babaa meri Ayi ka dehyan rekhna ,and then his eyes rested on the family shrine of Bappa ,remember, she loves you, so I would expect that you would look after my mother Bappa, for she is my one and only mother, my life source...he mused as he bent his fore finger and with it's knuckle discreetly dabbed an almost escaped tear from his watery eyes. After the farewells , Dutta Baji ,Roops waited outside ,as Dutta inspected his bike and ordered Rahman to get his motor bike helmet. Once ,he received it, he rested it on his seat, and him and Baji ,checked Naku's belongings were clipped securely on the set of side heavy duty loader cum carrier cylindrical facility feature of his Harley Davidson. Dutta looked up his face slightly screwed up ,as he waited for Naku to appear. She finally emerged ,a stunning sight ,her red chunni draped around her head , her shoulders enveloped cosily in a navy blue plain cashmere shawl, that gave her a classic ,almost regal look. He looked into her beautiful green doe eyes, complemented by her jet black winged eye brows ..his jaw dropped and his mouth opened slightly, ...she'll kill me with her looks one of these days he thought, on the other hand he thought ye sar pe lal chunni, dulhan jaise bun ker kedher ja rehi hai, he reasoned ...,both Baji and Roops too thought she looked amazing red really suited her , Roops hugged her as Naku came towards the bike, "so cute na Bhao? kitne sundar hai vahini , aur red colour to really suits her ...Dutta ,cut Roops excitement short and moaned as he looked at Naku ,he raised his fore finger and pushed it past her cheek covered by the red chunni , and separated her cheek from the chunni by his protruding finger ,he moved his head and stared with narrow eyes at her eyes, "ye sab nehi chale ga , doli mein nehi baith rahe tu, motor bike pe baithe rehi hai, chaal haat! ,change of plan ,tu nehi ayegi mera saath he muttered" as he turned towards Baji" Baji is ke jana ka intazzam ker ," Baji who was not amused argued "pun Bhao, Rahman ke saath jeep mein inta zaam ho sakta hai" said Baji ,as he played devil's advocate, "nehi! yelled Dutta "he has to go back to military school as it is we are late in going back, so no!". Naku decided to put her foot down and defiantly sat down on the back seat, side hipped. Dutta was astounded by her defiance ,but he knew she tended to give bolts out of the blue once a while. He stood over her and with his fingers ,beckoned her to stand up, "uth ja ,I have said tu no! " Naku held her ground and she nearly yelled ,"but why can't I go you haven't told me why, give me a reason, she demanded. By this time he snapped at her insolence, as he saw it... . Baji and Roops looked at the two squabbling lovers ,and smiled at each other and finally Baji shouted "I know what the issue is, he exclaimed, Dutta turned to him "you do?, Baji nodded ,and Roops nodded ,"even I know Bhao ,"but never fear Roops is here!" she yelled out, and ran towards her room and returned with a box, and presented it to Naku, "ye lein vahini , ab tu Baho ke bolte band ho jaye ge, chalien open it" , Naku, opened it and found a women's full face motor cycle helmet, with pink and purple butterflies motifs .Naku was speechless as Roops held it up and commented ,"come on Naku don't look so horrified ,this is especially designed for the lady rider, and has passed the safety standards, see it has a clear visor also to cover your eyes and feel how light it is", invited Roops , as she looked at Baji who spoke "Bhao ye tha na maaslaa?. Dutta folded one arm across his chest and the other folded stroked his chin, "haan yehi tha problem ,but how come you have a helmet Roops ?come on tell me the truth ,Dutta enquired "well Bhao a few of my friends have bikes and they wanted me to ride but I refused ,then Baji saw one of my girl friends drop me home on her scooter ,so Baji bought this for me , and Bhao I also remember that you wouldn't let me have a bike ride on your bike , so Baji and I had a quick chat yesterday with each other ,it was not difficult to conclude that you would be travelling on your bike, and knowing you, you would make sure that Naku would travel alongside you... so Baji and myself went to check the ladies full skull helmet", she explained to her brother who was not entirely convinced as he peered into Baji's eyes ,who nodded in an assured fashion. Dutta took a deep breath in, parted his lips and looked at Naku who sulked under the red chunni, but he didn't linger much and looked at Roops . Baji studied the scene and let out a loud, "oye the show must go on , chaal ab Naku tu ab apne bhai ka kehna maan aur jaldi se helmet ko apni sar be fit ker leya , chaal Roops help her he advised . Naku ,thought she would give her sher a bit of a rough time still, and she said ,"nehi I am not going to wear this contraption on my head ,with butterflies fluttering about, what's wrong with my chunni, I tell you every one will stop and stare at me , you all making me into a laughing stock! she said obstinately , Dutta who had lost it by now , bellowed "chup ker! logon ke parthe hai ise! jaan ke nehi! look! he pointed his finger in her face menacingly "put this helmet on now Naku! ,there's no way in hell you sit on my bike without it!"yelled Dutta. Naku surrendered and slid on the helmet on her head, as Roops fitted her chin strap for a comfortable fit ,"there! declared Roops, as she led Naku to check herself in one of the elevated side rear mirrors of the bike, "you look like a beautiful lethal femme fatal !"said Roops ,admiringly. Dutta checked her out, and lifted her visor and winked at her eyes ,and put his hand on the small of her back gently ,bent and whispered, "better safe than sorry baaaby, chaal ab baith ja seat per, Naku bit her lip in a shy smile ,as she bent her waist to occupy the front seat, Dutta chuckled, "oye pagal lardki ye meri seat hai, tera jagga mera peeche hai ,remember I am your driver! not the other way around" ,he smiled as he cocked his head ,full of mischief at Baji and Roops. Naku , finally sat at the right place ,behind her Saab, and Baji crouched to indicate to her where to rest her navy blue leather pump clad toes. Dutta , raised one of his muscular legs and lurched on to his seat, gave Naku a mini jolt, put his visors down , pulled on his leather gloves, knocked knuckles with Baji , pinched his sister's nose as she kissed his cheek, yanked up the bike rest and started the bike with a boom and broom and gradually steadied the balance, and moved away slowly towards the exit doors of PN, Naku 's eyes were tearful as she waved at Baji and Roops, receding figured as her Saab finally braked when he got to the gate to accept the BGs , namastes...he finally came to point where he joined the road ,he paused as he checked if she was ok, pity he couldn't see her beautiful eyes as they were hooded under her helmet visor... just before he hit the road, in silence he looked over his shoulder ,signalled right and veered off on to the road ,stopped at the set of traffic lights ,he noticed other, ordinary couples on bikes ,and was disappointed to note that Naku was correct as a few heads turned at her and he looked sideways , to combat any unwelcoming oogling at his woman. He could feel she was quiet and tense and far removed and withdrawn from his back ,he pulled his mouth to one side ,maybe she was uncomfortable by this whole mode of transportation, maybe she was frightened ,which was hard for him to swallow ,as he reckoned she was pretty intrepid, and plucky in certain matters, he smiled as he recalled how she took Harshad to the cleaners and that too in wake of the possible threat of emotional black mail. Then also, how unafraid she is to speak her mind out if she decides her Saab is being unreasonable , hummmh ,he pondered as he got out of the traffic jams and on to the high way , yet why was she distant ,from him ,surely he thought he wanted her closer to him , hummmh, he considered it was an unpleasant occurrence that both have to abstain from visual messaging of affection, but surely her warm body touching his back could calm his ruffled sentiments. But here she was his Naku , his woman, sitting behind him not as an integral part of him but some distant entity, although much to his amusement for him, the present as it stood was a feeling, a sensation he had never experienced before in life, he felt on a high! it was like he was a man taking his wife on a journey, like other blokes! he challenged himself when the question formed why ever not a guy with his girl friend! he dismissed the idea immediately , Naku doesn't look like a girl friend from any angle he chuckled ,as he checked her through his elevated mirror, so thought aborted! besides she's not my girl friend and he moved his head to one side and narrowed his eyes behind the visor.. she's more like his wife ! that which she is not! he reprimanded himself, not yet!
But the man and the lover in him, cajoled him into action, somewhere the officer too came to assist, hummh ,he sussed out ,the distance has to be erased between him and her first , so act quick fast and he swayed his bike and Naku ,had a rude awakening from the calm ride, he compressed his lips but also smiled churlishly, pas ah baaaby ,his eyes cried out ,but for some reason his woman was shy, he speeded and leaned the bike again to one side ,and she jerked and clutched his shoulders , and he smiled, no not quite, he thought still a distance between ...so in a final deep manipulative swerve she almost screamed and put her arms around his abdomen tightly , placed her cheek against his broad upper back... and Dutta's heart cried out as Naku's arms hugged him tighter around his waist..." Oooh ho..tum ho, tum ho paas mere", Naku dug into his back , "saath mere ho... she moved her face and pecked his back, "tum yun ..Dutta clenched his jaw overcome by her touches, "jitna mehsoos karoon ..utna paabhi loon, he looked at her from the rear mirror, and fought his desire to touch her... Naku, moved her hands from his waist and with haste encircled her arms around his neck , and poked the tip her nose where ever his helmet revealed his neck ,he drew his lips together as he looked at her lips from under her visor on the side of his neck, his lips parted as he eyed her cautiously , his eyes and heart sang for his woman, "tum ho mere liye, mere liye ho tum, yun khud ko main haar gaya, tum ko,main jeeta hoon, he bent and his lips sided to feel her hands on his lips and he kissed them...Oooh ho, his soul cried as her fingers traced his burning lips ,he moved his head to one side... in a lovers agony as his heart spoke ," tum ho aah haaa,he looked at her face and his whole being sang out to his Naku ..."kahin se kahin ko bhi, aao bewajah bina kisi se hum mile, he smiled at her through the rear mirror as she hugged his neck , he bent his head and moved his lips back and forth on her arms entwined around his neck... tum ho paas mere, saath ho mera tum yun , jitna mehsoos karon tumko, utna hi paa bhi loon, Ooohhh...she moved her arms from his neck and clasped his waist tightly again, running her hands over his chest ,that lay completely zipped up, but the movement of her passionate love for him aroused him and his heart cried out to the heavens!.. "kis tarah cheenega mujhese ye jahan tumhe, tum bhi ho, kya fikar ab humien... tum ho mere liya, mera liya tum ho, yun khud ko main hargaye, tumko,tum ko main jeeta hoon...Oooh hoo ho"...
Naku clung to him, in absolute contentment, and he drove his motor bike in pure internal ease. Here he was one with her yet again in a varied scenario ,he looked up the skies ahead, the red orange hue of the horizon ,heralded the approach of dusk, he noted the flock of rooks as they flew homeward bound. He blinked his eyes as he captured her reflection in his elevated rear mirror, hummh ,us two were progressing further from our home, he lowered his eyes as he felt a weight in his heart. He looked up to the road ahead as he shifted his grip on the handles of the bike. His brow furrowed a bit as he gassed up the bike but his speedometer showed it failed to pick up speed and shortly the speed declined, with presence of mind he moved into the left lane of the high way signalled left to indicate departure from the highway, checked his mirrors and in haste pressed his hazard lights as the bike began to judder! Naku opened her eyes and lifted her head from his upper back , with a degree of panic. He turned the front of the bike towards the safe point on the hard shoulder, and in a strop switched off the engine of the bike , as the hazard lights clicked on mechanically. He swung his leg off , walked towards her and commanded ,"uther neeche, kam ho gaya hai! this damn thing has screwed up!" ,he grated. Naku shuffled her bottom and tipped off the bike and faced him. He took off his helmet and looked at her,"chal tu bhi apna ghughat utha de ab", he said dryliy, she looked up at him with her wide green doe eyes questioningly, he was in no mood for her looks and he almost shouted ,"take your bloody helmet off woman! you're off the bike and off the road now!". Naku nodded and unclasped the neck strap and pulled off the helmet, her head still covered by her red chunni. Dutta looked at her amused at her dead pan reaction to this breakdown, such a cool woman she was ,totally composed. He shifted his gaze from her and looked at the traffic that whizzed past on the highway, and could help not take in the noise that ensued by vehicle speed. He looked to the right side of the highway, which was lined with woods ,and his eyes hit a glimmer of hope ,"chaal jungle mein chalte hain , pata nahi yahan kitni der rukna parathe ga?,she nodded quietly as he released the bike pedal and wheeled it off the hard shoulder into the clearing in the woods. She saw his huge frame as he held the handles of his Harley Davidson and walked it deeper to a safe spot ,she stayed behind and decided to push the bike from the back ,he turned his head back wards and smiled at his lal chunni dulhan! He finally found a wide solid tree trunk , and parked his bike ... he looked up at her with narrow eyes and pointed his palm towards the tree trunk,"chaal baith jaa Naku, main dekhata hoon , is main kiya masala hai" he ordered. She sat down on the ground quietly and watched her man as she looked around and saw the rising freezing fog ,and began to rub her hands. Dutta looked across to her from where he stood, " bike can wait baaaby, phela let's start a fire to keep us warm" he suggested and turned and began to walk off, Naku saw his tall ,dark receding frame and jumped up and ran towards him in panic,"Saaab! Saab! ruko ,main bhi jaye gi aap ke saath," she screamed as she caught up with him ,he turned around and she gripped him tightly,"main bhi jaye gi ,I can gather twigs as well, I am not sitting there by myself she moaned ,he smiled at her ,"aache chaal tubhi ,just calm down now , he looked at her as she walked beside him her arm around his wide waist and his arm around her shoulder ,he bent and kissed the top of her head covered under her chunni ,"oye silly girl !Dutta ke hoona wali patne ho ke darti hai tu,"he squeezed her shoulder closer into his arm pit and looked down into her eyes as she looked up at him ,while they walked in the woods. Each in their own heart yearned this instant would be eternalized for ever...yeh kahan aygaye hum yoonhe saath saath chalte... but alas! both knew their thoughts were lovers fancies, farfetched from the sundries of life!. Naku wriggled from under his arm pit and bent down to gather twigs and sticks , and her tiny soft fingers closed around a coarse bunch of dry twigs and sticks .Dutta smiled at her effort ,she was so down to earth, purpose driven ,without any airs and graces ...yes he dwelled, she was like him linked to the sweet smell of his beloved soil. He watched her as she bent and sharply looked out for more he took over the bunch she had collected and she bent again to collect a few more,"ouch! she moaned, he rushed to her side as he saw she had slashed her forefinger by a sharp splinter!' he snatched the rest of her twigs and held up her slightly bleeding hand, "kya kirte hai tu? sabaar nehi hota thujhe dekh ab chaot legwali hai na tune adher de gimme your finger he grunted ,she protested but before she knew it ,he stuck her blood and grit covered finger straight into his warm mouth and sucked the blood dry ,popped it out of his mouth and saw a bit more blood,so shoved her finger right back into his mouth and carried on sucking it with his mouth closed. She looked at him, flushed in the face.. Ooh Bappa , is he going to keep my finger in his hot mouth now ?she wondered as she lowered her eyes ,but he carried on the activity unconcerned by her reaction, "Saab ..theekh hoon main ,choor dein ab mujhe", she whispered quietly. He realized her words and released the grip of his palate on her finger as he allowed her to withdraw her finger from his mouth...
They both moved towards their selected spot and he crouched and arranged the twigs and branches into a risen heap, and walked across to collect two palm size flat smooth stones. He crouched again ,looked at her ,pulled his mouth from the sides and rubbed the two stones against each with all his might ,his face turned bright red as he heaved loudly till he got the required spark ! and the fire was lit. The flames danced as they looked at each other, in its blaze..little cinders and crackles popped out of the fire as the dry assortment of twigs shot little sparks here and there ,Naku moved forward from her sitting position and stuck a few more twigs to the fire. Once he realized she was warm ,he moved towards his bike and released the silm fit bonnet to check ,the plugs and wiring of the gear box ,but everything seemed normal, he stroked his face with his slender fingers and moved towards the petrol gauge, it showed a tank full. His brow clouded , and he whipped his phone out and dialled a number.."haan Baji! fiasco! the bloody bike has broken down ,yes we are off the highway, haan haan , she's fine usko kya problem hoga , main hoon na uske saath, chaal now you damn well ring around and send me a mechanic now! I'll wait for your call! ordered Dutta. He walked towards Naku whose cheeks glowed in the fire , he held his breathe..what a woman you have here Dutta! she looked up at him and decided to be useful and stood up and walked away to gather some more fire wood, he gazed after her and yelled"oye be carful phir kuch na ker lena apne ap ko ,and use the well hand ,itni daft hai tu ,yeh bhi batna partha hai thujhe! he complained and she turned and twitched her nose at him and he shouted "teri tu main"! the phone rang and Baji spoke tongue in cheek ,"haan Bhao bad news !nope koi mechanic available nehi hain, sab busy hain apne ghar bar mein, Bhao sham ho gaye hai, unke kam khatom ho chuka hai, ab tu bole tu main ah jata hoon? chuckled Baji , Dutta nodded ,"ok well looks like me and Naku are stuck now" he said matter of factly, Baji replied wryly "looks like you and Naku are indeed stuck with each other, have fun!! Baji hooted. Dutta cut off the phone "ye Baji bikul haad se bhar chala jata hai salla! he rasped. Naku walked up to him and looked up into his face, "So no luck with Baji Saab?, never mind Saab think of another option", she suggested Dutta went hummh deep in thought and then in an almost fit of temper ,dialled the number of Military school." Yes this is Major Dutta here, give me the motor bike maintainence depot now! he roared, shortly the mechanic spoke "yes Sir! Major Dutta how may I help?"he asked gingerly "well to cut the matter short, corporal my bloody Harley Davidson has broken down in the middle of nowhere! I have checked the plugs, the wiring ,radiator, the tank is full still it suddenly stopped picking up speed and juddered to a halt! you'd better get your act together soon as I have no intention of spending the whole night here! hollered Dutta ," "Sir! I apologise for this inconvenience , please give me the directions of the venue and I'll be there with you shortly, I assure you" said the frightened corporal. Dutta shoved his phone back into his pocket and turned to see the return of his smiling Naku holding a couple of apples in her palms "ye lo Saab ,apple khao, he slowly shook his head but looked at her with narrow drowsy eyes ,"tu kha Naku, mujhe bhook nehi hai" ,he declined, Naku looked at his cold face his lips firmly set," kya baat hai Saab?parishaan ho ap?"she asked quietly, "no parishaan nehi hoon, just rang the military school there are sending a mechanic, but yes I am a bit miffed that why did this ruddy break down have to happen Naku, I don't want to see you in , any pain, discomfort, duress any time in life ! it rips my gut, truly it does...!" he said quietly as he sat across her on the ground his knees pulled up and his elbowed arms rested on top of his knees, as the fire burned between them... he stared at her chunni enveloped face , as she sat facing him her back rested against the tree trunk ,her drawn up knees hugged by her long red sleeved arms. Dutta rolled up his eyes towards the skies , it was pitch dark , a few stars flickered across the skies ,the moon shone like an saucer of yogurt and mists as by magic issued from the ground swirled up towards the heavens and spread its sheer arms around the two lovers . Naku, gazed directly into his wide softened expression, "nehi Saab, this breakdown doesn't matter to me, if at all I am pleased ,I can spend more time with you, as far as the conditions are concerned, Saab aap ho mera saath, mera pas ,all else like comfort zone, indulgences don't matter to Naku ,as long as one thing never changes, Saab ap ka pyaar mera liya..she said with lowered eyes ,he moved his fingers " aura agar mera pyar tera liya change ho jaye, to tu kiya kera gi Naku?bol? he said softly. Her eyes instaneously glazed with tears ,"main kya keri gi Saab , sawaye ap ko pyar kerna ke elava, Naku phir bhi aap he ko chaye gi ,humesha tum ko chacha ,aur chacha kuch bhi nehi , she sobbed .. Dutta pushed himself up on his legs and walked over to her and sat down beside her resting his back against the tree ..."oye roona band ker lardki, itna bhi nehi janti tu ka Dutta maar jayega tera bina" ,and he stretched his arm and placed it around her shoulder and pulled her towards his arm pit. He bent his head sideways and kissed the top of her head ,that rested on his shoulder, he leaned forward and gently pulled off the red chunni from her head and pulled out the strands of her hair, pulled one of them towards his face and gently rubbed it against his cheek, "hummmh Naku ,the firmament is encouraging us to proclaim are love towards each other, tonight to give ourselves to each other completely in this captured moment, so why should we not adhere to nature and fate's law Naku?bol? he hoarsed as he pulled her passionately towards him, she placed her hand on his chest, "because Saab there is a time and place for everything under heaven, samjhe ap ?, jab Bappa ke marzi hogi hum ek ho jayenga, us se pheli nehi, waise tu hum ek he hain Saab, sirf thure se dorri hai", she explained, Dutta ,pulled off her hand from his chest ,ye thujhe zarra se dorri nazar ati hai, mera sathiya naash ho giya hai" he moaned as he almost twisted her wrist, "oh stop behaving like a harebrained school boy and grow up for heaven's sake, Saab, kal ko aap papaa bun gaye tu tab bhi aise bheeki bheeki batien kerien ge kya?, he perked up and turned his face towards her," yehi tu Naku pheli tu baap bana tu muhjhe ! wait nehi hoota ab tera Saab se! he chortled ,Naku ,shook her head and tapped her forehead ..she almost landed herself in it..Oh Bappa the animal can think of one thing only she blushed, heaven help her after her lagan! He caught her shy look and pulled her injured finger looked at it and shoved it in his mouth yet again, Naku, writhed in pain"Saab dard hota hai , ab baar mou mein dal lein ga tu theek kaise hogi meri unglee...he glared and complained "good aacha hai thujhe dard ho raha hai ,mujhe bhi aise he dard hota hai teri harketien dekh ker ,har waqat bahw deti hai ,Saab ye nehi ,Saab woh nehi! chup beith ab! The pair were startled by a pair of headlights in the woods , they separated and Dutta stood up tall on his feet as the corporal mechanic approached towards him in his motor bike. He parked and got off his bike and marched towards Dutta and stood to attention and saluted. Dutta saluted back as the corporal bowed his head towards Naku who fixed her red chunni on her head, Dutta announced "my fianc, corporal ,I have to drop her at the Dera hospital, now see if you can check the bike and solve the problem fast. The mechanic within a matter of minutes , checked and ended up pulling the park plugs out. Dutta sauntered over to peer over ,while the mechanic, cleaned the oil around the plugs. Finally the job was done,as the mechanic wiped the iol and grease off his fingers ,Dutta with folded arms, queried "kya problem tha? Iam surprised ,and make sure you book its service,once a while I need to use it "he reprimanded."Sir it was the plugs, they were completely damp,so I have put in new ones now , shouldn't be any problem,now I'll start it up for you Sir! and yes I will it give it a complete service ,oil check ,brake pads, lights, indicator etc Sir, when you return to the School, guaranteed the mechanic, Dutta ,nodded with approval as his bike started with a boom, and the mechanic took it for a short ciular spin round the tall standing Dutta,finally the mechanic stopped and parked. Dutta nodded ,"thanks corporal ,good job, thanks for coming out at his ungodly hour ,won't keep you here any longer so off you go" ,smiled Dutta. The corporal saluted with a relieved face, for he knew that Major was a strict officer who held a lot of weight and sway amongst the ranks ,he could have him reported for negligence in maintenance services.
Dutta walked towards Naku, "chal meri roop ke rani, lets go baaaby, your carriage awaits you meri shahzadi!"he said as he moved his palm towards the bike .Naku got up and checked the cinders of the dying fire, he was impressed by her good sense and he got hold of some large stones, smashed the rest of the fire , and he looked again at the ashes as he ensured all the fire was put out before they left . Naku fitted back her helmet, and sat securely on the back seat, he put on his helmet, lifted his visor and smiled at her, as he pulled on his gloves ,swung his sinewy leg and yanked his hind on his seat ,Naku jolted forward with the judder and put her arms around his waist as firmly as she could and laid her cheek against the top of his taut ample back ,he started the engine and wheedled his way out of the woods reached the hard shoulder, checked his elevated mirrors, indicated right, looked over his shoulder and revved his engine ,swayed and zoomed off into the left lane , increased speed indicated right and raced with a hundred galloping horses! ,Naku just closed her eyes against his back and from time to time felt his hard taut abdomen. He looked at the time it was fairly late ,so he increased speed and raced ahead like a tornado till he finally saw the outline of the Dera hospital sign posted on the high way as well ,he indicated left into the departure left lane and braked as he reduced speed to built up areas. Naku opened her eyes and lifted her head up. Before she withdrew her face she dug her nose and lips into his back and spoke into his jacket with tiny kisses "oooh Saaabb ,mere Saabbb...she sobbed and quickly wiped her tears with her finger tips as he turned into the hospital .Before he got to her residence parking lot he stopped at the general store ,swung his leg switched off his bike, lifted his visor and turned to her, "chaal Naku ,get some fresh bread, milk , fresh fruit etc ,Naku disembarked ,slid off her helmet and held it against her belly and walked into the shop with Dutta ,he got hold of a carry basket ,and held it while she put necessities in the basket ,Dutta looked around and picked ,cereal bars ,and dried fruit and nut snack tubs for her , she smiled ,there was no point in arguing with him, he bent over the counter and asked if they served hot food too, they did, so he turned to her "bol kya kahna hai? he questioned. She looked at the mounted menu and chose, "samoosa, vegetable spring rolls, with meethi chutney", he heard her speak and smiled at her, he was not going to lecture her on healthy eating, this was not the time or place , he looked up and said "pack this as take away please", he looked at her " aram se ja ker apne kamra mein kahien Naku", he suggested and she nodded. Dutta paid and she sat on his bike again, as he neared her residence parking lot. Her Saab pulled her wheelie suitcase with one hand and in the other he carried her groceries till they arrived at her flat. She unlocked her flat and took her wheelie from his hand , she knew full well he would never enter her flat. She returned to grab the rest of the bags and they looked at each other in silence, she inside the door way and him outside .He parted his lips and lowered his eyes, she saw his flushed face and leapt forward and put her arms around his neck, Saaab! she cried, he twitched his jaw and scrunched both hands beside his sides, she held his shoulders and tried to shake him with a cry "Saaabbb! say something! he looked down at her her head sill covered by the red chunni ,face drizzled and tear marked ,"Saaab! she thumped his chest, "cant you hear and see Your Naku is distraught!" she banged her head softly at his chest as she sobbed, "oooh Saaab,... she shook, almost at a loss of clear speech, he gradually closed his arms around her and rested his broad indented chin on her shaking head, "Naku, my love , my baaaby, how many times are you going to make this ordeal of good bye excruciating for me, mera bhhi tu sooch mujhe pe kya bethti hai thujhe is haal mein dekh ker", he consoled her as he stroked her back with his wide palms , she gathered herself "I will keep on breaking down Saab because you are never in my shoes..it's always you Saab who walks away and leaves me behind, you are never! in a situation where I walk away and leave you behind...all alone. ..she fought angrily ,he raised his palms and with his thumbs wiped her tears and kissed her warm ,moist cheeks ,"I know my darling I know ,that I walk away but then out of the two of us who is the brave one ? hummh tell me who is the strongest out of us ,my shahzadi ?he asked as he looked into her eyes and kissed the tip of her nose , she parted her petal soft lips and he placed his smooth warm lips on hers, and only their gentle beating of hearts could be felt by each other ,he pulled back and declared, "chall choor mujhe aur jane de ,kam hai mujhe" and with that he turned his tall figure and his legs carried him away from her ,towards his parked bike, she couldn't bear it any longer and went back to her room..what will be ,will be ..and she closed her door... to be continued~ Hamlet ...3.2.12
Precap: " ah, Dutta! good to have you back on parade my boy, so tell me have you got Khan's report for me? enquired Brigadier Parekh.
dutta want sandwiches 
comment:
p_commentcount