Chapter 8

Part 8 - “Rafu”

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The next day, Shivani has asked Sai to accompany her to Chavan Niwas. There, she has asked everyone to assemble as she has news to share. As they join, Shivani tells them about Vishal and his proposal.

Bhavani - “Ab yeh kounsa ladka hai Shivani? Pichli baar yaad hai na kya hua tha?”

Shivani - “Haan yaad hai, isliye is baar Sai aur Virat ki help li hai, vo dono bhi approve karte hai”

Omkar - “Ye dono? Ye kabse saath main kaam karne lage aur tujhe bahar walo se pehle ghar ke logo se puchne ki jarurat nahi lagi”

Shivani - “Nahi lagi, pichli baar bhi ek Sai hi thi jisne mera support kiya tha, vo aap logo se jyada sensible hai aur na hi mere liye vo baharwali hai. I still consider her as family.”

Sai is taken aback but Virat cannot help but feel his heart beating faster at this statement.

Virat - “Omi kaka, pichli baar meri galti thi… hum saath main kaam karte to itna bada natak nahi hota. Aur atleast vo example dekh ke to aapko samajh jaana chahiye ki Sai ka judgement galat nahi tha, aur vo genuinely Shivani bua ki khushi ke liye sochti hai. I trust her. And in fact, she only suggested that I do a background check. Yeh ladka acchha hai. Bua ko khush rakhega. Aap kare na kare, main aur Sai unka support karenge”

Sai is startled at this comment from Virat but keeps quiet.

Bhavani says sarcastically - “Jab tum logo ne sab kuch decide kar hi liya hai to ab kyun bata rahe ho… ab tum aur Sai hi karo jo karna hai… hume chod do”

Shivani, happily agreeing “Acchha hi hai, aap logo ke sade hue muh dekhne se to acchha hai unki madad lu jinko meri khushi ki parvah hai”

Just then, Samrat and Pakhi also arrive and congratulate Shivani and agree to help her.

Samrat - “Mujhe bhi batao Masi.. main bhi kuch karunga.. Kyun Virat?”

Virat just hmmms and goes away. Sai notices the coldness between Samrat and Virat and also notices that Samrat is looking hurt and decides to talk to him first. She goes near Samrat and asks him, “Aapke paas time hai to thodi baat kare, Dada?”

Samrat and Sai move to the swing in the garden. 

“Kya hua Sai, kya baat karni hai?”

“Virat Sir aapke saath aisa kyun behave kar rahe hai, maine notice kiya ki thode dur dur rehte hai”

“Pata nahi Sai, kafi din se.. In fact tab se hi jab se tum chali gai. Pehle mujhe laga ki vo akela rehna chahta hai… par ab mujhe koi aur vajah lagti hai”

“Kaisi vajah?”

Samrat just looks at her, unsure whether to mention what he feels.

“Bataiye na Dada” Sai too hesitates but then decides to ask.. “Pakhi didi?”

Samrat, who is fidgeting, looks up at Sai…“tumko bhi lagta hai?”

And suddenly, they realize they have a deeper bond than they imagined where both of them are thinking the same thing.

“Shayad Sai.. shayad use accha nahi laga ki maine Pakhi ko accept kar liya…”

“To kya vo sach main badal gai hai?”

“Haan Sai, use finally realize hua, usne mujhe sab bataya.. I also realized that whatever her reasons, she stayed in this house in my absence, fulfilling whatever responsibilities were given to her. Tumko aur Virat ko bahot pareshan kiya, but she regrets that now deeply and truly. Hence, I gave her another chance.”

Sai is listening patiently to Samrat, who is missing his Jeeva-Shiva bond. She decides she will talk to Virat.

In the evening, when they are back in the car and going home, Sai addresses the topic with Virat.

“Modak, kuch puchna hai aapse…”

Virat, who is unaware, feels happy that maybe Sai wants to share something with him. “Bolo na…"

With a little hesitation, Sai asks “Aap Samrat dada se dur dur kyun rehte hai?”

Virat, who was not expecting this, suddenly veers the car to the side and stops it. The happiness from his face has vanished and Sai can see his crestfallen look. Both of them are unsure who would speak first. 

Sai notices that they are near Naag Nadi and so she takes the initiative and asks him.. “Waha baithke baat kare?”

Virat is extremely hurt and angry at Sai for wanting to talk about this. He doesn't say anything and keeps his sight fixed at something distant.

“Modak??? Aap naraz ho gaye kya?”

“...”

“Thik hai phir.. Rehne dijiye… vaise bhi main koun hoti hun aapse ye sawal karne wali?”

Hearing this and finding his anger rising, Virat looks at her…

“Yahi Sai, yahi to baat hai..”

Unable to understand, but glad that this broke his silence.. “Kya baat hai?”

“Sai… tum na … (swallowing his words in a bid to avoid saying something he might regret later) mujhe na abhi bahot gussa aa raha hai. I don't want to talk about this, kya hum koi aur baat kar sakte hai?”

Sai understands but still wanting answers gets down from the car and walks over to a bench near the river. Virat now has no option but to follow her and goes and sits next to her, his frown deepening.

Sai lets him sit quietly for some time and then says “Agar aap abhi bhi mujhse share nahi kar sakte to kya farak pada itne saalo main Modak, kaise maan lu ki aap badal gaye?”

This is an eye-opener for Virat when he realizes her expectations. While she always wanted him to share everything with her, at that time he considered her immature and young, but understands that she was always matured and sensible and now it seems that he needs to gain her trust again. This realization surprisingly calms him down and he takes a real good look at Sai. She is in equal parts worried and calm but she also knows that she has his attention now.

“Thik hai Sai, main batata hun tumhe… Sai, Jeeva ne Pakhi.. Vahini ko maaf kar diya.. Accept kar liya…I am happy for him.. par Pakhi ne jo tumhare saath kiya vo main bhula nahi hun. Haan galti meri bhi thi but now I can't stand her even though Jeeva likes her. And whenever I see them together, mujhe lagta hai ki agar sab sahi tarike se hota, we would not have separated… agar vo vo sab nahi karti to shayad main use kabhi vaada hi nahi karta, Samrat chodke na jaata and we…. We would have been happy together”

“Now that I have met you again and even though she claims that she has changed, I have a nagging fear that something untoward will happen. You are my one and only priority now and I fear ki main phir se vahi purana Virat na ban jaun!!.. Isliye main dur reh raha hun… Jeeva se koi problem nahi hai par vo uske saath hai isliye by default Jeeva se bhi dur rehna pad raha hai. Acchha to nahi lag raha but I don't want to lose you again” and with that he buries his face in his hands and sobs.

Sai now grasps his fear and apprehension and gently strokes his back and lets him overcome his outburst. They quietly sit watching the sun go down. A while later, Sai finally speaks,

“Modak, aapko yaad hai na humne ek doosre ko kya promise kiya tha… ki kuch bhi ho jaaye hum dosti nahi chodenge.. I am still holding to it. We will get through this”

Virat is at once composed and at ease hearing the “We” in that statement and smiles, his anger dissipated. He finally realizes that although it has not been verbalised yet, they were a team and are a team still. 

Sai seeing his smile, smiles back and says,

“Aap hamesha mujhe songs bhejte ho.. Aaj mera wala suno”

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Kaise kaise dhaagon se buni hai ye duniya

Kabhi dhoop kabhi baadalon ki ye ladiyaan 

Kuchh tune si hai kuch maine ki hai rafu

Ye doriyaan 

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Many of you wanted to know how Virat will react when is angry. I hope this proves that he is changing bit by bit. He really wants to move on and is willing to take it at a pace Sai is comfortable with. Let me know if this is convincing enough.

The song is “Rafu” from Tumhari Sulu.