Destined for your love Completed G

Chapter 4

Part 4

After Virat leaves, Priya, Ram, Adi and Kunal discuss their outlook about Virat.

While Priya is still skeptical, Ram is slightly more approving. Adi interjects saying Ram is a softie but then Kunal agrees that it should be Sai's decision whether to meet or not.

They call her from speaker phone and inform her of Virat's visit and their subsequent discussion.

Sai is quiet for sometime and the Kapoor gang is wondering if she is okay with them acting on her behalf.

After a moment of silence, Sai speaks,

"Priya di aur Ram Jeeju... Thank you. Adi bhaiya aur Kunal.. aap ko bhi. Bahot kam aise log hai is duniya main jo mere liye ladne ko tayyar hai. I am so grateful to all of you."

Hearing this, Priya gets emotional, a first for her. She immediately says,

"Aisa nahi hai Sai... You have been through a lot. We are just making sure ki tumhe firse koi takleef na ho"

Sai smiles and thanks all of them.

Virat is unsure whether he was convincing enough and whether Sai will meet him. Feeling suffocated with all the pent up emotions, he decides to take a stroll. Mindlessly walking for a long time, he reaches Marine drive and tired and exhausted sits on the edge of the walkway.

Its early evening and people have started coming for their evening activities. Some for the leisurely stroll, children playing and young couples stealing moments of solitude.

Virat sits contemplating his life decisions, silent tears streaking his face as the sun starts its journey towards horizon.

The waves lashing the quadrapods are synonymous with the waves of emotions Virat is fighting within him.

He is about to go back when he gets a call from an unknown number.

"Hello!"

The hello feels like a sweet nectar, something that he had been dying to hear.

"Sai!!!"

"Mujhe aapse milna hai Virat Sir... Kab mil sakte hai?"

"Abhi.. right now.. batao kaha aau?"

"Aap bataiye aap kahan hai?"

"Main Marine drive pe hun"

"Thike. Main aati hun."

For Virat time seems to have slowed down, he straightens himself, gets a bottle and cleans his face and makes himself presentable.

Sai arrives a few minutes later and Virat is awestruck to see her. While her outer apperance has not changed much, there's a resolve in her gait, head held high and eyes of steel.

Sai sees him and for a moment rethinks her decision. But she composes herself even if she is a bundle of nerves deep within.

She comes and sits near him, close yet not touching.

"Kaise hai aap? Any post operation complications?"

"Just one. I am missing someone terribly"

Sai turns her face away and looking at the setting sun asks,

"Kyun aaye hai aap yahan?"

"Kyun matlab? Tum aise bina kisi ko kuch bataye chali gai? Mujhse mili bhi nahi. Maine kaha kaha nahi dhundha tumhe?"

"Kyun???"

"Sai.. mujhe fikr ho rahi thi. Us blast ke baad maine tumhe dekha bhi nahi... Vaise tum thik to ho na? Kahin tumhe kuch hua to nahi?"

Sai looks at him and tries to assess the truth of these words. All she sees are eyes laced with worry. A tiny corner of her cold heart seems to be thawing. But She puts that thought aside and says,

"Main thik hun. Vaha se isliye aa gai kyunki... " and she stops, a lump rising in her throat.

"Kyunki?"

"Kyunki Mera vaha koi nahi tha..."

Virat takes a hard look at her, Sai is biting her lip in an attempt to hold back the tears that are threatening to fall. Virat puts his hand across to hers, she flinches and quickly removes it.

Hurt, Virat asks her,

"To phir mere liye injection kyun arrange karvaya?"

Sai looks at him and smiles haughtily,

"Ye puchne ki jarurat mehsoos ho rahi hai aapko? Abhi bhi nahi samjhe?"

"Samajhne ki koshish hi to kar raha hun.. jab tumhe meri itni parvah hai to chod kyun aai?"

"Aur kis liye rukti? Aapne to keh diya tha na ki aap aisi duniya main nahi rehna chahte jaha aap pe koi bharosa na kare.. marna pasand karenge.. vo ishara meri taraf tha .. main samjh gai thi.. main aapko Marne nahi de sakti thi.. par dur to ja hi sakti thi... Maine vahi kiya"

"Sai...." Virat mumbles and they sit together in silence.

The sound of the breaking waves and that of the traffic cannot break the cocoon these two have created around themselves.

A while later, Sai speaks again,

"Aapki baat Puri ho gai ho to main jau?"

"Nahi.. i mean abhi nahi. Mujhe kuch puchna hai?"

Sai's heartbeat rises hearing this, she imagines a plethora of questions he may ask.

"Kya tum mujhe phirse ek chance dogi?" Is one the least anticipated questions.

"Kya tum mere saath Ghar vapas chalogi?"

"Nahi" is the immediate response from Sai...

"Main us ghar main kabhi vapas nahi jaungi Virat sir"

"Itni instantly kaise jawab de diya tumne Sai?"

"Oh.. to iska matlab aapko pata nahi hai... Sahi hai... Koi kyun hi batayega aapko? Aur aapne pucha bhi nahi hoga. Yahi socha hoga ki ye immature ladki phirse chali gai"

"Main kuch samjha nahi Sai.. kya bol diya kisine?"

Sai throws her head back and laughs, but it's not the mirth that's dripping out of it. Rather it's a pain that she is masking through it.

Sai then tells Virat the behaviour of all the family members. Virat who is unaware about most of it, feels his anger rising, frustrating him to the core.

"Mujhe Pakhi didi ya Bhavani Kaku ki baato ka bura nahi laga Virat Sir kyunki vo to hamesha se aise the mere saath. Lekin jis tarah se mujhe Samrat dada, Mohit Bhaiya aur Shivani bua ne bedkhal kiya... Aur jinhe maine Aai baba mana tha... Unhone bhi unka saath diya... Uske baad to vaha rukna mere liye mushkil tha Virat sir. Unhone mujhe jaata diya ki main anath thi aur anath hi rahungi."

"Aisa mat kaho Sai, aapne aap ko anath mat samjho"

"Isme samjhne wale koi baat hi nahi hai Virat sir.. sach to sach hai... Koi kitna bhi kuch bole, hai vo aapka khoon.. aur jab baat khoon ki ho to kisi aur ki koi value nahi hoti.. Main to bhul gai thi un sab ka pyaar dekh kar... Lekin mujhe is baat ko is tarah se jaata diya gaya ki ab main ise phir kabhi nahi bhulungi"

"Isliye koi sochne ki baat nahi hai mere liye... Main nahi jaanti ki main aapko dusra chance de sakti hun ya nahi... Lekin main us ghar main to kabhi vapas nahi jaungi. And thats final"

Virat now realising the depth of her hurt, takes her hands in his, this time she doesn't pull away. Unable to control himself, Virat touches his head on her hands and keeps on saying sorry to her.

Sai is filled with sadness to see him so heartbroken but she steels herself to not soften up this time.

When he quietens after some time, Sai pulls her hands away and says,

"Ab aap samajh gaye main yahan kyun aa gai? I am not going to put myself through that again. Ek baar maine aapna aatma sammaan taak pe rakh liya. Not anymore. I am happy here. I have good friends who genuinely care for me. And Priya di and Ram Jeeju are so good to me. I have a future to look up to. I am sorry but not this time"

Virat is stunned but he understands, and for the first time he realises how crude and crass his family members are.

He extends his hand towards Sai for a handshake, she looks at him, feeling hurt that he has given up so easily but extends it to him.

He takes her hand in his and gently caresses them.

"I am sorry Sai. I have been horrible to you and there is no point in going ahead if I don't change all this. I will contact you only after I resolve all this. And I can only hope that you will wait for me till then"

A sad smile plays on both their lips and they part ways feeling drained out. Sai is feeling lighter at having spoken all the pentup emotions and is slightly hopeful at his words.

But Virat is hurt and is in immense pain at the thought of everything Sai had gone through just for him. While moving away, he suddenly remembers Sada's words "Dekh tujhse kitna pyaar karti hai" and the image of Sai ready to walk through the landmines flashes through his mind.

He turns immediately and looks at retreating Sai, willing her to glance at him one last time. But she doesn't and the next course of action is immediately crystal clear to Virat.