Chapter 3

[MEMBERSONLY] [NOCOPY]

Note: Now that Cheeku has been found, I'm back to posting, under the condition that I will beat her up when she returns and that all of you will help in beating up the mad girl!!!

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Ashwini shook herself loose from Sonali’s arms and hugged Sai close, pulling her head on to her shoulder. Ninad, who had gotten up again and had moved behind the sofa, saw Sai’s face from behind and almost broke down himself. In his long military career, he had seen many broken souls, where just the body survives, but the essence of the person has left and the eyes turn dead. The bright, sparkling eyes of this young girl, his son’s wife, which were ever alive with a multitude of emotions, were flat as glass now.

Without even realising what he was doing, he kept his hand on her head, and at that, Sai sighed and closed her eyes, sinking into her Aai’s embrace. And within the family, thus they remained, a small cocoon, each lost in their own fear, but joined by the gut-clenching agony of having lost their light. 

Behind each of the three sets of closed eyes, the smiling face of Virat Chavan was breaking their hearts into a million pieces.

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Part 3

Day 2 - Day is dark when their Light is lost

“Birthday girl Sai!”

“Daro mat… main hoon”

Sai pressed her face into Ashwini’s shoulder.

“Waise Aai...Aap toh mujhe khilana bhul chuke hai…”

“Koi majaal hai kehde ki aap dono saas ho!”

Ashwini gulped down her sob.

“Ek bahadur insaan hi dusre ke dil me bahaduri jaga sakta hai…”

“Baba….I can’t Baba… Baba, Kamal Sir ne marne se pehle ek vaada liya tha… “

Ninad started weeping openly, his hand still on Sai’s head.

Looking up at him, Sai took his hand in hers, and was about to say something when Omkar rushed up.

“Dada, sambhaaliye apne aapko! Aap aise kamzor pad gaye toh Vahini aur Sai ka dhyaan kaun rakhenge?”

Taking Omkar’s hands in his, Ninad trembled, “Mera guroor hai Virat! Aur maine uske saath itne maheenon se, kaisa bartaav….”, and leaning his head on to the joined hands, sobbed, helplessly, until he felt a hand on his back. 

Sniffing, and turning his head, he saw his wife standing there, compassion and understanding in her eyes, which themselves were weeping.

Gathering Ashwini close in a one-armed hug, he looked down at Sai, who was looking up at them both with a twisted smile. 

Seeing him gazing at her, flicking her eyes at Ashwini who had buried her face into his shoulders, Sai said, “Virat Sir hote to khush ho jaate. Shayad mujhe ek photo lena chahiye, dikhane ke liye, hai na, Mohit?”

Pressing his own trembling lips together, Mohit could only manage a strangled sound of agreement. Not moving, Sai sat there, looking up at her Aai and Baba, looking very much like a lost little girl. 

His grief now acquiring an underlying layer of concern for Sai, at how detached she was, Ninad once again rested his hand on her head, feeling an unfamiliar pang as she innocently titled her head against his hand.

“This is Virat’s Sai”, his heart murmured, “Meri Bahu…”

He thought back on how his son had brought a young girl home, shocking the family to the core and while he looked as if life had taken away his very dreams from him, how he had stood strong, steady, by his decision. He remembered how crushed Virat had looked at Ninad’s anger, more so than anyone else in the family. 

His son’s heartbroken face clearly appearing as he closed his eyes in self-disgust, he opened them again, unable to bear the distance from his son suddenly. 

In that moment, he would have given anything to go back in time and stand by his son’s decisions proudly.

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Dawn breaking, dark and dank as the rains continued unabatedly, with Mohit and Omkar making plans to go out and check the roads before proceeding to the police station, the rest of the family remained where they were, as if the night had left them frozen.

Suddenly, making all of them jump, Sai’s phone rang. Not having checked if network had been restored in the past few minutes, Mohit too took out his phone, but saw no connection. 

Her face registering some emotion finally, Sai looked at the screen, her brows rising in a frown at the unfamiliar short code being displayed,  attended the call.

“Hello, Sai Bhabi?”

Taking a sudden deep breath, as other than Sunny, the only people who called her Bhabi were Virat Sir’s teammates, Sai replied, her voice tremulous, “Ji…? Aap kaun?”

“Bhabi, mai Nishikant bol raha hoon, Inspector Nishikant.”

Letting out a soft cry, Sai blurted, “Nishikantji… aap kahan se call kar rahe hai? Virat Sir hai kya wahan?”

“Woh… Bhabi... “, his voice faltering, Sai could make out him taking deep breaths to control his voice before speaking. Her eyes flicking up at the rest of the family listening in anxiously, she replied, “Boliye… jo bhi hai…”

Trying to keep his voice stable, as he gazed at the devastation around him, Nishikant replied, “Sai Bhabi, Virat Sir ne kaha tha ki jab bhi radio ya wireless connectivity mile, call patch karke aapko khabar de. Mai bohot der se koshish kar raha tha, aur ab jaake connect hus aapka number.”

Her breath coming in gasps, Sai urged him to go on, “Virat Sir kahan hai?”

“Bhabi.. Sir… woh… achanak se bhaad aayi aur Sir…” Nishikant gulped.

Clutching the phone, Sai stood frozen again, the scene she had seen on news replaying in her mind, her treacherous mind now assigning Virat Sir’s face to one of the uniformed figures she had seen being swept away. 

All the blood draining from her face, turning white as sheet, Sai swayed.

Recognising the change in expression again, Mohit leapt forward, holding Sai close to his side with one hand as he gently took the phone in his.

 “Inspector, mai Mohit Chavan bol raha hoon, Virat Chavan ka chota bhai. Aap boliye, Dada theek hai na?”

 Nishikant’s next words took his very breath away.

“Sir, woh laapata hai. Mai Chandpur se hi baat kar raha hu. Mujhe wireless monitoring ki duty de gayi thi, aur mai rescue field me nahi tha. Baaki poora team…” Nishikant’s voice ended in a gurgle, as he tried hard to control himself.

“Kya?!” Mohit almost swayed on his feet, before steadying himself, taking in the faces of the family who had now gathered around. “Aur Dada?”

His voice tearful, Nishikant started relaying the summary of what had happened. After listening for a few seconds, and realising that he wouldn’t be able to repeat everything verbatim, Mohit put the phone on speaker, and gently handed over Sai to Mansi Bua’s capable hands.

With Mansi Bua on one side and Shivani Bua on the other, Sai sat, her face blank, as she listened intently.

The Rescue Teams had reached the site of landlslide in the afternoon, and after a reconn, and taking expert opinion, had started the rescue operations quickly, after realising that a lot of people were trapped under debris. 

They had divided the teams into sectors, with three teams under Virat’s leadership, and the work had been progressing smoothly with a lot of survivors having been found when with no warning, a part of the hillside collapsed again, bringing with it a wave of water.

Virat had been on higher ground, from where he could oversee and guide all three teams, but upon seeing the water rushing in; he had leaped down and ran to warn as many people as possible. In that, he had also gotten in the way of the water and had gotten washed away with the rest of his team. 

The two other teams from Nagpur, who had been working on the periphery had been able to hold on to trees and roots and prevent themselves from being washed away.

Hearing this, the entire family had started weeping silently, understanding that Virat, who would never leave a member of his team behind would be the first to leap into danger if it meant that someone else could be saved. 

Weeping now, Mohit looked at Sai, who had turned whiter if it were possible, but was sitting like a statue, the only movement her constant twisting of her ring.

Nishikant, having been on Radio duty was as of now, the only member of Virat’s core team who had been accounted for.

Almost sobbing, he said, “Dusre team ke logon ne kaha ki unhone Virat Sir ko dekha tha, in life-saving position, not fighting the current aur emergency search party unhe dekha bhi tha, aur rope daal bhi diya. Lekin usske baad pata chala ki Virat Sir ne ek aur officer ko bachaake apne haath me pakde hue the, aur unhone rope usko de diya. Jab tak rope dubaara daal paaya, tab tak woh dusra landslide ho gaya aur jahan Virat Sir ko spot kiya tha, pura ka pura submerged ho gaya.”

Taking a deep breath, Nishikant continued, “Ek aur team bheje gaye hai, saare officers ko dhoondhne ke liye. Aur kisi ke ghar pe abhi information pass on nahi kiya hai, lekin Virat Sir ne mujhse personally kaha tha ki Sai Bhabi ko jaise Radio connection mil jaaye, update karna, news jo bhi ho. Iss liye maine call kiya. Pichle baar meri galti se unko information nahi mili thi, toh aap please Bhabi se boliye ki mai unhe update karta rahunga. Sai Bhabi, agar aap sun rahi hai toh bharosa rakhiye, hum jaan de denge, lekin Sir ko dhoondh kar hi rahenge.”

Getting up from where she was sitting, Sai walked forward and held her hand out for the phone, staring at her, almost afraid for her, Mohit gave it up. 

Turning off the speaker, Sai said, “Nishikantji, bohot bohot aabhaar ki aapne itna kuch hone ke beech me se mujhe call kiya. Aap update karte rahiyega, jo bhi khabar ho. Mere Aaba hamesha kehte the, ki ek Police Officer ki beti ko masboot rehna hai, aur ek Police Officer ki biwi bhi hoon Mai, khud ko sambhaaloongi. Bas khabar dete rahiyega.”

Hearing this, and picturing the young, brave wife of his Virat Sir in his mind, Nishikant swallowed hard, and said, “Ji Bhabi. Ek aur baat. Virat Sir ne hamesha apne team se ek vaada kiya hai aur liya bhi hai, har mission aur operation se pehle. Ki kuch bhi ho jaaye, achcha ya bura, har ek team member ko apne parivaar ko lauta denge. Ghum hone nahi denge. Ab humari poori team me bas mai hi hu yahan, lekin ye mera vaada hai aapse, Sir ko aapko lauta doonga mai...”

Understanding the implications behind a policeman’s promise to his team, Sai straightened once, and thanked him, before cutting the call. 

Staring straight ahead, Nishikant’s words replaying in her head, as she processed that Virat Sir had taken a promise from his team that he be returned to her, if he himself couldn’t return, she slowly collapsed into a heap on the floor.

Seeing this, the entire family, who had been watching her in deepening concern, let out a cry and leaping forward, Mohit caught her, and gently lowered her onto the floor. Grabbing her arms, he asked urgently, “Kya kaha uss officer ne, Vahini? Aap aise kyu gire?”

Looking up above his head and straight at Ninad and Ashwini, she said, her voice so soft, that it was barely audible. “Nishikantji bol rahe the ki Virat Sir ne apne team se ek vaada liya tha, ki jo bhi ho jaaye, unko mujhe lautana hai... aur unka team woh vaada nibhaayenge.”

And far away, his arms finally giving away after fighting for hours against the current, Virat went under, his Sai’s glorious smile the last thing that flashed in front of his eyes as the water rushed up over his head.