Chapter 5

[MEMBERSONLY] [NOCOPY]

Note: If my words affect you, and you feel the pain, the joy, the hope, the despair... I consider it a great honour! 

My heart isn't steady, not even close... when I write these scenes

I am Sai when I write Sai, I am Virat when I write Virat and everyone else... But I feel Sai and Virat in me when I write always.. so you can imagine how my heart was breaking for them...

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Sai took her phone, and seeing that the network was back, sent a quick message to Nishikant, asking if there were any updates. Gulping down a sob at thinking that as she sat there, her Virat Sir might be stuck in gushing waters, fighting for his life, Sai closed her eyes tight, grabbing a pillow from the remnants of the pillow wall to bury her face in. 

Suddenly, Virat’s face appeared in front of her eyes again, first irritated, as he talked about her putting up the Great wall of China, and then the next time with a knowing smirk, as if he knew something about her that she herself didn’t.

“Lekin ek baat tum samajh lo. Aaj tum beech me ye taqiye rakh rahi ho, lekin ek din aayega, jab tum hi mujhse kahegi ye taqiye hataane ko.”

Grabbing them all and throwing the pillows away, crying hard now, remembering how she had forgotten to keep the pillow fort a few nights around the time of his aborted mission, at how she had slept holding his hand as a pillow, Sai sobbed, “Wapas aa jaayiye, Virat Sir. Mai kabhi bhi humare beech aisi deewar khada nahi karungi. Aapke khabar mile bina nahi ho rahi mujhse khud ko sambhaalna!”

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Part 5

Day 2 - It is always darkest before dawn

No one was able to sleep much, with the panic and worry eating them up, the incessant rains a constant reminder that conditions were terrible out there, where their son, nephew and brother was.

One by one, the family came down to the drawing room, all except Ashwini and Sai, and all but collapsed in various chairs, with Bhavani seated in front of the mandir, praying continuously since morning, until Karishma slowly got up, glancing at Pakhi, who sat still, looking like a zombie, having been silent since Virat’s news had come, having not uttered a word. She had been about to say something when Sai had collapsed, and it looked as if Sai’s dry-eyed grief had killed something inside Pakhi too.

Walking up to Sonali, Karishma sat down and said softly, “Aai, dopahar ho gaye, subah bhi kisi ne kuch nahi khaya. Kaku aur Ninad Kaka ke tabeeyat kharab ho jaayenge kuch khaake dawai nahi liye toh. Mai kuch bana du?”

Smiling at Karishma, proud of her, Sonali replied, “Sahi keh rahi hai tu. Jaa aur kuch bana, Patralekha ko bhi saath leke jaao.”

Nodding once, she got up and going up to Pakhi, she said, “Patralekha Bhabi, chaliye, sabke liye khane me kuch banake laate hai.”

Irritated at being disturbed from whatever thought she was lost in, Pakhi stared hard at Karishma, until Karishma, unflinchingly continued, “Kaku aur Kaka ke liye hi sahi, kuch banana padega. Ashwini Kaku aur Sai Bhabi toh kuch kar hi nahi paayenge… unke haalat me... toh chaliye.”

Her expression turning furious suddenly, Pakhi asked, “Aur meri jo haalat hai… usska kya?”, before realising that her voice had risen, and that in the utter silence in which the family were sitting it had echoed around the room.

Looking up from where she was sitting with her head in her hands, Shivani was the one who replied, for once, her tone calm and collected, her worry for her Viru superseding any and all other emotion. 

“Hum sab pareshaan hai Patralekha, mai jaanti hu… lekin Ashwini Vahini aur Sai, jinko dekhke aise lag rahe hai ki bas jeete jee mar gaye hai, unhe jitna aaraam milte hai, karne do. Mai bhi aati hu, kuch halka banayenge, sehad rakhne ke khaatir. Chalo…”

Not able to meet the sharp looks her Badi Mami and Aai were sending in her direction, obviously displeased at her comment, Pakhi got up and quietly followed Shivani and Karishma, once again cursing her fate at not being able to even claim worrying rights over Virat.

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Once the khichdi they had prepared quickly was ready, Ninad stood up to take it to Ashwini and Sai but was forcibly made to sit down and eat first considering his health, and Mansi along with Bhavani and Shivani went up. By unspoken agreement, Bhavani went into Ashwini’s room only to come out just as fast, not finding her there. 

Realising that Aai aur Beti must be trying to find comfort in each other, all three walked into Sai and Virat’s room. Ashwini was, as expected, sitting on the bed, against the headboard with Sai lying sideways, her head pillowed on her lap. 

But what they didn’t expect to see was that Ashwini was holding Sai close, wrapped up in a blanket, trying to get her shivers to stop.

She looked up with streaming eyes at the three shocked women and said, “Mai issko chodke neeche nahi aa sakti thi, madad maangne, aur meri aawaaz neeche tak aayi bhi nahi shayad! Mai pichle das minute se issko aise kaampne se rokne ki koshish kar rahi hu Vahini! Kuch kariye naa!”

Almost running full tilt, Shivani went out and shouted down the stairs, “Ninad dada, Omi dada, upar aayiye jaldi…”

Leaping up, everyone ran, with Ninad shouting, “Kya hua?”

Breathlessly, Shivani shouted as she went running back, “Sai ki tabeeyat kuch kharaab hai…”

Rushing in to the room, Ninad saw Sai shivering, pale and clammy and realised, from his Military training,  that she was going into shock from her emotional trauma. 

It struck him suddenly that it was most probably from the remnants of PTSD she had after the death of her father, which was now being triggered by what had happened to Virat. 

Quickly telling Shivani to get a paper bag and making Sai lie down flat with her legs elevated, he waited till the worst of the clamminess reduced, all the while murmuring to her that Virat would return.

Once she was able to, he made her sit up and giving her the bag, told her to breathe in and out, and told her to try and regulate her breathing as much as possible, whenever she felt such episodes come along. 

He made a mental note, “Virat se bolna padega, ki issko ek Counsellor se milvaana hai. Poor thing, she got married and into everything else so quickly, ussne process hi nahi kiya hoga apne trauma ko!”, before he remembered that the very reason Sai was in this state is that Virat was lost and pushed down the sudden urge to cry that came up on him.

Sending everyone else down, Ninad and Ashwini sat with Sai, a much recovered Sai, who kept apologising for making everyone worried, which was promptly shushed by them both.

And thus passed that never-ending day, with no power, in spite of the best efforts of Mohit and Omkar, with the city-wide grid failure and power having failed last night itself that their inverter backup had run out as well.

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Late into the evening, as Karishma went around lighting candles again, Omkar came up to update Ninad about the status when he found Ninad strolling along the corridor, looking out at the rain on the Balcony. At his questioning look, he said, “Dono so gaye, finally. Thoda rest karenge toh taaqat aayenge dono me.”

Nodding, noticing how his Dada had completely softened towards Sai, which he himself admitted albeit unwillingly that he had too, seeing how deep her love for their Virat ran, Omkar updated him, and looking in once at the two women, Ninad went downstairs, to try and sort out how to get information on restoring power. As for Virat, they had no way other than to wait for updates from Nishikant.

In the room, floating somewhere between sleep and dreams, Sai heard a voice clearly, “Sai....”

Jerking awake and sitting upright, she looked around, expecting to see her Virat Sir standing there, having heard the way he often called her softly, affectionately, drawing out the last syllable. 

Her heart racing on not finding him, but feeling a blanket of peace finally settling over her, she took her phone, and had barely turned the screen on when it rang, with an incoming call from Nishikant, just as the lights came on.

Half terrified and half hopeful, sending up prayers with every ounce of her soul, she pressed on Aai’s hand, which had grabbed her shoulder, Ashwini’s face mirroring the hope and fear, and attended the call.

“Nishikantji…”

“Sai Bhabi…”, the man replied, almost crying openly over the phone.

Her heart sinking before her mind registered the relief and lightness in his voice, Sai sat upright, clutching the phone to her ear with both hands, “Ji...boliye!”

“Sai Bhabi, Sir mil gaye! Dhoondh liye unko! Woh theek hai, Bhabi…”

Shaking, crying hard, and smiling through her tears, Sai scrambled up on to her knees and whispered, “Sach?”

“Haan Bhabi… abhi abhi Radio call aaya, pani unko lagbhag teen kilometers behke le gaya tha, Rescue team ko itna time issliye laga. Lekin Sir theek hai, chot pohonchi hai, zyada nahi; aur hosh me hai. Team lead ne bataya ki wapas aa rahe hai unko leke aur Doctor ne first-aid bhi diya hai. Aate hi aapse mai baat karvaaunga.”

Crying hard, Sai was only able to whisper, “Thank you… aate hi keejiyega…”, and keeping the phone down, turned to Ashwini, and said, “Mil gaye, theek hai…” 

As Ashwini buried her face into her hands and sobbed, sending up her thanks to the Gods, Sai crumbled and collapsed onto the bed face first, her face buried in her hands, surrendering into loud, great, wracking cries.

Alerted by the sound, of the phone ringing and by Sai’s cries, Karishma came running and seeing them both crying, her whole body turning cold, called down to the others, “Aai, Baba, Kaku, jaldi aayiye….”

Forgetting his age, Ninad ran up the stairs, and into the room. Seeing his wife sobbing and Sai crying her heart out, he came to a stop and almost swayed on the spot before making his way slowly over to the bed. 

Sitting next to Sai, he put a trembling hand on Sai’s back and called, “Sai…”

Jerking up at the touch, her face flushed from crying, tears pouring down her cheeks, Sai grabbed him in a bear-hug, his arms too coming around her automatically, and repeated the same words, “Mil gaye, theek hai…”

Stiffening, he leaned back, grabbing her by her arms and pulling her away from him so that he could see her face, “Kya kaha?!”

Laughing through her tears, Sai nodded her head, “Nishikantji ka call aaya! Virat Sir ko dhoondh liye… woh theek hai!”

His face lighting up with joy, and his tears too, starting to flow, he whispered again, “Kya kaha?”even as the rest of the family, who had all gathered around, with heavy hearts too let out cries of joy and relief, with Bhavani sitting down heavily on the bed, limp from relief.

Cupping his face in both hands, Sai replied, “Haan, Baba! Virat Sir theek hai! Nishikantji ne kaha ki thodi chot pohonchi hai, par theek hai, hosh me hai, aur Rescue team unko wapas camp me laa rahe hai. Doctor ne check karke first-aid bhi de diye… woh theek hai Baba!”

Scrambling up and moving over to her Aai, who was still sobbing her thanks to Bappa, Sai wrapped her arms around her, both women crying and laughing, the relief after close to 24 hours of trauma making them giddy. 

Shivani grabbed Mansi in a tight hug, unable to contain her relief and crying tears of joy, while Karishma had wrapped her arms around a weeping Mohit, who had all but collapsed against the wall, finally letting out all the stress he had kept on a tight leash until now. 

Squeezing her eyes shut, Pakhi had run out of the room, unable to handle herself and threw herself on her bed, sobbing out her relief that Virat was safe. Bhavani once again sank down on to the armchair, holding up a trembling hand to her face. 

“Khandoba!! Tera khoob aabhaar, mere Virat ko sahi salamat wapas laane ke liye… iss ghar ka neev hai woh… usske bina parivaar bhikhar jaayenge. Aaj tumne is Parivaar ko hi bachaaya hai!”

Sitting down next to Ashwini, Sonali put her arms around her and Sai and smiled through her own tears. “Chalo, bohot ho gaya… ab Aai aur Beti dono haath-mooh dhoke khaana khaayiye, beez-beez ghante ho rahe hai dono ke ek nivala bhi khaake!”

Turning to Karishma, she said, “Karishma, Vahini aur Sai ke liye jaldi khana leke aana.”

Looking at Mohit, who was now steady and smiling in relief, to check if he needed her, and at his nod, she too smiled back at him, teary-eyed, and replied, “Ji Aai…”

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