Chapter 1

[MEMBERSONLY] [NOCOPY]

Note: The current track, while necessary, was making me depressed, and I wanted to write some normalcy in their life, where Sai and Virat are just a normal couple, with busy jobs.

TS - Just another evening...

Part 1

“Ho Aai”, Sai replied, as she helped Ashwini clear away the dinner dishes. “Message kiya na, lekin shaam ko. Thodi der pehle try kiya toh switched off hai. Subah paanch baje hi nikal gaye the na, bohot calls aaye honge aaj toh, toh battery drain ho gayi hogi.”

“Par woh koi aur ke phone se bhi toh kar sakta hai na, aise tumhe aur mujhe pareshaan kyu karna hai?”

Walking up to her Aai and wrapping her arms around her, Sai kissed her cheek, “Ho sake toh karenge na, Aai? Bohot busy ho gaye honge.”

“O Sai Bai! Tum toh rehne hi do! Aa gayi Virat Sir ki chamchi, uske bachaav karne!”

“Arre! Sach bol rahi hu, Aai!”

“Haan, haan, mujhe pata hai, itna bhi gair zimmedar nahi hai mera beta, lekin tumhare hote hue burayi bhi nahi kar sakti main! Aa jaati hai, apne Virat Sir ko defend karne!”

Smiling through her blush, Sai replied, “Aur nahi toh! Mai nahi karungi toh aur kaun karega?”

Hugging her back, Ashwini said, “Mujhe bohot achcha lagta hai, Sai, tumhe aise Godu ke sath dete hue dekhke. Par ab ye batao, khana kab khaogi fir? Virat kab aayega, ye toh tumhe pata nahi hai.”

Turning back to finish her work, Sai replied, “Aai, Virat Sir ko khana khane ke liye time milte toh woh phone zaroor karte, na? Mujhe pakka pata hai ek nivala nahi liye honge pure din. Toh unke aate hi unko khilaake mai khaaungi. Waise fruits kha liya hai maine, bhook nahi lag rahi.”

“Theek hai, fir. Tum jaao, padhaayi karo, yahan ka mai dekh lungi.”

Smiling her thanks, Sai went up to their room. Checking her phone once to see if there was any message 

or call and sighing as she found none, Sai sat down to study, but her mind drifted to the morning.

It was around 4.30 that Virat’s phone rang. Gently moving Sai’s arm from around him and shifting her to the side, he answered, the urgency in the caller’s voice making him sit up automatically. 

Quickly cutting the call, he got up and moving quietly to get his uniform out from the wardrobe, he went to change. 

Getting out, he walked up to Sai's side of the bed and softly called her. “Sai….”

Getting no response, he debated whether he should leave without waking her, but immediately decided otherwise. “Jaan le legi meri, bina bataye gaya toh!”

Shaking her shoulder gently, he called again, “Sai mujhe jaana hai.”

“Mmhm”, Sai denied in her sleep and grabbing his hand, brought it under her cheek, half pulling him on top of her.

Smiling softly, and nuzzling her cheek, Virat called again, “Sai… utho ek minute ke liye…”

At that, her eyes blinked open, and seeing her husband dressed up in the uniform in the light of their nightlamp, she jerked up, “Kya hua? Aap jaa rahe ho?”

Brushing away her hair from her face, he replied, “Haan. There is a mob situation developing in one of the slum areas over some festival. Abhi jaana hai, Sai. Bas batane ke liye jagaya tumhe, so jaao.”

Cupping his face in her hand, she too replied, “Ji… apna dhyan rakhna, aur jab ho sake toh call karna.”

“Bilkul. Raat ko mere liye wait up mat karna, late ho sakta hu.”

Getting up and pulling him up behind her, she replied, “Woh sab mai dekh lungi, ab aap jaldi jaayiye!”

Grinning at how matter-of-fact his wife was, Virat grabbed his cap on the way out. 

But he hadn’t been able to call since then, had just sent a message in the evening and it was nearing 10pm now. Sai studied and watched the clock till her 12 o’ clock study-curfew set by Virat and went to sit on the bed to wait. 

But soon, her eyes drooped closed and she fell asleep hugging his pillow, gravitating towards it as always when he wasn’t next to her.

Walking in around 2am, or rather, dragging himself in, Virat closed the front door behind him, and walked up the stairs, wanting nothing more than to sleep. 

The day had been high on drama and action, with the police force having had to resort to a lathi-charge to restore some semblance of order. 

Seeing the lights blazing in their room from the corridor, and guiltily wondering if he had kept Sai up till now, he walked up only to pause at the door, smiling as he took in the sleeping form of his wife, sprawled over his side of the bed, and hugging his pillow.

The sudden surge of love he felt, and the exhaustion consuming him taking over, he broke one of his rules, of never settling down without removing the uniform and freshening up. 

Walking over to the bed, he sank down next to Sai and kicking off his shoes, lay down next to her, wrapping an arm around her, spooning her, his nose buried in the back of her neck.

Smiling in her sleep, Sai pulled his arm tighter around herself and turned in his embrace to bury her face in his chest, only to get her nose poked by the insignia on his uniform. 

Jerking back at that and eyes popping open, she saw Virat staring at her, his eyes red from all the strain of the day. 

Softly running her fingers down her face, tracing his lips, she asked, “Kab aaye aap, aur mujhe jagaaya kyu nahi?”

“Abhi aaya bas, change karne ki energy nahi thi toh tumhare sath let gaya. I’m exhausted, Sai!”

At that, she remembered that he needed to be fed too and sat up, “Arre, aapne khana toh pakka khaya nahi hoga! Chaliye, fresh hoke khana khaate hain aur fir soyenge. Off milegi na kal?”

“Khana khate hain matlab? Tumne bhi nahi khayi?”

Getting up and getting his night clothes before walking over and puling him up, she replied, “Aapke khaye bina mai khaungi kya?”

“Sai…. dhaayi bajnewala hai! Kaha tha na maine, wait up mat karna!”

“Kuch bhi matlba! Ab bhi aapko behes karna hai? Jaayiye, jaake nahake aayiye!”

“Mai behes kar raha hu?! Tum hi ho jo meri baat kabhi nahi maanti!”

Shaking her head and pushing him into the bathroom, she said, “Jaayiye!!”

********************************************

Getting out of the shower, and finding Sai absent, Virat went down and sank down into one of the sofas in the living room. 

He really was too tired to make the effort to eat. Thankfully, tomorrow was an off day, considering the extra duty he had and he could afford to sleep in.

Leaning his head back, he waited for his wife to make an appearance. 

Walking in with his usual glass of warm water, Sai paused to take in the tired face of her husband. Eyes closed, he looked exhausted, the dark circles under his eyes and the day old stubble making him look older. 

Sensing her presence, his eyes snapped open. 

Looking up, he smiled at her expression - part concern, part love and part anger at the continual neglect of his health. 

Setting his water down, she sat next to him. Cupping his cheek, she decided to let it go today, "Kaisa raha aapka din?"

Leaning in to her touch, he sighed, "Hectic. I'm bone-tired, Sai. Pani pilao..."

After taking a long sip of water, he leaned over to gather Sai close. 

Settling back comfortably, her presence calming his "racing-a-mile-a-second" brain down. He smiled as Sai snuggled up, head tucked under his chin, knowing that holding her was his way of washing away the tensions of the workday and unwinding to "home-mode".

A little while later, she sat up, "Virat Sir, uthiye naah. Varna khane mein der ho jayegi...."

Leaving him again, she walked into the kitchen, while Virat groaned as he got up and walking over to his chair, sat down, pillowing his head on his arms, staring in the direction of the kitchen, wondering how Sai had the energy to do all this at the end of her own hectic day

"Lijiye, aapka khana." 

Breaking his reverie, Sai kept his plate before him. Looking up to see him gazing at her unblinkingly, she asked, "Kya?'

'I love you, Sai Joshi Chavan.....I really do."

Her cheeks flushing becomingly, she kissed his forehead, "Pata hai mujhe...Ab aap chup chaap khayiye."

Noticing that she had brought only one plate, he looked up, "Aur tum?"

"Iss me se hi khaaungi.... Do do plate kyu nikaalna?"

“Toh fir tum hi khilaao, “ he smiled and sat back as she nodded and came to stand leaning against the table, feeding him and eating herself alternately.

The rest of the dinner passed in a soothing discussion of their day, each updating the other of each and every tiny detail. 

A short while later, Virat stood leaning against the kitchen island, watching Sai put away the utensils.

 Unable to help himself, he walked up to her and hugged her from behind. 

Leaning back against him, she stretched her hand back to stroke his cheek, "Ho gaya. Chalein?"

Pulling her behind him, Virat strode towards the stairs, "Finally! Chalo…”