Ray of Sunshine # 4
It was ten minutes to 12 and Virat Vadhera sat in front of the TV flicking through the channels. Nothing was holding his interest. He couldn't focus on work; he couldn't sleep. It was going to be his wedding anniversary tomorrow. It was this day exactly an year ago that his Manvi had left their lives. His heart pained thinking about her and all their memories together - all the good times, their fights, their laughter, their celebrations, their passion. It didn't matter if his eyes were open or closed - her images haunted him and there an aching pain and sadness in his lonely heart. He felt so restless.
He opened the door of his daughters room and went upto her. She was sleeping peacefully, with a small smile on her face. . If there was anything in this world that still gave him solace and peace in this world, it was her sweet smile. She was hugging Mr.Fluffy and the picture of her mom. This was her daily habit. He kissed her forehead and gently took the picture from her hands and placed it on the bedside table. He sauntered around and settled in the balcony of her room reading a book. His thoughts kept going back to her.
It was Manvi's graduation day and he had thrown a party for both their families and friends and they had all left. Manvi had been bugging him to drop her home but he had a completely different plan for the night.
"You look so beautiful darling..." he stared into her eyes, mesmerized and smitten. They were making out in his bedroom.
"Aha? Virat? I know what that look means. I want to go home." She pushed him away.
"No! " he pulled her back and gently pushed her on the bed and rolled over her laughing.
"VIRAT!!!" she looked at him shocked.
He replied her expression with a wink and naughty smirk. "Shhh!!!!" he traced her lips with his thumb.
"We have had this conversation; I want to wait till our wedding." She whispered blushing.
"But, I dont want to..." he started placing small feather like kisses on her neckline and she was finding it extremely weak and difficult to resist him.
"Baby please ..." Manvi turned her face away shyly.
He placed a small kiss on her lips and she closed her eyes, surrendering. It wasn't in her hands to deny him, especially today, he had proposed to her in front of their whole family and they were engaged now. He wasn't going to listen to her today.
"What if I get pregnant?" she asked innocently.
"What?" he sprung up and looked at her shocked. You are crazy!
"But, I might. Right?"
"No. You wont. Trust me."
"Are you sure?"
"Haan baba. I am sure. Can you stop killing my mood with these irrelevant and frankly shocking scenarios?"
"Hey, dont rip my dress. It costs a fortune."
"Teri dress kit toh main..."
~~~
Two months later, at Virats parents place. Virat was sitting at the kitchen counter while his mom was making him hot paratas.
"Manvi kaise hain, beta?"
"Cranky, as usual."
"You guys decided not to married until two more years?"
"Haan Ma. Manvi wants to go to Grad school. She will stay away from me anyways. So whats the point of getting married? And we are far too young to get married mom."
"Then why did you propose so soon?"
"Oh that. Guys are always trying to hit on he. My ring will keep all those buggers away from her, send out the message strongly, you know - Stay away all you losers -She is taken." He looked at his mom, very scared about the prospect of her being away from him for another two years.
His mom laughed at his expressions.
"VIRAT!!! I AM GOING TO KILL YOU!!!" he heard her voice from outside.
"Manvi? What is Manvi doing here. She had gone to her parents for the weekend."
He climbed down and went into the living room with his mom. Manvi was standing there in front of his father and sister, looking super pissed.
"YOU!! VIRAT VADHERA!! YOU ARE SO DEAD!!" she glared at him, scoffing fumes and came and held him by his collar.
"Arey, par hua kya hain?" Vyshali asked laughing.
"He ruined my life. What am I going to tell my parents now! What will all my relatives say? Hell, I cant even go to grad school." She started sobbing.
"Whats wrong baby?" Virat cupped her face, very concerned. She was crying non-stop.
"Whats wrong? I will tell you what wrong? I will kill you! You idiot! Mental, maniac Vadhera and your irrelevant scenarios!" She picked up a pillow and started badgering him with it.
"Why are you hitting me Manvi?" he moved away and she followed him. It looked like she had decided to murder him with the pillow.
"How can you do this Virat?" the whole family was laughing as Virat was running around the living room and Manvi was following him and hitting him non-stop.
"Manvi! Stop!...Manvi...Manvi" he ran upstairs and she followed him as everyone rolled their eyes and went back to their respective works. They were used to these kind of things from them. Virat was a little crazy when it came to Manvi - he was unduely insecure and very possessive about her and this had lead to quite a few comical scenes in front of their families.
Inside the room, Virat grabbed the pillow from her hands and she looked around lost. He locked the room and made her sit. She was sobbing loudly. "Manvi, why are you crying?"
"Aur kya karu? My dad will kill me."
"Par hua kya meri jaan?"
"I am pregnant!"
"WHAT!!! His jaw dropped and he looked like he had been struck with a thunderbolt."
".how?...why?...oh my god! " was his only response.
This pissed Manvi even more "How? Why?" she snatched the pillow and attacked him again. This time he was too shocked to stop her. Eventually, she got tired and sat in his lap, hugging him tightly.
"Are you sure?" he asked her.
She nodded her head slowly. "Oh baby. Dont cry." He wiped her tears. He didnt know what to do. Manvi came from a very traditional family and their parents would go nuts, if they came to know.
"We will get married as soon as possible." He told her.
"They would not let me go to the lab Virat. We deal with radioactive stuff. Pregnant ladies and radioactive stuff not a good combination. And I dont have a job. How will we manage?"
"Ok listen. One thing at a time. First wedding, then baby, then school, then job. Dont worry about the money. I am working already so I will manage that part."
She looked at him amazed. She didnt think he would be so in control. She thought he would freak. I mean, what they did was out of control but atleast he did have a damage control thought process. "I am scared Virat." She confessed hugging him, she was still crying.
He wiped her tears away and kissed her cheeks. "I am sorry. I know. I am too. I know this doesnt figure in our plans but we have to adapt. I cannot believe we made a baby."
"Me too...I always wanted a daughter but I didnt think I will have her, this soon. I think I am going to name her Diya - after my grandmom." She told him contemplatively.
"Woah! Slow down there. You have already thought of a name!!"
"Yeah, I mean I had thought about it long back. A girl can dream right?!" she smiled.
Virat rolled his eyes.
"What does Diya mean?"
"Light"
Far away from all this, Manvi Vadhera was thinking about the same things. They had tied her up since two days and it looked like they had gone all out. She knew she was going to dies either way. Deep in her heart, she knew they might kill her today.
"You dont open your mouth today. You are going to f**king die!!" A really creepy looked guy slapped her unconscious. She was used to this. Whenever they were hitting her or violating her, she would just close her eyes and think about all the happy memories, with Virat and Diya. That would take her out of her body somehow and give her the strength to stay strong. They could do whatever they want to her physically, but they had no control over her mind. She had trained her mind to become completely impermeable. Today, they had gone over the limit. She knew they were going to give up on her pretty soon. She had exhausted their patience levels. They were doubting if she knew anything at all because even the strongest of men used to give in to their methods of torture. It was extremely unlikely that she was able to endure this kind of treatment while holding the information they wanted. She, not speaking anything meant only one thing - she didnt have the information they wanted.
"Get rid of her..." the leader of the group ordered.
~~~
Next morning, at breakfast:
"Di, you know what today is. I know I said Id come but I really dont feel like." Virat told her sister on the phone. It was her daughters birthday. Diya looked at him curiously.
"Bhai, I know its your wedding anniversary today. All the more reason to come. If you in between people. You will forget things. And come atleast for Diya. She will have fun with the kids."
"Hmphh..alright. Will start in an hour." He hung up and looked at Diya. She was fishing out the chocolate chips from her cereal and eating only those.
"What do I do to make you eat some carbs and protein huh?"
"You could buy me more candy."
"Right. It is like you run on bribes. You are worse than our politicians. Get ready, we are going to Kiara's party."
"I dont want to go."
"Why dont you want to go?"
She didnt reply.
"Diya?"
"I dont want to go"
"Go get ready. This is not up for discussion. We are going."
"No, we are not."
"Yes, we are."
"No, we are not."
"GO!"
At the party, Diya was playing around with the other kids and Virat was helping with the decorations.
"Virat, look who is here. Remember Tanya?" Vyshali came upto him with her friend.
"Ofcourse, its nice to see you here. And thanks for the help that day. You really came through." Virat replied politely and walked away.
Tanya and Vyshali looked at each other. "Talk to him about Diya..." Vyshali advised her. "That's really the only topic that opens him."
"You think?"
"Yes..you should atleast try Tanya. He worries me so much. How long is he going to wallow?" Vyshali looked at Virat who was standing in the balcony catching some fresh air.
"I will definitely try.." Tanya smiles and looked at Diya who was playing around with the other kids. She had to be nice to her first. But, she is such an oversmart kid!
"Hey little Diya..." she went to her.
Diya looked at her narrowing her eye-brows. "What do you want?"
"Er..um..how was your sunflower dress that day? Was it comfortable?"
"It was nice. Thank you." Diya replied as Virat looked at them talking. She ran to him.
"Daddy I want to go home."
"We will, after the cake."
"I feel sick."
"No, you dont." Virat replied checking her forehead.
"I WANT TO GO HOME!"
"You yell one more time and you get a time out. Go help your aunt.
Hi Virat. I was just talking about her dress that day. It worked out fine right?" Tanya asked.
"Oh yeah. She looked adorable in it. I have a picture..." he got his phone out and showed Tanya, a picture of Diya dressed as a sunflower.
"Awwwiieee!!!!!!! thats so adorable.."
Diya looked at her with her hands folded as Tanya made her all sweet and smooth moves making Virat talk about things about his work and Diya.
Cricket
Anupamaa
41