Wrote this OS on a prompt by a fellow member. Thank you Sagi for the suggestion.
This OS is set in post leap scenario. Sai and Virat are now on cordial terms and she is helping Vinu to recover. V is married to P but the marriage is distant.
The parentage of both the kids is yet to be revealed.
----
Late at night in Chavan Niwas.
Virat walks in quietly like a cat hoping not to awake anyone at this late hour.
Mohit who has been working near the dining table, sees him but before he can call and talk to Virat, he sees Virat pausing near the mirror, setting his hair and whistling to himself. There's a smile lingering on his face and Mohit pauses at his place, stunned to see this change in Virat.
The next morning too, Virat seems especially cheerful and this does not go unnoticed by Pakhi and Ashwini. Ashwini looks at Pakhi and raises her eyebrows if she knows the reason but she too is unaware.
"Kal bahot der ho gai aane main beta?" Ashwini asks Virat hoping to gain some information.
"Ummm... haan Aai vo ek case pe lag gaya tha"
"Aur aaj ka kya hai? Aaj bhi late aaoge kya Virat?" asks Pakhi, a bit surprised.
"Haan.. ho sakta hai... kuch keh nahi sakta" He replies wistfully, lost in his own thoughts.
Sonali who has been observing all this, remarks,
"Virat... aisa kounsa case hai jo der raat rukne ke baad bhi tum khush dikh rahe ho? Kuch ajeeb nahi hai?"
Virat chokes on his food and starts coughing vigorously. Pakhi quickly offers him water and he composes himself and replies hiding his smile,
"Aisi baat nahi hai Kaku... vo kal ek breakthrough mil gaya isliye thakaan nahi lagi"
Worried and anxious at seeing history repeat itself, Mohit looks at his Patralekha vahini if she has noticed something odd in Virat's behaviour. But she looks unperturbed.
Taking a lesson from the previous incident, Mohit decides for himself to investigate more before reaching a conclusion.
He notices that Virat is coming late daily since about a week, almost past midnight and yet he doesn't look tired at all or rather is very happy. This doesn't look right and Mohit worries.
Virat once again arrives late and Mohit who has been pacing the balcony waiting for Virat, notices him parking his car and pulling a bangle from glovebox and keeping it in his chest pocket and gently pressing his palms over it as if its something precious.
Mohit's anxiousness increases again and he decides to talk to Virat directly.
A few days pass by and Mohit notices that once in a while, Virat is especially chirpy and there's a spring in his step. Whenever asked about it, he mentions the same case he has been working on and justifies his happiness as moving close towards conclusion.
One of the days, Mohit pays an unannounced visit to Virat at the police station.
"Dada... mujhe aapse kuch baat karni hai"
"Haan bolna... par jaldi bata ... mujhe bahot kaam hai"
Anxiously and slightly terrified, Mohit stammers,
"D..d...d... Dada vo...."
Virat looks up from his files and asks,
"Atak atak ke kya baat kar raha hai? thike se bol na" shifting attention to his files again.
Just as Mohit is about to ask him further, a constable comes in and tells Virat that a senior officer has called him to his cabin.
Virat gets up, tucks his shirt in neatly and goes away telling Mohit that he will talk at home.
Mohit ambles about since he cannot discuss this at home but as he is about to leave, he sees a hair clutcher kept in the pen stand. He picks it up, observes it and pockets it.
Back home, Mohit goes to Pakhi's room on the pretense of getting signatures on some files and keeps the clutcher on top of it when she is not looking.
Pakhi comes and sits next to him, picks up the clutcher.... and looking at it, remarks,
"Ye kiska hai?"
Mohit is stunned and his face immediately contorts... he tries to cover up and takes it from Pakhi's hands,
"Are vo vahini... Karishma ka hai.. main galti se le aaya"
Pakhi smiles and they finish up their work and he leaves, now worried more than ever. He decides to confront Virat once and for all.
A tense Mohit is intently observing each and every behaviour of Virat and he worries now if Virat has being seeing somebody unknown to Pakhi.
He waits for Virat to come home. Even though Virat is not too late, he is smiling to himself, Mohit sees him getting down from the car, schooling his features into a more composed expression and enter the house. Mohit catches him immediately near the staircase and Virat asks for a few minutes to freshen up and meet him on the balcony.
"Dada... main chota hun aapse... mujhe aisa nahi poochna chahiye... lekin main Vahini ke liye pareshan hun... Aap mujhe sach sach bataiye... aapka koi affair chal raha hai?"
Virat is surprised at the direct question, unable to speak for a minute, his mind working out the responses.
Finally, slightly stuttering, Virat replies,
"Kya bakwas kar raha hai tu Mohit... tu aisa soch bhi kaisa sakta hai mere baare main... shadi shuda hun main .. ek bacchhe ka baap hun ... aur...."
"Aur.... aur kya?"
"Aur main Sai ke saath aisa nahi kar sakta..." The words leave his mouth almost like a whisper, full of guilt....
"Aur Patralekha Vahini?" Mohit questions in mild shock.
"Huhhh... haan ... vo bhi" almost as an afterthought.
Mohit continues, "Lekin aapka bartaav kuch aur hi bata raha hai Dada... main aisa sochna nahi chahta par main aapko kai dino se observe kar raha hun... aapka kuch to chal raha hai"
Virat, sheepishly replies, making uneasy excuses,
"Aisa kuch nahi hai Mohit... Please don't misunderstand me... main aisa kuch nahi kar raha hun"
And before Mohit can subject him to further questioning, Virat leaves from there, almost running to the safety of Vinu's room.
Mohit, exasperated gives up and goes to his room.
Its a sunny Sunday morning and Sai has come to get some exercises done from Vinayak. Vinayak is showing progress and is now able to walk holding only one hand for support. They are practicing walking on the lawn and Virat is sitting nearby, observing all this while Mohit is busy observing Virat.
Harini comes and joins Virat on the porch.
Vinayak wishes for a break and Sai makes him sit on a chair in the garden and he and Saavi start playing with each other. Sai joins next to Harini and they indulge in small talk about jewelry shopping when Harini exclaims,
"Sai Didi, ye aapka kangan to bahot sundar hai...."
Sai too plays with it, running her fingers over it and says "Haan ye wala bahot pyaara hai... mera favourite... lekin..."
"Lekin kya???"
"Kuch din pehle iska dusra piece kahin kho gaya ... mil hi nahi raha hai..." Sai remarks wistfully.
Virat gasps and surreptitiously places his palm over his shirt pocket on instinct and Mohit who had been noticing all the minute quirks in him, chokes on his tea.
Harini and Sai look up from their conversation at Mohit and Virat alternatively and they both manage only a small smile. Mohit surprisingly relieved and Virat scramming to escape the questioning looks.
Jhanak
3