Chavan Niwas, the morning after Virat got Savi home.
DCP Virat Chavan got the first inkling of trouble, when the tingu master, woke up from her sleep. She still had high fever and was thoroughly disoriented.
Aai? Rubbing her eyes, she looked around. Where is she? The bed, the curtains, the table…is different. This is not her home. Vinu, entrusted with the job of watching over, rushed to her.
“Savi? Kaisi hain? Abhi bhi fever hain kya?”
Savi frowned at him, trying to figure out his presence. He tried to feel her forehead, she brushed it off.
“Aai..meli aai kahan hain?”
Vinu had no answer to this query. Shall he call his baba? Or mumma? He decided for the latter. Of late, his baba had been pretty unreasonable. Holding Savi’s arm in a hand, he called out for his mom. Patralekha rushed in as if on cue.
“Vinu..kya hua? Savi uth gayi?”
“AAI!” Savi screamed with her full lung power in reply. PL rushed to her, trying to restrain her. Her hand was rudely flung across as the little devil swung her legs to get off the bed, only to swoon slightly on getting up. PL rushed to hold her but the girl was beyond reason, eyes brimming over with tears.
“AAI…AAI…Waaaaaa!” Sobs and hiccups followed the tears. Swooning and tottering, the little one ran to the door, with PL in pursuit. Vinu tried to run as fast as he can, before the devil would herald the onset of doomsday.
The door opened before the child would reach it. Virat’s voice boomed across.
“Yeh kya ho raha hain? Patralekha, tum ek chhoti si bachhi ko nahi sambhal sakti?”
“Viraaaaahtt…wo main…”
“Baaas!” The single word, the outstretched palm with the fingers spreading out, effectively stumped the flow. Savi had quietened down slightly, on hearing her police uncle. A lull before the storm.
“Bada, kya hua? Ab tabiyat kaisi hain? Bukhaar?”
She started crying again.
“Meli Aai kahan hain…Aai…Aai…!” Relentless, teary eyes searching everywhere, Savi ran out of the door to the landing. The trio followed her dutifully, their thought processes temporarily on hold.
Ashwini, who was laying the table for breakfast, hurried over.
“Are Godu…yeh ro rahi hain…” Virat sushed his Aai before she could spell out something triggering.
“Aaai….aaaai…..Waaaah…..”
Virat finally caught with the little devil. Crouching to establish eye contact with his daughter, some sort of vague explanation started forming in some corner of his brain.
“Bada, wo na…” Savi quieted down, but not for long. He gathered her carefully in his arms as her sobs begin again. By then, the entire family had gathered around them.
“Aaaai….waaa….aai…” Realization stuck him square with her arms around his neck. She was burning with fever. He had to do something. Give her medicine? Get a doctor? Or just ice packs?
“Ab Savi…chup hojao…aise nahi rote…Aai aa jayegi…thoda kaamse gayi hain!”
She was suddenly quiet all of a sudden. It felt odd. Virat turned her to look, her limp head lolled to a side. He screamed with all that was worth.
SAVI! SAVI! ARE KOI DOCTOR TO BULAO!
Everyone rushed to him. Ashwini hurried to get a glass of water. PL extended her arms to take the child from her father but the father would have none of it.
“Door raho isse..Jao Dr ko bulao!”
Mohit rushed ahead. “Dada, Aap bachchi ko sofe pe lita do. Main doctor ko bulata houn…”
A faint whimper rose out of nowhere. Aaai…meli aai ko bulao…please…
The paediatrician was soon examining the child. Swinging his stethoscope around his neck, he straightened, his face grave. Very high fever, with delirium. He ordered for drips and tepid sponging. Scribbling on the prescription, he turned to Virat.
“Mr Chavan, the child is critical. And she is asking for her mother. Is the mother around? please…?”
BK interrupted before Virat could think of an answer.
“Mast Ha mast. Maine bola thana, yeh sab uss junglee mulgi ka natak hain. Apni bachchi ko seekha ke bheja…pata nahi, kiska ganda khoonhain yeh..”
“Vahini!” The entire CN shuddered with the words bellowing out of least expected source. “Apni zabaan pe lagaam do. Khoon kabhi ganda nahi hota. Har bachha uparwale ki den hota hain. Ganda kaam to uske Aai Baba karte hain, aur Bechara bachha uski sazaa bhogta hain. Mujhe aap se aisi ummeed nahi thi…Aap ek aurat ho, aur ek Aamdar bhi…Usse pehle, iss ghar ke mukhiya. Waqt kya hain, aap kaun hain, kahan pe khadi hain, kissika koi khayal nahi hain?”
BK was about to say something when the Dr cleared histhroat.
“Please Bachhi ke samne yeh sab mat kijiye. Use mansik shanti aur poore aaram ki zaroorat hain, Sponging continuously kijiye, maine injection laga diya hain. Iske aage fever badhna nahi chahiye. Mujhe sham tak update dijiye..!”
“Ho, Doctor saheb..” Virat ushered the figure in white to the door.
As the door closed, he took a moment to think over on the happenings of the past couple of hours.
Jagtap mumbling in a drunken state. Savi was his daughter?Sai had left the house five years back and the child was more than that. That meant only one thing. Sai was pregnant when she left the house. How could he be so blind? It was all right there under his nose. He punched the pillar next to him. Mixed feeling arose within him. Rage, guilt, helplessness, a feeling of defeat…
“Godu…” His mother gently touched his arm. “Bukhar utar raha hain, tu chinta mat kar. Patralekha haina, wo uska kitne ache se khayal rakh rahi hain dekh…”
He turned around, tears brimming over. “Aai, main kya karu, main kya karu….”
Ninad mumbled quietly. Tu kuchh bhi kar le, Sai ki jagah nahi le payega…Abhi ye to shuruat hain..
***
TBC
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
