Hi All,
I'm new to the forum as well as the show! I caught the Sunday special that piqued my interest and I was hooked to this story and the characters!! Reading through the forum, I can also feel some of the exasperation with Virat and his many promises, particularly to one Pakhi... but equally I can sort of see why thr creatives sought to amp the drama in this fashion (says naively after one week! I'm sure I'll join the head desk bandwagon soon!!). His inner conflict potentially wouldnt have been a feasible task to display in any other fashion!!
Anyway !! My snapshot and thoughts below are from the perspective of Sai (my absolute favourite star of this show!! Rarely have I seen a female lead with so much gumption and I'm floored)...Without further ado, presenting my longish, potentially non coherent one shot. All critique welcome (excuse any typos as I'm using my phone to pen this). Also I'm taking massive liberties with the timeline as I have not clocked in yet to the fact of when Sai needs to go to her new course!!
For the ease of the focus of thoughts, I’ve chosen not to explore Sai’s thoughts around Pakhi (yet)...that is for another day
- Priya
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Sai was unable to sleep! She tossed and turned on her side of the bed, careful not to disturb the sleeping form beside her. Tomorrow was a big day for her. The first day of medical college. Years of her struggle, her aaba’s struggle was finally bearing fruit and she was about to embark on the biggest journey of her life (well almost, not counting events of the last six months).
Frustrated at her misattempts to fall asleep, she turned on her side and chanced a glance at him. Blissfully unaware of her anxiety and nervousness for the new beginnings, he continued to sleep, one hand under his head, feet crossed lightly - his pose when in deep slumber, one that she had quickly become accustomed to. As she continued to stare, her mind not wanting to think about the future, seemed to do a weird tape rewind of the past and the events that led her to where she now was.
The last six months of her life were a whirlwind and an absolute blur to her! If she had to think about the defining moments, it would be the acute pain she felt at the loss of her father and the strange bond she had forged with a her now husband!!
Losing her aaba was akin to losing her identity and sense of self. He was her rock, her pillar of encouragement and strength! The man who had made her who she was, the one who had taught her to speak her mind and never shy away from standing up against injustices. She was well aware of her flaws, her quick temper, her caustic tongue, but around her aaba she was the best version of herself, the one who had maximum potential and the version she wanted to be forever!! Thus not having that strong anchor as a constant in her life, had left her to sway dangerously in the choppy waters of life.
Gaining the presence or the companionship or friendship (no, not friends yet!!) compromise-ship of her husband had helped steady her a bit. Much as she did not want to credit this man for anything, she would be a fool to not recognise why her father loved and respected his protégé so much! His deep sense of duty, steadfast commitment to those around him and genuine desire for her betterment, had chipped away at the misplaced anger she had nursed, believing he was responsible for her aaba’s death.
Marrying him and entering her new home had been a trying experience for both of them. While she had gained the love of a mother, she was also confronted with the deep dislike the rest of the family held for her and subject to machinations of Bhavani kaku. True to his duty of care, her husband had stood by her in each storm...not fawning over her or blindly going against his family for her, but providing the calm voice of reason and helping her reach her own conclusions and course correcting where required. He loved his family and for what it was worth, she was now part of it and his calm demeanour and twinkly eyes helped her rein in her anger to a more manageable temperament. Was she a doormat now? Hell no!! But with his support and little nudges, she had found ways to make her point in a manner that was undefeated by anyone. She made more strategic choices, empathetic choices and if not for herself, had atleast gotten their aai more respect in the house.
Her own place, rather their own place continued to be a question mark for reasons far beyond what she wanted to explore at 3 AM especially the night before her big day!
She had not missed his proud voice that he tried to mask when he gave her the news of her acing the entrance tests and getting into the university of choice. Try as they both did, they had learnt to pick up on small cues of each other’s behaviour and she would be lying if she said she didn’t feel a tiny bit of joy sensing that pride in him. The awkward truce they had bridged was turning out to be something more than either of them had bargained for.
As she tried for the umpteenth time to think of things that would help squash the unease in her stomach, she heard a quiet voice to her left.
‘’You’ll be fabulous tomorrow, this is a dream years in the making and nothing you do will ever let your aaba down. He was always proud of you and wherever he is now, will be super proud of everything you’ve achieved and are set to achieve.’’
She turned, wide eyed, tears glistening in them, threatening to drop at moments notice! In a flash, even half asleep he had accurately managed to identify what was plaguing her...the possibility of letting her father down and in return, minimising all the sacrifices he had made for her.
She was still staring in disbelief when Virat sir unhooked his arms and propped himself on his side resting his head in his palm.. Using his free hand, he brushed away the errant tear that had managed to run down her face. He ran his hand over her head, gently squeezing in a gesture of encouragement.
‘’You’ve got nothing to be afraid of Sai, not that you need it, but please know that every step of your way, I will be there in whatever capacity you want me to be there for you! I will never be able to fill the void of your aaba, but I hope you trust me enough to be there for you’d’.
As he said those words, it was like a weight had lifted off her head. The anxiety which made her feel like she was going to barf, disappeared and was replaced by a confidence and excitement for what lay ahead.
He drifted back to sleep and it was almost like a dream but for the tingling memory of his hand wiping her tear. She laughed silently to herself. Six months ago, she would have never expected to have been comforted by Virat Chavan, but as she lulled herself into dreams of tomorrow, she recognised that she didn’t mind the consequence of her situation at all.
Fin
...its beyond beautiful
....the storytelling and placement of situations are just perfect
....I am a crazy reader
....and I crave for such stories...keep doing your great work... looking forward for more of your works
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