Hey guys, hope you are all having a blessed Sunday. I started writing this with one thought in mind, but it went to a completely different tangent😆
The past two weeks were so packed of drama, and I kind of wanted SaiRat in a different setting, so here it is. Kindly forgive any grammatical mistakes, for I`m too lazy to proofread😆
Stolen Moments
Sai dropped her bag at her study table and plopped on the bed. Finally, her exams were over. The past month has been hectic; with group studies, revisions and exams consuming the majority of her time. She could not remember when was the last time she cooked with her Aayi, or helped Mohit with his acting, or argued with the elders (not that they did not taunt her at every opportunity, but she did a good job ignoring them for her own sanity). Heck, she had barely spoken to Virat for the past month. Not only her, but he was busy with work as well. While she was understanding about his work schedule, she felt like she’d never get used to him being absent for days. Being the daughter of a police officer, she should have grown accustomed to that. But somehow, she did not. Virat’s absence has begun to sting as much as her father’s absence used to.
Virat had promised her that they’d go out for dinner once her exams were done, and she has been looking forward to their time together. As if on cue, her phone rang. Gabbar, it read. She picked up the call on the first ring itself, long past caring that she might appear too eager.
‘’Sai’’
(Fear of disappointing her)
The extent to which she understood this man surprised herself. It seemed even weird to her that she could decipher, in the way he lingered on her name, when he was happy, when sad, when he was looking for understanding. This was one of those moments where she would have to brace herself for the upcoming disappointment.
“Boliye Virat Sir.’’
She did not miss the long sigh before his reply.
“How did your exams go?’’
‘’Nailed it”
‘’Stupid of me to ask that question to Sai, the topper’’ he finished with a nervous laugh.
(Pride, she read)
“Sai, you’re here?’’ he asked when she did not reply.
‘’Yes’’
“Why were you silent, then”
‘’I’m waiting for the buttering session to end, so that you’d come to the point and tell me the reason we aren’t going to dinner.’’
‘’How did you….’’, he started, then realised that he was straying from the point again. ‘’Sai, there’s some last minute paperwork that I’d need to complete, so, I’ll be late…”
(Looking for her understanding)
‘’Okay, by what time will you be here?’’
‘’You are not angry?”
‘’Should I be?’’
“Uhhh technically yes, I mean..’’
“VIRAT SIR!’’ she yelled, or at least tried to, “How dare you cancel our dinner like that. Your work is more important than me now, isn’t it? You know what, stay in your office, stay there forever, do not bother coming home!” she ended, barely able to control the giggle now.
‘Let it be, pretending is not your forte,” he chuckled.
“I cannot shout louder, or else, your friend will come running”
“Sai’’
His tone, firm and crisp, shut her up.
‘’Sai,’’ he continued ‘’please eat your food on time. Do not wait for me, I’ll be very late. I'll call Aayi to tell her to check on you”’
(Care)
“Bye” she sulked.
**
It was almost midnight when Virat reached home. The darkness in the house turned his mood more sullen and he rubbed his eyes to fight the sleep. He had been waiting desperately for this dinner outing. Alas!
‘’Virat,’’ Pakhi’s muffled voice broke his trance as he was about to enter his room.
‘’Pakhi, you are still awake’’
‘’Yeah, I could not sleep’’
‘’Ohh,’’ he uttered, not knowing what else to say.
‘’Do you want me to bring something for you.I could warm the...’’
‘’Pakhi, I am fine. Don’t worry’’
‘’Virat, just freshen up, I'll make some tea for us and we could have a chat. Waise bhi, I could not sleep,’’ Pakhi told him, already making her way to the kitchen.
‘’Pakhi, I’m very tired. Go and try to sleep. Goodnight’’ he interrupted her and rushed to his room after giving her a polite nod. Once inside, he closed the door softly, in case Sai be disturbed. Somehow, conversations with Pakhi have turned awkward nowadays.
‘’Virat sir”,’’ Sai whispered as she switched on the light.
‘’Sai, why are you still awake,’’ he asked, concerned, as he made his way to the bed.
(Concern)
‘’I was sleeping Mr., and you," she said pointing to him "just woke me up."
"Go to sleep, I'll go freshen up"
"On a scale of 1 to 10, how tired are you," she tried to keep her voice low, lest people think they were fighting over the missed dinner. She's already been mocked enough when she went to the dining room for dinner.
"6.5" he replied from the bathroom.
Once she heard the water running, she got up and decided how to put the genius plan that had just crossed her mind into action.
**
“Sai, what!” he asked, too bewildered to continue.
“Virat sir, we missed the dinner plan, but we can always go out for a coffee right”
“Sai, what’s wrong with you, it’s almost midnight,” he stated the obvious, pointing to the clock. This girl was crazy!
“So” she retorted immediately.
“So, people normally sleep at this time! You know what, tomorrow I`ll come home early and we`ll go out for dinner together, and we can have a coffee later, as well. How does that sound,” he bargained.
“I knew it”
“Knew what”
“You’ve changed!”
“What”
“The Virat Sir I married never said no to me” she said in pretend sadness, before continuing with her next strike, “Your promises, it was fake right”
“What promise, Sai, what are you going on about?” he asked, not knowing where this conversation was heading to.
“Your promises on our wedding, that you would take care of me.It was fake right, you did not mean it”
“What!” he was, needless to say, stunned.
“You are just like the rest of the lot. Baade baade vaade, par time aney par” she sighed dramatically, before continuing “I trusted you, but, it's fine. You go to sleep. Your wife is dying for some coffee, I bet you will be able to sleep peacefully” she finished.
“Sai, the last time I checked, you hated coffee. In fact, I am pretty sure you gave me a 15 minutes lecture on how unhealthy coffee is”
“Opinions change” she said and then quipped “Feelings change, people change, promises lose their importance”
“You are unbelievable, Sai”
(Amusement)
*Sigh*
*Dramatic Sigh*
*Very Dramatic Sigh*
*Big eyes looking at him*
*Sad pout*
“ Fine, you win. Where do you want to go,” he said as she graced him with a toothy smile. Like a baby. Gulp. Being the understanding person that she is, he knew she would not have been angry had he not agreed. And yet, for reasons unknown (rather, for reasons he did not want to explore just yet), he could not bring himself to refuse any of her wishes.
Holding his hands, she dragged him out of the room, as they tiptoed out of the house.
**
They reached the café in no time. She picked the closest shop that was open at this hour, he realised with a smile. They entered the café , with a tiny bell hung above the door signaling their presence. Virat ushered Sai to the table on the furthest corner, wanting some peace and privacy for themselves.
As it was Sai’s turn to choose this time, she busied herself in the menu card, trying to find the perfect hot drink. Since in the beginning, both Sai and Virat, reticent and sensitive, were trying to over accommodate to each other with their orders, they had come to an agreement that they would take turns to choose.
Virat relaxed on the sofa as he took in the atmosphere. Even at this time it was half full of people. Of couples, who are so busy during daytime that they only had these stolen moments to share with each other. The vintage room, decorated with pastel flowers and illuminated with soft scented candles, gave off a romantic aura.
“One Affogato, One Caramel Latte,” Sai ordered. “Do you want something else Virat Sir?” she asked him.
“One large blueberry cheesecake and scratch the Caramel latte; I`ll take a hot chocolate” he said, as Sai eyed him surreptitiously. She did not say anything though, deeming the moment too perfect to begin an argument over why he was not going with her choice.
Sai hated Coffee with a passion. He knew that. She missed him as much as he missed her. He knew that too. And yet she was here, putting her dislike aside, to accommodate him and his choices. It is in moments like these that he wondered how his family could not see the extent to which this girl was ready to go for him. Why did they only see him fulfilling her wishes? How did they not see the little sacrifices this girl made, all for him?
They basked in the comfortable silence between them, looking at each other from time to time and then looking away when one caught the other looking. As much as he enjoyed talking to her, listening to her, he was sure that she was the only person with whom he could share his silence and ease. It was this budding dynamics between them that not only overwhelmed him, but scared him as well. It was his ability to be comfortable with her that made him dread their forever that was tinged with an expiry date.
“Omg, mine has ice cream with peanuts flecks” her excited voice broke him out of his reverie as he registered that their order was neatly placed before them.
Before he could even warn her that the ice cream was supposed to be consumed together with the espresso, Sai was already digging into the ice cream. He watched her as she savored the sweet ice cream with remnants of the poured espresso.
He dipped his marshmallow in his hot chocolate and bit a piece as he watched her, in amusement. She had finished the ice cream and was now looking at the dark beverage, as if it has grown horns. She nevertheless took a sip of the espresso and made a face as soon as the drink touched her taste buds.
“Here have mine,” he said as he pushed his hot chocolate towards her and took the Affogato for himself.
“Why are you laughing,” she shot back at his tone full of mirth.
“ Oh I'm sorry, I forgot to take your permission”
“Haha. Not funny. But, let's order something else, it's so bitter, how are you going to consume this?”
“I`m used to. Try the hot chocolate,”
“You ordered that for me because you knew,” she said as realisation dawned.
“Tubelight”
She stuck one tongue to him and then proceeded to drink her beverage. Virat had not noticed the soft song in the background amidst the whispered voices in the shop until the classic “Lag jaa gale,” started playing. How perfect was this. Him being here, this song and Her. It felt magical.
“Sai,”
(Longing)
“Hmmmm” she replied, relishing the spoonful of cheesecake that just went into her mouth.
“When did you realise you wanted to be a doctor?” he asked her.
“It just happened. Perks of being the daughter of a policeman,” she said with a laugh, before continuing “maybe it was during those nights when I took care of Abba when he came home with injuries. Maybe it was so that I`d be better equipped to take care of him when I become a doctor,” she replied, now lost in thoughts, of her Abba most probably.
“And you?” she asked after a moment.
“It just happened,” he replied with a smile. “I grew up with an immense respect for the uniform and by the time I was 12, I was resolved in my career path.”
“Are you not scared though? Not of the dangers I mean, but of picking up a gun to shoot. Inflict pain on someone,” she asked him, knowing that he had a very sensitive side that he hid from the world.
“I was. It was your father who told me that as police officers, we do not kill. We neutralize the enemy who has not been persuaded through talks. I argued with him that those were only words, that the reality when you strike somebody out there is different. But, he told me that I'd understand one day. And I did, I did understand his words when…” he stopped, too scared to talk about that day. The mere thought of that day made his heart constrict. Had he not done what he had then, she would not have been here, with him, today.
“When,” she probed, with an eyebrow raised.
“When Jagtap was trying to force you to marry him,” he said.
So that was it! Let me know in the comments how you felt about it!
Cheers,
Keshni😳
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