Happy New year! Hope everyone has an amazing and blessed year ahead. Sorry for the late update. I went on vacay with my fam and didn't have my laptop with me to post it. As always, please excuse all the errors, and please don't get mad at me after reading this. I will try to make it up in the next chapter.
Part 5
“Itni raat ho gaye or iss janglee mulgee ka ghar aaneka koi naam nahi.” TMK begins her daily taunting session of Sai.
“Hoa vahini, Duniya meh wohi ek busy student hay jo medical school mey jati hai, aur koy nahi” Sonali adds to please TMK. “My friend’s daughter, Megha, also attends medical school. The other day I was talking to her and she was telling me how her daughter comes back home before 6:00. And look at Sai, it has gotten so late, and she is still not home.” As she finishes her talk, Virat enters the house.
“Kya baat hay? Sab aise kyu ho? Kuch hua kya?”
“Abhi tak tomhare pyare biwi ghar nahi aaya. Pata nahi ab tak college mey hai ya fer koi or.” TMK replies in her contemptuous tone.
“Abhi tak nahi aya matlab? Aai, did she call you or inform you of anything?” Virat gets concerned and asks about her.
“She said she might be a little late with her research work since she has a week break starting tomorrow, but I didn’t call her because she usually doesn’t get time to answer calls,” Ashwini answered in her normal tone, but Virat saw the concern in her mother’s eyes. This never happened before. If she was going to be this late, then she would have at least informed Aai. Virat’s concerns grow.
“Hold on, let me call her.” Virat dials her number and hears a man’s voice saying, “Hello.” He was taken aback by the voice and checks his phone to see if he called the right number. The caller ID definitely says Sai.
“Hello. Who is this?”
“Kya hua Virat. Sab thik toh hay na?” Pakhi asked seeing the puzzled look on his face.
“I am not sure. Some guy just answered the call.” Virat put the phone back on his ears to know who was on the other end of the line that answered his wife’s phone. Everyone now had a perplexed look on their faces and walked towards Virat.
“you don’t know me, but this is Sai’s professor, Dr. Mann Deshmuk. I am sorry that I had to answer her call… may I ask who you are?” Now Virat’s puzzled face instantly turned repulsive which did not go unnoticed by the family. How dare he ask who I am and how dare he answer her call? Virat thought to himself as he got angry with the man on the other end of the line.
“Where is Sai?” Virat’s tone had now completely changed. He has now charged the question to the man on the phone like he does with the criminals at the police station.
“Sai is with me. Actually, what happened was…. Beep-beep-beep.” The line had disconnected from the other end.
“Hello… hello.” Virat dials back her number, but now it was unreachable. Now, Virat’s face was filled with fury and anger. His concern for Sai’s whereabouts vanished within that few minutes conversation on the phone. He clenched onto the stick on his hand when he couldn’t reach her on the phone anymore.
“Kya hua Virat? Kon tha jo Sai ka phone answer kiya?” Pakhi asked seeing him re-dialing Sai’s number.
“Her Professor, Dr. Mann Deshmuk. She is with him.” Virat answered in anguish. “I am going upstairs to change.” Saying the name brought rage in his heart. For the past few days, he has heard the name from Sai many times which slowly built specks of jealousy in his heart. Perhaps it was because of the admiration he saw in Sai’s eyes that he couldn’t see for himself, or maybe it was due to their marriage being a deal and Sai not being fully his.
“Dekha tum sab logo ne? kaun apne professor ke sath itni ratt tak rehti hay? Hum yaha pareshan hay aur yeh larki apki professor ke sath hay. Pata nahi akher kab tak yeh chal rahi hay? Akher main toh chote log hai, toh choti harkate nahin karegi to kya karegi?” TMK fumes in anger as she utters those words.
“Itni raat, Sai uski professor ke sath kuy hain? Woh bacchi thori nah hai ki usko pata nahi kisse kab nahi milna chahihey” Karishma adds mockingly.
“I think, there is a misunderstanding, I am sure Sai is working on her research. Let her come home and explain before making such assumptions.” Ashwini tried to calm the situation because she knows her daughter would never do anything immoral.
“Vahini, akhe me patti math bandho. Akher main wo tomhari bahu hai, sagi beti nahi. She is still 19, immature, and young. She goes out and sees guys her age and hangs out with them. How could you guarantee that she has nothing going on? She knows you blindly trust her, and maybe she is taking advantage of that trust.” Sonali tries to instill doubts in Ashwini.
“Sai, aisa kabhi nahi karegi. She is not that kind of a girl.” Ashwini attests her trust in Sai causing Sonali’s attempts to go to waste.
Virat is pacing in his room back and forth as he remembered the phone conversation he just had on the phone. So that research project was just an excuse? She has been doing all this under everyone’s nose, huh? She was just playing with our trust all this time and we blindly accepted whatever she said. How could she do this while she is still legally married to me? How long has this been going on? How could she? His head was clouded with all these questions and thoughts when Pakhi walked to his room.
“Virat, tum dhik toh ho na? I understand how you feel. What Sai did is completely unacceptable and goes against all boundaries. She is not a “bacchi” anymore, so you should stop treating her like one. You and I have both gone to universities, we know that students don’t meet with their professor at this hour for study purposes. I am surprised that she has no respect for this marriage even if it is a deal. I don’t know if it is because of her immaturity or something else.” Virat swallowed everything that Pakhi had said. He did not know what to think or what to do. How will he react when he sees Sai? What will he say to her? He stared at the floor and replied to Pakhi, “Pakhi, mujhe kuch der akela rehna hay.”
“Okay, let me bring you your cup of tea.” Pakhi sighed and decided to not instigate this further and left Virat to his state. After all, her work was done. She had sown the seeds of doubt in Virat's mind. She could not bear to see the closeness between Sai and Virat. At this point, it was not because she had strong feelings for Virat, but it was out of jealousy that she can’t move on with Samrat the same way Virat moved on with Sai. After Samrat had returned from being MIA, she had noticed the coldness in his eyes that she didn’t see before their marriage. Pakhi has her suspicions that Samrat knows about her and Virat’s past, but never had the courage to ask him. Pakhi herself doesn’t know why she is still in this unhappy marriage. Perhaps she wants to give a second chance to this marriage and finally find her happiness with Samrat, or maybe she just doesn’t want to trouble her parents and make them worry about divorce. What she does know is that she will not let Sai be happy until she is happy.
Sai would always bring Virat his cup of tea when he would come back from work. But today she is not here with him, but with another man. Was all that care just a show? Was there no meaning behind it? Did she do it all because of the deal? Was I being a fool all this time thinking otherwise? He got out of his train of thought when he heard Kaku’s voice yelling, “Wohi rukh jao, Sai!” He was frozen to his couch. Is he ready to confront her? Will he be able to believe her? What will he do if he sees her now? He again got lost in his thoughts but tried to muster up the strength to face her. Unsure of what is about to come, he stepped out of his room and followed the noises happening in the living room.
“If you think that the Chavan house is a hotel where one can just come in and leave whenever they please, then you have highly mistaken! TMK chided Sai for disobeying her rules. “Ashwini, ask your ladli bahu woh intni raat kaha thi?”
“Sai, kya hua? Aaj itni rath ku huy? Hum sab kitne Parishan the tujhe pata hai?”
“Aai mujhe bhi nahi pata tha ki itne raat ho jaegi. Darasaal meh kaam pe itni busy thi, aur phher mujjhe chak-…”
“Kam pe busy thi, ya pher kisi aur chiz mey?” TMK cuts her off before Sai could finish talking.
“Kaku, apka matlab kya hai? Maine medical school main kaam aur pharai ke walava aur kis chis se busy hungi?”
“Sai hum doodh peete bacchi nahi hay ki tum humko jo bologe hum yakin kar lenge. Itne raat tak, apne professor ke saath kya kaam ho sakhte hay?” Pakhi blurted out to incite the fire as Virat came down the stairs.
“Pakhi didi, aap itni jilebi ki tarah ghumake kyu baat karti hai? Aap kya bolna chahti hai, khulke bataye nah. I newly joined a research project, so we have a lot of work to do initially, plus I already informed Aai and Virat sir that I will be late from campus for couple of weeks. Baas aur kuch nahi. Ha main manti hu ki mujhe phone karna chahiye tha, but kuch hua tha ki me phone nahi kar payi.”
“Aab or kitne safai dogi, ek jhut chupane ke liye. Tomhari jhut pakri gayi toh ek naya kahini banaogi kya?” TMK replies.
“Kaku aap janti hay ki main jhut nahi bolti. Aur main kya jhut bola?”
“yehi ki tum kaam karrahi thi.”
“Meh sach mei kam kar rahi thi, pher mere tabbiyath kharab ho gayi thi toh mujhe aane me der ho gya.”
“Wah! Tomahare bato me se nehi lagta ki tomhara tabbiyath kharab hay. Agar hua bhi tha toh humko bataya nahi kyu, aur jab tumhe phone kiya tha toh tomahara phone tomhare professor kyu uthaya?” TMK shot back refusing to accept anything.
“Mera phone answer kiya tha? Kab?”
“Baas Sai, safai dena bandh karo.” Virat had finally broke his silence. He was ready to charge Sai; he had no control of his rage nor the words coming out of his mouth at that moment. It was like a time bomb finally ready to explode! “Aur kitna niche namo gi tum? Bohot ho gaya. Now I understand why you don’t want me to pick you up or drop you off to campus. Because if I went, then your lie would have been caught sooner.”
“Virat sir, what are you saying? I am not understanding anything. Why would I lie about anything?”
“I called you on your phone, and your favorite professor, Dr. Mann Deshmuke, the one you always praise about, picked it up and told me you were with him at this late hour. You are not a child that you won’t understand what this means.” Virat released all his rage at Sai. He was beyond reasoning at that moment and had already made up his mind that Sai is guilty.
“Ar-Are you questioning my character, Virat sir?” Sai voice cracked in shock when asking. She could not fathom the thought that of all people, Virat sir, the man she had put all her trust into, after her Aaba’s death, is questioning her character.
“If you can prove that you are innocent then we will believe you.” TMK said sternly.
“The only proof I have are my words, how else do you want me to prove it to you when there is nothing to prove?” Sai asked wearily. She tried to hold back the tears from rolling down her eyes. She was not going to look weak in front of them.
“Thik hay, if you were working then there must be others working with you. Give us their numbers and we will verify if what you said was true.” Sonali added, to which TMK nodded in approval. Virat stayed quiet and just gazed at Sai in disbelief.
“If she is saying there is nothing, then there is nothing to prove.” Ashwini tried to coax the situation in Sai’s favor. “Sai has been living with us for over a year, and she has done not a single thing to question her character. Then why are you guys misunderstanding the whole situation out of nowhere?”
“Ashwini! Tum choop raho. Her truth had to come out someday, and luckily it came out today! Stop taking her side. Aab tak tomhare ladh pyaar ka faydah udtha raha tha, iss larki ney. Tomhara pyaar ka maza bana raha tha. Tum abhi uske taraf leke bath karrahi ho?” Ninaad spoke up to shut Ashwini.
“I will not allow anyone to make a mockery out of my character to others. If you won’t believe my words, then I can’t do anything about it, and I will not make a joke out of myself to my colleges and professors by having you call them. That is final.” Sai said adamantly in her stern voice.
“Then you listen to my final decision. If you can’t prove it, then you will not live in this house anymore. There is no place for a girl like you in the Chavan Niwas.” TMK states her final judgment. Hearing this everyone is in shock. Virat was not expecting it either.
“Vahini, what are you sayi---” Before Ashiwini could finish, Sai replied, “Thik hay, I will leave this house at once.” Sai began to walk towards the door as Ashwini tried to convince her to not leave.
“Ruko.” TMK exclaimed. “Samrat is coming home tomorrow on two days leave. You can leave after he goes back to his post. Until then you can stay here. I do not want him to know anything that happened tonight and get worried about it.” She looks at Sai with her deadly gaze. “After he leaves, you can do whatever you want!” With this TMK walks out of the living room, followed by Ninaad, Omi, Sonali, Karishma, and Pakhi. Ashwini follows TMK to ask her to take back her decision. Virat and Sai are now left alone in silence. Sai lifted her eyes to look at Virat, but he looked at her disapprovingly, shook his head, turned his back on her, and walked to his room.
Sai was now left alone in that empty hall which witnessed her humiliation. She could not take a step forward as the silence of the room was echoing all she had heard tonight. She closed her eyes and shut her ears with her hands and fell on her knees. Her breadth uneven as she rabbled on her thoughts. Ashwini walked to her and stood her up and embraced her tightly. “I know that you have done nothing wrong, nor will God let any injustice happen to you. I know the truth will come out without you having to prove anything. I know it beta. They will all be sorry for what they did today.” Ashwini whispered to her to which Sai let go of her hand from her ears, opened her eyes, and hugged her back. Ashwini released her from the hug and gave her a kiss on the forehead. “You have nothing to worry about. Koy tere sath ho na ho par mey hamesha teri sath hu. Just bear patience and this too shall pass, my daughter.” Hearing Ashwini’s consolation and support, Sai embraced her one more time.
**1:00 am in the morning**
Virat, sitting on the bed, remembered all that had happened, and could not fall asleep. For a moment, he wondered where Sai was. Is she in the guest room? Even Usha Mausi is not here anymore, so she cannot go to anyone. Did I overreact to the entire situation? No, I didn’t! She was fooling us, that’s all. She can be in the streets for all I care. She was only my responsibility and that is what she will remain! To this, he turned off the lights and lied in bed. The darkness of the night hid the pain he felt inside that he could not get rid of. It was as if someone had stabbed his heart and left a deep scar that will never heal. The pain continued to grow with each breath and his lingering thoughts. He shut his eyes closed hoping to fall into a deep slumber that will take his pain away.
Sai, sitting alone on the terrace with a plate of food next to her which is now cold from the slightly cold breeze, looked at the twinkling stars and remembered how her Aaba used to tell her stories about his training days on many silent nights like the one today. She would put her head on his lap, and he would gently stroke her hair with his hand as they gazed at the glittering night sky together. “You know Sai, we had learned a little about the stars during our training days. It wasn’t much because it was mostly for the Navy, but we still got to learn a little just in case we ever had a mission in water. Even though I don’t recall much of what we learned, I remember finding it very fascinating. Knowing the stars could tell directions and lead us to our destination was very intriguing to me. When you look up, they all look the same, but it was up to us to understand and connect the dots to find the correct route. Just like that, we will have many people like those stars in our lives who will guide us somewhere, to some place, but it is up to us to choose the right kinds of people for guidance and direction in life. It is not always easy even if you have all the knowledge about stars because sometimes there may be clouds in the sky that will prevent you from seeing anything, and you will find yourself lost in the middle of nowhere, but at those times you do not give up, rather you wait for the clouds to clear up and continue with your journey. But if you connect the wrong kind of stars then you will go farther away from your destination. What do you think you should do then?” “Hmm, Aaba I am not sure, do I connect the right stars and continue my journey?” Sai thought for a while and answered intently as she was not sure if what she said was right. “Yes, beta, that is exactly what you do. You just keep sailing, the wrong stars may have diverted you, but as long as you have figured it out and fixed your mistake, you will reach your destination.” Kamal replied excitedly. “But Aaba, how will I know that the stars are not telling me the right direction?” Kamal sir thought for a while, then he replied, “your instinct, we have this innate gut feeling that tells us if something is wrong. The problem is that we tend to ignore it. When you get that gut feeling, listen to it and take a leap of faith. Everything else will fall into place. In my years of service, I had always followed my guts and I was never let down. And since you are my daughter, I am sure you have that same quality in you!” This was one of many Kamal sir’s stories that he told his daughter. They were not just mere stories, rather life lessons from a police officer and a father that will come in handy to his daughter someday.
“Today is that someday,” Sai thought to herself. “Aaba, I have been following the wrong stars all along, and they are just taking me farther away from my goal. For all this time, I have been doing things that others had told me to do. This caused me to make a compromise with myself and my dreams. But enough is enough. I have given nobody the right to raise questions about my character because Aaba, questioning my character would mean raising questions about you. I will not let anyone question my upbringing that you have done with so much care and honesty. You told me to follow my instinct Aaba, and that is exactly what I will do.” Sai affirmed her thoughts as the sunrise peaked at the horizon to mark the beginning of a new day.
Beautifully written. I was waiting till end for the virat and sai bedroom conversation but yes let's wait and see.
Thank you for your feedback <3
Please please please continue the story sooon....🥺
You updated after a long time.....😶
I really liked the story....
I didn't like what virat did....Kamal Joshi gave his life for that man....and instead of remembering that virat is questioning his daughters character....I don't like negativity in a family....most of the time it ruins the mind set of a person or gives anxiety problems....I don't like the behaviour of the chawan family...
Please continue the story fast.....I want virat to regret the words he spoke...
Virat has questioned Sais character. He will regret it. I hope Sai shows him the mirror. Hes the one who promised his SIL that he will never give her place in his heart and life to anyone and now he has the audacity to not just have expectations from Sai but also think that she'd be in a relationship with her teacher! I hope Virat regrets and works hard for forgiveness....
Happy New year! Hope everyone has an amazing and blessed year ahead. Sorry for the late update. I went on vacay with my fam and didn't have my laptop with me to post it. As always, please excuse all the errors, and please don't get mad at me after reading this. I will try to make it up in the next chapter.
Part 5
“Itni raat ho gaye or iss janglee mulgee ka ghar aaneka koi naam nahi.” TMK begins her daily taunting session of Sai.
“Hoa vahini, Duniya meh wohi ek busy student hay jo medical school mey jati hai, aur koy nahi” Sonali adds to please TMK. “My friend’s daughter, Megha, also attends medical school. The other day I was talking to her and she was telling me how her daughter comes back home before 6:00. And look at Sai, it has gotten so late, and she is still not home.” As she finishes her talk, Virat enters the house.
“Kya baat hay? Sab aise kyu ho? Kuch hua kya?”
“Abhi tak tomhare pyare biwi ghar nahi aaya. Pata nahi ab tak college mey hai ya fer koi or.” TMK replies in her contemptuous tone.
“Abhi tak nahi aya matlab? Aai, did she call you or inform you of anything?” Virat gets concerned and asks about her.
“She said she might be a little late with her research work since she has a week break starting tomorrow, but I didn’t call her because she usually doesn’t get time to answer calls,” Ashwini answered in her normal tone, but Virat saw the concern in her mother’s eyes. This never happened before. If she was going to be this late, then she would have at least informed Aai. Virat’s concerns grow.
“Hold on, let me call her.” Virat dials her number and hears a man’s voice saying, “Hello.” He was taken aback by the voice and checks his phone to see if he called the right number. The caller ID definitely says Sai.
“Hello. Who is this?”
“Kya hua Virat. Sab thik toh hay na?” Pakhi asked seeing the puzzled look on his face.
“I am not sure. Some guy just answered the call.” Virat put the phone back on his ears to know who was on the other end of the line that answered his wife’s phone. Everyone now had a perplexed look on their faces and walked towards Virat.
“you don’t know me, but this is Sai’s professor, Dr. Mann Deshmuk. I am sorry that I had to answer her call… may I ask who you are?” Now Virat’s puzzled face instantly turned repulsive which did not go unnoticed by the family. How dare he ask who I am and how dare he answer her call? Virat thought to himself as he got angry with the man on the other end of the line.
“Where is Sai?” Virat’s tone had now completely changed. He has now charged the question to the man on the phone like he does with the criminals at the police station.
“Sai is with me. Actually, what happened was…. Beep-beep-beep.” The line had disconnected from the other end.
“Hello… hello.” Virat dials back her number, but now it was unreachable. Now, Virat’s face was filled with fury and anger. His concern for Sai’s whereabouts vanished within that few minutes conversation on the phone. He clenched onto the stick on his hand when he couldn’t reach her on the phone anymore.
“Kya hua Virat? Kon tha jo Sai ka phone answer kiya?” Pakhi asked seeing him re-dialing Sai’s number.
“Her Professor, Dr. Mann Deshmuk. She is with him.” Virat answered in anguish. “I am going upstairs to change.” Saying the name brought rage in his heart. For the past few days, he has heard the name from Sai many times which slowly built specks of jealousy in his heart. Perhaps it was because of the admiration he saw in Sai’s eyes that he couldn’t see for himself, or maybe it was due to their marriage being a deal and Sai not being fully his.
“Dekha tum sab logo ne? kaun apne professor ke sath itni ratt tak rehti hay? Hum yaha pareshan hay aur yeh larki apki professor ke sath hay. Pata nahi akher kab tak yeh chal rahi hay? Akher main toh chote log hai, toh choti harkate nahin karegi to kya karegi?” TMK fumes in anger as she utters those words.
“Itni raat, Sai uski professor ke sath kuy hain? Woh bacchi thori nah hai ki usko pata nahi kisse kab nahi milna chahihey” Karishma adds mockingly.
“I think, there is a misunderstanding, I am sure Sai is working on her research. Let her come home and explain before making such assumptions.” Ashwini tried to calm the situation because she knows her daughter would never do anything immoral.
“Vahini, akhe me patti math bandho. Akher main wo tomhari bahu hai, sagi beti nahi. She is still 19, immature, and young. She goes out and sees guys her age and hangs out with them. How could you guarantee that she has nothing going on? She knows you blindly trust her, and maybe she is taking advantage of that trust.” Sonali tries to instill doubts in Ashwini.
“Sai, aisa kabhi nahi karegi. She is not that kind of a girl.” Ashwini attests her trust in Sai causing Sonali’s attempts to go to waste.
Virat is pacing in his room back and forth as he remembered the phone conversation he just had on the phone. So that research project was just an excuse? She has been doing all this under everyone’s nose, huh? She was just playing with our trust all this time and we blindly accepted whatever she said. How could she do this while she is still legally married to me? How long has this been going on? How could she? His head was clouded with all these questions and thoughts when Pakhi walked to his room.
“Virat, tum dhik toh ho na? I understand how you feel. What Sai did is completely unacceptable and goes against all boundaries. She is not a “bacchi” anymore, so you should stop treating her like one. You and I have both gone to universities, we know that students don’t meet with their professor at this hour for study purposes. I am surprised that she has no respect for this marriage even if it is a deal. I don’t know if it is because of her immaturity or something else.” Virat swallowed everything that Pakhi had said. He did not know what to think or what to do. How will he react when he sees Sai? What will he say to her? He stared at the floor and replied to Pakhi, “Pakhi, mujhe kuch der akela rehna hay.”
“Okay, let me bring you your cup of tea.” Pakhi sighed and decided to not instigate this further and left Virat to his state. After all, her work was done. She had sown the seeds of doubt in Virat's mind. She could not bear to see the closeness between Sai and Virat. At this point, it was not because she had strong feelings for Virat, but it was out of jealousy that she can’t move on with Samrat the same way Virat moved on with Sai. After Samrat had returned from being MIA, she had noticed the coldness in his eyes that she didn’t see before their marriage. Pakhi has her suspicions that Samrat knows about her and Virat’s past, but never had the courage to ask him. Pakhi herself doesn’t know why she is still in this unhappy marriage. Perhaps she wants to give a second chance to this marriage and finally find her happiness with Samrat, or maybe she just doesn’t want to trouble her parents and make them worry about divorce. What she does know is that she will not let Sai be happy until she is happy.
Sai would always bring Virat his cup of tea when he would come back from work. But today she is not here with him, but with another man. Was all that care just a show? Was there no meaning behind it? Did she do it all because of the deal? Was I being a fool all this time thinking otherwise? He got out of his train of thought when he heard Kaku’s voice yelling, “Wohi rukh jao, Sai!” He was frozen to his couch. Is he ready to confront her? Will he be able to believe her? What will he do if he sees her now? He again got lost in his thoughts but tried to muster up the strength to face her. Unsure of what is about to come, he stepped out of his room and followed the noises happening in the living room.
“If you think that the Chavan house is a hotel where one can just come in and leave whenever they please, then you have highly mistaken! TMK chided Sai for disobeying her rules. “Ashwini, ask your ladli bahu woh intni raat kaha thi?”
“Sai, kya hua? Aaj itni rath ku huy? Hum sab kitne Parishan the tujhe pata hai?”
“Aai mujhe bhi nahi pata tha ki itne raat ho jaegi. Darasaal meh kaam pe itni busy thi, aur phher mujjhe chak-…”
“Kam pe busy thi, ya pher kisi aur chiz mey?” TMK cuts her off before Sai could finish talking.
“Kaku, apka matlab kya hai? Maine medical school main kaam aur pharai ke walava aur kis chis se busy hungi?”
“Sai hum doodh peete bacchi nahi hay ki tum humko jo bologe hum yakin kar lenge. Itne raat tak, apne professor ke saath kya kaam ho sakhte hay?” Pakhi blurted out to incite the fire as Virat came down the stairs.
“Pakhi didi, aap itni jilebi ki tarah ghumake kyu baat karti hai? Aap kya bolna chahti hai, khulke bataye nah. I newly joined a research project, so we have a lot of work to do initially, plus I already informed Aai and Virat sir that I will be late from campus for couple of weeks. Baas aur kuch nahi. Ha main manti hu ki mujhe phone karna chahiye tha, but kuch hua tha ki me phone nahi kar payi.”
“Aab or kitne safai dogi, ek jhut chupane ke liye. Tomhari jhut pakri gayi toh ek naya kahini banaogi kya?” TMK replies.
“Kaku aap janti hay ki main jhut nahi bolti. Aur main kya jhut bola?”
“yehi ki tum kaam karrahi thi.”
“Meh sach mei kam kar rahi thi, pher mere tabbiyath kharab ho gayi thi toh mujhe aane me der ho gya.”
“Wah! Tomahare bato me se nehi lagta ki tomhara tabbiyath kharab hay. Agar hua bhi tha toh humko bataya nahi kyu, aur jab tumhe phone kiya tha toh tomahara phone tomhare professor kyu uthaya?” TMK shot back refusing to accept anything.
“Mera phone answer kiya tha? Kab?”
“Baas Sai, safai dena bandh karo.” Virat had finally broke his silence. He was ready to charge Sai; he had no control of his rage nor the words coming out of his mouth at that moment. It was like a time bomb finally ready to explode! “Aur kitna niche namo gi tum? Bohot ho gaya. Now I understand why you don’t want me to pick you up or drop you off to campus. Because if I went, then your lie would have been caught sooner.”
“Virat sir, what are you saying? I am not understanding anything. Why would I lie about anything?”
“I called you on your phone, and your favorite professor, Dr. Mann Deshmuke, the one you always praise about, picked it up and told me you were with him at this late hour. You are not a child that you won’t understand what this means.” Virat released all his rage at Sai. He was beyond reasoning at that moment and had already made up his mind that Sai is guilty.
“Ar-Are you questioning my character, Virat sir?” Sai voice cracked in shock when asking. She could not fathom the thought that of all people, Virat sir, the man she had put all her trust into, after her Aaba’s death, is questioning her character.
“If you can prove that you are innocent then we will believe you.” TMK said sternly.
“The only proof I have are my words, how else do you want me to prove it to you when there is nothing to prove?” Sai asked wearily. She tried to hold back the tears from rolling down her eyes. She was not going to look weak in front of them.
“Thik hay, if you were working then there must be others working with you. Give us their numbers and we will verify if what you said was true.” Sonali added, to which TMK nodded in approval. Virat stayed quiet and just gazed at Sai in disbelief.
“If she is saying there is nothing, then there is nothing to prove.” Ashwini tried to coax the situation in Sai’s favor. “Sai has been living with us for over a year, and she has done not a single thing to question her character. Then why are you guys misunderstanding the whole situation out of nowhere?”
“Ashwini! Tum choop raho. Her truth had to come out someday, and luckily it came out today! Stop taking her side. Aab tak tomhare ladh pyaar ka faydah udtha raha tha, iss larki ney. Tomhara pyaar ka maza bana raha tha. Tum abhi uske taraf leke bath karrahi ho?” Ninaad spoke up to shut Ashwini.
“I will not allow anyone to make a mockery out of my character to others. If you won’t believe my words, then I can’t do anything about it, and I will not make a joke out of myself to my colleges and professors by having you call them. That is final.” Sai said adamantly in her stern voice.
“Then you listen to my final decision. If you can’t prove it, then you will not live in this house anymore. There is no place for a girl like you in the Chavan Niwas.” TMK states her final judgment. Hearing this everyone is in shock. Virat was not expecting it either.
“Vahini, what are you sayi---” Before Ashiwini could finish, Sai replied, “Thik hay, I will leave this house at once.” Sai began to walk towards the door as Ashwini tried to convince her to not leave.
“Ruko.” TMK exclaimed. “Samrat is coming home tomorrow on two days leave. You can leave after he goes back to his post. Until then you can stay here. I do not want him to know anything that happened tonight and get worried about it.” She looks at Sai with her deadly gaze. “After he leaves, you can do whatever you want!” With this TMK walks out of the living room, followed by Ninaad, Omi, Sonali, Karishma, and Pakhi. Ashwini follows TMK to ask her to take back her decision. Virat and Sai are now left alone in silence. Sai lifted her eyes to look at Virat, but he looked at her disapprovingly, shook his head, turned his back on her, and walked to his room.
Sai was now left alone in that empty hall which witnessed her humiliation. She could not take a step forward as the silence of the room was echoing all she had heard tonight. She closed her eyes and shut her ears with her hands and fell on her knees. Her breadth uneven as she rabbled on her thoughts. Ashwini walked to her and stood her up and embraced her tightly. “I know that you have done nothing wrong, nor will God let any injustice happen to you. I know the truth will come out without you having to prove anything. I know it beta. They will all be sorry for what they did today.” Ashwini whispered to her to which Sai let go of her hand from her ears, opened her eyes, and hugged her back. Ashwini released her from the hug and gave her a kiss on the forehead. “You have nothing to worry about. Koy tere sath ho na ho par mey hamesha teri sath hu. Just bear patience and this too shall pass, my daughter.” Hearing Ashwini’s consolation and support, Sai embraced her one more time.
**1:00 am in the morning**
Virat, sitting on the bed, remembered all that had happened, and could not fall asleep. For a moment, he wondered where Sai was. Is she in the guest room? Even Usha Mausi is not here anymore, so she cannot go to anyone. Did I overreact to the entire situation? No, I didn’t! She was fooling us, that’s all. She can be in the streets for all I care. She was only my responsibility and that is what she will remain! To this, he turned off the lights and lied in bed. The darkness of the night hid the pain he felt inside that he could not get rid of. It was as if someone had stabbed his heart and left a deep scar that will never heal. The pain continued to grow with each breath and his lingering thoughts. He shut his eyes closed hoping to fall into a deep slumber that will take his pain away.
Sai, sitting alone on the terrace with a plate of food next to her which is now cold from the slightly cold breeze, looked at the twinkling stars and remembered how her Aaba used to tell her stories about his training days on many silent nights like the one today. She would put her head on his lap, and he would gently stroke her hair with his hand as they gazed at the glittering night sky together. “You know Sai, we had learned a little about the stars during our training days. It wasn’t much because it was mostly for the Navy, but we still got to learn a little just in case we ever had a mission in water. Even though I don’t recall much of what we learned, I remember finding it very fascinating. Knowing the stars could tell directions and lead us to our destination was very intriguing to me. When you look up, they all look the same, but it was up to us to understand and connect the dots to find the correct route. Just like that, we will have many people like those stars in our lives who will guide us somewhere, to some place, but it is up to us to choose the right kinds of people for guidance and direction in life. It is not always easy even if you have all the knowledge about stars because sometimes there may be clouds in the sky that will prevent you from seeing anything, and you will find yourself lost in the middle of nowhere, but at those times you do not give up, rather you wait for the clouds to clear up and continue with your journey. But if you connect the wrong kind of stars then you will go farther away from your destination. What do you think you should do then?” “Hmm, Aaba I am not sure, do I connect the right stars and continue my journey?” Sai thought for a while and answered intently as she was not sure if what she said was right. “Yes, beta, that is exactly what you do. You just keep sailing, the wrong stars may have diverted you, but as long as you have figured it out and fixed your mistake, you will reach your destination.” Kamal replied excitedly. “But Aaba, how will I know that the stars are not telling me the right direction?” Kamal sir thought for a while, then he replied, “your instinct, we have this innate gut feeling that tells us if something is wrong. The problem is that we tend to ignore it. When you get that gut feeling, listen to it and take a leap of faith. Everything else will fall into place. In my years of service, I had always followed my guts and I was never let down. And since you are my daughter, I am sure you have that same quality in you!” This was one of many Kamal sir’s stories that he told his daughter. They were not just mere stories, rather life lessons from a police officer and a father that will come in handy to his daughter someday.
“Today is that someday,” Sai thought to herself. “Aaba, I have been following the wrong stars all along, and they are just taking me farther away from my goal. For all this time, I have been doing things that others had told me to do. This caused me to make a compromise with myself and my dreams. But enough is enough. I have given nobody the right to raise questions about my character because Aaba, questioning my character would mean raising questions about you. I will not let anyone question my upbringing that you have done with so much care and honesty. You told me to follow my instinct Aaba, and that is exactly what I will do.” Sai affirmed her thoughts as the sunrise peaked at the horizon to mark the beginning of a new day.
please give the next update. Cant wait😆
| Topics | Author | Replies | Views | Last Post Reply |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
SaiRat FF: Contract Marriage
kavitha_r 13 3892 |
kavitha_r | 13 | 3892 | 6 days ago Fhkgc123 |
|
Sairat v/s ishvi
Zonuzaya 0 2110 |
Zonuzaya | 0 | 2110 | 4 months ago Zonuzaya |
|
SaiRat FF Always Been You
Yazzi 0 1301 |
Yazzi | 0 | 1301 | 5 months ago Yazzi |
|
Legacy of the never ending love between "SAIRAT"
Ashane25 39 9573 |
Ashane25 | 39 | 9573 | 6 months ago AninditaB |
|
Feelings and Concerns ft Ishvi Short Story Last part updated
LadyGaga123 16 4597 |
LadyGaga123 | 16 | 4597 | 6 months ago Tanukirti |
