Some messages on previous page for my commentors, I love you all but my special love is reserved for those odd 10 of you who have read and commented from my first chapter. I hope I will always be able to match your faith in me, thank you thank you, 
Part 8 
It is the latter part of the week, Thursday evening to be precise, this was supposed to be the week of nothingness before everyone from her batch moves on to the next thing in their lives. Thankfully Samrat and she had not made any plans, because he was to be in Nagpur with his family and she was hoping to spend an extra day before she joined the camp over the coming weekend. But none of that now, a part of her did wonder how his family was doing and she has a sad smile thinking they must be thoroughly enjoying themselves. She was thinking of each of them, and then stopped when Virat ‘s face entered her imagination. But she always pushes it away. He never made an attempt to call her, not that she missed it or looked forward to it, no way! In fact, she doesn’t want to even discuss it so when Shilpa insists to talking about it all, she is dismissive 
“Kya matlab Samrat ke dada tumhe chodne aaya thaa??” Shilpa questions, Sai rolls her eyes, “Kuch nahi, unko I think zara controlling ki adat hai, voh sab chodh na, tu apni bata!” Shilpa looks at her suspiciously “Tu kya chupa rahi hai? Uncle keh rahe the ki unse milke bahut Achaa laga”, Sai makes a face, “kyu nahi lagta, Bilkul unki tarah hai, IPS kahaniyan, bekaar jokes, aur self importance ki toh limit” Shilpa tilts her head, “come on, kitna sweet to drop you all the way” Sai “please haan, sweet Kuch nahi, batameezi thi, apne aap ko bahut smart samajhte hai, I am not interested!” Shilpa stares at her, “what do you mean, not interested?!” 
Shivam roars on the phone laughing, “Tu apne bhai ke ex- fiancé mei interested hai, tu apna life ko jitna complicated bana sakta hai...tujhe toh medal milna chahiye” A flash of her with all his medals around his neck, he rubs his hand on his face and mutters , “Tu hasna band karegaa” that just makes his friend laugh even louder, “Yaar,tujhe aisa dekhke pata nahi kyu tere par taras bhi aa raha hai aur mazaa bhi aa raha hai..” Virat rolls his eyes, “Mai phone rakh raha hun, bye” shivam cajoles, “Are are,...Achaa bol abhi, sun raha hun..abb kya iraada hai, roz call kar raha hai kya usse?” Virat seriously, “Nahi, lekin Saturday ko uske ghar jaane ka plan hai, Main anyways bhivapur jaa raha hun, aur uske Abaa ke paas purane files bhi hai” Shivam nods and says into his phone, “hmm..case ka kya Chal raha hai?” Virat replies, “Tu kab aa raha hai?” And they continue to talk about the case.
As she lies on her bed next to her, Shilpa exclaims, “so sad yaar, uska family bahut sweet lagta hai”, Sai presses her lips, “wah! ab jab engagement tut gaya hai, tab tujhe sweetness dikhayi de raha hai” Shilpa grins, “Arrey mai sirf yeh keh rahi hun, ki basically perfect jaisa kuch nahi hota, Samrat ko hi dekh le, uski family bahut achi hai, lekin usmei koi sensitivity nahi thi, aur kahi aisa bhi hota hai, ki ladka hira hota hai aur uski family mogambo” Sai is quiet because she is lost in thinking of Virat winking at her, taking her to his house, dropping her home. Shilpa continues, “Agar Samrat ne thodi sensitivity dikhai hoti, Tumhari dekhbal ki hoti, toh aaj bhi tere ungli mei anghuta hota” Sai shakes her head, “Meri dekhbal karne ki zrurat nahi hai kissi ko, Mai apni dekhbal khud rakh sakti hun” Shilpa folds her hands in a clap namaste and says “Haan meri Ma, Mai yeh nahi keh rahi hun, ki tu ablaaa naari hai, Mai yeh keh rahi hun, ki jo admi sensitive hotey hai, voh sexy hotey hai” Sai rolls her eyes, “generally admi ya toh dominating hotey hai, ya insensitive” Shilpa looks at her and says, “itni bhi unfair mat ban, jab humei achaa nahi lagta ki society auraton ko ya toh Devi ki roop mei ya phir chudail ki roop mei dekhte hai, toh Humei bhi aadmiyon ko haivan ya berahem categories mei nahi daalna chahiye”. Sai becomes quiet and looks at her friend, and Shilpa holds her hand and says softly, “Dekh, I know, Samrat ko leke, you are feeling hurt, lekin mai sirf yeh kahungi, ki apne aap ko dusra chance de” Sai hugs her friend, who has been like a sister to her, she knows she will miss her. Shilpa has no interest in joining the medical camp and is waiting to hear from her uncle who is the head of emergency in a hospital in Pune. 
As the night sets in, he is seated in his balcony, and Mr Dubey is yelling at his wife, “Chodh kyu nahi deti, itna beraham hu toh” to which Mrs Dubey’s words run through the night sky “Kaise chodhu, shaadi kiya hai toh nibhaana hai na”...after a few inconspicuous words between them, a door is slammed, the lights are off and giggles are heard, and he smiles realizing all is well in the Dubey world. He picks up his phone, and goes into dialed calls and rubs his thumb against the number that has no name saved against it, before he can do anything, his phone vibrates, his mother is calling him, he is in no mood to talk. He knows that the the family has been very somber and quiet about what transpired over the weekend. His mother had called him two days ago, only to get a monosyllabic reply from him that he was at his place but he was traveling around a lot on work and will not be home during the week.He knows his mother thinks that it was his way of punishing her, but that’s not true, he needs to figure out some things.
Ashwini hangs up, so he is not picking up, she feels terrible, but a part of her also knows that this had to be done, that in the short run, it may have seemed terrible, but in the long run 3 people have been saved from leading unhappy lives. Her husband mocked her, “Tumhe lagta hai ki Tumne yeh problem ko handle kar diya hai, ki tum mahaan ho, koi Bhagwan ho, lekin sahi mayne mei voh ladki Sai actually bahut hi suljhi hui nikli, iss baar tum bach gayi, aage jaake aisa na ho.” She ignores her husband’s warnings and knows that her elder son will come around. For now, she must concentrate on sending her younger son off to Mumbai. Samrat leaves Saturday morning, she hopes that Virat will be here with the rest of the family to say bye to him. 
It’s Friday night, her father is fussing around as she packs her suitcase. “Abba itni badi Horlicks packet ki zrurat nahi hai, main agle weekend aa jaungi” her father smiles, “Arre, roz teen baar toh peene vali ho, aur phir theek se khaana nahi khane vaali ho, voh toh pata hai mujhe” She rolls her eyes, “Aur yeh protein powder vaghera mai nahi peeti, chieee!” He laughs, “chota packet rakh le, agar use kiya toh agle weekend aur leke jaana, ab chal mujhe aur bhi kaam hai” She looks at her father, “Aapko kya kaam hai?” Her father, “Arrey Kuch mere purane files dekhne hai, mere paas bahut saara information hai, jo ACP Virat ke kaam aa sake” She curiously asks, “bhiku billi ke baare mei?” Her father is surprised, “Tujhe kaise pata, Virat ne tujhe bola kya?” She shakes her head, “Nahi Abba..aisa Kuch nahi” Her father nods, “Achaa hua, kyunki voh bahut dangerous hai, jitni kum leak ho information, uske gang ko utni asaani se rok sakte hai” she looks concerned, “Aap retire ho chuke ho na, inn sab mei kyu padd rahe ho?” Her father explains, “Arrey aisa nahi hai, Mumbai ka police Virat ke saath jyaada cooperate nahi kar rahi hai, toh maine socha, mere paas jo information hai, usse de deta hun, at least purani bhi ho, lekin Kuch leads toh abhi bhi kaam aayenge na, Chal” and he leaves her with her suitcase and she continues to pack. 
He decides to call his mother back, he knows Samrat is leaving the next morning. “Arre Achaa hua tune call kiya, kal Samrat nikal raha hai na, hum sab milke savere breakfast karenge, tu bhi aaja”. He shakes his head, his mother thinks she can make everything alright with pohe, but it has been awhile since he had some, “kitne bajje ka flight hai?”, his mother smiles, “savere 9 baje ka, lekin breakfast hum log 6:30 ko kar lenge, Devyani bhi uthne vaali hai Saturday ko, voh dekhne ke liye toh tujhe zrur aana chahiye” he smiles at his mother’s enthu, “Aa jaunga, mujhe anyways uske baad Bhivapur jaana hai, toh mai 7 bajje niklunga”. He hangs up with a smile, he needs to stop being angry with her for so long.
The next morning, there is much activity both in the Joshi and Chauan households. The MBBS graduates are off to the next step in their journeys. But the activity has begun much earlier in the Chauvan household. After breakfast., Devyani is chatting with Samrat, “Tu kya sirf Pakhi ko roj phone karega aur humei nahi” Samrat laughs and says, “Main vaha holiday ke liye nahi jaa raha” Shivani who is looking outside the window says, “Veeru garden mei kya kar raha hai?” Samrat looks out and leaves to meet his brother, who is on the phone, “Jee mai 11 baje takk pahunchjaunga, Bhivapur mei kaam hone ke baad... Nahi nahi, Maine breakfast kar liya hai, nahi, vahi se Nagpur ke liye niklunga” Samrat wonders who he is chatting with, but Virat hangs up before he can try and figure out. Samrat looks at him, “Kisse baat kar rahe the?” Virat replies, “Kuch nahi kaam thaa..tu bataa all set.” Samrat nods, “Haan voh medical college ke locker mei kuch cheezei reh gayee hai, most probably Sai lekar aayegi” Virat curious, “Sai yaha aa rahi hai?” Samrat shakes his head “Aaj nahi, agle hafte, anyways don’t worry Devyani se keh diya hai, voh handle kar legi” Virat looks at him funny, “Mujhe kyu worry hona hai?” Samrat rolls his eyes, “Arre you know, don’t worry, voh aake aapke ghar pe nahi rukne vaali..” Virat narrows his eyes to his brother as his brother continues with no thoughts to his words, “Aur voh anyways jyaada der kahi nahi rukti, ya shayad aayegi bhi nahi, voh kissi ko mauka kaha deti, very ‘independent’ Sai..agar uska bass chale toh voh zindagi bhar akeli apne Abba ki tarah..” and before Samrat can complete his thought, his brother Virat clocks him on his face, Samrat almost falls to the ground, barely managing to balance himself. 
Samrat holds his face, yells at his older brother “Kya problem hai, Maine aisa kya keh diya?!” Virat glares at him, “Tu Sai ke baare mei baat karna band kar de” Samrat looks deep into his brother’s eyes and starts laughing, “ohhhh myyyy gooooddd..dada, aap usse pasand karne lagey ho, wow! Aai ko pata hai?. Voh toh heart attack se mar jaayegi” Virat remains very quiet and looks away, while their father enters the garden, “Yahaa kya Chal raha hai tum dono ke beech?” Samrat looks at his father, “Dada se puchlo!” Virat walks away saying, “Mai nikal raha hun, safe flight Samrat”. Ninaad watches his older son leave, he looks at Samrat who is adjusting his jaw and has a sly smile on his face, “Chal Mai tujhe airport chodh detaa hun”
Her father is tiptoeing around her, and she knows he wants to partake in some great philosophical lesson, she smiles quietly, “Kya hai Abbba?” Her father looks at her and says, “Tu thik toh hai na, matlab humne Samrat ke baare mei baat hi nahi ki” Sai smiles and says, “Abb aapko uska naam yaad hai” Her father smiles sheepishly, “Aisa nahi hai beta, mujhe pata hai ki tu sochti hai ki mai tujhe lekar bahut possesive hun, lekin mujhe yeh bhi pata hai ki, tujhe ek na ek din shaadi toh karna hi hai. Meri bass yehi ashaa hai ki tujhse jo bhi shaadi kare tujhe puri tarah apnaaye, tu sirf independent doctor hi nahi hai Sai, tu uske aage bhi bahut kuch hai”. She looks at her father as he continues, “Tu samajh rahi hai na ki mai kya keh raha hun?” She smiles and says, “Haan Abba, Mai samajh rahi hun” her father smiles and puts his hand on her head and says, “koi jaldi nahi hai, tu apna time le, tu pehle apne aap ko jaan le, phir dekhenge na ki kaun hai akhir tere layak!!!.” They laugh together, She thinks of her fathers words as she takes a shower and gets ready for her bus. 
A few hours later, she watches her dad pack varan bhaat and khachumbar in a tiffin box for her bus journey. Her eyes fill up for the man who has been a mother, father, guide, philosopher, friend all in one , she walks and hugs him from behind, “Aap bhi chaliye na mere saath” He taps her hand, “Arrey, tu mujhe chodhke jaa rahi hai, Mai kyu aau, tu hi reh jaaa” She can’t argue with that and she laughs, the doorbell rings, her father asks her, “darwaza khol, Mai yeh sab saaf kar deta hun” She nods, wondering who it could be, she opens the door and there standing at the door is Virat in his uniform, she has seen many a uniformed men while growing up, but never before has she been flushed and felt heat travel from the back of her neck to her cheeks before. She is shocked at her reaction, and even more irritated when he smiles and doffs his cap to her, “Just Sai.” she immediately reacts, “Kyu aaye?” He smirks with a wink, “Buss aisehi.” 
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Edited by columbia - 4 years ago