It has been one of those long days for me, just didn’t get time to read comments, had just enough time to write an update so posting that. I have a light working day tomorrow, so will stay up now and read the comments. Thank you for your continued love. I also want to point out, this is a sort of crossroads in the story, I can finish it with their wedding or continue the story beyond it. Let me know what you would prefer. Thanks again. Keep the love coming.
Part 26
He is up at 5am. His head aches, he has a slight hangover. He gets into the bathroom for a quick shower, because he wants to go jogging, and he knows he will come back and take another shower. As he sets out, he hopes he can talk to her this morning, but has his doubts since he has to be at the new station by 8:30, and he doesn’t want to disturb her father by calling his phone. As he jogs his usual route, the sun has already risen, and the morning sunlight basks him, making him miss her even more, he can’t wait to have her on his bed every morning after his jog, making love to her in the sunlight that comes into his room, it’s right now wasted on just him. Sai brings out everything he has in him, his known side when he loves her to the pinnacle, demanding, commanding, taking, wanting and his unknown side, when she tells him off. He realizes he needs to be patient with her, he has to learn it.
At 6am, Sai is having her cup of Horlicks in kitchen and staring outside the window. She thinks of the past few mornings in Nagpur, lazy, satiated, satisfied. She wants to be held by him, wants to touch him everywhere, she can’t wait to bask in that sunlight that enters his bedroom every morning. She can’t wait to get up with him by her side everyday. She never had these thoughts with Samrat, never. Yes she looked forward to meeting him, spending time with him, mostly discussing their classes and projects, in fact they were rarely alone, it was always with other batchmates, but Samrat always sat beside her, held her hand or put his arm around her shoulder. Virat doesn’t even stand near her when they are with others, but she feels him everywhere, he doesn’t even look at her, but her she feels his eyes on her. And when they are alone, his words, his touch, his kisses transport her and make her fall into an immeasurable abyss, that when she comes out of it, she is scared for herself. He has somehow reached a part of her that even she didn’t know existed, she needs to get comfortable with that part, she has to learn it.
By the time 8:30 comes, both their days have changed. He is seated in the new office and is being introduced to his seniors and his duties. He gets a feeling that the SI is far more flexible and has lot of respect for him, he won’t be very interfering. But the force under him, he senses a trepidation, he needs to dig more.
She is joined by Shilpa and Maushi in the kitchen discussing next steps for preparations. They were to meet a local contractor at around 10:30 and Sai wanted to take a shower, but the other two were discussing sarees they needed to buy for the boys side. And Sai didn’t want to miss out, she could not call Devyani to ask what their favorite colors were, when Shilpa suggested she would get Uncle’s phone and call Ninaad Uncle to get all the numbers. Sai nods and thinks of her stupid phone luck.
The hall they had hoped to book, informed them that their electrical wiring has been damaged, and if they still want to use the hall, they need to pay extra for an additional high energy generator. Shilpa flatly refused, and demanded the deposit back, Mavshi of course was getting anxious and Sai kept wondering what to do. This was when last evening, Shilpa came up with the brilliant idea of holding the event on the terrace of their home. They were upstairs surveying the terrace, Mavshi was excited because it could easily hold 30 people and they weren’t expecting more than 15 people anyways, and Shilpa kept saying they can now go with a cheaper contractor and don’t need to use the banquet manager. Sai loved the idea simply because it was cheaper on the pocket, with Abba’s recent operation, money was a little tight. In that whole discussion in the dark, Sai phone fell off the terrace wall and broke, of course making her curse the universe for now this additional expense. Thankfully most of the wedding prep contacts were on Maushi and Shilpa’s phone, but her heart lurched realizing she won’t be able to chat with Virat.
At around 11am, on the Joshi home terrace, Mavshi and Sai are chatting with the contractor to transform the terrace who is quiet excited at this small tasteful wedding, so different from what he has been doing, even though his margins will be lower, there is a certain satisfaction here. Shilpa is on a chair and stool at the side making lists of to do’s and phone numbers into her phone, Sai’s father is resting downstairs and his phone is on the stool next to Shilpa who is now officially in charge of phones because the other doctor cannot take care of phones. Suddenly Uncle’s phone rings, Shilpa picks it up, she sees it’s ACP Virat and grins to herself, glances at Mavshi and Sai with the contractor at the end of the terrace deep in discussion.
“Hello”
“Hello?” Virat, confused at the voice, “hello..Jee mai Virat. Can I speak to Kamal Sir please?”
“Oho, toh aap Kamal Sir se baat karne ke liye phone kiye the, are you sure? Kyunki Voh toh abhi so rahe hai, shaam ko call karna” Shilpa giggles.
“Vaise toh Mai sabse baat karne ke liye phone kiya thaa,including Sai ki bachpan ki saheli, Shilpa. Zara usko phone denge, uske saath bahut si baatei karni hai” He grins making his guess.
“Oh my god! Sai Tumhare baarei mei sahi kehti hai, you are a total charmer, I love it!” Shilpa grins
“Sawal yeh hai, does Sai love it?”
“Ai hai, biwi se tarif sunna chahte ho? Filhaal toh voh tumse baat nahi karne vaali, puri raat Tumhare phone ke liye wait karti rahi, bechari!!”
“Please yaar, Mujhe aur sharminda mut kar, I need you by my side.” Virat pleads.
“Tum Aise hi please please mere dost se bhi karte ho ya nahi?” She smiles.
“Main Tumhare dost ko hamesha please karne ke liye tayaar hun” he says confidently
“Chiee!! Ghanedaaa!! Achaa yeh sab dirty baatei usse karo, lekin right now voh nahi kar sakti kyunki voh busy hai, 1 baje ke baad phone karna, lekin uncle ke phone pe nahi, kyunki hum shopping pe jaa rahe hai. Main apna number tumhe text kar rahi run, uspe call karna, aur ek advantage, mera smart phone hai, tum video bhi dekh sakoge”
“Thank you thank you thank you Sai ki bachpan ki dost Shilpa. Sadaa abhaar!” Virat grins.
“Ahhahaha! Aise thodi nikalne dungi, Mujhe shaadi ke time paithani chahiye, Tumhare do do beheno ke liye Humei sarees lene hai, aur tum toh Sai ke small family ke vajah se chote bill phadoge, aisa thodi chalega, Paithani promise phir milega phone number.” She says authoritatively,
“Sai ki bachpan Shilpa, Tumhare liye do do paithani ka intezaam karunga, I promise”
“OK. Phone rakhti hun, aur number texting”
Shilpa grins and saves his number and texts him a message, he calls within seconds of receiving it. She is surprised, she presses talk.
“Arrey 1 bajje ke baad kaha thaa na, abb she won’t talk to you,”
“It’s ok, Buss ek baar, camera uske taraf ghumao na, I just want to see her” he says
Shilpa watches the face of the man who is marrying her best friend, the face of a man who would do anything for her, the face of a man who loves her. She smiles at him, and flips the camera.
And Virat stares at Sai, wearing his T shirt over her salwar, making his insides quiver, cannot believe his luck that he is marrying this woman, this woman will be his everything, she has earned it.
He hangs up and makes another call,
“Shivani Tai, voh Sai ki family ke liye shopping ho gaya kya, Mujhe actually unke liye Kuch lena thaa, ok. 2 bajje, yes it works, ok address text karna.”
“Arrey, hum sirf lunch khaake phir shopping jaa rahe hai na, toh uske liye kya tu, yeh pehen, voh pehen kar rahi hai. Aur lipstick aur eyeliner kyu lagana hai?” Sai says irritated
Shilpa rolls her eyes, “bol rahi hun na, Buss meri baat sun”
Sai rolls her eyes back at her.”Nahi sunna , jaaa”.
“Bahut pachtayegi”, Shilpa says decidedly
At around 2:30 pm, as Sai and Shivani are at Narang Stores, Shilpa’s phone rings and she puts it on video and on Sai, who is looking at sarees and doesn’t realize she is on video. Shivani’s voice travels through Shilpa’s phone.
“Hi Sai, voh color jo tumne haath mei liya hai, looks really nice”
Sai looks at the phone, shocked, Shilpa grins and changes the video view,
“Hi Shivani Tai, Mai hun Shilpa, Sorry Sai ko maine bataya nahi ki voh video call pe hai, ek minute,” Shilpa grins
“hi Shilpa, I can’t wait to meet you. Vaise yeh karne ke liye thank you so much”
Shilpa removes her ear phones and gives them to Sai, who is surprised, but takes the phone and chats into the video.
“Hi Tai, kaise ho?”
“Main thik hun, tujhe yahaa koi bahut miss kar raha hai”
And she pans the video on Virat who is standing at a distance and asking the salesperson to show some sarees, Sai watches the man in his light blue shirt over a pair of dark green dockers. Shivani Tai voice come through saying,
“Actualky Virat ko Usha Mavshi ke liye sari leni thi, aur Mujhe puchna thaa ki unko Kaunsi type pasand hogi, cotton ya silk ya Kuch aur?”
Right there, as she stares at the man she is to marry, she cannot believe her luck, she is afraid that she has to now accept that he will become her everything because he works so hard to earn it.
She hangs up, looks at Shilpa, shakes her head and says
“Text karke bolo ki Usha Mavshi ke liye silk cotton mix valla Saadi le, aur kehdu ki Teri battery kum thi, please.”
“Ok.” Shilpa says with lots of concern, does the needful and gets a thumbs up in her reply. She looks at Sai,
“Sab thik toh hai na?”
Sai smiles through her tears
“Haan sab Kuch perfect hai”
——-
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CID
Anupamaa
