[Banner Credits: aftermath..]
"I'm sorry Sai..." he said for the 100th time as he sat before her, his head hung in shame. Ever since he got to know the truth about his family and their evil plot to separate Devyani and Pulkit, as well as Sai and him, he was shattered beyond measure. It was at that very moment he decided that he will make amends and bring Sai back, no matter what.
He looked up to face her when he got to no answer from her. And what he saw broke him. Sai was staring back at him, her face expressionless. It seemed like all the fight had been drained out of her. She looked like she hadn't slept for days, the bags under her eyes a clear proof of it. He could see no anger, sorrow or hatred in her eyes for him. In fact, she looked so spiritless standing in front of him, and he hated it.
Hesitantly he took a step closer to her, half expecting her to flinch or step away from him. But she stood still, not even moving a muscle, as her eyes stared beyond him, into the nothingness. No... this wasn't Sai. The Sai that he knew so full of life, so sure of herself, ready to fight for her rights, always standing up for others. But now, she just looked like a lifeless body, with nothing to live for, just existing for the heck of it.
He gently placed his hand under her chin and lifted it up to face him. "Sai, itna nafrat karte ho mujhse ki tum baat bhi nahi karna chahti ho? Kuch toh bolo Sai. I'm so sorry. Mujhe samaj mein nahi aa raha hai ki sorry ke alawa main aur kya kahoon!" His eyes bore into hers, full of remorse and regret, looking for one sign of hope or love in hers.
It was only then her lips pulled into a smile... a wistful, melancholic smile that just stayed on her lips, and didn't reach her eyes. She slowly stepped away from Virat and turned her back to him. "Aap mujhse maafi kyun maang rahe hain Virat sir? Aapne wohi kiya, jo aapko sahi laga. Aur maine wohi kiya jo mujhe sahi laga. Dono apni jagah sahi hai."
Virat's eyes filled with tears as he heard her speak. Her voice was cold and distant, with no hints of her infamous fiery temper. It made him feel like his Sai was truly lost. And it was all his fault. He opened his mouth to say something, but no words came. He stared at her miserably, hoping for some miracle to happen.
"Virat Sir... main aapko kabhi dhoka nahi dena chahti thi. Main aapko sab kuch batana chahti thi. Lekin aap nahi the. Mujhe bina bataye nikal gaye. Aur aapke parivaar vaale ne toh itni acchi planning ki thi, aur Pulkit sir ko bhi kidnap kar diya tha. Bohot dino se aapka phone bhi not reachable tha. Mujhe pata tha ki jab tak aap wapas aayenge, Kaku, Baba, Omi Kaka aur Pakhi Didi milke saare fake proofs banakar, Pulkit sir ko galat sabit kar dete. Aur aap bhi unhi ki baat maanenge. Issi liye mujhe yeh sab karna pada. Kyunki Devi Tai bhi khushi ki haqdaar hai." Sai turned around to face him as she told him the truth, and for the first time since he walked into Gadchiroli, he saw Sai's emotionless facade break. Her eyes filled with tears as she looked at him.
"Sai... mujhe samaj mein aa gaya hai ki tumne jo bhi kiya, woh kyun kiya. Mujhe tumse pooch lena chahiye tha ki tumne aise kyun kiya. Tumse pehle baat karna chahiye tha mujhe. I'm sorry for not listening to you. Ab dobara aisa nahi hoga Sai. Kabhi nahi hoga. Ab wapas chalo mere saath. Ghar wapas chalo. Woh tumhara ghar hai Sai, hamara ghar. And I promise you, ki main kabhi kuch aisa nahi karunga, jiske wajah se tumhare aankhon mein aansu aaye." He took her fragile hands in his, feeling a ray of hope as he looked at Sai expectantly. He would do anything to put things right.
"Nahi Virat sir... main wapas nahi aaungi. Woh mera ghar nahi hai, kabhi tha hi nahi. Main toh bhas kuch hi dino ki mehemaan thi. Jo 4 saal baad hona tha, woh ek hi saal mein hogaya. Bhas. Virat sir, galti toh hum dono ne ki hai. Aur maine jo kiya hai, uske liye main maafi chahti hoon. Lekin main wapas nahi aaungi." Sai pulled her hand away from Virat, her every word breaking her more than it broke him.
"Kyun Sai? Kyun kar rahi ho tum aisa? Galti toh hum dono ne ki hai na? Toh hum milke sudhaar lenge Sai. Let's fix this together." No... this wasn't happening. Virat felt like someone had just taken his heart right out of his chest. Sai was slipping away from him, he was losing her. Or did he completely lose her the day he asked her to leave?
"Nahi Virat sir. Mujhe nahi lagta ki this can be fixed. Ek rishte mein na, pyaar se zyaada important bharosa hota hai. But you never trusted me to do the right thing Virat sir. Chalo, main maanti hoon ki aapko iss baat ka bura laga ki maine aapko kuch nahi bataya. Aapko yeh laga hoga ki main aapke peet peeche Pulkit sir ke saath plan kar rahi thi Tai ko bhagaane mein. Aur main yeh bhi samaj sakti hoon ki aapne aisa kyun socha. Virat sir, maine iss liye aapko nahi bataya kyunki waqt ki kami thi. Lekin aapne ek baar bhi yeh nahi socha, ki Sai Tai ke saath kuch bura kaise kar sakti hai? Nahi na? Issi liye aapne ek baar bhi meri baat sunne ki koshish nahi ki, aur mujhe ghar se bahar nikaal diya." said Sai, looking at him square in the eye.
Her every word pierced Virat like an arrow. He knew she was right. He was just so blinded by the trust he had on his family that he didn't bother listening to her. They poisoned his mind, and he just let them. Virat Chavan had now lost Sai Joshi, probably forever, and it was all his fault.
"Aur baat sirf Devi Tai ki shaadi ki nahi hai. Aapne kabhi bhi mujhpe bharosa nahi kiya Virat sir. Aapne bohot baar mere saath diya hai, lekin jab mujhe aapki sakt zaroorat thi, aap mere saath nahi the. Aap hamesha apni parivaar aur aapke best friend ke saath dete the, aur mujhpe ungli uthathe the. Chahe koi mere character pe ungli uthaye ya mere aaba ke parvarish pe, aapki nazron mein galti hamesha meri hi thi. Aur maine bhi har baar yeh sab jaane diya. Lekin ab aur nahi. Main aur nahi seh sakti." Those treacherous tears that Sai had been fighting finally trickled down her cheeks. But her voice was firm and resolute.
"Sai, please..." This was all that Virat could say. Her words were like a knife in his heart, slowly twisting itself, every word inflicting more pain than the other. He couldn't deny these allegations even if he wanted to, because every word that she uttered was true.
"I'm sorry if I've hurt you with my words Virat sir. Lekin, sach toh yeh hi hai. Main apni aatma-sammaan ko aur chot nahi pahuncha sakti. I have to let you go. Even though..." She turned around to look at him again, her eyes softening.
"Even though I love you." Those three words... those three words from her lips were all it took for Virat to pull her closer to him. She loved him, she said it herself. She loved him. Maybe there was a chance for him after all. He never for a moment thought that he would hear these words from her, not after what he had done.
"I love you Sai. I love you. I love you so much. Mujhe pata hai ki maine jo bhi kiya hai tumhare saath, woh bohot galat tha. But please, let me put it right." He pulled her into a tight hug and held on to her as if his life depended on it. But it was short lived.
"Virat sir. Shayad aapne theek se suna nahi ki maine kya kaha. I love you. Main aapse bohot pyaar karti hoon. But I can't be with you. Not after what happened. Mujhe maaf kijiye. Lekin, main aapke saath aapke ghar wapas nahi aaungi." She pulled away from him, trying to fix her own heart that was breaking.
"Sai... don't do this. Tumne abhi tak jo bhi kaha hai, woh sab sahi hai. I didn't do right by you. Maine tumpe bharosa nahi kiya hai. Lekin ab main samaj gaya hoon Sai. Mujhe sirf ek mauka do. Main sab kuch theek kar dunga. I love you, Sai. Just one last chance Sai." He held her hand gently and kissed her knuckles. He loved her. He loved her so much. If he could get one chance, he would give her all the happiness she deserved.
"Main iss baat pe kaise yakeen karun Virat sir, ki aap mujhse pyaar karte hai? Aap toh Pakhi didi se pyaar karte the na. Aur aapne bhi kahi baar yeh kaha hai ki agar aapke aur Pakhi didi ke beech kuch hai toh bhi fark nahi padna chahiye. Ab main kaise yakeen karun ki aap mujhse pyaar karte hain? Aapne toh hamesha Pakhi didi ka saath diya hai. Jab bhi woh mujhse kuch kehti hai, woh sahi hai. Aur jab main palat kar wapas jawab deti hoon, main galat hoon. Aapne hamesha sirf mujhe ek compromising position mein daala hai Virat sir. I don't believe you." As much as she wanted to believe that Virat did love her, she couldn't. She couldn't let her heart break even further. So far, she had carefully guarded her heart from her own feelings. And now, she couldn't let things come crashing down on her.
"Sai... main Pakhi se pyaar karta tha. Aur yeh bhi sach hai ki maine tumse kaha tha, ki mere dil mein aur mere zindagi mein koi aur hai. Lekin pata nahi kab, aur kaise, main move on karne laga. Tumhari wajah se. Pehle toh main tumhe sirf apni zimmedaari maan kar chal raha tha. Lekin dheere dheere, tumne mere dil apna jagah bana liya. Jab bhi main tumhare saath hota hoon, toh main apna saara problems bhool jata hoon Sai. Main life itna khush ho sakta hoon, yeh toh tumse milne ke baad hi pata chala mujhe. Mujhe yeh nahi pata ki tumse pyaar kab hua. Lekin tumhare saath bitaya hua har waqt, mere liye kitna important hai, tum nahi jaanti. Sai, I love you. Main apni life tumhare saath share karna chahta hoon. Tumhare life ka ek hissa banna chahtha hoon. Tumhare saath poori zindagi bitana chahtha hoon. Please Sai, bhas ek mauka do." Virat's arm snaked around her waist as he pulled her closer, his forehead touching hers.
That was when Sai let herself cry. She threw her arms around his neck and buried her face in chest. A sob escaped her lips as she let her tears falls. All that hurt and misery she had endured seemed to fade away. All those feelings she had kept buried, deep inside her heart finally surfaced. She did believe him now. She wholeheartedly believed that he loved her as much as she loved him.
Virat held her close as he rested his chin on her head. This was the last time... this was the last time that Sai was ever going to cry. She would get the happiness that she deserves and he would give it to her. He wanted to grab her chin and slam his lips on hers. But, not now. There was a lot of time left for them. They had an entire life together before them. For now, he was just content to hold her in arms. He closed his eyes and inhaled her scent, feeling blissful. This was just the beginning of their journey together.
~*~
A/N
Hello my lovelies🤗!!! How are you all? I don't know if many of you remember me. I am one of those old members who pops in at random moments and leaves for years together😆. Well, I'm back now. And this time, I'm going to be consistent, because things have settled down at work. I'm writing an OS after a long time now, and this based on the separation track, or rather, the ending of it. Do read it and drop in your feedback.
Also, I'm planning to write an FF based on the current/upcoming separation track, but it will have equal focus on SaiRat, SamraKhi and MohRishma. I'll also add quite a bit of Ashwini-Ninad in it. Do let me know if you guys think its a good idea.
It feels good to be back and write again!
Love,
Niya❤️
comment:
p_commentcount