- Chapter 2 -
Virat drove on, his heart dreading the moment when he would meet Sai, but also waiting to catch at least a glimpse of her. How could he look her in the eye and ask her to come back after everything he had done? He didn't even know if he was capable of standing in front of her without drowning in shame and guilt.
He remembered the last time he was on his way to Gadchiroli, happy and completely excited about his first posting. He remembered taking a box full of laddoos, made by his Aai to celebrate his posting and sharing it with his Guru, Late Inspector Kamal Joshi. He remembered how welcoming the atmosphere seemed when he first set foot in Gadchiroli. But now, strangely, the entire town seemed unfriendly. The path was unusually sunny, as if the trees refused to provide him shade, and the Sandalwood trees refused to calm his senses with their scent.
Finally, he reached the home of Kamal Joshi, where Sai was staying with Usha Maushi. Inspector Pawar had called him the day Sai reached Gadchiroli, informing him that Sai was staying there. He remembered how he told Inspector Pawar that he didn't care where Sai was staying, or even if she reached there. But now, he thanked his stars that Inspector Pawar told him. Otherwise, Sai would have never told him, and Virat would probably have to ask the other villagers, a confrontation that he wished to avoid.
He got down from his car and walked to the door, hesitantly, not sure if he should knock. Would Sai open the door? What would she say if she saw him? Would she even allow him to come in? He had kicked her out of the house, it was only fair that she didn't allow him inside. But he knew that Sai would never to such a thing. Despite her quick anger and impulsive actions, Sai was not spiteful. She would never wholeheartedly insult anyone. She was a pure soul... unlike him.
He gently knocked at the door, dreading the moment when Sai would open the door and look at him with her accusing gaze, but it was Usha Maushi who opened the door.
"Damad ji, aap?" Usha Maushi looked at him with an expression of surprise and relief. He hesitantly smiled at her as she nodded, not knowing what to say. "Andar aayiye." Usha Maushi beckoned him to come inside.
His eyes lingered on the door step before he set foot inside. The house was just as he remembered it from a year ago, with its light blue walls and cream coloured curtains, the smell of sandalwood as soothing as ever. His eyes fell on a large photo of his guru, Late Inspector Kamal Joshi in his uniform, a gentle smile plastered on his face. Virat felt a pang of guilt as he looked at the photo. Out of the many people present in the room, Kamal sir had given Sai's responsibility to him. Kamal sir only trusted him to take care of her... a trust that he so easily broke. He had not just broken Kamal sir's trust, he had also broken Sai beyond measure. If his guru were alive, what would he think of him now?
"Virat sir?" His thoughts were broken by the sound of an angelic voice calling his name, a voice that he had become just too familiar with. He turned to find Sai, his Sai, looking at him in surprise.
"Aap yahan kya kar rahe hai?" If Sai were angry at seeing him there, her face didn't betray it. She looked at him, straight in the eyes as she waited for an answer.
"Sai..." he had so many things to tell her, yet, there was nothing he could say in defence of his recent behaviour to her. He hesitantly reached out to take her hand in his, but in vain. Sai stepped back as she looked at his hands with disgust.
"Yeh aap kya kar rahe hai?" she asked, giving him a bewildered look. She turned around and signalled Usha Maushi to leave them alone.
"Sai... I'm so sorry. Maine tumhare saath bohot galat kiya hai. Tumhare jaane ke baad hi mujhe pata chala ki sach kya hai. Please mujhe maaf kardo." Virat held back the tears threatening to spill out any moment as he apologised.
"Virat sir. Aap abhi sach jaante hain?" asked Sai, the skepticism clearly visible in her eyes.
"Haan Sai. Mujhe saara sach pata chal gaya." said Virat, unable to meet Sai's eyes.
"Toh batayiye, sach kya hai?" Sai's voice was challenging as she uttered those words.
"Sai, mujhe pata chal gaya ki Kaku, Baba aur Omi Kaka ne milkar Pulkit ko kidnap karwa diya tha. Aur Pakhi... Pakhi ne woh jhooti letter likha tha. Woh... Kaku ko darr tha ki Pulkit Devi Tai ka khayal nahi rakh payega..." he trailed off, unable to utter the words that formed in his brain.
"Seriously Virat sir? Kaku ko darr tha ki Pulkit sir Devi Tai ka khayal nahi rakh paayenge? Aap kidnapping ko aise justify karte hain?" asked Sai, looking at Virat square in the eye, her tone not betraying a hint of anger.
"Woh Sai..." Virat couldn't bring himself to look at Sai. Never had he thought that this day would arrive, when his family would make him hang his head in shame.
"Aapse kaha bhi nahi jaa raha hai na, ki aapke parivaar ne jo bhi kiya hai, woh kanooni jhurm hai? Kaku, Baba aur Omi Kaka ne jo bhi kiya hai na, woh ek criminal offence hai. Aur Pakhi didi, aapke best friend, unhone jo kiya hai, woh forgery hai, and it is punishable by law. And I'm sure, ki aapko yeh sab mujhe samjhane ki zaroorat nahi hai. Aap toh ek bade police officer hai, pata hona chahiye yeh sab. Toh batayiye Mr. Sacche aur Imandaar Police Officer, aapne giraftaar kiya aapke dil ke acche ghar waalon ko?" asked Sai, already knowing the answer to this question.
"Nahi Sai... main unn logo ko giraftaar kaise karoon? Unhone ne jo bhi kiya, galat kiya, lekin..." he trailed off again, words stopping right there, as Sai looked at him, disgust clearly written on her face.
"Kyunki woh log aapke parivaar hai. Right?" said Sai, a bitter laugh escaping her lips, making Virat want to disappear from the spot. He couldn't stand the thought of her looking at him with that disgusted expression.
"Sai..." he didn't know what to tell her. Especially when he knew that everything she said was true.
"Virat sir, aap yahan kyun aaye hai? Aapke parivaar walon ki jhurm ko mere saamne justify karne? Ya apne aapko justify karne? Jab mujhrimon ko giraftaar karne ki himmat nahi hai, toh aap police officer bane kyun?" Every word she uttered cut through his heart like an arrow. He knew that truth was bitter, but hearing it from Sai, having to see his reflection on the mirror that Sai showed, it made him want to die.
"Aap please jaayiye Virat sir. Mujhe aapse aur kuch nahi kehna. Lekin haan, Bhagwan ke liye, dobara aap kisiko yeh mat boliyega ki aap mere Aaba ke student hai. Kyunki agar mere aaba aaj zinda hote na, toh woh aapse zyada sharmindagi mehsoos karte. Now, please leave." with these last words, Sai picked up her college bag and walked out of the house, not paying heed to the tears that rolled down Virat's cheeks as he stared after her miserablly.
~*~
Pakhi felt a sense of relief as the taxi pulled over at the entrance of her house. She hurriedly got out of the car, paid the cash and pulled her suitcase out. "Pakhi beta? Tum? Yahan?" she heard her mother's voice from the door. She ran towards her mother and flung her arms around her neck as she sobbed uncontrollably. Hearing the voices outside, Pakhi's father walked towards the entrance of his house, only to see Pakhi sobbing bitterly in his mother's arms.
"Pakhi beta, kya hua tumhe? Kyun ro rahi ho beta? Kisi ne kuch kaha tumse?" Shailesh asked, a strange fear settling in his heart. Had the Chavans found out?
"Kuch nahi Aai. Kuch nahi Baba. Main theek hoon. Bhas aap logon ko bohot miss kar rahi thi." said Pakhi, as she wiped her tears and walked into the house.
"Pakhi beta, sach sach bata kya hua? Wapas kyun aayi ho? Chavan Nivas mein kisi ne tujhse kuch kaha kya? Bhavani ji ne kuch kaha?" asked Vaishali, as she sat next to her daughter, laying a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"Nahi Aai, Badi Mami ne kuch nahi kaha. Lekin haan, Virat ne zaroor kuch kaha." said Pakhi, gritting her teeth as she even spoke his name.
"Kya keh rahi ho tum Pakhi beta? Kya kaha Virat ne tujhse?" asked Shailesh, anger building within him as he thought of Virat hurting his daughter.
That was when Pakhi confessed everything, bit by bit, about Devi Tai's husband, Bhavani's anger on seeing him, how Virat wanted to investigate further, and how Sai got Devi married to Pulkit by defying Virat, and also how Pulkit was She left out the bit about her writing the fake letter, which did not go unnoticed.
"Pakhi beta, humne uss din Bhavani ji se baat kiya tha. Unhone kaha ki unko ek chitthi mili thi, aur woh chitthi uss Pulkit ki biwi ne bheja tha? Agar Pulkit innocent hi tha toh woh chitthi bhi fake hoga na? Woh kisne likha tha?" asked Vaishali, puzzled.
Pakhi could feel the heat rise in her cheeks, not out of embarassment, but out of fear. Beads of sweat formed on her forehead as she tried to avoid her mother's gaze. "Woh... pata nahi Aai." she said, trying tear herself away from the puzzled gaze of her mother.
"Pakhi, tum mujhse nazrein kyun nahi mila rahe ho? Kya chupa rahi ho humse?" asked Vaishali, her tone growing slightly severe.
"Main... main kya chupa rahi hoon Aayi? Kuch bhi nahi. Aap... aap kuch bhi bol rahe ho." Pakhi's hands slightly trembled as her mother tried to see through her weak attempts to hide her mistakes.
"Pakhi... mujhe dekho, aur jawab do. Did you write the fake letter?" Vaishali's heart sank as she asked that question? Was it her daughter... her Pakhi, who did such a disgusting thing? Was it her Pakhi who had stooped so low? If not, then why wasn't she able to meet her eyes?
"Yeh kya keh rahi ho tum Vaishali? Hamari beti aise nahi kar sakti hai." said Shailesh, shocked at the accusation his wife had just thrown on his daughter.
"Agar hamari beti ne aisa kuch kiya nahi, toh woh mujhse nazrein kyun nahi mila paa rahi hai? Dekho usse Shailesh. Her hands are shivering, and she is sweating! Yeh sab tab hi hota hai, jab woh humse jhoot bol rahi hai, ya kuch chupa rahi hai." Vaishali could feel the anger and resentment build up within her.
"Pakhi beta. Kya hua? Kya tumhari Aayi sach keh rahi hai? Tum toh aise nahi kar sakte ho na beta? Meri beti aisi nahi hai. Bolo na beta. Bolo ki tumne jaanboojh kar kisi ki zindagi ke saath khilwaad nahi kiya." said Shailesh, helplessly looking at Pakhi. In a flash, he realized what his wife said was true. Because if she were wrong, Pakhi would have immediately jumped in to defend herself.
"Haan Aayi. Haan Baba. Maine likha tha woh chitthi. Kyunki Sai ne jo kiya, galat kiya. Woh uss Pulkit to theek se jaanti bhi nahi thi. Woh ek fraud bhi toh ho sakta tha. Aur Badi Mami bohot pareshaan the. Issi liye maine aisa kiya." said Pakhi, the self-righteousness in her voice sounding fake, even to herself.
"Agar tumhe shaq tha ki Pulkit accha insaan nahi hai, toh Virat ko bolna chahiye tha Pakhi. Woh aur investigate karta. Ya directly Sai ko hi bol dete, ki jab tak Pulkit ke baare mein sab kuch pata na chale, yeh shaadi nahi ho sakti. Aise giri hui harkat karne ki kya zaroorat thi?" Shailesh could feel the tears blinding him. His daughter was always his pride... but what had she become now?
"Tum hamari Pakhi nahi. Hamari Patralekha nahi ho - jo ek independent, honest aur mature ladki thi. Tum koi aur ho. Shayad hamari beti tab hi kho gayi thi, jis din usse Virat Chavan se pyaar hogaya tha." said Vaishali, not bearing to look at the girl who very much resembled her daughter.
Pakhi looked at her parents in misery. The words that they uttered cut her deeper than what Virat said to her. She wanted to yell at them, tell them that she wrote that fake letter with only good intentions in mind. But, no. She couldn't bring herself to. She couldn't bring herself to tell them so, because whatever her parents just said, were true. She had truly fallen.
~*~
Next Chapter: Sai files for divorce. The Chavans get a phone call that surpirses them beyond measure!
~*~
A/N
Hey my lovely people! What's up?? I'm finally here with an update. How did you guys like this chapter? I know I'm updating nearly after a month, and I'm really sorry for that. I had this major writer's block. Now, it's gone! So, I will be updating once a week from now on.
Banner Credits go to beinguraloo from the FanFiction Book Cover Shop. She's just amazing!🤗
Let me know how the chapter was. Your feedback and constructive criticism helps me improve.
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Love,
Niya
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