Chapter 4: Chavan girls are firecrackers.
Timeline: 5-6 months.
Backstory for plot: I was planning to write the next chapter in this series, from two requests again. I chose to write this one on women's day as I always wanted to address Virat-Devi bond and his possible muteness to her long suffering.
Also I find Mansi Bua, Shivani and Devi very strong and rebellious than the Chavan men. So tried to fit some back stories to them. But mostly will be discussing Devi and Virat's bond with her.
Remember the timeline in this series is based on confession. 5-6 months from confession and normalcy.
Sai and Virat's bedroom:
Sai freaked out seeing empty sanitary pad cover. The first two days are horrible for her, with both pain and flow and she is stupid enough not to keep stock of things. She was planning to buy them the previous week but gotten too busy with college work to remember anything.
She was about to go and ask other females in the family when her phone buzzed with her husband's call. She thought of asking him but was not sure whether he will go and buy "stuff" for her. She is very comfortable with him around this matter, and he knows about her cycles at the back of his head. They also share an app that shows her safe period which is like a monthly bonus for him!. She smiled heart-fully remembering the first time she talked about her cycles with him. It was embarrassing at first but turned so heartwarming few moments later.
The first time, as she remembers clearly was around a week or two after they consummated their marriage and became comfortable with each other. Her husband was in his usual mood ready to jump on her as soon as she took her side of the bed, only to be pushed away with a curt reply "Not today Virat sir.".
He probed her if she was upset and whether something had happened with the family members only to receive a "NO" for his every question. Then when he heard about her cycle, he profusely apologized for his hastiness earlier and was worried if he had hurt her unknowingly. She still remembers how he asked about any pain and discomfort, offered help if she wanted. She explained how her first two days are difficult and that her back and legs hurt a lot. Since then it has been a ritual where he applied hot pack on her back and presses her feet if she needed relief while sleeping.
Recollecting all these moments, she answered his phone and confidently asked him to buy a particular brand of sanitary pads on his way back home to which he asked her to whatsapp the brand name...
Virat taking these things casually without showing any discomfort always brings her joy, "Just like her father", she thought "again".
Few hours later in their bedroom
Virat entered their bedroom to the usual vision of his wife deeply immersed in studies. As a habit, he went and kissed her from behind on the cheek, placing the things he bought next to her and went into the bathroom to freshen up.
Sai casually looked inside the cover to find a different brand of sanitary napkins as opposed to what she texted him. Irritation rose immediately in her, for this is something she is very particular about and therefore sent him the name and details. She could not wait till her husband came out of the bathroom and went to the bathroom door and shouted "Virat sir! why did you bring this one. I asked you for something else right?", she demanded.
Virat opened the door clad in towel, drying his hair and casually said "But that one was not available in few stores I went to. So I bought this one. This is good. believe me!", he said strolling casually towards their bed to change into his night clothes.
"This is good! and you know it!?", Sai laughed loudly "How? do you have experience Virat sir?"
"yes! I have experience", Virat smirked. "Experience of buying not using"..
"Oh! ", Sai said softly but turning red instantly "to whom?", she demanded.
"To Meri Tai, meri Aai...sorry Sai", he said pulling her into a tight squeeze and giving her a peck on the lips. He then went to the dressing mirror when Sai followed him.
"Oh you used to buy this stuff for Devi tai?", asked Sai warmly hugging him from behind. "How cute!!"
"Why is it cute? Buying this stuff for your sister is not normal?", he questioned back surprised.
"No. No. I was just wondering how come it is possible in this house given the mindset...you know", she tried to be as polite as possible but still conveyed what she meant.
Virat smiled at her judgement over his family which is understandable so he decided to clarify.
"Sai..yes not everyone is comfortable in our family. But Devi tai is very close to me. I was her go to person for all her needs. She wouldn't mind asking me anything and...", he said reminiscing the bond with his only sister smiling to himself.
"And...what Virat sir?", sai asked curiously. "Please tell me, I want to know more.", she pleaded.
"First let us go and eat dinner and come back.", he asked "Or should I bring it here?"
"No No I will come downstairs. I told Aai to make me kichdi today. You know how I get acidity too", she said cursing the two days where her system goes upside down.
"Sai..Devi tai used to say that Yoga helped her a lot with cramps you know! you should try to exercise more. How many times I pulled you into running with me! Always sitting on that table and studying doesn't help with your body. Ever since I have known you, I haven't seen you do ANY kind of exercise." ,he complained. "I am going to force you into some physical activity after this.", he declared.
"OK OK. I will run with you. But let's start with walking for two weeks", she said trying to minimize the effort to which she earned a death glare from her husband. "OK my Patidev, I will run. Now dont look at me like that", she said turning his face away from her and kissing hard on his cheek for his conversation today made him look extra cute...and forgetting that they reached downstairs.
"Chee, Sai you dont have shame, sharm, izzat kissing your husband in public", rebuked Sonali kaku. "Wait I will tell Vahini about your shameless act.", she warned.
There was no one expect Sonali who saw her kissing Virat, so she went close to her and said.
"What to do Kaku, your nephew is cute!", she said smilingly. "Dont you agree?", she questioned back.
"Kyun kaku, am I not cute.?", teased Virat and putting his over invasive Kaku in a fix.
"Ofcourse my nephew is cute", acquiesced Sonali not to sound rude.
Sai and Virat's bedroom again
Sai reached her bedroom to see her husband already preparing hot pack for her. She laid down on the bed when Virat placed the hot pack next to her and sat down by her side leaning on to his back . He gestured Sai to place her feet on his legs so he could massage them.
Sai instead placed her head in his lap and hot pack under her back instead saying that she is fine.
"OK virat sir! tell me about it.", she asked curiously. "So what is it with Devi tai. I observed that you share very close bond with her but never thought you were this close that she asked you to buy personal stuff for her.!", she exclaimed.
"You dont know how Devi tai used to be Sai!", he sighed stroking his wife's cheek. "She was a firebrand you know. Atleast thats what everyone used to call her. ", he said with water pooling into his eyes. Seeing his wife's worried look he smiled and continued.
"Devi tai is a fire brand even now right?", he gushed. "Just says whats in her mind. I remember her as this girl ordering people to do her bidding. She is 3-4 years older to me and therefore we never used to fight, unlike Samrat and her who has only a year difference between them and fought cats and dogs!", he said smiling to which Sai also joined with a giggle.
"And what about Mohit bhaiyya?", sai enquired
"Oh he is tiny. He is much younger to all of us. So he was always ignored.", he chuckled. "I am more close to Tai because we both were at home most of our school and college. Samrat was always in boarding school and then went to Mumbai for his college. Tai even used to drop me in her scooty at my engineering college till I got my own bike", he recollected with amusement.
"What!! Devi tai used to drive bike?", Sai asked in wonder. "What did she study?", Sai asked now turning towards her husband, enthusiastic to know more about the woman she never knew behind the child she is seeing now.
"Oh Tai did her BA Literature and then went to do MA English I guess...", he said trying to remember. "She is the one who encouraged me to read. I would go to her room and get all her novels once she is done reading. She introduced me to so many great writers in English.", he marvelled remembering how his sister used to buy books for him with her pocket money and gift him on special occasions. He continued not wiling to stop the gush of memories that filled his heart with warmth. "And you know what, she used to write the essays for my debate competitions at college. I would come up with the topic and explain her what I wanted to say and she used to write them in such a wonderful language. Those days were so precious. She used to look so beautiful and confident Sai. Some of the guys in our college were behind her and I used to chase them.", he said laughing hard, coming to sudden halt.
"Then?", Sai probed. "What happened Virat Sir! Why Tai became like this? If you were so close to her, why you did not know about her and Pulkit Jeeju?", she questioned with disbelief. "Didn't she share with you?"
"I dont know Sai. I really dont. I went to my Masters in Mumbai and later got into UPSC coaching. I became so involved with myself that I hardly used to come home.", he said trying to recollect any evidence that he could have missed from that time. "But yes, she was getting so many proposals at home and she was rejecting everything. I remember once when I called her she was crying and said that she felt lonely. I have not seen or heard her crying like that before.", he said almost choking at the memory of her voice on phone.
"Then what? You would have asked her about it right?", Sai asked him curiously expecting a positive answer from him.
"No Sai,', Virat said bowing his head down in shame."I did not pay attention nor followed up on that with her. The next time when I came home for Diwali, she was missing from home. Kaku and everyone said she had gone traveling with her friends. I did not suspect a bit. Devi Tai never confirmed to the rules at home, so her leaving the house for traveling did not surprise me. By then, even Shivani bua had issues in her marriage and got back home. It was a terrible place, this house and all I wanted was to escape to Mumbai.", he said feeling helpless and ashamed for not thinking beyond him.
"Its ok Virat sir! At that age, you might have not known how to deal with all this.", Sai tried to console him. "So then when did you know about Devi tai's situation? How did she turn like this?", Sai asked with disbelief.
"Later when she was home and when I was back for good before going to training, she was mostly sleeping. I was told not to disturb her and that something terrible happened to her when she went traveling. Actually the way everyone behaved, I assumed something worst happened with her. I believed someone abused her sexually and cheated on her. Because she would keep saying she is married and had a baby. So you know I assumed she was cheated, impregnated and left. I did not know a thing about Pulkit's involvement in all this", he said leading Sai to her next question.
"You said Pulkit Jeeju was your servant's son right? So you must have seen him around the house. Then how come you have never seen Devi tai with him. She must be seeing him from sometime before all this happened?", asked Sai trying to see if there could have been some possibility for her husband to know what had happened.
"No Pulkit was not servant's son. Kaku exaggerates everything", he said with exasperation. Pulkit was our accountant's son who used to work for our family business. Mansi bua hired his father for the business. She used to take care of the business after Kaka Saheb passed away and Samrat's dad passed away few years later. Pulkit's dad was Mansi Bua's good friend from her college days and she hired him to look after the business.", he said looking at stunned face of Sai. "What?", he asked.
"Mansi Bua was looking after business! and she had a friend who is a Guy?", Sai said with amazement.
"What is the big deal about that?", Virat dismissed her casually.
"Big deal!?", Sai now sat up suddenly startling Virat. "I had a male friend and someone tried to pulled his intestines out just because he was sitting next to me", Sai shouted to which Virat had to close his ears.
"That friend was sitting on my bed, next to my wife who chanted 'deal' word at every given chance. Imagine what must have gone in that man's mind if not to pull the intestines out of his so called threat", Virat answered back pulling her into his embrace.
"Leave me! Virat sir leave me!", Sai feigned anger trying to get out of his hold. Then went back to sleep on his lap "Ok. continue. I know one thing for sure. All the Chavan men are useless, cowards, and good for nothing people.", she said earning a death glare from her husband. "Why are you looking at me like that Virat Sir?. I am telling the truth. Look at your sister and your aunts. They were going against the tide all those years back, and you all could not even support them properly. ", she rebuked which actually calmed Virat down into melancholy.
"You are right Sai. All the 3 were really brave. Mansi bua had to face so many insults when she came to our house with Samrat. You know how Kaku is right? She used to taunt her a lot. But then instead of sitting idle and feeling burdened on the family, she took up the business and made it profitable again after Kaka Saheb's death. Omi Kaka just took it up later when Mansi bua decided to give up.", he chuckled.
"And Shivani Bua?", Sai exclaimed now eager to know about the only fire brand she knows in the otherwise mundane household.
"Shivani Buaa..", Virat stretched his back to draw some excitement to narrate about his youngest Bua who is more like a sister to him "Shivani Bua is just 10 years older to me I guess. She was pampered a lot by Kaka Saheb and Kaku both. And ofcourse her brothers. She I think had a boyfriend.", Virat tried to remember his name. "But as usual everyone opposed to the marriage and she was forcefully married off to someone else. You know Shivani bua, how independent she is! The guy's family did not like her and troubled her a lot. One day she decided to divorce the guy and came back home. ", he said candidly as a matter of fact.
"So was that guy bad?", probed Sai.
"Who knows? But whats the point if Bua was feeling miserable. She refused to go back to him.", Virat said pensively. "You know what Sai, I now I think that she could not get over her boyfriend. Because the next marriage also ended up the same way. She came back and applied for divorce. The second time was very bad. It was just couple of years before our marriage. Kaku was very upset and asked Bua to leave the house for ever.", Virat explained.
"Then? did she leave.?". Sai questioned but then rephrased her question "Then why is she still here? I mean I am happy she is still here...", she tried to explain what she meant.
"You know what she asked Kaku for leaving the house?", asked Virat laughing. "She showed the will written by my Kaka Saheb and demanded Kaku to split the property and give her share and only then she would leave the house."
Sai burst out laughing imagining how Shivani bua would have demanded Kaku and Kaku's face turning red in anger but tongue tied.
"Ok now Devi tai", Sai brought Virat back to the most important discussion. "So how come you did not know about her love affair with Pulkit jeeju?", she reiterated her question.
"I dont know. I was a jerk then, involved in my own world. Even Samrat did not know", he tried to defend himself making Samrat also part of this blunder. "Sai, seriously I did not know she married secretly and had a baby. All I knew was that she was mentally disturbed and the reason I made up is that she was cheated by someone. I thought she was assaulted. It is such a sensitive topic, I did not bring it up fearing it would hurt her. Later I got busy with my own life that I never questioned. I did not imagine Kaku could fall so low that she sent Ha..ri..ni to orphanage", he gulped at the detail. "May be because it is the first time someone eloped in our house and married..?", he tried to reason out and defend himself and his family in front of the purest soul but Sai's tear filled eyes stripped him of his defense.
He held her face with both palms and confessed the truth. "Sai, I did not pay attention. This is the truth. I could have done more for my Tai. But I failed. I trusted my family blindly. I had no one like you to show them in a different light. I never questioned the status quo at home. But I will tell one truth, I made it my aim to strive for women's safety when I became a police officer. I believed my tai was assaulted and I made sure nothing of that sort happens in my jurisdiction. Nothing. And today I promise you, I will never let any woman who I know and who I vowed to protect face the same situation like my Tai. Promise.", he said to her wife's proud smile.
Sai moved forward and adjusted herself to sleep on his shoulder while hugging him.
"I know Virat sir you will do your best as police officer to protect the women around you. And I am sure our girl will be another firecracker in this house. ", she chuckled squeezing her husband tight.
"Our girl!", exclaimed Virat. "you mean my daughter?",
"Our daughter", Sai corrected. "Afterall she will be a Chavan girl just like Devi Tai, Mansi bua and Shivani Bua.", she said proudly.
"Not a Chavan girl, A Joshi-Chavan girl. Deadly combination of brains and brawn", said Virat dearly kissing his wife.
NOTE: OK I wanted to write about Virat-Devi bond for a long time. I tried to think of various reasons why Virat could have ignored Devi for so long after sharing such an endearing bond. Always I ended up with the same reason which is very basic and normal in any household. Children don't question the authority, especially when you yourself are young and dealing with your own life/studies. Virat could have been a <20 year old lad when Devi's life turned upside down. A young guy dabbling in studies and enjoying the world around would have paid least attention on whats happening at home. Moreover, he would have blindly trusted the elders! And later, after few years seeing her like that would have become normal to him. Only if he had any doubt on his elders intentions and actions after he had become police officer, he would have put some thought into this matter. Sai's arrival in his life definitely opened a different perspective in seeing his family. Till then the decisions elders took never effected him may be. Only when they started to interfere in his life directly (which is after his marriage) that he started seeing them with different lens. So I chose not to come up with elaborate reasons for Virat's negligence towards Devi. I presented a highly probable and simple scenario which could have happened to anyone in his place.
I wanted to bring this plot around the discussion on periods because it is the first inevitable thing any couple has to discuss as soon as they get married :) So started the discussion on women in Virat's life with women's problem :)
Disclaimer: Women who are married here know husbands always will not be this sensitive around wife's periods. šIt is totally normal for husbands to ignore wives' mothly cycle and be utterly insensitive about it. So girls who are unmarried here dont judge a man around this topic. It is OKAY. šš¼
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