:: A Ray of Hope :: Sai Joshi x New Lead FF [Note - PG 21*17/04] - Page 9

Originally posted by: MSgayatri

Looks like I missed this ff!! 🙈🙈

Chapter 2 is all niceness...... Sai getting back on track and dealing with one thing at a time!!!!

Shantanu being a fresh air in the otherwise gloomy life of sai and savi!!!!

Happy writing!!!!

Heyyyyyy babeeeee🤗

It feels so good to see you on my comment section again❤️

I'm so glad that you're liking the SS!

Thank you for your words of encouragement love!

Originally posted by: Enola

Read this yesterday...

Loved it, keep writing❤️

Thank you so much dear🤗

I'm glad that you're liking the story!

Originally posted by: MSgayatri

Loved chapter 1......

Sai needs to mind her own business and let the chavans FO on their own!!!

It's kinda stupid to feel guilty for the idiotic behaviour of the chavan couple...... Bewakoofooo ki toli hai woh pura khandaan!!

Thankful this also leads to the entry of good people in the life of sai!!!

Happy writing!!!

Yaaayyyyy! Your comment again🤗

Yes! Sai definitely needs to let go of that Pagal khandaan! And in this story, she surely will!

She has a more sorted, fun, interesting and loving family entering her life after all!

.Chapter 3.

: In the Malhotra Mansion :

Shantanu paced about his room impatiently, cursing himself for the umpteenth time, while his brothers looked on with a bored impression.

"Main kitna bada pagal hoon! I mean, lunch ke liye toh bula liya, lekin naa unka number liya maine, aur na hi unke address. Ab main kaise pick up karoon unko!" said Shantanu, smacking himself on the forehead while his brothers laughed at him.

"Tannu mere bhai, tu sach mein Dr. Sai Joshi ko issi liye bahar leke jaana chahta hai kyunki unhone Sneha ki jaan bachayi, yaa phir baat kuch aur hai?" asked Gautham, raising his eyebrows at his little brother.

"Arre Gattu Bhai, kaisi baat kar rahe ho? Matlab, unhone hamari bachchi ki jaan bachayi, woh bhi khud ki jaan ko khatre mein daal kar. Ek thank you treat toh banta hai hai na." said Shantanu, not meeting his brother's eyes.

"Arre haan haan Gattu. Yeh maamuli thank you toh nahi chalega na. Aise date pe leke jaane ke baad hi thank you bol sakte hai. Hai na Tannu?" said Ankit, joining the fun, as Gautham and Ankit high-fived each other, earning a glare from their baby brother.

"Yeh date nahi hai. Bhas lunch hai. Aur jab unhone itna bada kaam kiya hai, aise hi normally kaise thank you bol sakte hai?" said Shantanu, getting defensive, making his brothers laugh even harder.

"Haan haan, Sneha baby ko bachane ke alava Sai ji ne ek aur bada kaam kiya hai..." said Ankit, winking at Gautham, as they both exchanged mischevious looks.

"Kya kiya hai unhone? Batao!" said Shantanu, falling for the trap.

"Woh ek aur bada kaam hai, tumhara dil churana!" said Ankit, playfully punching Shantanu in the stomach.

"Aisa kuch nahi hai... she's just a nice person... stop it!" said Shantanu, running around the room, as his brothers cornered him to tickle him.

"Arre! Kyun pareshaan kar rahe tum dono mere bachche ko?" the three of them turned around to face Ahaana, who was glaring at Ankit and Gautham.

"Bhabhi... dekho na... yeh dono mujhe bohot pareshaan kar rahe hai, jab already tension mein hoon." Shantanu ran to Ahaana, squishing her with a hug.

"Abey chup kar, bhabhi ke chamche." said Ankit, trying to pinch Shantanu's ears, only to be stopped by Ahaana.

"Tum dono mere bachche ko akela chod do. Woh pehle hi itna pareshaan hai. Bechara... and instead of helping him, tum log aur pareshaan kar rahe ho usse." said Ahaana severely, giving Gautham and Ankit an earful, while Shantanu stood behind her and smirked at his brothers.

"Woh Bhabhi, main chup hi baita tha. Kittu bhaiyya ne hi kaha, chalo Tannu ko pareshaan karte hai." said Gautham, while Ankit gave him a shocked look.

"Abey saale! Tune hi mujhe idhar bulaya, Tannu ki taang keechne ke liye. Aur ab saara blame mujhpe daal raha hai?" said Ankit, as Gautham too rushed to hide behind Ahaana.

"Tum chup raho. Mujhe pata hai, tumne hi shuru kiya hoga." said Ahaana, pinching her husband's ear, while Gautham and Shantanu laughed at the scene.

"Arre tum log kitne bade kaminey ho yaar. Last mein main hi phas jaata hoon hamesha." said Ankit, with a puppy face, making Ahaana smile fondly at him.

"Accha, Shantanu, sunn. Agar tujhe Sai ka number chahiye na, toh Sneha baby se poochlena. Uske paas Savi ka number hoga, aur Savi se uske mom ka number tu le hi sakta hai." said Ahaana.

"Bhabhi! You're the best! Mera dimaag toh kaam karna chod diya, aur aapne itna simple solution de diya! Thank you, thank you, thank you!" said Shantanu, engulfing Ahaana in another bear hug before he rushed to get the number.

...

: Saturday Afternoon, At Sai's House :

"Savi... Baada, jaldi shoes pehen lo. Mr. Malhotra aa jayenge." said Sai, as she hurriedly pulled her hair into a loose ponytail.

As if just on time, the doorbell rang, making her jump. "Oh god! Lagta hai Mr. Malhotra aa gaye." thought Sai to herself, as she ran to open the door. Right on cue, Shantanu stood outside the door, holding a bouquet of lilies.

As soon as Sai opened the door, his jaw dropped as he took in her beauty, her simple yet elegant style matching that of his own. Clad in a white short kurti and blue jeans, she looked nothing less than drop-dead gorgeous.

"Mr, Malhotra! Andar aayiye na! We're all ready, lekin aap yahan tak aaye hai, toh aapko andar aana hi padega." said Sai, moving aside to let him. But Shantanu looked as if he was stuck to his spot, still admiring the sight in front of him.

"Please excuse my brother today. Iska dimaag subah se thoda slow hai." Sai heard another voice from behind Shantanu, only to see another man and a woman standing beside him.

"Hi Dr. Sai! I'm Gautham Malhotra, Shantanu's bade bhai, aur yeh meri fiancée, Sonia Singhania." said Gautham as he shook hands with Sai.

Sai stretched her hand further to greet Sonia, but was pleasantly surprised when Sonia pulled her into a hug. "Hi Sai, it's a pleasure meeting you. Aap hamare Malhotra family mein kaafi famous hai." said Sonia, giving Sai a look of approval.

"Haan haan Sai ji. Hum sab ne aapke baare mein bohot suna hai, Sneha baby se bhi aur hamare chote saab se bhi." said Gautham with a wink, making both Sai and Shantanu blush.

"Arre, Sneha kahan hai? Woh nahi aayi kya?" asked Sai, looking around for the kid.

"Sai Aunty, main yahan hoon!" said Sneha, running inside the house with a large teddy bear.

"Sneha!" Savi came running out of her room to give her friend a hug.

"Hi Shantanu Uncle!" Savi threw her arms around Shantanu's neck and gave him a kiss on the cheek, making him laugh.

"Hi princess! Kaise ho aap?" asked Shantanu, picked her up and twirling her around as Savi gave a delightful laugh.

"Hi! Aap Savi ho? Main tumhare Shantanu Uncle ke bhai, Gautham!" said Gautham to Savi, as he took Savi from Shantanu to give her a chocolate.

"Hi Gautham Uncle! Main Savi Sai Joshi!" said Savi, enjoying the fact that there were so many people at her house.

"Aur main Sonia Aunty!" said Sonia, lightly pinching Savi's cheeks in fondness.

Sai, who was watching the scene with delight, felt something heavy cloud her heart. She could clearly see the love between the three Malhotras and the happiness they shared. Their positivity and joy filled her house and made it feel like home for the first time since she moved back to Nagpur. Maybe this is how her house would have been, if her Aaba had been there with her... like home.

"Sai ji... aap kahan kho gaye hai?" Gautham's voice shook her out of her reverie.

"Arre kuch nahi. Aap log baitiye, main aap sab ke liye Chai aur Pakode leke aati hoon. Haan, ek aur baat. Aap log mujhe Sai ji, ya Dr. Sai bulana band kijiye. Just call me Sai." said Sai, before she went to the kitchen to make tea.

"Aur aapko bhi mujhe Shantanu hi bulana chahiye phir, not Mr. Malhotra." she heard Shantanu's low, gentle voice behind her as she prepared tea. She turned around to face him, a faint blush creeping across her cheeks, for god alone knows what reason.

"Okay... if you say so." said Sai, trying to ignore the intense expression on his face, and the butterflies in her stomach.

"Good..." said Shantanu, giving her a crooked smile before he stepped out, giving Sai time to calm her then erratic heartbeat.

...

"Waah Sai, kya mast chai banati ho yaar tum! Ek kaam karti hoon main. Roz office ke baad main tumhare ghar aa jaungi, aur tum mujhe chai pakoda banake dena! Please!" said Sonia, as she ate her 8th pakoda.

"8 pakode khaya hai tumne Sonia! Aur maine sirf 3 khaya hai. Lagta iss plate mein jo bhi pakode the, woh sab sirf tumhari pet mein hai." complained Gautham, as he tried to take the final piece of pakoda from the plate. Unfortunately, Sonia beat him to it.

"Woh meri problem nahi hai. The plate was closer to me, so maine zyada kha liya, Ab chalo, nikalte hai. Humne Sneha baby ko promise kiya tha ki hum usse waterpark le jaayenge. Sai, kya tum Savi ko hamare saath bhejoge? I swear she'll be completely safe with us." said Sonia.

Sai usually didn't trust Savi's responsibility with anyone. But, looking at Sonia and Gautham's earnest expression, she couldn't bring herself to say no. In fact, she couldn't help but trust them. They had a kind of sincerity in their personality that stood out, and at that moment, Sai figured that she could trust Savi with Sonia and Gautham more than even Virat.

"Savi... baada... kya aap Sneha ke saath jaana chahte ho waterpark?" Sai asked an excited Savi,

"Haan Aai! Kya main jaa sakti hoon? Please? Main good girl banke rahungi Gautham Uncle aur Sonia Aunty ke saath." said Savi, making Sai laugh.

"Theek hai Maaji Aai. Uncle aur aunty ko zyada pareshaan mat karna. Go and enjoy yourself." said Sai, giving Savi and Sneha a kiss on the forehead.

"That's great! Shantanu and Sai, tum dono apni date ko enjoy karo!" said Sonia, winking at both of them.

"It's not a date!" yelled Sai and Shantanu together, as Gautham and Sonia drove away with the kids.

Sai and Shantanu walked towards the car in awkward silence, not knowing what to say to each other. Shantanu held the door open for Sai as she got into the car. Even such a small gesture made Sai tear up. It had been ages since someone had treated with the littlest of respect, like holding the door or chair for her, or made her feel wanted.

"Sai? Tum... sorry aap theek hai?" asked Shantanu, concerned at the tears welling up in her eyes.

"Arre haan Mr. Malhotra... sorry, Shantanu. Woh aankh mein kuch chala gaya tha bhas." said Sai, hurriedly wiping her tears away. Shantanu knew she was lying, but he let it go, knowing that it was something she didn't want to talk about now.

After a pleasant drive of 45 minutes, they reached Tuscano, as quaint little Italian restaurant almost on the outskirts of the city. Right from the interiors to the rounded tables and sofas, the ambience gave off an Italian café vibe, and Sai loved it!

"Wow! Maine yeh restaurant ke baare mein bohot suna hai. Lekin yahan pehli baar aayi hoon. Thank you for bringing me here Shantanu." said Sai, her eyes admiring the quaint restaurant, while Shantanu's eyes were admiring her. He didn't forget to notice the twinkle in her eyes or the way her whole face lit up when she liked something.

"Ab khana bhi khayenge, ya sirf ambience dekhenge?" asked Shantanu, making Sai laugh.

"Ummm... sirf ambience dekhenge." said Sai, enjoying the horrified expression on Shantanu's face.

"Dear Dr. Sai Joshi, as I am suffering from hunger, kindly order pasta for me. Yours truly, Shantanu Malhotra." said Shantanu, in childish tone, making Sai double up with laughter again, while he looked at her with admiration.

"What would you like to order ma'am?" asked the waitress, as she approached their table.

"I'll have a Spaghetti Aglio-e- olio pasta, veg." said Sai, quickly scanning the menu. "And I'll have a Mushroom Ravioli." said Shantanu, his mouth-watering at the thought of food.

"Aap foodie hain?" asked Sai, as they waited for their food to come.

"Haan... main toh bohot bada foodie hoon. In fact, mere ghar pe almost sab foodie hai. We just love exploring new cuisines and dishes. In fact, next week bhaiyya aur main ek new French restaurant try karne jaa rahe hai. Aap bhi aayenge saath mein?" asked Shantanu, suddenly looking excited at the thought, making Sai smile.

"Arre nahi. Maine Savi ko promise kiya hai ki next week hum dono ghoomne chalenge. Toh main nahi aa paungi. Aur aap dono bhaiyon ke beech main kya karungi?" asked Sai.

"Arre, bhai toh aapse milkar bohot khush honge! Aap abhi tak Ankit Bhaiyya se mile nahi na. Woh Sneha baby ki papa hain. Aur Ahaana Bhabhi unki maa. Ahaana Bhabhi meri best friend hai. In fact jab bhi Ankit Bhaiyya mujhe zyada pareshaan karte hai na, toh Bhabhi hi mujhe bachati hai." said Shantanu, the fondness showing in his voice when he spoke about his family.

At that moment, Sai too wished that she had someone to talk about, the way Shantanu spoke about his Bhaiyya and Bhabhi. But all she had were Savi and Usha Maushi. She loved her daughter more than anything, that was true. But she couldn't help but wish that she had someone who had her back, a shoulder to cry on when things got worse, a pillar of support to tell her that things will be alright. She did have Usha Maushi, but sometimes, it felt as if even Maushi wasn't on her side.

"Sai... aap phir se kahan kho gaye hai?" asked Shantanu, sensing that family was probably a sensitive topic for Sai.

"Kuch nahi, Shantanu. Aapki family kaafi interesting hai. Kaash mere paas bhi aisi family hoti." said Sai, lost in thoughts of her Aaba and Samrat Dada, making Shantanu feel like giving her a hug, just to make her feel alright.

"Tumhare paas bhi thi aisi family Sai. Lekin tumne khud sab kuch barbaad kar diya." Sai and Shantanu heard a voice behind them answering back. Sai stilled as if she had been shot. Oh no... not him. She had looked forward to one Virat-free, drama-free day, and here he was, all set to ruin things for her again.

Sai turned around to see Virat and Pakhi standing right behind them, Virat's expression furious, and Pakhi's confused as usual. Sai closed her eyes, trying to calm this sudden explosion of emotions she felt. Suddenly, out of nowhere, she felt Shantanu's hand reach out to hers, holding it tight, as if saying you're not alone this time. And Sai felt safe, something she hadn't felt for a very long time.

Precap:

"Sai, mujhe nahi pata tha ki hamara conversation itna interesting tha, ki dusre bhi wohi sunn rahe hain. Ya phir yeh dusre log itni jobless hai ki kisi aur ke conversations pe dhyaan de rahe hai." said Shantanu, clearly enjoying the fury on Virat and Pakhi's face, while Sai smiled at Shantanu's quip.

Author's Note:

Hey guys! I'm so glad that people are finding respite in this story away from the actual track! Seriously, each and every comment that I see for this SS makes me want to update everyday! Thank you so much for reading and supporting this story! It means a lot to me!

Also, I know that the previous chapter's precap said that we'll have a PakRat vs SaiShan face off, but I wanted to spend more time establishing the Malhotras' bond and their meeting with Sai properly before we moved to more intense chapters. Which is why I dedicated this chapter to family and relationship building. Hope you guys don't mind. And... I know that this is such as long chapter, and I'm sorry if parts of it bored you, because I got carried away writing this chapter.

A lot of you have replied to my previous note with the kind of scenes that you guys would like to see in the story. And I promise that I'll try and incorporate all of it in the story.

Also, I'm changing this story from SS to FF with more chapters, as I have thought of a more elaborate plot for this.

Love❤️

Niya

The audacity of V to go butt into a conversation he has nothing to do with and taunt Sai. I want Sai to shut V down by speaking her mind about what a pathetic bunch of losers his so called "family" is and how ungrateful he is.

Its surprising though that none of the Malhotras have wondered about Sai's marital status etc. No matter how progressive people are, its difficult to not think about divorced hai, kyun, kya hua hoga etc. .

But looks like Shantanu will see first hand the kind of jerk V is. Koi public place mein ex wife seh aise baat karein toh one can only imagine how much worse he'd have been as a husband.

Loved the update!!! It's refreshing to see happy teasing bonds!!! Brothers nok jhok and bhabhi being the saviour!!! Sweet and sorted bunch of people!!!

The family lunch was very sweetly and smartly converted to a "non date" Date!!!!

Wishing for more is such a basic person trait.... Also for some one who lost her immediate family, the vaccum will always be there!! One needs more solid bond to reduce the vaccum.... The gap will always be there.. But the intensity and longing can be reduced!!!!!

Way glad to see shantanu standing by sai even if he does not know the whole history!!!

V is a prick and not spending time writing about how much of a jerk he is!!

Happy writing!!!!

Jaldi naya update lana!!! 🙈🙈❤❤❤❤

I loved it! Shantanu and Sai's convo are so sweet, and I absolutely loved the entire Malhotra family dynamic.

Sai really really need such kind of positivity in her life right now. I can't even begin to understand how difficult it must have been for her to raise Savi alone like that.

And then there is Virat...honestly I am not surprised that he decided to butt in a convo he has no place in. When Virat gets jealous/possessive/angry/or whatever it is he feels when his ego gets bruised, he gets really ugly. And I love that now Sai isn't facing him alone.

Kudos to you girl for giving such a lovely update in such a short time!

👏

Wonderful chapter ❤️❤️😍

Savi seems comfortable with shantanu 😍

Always wanted sai to have a person who will be her pillar/support during hard times. But makers wont bring that person

I just love this story

Looking forward to read about sai santhanu vs devar bhabi

Unlike the actual drama script this story felt sooo light hearted and content with no unwanted negativity and stable pace , loved it.

Hope this continues as it is and the bond of Sai and Savi with new family remains same.

Thanks for tagging

Nice update. It's good to see a very warm bond between Malhotras in contrast to chavannis. Sai is very excited to go on a non date trip with Shantanu.

Savi likes Shantanu and Sonia and Gautam likes Sai. Sai likes Malhotra family just by listening to Santanu's words about his family and is missing her Aaba and Samrat dada

And here comes nalla DCP with his pyaari lusty babhi and has the audacity to tell that Sai ruined everything where it was them who ruined not only Sai's life but also Samrat's. Precap is awesome waiting for the next part update soon