Part 5
Sai was bothered the least to see the Chavan family staring at her.
"Sai, tum, bacchon, aur Satya saat mein the kya?" Kaku questioned.
Sai was calm, she cooly answered that they all were out for lunch.
Virat fumed in anger, "tum mere bacchon ko us anjaan aadmi ke saath kese leke jaa sakti ho?"
Sai was surprised by Virat's anger. She replied, "Satya koi anjaan aadmi nahi hai, Virat. Woh mere collegue hai aur acche dost bhi, aur yahan se jaate waqt maine tumhari aai se inform kiya tha ki main bacchon ko leke lunch pe jaa rahi hoon."
Pakhi, who was standing beside Virat, started shouting at Sai. "Tumhari himmat kaise hui mere bete ko apne saath le jane ki! Kya chahti kya ho tum? mere bete ko uss chalaak aadmi ke saath baat bhi karne diya?." She clearly spewed vengeance on Satya because he had tactically made Pakhi twist her own words.
Sai took a deep breath and calmly replied, "Pakhi, main tumse request karti hun ki aise baatein na kare. Infact mujhe tum sab ko jawaab dene ki zaroorat nahi hai. meri personal life mein aapko koi dilchaspi lene ki zaroorat nahi hai. Aur haan, main in dono ki aai hoon, woh kisse baat karein or kisse nahi, iska faisla main khush bhi le sakti hoon."
But Pakhi was not ready to listen to Sai. She continued to argue with her, and the situation became more intense with every passing moment. Vinu and Savi were watching everything from the sidelines, confused and upset.
"Bus mumma! Aap meri Aai se aise baat nahi kar sakti hai!"
"Haan, Pakhi aunty, aur baba aap bhi aai par chilla rahe hain, I hate you" she went close to Virat and pushed him
Sai, visibly upset, was being pulled in by Savi when Virat finally realized his mistake. He felt guilty for being rude to Sai and decided to apologize, he ran in.
"Main galat tha Sai, I am sorry. mujhe aise baat nahi karni chahiye thi," Virat said, with a hint of regret in his voice. Sai refused to accept his apology and asked him to leave.
Virat finally got a chance to spend time with Vinu. He wanted to understand what changed Vinu's mind. The past two days, he spent time consoling Pakhi.
"baada, aapne Sai aai ko accept kaise kiya? aap toh us din naaraz ho gaye the na?"
Vinu went on to explain how Satya helped him see things from a different perspective and how Sai had always been there for them, even when they didn't realize it. Virat listened attentively and felt grateful to Satya but also jealous that he was able to explain things better than he ever could.
"Baaba, aap batayenge? aap mere baaba ho, Sai aai, meri aai hai, toh aap dono saath kyun nahi rehte? aapki wife toh aai hi honi chahiye na, toh pakhi mumma kyun hai?"
Virat sighed and took a deep breath, knowing that this conversation was long overdue. "Beta, Sai aur main ek doosre se bahut pyaar karte hain, jab humne shaadi ki toh hamari zindagi mein kuchh aise log aa gaye the jinki wajah se hamare beech mein dooriyan aa gayi. Aur Sai mujhse bohot door chali gayi thi, kyunki maine ek bohot badi galti kardi lekin Sai mere dil mein hamesha se thi, lekin maine apni ego ki wajah se usse apnane se mana kar diya. Main apni galti maan chuka hu, aur ab Sai ke saath puri zindagi bitana chahta hu."
Vinu listened to his father intently and realized that his hero, his baaba wronged his aai but he didn't know what mistake he referred to. "Baaba, par aapki shaadi Pakhi mumma ke saath kyun hui? abhi toh woh aapki wife haina? toh aap sai aai se pyaar kaise kar sakte hain, yeh galat haina?"
Virat was baffled, he didn't know what to answer Vinu. "agar aapki wife ho sakti hain, toh aai ki husband kyun nahi hai?" he asked. Yet again, Virat was dumbfounded. Virat couldn't shake off the fear that now rushed through his blood. What if Sai chose a husband for herself? The thought sent shivers down his spine. He had always considered Sai as his own, but what if she had different plans for her life? Would he be able to accept someone else in her life? Virat knew he had to talk to Sai about it. He couldn't keep his emotions bottled up inside. It was time to have an open and honest conversation with her. Vinu saw a speechless Virat and left for Sai's room leaving Virat to his thoughts.
As Sai lay in bed, her thoughts were consumed by the uncertainty of her future. She knew that her primary objective of gaining Vinu's trust was achieved, but she was now faced with a new challenge. How would she explain her decision to leave Chavan Niwas to her kids? And what would Virat do if she decided to leave with her kids? Sai's mind raced with various scenarios, each more daunting than the last. She wondered if it was worth it to stay and risk losing her children if Vinu and Savi refused to go with her. On the other hand, if she left, she might be risking her children's safety by taking them away from their father.
As Sai lay there in the dark, lost in thought, she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned to see Vinu standing beside her bed, she pulled him in a warm hug and put him to sleep.
---------
Sai left early in the morning to start her house hunt. She was determined to find a new place for her and her kids. But thankfully she was able to contact her old house owner and found the perfect one that was close to her workplace and her kids' school.
Sai was relieved to find a suitable house, but she knew that telling Vinu and Savi about her decision to move out would not be easy. She was afraid of their reaction and how it would impact her relationship with them.
After finalizing the house, Sai returned to Chavan Niwas, and she could feel a knot in her stomach. She knew that she had to tell Vinu and Savi about her decision, but the fear of their reaction was holding her back.
Virat came down and asked Sai if he could take her out for a coffee. Sai was surprised by Virat's sudden offer, but she agreed so she could convey her decision. They drove to a nearby cafe and ordered coffee. The atmosphere was tense, both of them not knowing how to start a conversation. Finally, Virat broke the silence. "Sai, main tumhe bataana chahta hun ki maine tumhaare saath pehle jo kiya, uske liye maafi maangna chahta hun. Main gusse mein tha aur dukhi tha, isliye maine tum par apna gussa nikal diya. Main jaanta hun ki main is dauraan hue harkaton ko theek nahi kar sakta, lekin main yeh chaahta hun ki main apne bachchon ke acche baap ke saath acche dost bhi banun."
Sai was taken aback by Virat's words. Why's he apologising now? she thought to herself. After a moment of hesitation, she spoke. "Virat, maaf karna, nahi karna, yeh sab se hum kahi aage chuke hain, hum dono ki life mein itna sab kuch hua hai aur tum kis cheez ki maafi maang rahe ho?."
Virat nodded understandingly. "Main samajhta hun, Sai. Lekin tum jaanti ho ki main hamesha tumhare aur bachchon ke liye hoon agar chahe tumhe kuch bhi chahiye ho. aur Sai main chahta hoon ki hum sab ek nayi shuruwaat karein. Sai, main tumse bahut pyaar karta hu. Tumhari yaadein mujhe hamesha satati rahi hain. Itne saalon mein aisa ek din bhi nahi tha, jis din maine tumhare baare mein nahi socha"
Sai was taken aback by Virat's confession especially after everything that had happened between them.
"Virat, tum yeh kya keh rahe ho? Tum Paktralekha ke pati ho" She rebuked.
"Main jaanta hu, par maine apne dil se jhooth chupa rakha tha. Par ab main sach bolna chahta hu. Main Pakhi se alag hona chahta hu. Main sirf tumse pyaar karta hu, Sai."
Sai was speechless, not knowing what to say. She had never expected Virat to propose to her, especially when he was still in a relationship with Pakhi.
"Lo, tumne wahi saabit kiya jo Pakhi court main karna chahti thi, yahi ke main tumhe usse cheena chahti hoon, aur itna sab kuch hone ke baad tum aise kaise keh sakto ho? tumne na mere baare mein socha na Patralekha ke baare mein. Aur waise bhi, main ummeed hi kya kar rahi hoon tumse? jab main tumhare saath thi, paas thi, tab toh tumhe Pakhi ka saath dene ki badi dil chaspi thi na? aur ab jab woh tumhari patni hai, tumhe mujhse pyaar hai? tumne khilona samajhke rakha hai kya sabko? tumhe kya laga, tum aise hi muh uthake mujhse apna pyaar izhaar karoge aur main maan jaoungi? Virat, for heaven's sake, court mein bhi maine kaha tha, ab bhi keh rahi hoon, mujhe tumme koi interest nahi hai, na kabhi hogi" she screamed in anger. Virat didnot expect Sai to react as such. He lowered his eyes realising his mistakes.
Realizing the attention she was getting, she calmed down a little and sat on her seat. "hmm, dekho Virat, yeh baat sach hai ki tum mere pehle pyaar ho, aur pehla pyaar ki hamesha har kisi key dil mein ek khaas jagah hoti hai, mujhme bhi hai lekin kabhi mat sochna ki main tumhare paas wapas aa jaungi. Aur baat bacchon ki Virat, hum dono ko unhe samjhana hoga ki unke aai baaba saath mein nahi reh sakte aur main yahan issliye aana chahti thi kyunki, mujhe tumhe batana tha, ki main dono bacchon ko lekar ghar shift kar rahi hoon, kal se, aur yeh meri tumse pooch nahi rahi hoon, bata rahi hoon, agar tumne hume rokne ki koshish ki na, toh main Patralekha ko bata doongi ki yahan kya hua tha" she finished in a go leaving a speechless Virat. They drove back to Chavan Niwas with an uncomfortable silence, each lost in their own thoughts.
----------------------------------
Virat rushed to his room while crying uncontrollably. "Uske bina main adhoora hun. Sai meri zindagi hai, main usey vapas paana chahta hun. Mujhe pata hai maine uska dil dukhaya hai, par main yeh nahi seh sakta ki uske bina zindagi kaatni pade. Main usse sabak sikhane ke liye bhi tayyar hun. Main uski khushi ke liye kuch bhi karne ko tayyar hoon," Virat said determinedly to himself while wiping his tears. Virat said while crying uncontrollably.
"Vinu, Savi baada hume kahi aur shift karna chahiye," Sai explained to Vinu and Savi.
Vinu was shocked and asked, "Kyun, hum sab yahaan se jaa rahe hai?"
Sai replied, "haan baada, Virat ki manzil alag hai aur meri manzil alag hai aur hum dono ek saath yahan nahi reh sakte par aap dono, jab chaho, yahan aa sakte ho, main aur Virat alag hain lekin aap apne baaba se nahi." she tried to reassure them
With a very heavy heart Sai asked a very difficult question to her kids "aap dono yahan rehna chahenge ya aap mere saath aayenge?" Sai feared the worst for an answer but she had to ask, what if they felt they can't be happy with her? She just can't take them away from their father.
Savi and Vinu stared at each other and went away without an answer. Sai sat with a thud on the bed, did she mess up again? why did she give the kids such a tough choice?
"bachpan se main yahan hi raha hoon, ab achanak yahan se kaise jaa sakta hoon main?" Vinu said
"lekin main aai ke bina nahi reh sakti, aai sabse best hai, poora parivaar mujhse acche se baat karte hain lekin mujhe aai ke saath hi rehna hai."
Vinu and Savi reluctantly accepted Sai's decision. They silently went and packed their bags to leave, Sai who was upset looked up to see her kids ready to come along with her. She smiled and they all hugged each other in a long, emotional embrace.
Pakhi entered the room to see Virat crying and ran upto him and asked why he cried, like Pakhi, Virat took an opportunity to guilt trip her into promising him that she wasn't going to leave his side whatever decision he takes that day, Pakhi promised in a hurry. Just after doing so she asked him the purpose before he could explain he heard "Tum teeno kahi nahi jaayenge", kaku said loud and clear. All of them assemble in the hall.
Virat and Pakhi descended the stairs to the hall where Sai made a declaration to the family. She revealed that her sole purpose of coming to Chavan Niwas was to win Vinu's trust, and now that she had achieved her goal, she had to leave with Savi and Vinu. Pakhi smiled at the fact that Sai was leaving, but she was shocked to see Vinu ready to leave with her. She went up to him and pleaded with him not to leave her and the family, but to her surprise, Vinu stood strong by Sai. Sai stood firm on her decision and announced that Virat was aware of her leaving, and he had accepted it.
Virat looked at Sai with a mixture of sadness and regret, realizing that he might have missed his chance to be with her. He knew he had to act fast if he wanted to make things right, so he went by Sai's way.
"Pakhi, Sai sach keh rahi hai, woh aur bacche jaa rahe hain," Virat said, trying to calm his wife down.
Pakhi looked at Virat, feeling a mixture of anger and betrayal. "Aise kese, Virat? Baar baar tum bolte rehte ho na, ke yeh log tumhare parivaar hai, toh tum aise kese bacchon ko jaane de sakte ho?" she said, her voice trembling with fear to not lose Vinu at any cost.
Virat took a deep breath and walked up to Pakhi, taking her hands in his. "Vaada kiya na tumne ki tum mere har decision ka saath doge" he said, looking into her eyes.
"Par.........." she asked, her voice barely above a whisper while realizing she was trapped by Virat's words, she knew going against him meant going away from him, so she chose to remain silent.
Kaku and others couldn't help but let them go, just when Ashwini was going to speak up, Bhavani chose to stop her because she knew something was on Virat's mind
Vinu and Savi were sad to hear that Sai and they were leaving the family, but they were relieved when Virat promised to visit them every day. Sai assured them that she would take care of them in the best way possible and that the family would always be a part of their life. Virat and others hugged the kids and said their goodbyes, promising to stay in touch. As they walked out of Chavan Niwas, Sai felt a sense of relief from all the suffocation she's been through.
Virat was sure, he was going to let Sai and the kids out, will divorce Pakhi, and get her back in the house as his legally wedded wife.
------------
One week had passed since Sai and her children had moved to the new house. It had been a difficult week for her, with lots of unpacking and settling in to do. Savi and Vinu were also adjusting to the new environment, and Sai was doing her best to make them feel comfortable.
Despite all her efforts, Sai couldn't help but feel a bit overwhelmed. There was so much to do and so little time. But she refused to let herself get discouraged. She knew that she had to be strong for her children and that they were counting on her.
As the days passed, things slowly started to fall into place. The house began to feel more like home, and Savi and Vinu started to make new friends in the neighborhood. Sai was glad to see them happy, and it gave her the motivation she needed to keep going. Savi and Vinu were amazed to see how hardworking and caring their mother was toward them. Despite the struggles of shifting to a new place, Sai made sure that they had a comfortable life. She even ensured that they spoke to their father on a daily basis, which made them happy.
However, one-day Pakhi tried to gaslight Vinu against Sai and Savi. But Vinu refused to believe Pakhi's words, as he knew how much his mother loved and cared for them. He gently explained this to Pakhi, without hurting her feelings. As days passed by, Savi and Vinu realized that they didn't really miss anyone from the Chavan Niwas. Instead, they found solace and happiness in spending time with each other. Despite the difficult times, they were calm and content with their lives.
Satya finally visited Sai's house that day. It was a pleasant day, slightly rainy. Satya entered the house to be warmly welcomed by the kids.
Sai: Aaj bohot accha mausam hai, aur aapki entry ne aaj ka din aur bhi accha bana di.
Satya: Haan, mausam toh accha hai par mera aana toh tum dono ke liye accha hai (pointing at the kids)
Savi: Dr. Satya, aapne itna time kyun liya ghar aane ke liye?
Vinu: Haan, aap toh hume bhool hi gaye the.
Satya: Nahi beta, kabhi nahi. Bas kaam bohot ho gaya tha par ab main aapke paas hoon. (picking Savi and twilring her)
Sai: Aapko thodi chai piyenge?
Satya: Haanji, zaroor. Tum dono ko kya pasand hai?
Savi: Main toh chocolate milkshake piyungi!
Vinu: Aur main mango juice.
Satya: Accha, main chai aur kuch snacks leke aata hoon.
Sai: Arree haan, Satya bohot acche cook hain, aaj ke liye wahi snacks banayenge. (Sai smiled naughtily knowing Satya was a good cook)
Satya: Arre, chinta mat kijiye, banalenge. (he smirked)
All four went to the kitchen and enjoyed making tea and other snacks. The kids made a mess but they enjoyed it thoroughly. They finally settled down with their tea and snacks.
Satya: Yeh chai sach mein bohot acchi haina? Aakhir banaya kisne? (he proudly flaunted)
Sai: Acchi toh hai, lekin mera waala chai isse bhi acchi hoti hai (she smiled refusing to compliment)
Satya laughed and nodded. He knew Sai, at least to this extent; she liked teasing him.
After their evening snacks, they sat for a while and enjoyed their favorite cartoons. Sai, who was watching TV, dozed off on the couch. Satya, Savi, and Vinu continued watching their favorite cartoon show with rapt attention. The show's silly humor and colorful characters brought a smile to their faces, and they couldn't help but chuckle every now and then.
After a while, Satya noticed Sai had dozed off and signaled the kids to lower the volume of the TV. He carefully placed a blanket over Sai and whispered, "Aai ko sone do, chalo hum log kuch khana bana lete hain" Satya knew how hectic her schedule has been, he felt it was best to let her rest.
Savi, looking up at Satya, whispered back, "Aai hamare liye bohot mehnat karti hain, woh sab kuch akele hi sambhal leti hai, super woman hai meri aai" Savi said proudly
"Shhhhh" Satya ensured Sai slept well and pulled the kids away to not disturb her.
Vinu chimed in, "Aur itne kaam ke beech, woh hamare saath khelti hain aur homework bhi karati hai"
Satya smiled and said, "Aree haan, aapki aai toh sach mein strong hai, superwoman types, toh hum sab saath milke khaana banate hain, aur jab woh jaag jaayengi, unke saare manpasand khaana unke saamne hoga" he suggested.
Savi and Vinu looked at each other and then back at Satya with a smile nodding their heads.
******************************
Thank you, my dear and lovely readers, for giving me your valuable time and feedback. It means so much to me. Some might find it very Sai-centric now, but I wanted her to get out of CN permanently, the best is yet to come. Keep supporting :D
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
