#2 Addicted-virman-SS-COMPLETE - Page 12

It was 10' O clock in the night and I was standing in the balcony looking out. To be honest, I just wanted to be away from everyone, because the damn tears wouldn't stop streaming out of my burning eyes. Viren bhai and Jeevika bhabi had come back from India; with them Virat's parents had also come. Apparently, Vanshika ma wanted to see Virat desperately so they decided to pay us a quick visit. It was supposed to be surprise for us and what do you know? They got the worst surprise of their life on landing here.

They had all rushed home on hearing the news - Virat's chopper has crashed in Ohio. They was a search team dispatched to find him and the pilot; but it has been six hours since the news came up and we have not received any update. Everyone is sitting before the television looking at the flashing news and the story being aired repeatedly - Virat Vadhera, the CEO of multi-billion empire - Vadhera Global, missing. They have been airing his photograph from a few years ago - a young and fresh Virat with a beautiful face and a gorgeous smile.

Swetha is fighting with the kids to put them to sleep. They have been crying for their dad. Virat had promised to come back before their bedtime. They are uncontrollable. I should probably go to them and console them. But, I just did not have the strength in me, to answer their questions.

He hadn't called back after talking to the kids after today's crazy morning. I was repeatedly texting him to know what was going on - the fact that he went to meet Mr.Burns was eating me away. He did not get back to me even once.

Why did he go to meet him without any protection?

How can I not have asked him when he was leaving home?

He left Blanco and Martin here with me. Not only that, today morning, three other security people showed up. Blanco said this was just a precaution after the incident last night. Virat felt like I needed more protection!

"And who is going to protect you?" I remember asking him one time.

"I am old and ugly enough to take care of myself baby." He had replied.

He would have never left me after the happenings of yesterday. Why couldn't I think about why he was leaving all of a sudden, that too in the middle of night?

I suddenly see him standing in front of me, with a magical sweet smile "Ah, there you go...that beautiful smile. I am going to go happily now." He says.

A piercing pain starts in the center of my heart and travels down my spine, ripping my body apart. No! Don't go there Manvi. Nothing can happen to him. God, please, there are just so many things we have to do together. You gave him back to me, after all these years. Is it only to take him back like this? It just cannot end like this. I will not be able to survive. Please god! I will do anything. Just make him come back home safely.

I remember his face when he was the most vulnerable - his tears mixed in with a heart-wrenching pain in his eyes. "I swear I am going to die if anything happens to you Manvi. I have lived my life with and without you; I cannot survive without you anymore baby - I just cannot - I have had enough of this shit."

And you are to me, my Jaan!!!! You are my life, my soul, my everything - my entire world revolves around you!!

A kind of emptiness creeps into my throat, it expands rapidly and consumes me. I want to scream out all my pain and frustration into the open air - Just let it all go! I feel like I have been dropped into a never-ending horror story - a punishment for having deprieved my husband of his rightful share of love and happiness.

"You.make.by.life.beautiful baby" his voice echoes around me.

I wipe my tears and turn around. I am gathering up the strength to go to my kids. People were looking at me from the glass door. Viren was sitting with Ma and holding her. Her eyes were wide and red-rimed. Dad was talking with Blanco and Martin and they were calling up the cops periodically. Blanco was coming towards me. His face looked more grim than usual.

I shuddered thinking if it might be bad news.

No, please. I am not ready for this!

"Alright Mr. Protective husband of the year. I get it, you love me."

I see his face, smiling shyly.You promised Virat! You have to come back!!!!!

Blanco slides the glass door open and closes it from outside. My hands were shaking, so were my legs. He quickly realizes how this might seem to me and holds my hand. "Nothing yet!" he tells me. Swetha also comes to me. "Mannu, kids aren't sleeping. Go talk to them once." She says.

I nod my head. "He is going to come back." She holds my hand. Her gentle squeeze does not offer me any support. An involuntary sob escapes from my throat and I try to stifle it. Blanco gives me a glass of water and I take it from him and try to take a sip. My lips were shaking and small beads of tension were forming all over my face. Swetha wipes it off with a tissue and hugs me tightly.

"I will stay with the kids." I tell, breaking away from her and she nods. I try to open the door. My hand just feels so weak to even open a damn glass door - I feel paralyzed. Blanco opens it for me quickly and I go inside.

"Manvi.." Jeevika calls me.

"I will be right back, I am going to check on the kids." I tell them. They all nod at me with a weak smile. I stare at Vanshika Ma, she was stiff and she wouldn't take her eyes off me.

"He will be back." Viren tells me. I try to give them an assuring nod, but I couldn't. I was falling weak again, I rush into the kid's room.

Both of them were sitting inside Nikki's fort - hugging each other. Spiderman was standing outside the fort, wagging his tail and pacing around. He starts barking on seeing me.

I kneel in front of the fort and look inside. They had my phone with them and Ria was dialing Virat's number repeatedly. I close my eyes tightly and beg for strength.

Ria sees me and immediately springs into my arms and hugs me tightly. "Momma, daddy isn't talking to me. He said he will come to me as soon as I call him." She complains sobbing.

There is a big lump in my throat and I am unable to talk. "He will bunny, he just got struck somewhere, he will call you back as soon as he can." I manage to reply.

"He will?" she asks as big drops of tears fall off from her sad eyes onto her bright red cheeks. "Ofcourse baby! Don't cry!!" I wipe her tears.

"Mommy, why are they showing daddy's face on the tv?" Nikki asks.

"They are just showing about how successful he is beta. They made a small movie about his company and his work. Your dad is a popular guy."

"Then how come Swetha masi did not allow us to watch it?"

"Because it is way past your bedtime. Now come out of there and go to bed." I yell at them, turning away.

Ria goes to her bed silently, when I was fully expecting her to make a scene and throw tantrums.

Nikki comes out but stands in front of me. "Momma, will papa leave us?" he asks.

I stare at him bewildered. "What do you mean Nikki?"

"Are you mad at him again?" he asks hanging his head down, looking at the ground.

"No baby. Come here." I hug him tightly.

"I like staying with daddy." He says holding me tightly.

"I like staying with daddy too sweety! I am not mad at him. I love him, very very much and he loves us!"

"Then how come he keeps going away?" he asks with tears. My heart starts constricting and I feel cold, so cold that it chills me down to my bones. I don't know what to tell him. I thought kids were too young to notice these things, but I couldn't have been more mistaken!! I did not even realize that they have such a huge fear in them - of their father disappearing, again.

"He hasn't gone anywhere. He will be back by the time you wake up. Go to bed now." I tell him and carry him to Ria's bed. I sleep beside her and they both cuddle upto me from either sides tightly and fall asleep after a few minutes.

~~~

Its almost 1 AM and I am sitting on the couch beside Vanshika ma. She made me sleep in her lap and was stroking my hair. The TV kept showing the same thing over and over again. I keep looking at it but nothing enters my head - it is completely blank. The world was crumbling around me. Blanco had told me earlier that the police search team had returned empty handed and it was dismissed. We were just waiting. I don't know for what? Maybe for Virat to show up, or maybe for the news that he isn't ever going to show up. It idly occurs to me that the first time I called him in the afternoon, it was to ask if he had anything to eat all day. How trivial it seemed now?

I close my eyes and I see him on the dance floor whirling me around, laughing boyishly, carefree. I felt everything all over again - The way he raised his glass and winked at me - his mischief, his affection, his passion, the way he tenderly kissed me. Is this all a dream? Maybe the last few weeks - all this time with Virat is like a pleasant blessing, an illusion, because god pitied me - my despair and granted me one last wish.

And then Vanshika Mom stands up, raising my head with her.

Virat!!! she whispers. And everything goes in slow motion in front of my eyes.

~~~