Chapter 11

Moor278

@Moor278

[MEMBERSONLY]

[NOCOPY]

Part 9 (C)

The ringing bell brings Sai out of her stupor. Since returning home, she has been sitting on the couch lost in her thoughts. She notices that it has darkened and switching on the lights, goes to answer the door.

The visitor however surprises her immensely and she stands rooted to her spot.

“Aap yaha kya kar rahe hai?”

“Tumse milne aaya hun Sai… can I come in?”

“Nahi… mujhe aapse koi baat nahi karni”

“Sai please… ek baar meri baat to sunlo….”

“Nahi Virat Sir… ab kehne sunne ko kuch nahi hai… aapko usi din bola tha maine… mujhe hamare baare main koi baat nahi karni”

“Sai please….”

“....”

“Thik hai… tum jab tak baat nahi karogi… main yaha se jaunga nahi”

Sai looks up at him, checking to see his resolve. She can see he is adamant but since when has Sai Joshi listened to anyone.

“Aapki marzi… You cannot come in” and she closes the door on his face.

Virat gets angry and starts walking down the stairs. By the end of it, however, he remembers a similar situation from their past and goes and sits in the car.

Cursing herself for behaving exactly the way he behaved with her, Sai peeps through the eyehole to see him gone. She feels upset at her behaviour, reprimanding herself to not repeat it. 

A while later, Sai goes to the balcony with a coffee mug in her hand when she sees a familiar white and blue Police car waiting across the road. She tries to peer at the occupant but it's too dark.

Sai notices the car still at the same position all through the night. She wakes up early in the morning and can see a faint silhouette of someone resting on the window pane.

Freshening up, Sai hurriedly climbs down the stairs and taps on the glass only to see Virat sleeping in the car. Completely surprised with this determination to talk to her, she finally relents and asks him to accompany her to the flat.

Once inside, Virat freshens up while Sai makes tea.

Offering him a cup, Sai sits across from him.

Sipping his tea, Virat observes her. Her freshly washed face is unable to hide her worry. She looks tired as if she cried herself to sleep. 

Sai too is observing him, having spent the night in the car, he looks stiff and she remembers he used to get back pain working long hours. Feeling sad, for subjecting him to this, Sai speaks,

“Kya baat karni hai aapko? Kyun ruke the raat bhar?”

Virat looks at her and tries to read the emotions in her. Sai has managed to hide it well, it feels to him that he is talking to a stranger.

“Maine kaha tha, baat kare bina jaunga nahi… isliye ruk gaya”

“Kya baat karni hai?”

Virat pauses, trying to read her.

“Hamare baare main… I want to apologize for my behaviour. For all that you were subjected to”

Sai avoids looking at him and keeps looking down at her feet.

“Mujhe bahot saari baatein nahi pata thi Sai… shayad pata hoti to kisi aur tarike se react karta. I know maine galat kiya. I don't have enough words to compensate for that”

“Mujhe koi compensation nahi chahiye aapse… aap lagte koun hai mere?” Sai asks her, holding him in her stare at the last bit.

Virat smiles, “Bahot kuch lagta hun main tumhara Sai… I know that now… Aur tum to hamesha se hi mere liye sab kuch thi”

Hearing this, Sai tilts her head and smiles sarcastically, “Hamesha se??? Aisa kabhi mujhe laga to nahi Virat Sir. Aur aapne kabhi bataya nahi”

It is Virat who smiles now, registering the fact that she didn't deny the feelings for him.

“Maine batane ki koshish kai baar ki Sai… tumne samjhi nahi… ya shayad samajh ke bhi nasamajh ban gai”

“Aur kyun na banti??? Aapne hi to kaha tha ki mujhse koi umeed mat rakhna”

Virat closes his eyes and rubs his head in exasperation.

“Jaanta hun Sai… aur ye hi meri sabse badi galti hai.. Tumhe meri feelings ke baare main pehle hi bol dena chahiye tha… lekin pata hai… isme tumhari bhi galti hai… tum sabko itne acchhe se samajhti ho… phir mujhe kyun nahi samjhi?”

Sai is upset at this accusation, she stands up and moves towards the balcony door, crosses her arms and looks outside without speaking.

Virat observes her actions and waits for her to speak again.

Sai turns, her arms crossed, leaning on the wall nearby, as if putting this distance between them would help her.

“Aapne sab mere upar daal diya na? Ki main nahi samjhi… aapne baki logo ka example diya na… haan unke emotions maine samjhe… Devi tai ne, Aai se maine jitna pyaar kiya utna unhone mujhe bhi kiya… haan jarur abhi sab badal gaya… par pehle to aisa nahi tha”

Sai pauses, contemplating on the next words,

“Aur aapne? Kya aapne mujhe bataya ki aap kya feel karte hai mere liye. Aapne kuch koshishe ki lekin jab bhi thoda kuch thik ho jaata.. Aapki dost beech main aati… there were always three people in this marriage. I was made to feel like an outsider in this situation. And you never stopped her. Vo interfere karti rahi aur aapne karne diya. So whom should I fight for??”

The accusation troubles Virat but he also knows the truth of it.

He stands up and walks to her.

“I am sorry… I really am. I was too insecure and egotistical to understand all this. But I waited too long and waited unnecessarily. Can I now say what I always wanted to say?”

Sai looks at him, he is standing too close. She can feel the tension in the air, as if an invisible string has bound them together and she finds herself unable to move.  

Virat moves closer, bends down on one knee, looking up, he takes her hand in his and gazing into her eyes,

“Sai… I am terribly late in doing this. And I have been an idiot to think that things would resolve on their own. I know now what you mean to me. To be honest, I knew it already but I was an idiot”

Sai is trying hard to maintain her poker face, but Virat can see a shimmer in her eyes.

“Sai Joshi…. I love you.. I have loved you always and I cannot imagine my life without you. I made some terrible mistakes and I am ready to change. I need to make myself a better man for you. Please, will you come back to me again?”

Sai gazes at him, her heart flipping at hearing the words she wanted to hear for so long.

“Pehle uthiye… And I have questions?”

Virat stands up, worried at where this will go.

“Kya aap mujhe convince kar sakte hai ki Pakhi didi phirse hamare beech nahi aayegi?”

Virat chuckles, surprising Sai. He then holds her hands in his and says,

“Nahi aayegi… hamari life main kya… kahin nahi aayegi… Samrat ne use divorce de diya hai. She is officially no one to all of us.”

Sai is stunned, she exclaims,

“Divorce? Kyun? I mean kab Kaise?”

Virat looks at her and pensively mentions, “Sai, there was something that happened in the cafe, I didn't tell you then. She wanted a relationship with me.. With or without your and Samrat's presence.”

Sai is shocked, she covers her mouth with her hand and is stunned at the revelation.

“To phir?”

“Maine ghar walo ke saamne ye extra marital wali baat chodke baaki sab bata diya… phir kya tha? It was decided that they would divorce.”

Sai keeps quiet for sometime and Virat asks her whether she has more questions.

Sai, standing away from him, says “Answer me in Yes and No okay? If you say yes I will step forward, a no means I step back”

Virat nods enjoying the little game Sai has thought of. Smirking, he hints at her to go ahead.

“Will you listen to me first before reacting?”

“Yes”

“Do you trust that I always have good intentions at heart?”

“Yes”

“Will you force me to do something that I don't want to do?”

“No”

“Will you stop me from having food? Will you throw me out of the house?”

“No” 

“Will you keep me in priority?”

“Absolutely Yes” and Virat takes a step forward, eager to close the distance quickly. Sai smiles.

“Will you love me forever?” Sai asks, hoping to end this conversation sooner.

Virat smiles, understanding her intentions perfectly well….“Hell Yessss” 

Taking a quick stride, he closes the distance between them. Looking deep into her eyes, he gently runs his fingers on her cheeks, making her close her eyes.

His thumb then lightly caresses the corner of her lip and Sai opens her eyes. Seeing the nonverbal acceptance in her, Virat promptly ends the remaining distance by touching his lips to hers.

Elated, Sai responds and they accept their position in each other's lives.