On her first day of work, Sai did not want to show her emotional mess. So she did not let the tears flow. Instead, she opened the spreadsheet and kept staring at it thinking. 'I don't know why I keep doing this to myself. He is in love with her, she with him. He has never hidden the fact so why does it affect me. No, this will not do. This is not the girl Kamal Joshi has raised. I cannot love a man that belongs to someone else. My goals in life are so much bigger than this. I am not going to let this affect me.'
"Sai, sorry dear, I know its almost your time to leave, but could you please help out for a little while longer. For a Tuesday this is crazy!"
'Time to get your act together.' Sai put on a smile –"Sure, Ma'am, but I can only wait for about 20 more minutes. I have a lot of homework to get to."
Outside, Virat could not move. Sameer Dixit, Dr. Sameer Dixit was in love with his Sai. If that yoga instructor would have seen Sai and Sameer together, Virat was sure she would have said: "What smashing chemistry!" Sameer was a lot younger than him. With a sharp jawline, light brown dreamy eyes that matched his wavy hair, he was definitely much better looking than him.
"Who is this girl who has finally broken your wow of celibacy?" Virat heard Sameer's chomu dost ask this question.
"Please yaar kuch bhi! I had never taken any such vow. I just did not meet anyone like her before. Her eyes, they had so much pain in them and yet they were laced with such innocence. I could get lost in those eyes forever. And her smile, she's like a delicate angel, but I know she has the strength of an army."
"Like, where the hell did you meet her and how much time have you spent with her?" Virat had the same question—this guy spent two minutes with Sai and got to know things about Sai, which took Virat six months to realize.
"Just met her, here. Actually, she bumped into me." He pointed at the coffee stain on his blue shirt. 'It was because of my stupidity. Why did I agree to meet Patralekha here?'
"Incredulous! Aur tujhe pyar ho gaya?" Incredulous indeed, Virat thought.
Sameer went on. "You know I always knew, when I find love it will be like this. She is like the touch of cool breeze on a hot summer day in Dehli!"
"Number wumber kuch liya?" 'That is my wife they are talking about.'
"Shush, quiet she is coming this way. I think it's your order."
"Is your decision final, Virat?" Virat ignored Pakhi's question, as he was more interested in what was going on at the neighboring table.
"Virat!" Pakhi put her hand on his shoulder. She did that to irk Sai as she had seen her walking towards their table.
Sai avoided looking at table 12. "Here's your coffee, sir!" She had that sweet smile back on as she placed the order on the guest's table.
"Sameer, not Sir." Sameer said softly. He was such a gentleman.
"Oh it's you! I am so sorry for what happened before. I am usually not this clumsy." – 'Sai is talking to him as if he is some long-lost friend of hers.'
"No worries Sai. Is it ok if I call you Sai?"
"Of course... that's my name ? Well some day soon you will be able to call me Dr. Sai—but that's a long way." She beamed as she remembered her Abba. He was the first person to call her that. She was in the eighth standard when she knew she wanted to become a doctor. She had injured herself badly during her school's high jump tryouts. Abba had rushed her to see Dr. Sarita, who had instantly made her feel good. She had wiped her tears and brought back her smile. "Such power," Sai had thought that day—getting a smile on a crying face is the most powerful thing a person can do. And she wanted that power too. So, sitting pillion on her Abba's scooter Sai had declared. "Abba, when I grow up, I am going to become a doctor."
And Abba had simply said. "Why not bala, why not! You will become a very good doctor. My very own Dr. Sai Joshi!"
"So are you a medical student?" asked Sameer.
"Sorry, did you say something?" With that faraway look on her face, Virat was sure she was thinking about Abba.
"I was just curios, are studying medicine?"
"Of course, aise hi toh nahi na, I can become a doctor?" she laughed her mischievous laugh. 'Is she flirting with him? Virat control yourself—do not create that Ajinkya scene here.'
"He is also a doctor!"
"Well almost – I am doing my residency, final year."
Virat couldn't take it anymore; he had to put an end to this tête-à-tête
He grabbed Sai's arm. "We need to talk."
"Excuse me..." Before Sameer could say anything, Virat started, "I am her...."
Sai interjected. "Guardian, ACP Virat Chavan. He was my father's senior. Since my father's death, Virat Sir has been taking care of me." Sai saw Pakhi walking out; by her stride, it seemed she was fuming.
"Hello Sir, I am Sameer Dixit, Dr Sameer." Virat ignored the cordiality. "Sai, ...."
She cut him off again. Pushing his hand away she said. "You're doing it again Virat Sir," Virat was perplexed. "I mean to say, you are once again leaving your girlfriend alone. She seems upset, please go after her. Go Virat Sir, go where you're supposed to be."
Then she turned towards Sameer. "It was nice meeting you Dr. Sameer. Your dry cleaning ka bill is udhar on me."
And then she dashed to the back room. She knew Virat Sir would be waiting for her, so she begrudgingly hired a cab. In ten minutes, her taxi was out. In twenty minutes, she was back in her little room. She threw her bag on the bed, curled like a baby, and cried. She needed her Abba's lap to rest her weary head.
