Apologies for delay, I have been busy with work and life, but here is a longer chapter to compensate for it, so I hope you enjoy it!
Thank you for the comments and votes, I really appreciate them so please do keep them coming. I find that it really helps motivate me to continue writing as well.
Please do comment on your favourite parts, and how do you think the story is progressing so far.
"Aap kal free hain?"
Virat had picked Sai up early in the morning as promised and they were on the way to her college. He looked over towards her and couldn't stop himself from admiring her beauty, she looked stunning in a light blue salwaar suit, silver jhumkas dangling on her ears and her wrist decorated with silver bangles, a true Indian beauty. He had seen Sai in western clothes, saree and even wedding dress but this is the first time he saw her in a traditional salwar suit and damn his heart was uncontrollable.
"Mujhe goorna band kijye aur ye batane ki kasht karenge, ki aap kal free hai ki nahi"
"Stop looking so beautiful and I will stop staring at you", Virat said softly, but did finally stop staring at her, he was driving after all and didn't want to cause an accident.
Sai blushed at his compliment but didn't comment, instead repeated her earlier question.
"Why?" Virat asked, "Kuch plan kiya hain?"
"Haan, I want to go shopping. I need new clothes and so do aaba and maushi"
"So you want me to come with you?" He asked
Sai rolled her eyes, "Nahin, I wanted your neighbor to come with me, could you ask him for me please?"
Virat shook his head and chuckled at her sarcasm. "I'm free in the afternoon, I'm taking dad to his doctor's appointment tomorrow then I'll come straight over"
"Doctors, is he okay?" Sai asked in concern.
Virat looked over and smiled at her in reassurance, "yeah, just a routine check up"
Sai nodded in understanding and then turned her full body around to look at him. "You okay?" She asked.
Virat glanced over at her confused. "Haan"
"It's just you look stressed, I mean you can't tell but ... I don't know, something just seems off"
Virat stopped his jeep and turned the ignition off, they were finally at the college. "You know me quite well huh?" He asked, turning himself towards her. He grabbed her hand between his and started playing with her fingers, focusing on her ring finger. Gathering his thoughts together he went silent for a brief moment, before he finally told her what was running through his mind. "Samrat said we'll talk today"
"That's a good thing, isn't it?" She asked, knowing how long he's been waiting to speak to his brother. "He's finally taking a step towards you"
"Yeah but I don't know whether he'll understand that whatever I did was a misguided attempt at keeping him happy", he was worried that he won't be able to mend the broken relationship between him and his brother, a person who was very dear to him.
"You speak so highly of him that I doubt he'll be anything but understanding, just remember that all you need to do is open up fully and be honest with him, he'll appreciate that", She told him softly, "and then after you have spoken to him and you need a shoulder to lean on, then I am always here for you"
Virat stared at her in awe, just taking her in. He was dangerously close to falling and he wasn't sure he was willing to stop himself, he knew it was still too early to be feeling these strong emotions but Sai just envoked them inside of him, specially in times like this when she was just so warm and supportive. Virat had grown up in a close knit family that stuck to each other like glue, so warmth and support is not foreign to him but when Sai who is normally so straight laced and cut throat shows that side of her, he melts into a little puddle and all he wants to do is curl up onto her lap and allow her to look after him. It's at this moment that he wondered what he was thinking when claiming love to Pakhi, how little did he actually understand himself and his feelings that he got it so wrong, because if what he felt for Pakhi was love then this emotion that he felt for Sai was above that.
"Sai i ....", He didn't know what he wanted to say, he was about to profess his love for her, he was confused. "I'm getting late, but I'll pick you up after college okay"
Sai smiled. "Okay, have a good day!"
With that she climbed out of his jeep and waved him goodbye before walking into the gates of her college, turning around just as she reached the steps to the entrance to find him staring at her with what looked like wonder. She froze under his gaze, there was a twinkle in his eyes like he was trying to convey something, like a secret .... a confession, but just as she was going to walk back towards him, he drove away, leaving her feeling a whirlwind of emotions.
**
Virat was on Sai's mind the entire day, the look in his eyes had shook her and she couldn't concentrate on anything, not even on her studies which she was so passionate about. Her professors had noticed and thought she might have been unwell, because Sai Joshi was a top performer and she normally would be the first one to raise her hand with all the answers. Her friends had also noticed her faraway look and sent Mischievous looks to each other, they've seen similar looks on each other's face many times to know what or exactly who was on their friends mind.
Ajinkya had shoved his shoulders onto Anikets to get his attention and nodded his head towards Sai, Aniket had then written something on a piece of paper and passed it onto the girl sitting next to Sai, the girl Shilpa confused read the content of the paper and giggled, our friend seems to be be in loveeeee. Shilpa looked at Sai lost in her own thoughts and couldn't agree more, she was no stranger to that look having felt it herself for her boyfriend Aniket, however she knew that Sai hasn't realised it herself yet, she recalled the conversation they had a few weeks ago.
Start Flashback
"So Sai ..." Anjinkya started stuffing his face with a burger, chewing on it while trying to ask Sai a question in between his bites "Who is that officer who drops you off every day?"
Shilpa looked at her friend in disgust, his habit of eating and talking always wanted to make her hurl. "Ajinkya, for once please eat like a human" She snapped, while sitting herself beside Sai at the cafeteria table. "But haan Sai, who is that handsome man?"
"Woah babe, remember you are taken", Aniket, her boyfriend who was sitting across from her, refreshed her memory. "You are only supposed to find me handsome"
Shilpa rolled her eyes and ignored him, turning her face to Sai. "So tell me who it is?"
Sai who was very confused at their interest and also slightly miffed at Shilpa's description of Virat, replied back. "His name is Virat, he's my ........ aaba's protegee"
"And what is he to you?' Shilpa teased.
Blushing Sai answered 'I don't know"
End Flashback
Shilpa nudged Sai with her elbow and whispered "apne Virat sir ke duniya se bahaar ajao, you are missing important information"
Sai snapped out of her daze and did just that, her face going really warm and she was positive it was going to be red as well. She could hear her friends giggling away and although embarrassed she laughed herself. What is he doing to me? She thought. She and Virat agreed to see where their feelings will be leading them because there is something brewing between them, but what started off as platonic, changed to a spark and now is becoming an inferno and Sai is struggling to handle this on her own. She was confident that Virat was feeling the same way, the emotions in his eyes when he looks at her is the evidence to it, he stares at her like she is the answer to all his prayers.
The bell signaling the class was over rang, and all the students started packing their bags, she sighed and did the same, biting her lips in worry. She missed an entire class and she had know idea what the content was, she's never done this before.
"Don't worry, I'll send you my notes" Shilpa assured her, holding her arms gently to gain her attention.
Sai was really grateful to have good friends like hers, she's not known them long but they are truly god sent and she can envision them being there for the rest of her life.
"Thank you so much!"
"Chalo rehearsal hall chalte hain, we need to get this routine perfect. We don't have much time,' Aniket said, moving out the door.
"Does your Virat sir know not to pick you up now?" Shilpa asked Sai.
"I messaged him on my lunch, he'll pick me up after the rehearsals"
**
Virat felt exhausted after work, it was really busy with routine patrols and then the meetings discussing the upcoming mission that he would be leading, his head hurt and his body was tired and all he wanted to do was have a shower and relax, he was grateful in a way that Sai had messaged him asking him to pick her up later as she had rehearsals but on the other hand he couldn't wait to see her face. She has become such an integral part of his life now that his day did not feel complete without seeing her or talking to her several times a day.
Once again his mind filled with Sai's thoughts he entered his house to find all his family members were sitting in the living room, seemingly discussing something important. As soon as they noticed him they smiled and motioned him to join them. Slightly grimacing he trudged forward, it wasn't that he didn't like to spend time with his family, but over the recent days they have been hounding him about getting married, according to them he was 'getting old' and he should find a 'good traditional girl' and settle down, and something in his head told him that today was going to be no different.
"Toh shaadi ke bare mein kya socha hain tune Virat" His Bhavani Kaku asked him, as he sat in between his Aai and his baba after greeting his elders, siblings and Karishma, deliberately avoiding Pakhi just in case she misinterpreted his 'hi' as a confession of his love for her.
"Sochna kya hain Kaku, when I'm ready I'll get married, right now I am focusing on my career"
"His career and his Sai ...." Pakhi muttered, but loud enough for others to hear.
Virat's head snapped up in surprise and he glared at Pakhi who shrugged her shoulders unbothered, he then turned to look at his mother with a question in his eyes how does she know? But his mother looked back at him confused, which clearly meant that she hadn't told Pakhi, which only left one logical answer that Pakhi had overheard their conversation last night.
"His Sai, what do you mean Patrelekha?," Sonali Kaku asked, ever the gossip queen. "Who is this Sai?'
"I heard him and Ashwini Mami talking last night, he was telling her about his girlfriend called Sai"
"Doosro ke baat chupke sunna acchi baat nahin hoti patrelekha", His Mother admonished sternly, looking at her with fire in her eyes. "Especially when it's meant to be private"
"Private conversations are to be had in a room Mami not in the dining area where anyone can walk in", His sister in law snarked and Virat was just about to put her in her place for disrespectfully speaking to his Aai, but his brother beat him to it.
"You will talk to my aunt with respect Patralekha, don't you dare use that tone with her ever again"
"But she can talk to me like that and I should be okay with it", Pakhi yelled at his brother, pointing at his mother accusingly. Virat was once again about to say something to her but he noticed Samrat stalk towards Pakhi, almost getting into her face.
"She's older than us and she has the right to teach us lessons that are going to be valuable for us, and she hasn't said anything wrong, so next time watch your tone"
Samrat was seething at his wife and everyone in the family were feeling uncomfortable seeing their dispute live in front of them, the hatred in his eyes were clearly visible and it made each one of them wonder if it was due to what happened few seconds ago or has it always been there, no one but Virat, Ashwini and the couple themselves knew the truth.
"Chup karo!" Bhavani Kaku who was the matriarch of the family snapped, "Samrat, Pakhi is this the environment for you to have an argument ?" She asked them, and then turned to address Pakhi individually with a glare in her eyes that would make even the toughest of men shake in their boots, "aur Patrelekha, do not forget that as the daughter in law of this house you must always respect your in laws, till date Karishma has not spoken to any of us with disrespect and you should not do so either, this is my first and last warning, I will not tolerate this type of insolence ever again"
Pakhi suitably chastised remained quiet, knowing where to draw the line. She knew pissing the Matriarch of the family off would only make her life miserable.
"Now Virat, who is this Sai and is what your bhabie saying the truth?", Virat still glaring at Pakhi who turned sour at his Kaku referring to her as his Bhabie, nodded his head in acknowledgment.
"She's not exactly my girlfriend, but we are seeing where our relationship is leading"
"And what does that mean?" His Omi Kaka asked curiously.
"It means that I like her, she likes me and we are taking our time to get to know each other and see where it leads us, neither of us are in a hurry to get married, she's studying to be a doctor and I'm also in the peak of my career"
"We want to meet her and her family", Bhavani ordered, and Virat shook his head in denial.
"No"
"Virat, are you going against my orders?' Bhavani asked, shocked.
"No, what I meant to say is that you can meet Sai and her family but not to ask her hand in marriage, not yet!"
"But Virat ..." now his baba spoke and Virat was quite frankly getting sick of it.
"Dekhye, I respect each and everyone one of you and I know you all have my best interest at heart but this is my life and I am telling you that neither me or Sai are at that stage in our relationship where we want to bind ourselves in marriage, she's in the midst of her studies and I will be damned if that gets disrupted, and I won't bring her family here for you to put Sai and her family in a awkward position, they mean a lot to me. I hope I have made myself clear, now I am going to my room to freshen up and change"
And with those words he left his family dumbfounded.
"Daaro Sutto!" Karishma exclaimed, but instantly shut up when her husband nudged her and the rest of the family glared at her, "Sorry"
**
"That was really good, Sai!" Shilpa exclaimed, clapping her hands enthusiastically as Sai finished her final dance steps and was wiping her face with her dupatta. She felt sweaty and gross from all the dancing. "Let's practice once more and then we'll call it a night'
"Yaar Shilpa, baccho ki jaan loge kya" Ajinkya groaned from where he was lying on the ground panting heavily, "I'm tired and hungry"
Shilpa rolled her eyes at his dramatics and snapped, "when are you not tired and hungry you lazy bhookar"
Sai giggled at their childish fight and got ready to start her routine again, while Aniket started strumming his guitar.
"You ready, Sai and Ajinkya", He asked and at their nod started singing
Ghum Hain Kisike pyaar main, dil subho shaam
Par tumhe likh nahin paaun mein unka naam
Haaye raam, haaye raam
Sai and Anjinkya had started dancing to the beat of the song, moving in sync with each other after many days of rehearsing, the choreography was slow and sweet keeping in mind Sai's comfort in getting close to another boy who was not Virat. Sai was in her element, her ghungroo that she was still wearing from her solo khatak was jingling with every footwork and her dupatta was moving freely around her, Sai was so engrossed in her movements that she hadn't noticed her dance partner move away and someone had caught her dupatta pulling her into them. She gasped, her heart beating out of chest at the sudden jerk and she fell into a hard chest.
Gustaakh nazron mein dekha hain tumko
Kushboo fiza ke kare bekaraar humko
She brought her head up to look at the person who dared to pull her into them like that, her hands against their rock solid chest ready to push but when her eyes met the steely dark ones of their owner, her hand rather than pushing, gripped their shirt tighter and pulled them impossibly close.
"Virat", She whispered, her sweet breath hitting his face that was looking down at her, his lips very close to hers. His gaze had almost brought her to her knees, and she realised this was the moment she had fallen in love.
Dil ke sunne toh raha jaye naa
Kehna jo chaahun kaha jaye naa
Virats eyes explored her face, from her kohl layered eyes to her cute button nose, following it down to her quivering lips. He dropped the leather jacket he held in one hand on the floor, and let go of her dupatta he had pulled with from the other hand, allowing both his hands to roam free on her, holding her waist to pull her closer.
He had entered the rehearsal hall fifteen minutes earlier and froze. He had silently watched her dance and felt love from the depths of his soul, and now his heart and body's reaction to her could not be controlled.
Jab tumko dekhta hoon lagta hain yeh
Kehke hi tumko, milega araam
"Stop me before it's too late", He whispered hoarsely.
"No" She whispered back, challenging him to take the step that they both knew they wanted to take.
Smirking slightly at her boldness, Virat moved his right hand to the back of her head, threading his fingers through her hair, he felt rather than see Sai go on her tiptoes, her chest moving against his, her fingers gently touched his lips and then linked them behind his neck, playing with the hair at his nape, the feeling of her touch was driving him crazy and without wasting any more time he slammed his lips against hers, joining together in their first kiss.
Ghum Hain Kisike pyaar main, dil subho shaam
Par tumhe likh nahin paaun mein unka naam
Haaye raam, haaye raam