Chapter 5
Vihaan departing for Bhopal left Sanchi shattered, her weak heart throbbing warily inside her. She was more than a seven months' pregnant and it was desirable for her to have her husband beside her during these riskier days.
She sat motionless on the bed for quite some time as Vihaan packed his luggage hastily, glancing up at her saddened face every minute. He was probably into the thought of how to convince her without much hurting her.
"You are not go-ing any-where." She spoke excessively to convince him. "I can sure-ly guess that you have accept-ed some danger-ous operation in some terror-ist hit area and so you are com-pelled to leave me dur-ing these days."
He could exactly feel the doleful emotions brewing inside her for his sudden departure. Marching towards the bed with a painful expression on his face, he took a seat next to her. "Didn't I tell you that nothing will happen to me since your beautiful face and the thoughts of my babies will never fail to leave me?"
"Can't you send some-one else in your pla-ce?" Her expressions seemed uncertain.
"I thought you understand situations, Sanchi. You have been an eligible journalist so you know the importance of responsibilities. Do you think I can rely on some other officers and send them as my replacement?" He put a finger under her chin. "This is my DUTY and I can't stay back like an irresponsible cop when people are dying in Bhopal at naxalite hit areas."
"Men-tally, I don't wa-nt to stop you from the expe-dition but my heart... you kn-ow it Vih-aan." Her hands went for his collar, basking into his morning scent. "If you can still do some-thing Vih-aan?"
He pulled her closer, cupping her cheeks. "Do you want me to resign? This is the most I can do if I will have to surrender my responsibilities like this!"
Tears filled her eyes, the worries of Vihaan leaving her for a few days was hollowing her inside out. The way she was feeling unhappy and restless, he was helpless too. None of them was liking the fact that they would have to part from each other due to circumstances but they were dutifully bound to it.
Throwing her arms around his waist, she murmured softly but louder enough for him to hear. "I don't wa-nt you to back off like a cow-ard but I am not able to con-sole myself. Is it how the wife of eve-ry cop feels when her hus-band leaves on a duty far-away?"
"I don't know how everyone feels but I know my wife is stronger than the rest. She will be able to pass these days without getting too anxious for my absence and will strongly hold on to the invisible string that attaches our hearts together."
He leaned in to capture her mouth for a farewell kiss, rendering promises of his safe return to her. They were going to stay separated from each other for a few days hence and the impassioned touch of him on her could be enough for her to pass the days without him.
Tearing apart from her, he held her shoulders. "Sanchi, don't cry or fall weak when I'm not around. Remember you've promised me not to be careless again. Our babies are your responsibility till I return. I don't want anything to happen to them in my absence. I love you and always will, there's no denial!"
Vihaan turned about, his back facing her as he clutched the push handle of his trolley. Without giving a second chance to her demands or falling numb in the love he possessed for her, he decided to leave the room. Sanchi silently stared at his retreat before wrapping the blanket around her body and walking to their balcony.
Vihaan's figure came to her view while he mounted his trolley into the storage of Dheeraj's car. The telepathy of their love was so magnetic that he attempted to glance up at the window for once and Sanchi's petite figure devastated his heart.
Gathering every leftover courage he could, he bid her a final goodbye with the wave of his palm before hopping into the passenger seat of the car. As Dheeraj started the engine and pulled the car through the driveway, Sanchi stood there like a frozen statue until it disappeared out of her sight.
....
Vihaan was still riding his journey to Bhopal after Dheeraj had dropped him at the railway station and the morning of Vihaan's departure was spent in total loneliness by Sanchi. She had last seen him merely three hours ago yet his memories were haunting her like unending years. Out of sheer anxiety, she recalled her promises to him and took her lunch in time like an obedient wife.
It was nine o'clock of the night when Vihaan found the time to call her over phone and she quick enough to receive it. Sanchi's voice sounded rough and he realised the heaviness in her tone, his heart skipping a beat at once.
"Why have you been crying for no reason and affecting our babies? I have reached safely and there's nothing to worry about."
"I kn-ow you will be reach-ing safely but I am gett-ing stuck at the thou-ght of what might hap-pen from tomo-rrow onwards." She sounded petrified to him.
"I know we are starting with our mission from tomorrow but that's no reason to get horrified at all. I've earlier faced many such things and emerged victorious." He assured her. "I'm not working alone but we have a team, accompanied by the local police. We will solve the biggest internal security challenge under any circumstance and return to Indore with pride."
"Like the way I'm abi-ding by my promi-ses to you, you sho-uld also stick to your words. You sho-uld return home safe and sou-nd after treat-ing all those termites infect-ing our nation." She suggested him.
"Now you are sounding like the hickory I've always known." He let out a little chuckle. "I love you."
"I lo-ve you too." She reciprocated in a controlled tone. "The bab-ies are also wish-ing you luck. All the best, Vih-aan."
Vihaan found a reason to smile. "Oh wow! Tell them that papa is sending them loads of love, kisses and hugs."
"I will for sure. Ta-ke care," she said before disconnecting the call with a heavy heart.
Although Sanchi tried to portray that she was strong but at the back of her mind, she was extremely worried and terrified for any imminent danger. She wanted Vihaan to feel that the condition of her mental state was better after his departure but the depth of her heart was bleeding in his absence.
*****
"Did-n't he tell me that he is go-ing away for a few da-ys and now it's three weeks at a stre-tch!" Sanchi yelled at the top of her voice when Vidya came to fetch her for breakfast. "He didn't bo-ther to ca-ll me up in the last fi-ve days and we are not even gett-ing any news of him fr-om the media. How can he be so..."
"Vanya please!" Vidya shook Sanchi by her shoulders. "I can feel what you are going through since these are all your changing temperaments during pregnancy. Frequent mood swings and loss of patience are common but believe me, Vihaan must be alright. You should stop worrying for your children's sake."
Vidya rubbed Sanchi's face with a little water to recover her poise and dragged her to the dining table. Durga and Virendra were seated at one side of the table while Dheeraj was sitting opposite to them, his son Dhairya playing in his arms. Seeing the two women approaching, Durga pulled herself up and joined Vidya to bring Sanchi into the room.
"Why are you staying all by yourself in the room, Sanchi? You will feel lonely that way." Durga helped her to settle down on one of the empty chairs. "You can talk to us, play with Dhairya, read newspaper or watch television. Why are you trying to cause trouble to your health?"
Sanchi stared at the family members blankly before closing her eyes. "How can you peo-ple be so calm when Vih-aan is some-where far facing the naxa-lites and hasn't yet retur-ned even after so many days?"
"Because we are habituated, Sanchi," Virendra told her. "You should also make this a habit now, my child."
"Why pa-pa? Why did you ag-ree to send him the-re when you kn-ow he can't ref-use you at all?" Sanchi spoke in a raised voice. "You cou-ld have send some-one else in his pla-ce and... Why isn't the-re any news of him or are you hid-ing some-thing from me?"
"Vanya! It isn't a way to talk to dad at all. Are you questioning his integrity?" Vidya chided strongly. "Control your emotions, will you?"
"I apolo-gize if I sounded manner-less but it wasn't wh-at I wanted to por-tray. I just want to kn-ow the truth." Sanchi was glancing at Virendra, her eyes widened and eyebrows raised in enquiry. "I can't beli-eve that the commi-ssioner wouldn't be recei-ving inform-ation or update on any of the cases?"
"I last spoke to Vihaan five days ago, I am in the same place as you are..." Virendra fumbled, fortifying her doubts.
"I can't beli-eve you." She bursted out, jerking her head. "If it was at all tr-ue, why are yo-ur faces pale? Why aren't any-one of you look-ing me strai-ght in the eyes?"
Vidya could well realize that Sanchi was palpitating, who had her nerves quavering and beads of sweat forming on her forehead. She stepped ahead and said, "Please Vanya, stop enquiring like a policewoman. You are in the thirty three weeks of your pregnancy and you shouldn't take the risk of hypernventilating with rage."
Virendra shifted nearer to Sanchi and placed his palm on her head in caress. "You should forgive this old man for hiding things from you but I was doing it only for the sake of your well-being..."
"No Vir, don't tell her now. It could affect her..." Durga warned from behind, shooting a tough glare at her husband.
"Sanchi has to learn to be strong otherwise how would she lead her entire life with Vihaan?" Virendra cleared his throat. "The CBI crew has successfully overthrown the naxalites at Bhopal, compelling them to surrender with a promise that their problems and demands will be looked after by the government."
"So when is Vih-aan return-ing?" Sanchi asked in a voice full of expectation.
Virendra shook his head, his eyes not ready to face a disastrous situation. "Unfortunately, Vihaan got injured in the encounter and is being treated at a hospital in Bhopal."
Sanchi's heart propelled out of her body, beating impetuously as if it was on a pile of burning coal. Tears began streaming down her flustered cheeks and her limbs froze at the mention of her husband's illness. The family members were blurring before her as sorrow started to overcast her eyes.
When Sanchi didn't show any further movement, Vidya squeezed her shoulders in consolation. "Nothing has happened to Vihaan. It was just a minor accident and he is recovering quickly. The policemen along with Dheeraj will fetch him home in a couple of days."
"Vidya is right, Sanchi," Dheeraj interrupted, "I had gone to meet Vihaan on the very day we received the news of his accident and you thought I was out for a different case. Believe me, he is improving on his health and has regained his consciousness the previous night after which I returned home."
"But you should have stayed with him!" Vidya snapped at Dheeraj. "I had requested you repeatedly over phone."
"What do you think I could have returned home after leaving my brother like that?" He responded slowly. "I wanted to stay but Vihaan was the one who constantly pestered me to return home because Sanchi is pregnant. He thinks my presence in the house is more important... He also promised that he will call Sanchi today after his health regains normalcy as he is afraid that she will discover his sick voice over phone."
"But she discovered it now..." Vidya jerked Sanchi by her shoulders again but the latter wouldn't attempt to move at all.
Sanchi's hands fell to her sides, entirely deceased and lifeless. Vidya pressed her own body against Sanchi's to tackle the balance so that she wouldn't collapse. To Vidya's surprise, Sanchi's unconscious head dropped on the former's shoulder in the blink of an eye.
Sanchi's palms were running cold when Vidya touched them and she screamed, freaking out in horror. "Dheeraj! Vanya is unconscious... Help!"
*****
Sanchi was admitted into one of the finest hospitals at Indore, her condition gradually deteriorating with time. Vidya managed a little time aside to speak to Sanchi's physician who was equally worried for her patient.
"We will keep Mrs. Bundela under our close supervision for the next three days. If she doesn't recover from her anxiousness or develops her poor mental state quickly, we will have to operate her," the doctor told Vidya in a grave tone.
"Oh no!" Vidya raised her palm to her mouth. "How are her babies doing?"
"According to the latest reports, her babies are on their way to early maturation and we can't wait for her to go into labour in this condition of hers. Instead of taking risks, we will follow whatever is the best for the mother and the babies. Give us a couple of days to observe her before any decision is taken."
Vidya shrugged her shoulders. "You should do whatever you think is the best fit in this situation. We want the mother and the children safe."
"We will try our best." The doctor assured her before leaving the place.
Vidya leaned against the railing of the corridor to the hospital, thinking to herself, "If Vihaan doesn't reach here in time, how are we going to agree to the decision taken by the doctor in any case? He is her husband and only he holds the rights to legally sign the bond if it at all gets required!"
To be continued...
A/N: The next update will be on Sunday!
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