It took a while for Sai to finally sleep. She had gotten so used to falling asleep to Virat Sir's rhythmic breathing. Without the white noise of his snoring after a long day at the police station, sleep was hard to come by. 'Please Bappa; don't spoil my sleep for someone with whom my relationship is just a deal. Sai Joshi, udhya tujha test aahe. Go to sleep. Bappa please see me through.' So tossing and turning, switching between missing Virat, and worrying about her test, Sai Joshi finally fell asleep in a PG flat, 10 km away from Virat Sir.
Virat was tossing and turning too. 'What have I got myself into? Even Aai thinks I still have feelings for Pakhi. Well why would she not? Every time Sai has been away, Aai has seen Pakhi barging into my room. Why have I not been more clear with Pakhi on our boundaries?' Deep in these thoughts, he did not realize he had built the pillow wall, their nightly ritual. Tonight she wasn't going to say good night in her nightingale voice. He looked at his phone. There was no message from her. 'Why would she message me? For her it has only been Aai or Devi tai. Me, I am nobody to her. Well, you are nobody to me, too, Sai Joshi!'
Sai woke up at her usual four-thirty in the morning. It took her a while to find her bearings. Virat Sir was not beside her. She was in a flat, in a tiny room that was hers and only hers. Since there was no rule around what time lights should be turned on, Sai switched them on and then hit her books again for a while. 'From today I shall start my yoga practice again!' She was in Gadchiroli exercising with her Abba.
As always, she had forgotten to charge her phone after texting Aai. So when the phone woke up again, there were numerous messages.
Mohit Bhaiya—'Vahini, how could you do this? You know Dada was just upset about the anniversary—send me your address. We have to meet—this cannot go on. You and Dada need to resolve this like adults!!'
Aai—"Love you too bala, missing you. Call me. I need to hear my daughter's sweet voice.'
Sohini-"Breakfast together?"
There was no message or missed call from Virat Sir.
There was no message from Sai! Why am I expecting her to send me a message—zidhi ladki. She will never accept her mistake. All she had to do was apologize—but she will say sorry only if she realizes how much she has wronged me.
Virat had just about gotten ready for work when in barged his best friend.
"Pakhi, please knock before entering."
Pakhi indignantly walked to the door and knocked. "Happy?!"
"What do you need?"
"Heard about Sai—did she leave because she assumes what all are assuming?"
"Why Sai is not here is between Sai and me, husband and wife. What do you need?"
"Virat, I need to talk to you."
"There is nothing for us to talk Pakhi. You need to talk to Samrat. You need to clear all the misunderstanding. You need to tell him what I was saying on the other side of the phone."
"Virat—you had promised me that you would always be my friend. I need my friend."
"Ok, let me know how I can help."
"Not here. Can we meet outside? I need to get away from here to get some clarity."
"I am not sure that is a good idea. I don't want to deepen this wedge between my Jiva and me."
"Please Virat—you owe me for breaking your promise. I really need to talk to you. Talk to a friend."
Virat was worried about Samrat, and for some reason, he felt meeting Pakhi like this was like betraying Sai—'Who cares?!' The senseless angry voice told him. "I don't know. Do you have a place in mind?"
