The Abysmal Chasm

Chapter 1

Sai was packing her suitcases once again. The last time she had been forced to return to the Chavan mansion, she had made peace with her situation. "This is it Sai Joshi, for Aai's sake, this is going to be your home forever." And here she was, a few months later, repeating the exercise again, collecting her life's meager belongings. But this time, it was hurting her, more than it had hurt her before. Somehow this time, her departure felt final. She was sure Virat Sir would not stop her like he had done in the past. He apparently had moved on with his life. He had finally broken the promise he had made to Pakhi didi; he had fallen in love but not with her. She had remained his ward, his 'zimedari!'

Emptying the bookshelf into the suitcase, she went through her life's events until this moment in time.

Sai Joshi was Late inspector Kamal Joshi's only child. She was the apple of his eyes. At first glance, Sai came across as a short-tempered, mannerless spoilt brat. Something she had heard from the day she had entered Chavan house, a house inhabited with people living in the stone ages. It had taken her over a year to free some of the house members from archaic societal shackles. To know how she indeed was, one had to know her, really get to know her. She was a girl who wore her heart on her sleeve. She had inherited her father's strong principles, do no wrong and do not tolerate wrong, always stand for the truth however difficult the path. For her, the definition of friendship and love was truth, honesty, and trust.

While it appeared that Sai had lived a very sheltered life on the surface, it was not the case. Sai's mother, Alka Joshi, passed away a few days after bringing her into the world. Since Alka had married Kamal against her family's wishes, they disowned her. And why? Alka Waghmare's family had been against Kamal and her union because Kamal was a self-made orphan. He, too, had lost his father at a very young age. His father, Ramakant Joshi, his role model, was in the police force under the British Raj. He was also a freedom fighter. One of the many nameless people who gave up their lives to free India. Kamal's mother could not bear the loss, and soon she withered away. Yet, with very little to live on, Kamal had still made his life a success. Following his father's footsteps, he had joined the force. It was there he had met Virat Chavan.

With no grandparents, no uncles and aunts, no cousins, for Sai, Kamal Joshi had been her entire world. Her Aabba, her father, her mother, her sister, her brother, her friend, her guide, her counsel, her everything. And that world had been very cruelly taken away from her. Kamal, too had died like his father. Sai would never get over his loss, but she was proud of her father. Even as he breathed his last, he had left the world a better place, and he had also saved another life. He had taken the bullet that would have otherwise killed Virat Chavan, an IPS officer, once upon a time Kamal's student, but for the mission, he was Kamal's boss.

Sai and Virat had developed an instant and mutual dislike for each other. After their first encounter...yes, that is precisely what it was, Sai smiled. It was in Gadchiroli, a tiny village in Maharashtra, surrounded by jungles and on the verge of becoming a town. This was supposed to be Aabba's last posting and the longest one. It was in this town she had met IPS officer Virat Chavan. And after that meeting, Sai concluded that he was a self-centered, egoistic person who thought too highly of himself.

That day Sai had just used her prize money that she had won as not just the village topper but the State topper in her most critical career-defining twelfth standard. Sai had bought two new suitcases with that prize money, the same ones she was packing again in Virat Sir's room.

Then, she was so excited to move to Nagpur to study medicine. Her dream was to become a doctor, and since it was her dream, it had become Kamal's dream. Soon after this last mission, Kamal had promised to take early retirement to live with her little girl as she worked hard to make her dream her reality, her goal. So new suitcases tied to her bicycle, she was riding to the police station to show her prized possession to Aabba. She was about to park her bicycle when a car zooming by, not avoiding the pothole, splashed muck on Sai's brand new suitcases. Sai got back on her bike and rode like Denise Mueller, the fastest bicyclist. Finally, she stopped in the middle of the road forcing the driver to brake like crazy to stop the car.

"Are you mad? If you want to die...."

She did not let him finish. "And are you blind? Chalo, I can understand that you could not avoid the pothole, but you could have stopped the car to apologize, na."

"Apologize for what?"

"For ruining my dress, but more importantly my brand new possession. A little courtesy goes a long way Mister!"

"And a little common sense, well well I doubt it because common sense and you door door tak no relationship right?"

"Please stop it... who do you think you are?"

"Me? Who the hell are you? You could have died or worse I could have died. And all because you want to hear a stupid sorry, for a wrong that I did not commit."

"Sorry, is never little...never stupid. Pan aapan mothe log na, rich people who are used to trampling over people like us... what else to expect from your type."

A man dressed in police uniform stepped out of the car, perhaps after getting over his shock. "Saheb, are you alright?"

Then he looked at the girl shouting at his Saheb. "Sai, what are you doing here? kai he?"

Sai's disposition changed utterly; she was back to her sweet little self from fire. "Arre Damodar kaka, it's you?"

"Ho bala, and this is ACP Virat Chavan, mothe Saheb. Remember your Aabba told us about him. His best student in the academy."

The name did sound familiar, in fact, too familiar. Her Aabba had not stopped talking about him since he had heard that his favorite student was coming over for a short stint. But, the man standing before her was not the chavi her father had created before her. He was not a good-natured, suljha hua, understanding, obedient and brilliant student.

"And Saheb, this is Sai Joshi, Inspector Kamal Joshi's daughter."

"Ani kai Sai, zhala kai tula. This time what has made you so angry."

"Kaka, I just bought new bags to pack my things for Nagpur, and your Saheb's car ruined my brand new bags. Now how will I go to Nagpur. And all because your mothe saheb was driving as if he was on some racetrack...." She was almost on the verge of tears, but Virat Chavan seemed unaffected. He obviously was not used to girls behaving in such an uncouth manner.

"Oh no Sai.... Don't worry, after Saheb's welcome ceremony I will come and clean the bags myself. Now go home, Aabba must be waiting for Sir and you...you both are the chief guests today na...."

Virat was perhaps thinking, "She and chief guest and that too along with me" when Havaldar Damodar beaming cheek to cheek with pride, said. "Aamchi Sai Joshi is the pride of Gadchiroli. The rest I will leave for Kamal Sir to tell you. Chala chala....and Saheb it's best I drive."

Sai couldn't help saying, "Yes Kaka, brilliant idea...do not let him drive until he starts respecting our trusted potholes." She laughed at her own joke, and Virat could not suppress a smile. When they had that chance encounter, little did they know how their lives were going to be intertwined forever in just a few days.