The Abysmal Chasm

Chapter 6

When Virat had left for a mission on Diwali night, leaving behind a worried Sai with an unanswered question, little did he know that once again, his life was going to change drastically. He did not know that he was going to need to choose between his duty and love once again.

The last time he had to do that was when he had been posted for a mission in Gadchiroli. He had to capture Vithal Mane, a politician by day, a smuggler of sandalwood by night. His mentor, Inspector Kamal Joshi, had done an excellent job of collecting all the evidence needed, but in the process, things had gotten personal between Kamal Joshi and Vithal Mane. Vithal's son had fallen for Sai Joshi and would harass her almost every day. To protect his daughter, Kamal needed to call headquarters for help to expedite the arrest.

This was ACP Virat Chavan's first assignment. Although he was excited to lead his first mission, he would have liked to spend another day at the yoga camp where he had met Pakhi. His life would have been very different if he had spent another day at the Nasik yoga camp. Perhaps he would have had the opportunity to answer some of Pakhi's questions, answer some of his own. Maybe he wouldn't have lost her phone number.

Virat left for his mission, leaving behind many unanswered questions for Pakhi. When Pakhi did not hear from Virat for three days since their yoga retreat, she decided to move on with her life. She willingly married Samrat, an army officer belonging to Nagpur's very well reputed Chavan family.

In Gadchiroli, Virat met Sai Joshi, a feisty, high achiever teenager. While he had disliked her at first glance, slowly, as the mission progressed, he had started admiring her. He liked how she doted on her Aabba. While the entire town was afraid of Vithal Mane, Sai had stood her ground and pushed back on his son, Jagtap. He was impressed with that.

"Did you seriously write Loser on his forehead?" Virat was at Kamal Joshi's house. After several days of spanning the jungles searching for evidence, Kamal Sir was recuperating from a bout of dehydration and low blood pressure.

She had laughed. "Yes, he asked for it."

"And guess what Virat Sir, she did not even tell me about the incident. Panga kaise mole lete hai Sai se sikhna chahiye."

"What Aabba. Do you want your daughter to be a coward? He was teasing me in front of all his friends, and I should have just let it be?"

"No bala, it's just that I am afraid of his rage, but he is not going to be out for long." Kamal received a call. "Sorry Sir I have to take this, it is the Mumbai office with more information."

For the first time, Virat was alone with Sai. They were at the dining table. There was an awkward silence. Since their first encounter, Virat had been trying to befriend her. She was, after all, his mentor's daughter. She, however, had resisted the attempts. Virat saw an opening again, so he kept the conversation going.

"Seriously, LOSER?" He asked her again.

The smile added a sparkle to the naughty glint in her eyes. "Ho baba, seriously. And guess what, that idiot was going to get that tattooed on his forehead. Unfortunately the tattooist could read English." They both laughed, visualizing the tattoo.

"So why don't you want to marry him. Is it because he does not speak English Vinglish? Not educated enough for Dr. Sai Joshi?" He was just teasing her, but Sai had not appreciated it.

"What sort of a question is that? What has education, English got to do with a life partner? I want my partner to respect people. However qualified, however wealthy, if you do not respect the people around you, especially women, then sorry, not for me. If you are not a humble human being then sorry not for me."

Sai looked around the room. Her Aabba was still busy on the phone. "If I ever marry Virat Sir, it will be with someone exactly like my Aabba."

So when the people of Gadchiroli told Virat that marrying Sai was the the only way he could fulfill his duty towards the man who had taken a bullet to save his life, he had many reasons to refuse. The first and foremost was the promise he had made out of love for both Pakhi and Samrat. When he had learned that Samrat, his brother for whom he could give his life, had fallen in love with Pakhi, how could he then even consider continuing to love her? His relationship with Pakhi had not even started, so keeping it that way was the right thing to do. Still, to convince Pakhi to love Samrat, he promised Pakhi that he would never love another woman. Little did he know that love par kisi ka zor nahi.

Another critical reason for refusing Sai was his conversation with her. He knew he would never be able to live up to Sai's expectations in a life partner. Moreover, he knew how inferior he was to Kamal Joshi.

And the last reason was that Sai disliked him, and now she also detested his presence. He was the reason her world was snatched from her. "It should have been you, not my Aabba." Always unafraid to speak the truth, that's what she had told him. The deal marriage then worked out for both of them. He found a way to fulfill his duty and keep his promise to Pakhi.

Fall in love with Sai Joshi, he did. And hopelessly. He tried not to, for Pakhi's sake and his own, but each day he got to know Sai, he loved her more. He could not imagine his life without her. But Sai never reciprocated, and that would frustrate him, turn him into something he is not.

What hurt him even more, was that Sai had gradually fallen in love, but only with his family. She worshipped his Aai. She doted on Devi Tai, so much so that she went against the entire family to unite her with the long-lost love of her life. She stood up to Bhavani Kaku, who was belittling Mohit, Virat's younger cousin, because he had chosen yet to be established career was not to her liking. The list of the good things she had done for his family was endless, and that had made it impossible for Virat to not fall hopelessly in love with Sai.

But when it came to Virat, for Sai, he was still the reason her Aabba was not with her. He was still just the senior officer, her father's colleague, who had taken on her responsibility to get rid of his guilt. He was just someone she was sharing a room with, living her part of the deal with, waiting for the day when she would be financially independent enough to get away from him.

And she did try to leave him. It was in response to his bad behavior. His misguided frustration with her defiance to him and his beliefs had led him to do things he had never imagined. He had physically and mentally abused her many times, forcing her to leave him. Twice she had been seriously injured, once he was full to be blamed. The second time, while he was not responsible for her accident, he created an abusive environment from which Sai had no choice but to escape.

And yet, Sai cared for Virat, which he was sure of. Amidst the chaos they created in each other's lives, they also had good moments. Moments where she would bring him dinner when he would be stuck at work. Moments where she secretly sang his praises to her Aabba. Moments where she'd take care of him when he was ill. Moments where she made foods that he liked but never admitted it. And in such moments, Virat's hope of her loving him back alighted a little.

In the past few months, the equation between them had changed and for the better. Sai was in the hospital again. This time, she had left her mental abuser, but Fate had something different in mind. Soon after leaving Chavan house, Sai met with an accident while trying to save a child from falling into a construction ditch. This time, she was fighting for her life even harder than the last time. She did win the fight. In the process, it appeared that she realized that in the entire world, after her Aabba, if there was anyone she had a relationship with, it was with Virat Sir. She had not let Virat leave her side. Not that Virat wanted to. He stayed beside her, caring for her throughout her hospital stay. On her discharge, after speaking with Aai, she had agreed to return to Chavan house.

Virat had offered his hand of a friendship several times to Sai, she had never accepted. But this time, she made the offer." Virat Sir, can we start again? As pretend husband and wife, we have both failed miserably. Looks like we have no choice but share this room, so instead of just a roommate relationship can we become friends? If your friendship ka offer is still on Virat Sir."

While Virat wanted so much more from Sai, he was happy that at least they were graduating from just roommates to friends. And he couldn't believe it, that he was now even more in love with her. Finally, the friend Sai had brought down the wall she had created between him and her. The wall that had kept her from knowing the other Virat, who was not just a senior police officer but an ordinary guy like one of her college-mates. He was a guy who loved to talk about movies, liked to hang out at the mall, wanted to go on long drives to grab a late-night bite. And knowing this other Virat had increased Sai's comfort level with him. He was seeing the smile he had seen her smile in Gadchiroli. Seeing him made her visibly happy, truly very happy. So was she falling in love with Virat?

The night before the day when everything changed, he had vowed to find out. He had promised himself that he would tell her how he feels and he was pretty sure this time his love was not going to be unreciprocated.