Falling For You

Feeling The Presence

Saatvik squirmed at the chair awkwardly. He was looking at the inspector in front of him and then at his hands, which were sweating furiously. He was here in this police station again, which seems like his tenth time so far, and the inspector was just looking at him as if he was trying to solve something. Inspector Anil Deshpande was an honest police officer and also a family friend of Sardesai's family.

A boy came who kept a small glass of tea in front of Saatvik and that broke the awkward silence that has been there so far. Anil cleared his throat and asked. "So, you are here to bail your father again? I have lost the count. How many times have you done this so far?"

Saatvik gulped the tea in a go and he felt his tongue burn. He looked at Inspector Anil Deshpande and said, "Tenth time." It came more like a whisper.

Anil Deshpande, who has known about Saatvik and his family because of their family relation, looked at him and then at the jail where his friend or a person who was his friend before while saying, "I know ‌you don't enjoy coming to this police station so many times, even I don't like it seeing one of my old friends like this but please do something about his addiction. It was a good thing that he got arrested in the area which was under my control, but what would have happened if he would have done some more damage?"

He looked back at Saatvik and added. "I know your mom must be stressed now with all the work she has as the CEO of Sardesai company, but I think it's time now for your father to get his addiction under control, and only you are the one who could do it."

"But I told him so many times to go to the Rehab, but he never listens to me," Saatvik replied and Anil nodded his head as he knew how stubborn his friend is.

"I think you should convince him to go to the Rehab because if he doesn't then next time, the case would leave out of our hands." Anil sighs and asks the constable to release Sanjay Sardesai.

Anil then gives a form to Saatvik, and he signs where he was supposed to sign for the bail of his father. Once his father came out, he looked at him in disappointment and then at his family friend. If it weren't for him, his father would have been treated ‌badly with the number of arrests he had gotten for drinking and driving. He thanked his stars that nothing extreme had happened to his father so far, but this was the last straw. He will have to take his father to rehab with all his might.

Anil gave Saatvik a nod before leaving and Saatvik grabbed his father's hand while dragging him towards his car. Once he was strapped with the seat belt of the car, Saatvik went to the other side of the car and sat in the driver's seat.

Saatvik drove the car towards his apartment complex when his father said, "Stop the car. I don't want to stay at your house. I can take care of myself."

"And how you were going to do may I ask? Driving while you were drunk?" Saatvik asked while his gaze was still on the road.

He heard his father scoff at him while saying, "You don't need to babysit me. I will manage on my own. And tell your mom, not to fake worry about me, she is not my wife anymore."

Saatvik grabbed the steering wheel hard and when he was in the parking lot of his apartment complex, he turned his head towards his father while mocking him. "And whose fault is that huh? Weren't you the one who wanted to divorce her since she was the one handling the company that was mainly supposed to be yours, but after seeing your health, she had to do it? I am not taking sides or anything, but you are as much at fault as she is. So stop acting like a child and stay at my place tonight."

Sanjay kept his mouth shut and obeyed his son. He got out of the car while Saatvik kept a one-hand distance from him. Once they were on his floor, Saatvik opened the door and told his father. "You sleep in the guest room today. I have a match in a few hours, so I will come a bit late today. I will tell Kaku to make some food for you and please behave nicely with her. She has been taking care of me for a year now and I don't want you to do anything stupid while I am gone. Is that clear?"