Part 20

Part 20 (Last part)

Sai saw Virat was walking with his baba in the garden. Just then his phone rang. Sai saw Virat left his phone on charging in the room. She let it rang but when it rang second time she picked it up thinking it might be important and was stupefied to see 'Pakhi calling' Before she could comprehend what to do, the call cut, but the very next second it came again. Sai stood rooted to her place contemplating whether she should pick it up or gave it to Virat or simply cut it and delete the calls from call history so that Virat will never know. She knew it was not right but she had found her paradise only few months back and she didn't want to lose it again. The call cut again as she failed to take any decision.

Then a thought struck to her, what if this is not the first time. Pakhi might have called him earlier also. Should she check the call record? It was not right to do...its nothing short of spying on Virat. No, she has full trust on him but....why did Pakhi call at this time all of a sudden...Her hands started shaking as she opened the call records. She sat down stunned as she saw Pakhi had been calling him since few days now and Virat had also talked with her. Before she could have thought rationally she found herself calling her back.

"Virat baby, I am so happy. I just read your message. I knew you will come back to me. I love you Virat.....Virat, baby say something...why are you silent?" Pakhi talked excitedly.

"I...am...Sai....why are you calling him? What are you talking about?" Sai asked as her mind was now filled with all sorts of doubts.

"Oh! its you behenji. Why are you asking all this...don't you know? Virat hasn't told you anything till now?" Pakhi asked feigning innocence.

"What are talking about?" asked Sai as fear gripped her heart.

"Virat and I have decided to get back together. We met again in Mumbai and came to realize that we haven't forgotten each other. Virat said that he is not happy with you. He doesn't love you but living with you just for the sake of his parents. I was trying to make him understand that he should come back to me and finally he has agreed." Pakhi told her own version of story to Sai filled with exaggerations and lies.

"You are lying. He is happy with me." Sai retorted back.

"Did he not marry you for saving his family reputation? Jis shadi ka adhaar hi compromise ho wo shadi bhala kab tak chal sakti hai? If you don't believe me then check the messages. He himself has said that he wants to settle everything once and for all. Next weekend is his birthday and he wants to start his life afresh. He was never yours. He has always loved me. It will be better if you understand and accept this truth and let him go." Pakhi tried to manipulate Sai. Sai cut the call and checked the messages. She sat down in shock as she read Virat's reply to Pakhi. He did agree to meet her on his birthday in Mumbai.

"Does that mean Virat really wants to get back again with Pakhi. Is this the reason he was so tensed and cranky since few days? He might be worrying about how he would break this news to her and their parents....that is the only explanation she could think of now. May be thats the reason he wants to take her to Mumbai with him to celebrate his birthday, may be he would confess the truth to her in front of Pakhi." Sai kept wondering all this even when her heart was breaking with every passing second. She didn't want to believe it but then circumstances and Virat's behavior ever since he has went to Mumbai for this deal was convincing her for otherwise. And now Pakhi's call and Virat's message to her had further cemented her belief.

Sai kept sitting there without even reacting as Pakhi's words rang in her mind again and again. She replayed the past few months of her life. Virat came with Pakhi. He said he loved Pakhi. They broke up on the marriage day. Virat married her to save family reputation. Their marriage was a compromise. The way he hesitated with her for few days. His struggle to find that comfort zone with her. His guilt of not having same feelings for her as she had for him. His words that he is attracted to her....he never said till now that he loved her...not even once. All this was pointing only in one direction that her biggest fear of losing Virat is about to come true once again.

Virat came inside the room and found Sai all lost in her thoughts.

"What happened?" he asked showing concern.

"I love you Virat." Sai declared her love and looked expectantly at him in a hope that he would say those three magical words to her too in reply and she would forget all her doubts as just some stupid misunderstanding, all will be well in her paradise once again.

Virat saw her eyes. He didn't know what happen to her but she seems vulnerable right now and the way she said 'I love you' he could see she wanted a reply so bad. A reply which he so desperately wanted to give since few days now but he had other plans for it. He didn't want to ruin the grand surprise next weekend so he tried to brush off the topic.

"I know Sai that you love me....you look so worried...whats wrong?" Virat asked as he cupped her face.

He knew she was lost in her own world since few days. At first he was worried but then one day he was searching some important papers and came across the pregnancy reports she had kept in cupboard safely and he was on cloud nine to find out he is going to be a father. He wanted to hug her in excitement but then thought why she hasn't told him until now? She looked happy about it...may be she wanted to surprise him too, he had thought then was waiting for her to tell him.

"May be because of the pregnancy she is going through hormonal changes which are making her emotional and cranky", he concluded.

On the other hand when Virat didn't gave any reply to Sai, she closed her eyes in defeat as she finally concluded that Pakhi was saying the truth. She felt like someone shot a bullet in her heart and murdered her love in cold blood. She didn't get to hear him at least once that he loves her. Of course, why would he say it, he had always loved Pakhi, she was just a compromise for him and later a responsibility that he had to bear lifelong.

Sai was tossing and turning in her sleep as she remembered Pakhi's words again and again and all the incidents when Virat ignored her, rejected her, kept coming in her mind. She couldn't think straight as her mind was clouded by self doubt and distrust as Pakhi had imbibed in her. And, all this combined with the fluctuation in hormones due to her pregnancy was making her crazy. She was sobbing silently and was thinking worst case scenario. She was emotionally vulnerable and Pakhi's call had just hit a raw nerve.

Sai remembered the day Virat had come to ask her permission to marry Pakhi and she had replied that, "Aapki khushi mein hi meri khushi hai agar aap kisi aur ke sath khush rahenge to main isi mein apni khushi dhund lungi......Kaun kehta hai ki sachhe pyar ka matlab sirf sath paana hota hai? Bhale hi aapka sath nahi hoga lekin aapka pyar to mere mann mein hamesha rahega...."

That time she didnt have anyone with her. She kept her hand on her stomach. Now she had his baby growing inside her. His memories and this baby will be enough for her to live her life. Virat is not happy with her. She should let him go. Sai wiped her tears as she had decided that she will sacrifice her love yet again for his happiness. She lied down on bed and hugged him to savor the feeling of being in his arms and save it in her heart forever. She knew she only had him till his birthday and she will live every moment to the fullest with him.

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Finally Virat's birthday came. He had booked the restaurant already and had asked them to make necessary arrangements for the special night. He had thought that first he will confess his love to Sai and then deal with Pakhi later.

Sai was shocked first when Virat asked her to come on the dinner with him but then she thought maybe he has arranged dinner date for Pakhi and he wants to take her to there so that he can break this news to her before Pakhi comes and join him. But she called Pakhi and asked her to come to the restaurant at the same time. Sai had decided that she will make Virat accept his love for Pakhi, hand him over to Pakhi and will go away from his life. The moment came, Virat entered with Sai in the restaurant.

Virat had booked the whole restaurant. For few moments Sai forgot everything when she saw the beautiful decoration there. Every corner screamed of his love...his love for Pakhi, Sai remembered sadly.

Virat took Sai's hand, "You must be wondering why I have made such grand arrangement just to celebrate my birthday but its not about me....its about you...I wanted to thank you in the grand way...for...." Virat trailed off when he saw Pakhi there.

"What are you doing here this time? Didn't I message you that I will come later to meet you?" Virat asked her.

"Chill baby, no need to panic anymore. Your wife knows everything and she has only called me here earlier." Pakhi replied arching her eyebrow.

Virat was shocked, how come Sai know about Pakhi and why the hell she has called her here?

"Don't look so surprised Virat. Pakhi is saying truth. Since few days I was noticing that you were tensed and frustrated then I came to know that you have met Pakhi in Mumbai. She told me everything...how you met again....how you are making compromise in this marriage and you still love her....everything....aap itne dino tak ye sab apne andar rakhe hue the roz pareshan ho rahe the....khud hi bata diya hota mujhe....aap toh jante hain mere liye aapki khushi se badhkar aur kuch nahi hai....main kabhi bhi aapki khushi ke beech mein nahi aa sakti....aaj bhi nahi aaungi....you are free from my side....you can go to her and live you life happily...I will go away from your life...and don't worry I'll make everyone understand back at home." Sai said as tears started falling from her eyes uncontrollably.

Virat was speechless, he didn't know what to say for few moments. How come his perfectly planned evening at which he wanted to confess his love for his wife turned upside down like this. And what the hell is happening? Why Sai thinks that he would ever want to go back to Pakhi? He was thinking all this when he noticed that Sai was leaving from there.

"Like the hell I would let her leave me like this!" He resolved and moved towards Sai.

Sai turned around to go before she feel weak in her resolution. But she felt Virat has held her hand. Virat was flabbergasted again from her words. She did it again. Again he had thought that he know now to what extent she loves him but again she went a step ahead and proved him wrong. Is there any limit to how much she can love him and to what extent she will do things for him?

"You can live without me....but what about our baby? Why you are punishing our baby? Why our baby will have to live without his father?" Virat asked hurt by Sai's words. How could she think that he wants to live with this Pakhi leaving behind her and their baby, their perfect family.

Sai gasped in shock, "How did you know?" she asked trying to hard to remember if she ever let her pregnancy news slip out of mouth accidentally.

"That's not important. How could you just leave me like that? You say you know me inside out then how could you not know that how much I love you?" Virat said as he looked away hurt.

Sai was shocked for the second time now. First Virat knew about the baby and second he said those words which she longed to hear for so long.

On the other hand Pakhi was also shocked, "What the hell? A baby? She is pregnant? How?" she shouted.

"You really don't know how?" Sai asked innocently as Pakhi's words caught her attention.

Pakhi gasped at her question while Virat burst out laughing at the unintended insult thrown at Pakhi's way by Sai.

"Shut up ! you behenji...I know how babies are made I was just wondering how you can get pregnant this early? What...not even 6 months passed since you guys are married....how desperate can you two get?" Pakhi bounced back from insult.

"Actually its quiet late considering the fact that we were....well...doing it a lot" Virat looked at Sai winked, she blushed at his words.

Virat shook his head dejectedly at Pakhi and continued, "Anyways...I thought that first I will confess my love on this grand date then will deal with you later but its good in a way that you have come. Pakhi, you claim that you love me. You know now that I am married but you didn't even think once before breaking another woman's home and look at Sai. She was ready to go away from me. She didn't even tell me that she is pregnant with my baby fearing that I would be bound by my responsibility towards the child. That is called true love. Ye tum kabhi nahi jaan paugi....true love is selfless, unconditional."

Virat looked at Sai lovingly as he continued he kept talking, "True love is not like a sand that some  waves of misunderstandings  can wash it away but its like a mountain which stands strong even in the toughest test of time. Ever since Sai has came into my life I have found out what is true love...ye tum jaise selfish logo ke bas ki baat nahi hai....jo Sai ke liye main feel karta hoon uske baad realize hua ki aisa toh maine kabhi kisi ke liye pehle feel kiya hi nahi, tumhare liye bhi nahi Pakhi.....ye sirf pyar nahi , pyar se bhi badhkar hai.....ek ruhaani rishta hai hamare beech.....Now I realize that why I moved on very quickly from you....because what I felt was love was a mere attraction and with time and in front of Sai's immense love it faded away quickly. So now I can say this with confidence that I was never yours Pakhi...In fact I never loved you....there is only one woman in my life whom I have ever loved truly and she is standing before me...my life...my wife...mother of my child....my everything....my Sai." Virat pour out his heart.,

Sai couldn't believe her luck. In the morning, she thought this will be her last day with Virat but Virat has bound her with him forever. She has yearned all her life to hear these words from him and when finally he had said that she felt like finally the rain has graced the thirsty land of desert. Her eyes also started raining in tune with the condition of her heart.

"Kab se? Since when did you realize you love me?" Sai asked wanting to listen more about it.

Virat stepped closer to hold her as he answered, "To be honest, I don't know. Whether it was on our date in the restaurant or  on the night when you wore that sexy dress. Whether it was your emotional outburst that did the trick or our passion filled time together made me realize. Whether it was your care towards my parents or the fact that you love me unconditionally. Whether it was the moment you decided to sacrifice your love so that I could marry Pakhi or the moment I saw you at the temple on my return ...I kept wondering all these days...about the exact moment I fell in love with you or simply, may be it wasn't any single moment...may be you made your place in my heart ever so slowly and smoothly that I couldn't even notice when I lost its ownership to you ....I tried really hard but I couldn't come up with any exact answer Sai. But the fact is,  it doesn't even matter to me anymore. All that matters is, I am hopelessly and irrevocably in love with you and I can't even imagine my life without you."

"I love you Virat" finally Sai managed to say between her happy tears.

"I love you too Sai." Virat said and hugged her in a heart warming hug.

"I am sorry I doubted your intentions and failed to see your love for me." Sai sobbed in his arms.

"You are forgiven because you are going to give me the best gift of my life....our baby." Virat replied and wiped her tears.

"Now, no more tears." Virat said and kissed away her tears. He then kissed her lips pouring out his love.

"I am still here you despos" Pakhi gasped at their shamelessness.

Virat broke the kiss and looked at Pakhi.

"What are you waiting for, give her a tight slap." Devil side of Virat suggested.

"No, she is a woman. you cant hit her." Angel side protested.

"Yes, a woman....a very irritating and vile woman. Ask Sai to slap her for you. I am sure she will gladly do that." Devil gave another idea.

"Why dont you just leave her and concentrate on kissing your wife. That girl is not of any importance to you than why to bother about her." Angel expressed his views. Virat was tempted to listen Devil again but this time he chose Angel's wise advice. And Angel wore the goggles in style as he looked smugly at Devil while Devil burned himself feeling insulted.

"Who asked you to stay? Simply get out." Virat replied and again got busy in kissing Sai.

Pakhi left from there fuming in anger, stomping her feet as she finally understood she can never get back Virat.

Virat and Sai spent sometime together celebrating their love then later their families joined them. Sai had invited them all as a surprise for Virat, all of them celebrated Virat's birthday and Sai's pregnancy news.

Kamal and Alka were finally free from all their worries regarding their daughter and Ninad and Ashwini were happy to be grandparents. After nine months Sai and Virat were blessed by a daughter. They named her Savi. Now their little paradise was complete. They lived happily ever after.

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The End