Chapter 27

For the first time since she was married to Vihaan, Sanchi had spent an entire day without quarreling with him. Not because he was visible throughout the day but because he wasn't in view at all.

When she woke up in the morning the next day, he wasn't there on the sofa. Dheeraj had himself offered to drop her to the bureau since Vihaan had gone out of the city again. This time Vihaan wasn't out for any meeting or for a short work, but he had gone on a long trip to Burhanpur. He had forwarded his name to replace himself as the leader to the deployed team to fight against the terror group.

Sanchi's entire day at the bureau passed as usual, except for the regular arguments with her husband. There was no Vihaan to pester her with his arrogant words or with rude insults. The evening drew gradually and Sanchi left the bureau in time to reach the Ringers' Park.

Vidya was already waiting eagerly for Sanchi's arrival and according to the latter's instructions, Vidya was preparing herself to carry out the plan swiftly without any mistake. Sanchi encouraged her to go ahead with everything confidently while she herself took a hiding place in a corner.

Arjun had diligently performed the task given to him by Sanchi and she didn't fail to praise him. The entire park was hired for the evening and decorated beautifully with incandescent candles, scented flowers and sparkling beads. A chiming wall hanging was put above the center table and two decorated chairs were arranged for them. There was a gorgeous cake placed in the middle of the table and plates for two were laid.

Arjun also hid beside Sanchi and waited for the arrival of Dheeraj eagerly. Vidya was feeling too nervous and when she saw Dheeraj's approaching figure from far, she hid herself behind a colorful curtain.

Dheeraj was appalled seeing all the decorations and his head spun when he couldn't find anyone around. Raising his voice a bit, he shouted, "Is there anybody here? I don't think Sanchi will fool me. Mom?"

Dheeraj waited in anticipation until Vidya moved out of her hiding place and blindfolded him. Touching the velvet cloth, he scoffed, "Who are you? What are you trying to do? Where is Sanchi? Where is mom?"

"Wait my sweet sixteen boy, I'll let you know." Vidya tried imitating Naina's voice, placing a handkerchief against her lips lightly.

"Naina! What happened to your voice? Were you the one who told my mother to send me here? I know you always love to joke but you shouldn't do it now." Dheeraj chided, not knowing who the actual person before him was.

Vidya gritted her teeth upon hearing Dheeraj's words for Naina. She spoke in the same voice again, "I'm suffering from a sore throat and yes I told Durga aunt to send you here. I have planned a surprise for us tonight. I know we are getting married soon but I couldn't call you these days. Even you didn't try calling me. I thought we should spend some private moments alone before getting married."

"Not like this please. I don't like it. Open the blindfold now or else I'll do it myself." Dheeraj lifted his arms to unfurl the cloth when she held his hands.

"Please don't, it's a request. Listen to me first. Don't you think I deserve to share my feelings with you before we get married? Don't you think we should at least get closer a little to know each other properly before the marriage? We weren't in touch for so many years and I don't know much about you," Vidya uttered in Naina's soothing voice, smirking to herself.

"What do you mean, Naina?"

"You will know soon as this beautiful evening grows deeper. I really want to start this evening with you on a positive note. I want to kiss you before we cut the delicious cake in front of us. I want to make this evening memorable before the commencement of our marriage." Vidya's grip on Dheeraj's hands grew tighter as she pushed herself closer to him.

The fragrance of Vidya's familiar perfume trailed Dheeraj's nostrils as she continued moving closer to him. Dheeraj stiffened, nodding his head. "Wait please, this perfume seems so known to me."

Vidya's black eyes sparkled with tears but she managed to suppress the joyous tone in her voice. "How?"

"It's something common to Vidya's..." He stopped again.

"Please, I don't want you taking Vidya's name between our private moment." Vidya chuckled softly.

"Private moment?" Dheeraj was astonished.

"Our first kiss." Vidya cupped his cheeks until Dheeraj shoved them away.

"No, it is not possible, Naina. Please don't. I can't give you what you demand. I'm sorry," Dheeraj uttered, "I don't have any feelings for you."

Vidya smiled victoriously before responding, "Why? We are supposed to get married."

"That was my grave mistake for agreeing to the marriage due to mom's swear. I never wanted to get married to you and you should know it." Dheeraj apologized. "Let me tell you one thing, mark it clearly in your brain. Even though we will get married, you will never get my love. I'm sorry but I can't love you."

"Do you love someone else?" Vidya gaped.

"I do but it doesn't matter anyways. She's already getting married to someone else and I...." Dheeraj took a deep breath.

"Who is the lucky one to get your love?" Vidya tried imitating a painful voice.

"Vidya, and I love only her. I will always love her." As Dheeraj confessed his love, Vidya embraced him in an instant.

Dheeraj jerked behind but quickly recomposed himself. "What are you doing? Move away please."

Vidya wouldn't move and muttered in her original voice, "I love you too Dheeraj. I love you and will always love you."

Unfurling the blindfold in a second, Dheeraj looked down at Vidya's smiling face. Frowning his forehead, he held her shoulders. "What's all these?"

Sanchi and Arjun moved out of their hiding places and Sanchi screamed merrily, "Sur-prise bro, to make you con-fess your love to her."

Dheeraj's rapid heart beat slowed down as they narrated everything to him. "So basically, Sanchi, Arjun and the team of my dad fooled us!"

"You can say so but it was for the go-od. You two wo-uld have never con-fessed if we didn't inter-fere!" Sanchi chirped.

The four of them shared the beautiful victory cake together but in between happy gossips, Sanchi's mind wandered, thinking of Vihaan's whereabouts. "God, ple-ase keep him safe wher-ever he is!"

***** 

The members of the Bundela mansion were happier than ever since Vidya and Dheeraj had finally confessed their love for each other. Vidya's parents and Shaurya had visited their bungalow for the dinner that night. The talks of their wedding were on the rounds and the date of their nuptial would be decided very soon.

As the members sat around the table for dinner, Sanchi's eyes traversed to the spot, exactly where Vihaan used to sit for his breakfast or dinner. But his chair was now occupied by Vidya for the supper and the absence of Vihaan was upsetting her to some extent.

Sanchi moved out of her trance when Durga began to announce, "I've something to declare now. The engagement between Vidya and Dheeraj will be taking place four days hence, on the upcoming Tuesday. I know it's early but it is also a very auspicious day. It is a full moon day and the festival of 'Teej' for the year."

Garima spoke this time, "Teej is when a married woman fast for an entire day without food and water, for the long life of her husband. She breaks her fast after seeing the bright moon, followed by her husband's face. She drinks water fed by her husband and the fast is then said to be completed."

Durga agreed. "I know it is significant to the rituals of 'Karwachouth' but that's how we celebrate Teej here. It is believed to be very effective in our religion." Turning towards Sanchi, she said again, "Won't you fast for your husband?"

All the eyes turned towards her and Sanchi found herself in the midst of a dilemma. She was worried for Vihaan's life and she couldn't just agree to fast only to pretend as his wife. If she could, she would fast for real. "I will, maa."

Though Sanchi knew she couldn't remain hungry even for a couple of hours and might possibly faint, yet she was ready to take the risk for her husband's life. Her stern beliefs in her God compelled her to risk her own life for him. 

***** 

Shifting a number of times in bed, Sanchi was receiving her nightmares again. The scanty sleep she was experiencing that night had drenched her with perspiration. The mysterious mansion and the gunmen torturing Vihaan came to her view in sleep.

The shadowy figure shooting Vihaan tormented her in sleep and she woke up with a jerk. "V...i...h...a...a...n..."

Rapid breaths and sweaty palms, her dreaded brown eyes rotated all around the empty room aimlessly. The sofa remained void, his pillow and the blanket were neatly tucked at the side. A lone tear trickled down Sanchi's eyes as she muttered a prayer for his life again.

Though Vihaan was her stern argument partner, he was also her husband. Everything was a planned contractual marriage but she was married to him in real. Not for once she could deny all his sacrifices for her and all the good things he had done for her. Not Vidya, Shaurya or Arjun but, Vihaan was the only one whom she was missing during her times of agony and loneliness.

"He didn't even in-form me before under-taking the danger-ous expe-dition at Burhan-pur. I know he has gone on such miss-ions earlier too but I still feel sca-red for him. His ab-sence seems so pronoun-ced to me even if we always qua-rrel when-ever he is near me."

Sanchi drank water from the jug, trying to ease her breathing. "Destiny never favour-ed me. Since he's tied to me some-how for the time being, I'm afr-aid this time. I really don't want the spar-ks of my fate to burn him. I want to see him back home, safe and sec-ure!"

***** 

Miles away from Indore, in a dark thatched hut of a forest, Vihaan was trying to at least take a short nap before dodging out of the resting place. The other members of the police force had also taken their shelter in other tents or huts of the remote jungle. They would sneak out once the daylight broke.

"Was the proposal completed at Ringers' tonight?" Vihaan wondered, lying flat on the makeshift hay bed inside the hut.

The clock read half past eleven and Vihaan felt his nerves tighten. "For the last two nights, I killed time by roaming in our garden and hickory thought I was in the workroom. But the truth was that I was trying to control my triggers. I haven't entered my workroom for the past couple of days and didn't require to take the sedatives. Maybe because I wasn't getting triggered, maybe because my mind was already preoccupied with other things or maybe because I'm improving these days. I need peace in life and according to my physician, happiness is all that matters."

Vihaan sighed. "Even if I fought with hickory, there was some sort of cherishing glee over her innocent face that wouldn't let me take those drugs. I tried passing the past two nights sleeping next to her bed, on the floor, clutching her palm. Did that help? Yes, it gave me a mental satisfaction. Didn't she accuse me of watching her in sleep? Maybe I understood what she meant but she doesn't know what it meant to me!"

The night clock ticked twelve and Vihaan's head tensed, spinning from a very stiffening of the jaw. "Not an attack, please!"

In between pleading and closing his eyes, he tried picturing Sanchi's face that would allow him to sleep for the night. Though his nervousness had shot up with rapid breathing, he managed to keep his eyes closed with the strong determination he possessed.

It was again at one o'clock of the dead night when he woke up again. Sleep wouldn't preoccupy him even if the surroundings were dark. He needed darkness to sleep at night but he was getting acquainted to light lately, the light that emitted from the face of an innocent girl.

"I hope she isn't getting tortured by terrible nightmares tonight. She has at last found so many people in her life who would take care of her like the way she had ever wanted. Now since she is moving on in life, she would never need to worry again for anything. She might be sleeping peacefully after the love confession or maybe speaking to Arjun over phone to calm herself. Will she ever remember the few days she is staying with me? Will she ever miss me the way I...."

Wiping his moist eyes, he sat upright. "Maybe her butter-like voice would have lulled me to sleep if I could call her even for an argument. But I can't even call her for once as I don't have my cellphone with me. I checked the tracker at the bureau and it was found somewhere in my house. But I was so busy fighting and shopping with her that I almost forgot searching for it. I will find it if ever I return home alive."

With waking up every hour of the night, Vihaan couldn't surrender himself to sleep at all. By the break of dawn, he tidied himself up to embark on the forest mission again.

***** 

The whole of the next day, Sanchi worked in uneasy composure at the bureau. Her confidence and concentration were dwindling rapidly. She couldn't even laugh or gossip freely with Arjun even though he tried cheering her up.

"Sanchi, don't worry for Vihaan Sir at all. He has earlier gone on such expeditions and returned after completing missions successfully. He has been a pride to our Madhya Pradesh police." Arjun tried to pacify her. 

"I don't kn-ow Arjun, but ple-ase leave me alone for the time bei-ng." Sanchi put her head down on her desk.

"Please call me if you need help. Don't stress yourself out." Arjun gave her arm a light squeeze before leaving the room.

Tears overflowed her cheeks as she remembered all the good or bad conversations with Vihaan, most of them being the worst. But somewhere among the silly conversations, there were many unexpressed emotions hidden for each other. 

"It was my fau-lt. I was the one pester-ing him to main-tain a safe dist-ance from me. If safe dist-ance meant this, I wish I cou-ld take back my words!"

Sprinting for more than twenty times throughout the day at office, she visited the control room every half an hour. She was trying hard to muster some information of his whereabouts as she was scared of giving him a call herself. She couldn't afford to piss him during his dutiful venture.

When the evening arrived, she returned home with no new information of Vihaan. Durga noticed a saddened Sanchi and realized her causes of agony.

"Don't dishearten yourself, child. I know how it feels when your husband is away. I've also went through such times in life but this is what happens when you are the wife of a cop." Durga tried to console her. "When Vihaan returns, he'll surely shower you with all the love you need."

"It's not li-ke that, maa." Sanchi fumbled. "I mean... How can you be so dis-tress free when I'm dying to hear fr-om him?"

Durga laughed lightly. "You are new at this but I'm already in the habit of it. Vihaan didn't stay in the city when he had joined the CBI. He was serving in the districts and I had already learnt living without him. You are lucky that he has returned home a couple of months ago with the new posting. He has faced many tough situations during his service and it is only for this reason why he was given the award for being the bravest cop."

Sanchi nodded simply while Durga continued, "You know he needs love and compassion in life. He wouldn't utter a word of his agony to anyone. Now that you are his wife, you should take up the responsibility to dig into his heart to unlock all his hidden treasure and mould him into the perfect person you may wish to see in him."

"I did-n't get you, maa." Sanchi shrugged her shoulders.

"What I mean is you will gradually get to know more of him the more you stay with him. Try giving him a call yourself because he will never do it himself. Try doing things to him yourself because he will never ask you for anything even if he craves for them badly. I hope you now understand." Durga caressed Sanchi's cheeks to console her and she nodded slightly.

*

Sanchi stood against the railings of the balcony, her eyes observing the waxing gibbous moon. The heavenly body was only a phase away from becoming a full moon. The festival of Teej would take place in three days hence and she would be fasting for the welfare of her husband.

Grabbing her mobile from the nightstand, and with trembling fingers, she dialed Vihaan's number. The first time it rang, he didn't receive it. She dialed again but there wasn't any response from him.

Time flew by as she wandered aimlessly around the silent bungalow. All the members of the house were fast asleep but Sanchi remained awake. She was missing Vihaan and she couldn't deny it anymore. As she strolled along the empty corridor, she dialed Vihaan's number again, out of sheer desperation.

This time it rang, buzzing very near to her and she could feebly hear the tune. A bright smile appeared on her face as her heart began to flutter with little happiness.

"Vih-aan, you return...." She trailed off when she saw the empty corridor. The ring was yet buzzing. Her eyes hovered all around until she pressed her ear against a locked metal door.

"Vihaan's workroom?" She whispered.

To be continued...

A/N: Sanchi-Vihaan missing each other???

Are Vihaan's misconceptions driving him crazy for her?

Any guesses for the Independence Day special episodes? Yes, there'll be TWO blockbusters tomorrow ❤!!

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