Chapter 8

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Chapter 8

A couple of hours passed since Vihaan had returned to the Bundela mansion but a part of him was still lingering in the backyard of the orphanage where he had left some tasks incomplete, some hopeful faces lonely, and one innocent girl longing to save herself. Although he was feeling the strong urge to reach the orphanage again but then he had very little hope. The only thing that he could do was order his messenger Gora to secretly keep an eye on the orphanage and inform him if there was any unusual activity.

Durga was sitting at the dining table when Vihaan came down for breakfast the next morning. Although she had seen her son back home safe, the previous night, she could not gather courage to initiate any sort of conversation with him. Her illness was on treatment and Vidya was taking considerable care of her. The moment she saw Vihaan taking a seat on the chair vertically opposite to her, her eyes glinted with certain joy and satisfaction.

As Vidya laid the plates on the table for breakfast, Dheeraj and Virendra joined them soon after. Virendra passed a quick glance at Vihaan and Durga, hoping that the mother-son duo would reconcile soon.

"Vihaan, do you know the amount of worries you gave us for the past couple of days!" Dheeraj initiated the conversation, taking a bite of sandwich from his own plate.

Vihaan wasn't really concentrating on what Dheeraj was saying and he simply shook his head. As soon as he thrust the pancake into his mouth, he exclaimed with horror, pushing his plate aside. "Why is it so spicy? You know very well that I don't like spicy foods at all. Where are my cups of coffee?"

Vidya fetched the tray of coffee and placed two full mugs of the warm liquid before him. She then replied to his direct chiding, "I am not your mother who will be cooking as per your requirements. I did whatever I could."

Vihaan did not waste time to glare at her with his killer eyes, but instead kept his gaze fixed on the pair of coffee mugs before him. "Do you think you are doing us a favour? Even if my parents do not realize, I very well know why you keep wasting your time here when you should be busy attending your duties at the hospital. I thought you were a responsible doctor!" Vihaan said in his usual loud voice taking a quick glance at Dheeraj.

"I...I am sorry," Vidya could manage to utter an apology instead of pulling the argument further. Her eyes were already gleaming with tears and she walked her way out of the mansion. Dheeraj followed her, leaving his breakfast incomplete while Durga felt a little nostalgic with Vihaan's behaviour.

"Come on now Vihaan, you shouldn't have spoken to her in such a tone. She must have been very hurt with your rude behaviour. She was staying here on our insistence only, she was taking your mother's care like a daughter and not like a doctor." Virendra chided him sternly.

"I am sorry dad. But don't worry, she will be alright. Brother has gone to console her. Can we move to some important topic that we need to discuss?" Vihaan apologized humbly and Virendra nodded, giving him permission.

"Do you know Sanchi personally?" Vihaan's direct enquiry forced Virendra to widen his eyes.

Straightening his back against the chair, Virendra said, "Why do you want to know about her? It's not that I have seen you getting interested in women more often."

"Please dad, this is not the answer to my question. You don't know what all I went through in these three days!" Vihaan had his eyes focused on his father even though he knew Durga's eyes were constantly fixed on him.

Virendra sighed audibly and scratching the back of his head, he confessed, "I know everything, son."

"You know, you mean? Please elaborate and be fast. I don't have much time left." Vihaan was growing impatient.

"Do you know your lack of patience and rude instincts are framing the stupidity in you? Hadn't you taken Gora with you to the old mansion that afternoon, you could have captured Tarun and his men more easily. He was just your informer and not an officer who could have been defensive for you. He fell in their trap because of lack of skills and you were blackmailed, until when Sanchi came to your rescue." Virendra said, finishing the glass of milk in one go.

"I heard this same thing for more than a thousand times since the time she had pushed me out of the bullet's way. Can you say something new, please dad?" An annoyed Vihaan was eventually pleading Virendra.

Virendra laughed slyly. "Not only did she save you from the bullet risking her own life but also turned the tables for you. She became the shipper of your sinking titanic that evening!"

"Great and how is that? Aren't you praising her a bit too much?"

"I wish if I could, I would have signed the Bundela mansion in her name." Virendra sipped his own cup of coffee and continued, "If you had seen how the glass pieces were flinging at the hooligans one after the other, it was Sanchi who had armoured the catapult with her."

This was something unexpected for Vihaan to digest and he decided to delve deeper into her case. "How did she end up there? Her orphanage is at a considerable distance from the mansion."

"But how did you end up at the orphanage? You were following her, I suppose. Were you doubting on the abilities of my most trusted agent?" Virendra coughed lightly, from the stress of uttering the sentences without a break.

"Your agent? Everything is very confusing dad."

"I deployed her to the mansion to collect evidences against everything. It was my order for whom she destroyed the false passports, it was my order for whom she collected the videos and picture clippings, and put up a live session with me." Virendra paused a little and added after a deep breath, "But it was not my order that she saved you risking her own life a number of times, taking great care of yours during dehydration and tolerating all your silly and rude rantings."

"Did she tell you even this!" Vihaan had his mouth gaping at his father.

"She didn't but I very well know you, my son. I can read your killer eyes. The way you were staring at her at the orphanage last morning, I am sure you must have pestered her with your rude remarks."

Vihaan vigorously shook his head, contemplating certain things in his intelligent cop-like brain. "And how did you come in contact with her and began trusting her more than anybody else?"

"That's a long story but I'll cut it short. If you remember the case from last year, the one in which I was kidnapped but later I turned up to the court in time. Sanchi was passing by from the similar remote lane I was in and she had witnessed the incident. She followed the kidnapper's car by hiding on the top of a truck and when they left me locked in their secret room, she sneaked inside taking a huge risk. She saved me in time and we escaped. I reached the court later and sorted everything being the sole witness to the case. But I kept her identity hidden from all because I didn't want to risk her life. Since then, she has assisted me in many such serious cases and helped me in getting successful."

"Do you think she is worthy of trust, dad? Where she works, what she does! She doesn't even possess a surname and when she speaks, as if fire explodes from her."

"She works as the chief editor and crime journalist at the ADR channel and sends us her article analyses often. She dropped her surname due to some personal problems in her family. She refrained from even sharing the stories of her heinous past with me. I only know that she could not second herself with the wrong and it compelled her to abondon few things in life. I not only trust her but possess blind faith in her. She is not only an agent but like a daughter to me. And about her fire, are you scared of getting burnt in her flames, son?" Virendra said in a teasing voice.

Vihaan got up from his chair, trying to avoid the last bit of Virendra's speech. "Dad, do you know anything about her orphanage and her problems?"

Virendra frowned at this. "Is there anything as such? She's kind of a girl who wouldn't want to share her problems with anyone, except that she'll burn herself internally like a wick."

Vihaan pursed his lips, getting confirmed that Virendra knew nothing about Shakti, which meant Sanchi hadn't preferred to share it with his father. He finished the sandwich and both the cups of coffee, and headed for the bureau soon after.

Durga, who all the time remained the attentive listener to their conversation, smiled to herself. She wondered, "So Sanchi is the one who has managed to win my son's heart. I have never seen him taking interest in any other girl before. If Sanchi is God's wish for him, I'll be the happiest mother in the world. Vihaan really needs to be tied to a true woman who can help him return to his old self."

*****

"Please Vidya, don't mind my brother's words. You are very well aware of what all he went through in his life. He can't trust women easily but he really didn't mean to hurt you." Dheeraj pleaded, stopping Vidya outside their house.

Vidya detached Dheeraj's clutching hand off her wrist and said, "Vihaan was not wrong at all. It is true that I left so many works pending at the hospital for the past three days. What was the reason that I was spending my time here? Do I really have a reason?"

Dheeraj stared into the brown eyes of Vidya for a couple of minutes. None of them spoke while gazing into each other's searching eyes, a search unknown to both of them. Sometimes the eyes spoke what the heart couldn't, such was the case with them. They were harboring the ship of love in both their hearts but none was able to bring it out to one's mouth.

Their interlocking of eyes was brought to reality when Dheeraj's phone rang. He rejected the call only to speak to Vidya at first. He clutched her palms tightly again. "You stayed because I had requested you, you don't need any other reason for it. I know how much you care for my mom, dad, Vihaan and..."

"And what, Dheeraj?" Vidya said in a painful voice, her eyes interlocking with Dheeraj's emotional ones again.

Before Dheeraj could answer, Vihaan moved out of the house in a hurry and halted next to them. He said, looking at Vidya with some sort of apologetic eyes. "I didn't mean to say something which could affect you. I was just.. I mean irked a little. Hope you don't mind."

"Vihaan, you could have simply said a 'sorry' instead of exaggerating so much," Dheeraj said in a displeasing tone.

"It's alright Dheeraj, whatever Vihaan said is more than an apology. Only saying a 'sorry' is no way better than an apology directly from the heart." Vidya smiled at Vihaan and left the bungalow bidding a farewell to Dheeraj.

Vihaan arched his eyebrows thinking to himself, "Doesn't Vidya talk more like Sanchi, their answers are always ready on the tongues? Oh no! Sanchi's words are incomparable to anyone, it's like words keep on overflowing from her mouth all the time. But whatever it is, dad at last proved that Sanchi is not a terrorist."

In all these, Virendra hadn't missed the opportunity to remain the witness to the little mingle between Vidya and Dheeraj. He had seen and felt all of it from the archaic balcony of their bungalow.

Vihaan turned to Dheeraj. "Will you go to the bureau with me?"

Dheeraj nodded, running a hand through his black hair. "No, I've taken half a day off today for a case. I'll reach by the afternoon."

After Dheeraj went back to the bungalow, Vihaan shrugged his broad shoulders. "I know my brother is little upset with me because of my behavior with his secret love. But whatever I told her at the dining table was intentional and much needed. This is true that she keeps visiting and staying back here only for him but they both will never realize or reveal it to each other. And most importantly, she must also understand that duty should always be her first priority. If they think I'm being rude, I don't care."

Vihaan sighed loudly and muttered again, "The new and transformed Vihaan Singh Bundela just doesn't care!"

*****

Dheeraj attended the important call from his own informer for some important case he was handling and when it was done, he found his mother sitting at the home temple. Durga was oiling the lamp, humming a song and smiling to herself.

He was mesmerized by his mother's charming face and instantly remembered Vidya's words. She had warned them that their mother should remain happy and tension free to allow her health to improve. A little mistake on their part could be life risky for her.

He went closer to her and touched her shoulder. "Mom, is there anything special today?"

Durga smiled at him. "Not special but very special."

"Has Vihaan reconciled with you? If I remember correctly, you were the happiest somewhat nearly three years ago when Vihaan had spoken to you for the last time. Since then, I've never seen you smiling again." Dheeraj seemed confused.

"He hasn't reconciled with me but gave me enough reasons to smile," Durga replied calmly and continued oiling the lamp.

"And how is that? It really feels great to see you smiling, mom."

Durga took a deep breath and held his palm. "I think your brother is in love with a girl named Sanchi. He has never been interested in any other girl before."

Dheeraj listened to what his mother had to say and uttered, "I don't think my rude brother can fall for anyone, in fact no innocent girl can fall for him to tolerate his rants and arrogance. As far as I know, Sanchi is the girl whom he met coincidentally when he went for a case at Ujjain. Do you think there can be anything which can develop in such a short time?"

Durga nodded. "I don't know what it is but I personally feel she is the right girl for him and my house. Whatever I understood from their discussion is that she had strongly handled Vihaan's anger and he was also engrossed in her stories like never before. A short span of time can work like miracles, son. Going by his records of intolerance for women, I don't think he spent two days at her place just like that."

"Mom, if that is the case, we should wait and watch. Vihaan isn't an easy guy to give into a relationship smoothly." Dheeraj was upset due to his own incomplete love story.

"No, I can't let him do what he likes this time. Your father and me, we both want to see both our sons settled in life. If Vihaan's concerns are already developing for a girl, I don't see love is quite far. I want you to speak to him and find out what's stored in his heart for the girl." Durga was adamant.

"I will talk to him, I promise. Whatever it takes to see you keeping happy and smiling always," Dheeraj agreed and left for his own workroom quietly.

*****

Vihaan sat rooted on the easy chair of his cabin at the bureau, with different thoughts dangling and jamming his damn brain. The little history of Sanchi from his father's point of view was exposed before him and there was not a single part which could prove her flawed, hopeless or under any benefit of doubt. She was perfect in every sense and he shrugged his shoulders lamely.

Taking out the few files of the ADR channel from his cabinet, he scanned his eyes through all of them again, remaining utmost careful this time. He wondered why he had missed checking on the name of the editor earlier. Her analyses were very well written, impressive enough for a stringent officer like him.

"We receive so many files from different channels but something in her writing can captivate a good reader. And why wouldn't it be? She has such fiery stocks of words flowing like fountains of lava from her mouth!"

As he stacked the files back in their places, he mumbled to himself again, "So I was right. The hickory dickory dock is indeed a colorful editor. She possesses different colours to sketch any person before her with her colourful metaphors."

Tapping the edges of his fingers of both palms together, he engrossed his intelligent brain into finding out a way for Sanchi's problems. "Whatever it is but I can't deny that I'm under her debts. She has saved my life and I can't actually imagine of a woman risking her damn life for me. Not even my mom because she..."

Inhaling the soft breeze fanning the window of his cabin through the white blinds, he stared outside. The lobby of the bureau was clearly visible to him and the greenery of the fencing around the government building gave him some sort of mental satisfaction. He stood up from his chair and moved closer to the window to catch a better glimpse of the little nature outside.

"Now I exactly know what I can do to get her out of trouble. It's time for an another plan, for an another sacrifice and walking on the path which will lead me to free myself from the burden of her debts. I don't really keep pending debts in my life, or do I?"

To be continued...

A/N: Another long but Sanchi-less chapter... Did you like it?
What's coming next? Any ideas 🤷‍♀

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