The next day, everyone was preparing for the pooja. Bhavani was checking all the items required, Karishma was helping her mother-in-law in kitchen, making prasad, Ashwini was making garland of flowers, Ninad and Omkar were sitting on the couch.
Virat was looking for clothes to wear in his cupboard
“Virat!” Pakhi barged inside his room “These are your clothes for today’s rituals, please wear them and come down.”
As Virat came down and sat near Pakhi, the priest started to chant the holy verses.
After a few hours, he gave a lamp to Pakhi and asked her to light it “This lamp should be burning during the whole week of the pooja and the daughter-in-law of this house should be the one putting oil every time. If due to whatever reason, she fails to keep it burning, it will result in the failure of this yagya and their marriage will be an unsuccessful one.”
Pakhi carefully took it and following the instructions of the priest kept it in front of the idol.
The priest would come and perform the pooja, while Pakhi would sleep near the lamp everyday, until one day when she forgot to close the window. The wind blew the lamp off. Pakhi hurriedly woke up by the sound of a falling vase and rushed to close the window and checking around lit the lamp again.
“Thank god! Everyone is sleeping. I don’t believe in these all misfortunes and sh*t anyways!”
******************************
Everyone was seated around the priest
“Today is the last day of this yagya, then they can marry in within 3 days and lead a happy life together.”
“My dearest daughter-in-law never fails to disappoint me. Look how she fulfills every task assigned to her with determination. Now I can finally die in peace. I finally found Virat a good wife.” Bhavani said taunting Ashwini.
The priest gave Pakhi a red duppatta to put on her head “this is mata rani ki chunri, wear this for the final pooja”
The chunri flew from his hand and landed on a person who just entered on the door.
“This is misfortune, this chunri was to be worn only by the daughter in law.” The priest said dramatically
“Then guru ji, it flew to the right person!” Ashwini said smiling and removing the chunri to reveal Sayi.
“Eyyy jungli mulgi, what the hell are you doing here? Virat had already divorced you and you have no relation to anyone in this house.” Bhavani said almost shouting
“I know, but, I forgot to take what belongs to me, and there were a few things I needed to return before I go.”
“Okay! You have 30 minutes, do whatever you want to do, because after that, I don’t ever want to see your face again” Virat said from behind.
“Fine! Even I’m not willing to ever see you again! Mr. Virat Chavan.”
They were both hurt, every word the other said stinged like a needle in their hearts. Virat wanted Sayi to stop, Sayi wanted him to stop her. Their eyes had tears that were hidden. He was looking at her fight alone, she had always been fighting alone. Her eyes had innumerable emotions, he could see it all. She still could make him look towards her without blinking, he was helplessly looking at her.
Only he knew how he spent the last 20 days, he was habituated to her, he wanted to hug her and never let go, he wanted to tell her what she meant to him, he wanted to believe her, but, his love was overpowered by his ego and manipulations. He never wanted to hurt her, but he always ended up hurting her. Sayi had gone upstairs to pack her stuff. Virat would sometimes open her side of cupboard and look at her stuff. He was struggling with two extreme emotions of love and rage together and amusingly, both would fight to overpower the other. 20 minutes had passed, his eyes never for once, moved from the direction she went to. She finally came, holding her favorite blue suit-case and her backpack.
“I couldn’t find a few stuff, guess you have thrown them.” Sayi said standing right in front of Virat.
She looked exactly like how he had seen her for the first time, just the difference was that the woman standing in front of him wasn’t a full of life, angry bird girl who just passed her high school, but a woman, who is his ex-wife, a doctor, much mature and probably heartbroken. He knew he took away her smile and he can never take back all the pain his family ever gave her. Her aayi had tears, she was the only one next to him, who was waiting for her favorite daughter to come back.
“Yes, I did! And now, you may leave, since I really don’t have time for your lectures, also, thank you for coming to take your stuff back, else I would have thrown that too, after marrying Pakhi.”
“What? Isn’t Pakhi didi already married?”
“It has nothing to do with you Dr. Sayi Joshi. You are no longer my wife, Samrat hasn’t been found yet, we are adults and can take our life decisions on own!”
Sayi took his hand, put her nuptial chain and engagement ring on it “I think, this doesn’t belong to me anymore and I don’t like keeping the things that don’t belong to me for long. Congratulations on your wedding.”
“I hope you will come to attend my wedding with Pakhi. I would have given you an invitation personally by coming to your hostel, but since, now you are here” He picks up the invitation card kept in front of the idol and almost throws it towards Sayi, due to which some of vermilion gets sprinkled on her hair.
“I’m sorry, but I will have to decline your invitation. I have been transferred and I have a flight to catch tomorrow morning.”
She turns to go.
“Wait” Virat interrupts “I want you to witness my marriage with pakhi”
“I already…” Virat picked up the vermilion from the plate, walking past Sayi, fills Pakhi’s hairline with the red pigment and makes her wear the nuptial chain, Sayi gave him.
Sayi tried to stand strong, reminiscing him fulfilling all the rituals with her and their moments from the first meet to the seperation.
“Guru, ji start reading the mantras”
“But….”
“I don’t care” Virat shouted
Virat picks the garland and put it around Pakhi’s neck asking her to do the same.
“But those garlands were for the yagya and you can’t marry….”
“I told you, I don’t care! What part of it you don’t understand?”
Picking up the chunri from Ashwini, makes Pakhi wear it and holds her hand asking the priest to chant matras. He takes the round with pakhi and the priest declares them a couple.
The whole family rejoices.
“I knew they were fated to be together, look how much Virat loves Pakhi, that he couldn’t even wait for the yagya to complete and married Pakhi right away.” Sonali cheered.
“Congratulations! Now I should go, I have to pack my other stuff.”
She turns, wiping her tears steps out of the Chavan mansion.
“Patralekha, now that you have already become the wife of Virat, let’s complete the other rituals as well.” Bhavani said holding Pakhi’s chin. Pakhi shyly nodded.
Ashwini performed their grih pravesh, they both together touched the elder’s feet.
The priest tied a black thread around their wrist and went away thinking “Their marriage is fated to last no more than an year. That girl will destroy the family and that guy will soon regret his decisions.”
Everyone is seated in the hall and are talking
“I want to make one thing very clear” Virat announced “Now, Pakhi is my wife and I don’t want to hear that girl’s name from anyone in this family especially you, Mohit and Aayi”
“I’m sorry dada, but I will consider only Sayi bhabhi as my Vahini and no one can take her place.”
“You do whatever you want to do, but I don’t want her name to be heard in this house. I hope I made myself clear.”