Chapter nine: Goodbye, with love

( after four days )

"If I don't see you both in Pune for Diwali, you are in for a beating!" Rekha warned and Shubman-Sara nodded fearfully. Rekha was leaving for Pune today and Manvi was going back to hers and Virat's Mumbai house. Sara had stopped by to bid goodbye to the two ladies.

She touched Rekha's feet, seeking blessings and as always Rekha said the same thing, "My blessings are always with you, my child"

Shubman grumpily said goodbye to his mother, hugging her tightly.

"Maa, it's high time you and Papa come to live with me," he complained.

"Har baar wohi pungi bajata rehta hai," (You repeat the same thing again, and again!) Rekha scolded. "We're happy with our lifestyle in Pune, and do you think we'd sell the shop?" She asked and he Shubman sighed, nodding a 'no'.

"Kehte hai humesha haste haste bye bolna chahiye," (They say that you should bid adieu with a smile!) Rekha said and Shubman's lips curved in a smile.

"Take care, Mummy" he said and she nodded.

"You too, mera baccha," she said, sitting in the car. As the car went away, the three went back to Shubman's apartment.

As they entered the flat, Sara smiled softly.

"Kaku was very nice to pack lunch for me," and Shubman nodded. Since he stepped out of his denial about his feelings, he felt lighter. Better. Happier. He appreciated her more. Appreciated her presence more. Seeing her again, after just four days, was a victory for him. Smiling softly, he zipped the cover of the tiffins and exited the kitchen. He silently slipped a spoon in the pocket of his pants.

"Here you go," he said, handing her the bag. She nodded, gratefully.

"Thank you so much,"

No, thank you, thank you for coming into my life.

"Where's Mannu?" He asked as she was right with Sara when he entered the kitchen. Sara rolled her eyes.

"Her clingy husband called her,"

"Again?" Shubman asked, frowning. "They are so lovesick that it makes me sick," he said, shaking his head.

"I know right, I mean LEAVE HER FOR FIVE MINUTES, BRO!" Sara shouted the last part, wanting Virat to hear it. Manvi rolled her eyes, putting her phone on speaker.

"Lo, apne jiju se baat karo!" (Talk to your brother in law!) she said.

"For your information Sara, she's my wife, so no I won't leave her even for a second," he said sweetly.

"You're so clingy," Sara complained. "Let me talk to her at least before I leave,"

"Why are you leaving so soon?" Manvi asked, raising her brow. "I'll see you tonight, baby," Manvi hung up her call with Virat.

"I'm a busy actress you know," Sara said, fluttering her lashes, feigning conceit. "We shoot for the ITA today!" She then said, excitedly. "I'm performing and I'm also nominated for best debut- main character!" She then and Manvi squealed in excitement at the jumpy Sara.

"Oh my God, Oh my God! How wonderful," she said, spinning Sara. "God, the ITA! If you win, you'd get to see Shaheer, Harshad, Nakuul, Oh my God- I love Nakuul!"

"I could see them without even winning though," she said excitedly as the two had the exchange in a hilariously high voice.

"But, they will look at you, only when you're winning," Manvi said thoughtfully, putting a finger on her chin and Sara's eyes widened.

"Oh, I absolutely need to win then!" Sara giggled, feeling a surge of confidence. Shubman looked at her, eyes filled with admiration and adoration.

Just let her be like this. Happy, content, confident, ambitious, full of joy, full of love. I just want her to win, I just want her to be victorious, all the goddamn time.

"Oh my god, Saru I'm so excited for you!" Manvi cried happily, her and Sara were still fidgeting and hopping around. "But I got to stop the jumpy thing we are doing, my stomach fucking hurts!" She said and Sara nodded. The two women chatted for five minutes, as Sare filled in all the details of the event to Manvi.

"Alright, I'll get going now, yeah? Goodbye," she said. "Good day guys," the cousins nodded, saying their byes to them.

"Mister Gill, I'm going to take a nap, then we'll go out," Manvi announced as Sara waited for the lift.  and he nodded. That's right, before Manvi returned to her clingy husband, Shubman and Manvi were going for a cousins' date, which was a chance for Manvi to splurge, because she has never benefited having a 'superstar, rich brother'. 

He saw Sara disappear as she entered the elevator. Action!

"Oh fuck!" Shubman gasped dramatically. "The spoon! I did not give her the spoon, Mom will kill me, I'll go give it to her!" He said, rushing out of the house. Manvi simply nodded, confused.

Shubman ran downstairs speedily, and he did it so easily, like he was walking- or better, like he was breathing. He reached the ground floor, a minute after Sara reached the ground.

"Sara, Sara!" He shouted as she speedily walked out.

"Shubman?" She asked, turning around, confused. Abb kya hua? (What happened now?)

"Spoon!" He said, a little too loudly, "I forgot to give you the spoon," he said and Sara looked at him, confused. Oh, wait. I know what's going on in that little head. She touched his arm and smiled warmly at him.

"I'm okay," she said in a soft voice and he looked at her, shocked. "I...uh...Sara, I," he stuttered, face flushed.

"I didn't have nightmares, and I didn't feel anything like four days ago for the last four days!" She said calmly, and despite her beautiful smile, his heart broke. These words and a smile, no. Why? Why Sara? The one person who's never meant no harm, why her? Why not every other evil in the world?

"Take care, and just...just call me if you feel anything go wrong," he said. "Please," he almost begged and Sara looked at him, her eyes sad. This is what he does, always. Always gets troubled because of me. But maybe, I could just thank him again!

"Don't worry about me, I have a great friend called Shubman who'll take good care of me if...anything is to happen again," she said softly, her eyes shining with joy. "I'm really thankful to have him in my life, really thankful," she said, a soft smile lingering on her lips.

Shubman smiled sadly.

"It won't happen again though," he whispered, "It shouldn't, because...because I'm leaving in two days, we play a..against New Zealand," he murmured and Sara felt her smile drop slightly.

"Oh," she quickly smiled again. "All the best Shubman, I hope y'all win!" She exclaimed but something didn't feel right.

He's out all the time.

I mean, you're out of your mind, Sara. You really are.

Shut your thoughts!

He sighed in relief looking at her.

"Yeah, thanks! I hope even you win today," he said, smiling. She forced a smile despite feeling a wave of crash into her.

Sara turned back, walking towards the car she had hired for the day. Shubman looked at her, leaving, heart racing with millions of thoughts.

God, I am going to miss you so much. You're just back in my life, and- fuck, I hope things don't revert back to the way they were before...I won't be able to handle it Sara, for I like you, I really do; and the realisation just made my feelings for you deeper, and I just want you to be happy, and if destiny smiles at me, I want you happy, with me.

Goodbye Gupte, just for now.

'Goodbye Gill, I'll see you soon' Sara thought as she sat in the car and shut the door loudly.

🦚

23 July 2015.

"Sara! Sara come out, see Sudeep Uncle and Rekha aunty are here," Sara was busy reading a magazine when she heard her dad's voice. She glanced in the mirror, putting on a plastic hairband to put away the hair which had left her braid. It looked silly, but she had to go out in the living room before her dad called her again.

She had met Sudeep uncle before when he had come to Pune, but it was her first time meeting his wife and son.

"Hello Sara," the aunty smiled warmly at her and Sara felt at ease with the motherly woman in a moment.

"Hello aunty," her eyes travelled to the couple's son who was sitting in between his parents, leg shaking with nervousness.

"Oh, this is my son...he has joined the same college as you," Rekha informed and Sara nodded, remembering that she'd seen him earlier that day.

"Hello, I'm Sara," Sara said, beaming at the taller guy she had seen in college that morning.

"Uh hello Sara, I'm Shubman," he replied anxiously. Conversing with new people was never easy for him, but it seemed so easy for her. For Sara.

"Shubman, I have never heard this name before," she murmured and he nodded, not knowing what to say.

"It's uh...nice to meet you Sara," he mumbled as his mom glared at him for not continuing with the conversation.

"Oh, nice to meet you too! I hope we get along well,"

Little did the two know that the moment was the beginning of an adventure.