77 Heartbreaks (Humari Adhuri Kahaani) | SaiRat FF (dark)

Chapter 6: Mirchi

Chapter 6: Mirchi

"Khud khushi karne ki koshish ki hai Sai ne," the doctor had said to Shivani and Aai a few minutes after they sat in the office. "Aap jaante ho iska matlab kya hai,"

"Yeh Sai ki pehli koshish nai hai, Shivani ji," the doctor continued, "Sai ne pehle bhi koshish ki thi,"

Shivani broke into sobs. Aai, who had been the calmer one among the two, asked for more details.

"She tried to induce a miscarriage on herself without painkillers. It can be understood why she didn't have painkillers on her. Maybe she felt she didn't need them. But uski nass katna, that's the problem here," the doctor continued.

"Have you seen Sai's wrists? Or her legs? The cut marks are fresh. And if I'm not wrong they started a few weeks ago,"

The doctor then pushed forward a file.

"You are Sai's guardian. These are Sai's medical records. Sai came to the university hospital around seven weeks ago. She had been dozing herself on pai killers. She said she needed a plaster for her leg because she correctly guessed her leg was fractured. Her arm on the hand had not just suffered a sprain, it had been partially dislocated. She had bruises all over her body, which are still present. She had been approximately 12 weeks pregnant then. We had suspected an impending miscarriage or a very complicated life-threatening pregnancy. But the fetus didn't grow. Sai had been obsessed with her fetus growing. I'm guessing the instruction to rightfully terminate the pregnancy and her personal led her to breakdown,"

"But I hope you understand my allegation, Mrs Shinde. These are signs of abuse. And clear indications of domestic abuse. It also hasn't been the first time Sai has shown at university with injuries. Over the past few years, it's habitual for Sai to come to college with an injury or another. Like in any other case, we just assumed that she had been a clutz. But these recent developments, they change the perspective,"

" Cases like Sai's are out of my jurisdiction. And if the university decides, there can be a board suggested to review the case and investigate the case. Of course, evidence proves Sai is a victim of abuse. She has been suggested counselling and therapy several times,"

"And before you interrupt me, Mrs Shinde, Sai's previous injuries, they aren't self-inflicted. Her medical file clearly shows that these have been inflicted on her. Such fractures and dislocations aren't caused by slips but by a significant amount of force that causes the resultant trauma. We can go over this with you. Before you suggest how we proceed with this further,"

The doctor spoke on and on. But Shivani. All Shivani could hear was a blur. There were no words. She wasn't surprised. She couldn't pretend to be. But she'd never known things had been so drastic. Shivani being in shock scared Aai. The days that followed had been a blur. A week in the hospital, Akshay postponing his shoots (before Shivani send him to work still unsure when Sai would wake up), Devi flying in with her husband and baby in tow, Reyansh giving in to Purvi's tantrums, Aai praying, and the constant medications and drugs administered to Sai.

Sai was malnourished, with multiple injuries, and now on mandatory counselling sessions. Shivani knew she couldn't let Sai go back to the Chavan's instead she would see it as it was - a cry for help.

~

It had been a week since Ashwini had heard from Shivani. All she'd gotten back was a curt text - Sai is fine. I'm with her. Ashwini understood Shivani's anger. Shivani was mad that Ashwini stayed back with Sai instead of leaving with Devi and her. Ashwini herself didn't understand why she stayed. As the years went, and she observed Sai and Virat, Ashwini knew one thing for sure - their marriage wasn't going to last. Maybe Ashwini saw a younger version of herself in Sai. A version that didn't go through the obstacles she did. Ashwini had wondered if she'd go through the life she did if she married into a household with a good Saas. But she didn't, she had married into a household with Bhavini. The elder daughter in law of the house that craved power and control over everything else. Chavan Niwas held several secrets that remained confined between the four walls of the compound. One of them had been Virat's marriage to Sai. Ashwini wondered if the people in their circle or community even knew Sai after having met her just once in the small close-knit reception they held for Virat and Sai. It wasn't even a reception if Aai had to recollect. It had been a get together that no one attended. It had just been Kamal Joshi's friends who after that day pretended that they weren't acquainted with the Chavans' or Sai.