After Manvi left both Sid and Saara ran around the house completely enjoying themselves as there was no one to discipline them while both Viv and Virat sat on the couch sulking.
"Sid, Saara stop running around! It is annoying." Viv yelled and so did Virat. "Yea you two. Finger on your lips and no more running."
Both Sid and Saara looked at Viv and Virat confused at their behavior. "You two are so boring when mom is not around." They complained.
"I'm bored. I want mommy." Saara whined. "I want my mommy daddy." Saara poked Virat and whined again.
"Me too!! Dad take me to mom." Sid said stubbornly and sat on the couch pouting.
Virat and Viv looked at each other and rolled their eyes at the two whiny kids.
"Weren't you two dancing around few minutes ago? Buzz off and leave us alone." Cranky Viv was not in a good mood. "Yea I need some peace to wallow in sadness. Both of you keep quiet." Virat too was not in a good mood.
Vanshika shook her head at the three kids and Virat who too was no less than a kid. "Virat instead of taking care of the kids you are acting like one." Vanshika scolded him but he was not in a mood to act like an adult. The kids were moping too and that made it worse for Virat.
It was dinner time at Vadhera house. Usually during dinner the entire family would sit around the table and share stories about their day, giggle, tease each other but today it was unusually quiet. Even chatterbox Saara was eating her food silently and naughty Sid too was quiet. Vivaan was too depressed to come for dinner and his food was sent to his room and Virat was trying to get a hold of Manvi.
"Bhabi Manvi is not picking up her phone. Did she call you at all?" Virat asked Jeevika. It had already been over five hours since Manvi left the house and she neither had called him nor had she reached Hrishikesh. He kept trying to call her but she did not pick up her phone.
"She should have reached by now. Try calling someone in Hrishikesh." Now everyone was worried and they waited for Virat to call someone in Hrishikesh.
Virat tried calling Manvi's uncle, grandmother, brother but all of their phones were out of reach. He then dialed their land line number which was busy. "Bhabi I can't contact anyone. All of their phones are out of reach." He said worriedly.
"Dad dad." Vivaan called Virat and ran down the stairs. "Buddy I'm trying to call your mom. Later." Virat dismissed him. "No dad. Look at this." He spoke hurriedly and showed Virat his I pad.
"The condition in Hrishikesh is getting worse with protesters taking over the streets. Police has been trying to control the situation. Several gun shots were heard throughout the town and everybody has been advised to stay indoors. The members of two leading parties have brought their fight on the streets. Taking out anger on each other, both the political parties have started burning random houses. Our figures show that more than a dozen civilians have already been killed and at least 20 civilians are seriously injured. The situation in Hrishikesh is worsening by the minute and the death of civilians is expected to rise by a huge amount." The news reporter spoke while all the Vadheras stood in the dinning hall shocked at the new found information.
While everyone was still trying to process the new found information, Virat checked his pockets for his car keys. "Dad I already got it." Vivaan tossed the keys at Virat and added, "Lets go get mom."
"Virat you can't drive there. Didn't you hear the news?! The condition is really bad there and I'm sure all the highways to Hrishikesh is blocked." Viren tried to reason with Virat but he was not ready to listen.
"Bhai I have to get there." He started walking towards the door with Vivaan following him.
"Virat stop being so childish. Viv off too your room." Viren commanded.
"No I need to find mom."
Viren had no idea how to deal with the equally stubborn father son duo.
"Virat try and understand. You won't be able to reach Hrishikesh on time. Let us try and contact the local police station in Hrishikesh. We can ask them to go and check Chaudhary mansion then we can send our jet to get them." Viren shook Virat's shoulders and tried to knock some sense into his brother's head.
Soon both Saara and Sid started weeping. "Where is my mommy?" "Call mom." "I want my mommy." They yelled simultaneously.
Jeevika and Vanshika took the kids to their room so that they would not distract anyone. They tried to take Vivaan too but he didn't move an inch. "I'm a big boy now dadi and I will help dad find mom." He said stubbornly.
"Virat I will call the pilot and ask him to get the jet ready you call DGP, Mr. Singh."
Few hours later,
They roamed around the living room waiting for any information on the Chaudharys and Manvi. Virat could hardly breathe and all he wanted was to know that she is safe. He called his secretary for the hundredth time that day, "Why isn't the goddamn jet ready yet? I need to get to Hrishikesh. You better ask the pilot to hurry."
"Sorry sir it will take a couple more hours. They are fueling the jet." His nervous secretary answered. Right then Virat received another call and he quickly received it.
"Did you find her?" He asked hurriedly.
"Sir we are in Chaudhary mansion. Everybody is here except your wife. She has not reached yet. Someone here wants to talk to you." The person on the other line handed the phone to beeji (Manvi's grandmother).
"Virat beta we can't find Manvi and her phone is out of reach. Beta do something. I'm extremely scared. The men on the streets are roaming around like animals. They are stabbing and burning people alive. Manvi is out there somewhere and we can't find her." Beeji wept into the phone and begged Virat to find her.
In a matter of seconds Virat's world crashed into bits and pieces. He couldn't think, he didn't know what to do. Nothing made sense to him anymore and he couldn't function. Vivaan kept shaking his hand, asking him to tell them what happened, Saara and Sid were weeping in the corner, Jeevika and Vanshika were screaming at him to tell them what beeji said but he couldn't speak.
"Virat snap out of it. We need to find Manvi." Viren shook him and snatched the phone from his hand.
"Bhai they don't know where she is." Virat said without any emotion. "I'm driving to Hrishikesh. I can't sit here and do nothing."
"Virat this is no time to act rashly. There are police barricades everywhere, the roads are closed. You will not be able to make it. Let us contact every police station in Hrishikesh and send them Manvi's pictures. As soon as the jet is ready we will go there ourselves." Viren reasoned.
Virat cursed himself for letting her go alone and he prayed wholeheartedly for her safety. He promised himself that once he finds her he will never let her go anywhere alone. His phone rang again and he was too scared to even pick it up. Vivaan looked at his dad hesitating to pick up the phone; he too was scared to pick up the phone. Thankfully Viren answered the phone.
precap: Virat rushed to the hospital with Vivaan and Viren right behind him.
"Doctor how is my wife? I want to see her." He asked breathlessly.
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