IshRa FF Strangers Chapter 22-27 Page 94-95 *Completed* (3/3/15) - Page 6

Loved loved loved the concept and the execution..the flow of the story is amazing ...loved sharpness of the characters ...you are naturally gifted as a writer...cant wait for the next part :)

awesome part⭐️
loved how raman was adamant on ishita going with him👍🏼
and omg, they are going to pretend to be married...
eager to read how you take it from here now😃
thanks for the back to back updates😃

Beautiful update Neet their fighting start before they go to live together how much more will come. Let the fun begun.😉

Hello everyone!

Back with an update! Thank you so much for all the lovely, encouraging comments about the story so far. They are probably the only reason I am getting fairly regular with the updates. I have a request, people who'd like a PM for updates, please like this chapter! I am having a tough time sorting through my buddies to figure out who is into YHM and who is not. I really appreciate the help. As a note, the part in italics is a phone convo and will appear in chapters henceforth. Who the convo is between and what its about, I am sure you'll figure it out.

Once again, thank you so much for your love and appreciation. Do let me know how you like/hate this chapter.

Cheers,

Neet

Chapter 4

"One task. I gave you one task and you couldn't do it right! Was this your fool proof strategy? In a crowded hotel lobby of all the places possible?"

"It was the one time he was alone and in close range."

"Oh shut up! That's why you ended up killing half a dozen other people, right?"

"Listen, I screwed up. If that guy hadn't walked by at that time and that female hadn't screamed.."

"I do not want to listen to your excuses! I hired you because I was told you are the best in the business. But looks like you are some amateur wasting my time."

"I am the best in the business. And if I've taken on an assignment, I will fulfill it, no matter what."

"Yeah, by going around killing random people and letting eye witnesses escape. I can see how much of a professional you are. Do you know if they saw your face?"

"I don't know."

"Remind me again why I shouldn't just have you killed off and finish off any trail that will lead all of this back to me?"

"One more chance.. I promise I won't screw up this time and I won't leave any more witnesses either."

"Fine! But let me warn you, I do not want any more unnecessary dead bodies to deal with. Do you get me? You will kill no one except your targets - the guy and the girl. Or you know how easily I can get rid of you and leave no trace behind."

"Yes.. Sir.."

***

"Where are we going Sir?" Ishita asked as Abhi settled them into the car. Raman slipped into the seat next to her and Ishita eyed him. Raman shrugged his shoulders at her. "What? You thought I'd sit in front? Who do you think you are? The Queen of Chennai? And I'm your chauffer?" he shook his head. "Sir, if I change my mind, do I still have the option of going somewhere else other than with this irritating, infuriating man?" Ishita asked Abhi. "Oh drama queen! Has your Appa bought the police force that they've nothing better to do than run around catering to all your whims and fancies?" Raman asked. "Sir, will you please tell this man that I am not speaking to him?" Ishita asked Abhi. Abhi couldn't help but laugh, "Listen, we are sending both of you to Ranikhet." "Ranikhet? Where on earth is that?" Raman asked. Ishita too looked on equally puzzled. "Its an army cantonment area in Uttarakhand. It's a small but beautiful place. The local community there is very tight knit. It does not feature on the top of tourist itineraries so outside folk are few and rare which makes it easier to keep you guys secure. Its relatively remote so we are going to take our chances that no one there will recognize you, Raman," Abhi explained. "You will be staying with Ram Manohar Singh. He is the local SI. Only he knows the real reason why you are there but mind you, even he thinks that you are a normal married couple. To everyone else you will say that the two of you ran away from home and got married because your families did not agree to your marriage, okay? Oh and try not to go into too many details about your families and backgrounds," Abhi continued.

"You really think people will believe that a handsome, smart guy like me fell in love with a female like her?" Raman asked. "Oh please? Have you even seen yourself in the mirror ever?" Ishita quipped right back. "Even if some unfortunate female were to find you even remotely good looking, once you start talking, that razor sharp tongue will drive even the most desperate of females away," Ishita replied. "Well, I wonder then what that says about you because I've spent the past what," Raman glanced at his watch, "5 hours 26 minutes and 13 seconds with you and you are still willing to come with me to the middle of nowhere for God knows how along and act as my wife," he shot right back. "That's it. I've had enough. I am not going with him," Ishita said and moved to open the car door. "Ms. Iyer, please. I apologize on Raman's behalf but we really need to get you to a safe place and we can't be wasting any more time," Abhi pleaded. "For all we know, by now, the killer has already narrowed down his suspect list to the two of you since you two are missing' since the incident. Both of you really need to understand the gravity of the situation and just get along with each other if you want to come out of this mess alive. I also need to enhance the security near your homes and for your other family members and I cannot plan any of that if I have the two of you bickering here and not cooperating with me." Raman and Ishita looked at each other and then looked away. "And Raman, you are the one who insisted that she had to go with you. The least you can do is be cordial to her," Abhi said. "I promised her dad I'd keep her safe. I never said anything about being nice to her," he muttered. Abhi could not help but roll his eyes as he sent the duo off.

***

The journey took a good 6 and a half - seven hours. They stopped once for the driver to freshen up and Raman and Ishita got out to stretch their legs. They arrived in Ranikhet with the first rays of the sun. The beauty of the place was simply breathtaking. Ishita rolled down her window to feel the crisp, clean, cool mountain breeze. "The car is air conditioned you know?" Raman asked. "So?" Ishita wondered what smart ass comment he was going to make now. "Unless your intention is to have that haystack on your head that you call hair fall all over me to either entice me or irritate me, why the heck have you rolled down the window?" he asked. What a way to spoil such a beautiful place, Ishita thought. "Excuse me, Mister.." she started to rebuke him but he cut her. "Raman.. If you are going to act as my wife, might as well get used to calling me Raman," he said. "Fine! Raman, contrary to what you think, the world does not revolve around you. I prefer breathing in the cool, crisp mountain air than the air conditioned confines of this car," she stated. "What else do you prefer?" Raman asked. Ishita was surprised by the sudden question. "What?" she asked. "I asked you what other preferences do you have?" Raman repeated. Ishita kept looking at him suspiciously. "Oh God! Will I have to keep spelling everything out to you? We are going there as a married couple, supposedly one that is in love and eloped because our families did not agree. Something called common sense, which I am not sure you've heard about, dictates that we should be knowing a lot more about each other than just our names if we want to pull this act through. Get my point?"

As much as she wanted to wring his neck, Ishita had to admit he had a point. It was surprising how many times that thought had crossed her mind since she'd met him - the thought to wring his neck. She was brought out of her musing by Raman's voice, "So now will you please enlighten me Madam about yourself?" Ishita put on a tight lipped smile and replied, "Masala chai, two teaspoons sugar"

"Black coffee, no sugar" he replied.

"Dentist"

"Businessman"

"Tamil Brahmin"

"Punjabi"

"Pure vegetarian"

"Hardcore non-veg"

"Don't smoke, don't drink"

"Don't smoke but I enjoy an occasional drink"

"Hometown Chennai"

"Chandigarh"

"Favorite color - White"

"Black"

"Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge"

"The Boy in the striped pyjamas"

Ishita wondered what else she could tell him, while mentally noting how poles apart they were, when Raman asked, "Relationship status?" Ishita paused for a second before she replied, "Apparently married to you." "No, I meant, is there a need to worry about an over anxious boyfriend, fianc or maybe husband hunting us down?" he asked. Ishita looked out for a long moment before she replied, "No." Then she turned to him and asked angrily, "Wait! You really think if I were married or engaged there was any way I would agree to this charade?" Raman shrugged his shoulders before he too looked away and replied, "How should I know? Women seem to be capable of all kinds of deceit." "Well, for your kind information, I am not that kind of a woman," she stated. "Don't know, don't care" came his reply. "What about you? Any girlfriend. Fiance or wi..?" "None!" his replied curtly even before she could complete her question. A few minutes later, they pulled up in front of a house.

A tall, burly man, probably in his early-to-mid fifties came to greet them at the door. "Ah! Mr. and Mrs. Bhalla! Welcome! Welcome!" he said, shaking hands with Raman and saying Namaste to Ishita. "I am Ram Manohar Singh, the local SI and in charge of your security here on," he said in a hushed tone. "My wife does not know the real reason you are here. I've told her you are our new tenants. I believe Abhinav Shukla Sir has already briefed you on the rest of the plot," he asked. Raman and Ishita nodded their heads as a short, plump woman in a saree approached them. "Oh, so are these two the lovebirds?" she asked Singh. "Yes! Yes! Meet Mr. Raman Bhalla and his wife, Ishita Iyer, now Ishita Bhalla. Am I right Mrs. Bhalla?" Singh asked. It felt so odd to hear her surname changed to Bhalla, Ishita thought as she nodded. "Their families, I believe were against their marriage so they eloped and got married and somehow landed with my friend Shuklaji from Delhi and he has sent them here. So, here they are!" Singh filled his wife in. "And this is my wife, Saubhagyavati. I call her Bhagya," Singh introduced his wife. "Oh, such a beautiful couple!" Mrs. Singh exclaimed. "How on earth could their parents object to their marriage? Just look at them! They look so made for each other!" Raman and Ishita looked at each other and immediately took a step away from each other. "Wait, let me get the aarti ka thaal to welcome you inside. Its your new beginning after all, lets cast off all the evil eyes," she said rushing in before either Raman or Ishita could object.

A few minutes later, Mrs. Singh appeared with the aarti ka thaal. "Stand closer you too. Now nothing on earth can separate you too," she directed. Raman and Ishita moved closer to each other. "You know, Ram and I had a love marriage too. Just like you.. Even our families did not agree. So we ran away and got married too. I know exactly how you must be feeling but trust me, from here on everything will be alright. I get so overjoyed when I see love triumph," Mrs. Singh explained as she did their aarti. Wasn't one drama queen that he had on his hands enough that fate had landed him in the house of another one? Raman thought miserably as he waited for the drama to end. "Here, put sindoor on her," Mrs. Singh instructed Raman as she handed him the box of vermilion.

"What?"

"No!"

Raman's and Ishita's responses were instantaneous. Singh and his wife were surprised by their response. "I mean.. There is no need for all of this Aunty," Ishita commented. "Oh I know you are probably one of those modern day couples who don't believe in sindoor or mangalsutra or phere but I do. So, please, for my sake, put sindoor on her," she said, holding out the box to Raman. "Whatever," Raman muttered under his breath as he took a pinch of vermilion from the box and filled it in Ishita's partition. Ishita felt tears brim in her eyes. What had she gotten herself into? How could she explain to Mrs. Singh that she believed in sindoor and mangalsutra and phere and that is why she didn't want a random stranger filling her partition with sindoor. A guy she didn't even like.

***

"Will you please stop overreacting? And what was I supposed to do? Tell them that we aren't husband and wife? I just wanted that lady to shut up and let us be," Raman yelled. Singh had just shown them to their one bedroom cottage a few yards away from Singh's house and left when a teary eyed Ishita had started rubbing off the sindoor vigorously and ran into the bathroom saying it was all his fault. Ishita splashed more water on her face and rubbed at her partition more vigorously to get the color to go away. "You won't understand," she replied. "Oh for heavens sake! You know what? I've been having a really really horrible day from the moment I laid eyes on you. So, you can go about bruising yourself trying to get the meaningless color off and I am going to take a nap. Please, I don't use that word often so I'd appreciate it if you'll take it into consideration whenever I do use it, please give me a few hours of peace so I can sleep," saying that, he plopped onto the bed face down and was fast asleep in no time. Ishita came back from the bathroom finally having managed to get rid of the color and sat on the edge of the bed. What was she doing here? How was she going to stay here with this man for an indefinite period of time? How would she deal with the over enthusiastic Mrs. Singh? How were Amma and Appa managing? She couldn't even call them. She had to turn her phone over to the police. Appa and Amma must be so worried. And if they ever found out she was acting married to some random stranger.. That too a Punjabi no less! Oh God! She was regretting her impulsive decision to join this charade already. But there wasn't anything she could do now, was there? There were too many questions but no answers. She did not even realize when she went from sitting on the bed to lying on it. Exhaustion caught up with her and she too was fast asleep in no time.

***

Nice story. Interesting. Waiting for the next update.

Awesone story so far... Love the concept and idea!

TEHEHEHE! Raman is on a ROLL in this chapter! So witty! I love witty men! I love how Raman said lets see you have been with me for this long, what does that say about you lol 😆 At the same time the sensitive side of him opens up, he's a nice guy! The overly lovable couple that Ishra are staying with, I hope play cupid. I can almost feel Raman's dislike for Bhagya! 😆 Still the mystery guy who hired the hit-man is not revealed but he seems evil! I throughly enjoyed this update. Especially the last bit, of how Ishita is such a sensitive girl, but Raman is more of a logical/rational guy. Can I hope to read that they both wake up right next to each other? It would be worthwhile to read their reactions! Waiting to read the next chapter! 👏

wow... dat was awesome... i just hope their beautiful love story begins with the new ray of sunlight after their sleep... ishra sleeping together on nthe same bed... waiting for their morning scene... very excited to kno wat is coming on the way... plsss plsss do continue soonn... n update soon... very eagerly waiting for the nxt update

Thanks for update it is beautiful story now the new environment and time they spend together will bring them closer may be little bit of advanture will make it mor spicies too. Love it.