IshRa FF Strangers Chapter 22-27 Page 94-95 *Completed* (3/3/15) - Page 10

Chapter 6

Ishita woke at the crack of dawn as was her habit. She threw off the blanket and walked towards the window. As soon as she opened the window, the cool morning breeze carrying the subtle scent of fresh morning dew wafted in. Tall pine trees, oaks and deodars lined the pathway from the house down towards the road to the village center. Early morning mist hung in the air like God had waved his magic wand and it had left a trail in His wake. Ishita breathed in the fresh, clean air and hugged herself. Oh! What a beautiful place. When she went back home after all this was over, some day, she would bring Appa and Amma here for a holiday. They would really like the place. As she headed for the bedroom, she made a mental note to buy warm clothes when she went out today.

She tip toed into the bedroom. Raman was fast asleep. He looked so innocent when he slept, she thought. But as soon as he opened his mouth, all his Ravan Kumar-ness would come out. Ishita walked into the bathroom and freshened up before heading to the kitchen. It was a tradition in their household that you did not enter the kitchen without taking a bath in the morning first. Ishita rummaged through the kitchen and found that it was well stocked. She was about to add a second cup of water for the tea when she remembered that Raman liked coffee. "Black coffee, no sugar," she imitated his tone. Should she make him coffee? She wondered. They were going to be stuck here together for God knows how long, she thought, might as well make an effort to get along. The way things were right now, it seemed more likely that they would make things easier for the killer by strangling each other. Just because he was a khadus Ravan Kumar did not mean she had to be one too. So, she set another pan on the stove to make coffee for Ravan Kumar.

Raman woke up to the smell of coffee. He followed the aroma into the kitchen and saw Ishita making a sandwich. He stood there watching her for a minute. She was wearing a yellow Punjabi suit. Normally, yellow was among his least favorite colors but yet again, yellow seemed to suit her pretty well. The sun shone in from the windows behind her and cast a golden glow over her. She was humming some tune under her breath as she sliced tomatoes unaware of his presence. A strand of hair fell on her face and she tucked it behind her ear. Her wet hair was framing her face and Raman had to admit, she made quite a sight. He cleared his throat to make her aware of his presence.

"Good morning," she wished him cheerfully. "Good morning," he wished her back as he sauntered into the kitchen. "You are up early," he commented. "I always wake up before 6," she stated. "Do you intend to kill yourself?" he asked next. "What?" she asked puzzled. "You wake up at an unGodly hour, shower in cold water and walk around without drying your hair. For humans, I believe, that is the best way to catch pneumonia. I don't know if that's applicable to your species though," he commented. Ishita made a face at him. "I belong to a Tamil Iyer family. We always wake up early and we do not enter the kitchen without taking a bath first no matter where we are or what the weather is. As for drying my hair, I am not staying in a deluxe five-star hotel where they'd have a hair dryer ready and waiting for me in the bathroom," she said as she handed him his coffee. "Thanks but no thanks," he said. She raised her eyebrows at him questioningly. "I am very particular about my coffee. If it isn't made the right way it ruins my whole day. I will make it myself," Raman said. So much for trying to get along, Ishita thought angrily. No, she wouldn't let him get to her. "Try it once. We, Tamil Brahmins, are famous for our coffees. I assure you, you will like it," she told him. Raman wanted to object but then decided he could at least taste it for the sake of the effort that she took to make it. He sipped it and was surprised. It was perfect! Just the way he liked it. Ishita was watching him closely. He couldn't give her the satisfaction of knowing that she was right so he said instead, "Its okay. Not the way I like but good nevertheless." She knew he was lying but said nothing as he walked away sipping on the coffee.

***

"Isn't there a mall anywhere close by?" Raman asked later that morning as Mrs. Singh brought them to what she claimed was the biggest textile shop in all of Ranikhet. It was a two storied building that, according to Raman, had seen much better days. Ishita, on the other hand, was enjoying the quaint old world charm of the place. She liked shopping in places like these than in the impersonal environment of a mall. "Mall? You'll have to go to Delhi or Gurgaon to find one of those. Trust me Sahib we have the best quality clothes and latest designs you won't even find in any mall," the shopkeeper chipped in as he led them inside the store. "Now who is being the drama queen?" Ishita whispered to Raman as she walked in following Mrs. Singh.

Less than half an hour later, Raman was done with all his shopping. But he had to wait another two hours while Ishita and Mrs. Singh did her shopping, trying on outfit after outfit. Finally, she'd made her selection and they were going to pay up front when Mrs. Singh nudged Ishita and took her aside. Raman watched curiously as she whispered something into Ishita's ears. The look of horror on Ishita's face had him concerned. Then her expression changed as she shook her head vigorously, only to be hushed by Mrs. Singh and dragged away. What were these women up to? "Raman, we'll be right back," Mrs. Singh called out as she took Ishita upstairs to the second floor of the shop. A few minutes later, they were back and Ishita had a couple of bags in hand. "That's it. We are done," Mrs. Singh said and nudged Ishita while giggling like a school girl. Raman almost felt pity for Mr. Singh. How on earth did he put up with this lady? Raman wondered. His gaze drifted to Ishita and he noticed that she looked very hassled. For all her Miss Goody Two Shoes act, even she couldn't put up with Mrs. Singh for too long, Raman concluded with a chuckle.

***

"Do you know the story behind Ranikhet?" Mrs. Singh asked as they settled for lunch at the local restaurant. Even for a cynic like him, Raman had to admit, the view was breathtaking. The snow capped Himalayas, the mist covered valleys, the lush greenery - like God had taken his time to make this place so beautiful. "No. But for such a beautiful place, I am sure there must be a story just as beautiful behind it," Ishita replied. "It is said that the erstwhile Maharaja, Maharaja Sudhardev was married to Rani Padmini of Chittorgarh when they were little kids as was the norm then. In those times, after the wedding happened, the girl would stay at her parents' house till the boy and girl grew up and were old enough to handle the responsibility of marriage. It is said that the young girl Padmini grew into an extremely beautiful, talented and strong young woman. So much so, that when Raja Sudhardev came to take his bride back, it is said he was so stunned by her beauty, he ordered that no man - soldier, servant, common man and not even a male member of her own family would be allowed within 50 feet of the Maharani. She couldn't even say good bye to her own father or her brothers at the time of her vidaai because of the King's orders. As a result, she was extremely upset with Raja Sudhardev."

"What happened then?" Ishita asked, engrossed in the story. "Rani Padmini refused to let Raja Sudhardev touch her until he could explain to her what made him issue such an order. For years, it is said, Raja Sudhardev searched for a thing of beauty that would equal that of his wife's so he could explain to her how totally smitten he was by her. Finally, one day he ordered the Rani to accompany him on a tour of his empire and brought her here to Ranikhet. When Rani Padmini saw this place, she instantly fell in love with its beauty. It is here, near the waterfall by Rani Jheel, that Raja Sudhardev was finally able to tell Rani Padmini just how much he loved her and that is where they became one for the first time," Mrs. Singh narrated with a certain whimsical longing in her voice. "Rani Padmini was so in love with the place, she refused to leave. So King Sudhardev built her a palace here and named the place Ranikhet in her honor," Mrs. Singh explained. "That is so romantic!" Ishita exclaimed. "I would love to go see the palace sometime," she added. "Unfortunately, there is no trace of the palace left. Some local folklore says that when the Rani died, Raja Sudhardev went mad in grief. He set the palace on fire and killed himself. They say that the King and Queen still haunt the area of the waterfall near Rani Jheel where they confessed, especially on full moon nights. It is also said that lovers who meet by the waterfall on a full moon night are bonded together for life and even after death. Not many lovers make it to the waterfall on full moon nights though, because the forest is pretty dense and.. you know.. ghosts and all," Mrs. Singh said. She went quiet for a bit before she said, "But we don't know if that part is true or not. What we do know is since time immemorial, Ranikhet is a land meant for lovers - like the two of you," she beamed. Raman shook his head, "This story of Raja Sudhardev and Rani Padmini, is that a true, historical one?" Mrs. Singh looked confused, "I am sure it is. It's a legend that has been passed down from generation to generation. It has to be true." Raman simply smirked while Ishita seemed completely enraptured.

***

"I think these are yours," Ishita said later in their cottage, handing Raman a couple of bags. They'd just gotten home and were sorting through the dozens of shopping bags they'd brought back from a whole day of shopping. Raman took those bags and placed them on his side. He then reached into one of the other bags and pulled out the contents. The fabric was so smooth it slipped right out of his hands onto the bed. Raman picked it up and examined it. It was a scarlet red, flimsy night dress. The next one was a night dress in black lace. Raman quirked an eyebrow at Ishita amused. Ishita grabbed at the clothes and stuffed them into a bag mortified. "What?" she snapped at him when he continued to look at her amused. "Somebody this morning was going out of her way to establish that we are only pretending to be husband and wife. And then this.. What am I supposed to make of all of this huh?" he asked. "Nothing!" she said, moving towards the cupboards. "Mrs. Singh insisted and I.." she paused as she stuffed the bag in the farthest corner of the cupboard, "I.. didn't have any good excuse that she'd buy.." "Oh.. So this is what the two of you were up to at the store.." Raman realized and burst out laughing. Ishita stood fiddling with the end of her dupatta for a while before she too burst out laughing. "Did she suggest that you do a sexy item number for me too wearing one of these?" he asked in between guffawing. Ishita grabbed a pillow and threw it at Raman before making a hasty exit to the living room.

***