Hello everyone!
Back with an update! Thank you so much for your lovely lovely words of appreciation for this story! I am working on finishing the story and as soon as I do, I'll be posting back-to-back updates. And because the story is coming to an end soon, I decided to up the romance quotient a bit. Hope you enjoy it.
As always, do let me know how you like it/hate it.
Cheers,
Neet
Chapter 21
"Enough Simmi Di!" Mihir complained as Simmi grabbed fistfuls of haldi and rubbed it onto his face vigorously. "What enough? You need to look all fair and glowing for the wedding so these Madrasis know what a jackpot they've hit," Simmi said, not relenting. "Is that so? Then lets put some on you too so that you look all fair and glowing and some unfortunate soul falls for you too," Mihir replied as he reached for the haldi bowl and smeared some on Simmi's face. A haldi fight ensued in the Bhalla clan as Raman quickly stepped away not wanting to get caught in it. "Arey! Don't throw the haldi at each other and finish it off. We need to send some next door to the bride as well," Toshi yelled, just as Mihir came to hide behind her from Simmi who was chasing him with bowls full of haldi. "Raman puttar, take the rest of the haldi over to the Iyers before these crazies throw it all around," she told Raman just as Simmi missed her mark and ended up covering Toshi's face in haldi. Seeing it as a perfect opportunity to escape the mayhem, Raman quickly grabbed the tray and left the hall.
"The haldi is here!" Madhavi Iyer exclaimed excitedly as she welcomed Raman. The bride and groom were having the haldi ceremony in adjacent halls, separately. She took the haldi tray from Raman and Raman bent to touch her feet. Madhavi was really touched by the gesture. She placed her hand on his head and when he straightened, she turned to Ishita, "Ishu! Bring something for Raman to drink." Ishita, who'd been busy with the serving refreshments to the guests, turned at the sound of Raman's name. He looked devastatingly handsome in the white kurta pyjama, a slight hint of stubble along the straight line of his jaw. Shamelessly, her mind recollected the memory and sensation of his stubble grazing against her skin and she drew in a sharp breath. Her cheeks felt warm and she knew she was blushing. Gosh! She had to stop. She excused herself from the guests she'd been attending to and walked towards Raman in slow steps.
She looked divine! Again! She was clad in a gorgeous, simple, traditional off-white and gold half saree. Her long hair was in a loose plait and swayed graciously with every move of hers. She wore delicate gold anklets and every chime of the anklet resonated in his heart. When she got close enough to him, the tantaliazing fragrance of the string of jasmine adorning her hair reached out to him. Madhavi Iyer noticed the awestruck expression on Raman's face and smiled. "Ishu, you take care of Raman. I will go give this haldi to Soumya and get the ceremony started, okay?" she instructed Ishita. Ishita simply nodded. "Raman, please have a seat and make yourself comfortable. I will be right back," Madhavi said hurrying off.
Ishita held out the tray of refreshments towards Raman. Raman took a glass of juice and noted how Ishita was avoiding eye contact with him. "What happened?" he asked. "What?" Ishita asked in turn. "You won't even look at me. What happened?" Raman asked again. How was she supposed to tell him that she was avoiding eye contact with him so he wouldn't see the treacherous blush crawling across her skin because her equally treacherous mind had dug up memories of their night of passion that she'd tried so hard to forget but simply couldn't? "Nothing. Come, have a seat," she said smiling, trying her best to appear normal. He made a move like he was about to walk towards an empty seat and inched so close to Ishita that her breath hitched in her throat. "Your eyes seem to be saying something else," he whispered teasingly. His fingers casually brushed against her arm, making her skin erupt in goosebumps which did not go unnoticed by Raman. He smiled a devilish smile and winked at her. She felt herself go weak in the knees, the way she'd read in countless romance novels but never experienced before and she probably would've melted into a puddle right then and there if it hadn't been for her mother's voice. "Ishu! Come on, the ceremony is about to start!"
With a quick twirl, Ishita turned away from Raman and her long hair glided against his face. The smell of jasmine seemed to intoxicate Raman. All he could think of right then was burying his face in the luxurious cascade of her tresses. He let out a sigh as he took a seat and sipped the juice instead. After the ceremony began and Madhavi Iyer came to check on him, Raman said, "Aunty, I will take your leave now." "Oh no Raman, stay for the ceremony," Madhavi Iyer tried to stop him. "No aunty! It's the bride's function and more of a ladies function. Its alright," he said. "One minute!" she said. "Ishu! Raman is leaving. Why don't you go with him and ask Santoshiji about the mehendi function?" Madhavi called out to Ishu. "But Amma, I already talked to her about it!" Ishita replied. "Arey no! She told me she forgot to tell you something," Madhavi lied. "But Amma, I haven't put haldi on Mihika!" Ishita tried to find an excuse to not be around Raman. "You can do that after you come back," Madhavi said. "But Amma, I can ask her later," Ishita tried again. "Ishu, don't argue. Do as you are told," Madhavi said sternly. Ishita relented and walked towards Raman again. Raman had to stifle a chuckle seeing Ishu's attempts to avoid him. One thing was for sure, whatever he felt for her, wasn't just one-sided, he concluded. She was just as affected by him as he was by her.
***
"Your mother seems to have her suspicions about us," Ishita said as they stepped out of the hall. "As your mother does," Raman replied. "And she seems to be supportive," he added chuckling. Why had she not seen this coming? Ishita thought in a moment of realization. Amma and her match-making skills, she rued. "So what exactly is going on between us?" Raman asked. "Nothing!" Ishita's reply was immediate. In a split second, Raman had her pinned against the wall. His hands held her waist in a possessive grip as he proceeded to thoroughly kiss her. The kiss was desparate, like a desire long controlled had suddenly been released. It was overwhelming, overpowering and demanding. Ishita did not even realize when she started to respond, when her arms went from limp at her sides to clutching his shirtfront. A shiver ran through her as he pressed closer. The need for air had them pull apart long moments later. Ishita searched Raman's eyes for an answer even as she tried to bring her racing heart under control.
An indiscreet cough brought them out of their trance. Ishita turned horrified at being caught. Standing a few feet away, was none other than Subbu. Ishita struggled to get herself out of Raman's hold but he only held her tighter. "I am so sorry Subbu. That's your name right?" Raman asked. Subbu nodded his head. "I am so sorry. We.. We've been married for hardly a year and gosh! its so difficult to keep our hands off of each other!" Raman said as he placed another kiss on Ishita's forehead as he held her by her waist. Ishita wished the earth would open up and swallow her whole right that moment. But that wasn't going to happen, so she just buried her head in Raman's shirtfront instead to avoid meeting Subbu's gaze. "You are married, aren't you? You must know the feeling," Raman added. Subbu shook his head in a noncommitant way. "This is embarrassing, I am sorry. I think we should just head to our room now," Raman said, dragging Ishita away, leaving a flabbergasted Subbu behind.
"What was all that?" Ishita asked angrily when they were out of earshot. "That?" Raman asked. Ishita glared at him angrily. "That was "nothing"!" Raman said laughing, still not letting go of her as they walked away. The truth was, Subbu had just been an excuse. Raman had just made full use of an opportunity that came by him. Subbu watched their laughing, clinging forms and felt a bitter aftertaste in his mouth. How was this even possible? he thought.
***
"Aunty, Amma was saying you forgot to tell me something about the Mehendi function?" Ishita asked Toshi when Raman and she reached the hall. Toshi looked perplexed for a few minutes. She gazed from Ishita to Raman and back before she replied, "I never even saw your mother." Ishita groaned inwardly. This definitely had been her mother's ploy to send her with Raman, part of her matchmaking masterplan, no doubt. "Oh, Amma must've been mistaken then. I'll take your leave," Ishita said feeling awfully embarrassed. "Oh no! I remembered," Toshi said after a minute, "Mihika has to write Mihir's name in her mehendi. And it has to be hidden. On their wedding night, Mihir has to find his name in her mehendi. If he doesn't, he'll have to give Mihika any gift she asks for." "But you already told me this the other day Aunty," Ishita said. "I did? Really? I must've forgotten. Silly old me," Toshi exclaimed. "No Aunty. Its alright. I'll go back now. Mihika's haldi function is going on," Ishita said. She did not dare to look at Raman as she headed off hurriedly. Toshi, however, did see the look of love and happiness on her son's face as he watched Ishita hurrying off and smiled.
"Ishu!!! Where were you? What took you so long? Mihika has been waiting for you since forever!" Vandita said when Ishita got back to the venue for Mihika's haldi. Ishita cast a nervous glance around and spotted Subbu sitting in a corner, his attention focused on her. She took in a deep breath and said, "I.. had to do some stuff.. Urgently," and stifled the urge to laugh when she saw the look of shock on Subbu's face taking devious pleasure in the results of this little scheme.
***
"Make sure you really hide Mihir's name in Mihika's mehendi okay? We don't want him to find it that quickly," Ishita instructed the lady doing the mehendi on Mihika's hands. "But don't hide it so much that the he spends the whole night just trying to find his name," Mihika quipped. "Oh ho! So what else do you want him to do eh?" Vandita teased. "Vandu Akka, you don't know him. He is such a Buddhu kumar that he will probably just search for his name all night long. Whatever has to happen, I will have to initiate it," Mihika replied. Madhavi and Soumya who had been passing by heard Mihika's comment. "Mihika! What are you saying? You are getting married into the loud Punjabi's family doesn't mean you become so shameless! Okay? You are a Tamil Iyer girl. Your elegance and your dignity should be your identity," Madhavi chided Mihika. Ishita shook her head. If only her mom knew that her very own prim and proper daughter was being kissed senseless in the hallways by a hot-blooded Punjabi guy, in full view of any passer by. Ishita felt heat rise in her cheeks and she looked away.
"Sorry Periamma," Mihika apologized and Madhavi nodded her head. "Okay, okay. Vandu, Ishu, the two of you should put on Mehendi too and Ishu, you are in-charge of Mihika from now on. Remember Santoshi said Mihika and Mihir are not allowed to meet from now till the wedding. Its your duty to make sure that they don't meet, okay?" Madhavi instructed Ishita. "And Vandu, your feet are starting to swell. Don't sit here for too long. Go to your room and prop your feet up on a pillow. I will ask Bala to come and take you to your room when you are done putting the mehendi okay?" Madhavi added. Ishita and Vandita nodded their heads and Madhavi and Soumya went away to attend to the guests.
Ishita was getting her mehendi done when the lady asked, "Ma'am, whose name should I write in your mehendi?" Ishita was about to say no one when Mihika spoke up and said, "R. R for Raman." When Ishita glared at her, Mihika quirked an eyebrow and asked Ishita to turn around. Sure enough, a few feet away, Subbu was standing with his gaze fixed on her. Ishita turned away, rolled her eyes and made a face and Mihika and Vandita giggled. "Yes.. Please write an R in my mehendi," Ishita told the lady. "And please hide it. Don't make it visible," she added. "Why Ishu Akka? Are you going to get Raman jiju to search for his name in your hands too? I bet he'll find it in less than 5 minutes no matter how much you try to hide it. What do you think Vandu Akka?" Mihika teased Ishita. "No.. I think men are pretty slow in much matters. I think if its hidden properly, Raman won't be able to find it. I say no," Vandita said. "Then lets place a bet. For a hundred rupees. I say Raman jiju will find his name in Ishu Akka's mehendi in 5 minutes and you say no. Done?" Mihika asked Vandita. "Done!" Vandita agreed. "Mihika.. You are the one getting married. Not me. Vandu Akka and I should be placing this bet and teasing you," Ishita pointed out. "Akka, even though I am the one getting married, you are the one who has a more happening life right now. Right Vandu Akka?" Mihika and Vandita giggled and Ishita glared at them.
"Oh God Akka! Did you see his face? He looked like he was going to explode!!" Mihika said a few minutes later, after Subbu left. "I couldn't seem to look past the way his nostrils were flaring, It was so funny!" Vandita chimed in as the sisters laughed. "Subbu is gone?" Ishita asked turning around to look. Subbu was nowhere in sight. Ishita quickly turned to her mehendi designer and said, "Please don't write any name in my mehendi." The designer turned her palm and showed her the name Raman written right across the center of the palms of both her hands, woven intricately into the rest of the design covering her hands. "Even if you rub it off the color will stay ma'am," the lady told Ishita. Ishita frowned as she looked at her mehendi covered hands. Too bad a name written with mehendi on her hands would not really change the lines that fate had drawn in them, she thought.
***
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