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Mere ghar aayi ek nanhi pari..
Ishita walked out of the bathroom closing the teak door behind her gently. She stood in front of the mirror, combing her damp hair. Dressed in light purple kurta and white salwars, she looked refreshing as ever. She applied her favorite almond milk moisturizer on her arms and face. After checking herself in the mirror again, she walked to the window. She slided the window pane open, to be welcomed by cool winter breeze. She closed her eyes as she inhaled deep, calming her senses. She looked at the night sky with a smile. The sky was decorated with millions of tiny twinkling stars and moon spreading its glory in all directions.
Zindagi bhi kitni ajeeb hai... Jo sochte hai.. Humesha usse kuch hatke hota hai.. Jab maine khushiyon ki ummeed chhod di thi tab Ruhi meri zindagi mein aayi.. Aur meri zindagi badal gayi.. Main Dr. Ishita se Ishima ban gayi..! Meri subah usse shuru hoti aur din usi pe khatam ho jata.. Uske nakhre uthana.. Choti choti farmaishien pura karna mujhe achha lagne laga..! Use dard hota toh lagta jaise kuch bhi karke uska dard mein khud pe lelu.. Aur jab woh hass deti toh lagta jaise meri puri duniya chehakne lagi.. Waqt beet ta gaya aur kab main Ruhi ki Ishima se Adi-Ruhi ki Ishima ban gayi pata he nahi chala..! She smiled at the thought.
She admired the beauty of full moon for sometime and turned around to find her bed all mess. She sighed.
Yeh Adi-Ruhi bhi na! She muttered as she began gathering the stuff. Few minutes ago, three of them were working on Ruhi's science project and before going for bath, she had clearly asked them to clean the room when they leave. But of course, they have RKB's genes in them, listening isn't in their dictionary.
Ruhi Adi ke saath mujhe bahout se anmol rishte mile aur ek Ravan Kumar bhi..! Humara rishta kab 'Sirf Ruhi ke liye' se 'Ek duje ke liye' tak pahuch gaya ehsaas he nahi hua..! Mujhe sab khushiyan mil gayi.. Par shayad ek kami abb bhi thi! Ruhi aur Adi ne mujhe maa toh bana diya.. Magar main maa banne ke us ehsaas ko mehsoos karna chahti thi, Jo shayad meri kismet mein nahi tha..
She cleaned the room and was smoothing the bed sheet when someone knocked the door.
"Aa jaye!" She called out.
"Ishita beta." Toshiji entered the room. "Raman kab tak aayega kuch pata chala?" She asked.
"Haan mummy Ji unka message aa gaya... Keh rahe the ki time lag jaayega kyunki client ke saath video conference hai!" Ishita replied.
"Thik hai puttar..! Main sone jaa rahi hu.. Tu jyaada der na jagna.. Samay par so jana.." Toshiji adviced rather ordered her daughter in law.
"Thik hai mummy Ji...! Main bas.." But was cut in by Simmi.
"Aa gaye hum!" Simmi declared in a childish voice.
A little girl with fluffy milky white cheeks and big brilliant twinkling black eyes, smiled cutely flashing her little teeth. She clapped with her tiny hands showing her happiness. Simmi kissed the baby on her cheek. Toshi too, smiled.
"Hmm... Kya ho raha hai bhai?" Ishita asked.
"Kheli kheli chal rahi hai!" Simmi replied.
"Achha jee.. Maze aaye hue hai pure!" Ishita said as she took the little girl in her arms.
"Maze toh aayenge he.. Aur aane bhi chahiye!" Simmi said.
"Jyaada pareshaan toh nahi kiya isne?" Ishita asked.
"Nahi.. Lekin karna chahe toh kar sakti hai.. Haq hai iska.. Hum bua hai bhai!" Simmi said as they all shared a good laugh.
Ishita caught hold of her tiny hands as she was moving them in free space and kissed the back of her hands.
"Arre meli princess!" Ishita began talking to the baby and then, hugged her. Toshi witnessed it with teary eyes. She let out a silent prayer to almighty to keep her family and children happy and content. She moved forward, as she caressed Ishita's hair and gently pecked on her forehead.
"Humesha khush raho!" She blessed her and both the ladies left.
Ishita took the baby inside the room, "Abhi hum princess ke kapde change karenge.. Phir cream lagayenge.. !" Ishita talked to the little baby.
Aahana... Meri aur Raman ki beti.. Humari nishaani.. Humare pyaar ka jeeta jaagta saboot... Magar ise paane ke liye ek bahout mushkil safar teh kiya hai hum dono ne.. Behadd mushkil aur chunotiyon se bhaara hua...!
Raman ne bahout pehle mujhe humari anniversary pe option diya tha lekin maine he bade guroor mein aa kar unhe kaha tha ki main Adi aur Ruhi ki Ishima banke khush hu aur mujhe koi aur nahi chahiye... par main galat thi.. Maa banne ki uss ehsaas ke liye tadap rahi thi main.. aur mujhe woh khushi mili... I was pregnant, par chand dino sab khatam ho gaya... sab kuch!
Uss bus accident ke baad, jo thodi bahout ummeed jagi thi woh bhi bhuj gayi... Sab ne kaha ek khwaab ki tarah bhool jao.. aise kaise bhool jaati main.. unn chand dino mein kitne sapne sajaye the.. uss nanhi se jaan ko mehsoos karne lagi thi main.. mera ek hissa tha woh! Kaise bhoolti?!
Par maine koshish ki... puri koshish ki... har tarah apne dil ko samjhaya par woh nahi mana! Main bahar se shayad normal thi, magar andar he andar toot rahi thi main. Baar baar ek he sawal tha.. Kyu? Aakhir Kyu?
Ek din..
*Flashback*
Raman entered the room quietly. He kept his laptop bag on the chair carefully and loosened his tie. He folded the sleeves of his shirt upto elbows and was about to leave when suddenly,
"Kahan jaa rahe hai aap?" a voice asked from behind. He recognized the voice immediately, it was Ishita.
He looked down,"Woh main neeche jaa raha tha!" he replied still not facing her.
"Achha, chalein main bhi hu!" Ishita said casually.
"Tum kya karogi aake? Tum so jao bahout late ho gaya hai!" Raman stammered as he replied.
"Jo aap karenge.. chalein?!" she replied as he looked down again. "Please Raman, thodi der ke liye!" she requested as she tightly clutched his shirt.
He looked at her and then, nodded. He don't know why but it felt as if this was the best thing to do right now.
Their life wasn't the same after that unfortunate accident. The usually chirpy chaotic Bhalla house had become unusually silent. No matter how much everyone tried to hide their pain and disappointment, it was pretty much evident in their actions. Not just family even Raman seemed to be at an unapproachable distance. He had suddenly started to work late nights in office. And whenever he used to be at home either he used to sleeps or stay with children. Seemed like he was running away from her.
They walked around in the park with white fog rising up in the sky. Finally, they sat down on a bench. There was an silence prevailing everywhere.
"Kitna shaant hai na sab?" Ishita finally broke in.
"Huh..?"
"Maine kaha.. kitna shaant hai na sab?" Ishita repeated.
Raman nodded.
"Jaise humari zindagi shaant ho gayi hai...!" she added sadly.
Raman looked at her surprised, "Humari zindagi shaant nahi hui! Kisne kaha yeh?" he replied.
"Kisi ne bhi nahi !" she replied.
"Phir kyu aisi baatein kar rahi ho?!" He asked confused.
"Mujhe aisa laga Raman.. Ke hum door ho rahe hai.. Humare beech fasale badhte jaa rahe hai!" Ishita replied looking at the dark night sky.
"Nahi... Aisa nahi hai.. Hum pehle bhi kareeb the aur aaj bhi utne he kareeb hai!" Raman replied, holding her hand.
"Really?!" Ishita asked, looking into his eyes. Raman turned away.
She smiled sadly, "Dekha! Main sahi thi.. I've failed as a wife!" She replied with eyes filled with tears.
"Nahi.. Aisa bilkul nahi hai..!" Raman replied.
"Rehne dein Raman, aisa he hai! Warna aapko mujhe chhupkar iss tarah roz bahaar na aana padhta!" Ishita replied. Raman looked at her surprised, "Kya? Aapko kya lagta hai ki main nahi janti?! Main sab janti hu Raman.. Kaise aap mere saamne khush rehne ka dekhawa karte hai... Aur phir raat mein yahan akele chup chap rote hai..!"
Raman closed his eyes, as a tiny tear drop began to form in the corner of his eye. Ishita wiped it away with her thumb, "Kyu khud ko yeh saza de rahe ho ? Kya main iss layak bhi nahi ki aapka dard aapki taqleef share kar sakun?" She questioned him with tears flowing down her cheeks uncontrollably.
"Main tumhe aur hurt nahi karna chahta tha!" He confessed in a low voice.
"Abhi main khush hu kya ? Hum saathi hai Raman.. Jitna haq mera aapki khushiyon par hai.. Itna he aapke gham baatne ka hai..." Ishita said as she wiped her tears. Raman finally opened his eyes to look at her. His eyes were filled with tears threatening to fall.
He shook his head as she ran her fingers through his hair. Unable to resist anymore, he took her into a bone crushing hug. As tears flow down the faces of both, he kept mumbling sorry and she kept assuring him. He was bottling up his emotions, pain, and hurt for quite a long time, and today he needs to free it. After a while, they came out of the hug and Raman cupped her face, "Thank you!"
"Mera farz tha !" Ishita replied with a smile.
They sat on the bench with Ishita's head resting on Raman's shoulder and Raman's chin on top of her head.
"Aap kyu bhaag rahe the mujhse?" Ishita asked.
"Main tumse nahi.. Tumhare sawalon se bhaag raha tha.. Jab bhi main tumhari taraf dekhta tha tumhari aankhein mujhe sawal karti thi jinke jawab nahi the mere paas..." Raman replied as he felt Ishita's grip going strong over his hand.
He continued, "Aur main sharminda bhi tha... Khud se kiye vaade ko pura na kar pane ka afsoos tha.. Sharmindgi thi ki main humare bachhe ki hifazat nahi kar paya.. Tumhari.. Hum dono ki.. Iss ghar ki khushiyan ki hifazat nahi kar paya... Khud se nafrat ho rahi thi mujhe.."
"Raman... Kuch khushiyan naseeb mein nahi hoti.. Yeh bhi naseeb mein nahi hai.." Ishita replied sadly. "Uss ke jaane ka dukh hamesha rahega.. But its not in our hands" Ishita added.
Raman sighed sadly, "Shayad tum sahi ho... Hum dono kaafi hai ek doosre ke liye.."
"Beshak!" Ishita replied, as Raman pulled her closer and pecked on her head. From then on, they continued their life like they were living before. Same cute nok-jhoks, same Punjabi madrasi fights, but their love grew stronger and stronger with passing time. 6 months passed in a blink.
Time is a healer, true but a very slow one. In those 6 months, there was no such day when they didn't felt the absence of their little one.. But like they promised each other, they are enough for each other...
One day,
Raman was in his office cabin cross checking some important files when his mobile phone rang. The screen flashed Ishita's name. He smiled as he picked up the call, "Bol madrasan !"
"Raman..." she said. Her voice was hoarse due to crying.
"Ishita... Kya hua?" Raman asked worried. As soon as he heard her voice, he could feel his heart at his throat. "Bolo bhi kuch..! Tum dara rahi ho mujhe...!" He said impatiently.
"Raman aap ghar aa sakte hai?" She asked in between her sobs.
"Haan.. Main aa jaunga.. Lekin hua kya?" Raman insisted.
"Aap please aa jao.." Ishita replied.
"Thik hai... Main aa raha hu.. Rona band kar! Aa raha hu main.. " Raman said as he ended the call and rushed out of the office. He drove through the traffic packed roads of Delhi impatiently. All kind of horrible thoughts were haunting him. He finally reached home. When he reached inside, everyone looked so pale with worry. Amma was sitting in a corner crying, while Mihika was consoling her. Toshi wasn't much better. Mr Bhalla was pacing around the room.
"Kya hua? Sab thik hai na?" Raman asked worried. Everyone looked at him, their faces brightening up a bit.
"Achha hua tu aa gaya Raman.. Dekhna kya ho gaya hai Ishita ko? Kab se khud ko kamre mein band karke baithi hai..." Toshi said.
"Woh bas tumhe bulane ki zidd karke baithi hai.. Raman mere ko bahout chinta ho rahi hai.. " Madhavi replied.
"Main dekhta hu.. Aap dono relax karo..! Main dekhta hu!" Raman said as he raced to their room and knocked, "Ishita!" He called out.
The door opened, and he felt as if someone sucked life out of him when he saw Ishita. She was sitting on the couch, crying uncontrollably.
"Ishita kya hua..? Abb batao !" He said as sat beside her. But she continued sobbing.
"Ishita! Look at me.." Raman ordered. She moved her head in negative.
"I said look at me.." Raman said sternly. Ishita faced him. Her eyes were all red and was trembling badly. Raman poured her a glass of water, "Paani piyo!" He said as he made her have some water to calm her. Once she was a bit normal, "Abb batao.. Kya hua hai?" He asked as he looked on expectantly.
Ishita looked at him for a while, "I'm expecting!" She said.
To say, he was shocked would be an understatement. "You're what?!" Raman asked still not believing his ears.
"I'm expecting!" She repeated. Raman leaned back on the couch totally confused, scratching his head. For once, his face was completely expressionless, the next moment it showed confusion, the other second it turned to surprise. Ishita who was waiting for some kind of reaction from his side, was worried now.
"Raman.." She said slowly. Raman looked at her with a wide smile.
"You're expecting!" He exclaimed happily, "God, toh tum ro kyu rahi ho.. Yeh toh bahout khushi ki baat hai.."
"Main khud nahi jaanti main kyu ro rahi hu .!" Ishita confessed cutely. Raman couldn't help but laugh at her cuteness, "Achha chalo fine .. Relax.. Relax Ishita.. This is nothing to cry abt.." He said as he hugged her.
Their happiness knew no bounds when everyone was informed about the good news. The next day both of them visited doctor for consultation. Ishita needed extra attention because of the complicated case. For the 9 months, everyone pampered her rotten. She, herself took extra preventions. But the one who surprised Ishita the most was Raman.
Raman made sure she took all her medicines and vitamins on time. He never missed any appointment with doctor no matter how busy his schedule might be! He dealed so patiently with her. Be it be her cravings or odd time hospital visits, he managed everything so smoothly. Ravan Kumar who never accepts his faults, would so easily give up while fighting. This was the first time she saw this caring side of Raman.
Not just elders, the younger ones the chillar party of family was waiting for the baby eagerly. Everyone was waiting the arrival with full enthusiasm. Everything seemed so perfect. With each passing day, the wait was getting unbearable.
Kabhi kabhi main sochti thi ki kahin yeh sab ek khwaab toh nahi magar phir yakeen aa jata ki yeh sab haqiqat hai.. Meri zindagi ki sabse khubsoorat haqiqat... Main bayaan nahi kar uss khushi ko Jo mujhe mehsoos hui jab pehli baar maine Aahana ko apne inn haathon mein liya tha.. Itni naazuk thi woh.. Bilkul kisi pari ki tarah.. Uski woh chhoti chhoti ungliyan..
Maine jab usse apni bahon mein liya.. Usne meri taraf dekha aur woh muskura di.. Main ussi pal apni har taqleef bhool gayi.. Mujhe laga jaise mujhe unn aazmaishon ka sila mil gaya.. Raman ka haal bhi kuch aisa he tha.. Adi Ruhi ki khushi ka koi thikana nahi tha.. Unn dono lag bhag pure hospital ko bata diya tha ki unki choti behen aayi hai...
Ek woh din tha aur ek aaj ka din hai.. Zindagi be jaise bilkul nayi karwat leli.. Abb late night cricket match nahi chalte.. Naa he janaab ko room ke bikhre rehne se koi dikkat.. Log abb Eminem ke raps ki jagah Lori yaad kar rahe hai.. Hazaar baar yaad dilane ke baad bhi jo shopping ke waqt kuch na kuch bhul he ate the woh abb khud bakhud sara saman le aate hai..
Sach much behadd khubsoorat hai yeh ehsaas..
Suddenly she felt someone kissed her forehead. She opened her eyes to find Raman sitting beside her and next to her lay Aahana sleeping peacefully. She smiled and so did Raman as they admired their angel...
Miracles do happen!!
-oOo-
I'm completely clueless about how this has turned out.. Waiting for your views eagerly..
Thank you..
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
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