Part 11
Parking lot of Akash Ganga Society - The next day (June 10th), 9 am
Romi once again spun his key in his bike and once again failed to ignite the engine. This was his routine every morning now, but usually his bike started in a couple of tries. Today, however, it took more effort than usual. He sighed, removed his key, and slumped onto the seat of his bike. Every task this morning seemed to take more energy out of him, which meant he probably had less mental energy than usual. Who could blame him though? His situation was no different from his siblings and parents either. They had all either witnessed or heard of Raman and Ishita’s huge fight last night. Since he was on a call in the balcony, he had the pleasant misfortune of witnessing it first hand. The aftermath of that fight meant that Raman had gone straight to his room without joining his daughter and family for dinner. He was distancing himself from everyone, as usual. Lord knows, Romi admired his elder brother but he also drove him nuts. Raman’s refusal to participate with his family affected the dynamics of the rest of the relationships in the house, something he was so oblivious to. Mummyji and Papaji had been constantly worried and/or disappointed, and Romi and Rinki were always on edge. Even Simi and Pulkit’s visits had grown thin over time owing to the tension in the Bhalla house. Fortunately, Ruhi’s arrival had brought much needed laughter into his family, and Simi and Ananya had started visiting more frequently to spend time with her. Romi had hoped that Ruhi’s arrival would give his brother a reason to open himself up again and become the happy man he used to be. But the custody case that Shagun filed meant that possibility was also in peril. Ruhi deserved to be with them and they deserved Ruhi more than anyone, Romi thought. Shagun couldn’t take her away.
Lost in his thoughts, he almost failed to notice who had descended the steps into the parking lot. Ishita was making her way to her car to leave for her clinic. This was the time, Romi told himself. He recalled Ishita’s allegations to Raman last night and decided that he had to clear her misunderstanding. Raman and Shagun’s broken marriage was Shagun’s fault, not Raman’s.
“Excuse me, Ishita ji!”
Ishita turned around and was surprised to see Romi running towards her. She had very little one on one interaction with him making it unusual for him to seek out a conversation with her.
“Haa Romi, bolo?”
“Aap se do minute baat ho sakti hai kya?”
“Yeah sure. Kya baat hai?”
“Mujhe Raman bhai ke baare main baat karni hai.”
“Nahi Romi, mujhe Raman ke baare mein koi baat nahi karni. I have had enough of that man.”
“Meri baat to suniye kam se kam!” Romi pleaded.
Ishita exhaled and stood rooted to her spot. She might as well hear him out.
“Thik hai. Bolo, kya baat karni hai?”
“Aap ko agar aisa lagta hai ki Raman bhai aur Shagun bhabh- I mean Shagun ke divorce ke zimmedaar Bhai hai, to woh galat hain. Shagun ne aap se jhooth bola hain.”
“Kya matlab?”
“Ishita ji, it is not my place to say what had actually happened. That is Bhai’s story to tell. But he won’t share anything about himself unless absolutely necessary. You have to push him for it. After all, Ruhi’s custody depends on it. You can’t make a decision based on other people’s lies.”
“Romi, main samajhti hoon. Aur sach kahoon to mujhe bhi Shagun ki baaton mein puri sacchai nahi dikhti. Lekin jo usne Raman ke baare mein bola, woh sab to main apni aakhon se dekh chuki hoon. To main tumhari baat kaise maan loon?”
Convincing Ishita to dig deeper into Raman’s past would take more effort than Romi had imagined. Well, here goes nothing.
“Aap Mihir ko jaante hain?”
“Haa, tumhara aur Raman ka bhai hain na woh? Aur Mihika ka boyfriend bhi. Lekin usse zyada baatein to nahi hui hain meri…”
“Woh aaj humara bhai hai, lekin pehle woh kisi aur rishte se juda tha humari family se.”
“Matlab? Kaun se rishte se?”
“Ishita ji, Mihir humara sagaa bhai nahi hain. Woh Shagun ka sagaa bhai hai. Woh Raman Bhai ka saala tha. Lekin unke divorce ke baad usne Shagun ko chod kar Raman bhai ki side li. Aap hi sochiye, koi bhai apni behen ko chod kar kisi aur ka saath kyun lega? Kya aap ko nahi lagta ki uske piche koi reason hoga?”
“Agar reason hai to tumhi bata do.”
“Main isse zyada nahi bata sakta, kyunki yeh Bhai ki kahani hai. Unke permission ke bina main aapko kuch nahi bata sakta. Lekin main sirf itna kahoonga, ki Shagun ne Bhai ke saath galat kiya tha. Naki Bhai ne. Ab aap unse hi puri baat puchiye.”
Saying so, Romi left for his bike and spun the key in it again. To his relief, the engine finally started and he left for his college.
Ishita opened her car and sat inside. She placed her purse on the passenger seat and started the car. As she drove to her clinic, Romi’s words rang in her ears. She would have never imagined that Mihir wasn’t Raman’s real brother. They were practically joined at the hip. He blindly doted on Raman, something that Ishita had initially despised but now she saw it in a new light. She had suspected that some pain bothered Raman ever since she saw his first encounter with Ruhi. After meeting Shagun, she thought that it was the divorce and the loss of his ex-wife that grieved him. But if what Romi said was true, then that meant that there were much deeper wounds of his to be uncovered.
‘But why do you care, Ishita? Everyone has a past. People move on. Raman should too. And whether he does or doesn’t, how is that any of your business?’ she thought to herself. For Ruhi, of course. She had to make a decision in less than a week about which parent she should go to. She needed full disclosure in order to do so. Shagun was obviously lying. There was nothing sincere about her attachment to Ruhi. But she knew without a doubt that despite his issues, Raman loved Ruhi more than anything. It was only fair to give him a chance to tell his own story, rather than letting Shagun paint a picture for him, much less a false one.
The French Flavor Coffee House - 5 pm
Raman opened his phone and reread Ishita’s text message.
Meet me at the cafe by our society today at 5. We need to talk.
She hadn’t specified the cafe, but this was the only coffee shop nearby. He had been here many times and this still remained the prime hangout spot for all the youngsters from neighboring societies. He hoped he was at the right place. It was 5 already but she wasn’t here. He decided to wait for 10 minutes at most and then leave if she didn’t show up. Why did she want to meet him anyway? What else did she have to say? Wasn’t last night enough? Why did he even care enough to actually show up? He hated her, he thought. Her know-it-all pretence, her unnecessary involvement in his life, her tart tongue, her everything. He swore to himself, that today, if she crossed a line, he would for sure put her in his place.
He ordered a black coffee for himself as he waited for her to show up. The cafe was a quiet, cozy place in the midst of the city. It was decorated with pictures of the Eiffel Tower, baguettes and crepes, and other French delicacies giving justice to its name. The owners were an elderly Indian couple who had lived a greater part of their life in France but moved back to Delhi for their golden years. Their children and grandchildren lived abroad and they went every Christmas to visit. Raman didn’t know them personally, but his parents had been good friends with them before they had moved to France.
The waiter returned with his coffee, and as he took a sip, he heard the door open and saw Ishita walk in. She wore a simple purple kurti paired with orange leggings and dupatta. Her hair was parted in the middle, some tied with a clip at the back of her head leaving the rest cascading down her shoulders and upper back. Apart from two small jhumkas in her ear, she wore no other jewelry. Her makeup was minimal too, but Raman still couldn’t tear his eyes off her. He studied her so closely that he didn’t even realize that she had walked from the entrance and taken a seat in front of him. Before it was too late though, he managed to look away at the pretense of taking a sip of coffee. He hadn’t expected that reaction from him but he didn’t give it a second thought. She looked pretty today. So what? It was good that she wasn’t much of a strain on the eyes. Otherwise, considering her personality, no one would be able to tolerate her.
Thankfully, Ishita hadn’t noticed Raman’s unblinking gaze, as she herself was occupied in her own admiration. He drove her bonkers, but her ego wasn’t that big to not allow her to acknowledge the man’s grooming. He wore a crisp black suit and white shirt with the top button undone. His hair was perfectly set and seemed to not have moved even after a long day of work. He had a bit of stubble that added to his charm. He was a sight for sore eyes, sure. But Ishita knew better of the man he really was. He drove her up a wall and got on her nerves like no one ever did.
“Ab batao, yahan milne kyun bulaya tha?”
“Mujhe aap se kuch baat karni hai.”
“Ab kya baat karni hai? Wasn’t last night enough?”
Ishita took in a sharp breath. “Kal raat ke liye sorry. Main bahot thak gayi thi aur aap ne seedha mujh pe chillana chalu kar diya to maine bhi bina soche samjhe bol diya.”
Raman’s eyes widened in shock. What did he just hear? The Ishita Iyer just apologized to him?
“Wow, to tumhe sorry bolna bhi aata hai?”
“Yes, unlike you. Tumne abhi tak mujhe sorry bola hi nahi kal raat ke liye.”
“Main kyun sorry bolu? Tum mujhe bina bataye Ruhi ko waha le ke gayi thi. Us aurat ke paas. Aur kuch nahi to kam se kam bata ke jaa sakti thi tum?”
“Par maine aisa bhi kya galat kar diya ki aap mujh pe itna chilla ne lage? Aur…”
“Tum kya yaha par kal ke jhagde ka repeat telecast karne aayi ho?”
“Nahi, mujhe kuch aur baat karni hain.”
“To phir jaldi point pe aao.”
“Aap ki aur Shagun ki history kya hai?”
“Excuse me?”
“Aap ki aur Shagun ki shaadi kyun tooti thi? Aur aap unse itni nafrat kyun karte hain?”
Raman was furious. No one dared to ask him about this. How did she? He gathered his bag in a fit of rage and stood up to leave.
“I don’t talk about this stuff. All right? I don’t care what you think and I don’t owe you any explanation!” He bellowed and stomped away.
Before he could reach the entrance though, Ishita caught his wrist and stopped him.
“Raman, Shagun has painted an awfully unpleasant picture of you and I have a pretty good hunch that most of it is a lie. But you need to speak up and tell your side of the story if you want me to make an unbiased decision about where Ruhi should go.”
Raman’s anger was growing by the minute. Why did she have so much say in Ruhi’s future and thereby in his past? Raman hardly opened up to anyone of his own family, much less a woman he barely knew.
“Who do you think you are, woman?” He blurted. “What gives you the right to know anything about my life?”
“I’m not personally interested in you or anything. But you deserve a chance to tell your own story rather than let Shagun spread lies about you. Speak up, Raman. If not for yourself, then for your daughter. You want her custody, don’t you?”
At the mention of Ruhi, Raman let go of his struggle to free his wrist from Ishita’s hand. Ishita too let go of his hand after she felt him relax.
“This morning Romi told me that Mihir is Shagun’s brother. That he sided with you in the divorce instead of his real sister. Now that counts for something, doesn’t it? Why would a man side with his brother-in-law over his own sister in the divorce?”
“Romi ne tumhe yeh sab bataya? Uski to abhi class leta hoon main…”
“Please, usko blame mat karo. Agar kuch karna hi hai, to mujhe sach batao. Aap ki shaadi aur divorce ki asli kahani kya hai?”
Staying quiet was of no use now. Shagun had been badmouthing him to the person with the biggest say in Ruhi’s custody case. He couldn’t risk losing Ruhi and his family’s happiness over his own ego. It was time to tell Ishita the truth. He motioned for her to sit down as he took his previous seat.
“Let me make one thing clear, Ishita. I will say this only once and then we will never revisit this topic again. Okay?”
“Okay.”
Raman took a deep breath and dived into his past where resided the most painful memories of his life.
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Flashback
Ten years ago, Raman had been the happiest he had ever been. At the age of 22, he had just graduated from business school and secured a job under the city’s topmost businessman, Ashok Khanna. He looked up to him as a mentor and thrived in his job under his guidance. Soon enough, he started receiving marriage proposals from every corner of his Punjabi community, much to the delight of his mother. Toshi Bhalla had always dreamed of her children’s wedding; she gladly started going through the proposals looking for a suitable bride for her eldest son. She deemed many proposals to be unfit for her son, much to Raman’s delight as that meant he didn’t have to deal with meeting new women every day and instead could focus on his work.
The first and only proposal that Raman actually paid any heed to was of Shagun Arora, a beautiful young aspiring model who had dropped out of college to follow the glamour, wealth, and luxury of the glitz & glam modeling business. Unfortunately, she couldn’t find her foothold despite many tries. Her mother, Poornima Prakash, grew increasingly worried about securing her future with every passing day and consequently convinced her to get married to a well settled boy. Through family friends and acquaintances, Poornima sent her daughter’s proposal to Toshi for her son, and soon enough, both Raman and Shagun met. Raman was smitten with Shagun as soon as he laid eyes on her; he instantly said yes to the wedding. Shagun, on the other hand, took extra time to mull over her decision. Raman wasn’t the kind of guy she would usually go for, but he definitely was marriage material. He wasn’t too bad on the eyes and he earned really well, much more than she had ever had growing up with a single mom raising two kids. She could have everything she ever dreamed of. With the encouragement of her mother, Shagun too agreed to the marriage.
The wedding festivities progressed smoothly, and soon, Raman was a married man. He was beyond happy with his life. To his delight, he soon became a father to a perfect little baby boy, who he named Aditya Bhalla, and his family was perfect. Or so he thought.
While he bashed in the joys of being a father, Raman’s responsibilities as a son took a toll on his family life. Soon after Aditya’s second birthday, Raman’s father had become caught up in office politics and was essentially forced into retirement, which meant that his income stopped. He didn’t want to ask Raman for money though. He knew his son was still getting started in his career; he had a new wife and son to take care of and he also took care of Mihir’s higher education. Omi Bhalla instead tapped into his savings and pension, but soon even that money started wearing thin and it became hard for him to take care of Rinki, Romi, and Simi. Reluctantly, he approached Raman for help who in turn relieved him of his worries. Raman eagerly took up the responsibilities of his siblings’ education along with Mihir’s while simultaneously saving up for Aditya’s future. Whatever was left, he handed to his parents to allow them to live comfortably. Unfortunately, this did not go down well with Shagun. Before, she could indulge all of her and her son’s wishes with Raman’s money, but now she had to share it with a herd of other people. Raman’s excellent money management skills meant everyone in the family was properly taken care of. But his graciousness meant very little money was left for her to spend on her wants -- makeup, jewelry, expensive designer outfits, and more. Their fights over money got uglier and uglier. Shagun saw her dreams and hopes being crushed in front of her own eyes. However, their ugliest fight came in the aftermath of Simi’s wedding, where Raman had offered his and Shagun’s vacation funds to his father to help out with the preparations. Shagun had blurted out how she regretted the marriage now that finances ran thin in the house. Her allegations broke the father and husband in Raman. He made sure that his wife and son were his priority but he was just as responsible for his parents and siblings. He realized just how little he actually knew about Shagun and her desires.
Thankfully, Raman was soon promoted to a higher position which not only meant a larger salary, but also meant invitations to glamorous insider parties mostly hosted by his boss, Ashok Khanna. Raman made a point to take Shagun to such parties to keep her mood uplifted and it seemed to work. Their fights lessened and Raman decided that although the troubles faced by their family had brought out the worst in his wife, she was now back to her previous self. She seemed to withdraw from the family but Raman attributed that to her wanting to spend time by herself. He encouraged her to mingle with his mother and sisters and accompany them when they went outside, but she preferred to go with her friends. Gradually, she spent more time outside with friends than inside with family and her own son. The time that she did spend with Aditya went on pampering him with expensive gifts. Raman’s parents were suspicious with the amount of money that Shagun spent on clothing and jewelry for herself and unnecessary gifts for Adi. But when the subject was broached, Raman was quick to silence it so as not to upset Shagun. He had finally found stability in his marriage and he couldn’t risk disturbing it. Plus, he trusted her to have learned how to manage the money he gave her. Or at least he pretended to. Truth be told, he had noticed Shagun’s suspicious, secretive behavior for long but chose to blissfully ignore it. However, the cracks in his marriage eventually brought his family down crumbling soon after his fifth anniversary.
Shagun revealed signed divorce papers to Raman and instructed him to sign them and end their marriage. She wasn’t in love with him anymore; she was in love with Ashok. She had been happy not because of Raman’s promotion, but because of the lavish gifts and accessories that Ashok spoiled her with. That was the kind of life she envisioned for herself and her son. Raman tried reasoning with her, even resorted to begging, but to no avail. Shagun left with Aditya for Ashok Khanna, leaving Raman in shambles.
But alas, that was not the end of his misery. Before the divorce could even be thoroughly finalized, Shagun filed a case for Aditya’s sole custody. Raman, backed by his parents and siblings, put on a brave fight, but ultimately, the law was stacked against him. Shagun put on a show of fake tears claiming the emotionally abusive in-laws and husband card in front of the judge and implored her not to separate her from her son. Ashok promised to provide financially for both Shagun and Aditya, making the case that he was far wealthier than Raman could ever dream to be. The last straw was when Adi himself was made to stand in the court and choose his mother over his father. Watching his son shun him broke Raman beyond measure, even more than being left by his wife. All the fight he had put up to stay near his son seemed futile now. Shagun was granted sole custody of Aditya Bhalla who quickly transferred him into an out-of-state boarding school, to keep him away from his father and paternal family. Raman’s parents tried their best to support him and help him through possibly the worst phase of his life, but he refused anyone’s help. Everything they did simply reminded him of his failure as a husband and father. Even when he held his niece Ananya for the first time, he couldn’t help but relive the moment he held Adi for the first time. Unable to face his past, he ran. He ran away from his job, his family, and even his city. Despite their best efforts, no one could persuade him to stay behind. However, Mihir managed to convince Raman to take him along with him. He had seen her sister ruin his life; all he wanted was to play some part in helping him rebuild it. Toshi was disappointed to see Raman go but was reassured that at least he wouldn’t be alone. With Mihir by his side, Raman left for Mumbai and began his own business with the sole mission to earn more money than he ever had. He worked on his business with his own blood and sweat making it the one of the topmost in the country. He rose to unimaginable fame and financial success in a span of five years, but he had grown further and further apart from his family. He made a point to send home hefty sums of money, but hardly ever visited. The pain of his broken marriage and separation from his son never left, however. And so, he found solace in alcohol. Whenever he wasn’t nose deep in work, he was wasted away trying to forget his pain. His life wasn’t done shocking him yet though. For merely three months ago, he had found out about another betrayal of Shagun’s -- their daughter. She had placed Ruhi in an orphanage to shake off the responsibility of actually raising her. And his nemesis, Ashok Khanna, had made sure that he wouldn’t find her by destroying her letter.
Flashback ends
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“Mujhe kabhi nahi pata tha ki aapka beta bhi hain.”
“Hmmm.”
“I’m really sorry for what Shagun did to you.”
Sorry. Pity. This was exactly the feeling he hated. He hated being pitied on. It was the reason he left. He grew so much in stature that now he saw fear in everyone’s eyes, instead of pity. He preferred the former over the latter. But when he looked up into her eyes, he saw neither. This woman, Ishita Iyer, had never feared him. And even now, he didn’t see pity in her eyes. It was something else. But what?
His buzzing phone diverted his attention. It was a message from his mother.
“Mujhe ghar jana hoga. Maa intezaar kar rahi hain.”
“Thik hai. Main bhi nikalti hoon.”
“Tumhe ghar drop kar doon?”
“Nahi, main apni gaadi leke aayi hoon.”
They both proceeded in silence towards the area where their cars were parked. Before they went their own ways though, Raman called Ishita back one last time.
“Ishita?”
“Yeah?”
“Two things. Don’t ever bring this up again between us. And don’t ever take Ruhi away somewhere without informing me.”
“Okay. I won’t.”
Normally, Ishita would put up a fight against someone who dared to dictate orders to her like that. But here, the situation was different. As she got into her car and drove home, she pondered over what she had believed about Raman and what turned out to be true. His protectiveness over Ruhi and his refusal to let her near Shagun came from fear of losing her like he had lost Adi. Alcohol was his effort to cope with his pain. His distanced stance was a result of having been hurt in the past. His drive to make money stemmed from a need to prove himself as a worthwhile man, considering that his marriage had broken over issues of money. It would have been easy for anyone to pity this man who had lost so much. But Ishita saw him differently. She saw that even after going through so much, he had gotten back up and stood tall, ready to fight another long battle for his daughter. Such a man deserved not pity, but respect and compassion, something she felt in surges when he had finished his story in the coffee house. She could never have imagined this backstory of the arrogant, smug, and short-tempered Raman Bhalla.
She still had reservations about Raman’s behavior with Ruhi, but one thing was clear. She could not, in any circumstance, side with Shagun in the court case. She had been lying and pretending all along. Raman wasn’t who she made him out to be, and neither was she. Ishita clearly saw now how fake her “motherly love” was. Shagun had sent her son to a boarding school five years ago. Which meant that the forms and brochures she saw at her house were meant to transfer Ruhi there as well. She could not let that happen. If Ruhi stayed with Raman, then at least she would be in the warmth of her grandparents’ love and care. She would have the company of her aunts, uncles, and cousins. And surely, Raman would deal with his wounds and open up to her as well, she hoped.
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Khanna Mansion - June 12th, 4 pm
Ashok paced back and forth across his living room, while Shagun flipped through the pages of the latest fashion magazine intermittently glancing at her phone. Ruhi’s custody hearing was two days away and they were adamant at getting her custody. Ishita’s statement would prove crucial in that matter and so, Shagun had just sent a very sweet but insincere message asking her to side with her.
Isheeta, I really hope tum mera saath dogi court mein. Main Ruhi ko bahot khush rakhoongi. Uski sabse best school aur college mein admission karvaaungi, and I’ll make her future secure. Main usko bahot saara pyaar bhi dungi. Main apni beti ke bina aur zyada nahi reh paaungi. I hope you understand the gravity of my situation.
They were now waiting for her reply. Ding! And there it was.
Shagun, you have nothing to worry about. You’ve shown me very well how much you deserve Ruhi. I know exactly whom to choose now. Just relax and rest up for the upcoming court hearing :)
Shagun’s beaming smile told Ashok more than he needed to know but he asked anyway, “Kya kaha usne?”
“Baby, she said we have nothing to worry about. She knows I deserve Ruhi so she knows that she should choose me. I told you.”
“Perfect. Absolutely perfect,” he smirked.
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Haagen-Dazs Ice Cream Parlour - later that day, 9 pm
“One choco chip in a cone and one black currant in a cup, please. And one black coffee.”
Raman placed their order at the counter and came back with the receipt to the booth to join Ruhi and Ishita. Ruhi was especially chirpy as her Ishimaa had granted her special permission to have ice cream and that too, past her bedtime. Ishita on the other hand was growing nervous. She hid it well, but Raman could see it, only because he was in the same predicament. The court hearing was two days away and it was high time that they explained to Ruhi what was going on. It was a daunting task, and they both were finally understanding the gravity of the upcoming battle. Ruhi’s life would be put at stake and the wrong decision would have consequences that neither could bear to think about.
The waiter arrived with their ice cream and coffee, handing the cone to the little girl, the cup to Ishita, and the coffee to Raman. Ruhi instantly dug into her cone.
“Aap itni raat ko coffee pioge to neend kaise aayegi?” Ishita asked, seeing Raman take a sip of black coffee.
“Itni tension mein neend to waise bhi nahi aane wali.”
“Papa, aap ko ice cream nahi khaani?” Ruhi asked. She couldn’t imagine why someone would let go of the chance to have ice cream.
“Nahi beta, aap khao.”
“Aap ko taste bhi nahi karna? Mera choco chip ice cream taste karo na. Bahot yummy hai!”
“No, it’s ok Ru. Tum khao.”
Ruhi then turned her attention to the purple colored ice cream that her mother held.
“Ishimaa, yeh kaunsa flavor hai?”
“Yeh black currant hai, Ru. Mera favorite. Try karoge?”
Ruhi nodded enthusiastically. Ishita took a spoonful of ice cream and fed her.
“Kaisa laga?”
“Bahot yummy hai Mumma!”
“Main aapke ice cream ka ek bite loon?”
Ruhi put forward her cone of choco chip from which Ishita took a spoonful of ice cream for herself.
“Wow Ru, aap ki choice to bahot acchi hain. This is so yummy!”
Ruhi giggled in response. The next few minutes passed with both Ruhi and Ishita gulping down their ice cream and occasionally sharing it with the other. Once they were done with their ice cream, Ishita took Ruhi to the washroom to wash her face and hands which were sticky with melted ice cream.
Once they returned, Raman gave Ishita a knowing look and she knew that it was time to have the dreadful talk with her little girl.
“Ruhi, hume aapse kuch baat karni hai,” she began.
“Kya mumma?”
Mumma. She needed to address that too. She wasn’t her mumma anymore. The mere thought tore through her insides.
“Beta, aap ko pata hai custody case kya hota hai?” she began.
Ruhi shook her head.
“Custody case tab hota hai jab mumma aur papa dono alag rehte hain aur dono ko unka baby apne paas chahiye. Tab court mein judge aunty decide karti hain ki baby mumma ke paas rahega ya papa ke paas. Do din baad aap ka custody case shuru ho raha hain. Usme judge aunty yeh decide karengi ki aap Raman papa ke saath rahoge ya Shagun mumma ke saath.”
“Par main to aap ke saath rehti hoon Ishimaa. Aap hi meri mumma ho.”
Ishita took in a sharp breath. Here it was.
“Ru, woh actually…” Her voice broke as she tried to choke back her tears. Seeing her struggle, Raman took over.
“Ruhi, listen to me.” She turned her head to her father. “Ishita ne tumhe adopt kiya tha. Lekin aap ki real mother Shagun hai.”
“Nahi, mujhe sirf Ishimaa chahiye. Mujhe yahi pe rehne hai. Aapke aur Ishimaa ke paas. Mujhe kahin nahi jaana. Un gandi aunty ke paas to bilkul nahi!” she squealed as she threw her arms around the only woman she ever considered her mother, who was also on the verge of tears.
“Beta, look at me. Shaant ho jao aur meri baat suno,” Raman said, trying to catch her attention again. “Court mein judge aunty aap se puchengi ki aap ko kiske saath rehna hai. Papa ke saath ya Shagun mumma ke saath. Tab aap unko bolna ki aap ko dono mein se kiske saath rehna hai. Agar aap ko yahi pe rehna hai, aur aap ne judge aunty ko woh bol diya, to woh aap ko yahi pe rehne degi. Thik hai?”
“Ok papa. Main judge aunty ko bolungi ki woh mujhe kahi door nahi bheje.”
“Good beta. Isse zyada mat socho. Baki sab hum sambhal lenge.”
Ishita mouthed a thank you at Raman who gave a simple nod as acknowledgement. They had made Ruhi aware of the situation but how could they get her to believe that Ishita wasn’t her mother? Neither of them even fully believed that.
The car ride home was spent in total silence, as all three of them were worried beyond measure. Ruhi couldn’t fathom calling Shagun her mumma. She didn’t even remember much from her visit other than playing with some new toys. She squeezed her eyes shut every time the thought of being separated from Ishita and Raman came into her mind, as if she were forcing the thought out of her mind. She would beg the judge aunty if she had to, but she would convince her that she only wanted to stay with her papa and Ishimaa.
Raman was barely keeping his fear in check. Ishita now knew the truth of his past so he was fairly certain that she would not side with Shagun. But she didn’t have much nice to say about him either. Ruhi had made it clear that she wanted him over Shagun but what if that was only because of his association with Ishita? Take her out of the equation, and which court would side with him over a biological mother? He had already been through this when he lost his son. How would he deal with losing his daughter?
Ishita’s mind was occupied with thoughts of her and Ruhi’s future. She had decided not to side with Shagun, but did that make Raman a worthy parent? He had a family to help out, but he would be responsible for parenting Ruhi. There was a plus side in that if Raman won custody, Ruhi would still be close enough for her to meet her often. But even if she did give her statement in support of Raman, what was the guarantee that the judge would grant him custody? What would be Ruhi’s future if she were granted to Shagun? And regardless of where Ruhi went, what would be Ishita’s future without her daughter? Her day started and ended with Ruhi; her world revolved around Ruhi. She had learned to breathe and smile again because of her. How would she cope with losing her?
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