Connected: A YHM Story (COMPLETED)

My retelling of the iconic show Yeh Hai Mohabbatein. 

Four separate souls -- Raman, Ishita, Ruhi, and Adi -- in four separate cities  But somehow CONNECTED. How? Read to find out...

Ishita Iyer has been dreaming of a life as a dentist, wife, and mother, but destiny plays a cruel joke on her, as her dreams are shattered by her fiancé Subbu right before their engagement. She moves to Delhi with her family, searching for the remedy of her broken heart, only to find happiness in the most unexpected place. 

Raman Bhalla was a blessed son, brother, husband, and father, only to have his world destroyed by his wife Shagun after five long years of marriage. Cursed with a scorched soul and burned by the weakness called love, he flees from Delhi, only to find peace and joy in the very place he left behind.

Trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktXP89Z2zDc

Disclaimer: 

The characters here are all the same as in the original show "Yeh Hai Mohabbatein." The only difference is that Simi's husband and Ananya's father is a guy named Pulkit. Both Simi and Pulkit are good people and happily married. Param is not a character in this story.

Index:

Prologue: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/5180886#154387622

Part 1: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/5180886#154388124 

Part 2: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/5180886?pn=2#154399298 

Part 3: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/5180886?pn=6#154433387 

Part 4: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/5180886?pn=6#154433399 

Part 5: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/5180886?pn=7#154552752 

Part 6: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/5180886?pn=9#154606207 

Part 7: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/5180886?pn=10#154726235 

Part 8: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/5180886?pn=11#154829299 

Part 9a: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/5180886?pn=13#155032914 

Part 9b: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/5180886?pn=14#155129994 

Part 10: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/5180886?pn=15#155238925 

Part 11: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/5180886?pn=16#155640043 

Part 12: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/5180886?pn=17#155690404 

Part 13: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/5180886?pn=17#155714447 

Part 14: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/5180886?pn=18#155744496 

Author’s Note: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/5180886?pn=19#155775335 

Part 15: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/5180886?pn=19#155783464 

Part 16: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/5180886?pn=20#155902554 

Part 17: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/5180886?pn=21#155902567 

Part 18: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/5180886?pn=22#156148508 

Part 19: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/5180886?pn=23#156190375 

Part 20: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/5180886?pn=23#156190378 

Part 21: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/5180886?pn=25#156542997 

Part 22: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/5180886?pn=26#157010311 

Part 23: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/5180886?pn=26#157081802 

Part 24: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/5180886?pn=26#157081813 

Part 25: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/5180886?pn=27#157167492 

Part 26: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/5180886?pn=27#157167511 

Part 27: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/5180886?pn=28#158438006 

Part 28: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/5180886?pn=29#158558732 

Part 29: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/5180886?pn=29#159498872 

Part 30: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/5180886?pn=30#159533811 

Part 31: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/5180886?pn=30#159544124 

Part 32: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/5180886?pn=31#160098551 

Author’s Note: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/5180886?pn=31#160098559 

Part 33: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/5180886?pn=32#160308671 

Part 34: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/5180886?pn=32#160599917 

Part 35: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/5180886?pn=33#160614472 

Part 36: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/5180886?pn=34#161407590 

Part 37: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/5180886?pn=34#161413927 

Part 38: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/5180886?pn=34#161413937 

Part 39: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/5180886?pn=34#161423581 

Part 40: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/5180886?pn=35#161433593 

Part 41: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/5180886?pn=35#161445864 

Part 42: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/5180886?pn=37#161489920 

Part 43: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/5180886?pn=37#161490958 

Part 44: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/5180886?pn=39#161641997 

Part 45: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/5180886?pn=39#161653300 

Part 46: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/5180886?pn=39#161653306 

Author’s Note: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/5180886?pn=39#161653307 

Part 47: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/5180886?pn=41#161680633 

Part 48: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/5180886?pn=41#161711905 

Part 49: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/5180886?pn=41#161711926 

Part 50: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/5180886?pn=42#161716709 

Part 51: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/5180886?pn=42#161722693 

Part 52: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/5180886?pn=42#161722707 

Part 53: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/5180886?pn=42#161726261 

Part 54: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/5180886?pn=43#161742824 

Part 55: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/5180886?pn=44#161754908 

Part 56: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/5180886?pn=44#161769964 

Part 57: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/5180886?pn=45#161850354 

Part 58: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/5180886?pn=45#161855375 

Part 59: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/5180886?pn=45#161861812 

Part 60: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/5180886?pn=45#161894040 

Part 61: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/5180886?pn=46#161924158 

Part 62: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/5180886?pn=46#161940169 

Part 63: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/5180886?pn=46#161966129 

Part 64: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/5180886?pn=46#161972072 

Author’s Note: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/5180886?pn=47#161972079 

My Video Edits: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/5180886?pn=47#161972083 

Part 65: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/5180886?pn=49#162337892 

Part 66: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/5180886?pn=49#162354083 

Part 67: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/5180886?pn=49#162354357 

Part 68: ​​https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/5180886?pn=50#162373299 

Part 69: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/5180886?pn=51#162386219 

Part 70: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/5180886?pn=51#162391621 

Part 71: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/5180886?pn=51#162602019 

Part 72: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/5180886?pn=52#162617710 

Part 73: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/5180886?pn=52#162617742 

Part 74: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/5180886?pn=52#162624995 

Part 75: ​​https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/5180886?pn=52#162634989 

Epilogue 1: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/5180886?pn=52#162643478 

Epilogue 2: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/5180886?pn=53#162643641 

A Note of Thanks: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/5180886?pn=53#162643661 

Prologue

Iyer house, Chennai - 4:30 pm

“Ishu, make sure you have invited all your friends well in advance. The engagement is coming up in less than a week now.”

“Yes Amma, I’ve informed all of them. I’m just waiting on confirmation from a few friends.”

“Periappa, the jeweller is here. He says some payment needs to be done.”

“Let me check, Mihika.”

“Shravu, please play outside, you’ll ruin Chitti’s new sarees here. Bala, please take him outside na. And make sure your brother’s suit is ready to be picked up tomorrow.”

“Champ, let’s go outside. Amma ko gussa mat dilao.”

The Iyer house was in commotion and rightly so. There were only five days left for Ishita Iyer and Subramaniam aka Subbu’s engagement. They had been close friends ever since Ishita’s Vandu akka and Subbu’s Bala anna got married and had been in a relationship for the past six years working on getting their dental degree and beginning their practice. Now that Ishita was an established pediatric dentist of Chennai and Subbu had finished his fellowship as well, it was decided that they tie the knot as soon as possible. 

The bride-to-be was particularly glowing. Ishita had dreamt of marrying Subbu ever since she graduated from dental school and finally the day had come. After the engagement, their wedding functions would be held in the next upcoming month and then she would officially be Mrs. Ishita Subramaniam. The excitement in her heart was so profound that she was almost able to ignore the growing pain in her lower abdomen. Almost.

11:00 pm

Once Ishita’s saree and jewelry selection was finalized, Vandita, Bala, and Shravan left to see to the arrangements at the groom’s place at about 6 pm; they had a “double rishta” after all. After having dinner, Madhu and Vishwa decided to call it a night as the day’s exhaustion caught up to them. Ishita and Mihika decided to watch an episode of their favorite comedy show in the living room before going to bed. 

“Akka, I’m thinking we should watch at least two to three episodes every day now. Soon you’ll be gone and we won’t be able to binge watch any shows together,” Mihika suggested. 

Ishita was taken aback by her feisty sister’s words. They loved each other to death, but Mihika wasn’t given to shows of emotion. 

“That’s funny, I thought you would be celebrating that I was leaving soon. You’d be getting the whole room, Miku. And the entirety of the closet to put your clothes,” Ishita retorted as she applied lotion on her face and hands, a part of her nightly routine.

 Suddenly, another wave of pain shot through her pelvic region and she dropped the lotion bottle  grabbing Mihika’s attention, as her hands went around her belly. 

“Akka what happened? Are you hurt?” 

“Not really Miku. Mujhe bas reh reh ke thoda dard hota rehta hai pet me. Pata nahi kya hai.”

“Akka, did you eat something that could be causing this?”

“No Miku. The pain isn’t in my stomach. It’s more in the lower quadrants of my abdomen. The iliac and hypogastric regions. And neither am I feeling nauseous.”

“Akka, aisi bhasha mein bolo na jo aam logo ki samajh mein aaye. Yeh kya doctors ki tarah bole jaa rahe ho? Pehle aap yeh batao ki dard zyada ho raha hai kya? Hum hospital chale?”

“Nahi Miku, mein ek kaam karti hoon, abhi seedha so jaati hoon. I think I’ve just pulled a muscle during all the work I was doing today. I just need some rest.” 

“Ok akka, but please tell me if the pain worsens okay. We’ll need to go to the hospital.”

Ishita nodded and started heading towards her bedroom. But as soon as she crossed the threshold and before she could reach her bed, another intense wave of pain shot through her making her scream. Before she knew it, she was on the floor clutching hard at her stomach and squirming in pain. Mihika rushed inside and Madhu and Vishwa too ran in hearing Ishita’s screams. Before she could answer any of their questions, Ishita blacked out into oblivion.

If you would like to receive PMs whenever I update the story, do let me know. Would love to do so 👍🏼

Part 1

Hospital room - The next day, 12 pm

“Dr. Iyer, can you hear me? Dr. Ishita… please wake up.” Ishita groggily opened her eyes as the voice calling out to her refused to stop. It took her at least a few minutes to regain consciousness and become fully alert to understand that she was lying in a hospital bed with a middle-aged lady doctor at the edge of her bed by her head, her parents and cousin on one side, and Vandu, Bala, and Subbu on another side. 

“What happened doctor?” Ishita asked.

“Dr. Iyer, my name is Dr. Anjali Awasthi. How are you feeling? Any pain?”

“Just a little over here,” Ishita replied while tenderly touching her lower belly.

“Do you remember how you came here?”

Ishita shook her head. All she could remember was getting ready to watch a comedy series with Mihika last night. How she ended up in the hospital was beyond her. 

“Your parents and cousin brought you in last night after you collapsed from severe abdominal pain. After an emergency CT scan, we found two tumors. One was in your right ovary and another had ruptured your left fallopian tube. We had to perform emergency laparoscopic surgery to remove the tumors and stop the bleeding. But your vitals now look good and you’re out of danger. We’ll just have to keep you here for a few days under post-op observation. Fortunately, the biopsy results on the tumor cells revealed that they were benign tumors. So we don’t have to worry about cancer.” Dr. Awasthi explained.

Doctors really did make the worst patients, Ishita thought. This pain had been nagging her for a while now but she didn’t have it checked out. The tumor must have been of a good size for it to rupture her oviduct.

“Thanks doctor,” Ishita said as she sat up. Vandu rushed to her side and tenderly held her sister as she adjusted herself against the pillows. “Akka, I’m fine.”

“Not at all, Ishu. Tum jaanti ho hum kitna pareshaan ho gaye the? Agar kuch ho jaata to? Ab se jab tak tum puri tarah thik nahi ho jaati tab tak tum koi kaam nahi karogi. Naa hi clinic ka kaam aur naa hi ghar ka kaam.” Vandu now had tears streaming down her face even as she maintained an angry facade. She had hardly ever seen her sister this pale and weak. 

“Vandu bilkul sahi keh rahi hai Ishu. Aiyyo, tum apna bilkul khayaal nahi rakhti. Ab se no work, only rest,” Amma ordered even as Appa and Mihika made her sit on a chair nearby. She had only just had a moment of relief upon seeing her daughter conscious. 

Dr. Awasthi finished her check up and went to update Ishita’s chart and order her post-op tests. Before leaving, she had one last glance at her patient and her family fussing around her. “Make sure you let Ishita rest now,” she instructed them. “She should have complete bed rest for at least two weeks and no heavy lifting or physical activity for two to three months.” She left after seeing agreement in the Iyers’ faces and gestures.

Ishita looked around and saw the love in her family’s eyes and voices and tried to pull together words to tell them that she was fine. But amongst them, there was one voice of dissent. Subbu. “Lekin agle hafte to hamari sagai hai. Uska kya hoga? Main Amma ko kya jawaab doon? Woh kab se meri shaadi ko leke sapne dekh rahi hain.”

Bala, who had kept quiet as to not overwhelm Ishu, found it hard to keep mum now. “Tum paagal ho kya Subbu. Sagaai or shaadi ko obviously postpone karna hoga na. Ishu needs complete rest for at least three months now. Suna nahi doctor ne kya kaha?”

“Anna, mera woh matlab nahi tha. Woh toh main aur Ishu kab se excited the hamari shaadi ko leke. Isiliye thoda dejected ho gaya tha main. Par aap bilkul sahi keh rahe ho. Ishu, ab se tum sirf aaraam karogi. Aur jaldi se thik hogi, taaki hamari shaadi jaldi ho sake, all right?”

Ishita nodded with a loving smile on her face. Subbu had always been very vocal about his concern for her and made grand gestures to express his love. Chocolates, flowers, lunch and dinner dates, and so much more. And it made her feel like the luckiest girl alive. 

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Right after Dr. Awasthi’s checkup, Ishita was served lunch. Subbu had left shortly after to attend to his patients at his clinic. Ishita saw him have a small chat with Dr. Awasthi outside her room before he left; she assumed it was about her treatment and recovery.

Amma, Appa, Mihika, and Ishita also convinced Vandu and Bala to go home after much persuasion, since Bala/Subbu’s mom was handling Shravan alone. They had left only after promising to come back to visit after Shravu had finished dinner and gone to sleep. Mihika also unwillingly left to attend her college lectures; she was in her last semester and missing attendance was not an option. Once the commotion in her room had quietened, Ishita fell into a peaceful slumber while Amma and Appa kept a watch over her. She woke up to a child’s incessant chatter.

“Amma, Chitti ko kya hua? Woh thik to ho jaayengi na? Unko bahut pain ho raha tha kya? Mera friend bol raha tha ki hospital mein log tab jaate hai jab woh bahut bimar hote hai. Kya Chitti bahut bimar hai?”

“Shravu calm down, Chitti bilkul thik hai ab. Unke tummy mein thoda pain tha to isiliye unhe hospital leke aaye the. Aur doctor ne unko medicine bhi di hai. Ab woh thoda rest karengi aur phir bilkul thik ho jaaengi. Now don’t talk too loudly, or Chitti will be disturbed.”

But it was too late. Ishita had heard her nephew’s voice and his concerns, and she slowly sat up and called out to him. 

“Shravu, come here.”

“Sorry Chitti, maine aapko disturb kiya.”

“Nahi Shravu, tumne mujhe bilkul disturb nahi kiya. In fact, accha kiya ki mujhe utha diya. Time to dekho? It’s almost seven. Ab kuch der mein dinner time bhi hoga na? Aur mujhe medicine bhi leni hogi. To mujhe uthna to tha hi.” 

After assuaging her nephew’s fears, Ishita gave him a quick light hug before he made way to the TV in the room and started searching the channels to find his favorite cartoons. Ishita turned to see Vandu pulling up a stool for her as Bala settled on the sofa with his students’ assignments to mark. 

“Akka, aap log kab aaye? Aur Amma Appa ghar gaye kya?”

“Haa Ishu, hum log lagbhag aadha ghanta pehle aaye. Amma Appa also reached home a few minutes ago. We thought they should go home and rest. Bala and I were going to come anyway, and Shravu also wanted to meet you. We will stay here until Shravu gets tired. Once you have your dinner, I’ll take him home and Mihika will also come to visit you. Like that we’ll take turns and accompany you during the night.”

“Sab logo ko pareshaan kar diya na maine Akka? Aap sab logo ko meri vajah se apna ghar aur kaam chod kar yaha aana pada.”

“Uski chinta mat kar Ishu. Tum pehle jaldi se thik ho jao, phir mein gin gin ke badle lungi. Don’t worry.” 

While both sisters were having a laugh, Bala looked up from his phone and interrupted their conversation.

“Ishu, mujhe Subbu ka message aaya hai. Woh tumhe disturb nahi karna chahta tha isiliye mujhe message kiya hain. He says that once you’re discharged, he wants to take you to some OB/GYN specialist for a check-up. He says she’s the best in town and he would love it if she examines you after this surgery.”

“Of course jeeju, that sounds wonderful. I’ll definitely go.”

“Great, I’ll let him know that he can book an appointment for you.”

The next two weeks of Ishita’s hospital stay passed by in much a manner like today. Her Amma and Appa stayed with her throughout the day. During the lunch hour, Subbu would usually visit her and sometimes his mom came too. Around dinner time, Mihika, Vandu, and Bala came to visit and one or two of them usually stayed for the night. Two weeks later, she was finally getting discharged and going home. Her pain had become manageable and it was now time to get on with the wedding preparations, beginning with the engagement. Her dreams had been stalled, but not crushed. Not yet.

Nice one beautifully written

Keep going comments will start to fall in your inbox

Super work

Very interesting

Lovely concept

Hey! This is amazing. Feels of old YHM💕

As we all know,there was a lot of scope for the story but CVs had other plans. I'm curious to know how you'll deal with different tracks of the show. Please do continue 😳

Wow, keep going...

Nice concept.

Shavu is big, so ruhi is not a baby ...

That's an intriguing narrative. 👍🏼

A very nice update please update next part soon to know more about the story