Part 10
Delhi Civil Court, Judge Bakshi’s Office - June 7th, 8:30 am
Raman squeezed his eyes shut and wiped the sweat off his brow with his handkerchief. Life worked in mysterious ways. It brought him to the same place where he was over five years ago. And now he had to face the two people who had ruined him in the same place where he had lost everything. Five years ago, he lost his son to Ashok and Shagun’s schemes; today, his daughter was on the line. The thought itself made Raman clench his teeth in anger. On the other hand, Ishita fidgeted some more with her purse as she tried to contain her anxiety. She knew not what the future held regarding her and Ruhi’s relationship which scared her to death. But she hadn’t met Shagun yet and so she thought that there was hope. If she could strike a deal with all three parties claiming custody -- her, Raman, and Shagun. Then she could still be a part of Ruhi’s life.
“Raman bhai, Ishita ji, aap dono ke liye kuch lau kya, coffee? Chai? Anything,” Mihir asked. Both responded with a no, but Mihir still handed each of them a water bottle. He was particularly worried for Raman. He tended to hide and bury his troubles deep in a corner of his heart, but Mihir could always get an inkling of what his Bhai was going through. It was a miracle that he let him come to the court with him despite his initial plan of coming alone with Pathak. He was also concerned for Ishita, although he had only met her a few minutes ago outside the court. Ishita was already there waiting for them when Raman, Pathak, and him arrived, and anyone with normal vision could tell she was stressed from a mile away.
“Bhai, they’re here.” Pathak brought their attention to Ashok and Shagun who were walking in with their lawyer. Raman and Ishita swiveled their heads around and witnessed their opponents walk in. Ashok strutted in wearing an expensive grey Brioni suit with his hands in his pockets and his nose in the air. Shagun showed off a designer pink and black saree which hugged her petite figure as her smooth hair cascaded down her shoulders.
“Hello Raman, kaise ho?” Ashok asked as he pulled Shagun closer by her waist to rub it into Raman’s face. He became smug after seeing that it worked as Raman looked away and tried hard to contain his rage and disgust.
“Hi, main Ishita Iyer,” Ishita introduced herself as she stood up and shook hands with Shagun and Ashok.
“Hello Dr. Iyer,” Shagun said. “Main Shagun hoon, Ruhi ki asli maa. Thank you so much itne mahine meri bacchi ka khayal rakhne ke liye. I’ll be ever grateful to you.”
Asli maa. Those words reminded Ishita of her first encounter with Raman. He had walked into her life less than two months ago and threatened to take Ruhi to her real family. Today, Shagun walked in and threatened to take Ruhi with her as her real mother. And in that crossfire, Ruhi’s life got put at stake each time.
Their conversation was cut short however, by the arrival of Judge Meeta Bakshi, the judge who was to preside over Ruhi’s custody case. She quickly introduced herself and took a seat while signalling to the rest to have a seat as well. Both lawyers proceeded to introduce their clients and gave a brief explanation of the situation.
“I have listened to you all, and I have studied the case file,” Judge Bakshi started. “Let me remind you that today we are merely deciding the details of the case. This is not a hearing and therefore, I will not be listening to any arguments put forth by either lawyer. Is that clear?”
Upon getting affirmative answers from Raman, Ishita, Shagun, and Ashok, Judge Bakshi continued. “Now, there cannot be three parties filing for custody. According to the law, the biological parents have the first right on the child. Dr. Iyer, I’m sorry to say that you don’t have any valid claim on Ruhi. Neither are you biologically related to her, nor is there any paperwork in the system regarding your adoption. So naturally, the biological parents will get first rights. Because both Raman Bhalla and Shagun Arora are divorced, there will be a custody case between both biological parents and I will decide who will get custody based on your lawyers’ arguments, home checks, and the social worker’s statement. The case will be held one week from today at this court on June 14th. Both of you will receive the official notice in a couple of days. Of course, if you would like to make an out-of-court settlement and share custody, then that is an option too.”
Raman was visibly shaken by the turn of the events, but Ishita was absolutely crestfallen. Her worst nightmare had come true. She had no right on her daughter.
“Ma’am, how can you say that I have no claim on Ruhi? I’ve adopted her! I’m the first parent she ever had! She’s been living with me for four months now. How can you…” she protested.
“Dr. Iyer, I understand your sentiments, but the law is the law. I know she’s been living with you, but there is no proof saying that you’re her legal guardian. I can’t allow you to claim custody without proper proof of your relation to her. I’m sorry,” the judge replied. “What I will say though is that undoubtedly you’re the closest to Ruhi out of everyone. So I will ask you to give a statement regarding who you think should get custody based on who Ruhi would be happiest and most secure with.”
“Sure, ma’am.”
Thus, it was decided that Ruhi Bhalla’s custody case would be fought by two parties: Raman Bhalla and Shagun Arora. The rest of the formalities took another 15-20 minutes after which, the involved parties left the office.
“Tch tch tch, poor Raman,” Ashok sneered as they left the court. “Pehle tumhari biwi ne tumhe choda, aur ab tumhari beti bhi tumhe chod degi.”
Raman lost his temper and grabbed Ashok by the collar of his suit. “Sun che foot do inch. Paanch saal pehle tumne mujhe hara diya tha lekin is baar tu nahi jitega yeh mera vaada hai tujhse. Agar maine tujhe jitne diya na to mera naam bhi Raman Kumar Bhalla nahi, samjha?”
Mihir and Pathak quickly pulled Raman back to calm him down while Shagun dragged Ashok away to their car. Although Ishita disapproved of Raman’s public outburst, she couldn’t help but feel a similar anger at Ashok Khanna. She remembered vividly Mr. Yadav saying that he had bribed the officials of the orphanage to stop the processing of the paperwork that would have finalized Ruhi’s adoption for her.
“Bhai, please chalte hain yaha se. Let’s go,” Mihir implored. “Ishita ji, hum aapko ghar chod de ya…”
“Mihir, hume office jana hai aur iska clinic doosri taraf hai. Ishita, tum aayi kaise thi? Waise hi chali jaao na?” Raman asked.
“Tum kitne insensitive aur rude ho? Every time I try to think better of you, you surprise me even more. And not in a good way.”
“Apna lecture apne paas rakho. Vaise bhi mere paas itna time nahi hai ki pehle tumhe drop karu phir office jau. Meri ek bahot important client ke saath meeting hai.”
“Aap ki beti ki custody hearing ki baat nikli hai, aur aap ko apni clients aur meetings ki zyada padi hai, right? You are unbelievable.”
“Seedhe seedhe jawab do na yaar, tum chali jaaogi ya nahi?”
“Jee haan, main chali jaaungi. Meri behen mujhe lene aa rahi hai. Usi ne mujhe drop kiya tha subah.”
“Great then. Mihir, Pathak, chalo.”
Mihir and Pathak exchanged looks. Neither of them were comfortable in leaving Ishita alone. It was daylight now, but it was also Delhi. “Bhai, thoda wait karte hain na. Ishita ji ki behen aa jaye then we’ll leave.”
“Fine, whatever.”
In about five minutes, Mihika arrived in Ishita’s red SUV and came out of the car. “Akka, sorry mujhe itni der lag gayi. Woh traffic…” Mihika’s words got stuck in her mouth as she saw who Raman was standing with. Simultaneously, Mihir’s eyes grew wide as he connected the dots in his head. “TUM!” They both shouted out.
Raman did a double take and Ishita nearly jumped out of her skin at their cries. “Tum dono ek doosre ko jaante ho kya?” she asked.
“Woh akka, actually…”
“Haa bolo Miku. Mihir tum hi bol do.”
“Woh actually Ishita ji, Raman bhai…”
Both Mihir and Mihika had trouble finding words to explain their relationship. Mihir almost began blushing seeing which Raman figured out the truth.
“Mihir, don’t tell me. Tu jo ladki ko date kar raha hai, kya woh Mihika hai?”
Mihir’s nod and Mihika’s downcast eyes confirmed Raman’s doubts. Both Raman and Ishita were shocked to say the least.
“Seriously, Mihir! Tujhe puri duniya mein isi Madrasan ki behen mili thi pyaar karne ke liye?”
“Miku! Jab tune Punjabi bola tha, to maine Murugan say pray kiya tha ki woh Raman jaisa na nikle. Lekin yeh to uska bhai hi nikla!”
“Bhai trust me, mujhe nahi pata tha ki Mihika Iyer family ki hai.”
“Haa Akka, aur mujhe bhi nahi pata tha ki Mihir Raman ka bhai hai.”
Unfortunately, Mihir and Mihika’s explanations did little to lessen Raman and Ishita’s shock. Both of them were finally dragged to their vehicles by their respective siblings with promises to answer all of their questions.
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“Ashok, tumhe Raman ko aise uksaana nahi chahiye tha,” Shagun reprimanded her boyfriend while they were seated in the back seat of their car as their driver drove them home.
“Why baby? Achanak apne ex-husband ke liye pyaar to nahi umad raha?”
“No you idiot. I couldn’t care less about Raman. But didn’t you hear the judge? She is going to take Ishita’s statement about who should get Ruhi’s custody. It doesn’t serve us well for you to go creating trouble with Raman while she is watching.”
“I must say Shagun darling, mere saath rehte rehte tum bhi samajhdaar ho gayi ho. You’re right, hume Ishita ko apni side lena hoga. And I’m going to entrust you with that responsibility, all right?”
“Matlab? Main kya kar sakti hoon iske liye?”
“Tum bhi aurat ho, woh bhi aurat hai. Tum Ruhi ki asli maa ho, woh Ruhi ki adoptive mother hai. Use your charm and string a story together about how much you love your daughter and how badly you want her with you. You know, something like how ek maa ka dard ek aurat hi samajh sakti hain kinda crap.”
“Fine.”
“Watch me baby, I’m not going to let Raman Bhalla win, ever.”
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Bhalla/Iyer Residence - 8 pm
Both the Bhalla and Iyer houses were in chaos. It had been a mere few hours since they had found out about Mihir and Mihika, and saying that they were shocked was an understatement. Rinki and Romi could not end teasing the newest love birds in town. Vandu joined in on the fun over the phone when Mihika called to reveal who she was dating, as she had promised to tell Vandu first. However, the elders of the family had their own issues. Madhu and Vishwa found it hard to accept that their niece was dating someone, no less a Punjabi man. While Toshi and Omprakash were happy Mihir had found someone, Toshi threw a ruckus on finding out that she was a Tamilian, and that too from the Iyer family. Mihika and Mihir grew tense at the disapproval of their elders, but Ishita assured them that it was just the initial shock. All they needed was time and space to get used to the idea of Mihika and Mihir dating. Once she had managed to put Mihir and Mihika’s worries at ease, her own worries returned. Ruhi’s custody case. Soon, Ruhi would be taken from her. She wouldn’t be able to feed her, tell her stories, or hug and kiss her as her mom. And to compound her distress, she had been given the responsibility of choosing which parent was best suited to meet Ruhi’s needs. She hated that she had to pick herself where to send Ruhi, and she was terrified of making the wrong decision.
“Ishimaa, aaj dinner mein kya hai?” Ruhi tugged on Ishita’s kurti who was busy in the kitchen with her Amma.
“Aaj uttapam aur sambhar hai, Ruhi. Dekho, khana almost ready hai. Aap ko bhukh lagi hai kya?”
“Haa mumma, mere pet mein choohe daud rahe hai!”
“Arey baap re, itni bhukh lagi hai? Chalo chalo, tum baitho table pe, main tumhari plate nikalti hoon, thik hai?”
After one last stir to the pot of sambhar, Ishita served it in a bowl and added an uttapam to a plate and gave Ruhi her dinner. Amma called out to Appa and they too, joined for dinner. Ishita served her father but her mother stopped her from serving her a plate.
“Kanna, mujhe apni Ruhi ko apne haath se khilana hai. Pata nahi kab tak yeh hamare paas rahegi,” she sighed. Ishita simply nodded her approval as a brick of tears jammed her throat. Once Mihir and Mihika’s matter had subsided, the rest of the family had undoubtedly found out about the decisions made in Judge Bakshi’s office, and the Iyers had gotten the shorter end of the stick. While the Bhallas were distraught at Shagun’s return, they managed to hold on to the hope that Raman would win custody. But the Iyers were saddened for both Ruhi and Ishita.
The ring of Ishita’s phone distracted her from witnessing the pleasant scene at the table.
“Hello, who is this?”
“Hi, is this Dr. Isheeta Iyer?”
“Yes, aap kaun?”
“Main Shagun bol rahi hoon. From court today. Remember? Mujhe tumhara number telephone directory se mila.”
“Oh yes, yaad hai mujhe.”
“Hi Isheeta, woh main soch rahi thi ki kyun na tum Ruhi ko leke humare ghar aao kabhi, like in the next few days? Mujhe apni beti se milne ki itni excitement hai.”
“Oh yeah, actually maine abhi Ruhi ko bataya nahi hai aapke baare mein. Pehle main usse baat karti hoon, uske baad…”
“Yes yes, of course, not a problem! Main samajh sakti hoon uske liye kitni tough situation hogi yeh. Par ho sake to please usse jaldi baat karna. Mujhse ab aur door nahi raha jaayega usse.”
“Sure, main usse baat karti hoon uske baad I’ll call you.”
“Ok great. Thanks.”
Ishita hung up the phone and turned around to join her family at the dinner table. But try as she may, her feet didn’t seem to cooperate. Neither could she find the courage to face Ruhi, nor could she find the appetite to eat anything. Too much was happening too fast, and she needed a break to clear her mind.
“Amma, main niche walk pe jaa rahi hoon.”
“Aiyo Ishu, khaana to kha lo…”
“Nahi Amma, mujhe bhukh nahi hain. I’m going for a stroll around the block.”
Ishita put on her slippers and left for some air outside. Ruhi was happily munching on the uttapam and both her grandparents were there to keep her company. But right now, Ishita needed some space for herself. The past few weeks had taken a toll on her. Raman’s entry into her life had thrown her life out of balance, and now Shagun’s arrival and the court case meant she was kicked out of Ruhi’s life. And now she somehow had to find the words to explain to Ruhi what this all meant for her. How would she make her understand that she had to leave her Ishimaa soon? Ishita found a bench and sunk into it as her whole body grew tired and weary. And for the first time in weeks, she let herself shed her inhibitions and cry. She had kept herself together in front of her family, especially Ruhi. She had held onto some distant ray of hope but it had disappeared today. And so she wept away her troubles for as long as she could.
Once she was all out of tears, Ishita convinced herself to get up and face Ruhi. Whether she liked it or not, she had to tell her about Shagun. She gathered herself, wiped her face, and stood up to leave. But before she did, she noticed a white handkerchief on the bench that wasn’t there when she arrived. Someone must have seen her crying and left it there for her unnoticed, she thought.
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10 minutes earlier, outside the gates of Akash Ganga Society
Raman’s white Sedan pulled into the parking lot. Once his driver parked the car, Raman got out and proceeded towards his flat. However, his steps stopped midway as he heard the cries of a woman. He looked around and found Ishita on a nearby bench with her back towards him. Even in the growing darkness, he could discern her silhouette and see that she was shaking as she sobbed. It wasn’t his business though, he thought, as he tried to climb the steps towards his house. But he couldn’t manage to even take the first step as some corner of his mind was pulled towards the sobbing woman on the bench. He knew what her problem was but had no idea how to comfort her. So he merely tiptoed behind her and left his handkerchief at the edge of the bench, hoping she might be able to wipe her tears with it.
It didn’t surprise him that he could recognize her from a distance in the dark even with her back facing him. After all, he had noticed her long enough. Oh who was he kidding? He had noticed her the first time they met and every time after that. She was undoubtedly pretty, and it was that pretty face that he could not trust after having been betrayed by such a woman before. Shagun. She was here today again to take his child away. What a dilemma he was in though. He couldn’t find it in himself to love Ruhi, but he couldn’t let her slip away from his family either. His thoughts proved to be too heavy for him and so Raman turned back to his car instead of going home.
“Suresh, kisi bar mein le chalo.”
“Sir, aap ko ghar nahi jaana? Aunty ji wait kar rahi hongi.”
“Suresh, jitna bola utna karo. Zyada zubaan mat ladaao.”
“Jee sir.”
Suresh took Raman to a nearby bar where Raman decided to unload his stress and drink his troubles away. He scorched down his throat with drink after drink as he tried for the umpteenth time in years to numb out the pain that seared him.
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Ruhi and Ishita’s bedroom - later that night
Ishita climbed into bed with Ruhi and snuggled her close. She tried to get as many moments with her as she could before the time came for her to leave. But now she had another dreaded task at hand.
“Ru baccha, mujhe aap se kuch baat karni hai.”
“Kya Ishimaa?”
“Aap ko yaad hai, two months pehle papa aap ko dhunte huve aaye the? Ab na, aap ki mumma aayi hai aur aapse milna chahti hain.”
“Nahi, meri mumma to aap hi ho Ishimaa.”
Ishita sighed. How was she going to explain such a complicated situation to a child?
“Ruhi, aap ko yaad hai maine aap ko Krishna bhagwan ki story sunai thi? Usme Krishna bhagwan ki two mummas thi na, waise hi aap ki bhi two mummas hai.”
“Woh kaise Ishimaa?”
“Jaise Krishna bhagwaan ko unki Yashoda maiyaa ne paala tha par unki Devki maiyaa ne unko janam diya tha na, waise maine aap ko adopt kiya par unhone aap ko janam diya. Main aap ki Yashoda maiyya aur woh jo hain na, woh aap ki Devki maiyya. Unka naam Shagun hai, yaani woh aap ki Shagun mumma hai.”
“Nahi, mujhe unse nahi milna. Mujhe sirf aap aur papa chahiye.”
“Ruhi, please baccha? Mere liye ek baar unse mil lo na? Main aap ko leke chalungi unke paas aur main pure time aap ke paas rahungi, thik hai? Sirf milna hi to hai.”
“Ok Ishimaa, lekin aap wahi pe rehna, promise?”
“I promise, baby.”
Ruhi wasn’t completely convinced, but she trusted her mother. She knew that as long as Ishimaa was with her, she’d be safe and loved. And with that assurance, she drifted to sleep. Ishita’s predicament was completely opposite to her daughter as sleep evaded her despite being so exhausted. She had yet to explain to Ruhi about the custody case in a week, but first she needed to introduce her to Shagun. She had to take it slowly, step by step.
Hours later, sleep finally claimed Ishita only for her to be awoken by a thud from the stairwell. She glanced over at Ruhi making sure she hadn’t woken up. She rushed outside to see what the commotion was, and on her way out, glanced at the clock. It was past midnight. What was this noise this late at night?
She walked out of her flat and down the stairs to greet a sight that disturbed her beyond belief. Raman was lying at the foot of the staircase, disheveled and inebriated, with a beer bottle that slipped from his hand and rolled down the step. Luckily, the society was pretty much empty and quiet but that was a mixed blessing. No one had seen Raman like this yet, but the amount of noise he was making meant that anyone could easily be woken up. Ishita hastily picked up the bottle and threw it in the trash. She offered her hand to Raman for support to stand up, but he did not seem to be in his senses to even stand up on his own. Ishita put her arm around his back and helped him stand on his feet while pulling his arm over her neck to support his weight. With much difficulty, she managed to climb up the stairs and reach their floor. Fortunately for Ishita, the Bhallas’ door was unlocked which meant she didn’t have to wake anyone up. As quietly as she could, she helped Raman into his bedroom and onto his bed. He passed out on his bed the instant his head hit the pillow.
Ishita couldn’t figure out whether to feel disgusted or concerned for this man. She went back into her flat and slumped on the couch. How could she trust Raman with Ruhi? He was always distant, he seemed to prioritize money over family, and now this. He was terribly irresponsible with alcohol. What if Ruhi would have seen him? How would she grow up around a father who is distant, cold, and even worse, an alcoholic? Sure, the rest of the Bhalla family loved and pampered Ruhi to their heart’s content, but they couldn’t scold her or be strict with her like a parent when the need arose. Besides, they couldn’t be deemed responsible for raising her. Romi and Rinki were single and still building their careers; Simi was busy in her own life with her husband and daughter. And Mr. and Mrs. Bhalla were Ruhi’s elderly grandparents. They had already raised four kids; would they be able to raise a kid all over again? On the other hand there was Shagun. She hadn’t met her for long but she seemed sincere on the phone, Ishita thought. Maybe she would be responsible enough to raise a child. But she still didn’t know why she left Ruhi in an orphanage. Raman only found out about Ruhi a few days before he showed up, but Shagun willingly left Ruhi in the orphanage. She had to find out the truth about Raman, Shagun, and Ruhi’s past. Only then could she make an informed decision about Ruhi’s future. She decided to call Shagun first thing in the morning to fix a time to bring Ruhi to her house. She could introduce Ruhi to her biological mother and she could also ask her where she was all this time.
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Shagun and Ashok’s house - June 9th, 5 pm
Shagun opened the door and welcomed Ishita and Ruhi inside her grand mansion (rather, her boyfriend’s grand mansion). Yesterday, Shagun had called Ishita again and invited her and Ruhi over to her house for the evening. She had made up her mind to impress Ishita and ensure her support in Ruhi’s custody case. She was already two steps behind considering that Raman and Ishita already knew each other for two months. But knowing Raman’s nature, Shagun assumed she could easily paint him in a bad light and get Ishita’s support.
“Hi Isheeta, hello Ruhi beta. Please come in. Have a seat. Aap ke liye kuch laau kya? Coffee, tea? Ruhi, aap juice loge?”
Both the guests shook their heads in the negative. As they took a seat on the couch in the living room, Ruhi burrowed closer to Ishita.
“Ru,” she began, “dekho, yeh Shagun hai, aap ki real mother.” Merely saying the words out loud made her heart heavy.
“Hello Shagun Aunty,” Ruhi whispered.
Seeing an opening, Shagun decided to take charge. “Aunty nahi beta, main aapki mumma hoon. Shagun mumma. Come here beta, give me a hug.”
Ruhi grabbed onto Ishita’s dupatta and hid behind it as if it were a veil. It was true that she was shy but this wasn’t a matter of shyness. She didn’t like the vibes of this woman. She didn’t want to hug her and call her mumma. Only Ishimaa was her mumma.
“Shagun, you’ll have to give her some time. Dheere dheere woh aap ke kareeb zaroor aayegi.”
“I understand Isheeta. Kaash main apni bacchi ko pehle se jaanti. Par koi baat nahi. Ab main aa gayi hoon na, main ise duniya ki saari khushiyan doongi. I’ll love her so much. Come with me. Mujhe tum dono ko kuch dikhana hain.”
Shagun led them upstairs into a wide spacious bedroom painted in baby pink with a twin bed with pink and white bedding. The room was filled with barbie dolls, kitchen sets, and other toys traditionally made for girls.
“Dekho Ruhi, yeh kamra aapke liye hai. Yeh saare toys main aap ke liye laayi hoon. Go, play with them.”
Ruhi glanced at Ishita to get her approval. Upon Ishita’s nod, Ruhi made a beeline for the barbie dolls. Shagun delighted in her initial victory. She subconsciously assumed that Ruhi would be like her and could be won over by material things. Mistaking Ruhi’s enthusiasm for her acceptance, Shagun decided to focus on Ishita. Winning her over might be difficult, but this was no impossible task for Shagun Arora. She put up her facade and wetted her eyes with crocodile tears.
“Isheeta, it means so much to me ki tum Ruhi ko yaha le ke aayi. Main bata nahi sakti ki apni bacchi ko yaha apne paas dekhkar kitna accha lag raha hain. Tum toh samajh hi sakti ho ek maa ki feelings.”
But where was this maa all this time, Ishita wondered.
“Shagun, aap bura na maane to main ek baat puchu?”
“Sure Isheeta, anything.”
“Aap kaha thi itne saal? Raman ko to pata bhi nahi tha ki Ruhi unki beti hai. Aur jaise hi unhe pata chala, woh turant use dhundte huwe yaha aa gaye. Lekin aap ko to pata hi tha na Ruhi ke baare mein? Aap ne to use janam diya hai. To phir aap kahan thi? Aur Ruhi ko anaath ashram mein kyun choda? Akhir aap ka, Raman ka, aur Ruhi ka past kya hai?”
“Isheeta, tumhe kya lagta hai, mujhe accha laga tha Ruhi ko akele chodna? Bilkul nahi, par main kya karti? Meri and Raman ki shaadi bilkul bhi acchi nahi thi. Raman ke behavior se main tang aa gayi thi. Uska har baat pe gussa karna, raat raat bhar daru ke nashe mein dhoot rehna. I couldn’t handle it anymore. He used to stay cold and distant all the time. And I felt trapped in a loveless marriage. So I decided to leave. Bahot mushkil se maine yeh faisla liya, aur Raman ko talaakh de diya. Lekin hamare alag hote hi mujhe pata chala ki main pregnant thi, with Ruhi. Main Raman ke paas wapas nahi jaa sakti thi. Aur mere paas resources nahi the ki main akele apni beti ko paalti. Isiliye, na chahte huwe bhi, apne dil par patthar rakh kar mujhe use anaath ashram mein chodna pada. Lekin aaj mere paas sab kuch hai. Aur main apni beti ko ek accha secure future de sakti hoon. Isiliye main uski custody lene aayi hoon.”
The story did not make much sense to Ishita. “Lekin Shagun…”
“Please Isheeta, tum mujhe zyada sawaal mat karna. Woh waqt mere liye bahot mushkil waqt tha. Main uske baare mein baat nahi karna chahti.” Shagun tactfully evaded any other questions that Ishita might throw her way.
It was true. Ishita did have a lot of questions. Why did Shagun not contact Raman’s family and let them know about Ruhi’s birth? Where was she living and with whom? Did she not have any maternal family? Was this really her money, or was it her boyfriend’s? But she couldn’t breach Shagun’s privacy when she had explicitly said no to answering questions.
“Shagun, washroom kis taraf hain, aap bata sakti hain?”
“Sure, just down the hall to the left is my bedroom. The washroom is inside. There is also another one downstairs.”
“Thank you.”
Ishita made her way downstairs to the bathroom to freshen up. She didn’t feel exactly comfortable going into her and Ashok’s bedroom. When she came out and was returning to Ruhi’s bedroom, a peculiar piece of paper caught her eye on the coffee table that she hadn’t noticed before. Ishita picked it up and realized it was a brochure for an all girls’ boarding school. That was weird, Ishita thought. Why would Shagun need this? She flipped through some more of the papers on the table and found a half-filled admission form with Ruhi’s name on it. So this was Shagun’s plan for her daughter’s future? She had been raving on and on about how grateful she was that Ruhi was going to be a part of her life, but she planned on sending her away the moment she got custody? How could a little girl like Ruhi ever stay alone and so far away from family? She had been all alone for the first four years of her life, and she would have to go through that again if Shagun sent her away.
Ishita took the brochure and the admission form and climbed upstairs to confront Shagun.
“Shagun, I found this brochure and admission form for an all girls boarding school on your coffee table downstairs. Are you seriously planning on sending Ruhi away to a boarding school?”
Shagun bit her tongue at her folly. How could she be so careless as to leave these papers lying around when Ishita was coming home?
“Nahi Isheeta, not at all. Yeh to main aur Ashok bas aas paas ke schools dekh rahe the Ruhi ke liye. Aur yeh boarding school ka brochure to sirf isiliye hai kyunki humne suna tha yeh bahot hi prestigious aur privilieged school hai. To shayad jab woh badi ho jaye to hum use waha admission dila sakte hain. I’m just so excited about her future, that I’ve been dreaming about her school, college, everything.”
“Then why have you filled out Ruhi’s name on this form?”
“Maine bataya na Isheeta? I just got so excited that I got carried away.”
Shagun quickly snatched the papers from Ishita’s hand. “Main abhi ise safe jagah pe rakh kar aati hoon. Waise bhi, jab tak Ruhi badi nahi ho jaati, tab tak iski zaroorat to padegi nahi.”
Although Shagun made a quick escape and a lame attempt at salvaging her image, the seed of doubt had been laid in Ishita’s mind. This woman was not what she said she was.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Bhalla/Iyer residence - 6 pm
Raman dragged his feet up the stairs after a long day at work. His clients had been particularly difficult to deal with and Ruhi’s upcoming court case added more stress than he could handle. But the day had ended now and Raman couldn’t wait to get under the shower and let his exhaustion be washed away. As he reached his floor, however, he realized that his day was far from over. In fact, it was about to get even more eventful, for the worse.
“Ruhi, Ruhi! Oye madrasan! Ruhi kahaan hai? Use bula na, dekh uski choti behen Ananya aayi hai. Aur maine uske liye rajma chawal bhi banaye hai. Kidhar hai woh?” Toshi bellowed to Madhu across the hall.
“Aiyoo Santoshi, kitna shout karti hai? Thoda dhire bolo, dhire. Aur Ruhi to Ishu ke saath gayi hai uske maa ke ghar, woh kya naam hai…. haan Shagun ke ghar.”
Raman’s feet stopped in his tracks. What was that woman thinking? How dare she take Ruhi there? Without even asking him?
“Kya?!” Toshi screamed. “Woh Ishita paagal hai kya? Kisse puchke woh meri bacchi ko us chudail ke ghar le ke gayi?” She noticed Raman approaching on the steps and spoke to her son.
“Raman puttar, suna tune, yeh madrasan kya keh rahi hai? Woh Ruhi Shagun ke paas…”
“Maa aap chinta mat kijiye, ek minute.” He turned to Mrs. Iyer.
“Aap ki beti ko akkal nahi hai kya? Mujhse pucha bina ya baat kiye bina woh kaise le ke gayi Ruhi ko waha?”
“Enough Raman! Tumhara koi right nahi hai meri Ishu ko aisa kuch bhi bolne ka!”
“Aur aap logo ka koi right nahi hai ki mujhse puche bina meri beti ko kahin pe bhi leke jaaye. Main abhi jaata hoon aur use leke aata hoon.”
Raman turned around and descended the steps, all the while ignoring the calls of his mother and Mrs. Iyer from behind him. As soon as he made it to the landing of the ground floor and took out his car keys, he saw a black Mercedes pull into the compound. To his surprise, Shagun turned out to be the owner of that car, as she emerged from the car with Ruhi and Ishita. Raman’s anger knew no bounds. He clenched his fists and made his way to confront her.
“Ishita, tumhara dimaag kharab ho gaya hai kya, tum…” he stopped mid-sentence noticing that Ruhi was right there. As angry as he was, he couldn’t blast Ruhi’s mother in front of her. He fleetingly noted how funny it was that when he thought of Ruhi’s mother, only Ishita came to his mind.
“Ruhi, tum upar jao, beta.”
“Ruhi beta, mumma ko huggy to de do jaane se pehle,” Shagun opened her arms towards Ruhi who merely hid behind her Ishimaa's dupatta once again.
“Ruhi, aap upar jao. Simi bua aayi hai aur aapki choti sister Ananya bhi aayi hai. Aapko milna hai na unse? Aur dadi ne aaj dinner ke liye rajma-chawal banaye hai. Jao dadi ke saath. Maa, please Ruhi ko leke jaaiye.” Raman gave Ruhi a gentle push towards her grandmother who held her hand and gladly took her upstairs away from Shagun.
“Ishita, what is wrong with you? You took my daughter to this woman without even asking me? How could you?”
“Calm down Raman, yeh Ruhi ki maa hai. Kabhi na kabhi to milana tha hi na? Custody case ki tareekh nazdeek aa rahi hai aur usse pehle mujhe bhi Shagun se milna tha.”
“Oh really, yeh Ruhi ki maa hai? Mere saamne to kitna akadti ho, apne aap ko Ruhi ki maa jatati ho, parenting ke lectures deti ho. Aur aaj achanak yeh Ruhi ki maa ban gayi, kaise?”
“Raman, aap…”
“Offo Raman,” Shagun intervened. “Main Ruhi ki maa hoon. Isheeta nahi. Maine use janam diya hai. Aur tumhare na maanne se sach badal nahi jaayega.”
“Shut up Shagun. Main tumse nahi Ishita se baat kar raha hoon.”
“Raman, please calm down!” Ishita snapped. “Why are you always so angry and bitter? Aisa bhi kya galat kar diya maine? Main sirf Ruhi ko Shagun se milane le gayi thi. Maine use abhi custody case ke baare mein baat nahi ki hai, aur naahi maine use force kiya hai Shagun se koi rishta banane ke liye.”
“Dekha Isheeta, Raman ke isi gusse aur behavior ki wajah se mujhe use chodna pada, aur meri beti ko bhi.”
“Shagun, you…” Raman was simmering with rage at the nerve of this woman. What did she mean by ‘she had to leave him and Ruhi?’
Ishita had had enough. “Shagun, aap please jaiye abhi. Hum baad mein baat karte hain.”
“Ok Isheeta, lekin main tumhe call karoongi. I would love to have you and Ruhi at my house again soon.” Saying so, Shagun flicked her hair and left in her car.
Ishita was mentally exhausted at this point. All she wanted to do was lie down and let sleep take over her. But that was not to be. For when she made her way to go upstairs, Raman gripped her wrist and turned her around bringing her face to face with him for a confrontation.
“Ishita, now answer me. What made you think it was okay for you to take my daughter to that woman?”
“Raman, that woman is Ruhi’s mother, like it or not. She is fighting for Ruhi’s custody. Have you thought about what would happen if the court grants her custody and Ruhi has no idea who she is?”
“She cannot win, you hear me! She cannot defeat me this time. I will not let her win!”
“What do you mean she can’t defeat you? And you won’t let her win? Is this what you think of this case? A game of winning and losing? Ruhi’s entire life is on the line, but you for once can’t think of her before yourself? Listen Raman, I’m sorry that your marriage didn’t work out with Shagun but that doesn’t mean you can keep Ruhi from ever knowing her biological mother. And honestly, I can start to see why she left you. I am no stranger to your temper and your cold, distant nature. Neither am I oblivious of your drinking habits.”
“ISHITA!” This woman had gone way too far.
Ishita wrenched her hand free from Raman’s grip and proceeded upstairs. She couldn’t believe the nerve of that man! When would he ever gain some perspective and think about someone else -- much less his own daughter -- before himself? Ruhi had to be introduced to Shagun one way or another. In fact, it had to be done sooner than later with the custody case looming. It hurt Ishita herself more than anyone else to accept that Ruhi wasn’t her daughter but she put her feelings aside for Ruhi. And all he could think of was his anger for his ex-wife. But maybe she had gone too far with her words. She knew very well that Shagun wasn’t as honest as she pretended to be. Her explanations had way too many loopholes and those forms for the boarding school told a story different from what she said. What was with this man, Raman Bhalla? How did he get the normally calm and composed Ishita Iyer all riled up?
Raman kicked the tire of his car and slammed his fist on the hood. How could that woman say that? She had no inkling of his past and the hurt he bore, but still she made her own assumptions. But she wasn’t totally at fault. After all, Shagun must have woven a huge web of lies about their past. But why did it matter to him what Ishita thought? He had managed to shut up many blabbering mouths with one cold look of his piercing eyes, then why did this woman manage to get to him so terribly? Because she had Ruhi, of course. She idolized her Ishimaa and what Ishita thought would get imprinted on her, Raman thought. That’s why it mattered what she thought. Plus Ishita’s statement in court would prove crucial in winning Ruhi’s custody. That had to be the only reason why her opinions mattered so much. Right?
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