Connected: A YHM Story (COMPLETED) - Page 21

Part 26

“Only a set of pencils? That’s it?” Romi commented. 

“Romi!” Vandu signalled towards an already irritated Shravu who wasn’t impressed at the Shuklas’ gift-giving ability. “No Shravu, these pencils are very nice. We’ll write them a thank you card too.”

“I’m just saying, they could’ve done better,” Romi shrugged. 

“Shravu, dusre gifts kholo na?” Vandu encouraged. 

Shravu went on to unwrap the rest of the gifts in the pile. Mihir and Mihika had gotten him a new set of red and blue swim gear including goggles, a swim cap, a snorkel set, and a kickboard. Romi and Rinki had pitched in together and gifted him a Batman themed wristwatch. Simi and Pulkit had given him a set of three race car themed jigsaw puzzles. Shravu loved it all. They were nearing the end of the pile, when Vandu noticed two different gifts from Ishita and Raman. 

“Ishita, Raman, tum dono do alag gifts kyun laaye ho?” she asked as she stretched over and grabbed both packages. 

“Arey Vandu, tumhari behen ka gift bahot boring tha. Isiliye maine ek aur exciting gift khareed liya. Tingu, tu khol ke dekh, tujhe kaunsa zyada pasand hai?” Raman said. 

“Shravu ko mera gift zyada pasand aayega, dekhna,” Ishita interjected. 

“Ab woh to waqt hi batayega.” Raman took a sip of his drink.

Shravu tore off the wrapping paper of Ishita’s gift and opened the box inside to reveal navy blue jeans and a red t-shirt with Marvel Avengers print. 

“Wow Chitti! I love this! Thank you!” Shravu exclaimed and gave a big hug to Ishita. Ishita raised her eyebrow at Raman as a gesture of saying ‘told you so.’

“Ab mera gift dekh, Tingu.”

Shravu sat down again and now attended to Raman’s gift. He opened the box after tearing off the gift wrap and out came a stack of Marvel comic books and action figures of Captain America, Ironman, Hawkeye, Black Widow, Thor, Hulk, Loki, Spiderman, and Scarlet Witch. Ishita sighed. Raman won hands-down. 

“Itne saare superheroes?! Thank you Chittappa!” Shravu ran over to Raman and almost toppled him over with the force of his hug. 

“Accha yeh bata mujhe, tujhe aaj ke saare gifts mein se kaunsa sabse zyada pasand aaya?”

“Aapka! Aapka!” 

Raman raised his hands having won the debate. 

“Ek minute, ek minute,” Ishita stopped him. “Abhi bhi ek gift baaki hai, dekho.” She retrieved a box wrapped in red gift wrap that lay in the far corner of the living room. “Shravu, yeh gift bhi kholo,” she said, handing him the present.

Shravu opened it but what came out was disappointing to say the least. There were baby clothes, including a onesie, a bib, a hat, and socks. 

“Yeh gift kisne diya?” Shravu asked. “Main koi baby thodi hoon?”

Vandu gasped. This wasn’t supposed to happen. She should've been more careful. She quickly grabbed the baby clothes from Shravu’s hands and stuffed them into the box again, trying to hide a massive goof-up.

“Yeh actually kisi aur ke liye hai. Maine liya tha kisi aur ke liye. Shravu ka nahi hain. Woh saara wrapping paper ek jaisa hai na, isiliye in gifts ke saath mix ho gaya hoga shayad,” she said quickly as she shoved the box into the nearest drawer.

“Aapne kiske liye liya hai Akka?” Mihika asked. “I can’t remember anyone who is having a baby in our family.”

“Woh… woh… actually it’s a lady at work. It’s for her,” Vandu said.

“Nahi akka, if it were for someone at work, you wouldn’t have been scrambling like that,” Ishita pointed out. “Bataiye na, kiske liye hai?”

“Actually Ishu…” Vandu looked over at Bala. There was no hiding this now. “It’s for Ragini. She just had a baby boy and they named him Varun.”

Ishita and Mihika suddenly went silent. The atmosphere in the room suddenly shifted from playful to serious. 

“Who’s Ragini?” Raman asked, not having missed the sudden tension in the room.

“Ragini is Subbu’s wife. Varun is their son. He was born a few weeks ago,” Bala explained. 

No wonder the vibe became so uncomfortable all of a sudden, Raman realized. Thankfully, Ruhi was already asleep on the couch and Shravu took his new toys inside to play with them. They would be spared from the awkwardness.

“I thought you guys broke off your relations with Subbu,” Raman said. 

“These gifts are for a newborn baby, Raman. There is no reason to hold a grudge against him, is there?” Vandu asked. “We are not in touch with Subbu but we can certainly send warm wishes to the new mom and baby.”

“I think that’s a great idea, akka,” Ishita cut in. She didn’t want the evening to end on a bad note after such a fun party. “I hope both the mom and baby are healthy.”

Unfortunately, the vibe that was gone couldn’t be recreated again. It was getting late anyway, so everyone slowly excused themselves and took off.

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Bhalla House - 10 pm

Ishita slumped on her couch and the tears she had held in from Vandu’s house flowed unabashedly now that she was alone. She was satisfied with her life now; after all, she had her Ruhi. But her heart still ached thinking that her ex had everything they dreamed of. Everything that she had dreamed of. Her infertility came back to the forefront of her mind and any power that she held over her insecurities vanished. 

Meanwhile, Raman was on his way back from tucking Ruhi into bed. Ishita had been awfully quiet during the ride home and he didn’t have a good feeling about it. She must have been feeling a thousand things from betrayal to heartbreak to inadequacy, all feelings that he had battled for five long years. He recalled how supportive Ishita had been since their marriage; how only talking it out with her helped him move on. Now, it was his turn to return the favor. 

As soon as he opened his bedroom door, he found Ishita sobbing on the couch, her head in her palms, and his heart lurched. Something monumental shifted inside him. He quietly set his coat on his bed and took a seat beside her. He didn’t know what to say, so he did what he could. He offered her a shoulder to cry on and an ear to listen. As he put his arm around her shoulders and rubbed her back, Ishita shed all her inhibitions. She leaned against his shoulder and cried her heart out. 

“Feel better now?” Raman asked a few minutes later when her sobs subsided.

“Yeah, I’m sorry you had to see that,” Ishita said. 

“It’s okay. Do you want to talk about it?”

“No.”

“You know, a wise woman once told me that I shouldn’t hold on to the past. Letting go and talking it out is a great way to heal.”

Ishita smiled as she wiped away her tears. “She sounds smart.”

“Sometimes she is. Other times she tends to forget her own advice.”

A stretch of silence lingered between them, as Ishita struggled to find words while Raman waited patiently to listen.

“Aap ko pata hai Subbu ne kitna time liya humara rishta todne mein?” Ishita began. Raman shook his head. “Saat ghante se kam. Woh dopahar ko mujhe bina bataye ek fertility specialist ke paas le gaya, jahan use pata chala ki main kabhi maa nahi sakti. Usi din, shaam ko usne hum dono ke parivaar ke saamne humara rishta tod diya. Just like that. It was finished. In the blink of an eye.”

“That’s really all it takes for life to change, isn’t it?” Raman recalled how Shagun had dropped the divorce papers in front of him, tearing his family apart forever. Yet, his mind lingered on Subbu's nonsensical behavior. Who in their right mind would worry about their fiancee's chances of conceiving instead of her health and recovery from a life-threatening surgery?

“I always told you not to isolate yourself, to mingle with your family, but the truth is, even I closed myself off in a way after that breakup,” Ishita confessed.

“At least you didn’t run away.”

“We changed entire cities, Raman. We came from Chennai to Delhi. How is that not running away?”

“I mean, at least you didn’t run from your family like I did.”

“I might as well have. I shoved my pain deep down somewhere even I couldn’t find it. I hid it from my family. I hid myself from them. It wasn’t that I didn’t want their help, it was just that… I..”

“It was easier for you to care for someone else than yourself.” Raman finished her sentence.

“What do you mean?” 

“I mean, you’re a natural caregiver. In both your personal and professional life. You’re a dentist, and a pediatric dentist no less. Taking care of people and getting rid of their pain is what drives you. That’s why it’s so hard for you to put yourself before anyone else. That’s why, even though you were sick about a month ago, you wouldn’t rest until forced to. Being needed by someone else is what gives you purpose. That’s why Subbu leaving you hurts you so much. Because he didn’t need you anymore. Or rather because that’s all he needed you for, right?” 

Ishita nodded. He had hit the nail right on the head. “He only needed me for a baby, when I thought he needed me for the woman I was. The moment he found out I couldn’t be a mother…”

“But you are a mother.”

“Thanks to Ruhi.”

“I meant you were always a mother. Even before Ruhi came into your life. It’s part of who you are.”

“What makes you say that?” Ishita gave Raman a look of bewilderment. “You didn’t even know me then.”

“I know you now, so I know who you are. Like I said, you’re a caregiver. And caregiving is what makes you a natural mother.” 

“A natural mother who can’t conceive a child,” Ishita looked away and scoffed.

“Let me put it this way: your caregiving personality is why you were meant to be Ruhi’s mother. She wouldn’t be in your life if you would have married Subbu, would she?” 

Ishita shook her head in the negative.

“Exactly. In fact, you should be happy he left you. That scumbag didn’t deserve you anyway.” 

Although now that he came to think of it, did he deserve her? 

“Come on, Jhansi ki Rani. Don’t let a man like him get to you. You’re an incredible woman. A superwoman, in fact,” Raman confessed.

“Yeh aap keh rahe hai?” Ishita was perplexed to hear Ravan Kumar say something so sweet. “Mazaak to nahi kar rahe na? Ya bas mujhe chup karaane ke liye bol rahe ho?”

Raman sighed, but it was too late. He had already let his guard down. 

“Main koi mazaak nahi kar raha. Aur main sirf bolne ke khaatir nahi bol raha hoon. Sach keh raha hoon.” Raman bit his lower lip and rubbed his chin, looking for the right words to make his wife believe him. “Madrasan, tumne kabhi chaand ki khoobsurti ki misaalein suni hai?”

“Ab yeh kaunsa topic nikaal rahe ho?” she asked.

“Just humour me for a minute. Tumne suna hai na, log chaand ki khubsurti ki misaale dete hain. Right?” 

“Haan suna hai,” Ishita said.

“Lekin logon ke kehne se woh khoobsurat nahi hota. Aur logon ke naa kehne se woh khoobsurat hona band bhi nahi ho jata. That’s what I mean when I say that you’re a superwoman. You’re an amazing, strong, incredible daughter, wife and mother. Just because I don’t say it often, doesn’t make it untrue.”

And finally, after what seemed like ages, Ishita let out a genuine laugh, and Raman felt his heart set into place again. But why did her tears affect him so much?

“Ab chal, apne aansu poch le. Tu lecture deti hui acchi lagti hai. Aise rote huye daraawni lagti hai,” Raman chuckled, earning a gentle smack on his upper arm. 

Ishita took it as one of Raman’s teasing statements, but he meant it. Seeing her cry caused his insides to twist into shapes he never knew of. Seeing her in pain physically hurt him. One tear rolling down her cheek was enough to shift his world off its axis. That is when the momentous realization hit him: Ishita had grown so incredibly important to him. As important as any one of his family members.

Jab jab tere paas main aaya, Ik sukoon mila

Jise main tha bhoolta aaya, Wo wajood mila

Jab aaye mausam gham ke, Tujhe yaad kiya

Jab sehme tanhapan se, Tujhe yaad kiya

Hmm… dil… Sambhal ja zara

Phir mohabbat karne chala hai tu

Dil yahin ruk jaa zara

Phir mohabbat karne chala hai tu

With one last gentle reassuring rub on Ishita’s shoulder, Raman stood up and went to the bathroom to change into his night clothes. He had no idea what was going on. What he felt for Ishita was a lot more than mere care and concern. Unable to deal with the depth of his new feelings, he decided to take a cold shower and bury them all in a corner of his heart he couldn’t reach. This was dangerous territory. Raman would not admit it, because perhaps, he didn’t even know the truth himself. But the plain and simple reality was that Raman Bhalla was falling in love with his wife. 

Kya hai yeh silsila

Janu naa, Main janu naa

Dil sambhal ja zara

Phir mohabbat karne chala hai tu

Dil yahin ruk ja zara

Phir mohabbat karne chala hai tu

Kuch bhi nahi Jab darmiyan

Phir kyun hai dil, tere hi khwaab bunta

Chaha ki de, tujhko bhula

Par yeh bhi mumkin ho na sakaa…

Kya hai yeh maamla, Janu naa

Main janu naa

Dil sambhal ja zara

Phir mohabbat karne chala hai tu

Dil yahin ruk ja zara

Phir mohabbat karne chala hai tu

Dil sambhal ja zara

Phir mohabbat karne chala hai tu

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=biiHl1rn4tw 

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Ishita removed her night clothes from the cupboard and locked the bedroom door. She had heard the shower running, which meant she had an extra 15-20 minutes before Raman came back. The thought of her husband brought a gentle smile on her lips. He was… something else. A puzzle. An enigma. He had a thousand ways to annoy her, a million ways to push her buttons. But when he showed his gentle, caring side… Ishita sighed and closed her eyes. He could hide under his arrogant, rude alpha male act, but his true sweet nature always seeped through. She saw it in how he loved Ruhi; how selfless he was when it came to his parents and siblings; and how he cared for her too. She hoped that one day, he wouldn’t need that mask at all.

Kabhi neem neem

Kabhi shahad shahad

Kabhi naram naram

Kabhi sakht sakht

Kabhi neem neem

Kabhi shahad shahad

Kabhi naram naram

Kabhi sakht sakht

Mora piya…

Mora piya…

Mora piya…

A peculiar warmth spread through Ishita’s chest assuaging the pain of the night. It was a feeling that she did not recognize. For as fate would have it, Ishita Iyer… no Ishita Raman Bhalla was falling in love with her husband.

Nazron ke teer

Mai basa hai pyar

Jab bhi chala hai wo dil ke paar

Nazron ke teer

Mai basa hai pyar

Jab bhi chala hai wo dil ke paar

Lajja se mare re ye jiya

Piya, lajja se mare re yeh jiya

Piya re, lajja se mare re yeh jiya

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALQ7MLtEwtI 

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Superb double update

First I read in Wattpad then next here

I think I like to read ur update again and again

Both the parts were really very good please update next part soon to know when both will fall in love 

Beautiful update

Ruhi is really drama queen she didn't wanted ishita to oil her hair toshiji and ishita made her understand ishita simmi scene was nice ishra nok jhok was cute raman asked ishita what sharvu likes ishita told him he got the idea ramans reaction seeing ishita when she came getting ready was superb he was openly ogling at her ishita was blushing ishita also notices he is looking handsome hehe ramans reaction being caught was funny sharvu liked ramans gift most oh no that gift spoiled everything raman asked who is ragini bala said subbus wife ishra came home poor ishita raman decided to bring ishita out of her past like she had done with him ishita wa crying when he entered in room he gave her shoulder to cry in loved his talk ishra are falling for each other that's lovely

Please update soon

All parts are absolutely amazing! Loved it! I guess we waited for a while, thank u heaps for writing again! Hope exams went well. 

Read again! Very beautifully written! Would be nice to see ishita n Raman deal together as a team any issues Shagun  creates,not like the serial! Hope more moments with ishita n Raman in future parts, like ram discussing about adi etc! Thanks again for the fab updates. 

Hello everyone, 

Thank you to everyone who has read, commented, and reacted on my story. Please know that none of your love has gone unnoticed. I have read every comment of yours and I see that many of you are demanding an update, and rightfully so. I'll have you know that I am in the middle of writing the next chapter, but unfortunately, I am unable to write much. Life has gone topsy-turvy due to school and work commitments. Plus, I am navigating through a personal loss. All I have to say is that 2021 has been less than kind, even less so than 2020. That being said, I am and have been working on the next chapters of my story. I assure you, I have no plans of discontinuing the story. All I ask of you is time. I hope you understand.

Take your time and be safe that's what we all want

God's blessings will be always with you

Part 27

Metro City Mall - One week later, Saturday morning, 12th October

“Pink or purple ones, Ruhi?” 

Raman held up two pairs of wool gloves in his hands, pink ones in his right, and purple ones in his left. Ruhi stared intently at each pair one after another, rubbing her chin deep in thought. Raman, Ishita, and Ruhi had come to the mall this weekend to shop for Ruhi’s winter clothes. They had picked out jackets, socks, hats, and even a scarf. All that was left was a pair of gloves.

“Ru, just pick one pair already baccha. Agar aapko ice cream khaani hai to humein jaldi checkout karna padega,” Ishita urged. 

“Par mujhe dono colors pasand hai, mumma. Main kaunsa…”

Before she could finish her sentence, her eye caught something. Jackpot!

“I want these!” She darted past Raman and grabbed another pair of gloves with pink and purple stripes right behind him. “They have both pink and purple on them!”

“Perfect then,” Raman exclaimed. “Chalo, agar sab le liya ho to checkout ki taraf chale?”

“Phir ice cream?” Ruhi asked. 

“Yes Ru, checkout ke baad ice cream. Lekin phir ghar chalenge, ok?”

“Ok papa.”

All three of them proceeded to the checkout counter. While Raman paid the bill, Ishita and Ruhi picked out an ice cream shop in the mall food court. Ishita ordered a cup of each of their favorite ice creams and picked out a booth with Ruhi, while Raman caught up with them with their shopping bags. Soon enough, they all dug into their cups of ice cream. Truth be told, it was more like Ruhi dug into her chocolate chip ice cream, while Raman and Ishita barely scratched the surface with their spoon. Their hands played with their spoons but their minds were elsewhere. Three days ago, Ishita had informed Raman about Toshi’s mention of Adi while knitting which Ruhi had overheard. She had managed to divert her attention then, but the task still remained: Ruhi had to be told of her big brother. 

Raman took in a breath and placed his spoon down. His ice cream was half-melted, but he could hardly care. Ishita nodded at him reassuringly. It was all she could do to not reach over and hold his hand, but she restrained herself. Her feelings were so new, she would not let them interfere in the stable family dynamic they had just established. 

“Ruhi, papa ko aap se baat karni hai,” Raman began. 

“Ha papa?”

“Beta…” His words faltered. But then he looked over at Ishita, and her reassuring nod gave him the strength he needed. “Papa aur Ishimaa ko aap ko ek baat batani hai, jo aap ko nahi pata. Jo aap ko janne ka haq hain.”

“Kya papa?”

“Ru, aap ke ek bade bhaiyya hain. Unka naam hai Aditya. Hum sab unhe pyaar se Adi bulaate hain. Aapke Adi bhaiyya. Woh aap se paanch saal bade hai.”

“Mere bhaiya hai? Par woh kahan hai papa? Woh hamare saath kyun nahi rehte?”

“Beta woh Shagun ke saath rehte hain.” He revised his sentence after noticing Ishita’s look. “Shagun mumma ke saath,” he said through gritted teeth. He hated calling Shagun Ruhi’s mother, but he couldn’t disagree with Ishita. Ruhi shouldn’t have to feel the same antagonism towards her birth mother that he felt towards Shagun.

“Toh phir Adi bhaiyya kabhi humse milne kyun nahi aaye Papa? Woh mujhse ek baar bhi nahi mile. Kya woh mujhse pyaar nahi karte-”

“Nahi beta,” Ishita cut in before Ruhi could finish her question. She had vowed to herself not to ever let Ruhi question her worth or right to be loved. “Adi bhaiyya abhi hostel mein rehte hai. Unhe aap ke baare mein pata bhi nahi hoga. Isiliye woh aap se milne nahi aaye. Lekin woh jaise hi hostel se wapis aayenge hum sab unse milenge, thik hai?”

“Ok mumma.”

Ruhi dug back into her ice cream, albeit with much less enthusiasm than before. Her thoughts kept going back to this big brother whose face she couldn’t picture. What would he be like? Where had he been all her life? Why was he with Shagun mumma but she in an orphanage for all these years? Would she be able to meet him soon? And when she did, would they get along?

Raman’s thoughts went to the exact same place. How would Ruhi and Adi’s relationship form? They hadn’t grown up together like siblings traditionally did. Now that he thought of it, what would his and Adi’s relationship be like when they met? Would he still love him like a son would? What would his internal struggles be? Every day, Raman saw Ruhi growing out of her insecurities that she gained during her time at the orphanage. Every day, he and Ishita helped Ruhi grow into her own as an individual. Would Adi be getting the same care? If not, how much internal turmoil must he be going through? Thankfully, his sane mind pulled his thoughts back. There was a time when a relationship with his daughter seemed impossible. But now she was closer to him than ever before. There was no reason to doubt whether that could be possible with his son. 

Ishita noticed both father and daughter going silent, neither of which was a good sign. They were similar in more ways than one, and if either of them shut down, their emotional health could take a turn for the worse.

“Agar sab ki ice cream finish ho gayi ho to ghar chale?” she asked.

Raman and Ruhi snapped back to the present. 

“Haa haa, chalo,” Raman agreed. And the family of three went back home.

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Bhalla House - Later that day

Over the course of the day, Ruhi’s mood significantly improved. Although initially tense, she had overall taken the news of having an older brother quite well, much to Ishita and Raman’s relief. After a hearty lunch with the Bhallas, she had gone out with her Mihika chitti and Mihir chachu to the neighborhood park followed by a playdate at her friend’s house in the society. Ishita kept a close watch on Ruhi’s mood throughout the day, but she was getting better and better. Relieved, she too gave in to the lazy weekend vibe of the house, watching TV with her sisters-in-law and mother-in-law. 

Raman, on the other hand, had to double-up on his work. Adamant not to go into the office on the weekend, he had stayed glued to his laptop all afternoon working on almost five projects simultaneously. Two months ago, they had bagged one of their biggest contracts from under the nose of Ashok Khanna. And now, after Ashok’s unceremonious visit to jail last month, many of his investors had switched their allegiance to Raman’s company. Normally, he would have seeked Ashok out just to gloat, but he just didn’t have the time these days. His priorities had truly changed. Besides his work commitments and family priorities however, he had added another, rather important task to his to-do list. He was now determined to get back in his son’s life. Until now, Ruhi’s custody had preoccupied him. And truthfully speaking, he didn’t think he had it in him to be a good enough parent for Adi after he had chosen Shagun over him. But five years had passed since then, and what kind of a father would he be if didn’t even try? His efforts for Ruhi had worked, so his efforts for Adi would be worth it as well. He had sought out the hostel that Adi was staying at and had contacted them regarding meeting him. Unfortunately, they wouldn’t allow him to meet Adi as Raman’s name wasn’t listed as a parent or guardian. They had Ashok and Shagun’s names instead. The thought of Ashok having such a right over his son made his rage burn white-hot, but Raman managed to keep his anger in check. Instead, he reached out to Pathak to start legal research on how he could get back into Adi’s life. Pathak had warned him that it would be a hard road on that path but Raman was determined to get his son back. Whatever it took. 

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Khanna Mansion - Next day, Sunday evening, 13th October

“I want the finest, most expensive decorations done in the hall! Do you get that?!” Ashok bellowed to the decorator. “Don’t give me any sales or deals this time!”

“Y-yes s-sir…” the decorator stammered. “Ev-everything will be th-the best…”

The decorator hurried away eager to get out of the splash zone of Ashok Khanna’s anger. Ever since he and Shagun lost Ruhi’s custody case and he had to spend a week in jail, his mood had been extremely volatile. The loss of his investors and subsequent contracts to his rival, Raman Bhalla, did nothing to help. He had become the laughing stock of the business community. So his brilliant idea to restore whatever reputation he had left was to throw an extravagant, lavish Diwali party for all the families in his business circle. He was still one of the wealthiest businessmen of the city, and he would make sure no one forgot that. 

“Ashok, tujhe kitni baar kaha hai maine, apna dimaag lagaya kar kabhi!” Suraj yelled from the top of the stairs. As he descended the stairs into the living room where Ashok was, he began his rant for the millionth time. “We’ve just lost some of our biggest contracts to Raman Bhalla, and all you can think of is throwing parties and wasting money?! Shouldn’t you be at work trying to make up for the losses we just incurred?”

“Don’t worry, Suraj. Tu dekhna, is party se hamari saari khoyi hui izzat waapis aa jayegi. Raman can’t win that easily.”

Suraj smacked himself in the forehead. It was like talking to a wall. “Seriously Ashok, kabhi kabhi lagta hai Raman Shagun ka nahi, tumhara ex-husband hai. You’re way too obsessed with him,” he mumbled.

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Raman’s office - Two days later, Tuesday 11:30 am

Knock, knock… 

“Come in,” Raman said, without looking up from his computer. He already knew who it was, as he himself had arranged the meeting. His guest took a seat in the chair opposite him while Raman finished up his work and saved the document.

“So Pathak, what have you found?” Raman asked, finally closing his saved work and open tabs.

“Bhai, the best way to get back in Adi’s life right now would be sharing custody with Shagun. You’d have to talk to her,” Pathak explained.

“Have you met Shagun? You really think ‘talking’ to her would work? Besides, sharing custody with Shagun is not an option. She would sabotage my relationship with Adi every step of the way.”

“I know what you mean Bhai, but Shagun is going to do what she wants regardless of whether you share custody or not. Besides, another custody case this soon isn’t possible unless you’ve exhausted all your options. And imagine how difficult another case would be for your family? For uncle and aunty? For Ruhi?”

“Pathak, maa aur papa ka haal to tum acche se jaante ho. Adi se door rehkar woh khush thodi na hai? Agar maine uski custody jeet li to maa-papa se zyada khush koi nahi hoga. Aur Ruhi ko bhi uske bade bhai ki zaroorat hai. Jab maine aur Ishita ne use kaha ki uska ek bada bhai, tab tumhe nahi pata uske chehra kitna murjha gaya tha. She deserves to grow up with her brother, and Adi deserves the love of such a huge family.”

“Aur Ishita bhabhi?”

“Kya Ishita bhabhi?”

“Aapne unke baare mein socha hai? Yeh sab unke liye kitna mushkil hoga? She’s already gone through a custody battle with Ruhi, and no one knows better than you how hard it was for her. How would she go through another custody case so soon? And what about her relationship with Adi? How do you think Adi will react when he finds out he has a stepmother? How willing would Ishita bhabhi be to accept Adi as a son? Have you thought about all this?”

Raman paused in his thoughts. “Fine then, what do you suggest?”

“I suggest talking to Shagun. Try getting as much as you can accomplished outside of court. Legal cases rarely ever bring families together, Bhai. They more often than not, drive each other away. And Adi’s relationship with you and your family is already so fragile, almost non-existent even. A court case without any attempt to peacefully negotiate would not work well.”

“Okay, I’ll think about it.”

“Thik hai, bhai.”

It did not escape Pathak’s notice how Ishita’s mention was what prompted Raman to slow down and think his decision through. He had always known Raman to be determined and persistent, but the downside was, he could sometimes be adamant on a decision that was not always the best choice. Raman might insist on being in a marriage just for convenience, but the truth was, his wife was rubbing off on him in the best way possible. 

“Aur sun!” Raman called after Pathak.

“Yes bhai?”

“Yeh baat ghar mein kisi se mat karna abhi. Adi ko leke sab waise hi bohat emotional hain. Bina baat ke agar unko involve kiya to aur bhi zyada hyper ho jaayenge. Meri Shagun aur Adi se baat ho, uske baad sab ko involve karenge.”

“Jaisa aap thik samjhe bhai. Lekin aap kam se kam Ishita bhabhi se to baat kar hi sakte hain na?”

Coincidentally, Raman’s thoughts had traveled back to the same subject: Ishita. Ishita and Adi’s relationship was one of the many things that worried him. Adi did not know yet that he had a stepmother. How would he react? On the other hand, how comfortable would Ishita be with the whole situation? Raman had no doubt that she would be very understanding and mature about welcoming Adi into the family, but would she be able to love him like she loved Ruhi? After all, he couldn’t take her affections for granted. The fact that she fell in love with Ruhi did not give him the right to expect her to love Adi in the same way. 

But there was time before these questions needed to be answered. Before Ishita and Adi could develop a relationship, Raman needed to establish (or rather re-establish) his own bond with his son. He decided to talk to Shagun, offer some sort of peace offering, declare a truce, and try to get in touch with Adi. If that worked, then he’d take the next step of integrating Adi into his family. It was no use worrying Ishita before any of this happened. After all, she could become anxious very easily. 

“Nahi, main abhi usse baat nahi karunga,” Raman said in answer to Pathak’s suggestion. “Use main baad mein bata dunga, don’t worry,” he quickly added, noting Pathak’s disapproval. “Woh to bas Ishita bahot jaldi tension lene lagti hain choti choti baaton ka. She tends to worry too much. I don’t want to burden her with anything until there is something to worry about.”

“Thik hai bhai. Lekin unhe bata zaroor dena. Accha, main chalta hoon apne office,” Pathak said, as he turned to leave.

“Kyun? Tujhe office mein kuch kaam hai abhi?”

“Nahi toh. Aapko kuch aur baat karni thi?”

“Nahi, aisa kuch nahi. Par abhi lunchtime ho gaya hai, to tu hum sab ke saath lunch kar ke hi jaa. Mihir aur Romi aate hi honge.”

“Nahi bhai…”

“Ab zyada bhaav mat kha na yaar. Ruk jaa idhar hi.”

“Thik hai bhai,” Pathak chuckled.

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

12:15 pm 

Mihir, Romi, Raman, and Pathak gathered around the coffee table in Raman’s office for lunch. The tiffin from home sent by Toshiji was scattered across the table, as each member of the group helped themselves to servings of aloo gobi, tandoori chicken, and butter parathas. As usual, lunch was an elaborate affair, during which matters of every manner were discussed ranging from news events, life developments, and even local gossip. Towards the end, Mihir went through their mail of the day, as Romi and Pathak were finishing up their last bites.

While he threw out many magazines and promotional mailers, a  peculiar letter caught Mihir’s eye.

“Bhai, yeh Ashok Khanna ka letter aaya hai,” he said gingerly.

Romi almost choked on his food from shock. 

“Ab us 6 foot 2 inch ko kya chahiye?” Raman sighed. A letter from Ashok Khanna was never a good omen. “Padh ke suna.”

Mihir opened the letter and began to read aloud:

“To Whom It May Concern, 

You and your partners are cordially invited to Ashok Khanna’s mansion next weekend on 20th October at 5 pm for a grand Diwali celebration. Please join in our happiness as we welcome another year of wealth and prosperity! 

We hope to see you there.”

Mihir stared blankly at Raman with an expression of a deer caught in the headlights. Raman’s state was no different. Pathak had stopped eating. A moment of silence passed. Suddenly Romi was choking again but this time, from laughter. 

“Wealth and prosperity?!” he guffawed. “That man spent a week in jail and seriously lost his marbles!” Romi set his plate down as he doubled over in laughter. Mihir and Raman chuckled too. 

“Kya matlab Romi? Itni hasi kis baat ki?” Pathak asked. 

“Neil, because of his stunt that landed him in jail, Ashok Khanna lost so many investors. They’ve all invested in our company now. Why do you think we’ve been toiling in the sun for so long?”

“Seriously? ‘Toiling in the sun?’ Itna kaam thodi deta hoon main, Romi?” Raman chided.

“It’s just an expression, bhai. My point is, hum log itna overtime kar rahe hai, ek saath paanch-che projects sambhal rahe hai, it’s all thanks to Mr. Khanna only,” Romi continued. “We’ve been blessed with so much work and such huge contracts now, while he bears the losses of his stupidity. But sure, Ashok is the one who should be celebrating ‘wealth and prosperity.’ ” 

“Who in his right mind would throw a party right after such a business loss?” Pathak asked. 

“Apparently Ashok would,” Mihir said matter-of-factly. 

“Of course he would, Mihir,” Raman interjected. “All that matters to him is to show off his wealth. He knows how to earn money, but pride blinds all. I should know.”

“So then, are we going? Should I RSVP?” Mihir asked.

“Mere itne phute din nahi aaye ki Diwali Ashok ke ghar bitani pade,” Raman said with a disgusted tone.

“Nahi bhai, chalte hain na,” Romi implored. “Waise bhi, Diwali ke teen din pehle rakhi hai party. Asli Diwali to ghar par hi manegi na? Mujhe bhi dekhna hai, business loss aur jail ki saza kaatne ke baad aadmi kaisa lagta hai,” he sniggered. 

“O hero! Tujhe in sab mein interest hai? Aise business events pe, you should focus on networking with other businessmen and women,” Raman scolded. 

“To hum nahi jaa rahe?” Romi asked, disappointed.

“Hum jaayenge, lekin, sirf networking ke liye,” Raman pointed out. Even so, he couldn’t hide the smile on his face from what Romi had said. Ashok’s misery would be worth seeing. Plus, this party might provide a perfect opportunity to talk to Shagun about sharing Adi’s custody. 

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

Hello my lovelies!!! ❤️❤️😊

Firstly, I earnestly apologize for such long waits between updates. 🙈 I cannot promise faster updates though, because life is getting busier by the minute. I am in a new country training for a new job while also balancing full-time studies. But I am trying to find time every day to write so hopefully you won't have to wait too long for the next chapter. Fingers crossed. ☺️

I hope you guys enjoy reading and stick around for more! ❤️🤗