Posted:
Good luck for your job and best wishes for rocking performance in studies .since yours plot of story is too good that makes us wait impatiently for updates please do continue
Good luck for your job and best wishes for rocking performance in studies .since yours plot of story is too good that makes us wait impatiently for updates please do continue
Part 28
Bhalla House - One week later, Sunday evening, 20th October
“Good job Ruhi, very well done,” Raman admitted. He was seated on the couch reviewing Ruhi’s math homework.
“Saare sahi hai Papa?” Ruhi asked. She had been twirling impatiently in front of him waiting for her father’s assessment. The sooner she finished her homework, the sooner she could play video games on Rinki bua’s tablet.
Raman’s eyes moved down the page of the notebook momentarily stopping as his brain whirred doing elementary mental math. Suddenly he scrunched up his face.
“Kya hua papa?”
“Kuch nahi beta. Yeh suit naya hai na, isiliye itch kar raha hai.”
“Par aapne naya suit kyun pehna hai papa?”
“Maine bataya to tha, aaj meri ek business party hain -- Diwali party. Ishimaa bhi aa rahi hai mere saath. Aur Romi chachu, Mihir chachu, aur Mihika chitti bhi. Ek minute… Aur yeh dekho. Aap ne phir se silly mistake kiya.”
He turned the notebook around and showed Ruhi where she had added 3+4 as 6 instead of 7.
“Oops… sorry papa. Main abhi fix kar deti hoon,” Ruhi said, hastily grabbing the notebook and erasing her previous answer. As she wrote in her new, correct answer, she asked, “Ab ho gaya papa? Main jau khelne?”
“Thik hai, jao. Lekin apni pencil box aur saari books thik se rakh do pehle.”
“Ok papa.”
Ruhi gathered all her school items from the living room table and hopped into her room. Raman leaned back on the couch adjusting his silver-grey suit, as he turned his wrist to see the time. It was 4:50. Ashok’s party started at 5. If they left soon, they could arrive around 5:15-5:20, perfectly fashionably late. Just then, Romi came out in his best navy blue suit.
“Yeh lo bhai. Main to ho gaya taiyyar.” He raised his hands as a demonstration. “Mihir kab aayega?”
“Woh to kab ka aa gaya tha. Abhi baaju ke ghar mein hain, apne hone wale saas-sasur ki khatirdari enjoy kar raha hain.”
“Accha,” Romi said, as he put on his shoes.
“Kamaal hain na Romi. Main unka asli ka daamaad hoon. Majaal hain ki meri kabhi itni khaatir ki ho.”
“Kya bhai, aap bhi. Bichaare itne bhale log hain. Aap ki kitni izzat karte hain. Aise mat boliye.”
“Abey, tune kab party badal li, haan? Mummy ne sun liya na ki tu madrasiyon ki side le raha tha to tujhe kaccha chaba jaayegi.”
It was true. Romi glanced around the living room to make sure his mother was out of earshot. After all, Toshi had that kind of power.
“Madrasiyon se yaad aaya, yeh madrasan itna time kyun laga rahi hai?” Raman muttered.
He stepped out of the living room to check on Ishita, but before he could even cross the threshold to his bedroom, he ran head-on into his wife, who was incidentally exiting the room at the same time.
“Ouch!”
“Aiyo murugan!”
“Murugan ko kya kos rahi ho? Jab problem tumhare bheje mein hain? Itna lamba chauda aadmi nahi dikhta kya tumhe?!” Raman yelled.
“Mere bheje mein- matlab mere dimaag mein koi problem nahi hain! Aap hi ki aankhein kharab ho gayi hai. Aur khud ko lambe chaude to aise bol rahe ho jaise aap khud Salman Khan ho.”
“You know what, tumhe Murugan ko hi kosna chahiye. Kyunki unhone tumhe bheja to bheja, lekin tumhare bheje mein bheja hi nahi bheja!”
“Kuch bhi Raman! Aap ko hi chain nahi padta. Jab dekho tab idhar se udhar, udhar se idhar, bhaagte hi rehte ho. Aap na Ruhi se kuch kam nahi ho, pata hai aapko-”
“Arey bas kar meri madra-- meri maa!” Thankfully Raman caught himself in time before he said something irretrievable. Knowing Ishita, she probably would have caught on to it had Ruhi not created the perfect diversion.
“Ishimaa, Papa, aap dono ne apne heads bang kiye!”
“To kya hua Ruhi?” Ishita asked, as she straightened the pallus in her blue and golden designer saree that the crash had messed up.
“To apne heads phir se bang kijiye, warna aap ke horns nikal aayenge!”
“Tumhari Ishimaa ke sar be horns?” Raman fought a smile as he rubbed his chin imagining what his wife would look like with horns.
“Kijiye na bang!” Ruhi implored. It was a very serious matter.
“Accha baba thik hai,” Ishita submitted. She leaned in and banged her forehead on Raman’s temple. “Ho gaya?”
“Haan, ab better hai,” Ruhi said, satisfied.
“Accha Ru, ab mumma papa bahar jaa rahe hain. Aap time par khaana kha lena aur jaldi se so jaana, thik hai? Dadi aap ko khaana de dengi.”
“Par Ishimaa! Kal se mere diwali vacation shuru ho rahe hain! Mujhe Rinki bua ke saath movie dekhni hai! Jaldi nahi sona!”
“Lekin Ruhi…”
“Madrasan, dekhne de na use.” Raman jumped to his daughter’s aid. “Usne apna maths ka homework tak khatam kar diya hai. Let her have some fun.”
“Please Mumma?!” Ruhi made her signature puppy eyes. Ishita sighed. And yielded. It was hard denying a request from someone so adorable. “Thik hai, lekin sirf ek movie, ok Ruhi?”
“Yay! Aaj hum movie dekhenge!” Ruhi ran inside to Rinki’s bedroom to make their plans for the evening: video games and movies.
“Chalo madam, humein der ho rahi hain,” Raman snapped.
“Haan haan, let’s go. Mihika taiyyar ho gayi kya?” Ishita asked as she made her way to the front door.
“Pata nahi, tumhi dekho jaa ke.” Raman followed closely behind.
“Tum log nikal rahe ho?” Toshi called from behind them.
“Haan mummyji, bas nikal hi rahe hain,” Ishita replied. “Accha mummyji, Ruhi ko na video games aur movies dekhni hai abhi. Kal se uske vacation hai isliye. Aap dhyan rakhiyega ki woh zyada der na lagaaye sone mein, thik hai?”
“Tu chinta na kar, puttar. Maine aur tere papa ne sab kuch sambhal lena hai. Tu tension na le. Tum log jao aur enjoy karo.”
“Abhi chalo sab log! Aur kitni baat chit!” Raman yelled. He was already out the door and going downstairs. “Romi! Mihir! Mihika! Chalo!”
“Chilla kyun rahe ho?!” Ishita yelled. She and Romi rushed out the door after waving a quick goodbye to Toshi. While Romi skipped downstairs, Ishita went across the hall to see Mihika gathering her purse. She was clad in an elegant blue and green silk saree and silver stud earrings.
“Miku, chal jaldi!” she whispered. “Tumhare jeeju warna chilla chilla kar saara mohalla sar par utha lenge.
“Coming Akka! Chalo Mihir! Chodo woh payisam!” Mihika snapped her purse shut and dragged her boyfriend away from the kitchen to the door. “Periamma bigaad rahi hain tumhe. Seriously.”
“Aa raha hoon Mihika. Calm down!”
Mihir and Mihika hastily put on their shoes and followed Ishita down the stairs. It was already past 5 pm. Raman must be extremely agitated, they thought.
To their good fortune, Raman was seated in the passenger seat of the seven-seater van they had rented for the drive tonight and was lost in thoughts. Mainly of his big goof-up earlier. Meri madrasan. That is what he had almost blurted out today. What was he thinking? Why would he say that? That woman was seriously screwing with his head. That was the only explanation. He closed his eyes and sighed in exasperation. He was bound to go stir-crazy one day because of that woman.
“Kahan reh gaye--” Before he could launch another tirade, the back doors of the van opened. Mihika and Ishita took their seats in the middle, and Mihir went to the back taking the seat beside Romi.
“Aa gaye hum bhai, we’re here!” Mihir gasped. He was out of breath having jogged down a flight of stairs. The fact that he had two helpings of payisam did not help.
“Chal Suresh,” Raman said. And the driver turned the engine into ignition.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Khanna Mansion - 5: 25 pm
The Khanna mansion was decorated like a palace tonight. White, silver lights glowed along the stone building, and streams of yellow roses, red carnations, and orange gerberas adorned the house giving off classic Diwali flair. Women in elegant sarees and men in fashionable suits and kurtas gathered in the verandah as they made their way inside admiring the decorations.
The Bhalla-Iyer party stood outside.
“Chalein?” Raman asked no one in particular. He had his people by his side but going to Ashok Khanna’s party was never a piece of cake.
“Chaliye,” Ishita replied.
Raman escorted Ishita and Mihir escorted Mihika inside while Romi followed closely behind. The vibe could have been uncomfortable, but Romi was secretly looking forward to rubbing Ashok’s monetary losses in his nose. This was going to be fun.
They followed the crowd inside. Apparently, the fun was going to begin sooner than they thought.
“Hello Raman, glad you could make it…”
Everyone’s attention was turned to the right from where Ashok’s cold, sneering voice echoed. He emerged with a champagne glass in hand dressed in a black and navy blue three-piece suit. His hair was gelled back, while amusement and gloat hinted in his eyes.
“Happy Diwali to you all. I trust you’re impressed by my preparations?” he suggested.
“They’re very nice, Ashok. The decorator really deserves praise. Do give me his contact information if you get a chance. I’d like to have his services when we have a function at home,” Raman replied, tactfully giving credit to the workers instead of the man gloating in front of him.
But Ashok would not back down. “Come on Raman, who are you kidding? Aisi grand party throw karna tumhare bas ki baat nahi hai. Tumne kabhi dekhi bhi nahi hogi aisi party, right? Tumhari middle class mindset mein aisi lavish party kaise fit hogi?”
Ishita stiffened. The man, as usual, was loathsome and revolting. She hoped Raman would be able to keep his cool. She took a deep breath and sent a silent prayer to Murugan.
“Actually, tu sahi keh raha hain 6 foot 2 inch. Aisi party throw karna mere bas ki baat nahi,” Raman said, completely level-headed. Mihika, Mihir, Romi, and Ishita turned their heads to him in surprise. Even Ashok was caught off-guard.
“Ab kya hai na, hum sab itne busy jo hai. Itne saare contracts, itne saare projects, aur ghar pe bhara-pura parivaar. Is sab se fursat mile to insaan bahar walo ke baare mein sochega na? Time hi nahi milta faaltu ki parties throw karke paisa barbaad karne ka. Par yeh sab tumhe batane ki zaroorat thodi hai? Tumhe to pata hi hai humaare contracts kahan se aa rahe hain? Ab tumhare paas office mein kaam nahi hai to aisi parties throw karne ka time milna natural hai. Hmm?” Raman smiled.
Ishita bit the inside of her cheeks to keep herself from smiling. Mihir and Mihika shared meaningful looks and turned away to hide their giggles. Romi, on the other hand, let go of the pretense and burst out laughing. He was waiting to rub in their new success to Ashok but his big brother beat him to it!
“Baby…” A sickeningly sweet voice called Ashok and diverted his attention before he could retort.
Shagun waltzed up in an elegant, blood red saree, black sleeveless blouse and a diamond choker with matching diamond earrings. She held her nose high and looped an arm through Ashok’s arm.
“The reporters are all waiting for you, baby. Let’s go. We’ll be in the front and center of tomorrow’s newspaper.”
“Yes baby, let’s go…” Ashok found his edge again. He pulled Shagun closer, but the expression on Raman’s face did not change. It didn’t work anymore. Shagun pulled Ashok away.
“Bhai, that was amazing!” Romi exclaimed, finding it hard to stop laughing. “I can’t believe you said that.”
“Enough laughing,” Raman chided in a stern voice. “Go around and find people you can network with. Go do something useful.” But even so, he couldn’t wipe a hint of a smile off his face.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
7 pm
“Are you sure this is not alcoholic, Miku?” Ishita asked again.
“Akka, I saw the bartender pour mango juice in our drinks with my own eyes. Nothing else. I didn’t take my eyes off for even a second. I promise you, there is no alcohol in it,” Mihika replied. “Although seeing how boring this party is, I regret not adding some vodka in mine.”
Both of them had been accompanying their partners in meeting various business partners and acquaintances for over an hour. Bored out of her mind, Mihika had escaped a conversation between Mihir and his old colleague and had dragged Ishita to the bar.
“Right, and how would you keep Amma off your tail? If she found out that you had even a sip of alcohol, she’d rip you to shreds. And me too,” Ishita said in response to Mihika’s wish for vodka.
“I know Akka. That’s why I only drink when I’m with friends. But I don’t get what Amma’s problem is. Even Bala jeeju drinks na? You guys don’t say anything to him?!”
“Miku, Amma would be just as angry if she found out that Bala jeeju drank too. And neither Vandu Akka nor I have ever stopped you, have we?”
“No, you haven’t,” Mihika admitted.
They took a few sips of their drinks. But their efforts to escape conversation with others were thwarted. Three women decked up in designer sarees and various types of jewelry were approaching them.
“Hi, are you Raman’s new wife?” one of them asked.
Mihika and Ishita looked at each other; they were visibly uncomfortable. New wife? Who addresses someone like that?
“I’m Ishita, Ishita Raman Bhalla, Raman’s wife and Ruhi’s mother,” she replied, recollecting her cool. Naturally, a smile rose to her lips. Introducing herself as Ruhi’s mother never got old. And being Raman’s wife was not so bad either. “And this is Mihika, my sister.”
“Mihir Arora’s girlfriend,” Mihika quickly added. Ishita raised an eyebrow at her.
“What? They should know I’m here as Mihir’s plus one. I didn’t just tag along with my sister and her husband,” she whispered.
“It’s so nice to meet you guys. I’m Preeti, Amar Jadeja’s wife. You might have met him just a while back. He was Raman’s colleague a few years ago,” the other lady replied. She went on to introduce the other ladies with her, Raina and Lalita, and stirred the conversation towards further boring small talk. But as unpleasant as it may have been, the conversation was about to get a whole lot worse.
“Hey girls!” Shagun cheered as she approached Preeti. “Long time no see!”
“Hi Shagun,” Preeti replied. “We were just talking to Ishita and Mihika here.”
Shagun hadn’t noticed either of them yet, so naturally, her expression turned sour when she finally did. “Oh wow, tum log bhi ho yahan?”
“Hi Shagun, how are you doing?” Ishita asked, while Mihika waved her hand at her. Both sisters knew very well how to take the high road.
“I’m perfectly fine,” Shagun replied, flicking her hair and then straightening herself.
“Isn’t it weird how fast time flies, Shagun?” Preeti asked, trying to cut the tension. “Your ex-husband is remarried… Your brother is in a relationship… Unbelievable, right?” Not really the best way to cut the tension, now that you think of it.
“Excuse us please,” Mihika said. “We’ll talk to you guys later.” She took Ishita’s almost empty drink from her hand and placed it on the bar top before dragging her away.
“Kaisi auraten thi yeh sab?! Waise to itni high society ki hain par logon se baat karne ki tameez tak nahi hain,” Mihika complained.
“Jaane de na Miku. Let’s not talk about them. Main jaldi se ghar par phone kar deti hoon. Ruhi ne thik se khaana khaaya hoga ki nahi…”
“Kar lo aap phone. Aap ko rokne ka koi faayda to hai nahi. Agar aap ghar pe baat nahi karogi to bina baat ke tension lene lagogi. I’m gonna go find Mihir. Hopefully dinner buffet khul gaya hoga.”
Mihika spotted Mihir in the opposite corner not too far from an appetizers counter.
“Akka! There’s some food there, look!”
“Tu jaa Miku, shuru kar. Main aati hoon,” Ishita chuckled, nudging her sister forward. Mihika waved her goodbye and left.
Ishita opened her purse and fished around for her phone. “Abhi to mere haath mein tha, kidhar rakh diya maine?” She looked here and there looking for her phone, in case she misplaced it. And then she spotted it. And she groaned. She had left her phone by a vase in the corner close to where Preeti, Raina, and Lalita were chatting. Would this mean another awkward conversation? ‘It’s okay Ishu, just slip-in, grab your phone, and get out. You don’t have to talk to them. They won’t even notice you,’ she thought. She walked back, discreetly turned into the corner, reached for her phone, and grabbed it. Phew! Now time for a quick escape.
But as she was making her way back, she happened to pick up on bits of the ladies’ conversation.
“...won’t even walk hand in hand. What a downgrade,” Raina said.
“I know right?! Raman and Shagun were such a passionate couple. They couldn’t keep their hands off each other. I mean, they were the talk of the town. But him with Ishita? There is literally no spark,” Preeti replied. “I mean, what were they thinking? You know…”
Finally out of earshot from the women, Ishita stopped to take a breath. She couldn’t even process what she had just heard. She checked her phone. There was a message from Rinki:
Bhabhi, Ruhi’s finished her dinner. She was being a bit picky about sabzi (again), but Madhu aunty came over and fed her everything. Mom and aunty even had a big fight about it lol. 😂
We’re watching a movie now, ttyl! 🎬🍿😉
Well then, no point in calling home now. Without any way to distract herself, the ladies’ conversation played in her head. Downgrade… literally no spark… ‘They weren’t wrong, were they?’ Ishita thought. The whole point of this marriage was being Ruhi’s parents. Sirf Ruhi ke liye. She had already admitted to herself that there could never be anything between her and Raman. They were no match; they were not at all compatible. So why did it hurt when others said it? Why did that matter to her?
Of course, it would affect her. No one would like a stranger giving unsolicited comments on any of their relationships, she told herself. And that too by being compared to Shagun? No way. Right, that’s what this was. Nothing else.
Ishita shook her head and put her phone away in her purse. She walked along the hall to join Mihir and Mihika -- and now Romi too -- for dinner, trying to ignore what she had heard. But try as she might, somewhere deep within, the green-eyed monster stirred.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
8 pm
“Madrasan, tum sun bhi rahi hai ya nahi?” Raman shook Ishita’s forearm.
“Huh? Kya hua?”
“Kahan dhyaan hai tumhara?” he asked. “Maine pucha, tumhe kuch chahiye counter se? Romi abhi gaya chicken lene. Tumhare liye bhi kuch la deta.”
“Nahi, mera ho gaya.” Ishita disposed of her half-filled paper plate.
“Itni jaldi? Sirf soup aur salad? Tumne main course mein se to kuch liya bhi nahi…” Raman, on the other hand, had gobbled down a Caesar salad, a bowl of tomato soup, the main entree of chicken, and some tiramisu. “Weight loss plan chalu kiya kya?”
“Jee nahi, mera bas mann nahi hai. Aur waise bhi, zyada vegetarian options nahi hai yahan.”
“I mean, I’m not saying that diet is a bad idea…”
Ishita elbowed her husband on her left and glared at him. Raman held his hands up in surrender. “Sorry baba, mazaak kar raha tha.”
“Mihir-Mihika kahan hai?” she asked.
“Wow, you really weren’t paying attention, were you? Mihir and Mihika left to meet his old friends. Even Romi found an old acquaintance, look.” He pointed to where Romi sat on a far table with two other friends eating chicken and rice. “Seriously Ishita, where has your mind been? Kuch hua tha kya?”
Try as she might, she could not drown out the pieces of the ladies conversation from her mind. But how could she bring that up to Raman? Either he’d get mad about people gossipping or he’d dismiss it because after all, how real was their marriage?
“Nahi kuch nahi. Bas Ruhi ko miss kar rahi thi.”
“Don’t worry, usne acche se khaana khaaya hai. Abhi toh woh Rinki ke saath mazey kar rahi hogi.”
Ishita furrowed her eyebrows.“Aap ko kaise pata?”
“Tumhe kya lagta hai? Sirf tumhare jasoos hai ghar pe? Agar Rinki ne tumhe message kiya, to mujhe Maa ne bataya. Unko phone kiya tha maine kuch der pehle.”
“Oh… I see…”
“Main ek drink leke aata hoon.” Before Raman could turn, however, Ishita held his arm and stopped him.
“Aap zyada to nahi pee rahe hain na?” she asked, concerned.
“Madrasan, I’m going to get a can of Coke. And as far as alcohol is concerned, I’ve only had three drinks. I’m in control. Don’t worry,” he reassured her.
Raman walked over to the nearby table and grabbed a Coke. As he opened the can and took a sip, he pondered over Ishita’s distanced behavior. Something had happened between the start of the party and dinner. Someone must have said something. But what? He looked around. Men and women talked and ate in groups of different sizes. Ashok, Shagun, and Suraj went from group to group asking about the food and party arrangements (although Suraj couldn’t hide his scowl many times). And then he saw Ishita standing alone, while he was getting his drink. Of course, she must be feeling so out of place. Romi, Mihir, and he were used to this community of businesspeople. Mihika worked in a marketing agency. But Ishita’s background was medicine. How could she feel included in such a place? No wonder she was so out of sorts. He walked back to his wife, grabbing another can of Coke on his way back. If she didn’t feel in place at the party, at least he could keep her company.
“Yeh lo,” he said, handing the extra Coke to Ishita.
“Yeh kya?”
“Nariyal pani.”
“Raman!”
“Coke hai yaar, dikhta nahi? Piyo ise. Tumhe accha lagega.”
“Mujhe carbonated drinks nahi pasand.” She placed the extra can on a nearby table.
“Tum alcohol nahi peeti, non-veg nahi khaati, aur ab carbonated drinks bhi nahi? Tum zindagi enjoy kaise karti ho yaar?”
“Zindagi enjoy karne ke aur bhi tarike hai.”
“Jaise ki…”
“Jaise ki family, books, music, dance, aur bahot kuch.” She crossed her arms across her chest.
“To ek kaam karo, us list mein ab soda bhi add kar do.” He picked up the can she had placed down and handed it to her again.
“I said no, Raman. Nahi chahiye to nahi chahiye.”
“Fine then, do what you want.” He placed the can back down.
A few more minutes passed in silence as Raman sipped on his Coke and tried to think of another topic of conversation. But thankfully, he didn’t have to.
“Ladies and Gentlemen! I trust you are having a wonderful evening!” The announcer was received with applause from the audience, or from those in the audience who weren’t still eating. “Ab is party pe chaar chaand lagane ke liye kyun na dance shuru kiya jaaye?” More applause and cheers. “We’ll start with couple dance. If the hosts could do the honors?”
Ashok and Shagun took to the dance floor swaying to the first song. They were followed by various other couples. In a few minutes, Mihir-Mihika had joined too.
Raman threw away his empty soda can, then straightened his suit and took a deep breath. He had an idea about improving Ishita’s mood. He held out his palm and cleared his throat.
“Chalein madam?”
“Kahan?”
“Chaand pe. Arey dance karne aur kahan?”
Ishita’s jaw dropped. “Aap mujhe dance ke liye puch rahe hai? Mujhe?”
“Obviously, ab apni biwi ko hi puch sakta hoon. Padosi ki biwi ko thodi puchunga dance ke liye?”
Ishita continued staring.
“Listen Madrasan, just say yes or no. I look stupid with an outstretched hand that you refuse to accept.”
“Ok fine. Par mera purse?”
“Ummm… idhar do. Main Romi ko pakda deta hoon.” Raman grabbed Ishita’s purse and quickly walked over to Romi who stowed it underneath his chair. As soon as Raman came back, he outstretched his hand again.
Ishita took Raman’s hand and her pulse quickened. They walked over to the dance floor and faced each other. Ishita placed a hand on Raman’s shoulder while Raman’s hand found its place on Ishita’s waist by its own accord. They interlocked their free hands.
Raaton ke jaage subah mile hain
Reshm ke dhaage ye silsile hain
Laazmi si lagne lagin hai
Do dilon ki ab Nazdeekiyan
Raman led Ishita through the dance, with both of them finding their groove much more easily then when they had first danced at their wedding.
“You’ve really improved,” Raman remarked.
“Excuse me?”
“Yaad hai hamari shaadi mein? You were stepping on my toes all the time.”
“I was stepping on your toes? You were the one who lacked simple grace and coordination. Of course I would end up stepping on your toes if you don’t move them with the beat. Don’t blame it on me.”
“Oh come on, you’re the dancer. You can’t expect me to be able to match your level, can you?”
“Well, that is a fair point,” she admitted, finally laughing.
It had been at most a few hours since she had last laughed, yet seeing her wide smile sent a rush through his veins. His heart did a somersault in his chest. And so many other things that he couldn’t explain.
Dikhti nahin par ho rahi hain
Mehsus nazdeekiyaan
Do dil hi jaane lagti hain kitni
Mehfooz nazdeekiyan
As they swayed to the music, the lyrics resonated within them. No one knew it and no one saw it, but they were growing closer, emotionally and physically. Ishita unconsciously leaned forward and shortened the distance between them; Raman’s hand went from her side to her lower back involuntarily pulling her closer. It didn’t matter that no one understood their relationship. It didn’t matter if they didn’t compare to any hot, passionate couple. Because what they had, what they were building, was special. Something even they were yet to realize.
Zariya hain yeh ankhein zariya
Chhalakta hai jinse ek armaanon ka dariya
Aadaten hain inki purani
Ankahi si keh de kahani
Parchhaiyan do judne lagi hain
Dekho hawaa me udne lagi hain
Pankh jaisi lagne lagi hain
Do dilon ki ab nazdeekiyan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lIWbb-oww4
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Ishita headed to the restroom with her purse in an attempt to powder her face. The truth was, she had to get away from Raman for a good five minutes and recollect herself before she could interact with anyone at all. What had gotten into her husband? He was usually so obnoxious and annoying! Why did he have to act so sweet and gentle all of a sudden?! She knew how to fight and argue with him; she knew how to retort to his taunts. But she had no idea how to navigate a relationship where he was being so considerate. Handling herself was hard enough ever since he saw how caring he could be: when he obsessed over her health that time she got sick; when they were on that picnic; when she finally had a good cry about her pain and heartbreak. But those were all special circumstances. In the first one, she was sick and of course, anyone with humanity would be that concerned. Sure, he did go overboard a bit, but that was just him being an overachiever. The second time was different too, because Ruhi was around. Yes, that’s why he was being nice. But what about the third time? Well, that was when she was already crying before he came into the room. He wouldn’t have dared to make fun then, right? No one would. Although not everyone would sit there rubbing a crying woman’s back, letting their finest suit get drenched in tears either.
Ishita leaned back against the bathroom wall and closed her eyes. But what about today? There was no special circumstance today. She wasn’t sick or upset, and even Ruhi was not around. What did it mean?
Sirf Ruhi ke liye. Their agreement in the coffee shop rang in her mind. Sirf Ruhi ke liye. That’s all their marriage was. That’s all they had decided to invest in: their daughter. Just because her insides exploded into a million pieces each time she came close to her husband was no reason to jeopardize their family dynamic. ‘Get over it, Ishita. It’s nothing,’ she told herself.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Raman gulped the last of his whiskey and squeezed his eyes shut as he rubbed his temple. Yes, he wasn’t supposed to drink too much but he needed to calm his nerves. He was still in control of his senses, and he wasn’t the designated driver. But what was going on in his heart and mind was completely out of his control. It was unlike anything he had experienced before; the sheer intensity of his feelings overwhelmed him. Why did it matter to him what her mood was like? Why did her tears and her silence and her frowns and her missing smiles send him into such a whirlpool of emotions? ‘She’s Ruhi’s mother. It only makes sense that you want her to be happy so that Ruhi has a happy home and family,’ he told himself. Yes, that was it. Ruhi meant the world to him, and by the same token, Ishita’s happiness mattered just as much. After all, their marriage was just for Ruhi. It was nothing else. It couldn’t be anything else. He wouldn’t risk it.
But that wouldn’t be easy. She loved Ruhi with everything she had; she cared for his family like they were her own; she even took the time for her maternal home and family. It would be a monumental task to avoid catching feelings for a woman with such devotion. It would be even more difficult to give her the same kind of devotion, the kind of devotion that she deserves, which he simply did not have in himself anymore. Raman sighed and handed his empty drink to a waiter, and saw Shagun out of the corner of his eye talking to Preeti. Which reminded him, he had to talk to her about Adi. Now this was something he could control (hopefully).
“Shagun, I need to talk to you,” he said. “Please excuse us, Preeti.” Preeti waved Shagun goodbye and left for another glass of wine.
“What do you want, Raman? Mere paas zyada time nahi hai,” Shagun said.
“Main tumhara zyada time nahi lunga. Mujhe bas… mujhe Adi se milna hai.”
Shagun’s eyes widened in shock. “Tum acche se jaante ho, woh tumse baat nahi karna chahta. Woh tumhe apna pita nahi maanta.”
“Woh paanch saal pehle ki baat thi. Or who abhi bhi baccha hai. Usne gusse mein keh bhi diya toh iska matlab yeh nahi ki uska aur mera rishta khatam ho gaya. Kya tum sach mein chaahti ho ki tumhara beta apni puri zindagi ke liye apne pita aur dada-dadi, chachu, bua se door rahe? Tumhare andar itni kadwaahat to nahi ho sakti ki tum Adi ki zindagi barbaad kar do, right?”
“O please Raman, tum mujhse kadwaahat ki baat naa hi karo to behtar hai. Agar aisi baat hai to tumhe itne saal kyun lag gaye yeh sab kehne mein? Kya tumhaare dil mein kadwaahat nahi thi?”
“Mere dil mein darr tha, par ab mujhe apne bete se door nahi rehna hai.”
“Mujhe sochne ka waqt do.”
“Taaki tum Ashok se baat karo aur woh tumhe kisi aur plan mein uljha le, right?”
“Raman! How dare you…”
“Dekho Shagun, yaa to tum mere saath cooperate karo aur mujhe Adi se ek baar milne do, yaa to phir I can take the legal route. And you’ve already seen how much the custody courts favor you.”
“Tum mujhse mera Adi cheen loge? How could you…”
“Enough Shagun!” Raman was losing his patience. Could this woman not ever have one reasonable conversation? “Main jaanta hoon ki tum Adi ki maa ho, uski sole support rahi ho. I would never separate him from you so abruptly, for his own good. All I want is to meet him. That’s it.”
“Fine. Main uska hostel ka schedule dekhkar meeting fix karwa sakti hoon.”
“Thank you. That’s all I’m asking for.”
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
9:20 pm
Raman -- still irked from Shagun’s illogical behavior -- looked around for the rest of his family. The dance floor was still full with people who now danced to upbeat rock and jarring heavy metal songs. Why Ashok and Shagun were so obsessed with Western music was beyond him. Bollywood had much better songs to dance to.
As he looked around, he spotted Ishita, and did a double take; she was looking right at him. Suddenly, she started fishing around in her purse. Yeah, the woman was crazy (and she was driving him crazy too).
Raman walked over to her.
“Kya hua?” he asked, as loud as he could over the music.
“Kuch nahi, woh bas washroom gayi thi.” She was almost yelling to be heard. The noise was obnoxiously loud (yes, noise. No one in their right mind would call that music).
Raman beckoned Ishita and led her outside the mansion.
“Ab bolo,” he said in his normal tone.
“Kuch nahi kehna tha. I was just saying ki main washroom gayi thi.”
“Accha. Waise suno, ab ghar chalein kya? Yeh party ab enjoyable nahi rahi. Main baaki sab ko message karta hoon.”
“Haan, thik hai.”
As Raman texted Mihir, Mihika, and Romi to come outside so they could leave, Ishita observed her husband. He seemed level headed now, but she could tell he was annoyed with Shagun for some reason. She had just left the washroom when she saw him arguing with Shagun a few minutes back. Nothing to calm down the butterflies in your stomach like seeing your husband talking to his ex-wife. Would she dare ask what that was all about?
“Raman, aap abhi woh-”
“BHAI!” “JEEJU!” Romi, Mihir, and Mihika were half-running, half-walking towards them. “Aa gaye hum.” Mihika said.
“Kaisi lagi party Mihika?” Raman asked.
“Kya jeeju? Ek to yeh playlist itna loud hai, aur khaane mein bhi kuch accha nahi tha. Vegetarian options to kitne kam the. Maine sirf soup aur salad hi khaya,” she replied, making no effort to hide the disappointment in her voice.
“Tumhari behen ne bhi utna hi liya,” Raman mentioned.
“Non-veg bhi kuch khaas accha nahi tha. Saara western tarah ka khaana tha. Kuch masala nahi, oil nahi, kuch nahi,” Romi said.
“Sorry to say jeeju, lekin aap logon ki party ko 2 out of 10 marks se zyada nahi mil sakta,” Mihika said.
“Oh hello madam?!” Mihir interjected. “Yeh to Ashok Khanna ki party thi. Bakwas hi honi thi. Par hum logon ki party bahot dhamaakedaar hoti hai. Bhai-bhabhi ki shaadi bhul gayi?”
“Arey, ab bas karo sab!” Ishita exclaimed. “Ghar chalte hain na? Baaki ka discussion gaadi mein kar lena.”
On cue, Suresh pulled up with the van. They all got seated inside one by one, after which Suresh turned the car around. Romi, Mihir, and Mihika continued in their elaborate criticism of the party, while Raman conversed with Suresh, leaving Ishita to her own thoughts. What might have Raman been talking about to Shagun? Why didn’t he tell her about it? Should she ask? How would he react if she interfered? After all, it couldn’t have been about Ruhi, so what right did she have? But what if it was about Ruhi? Or what if-?
Just ask him when you get home. Don’t jump to conclusions. Yes, she’d bring it up at home. At least she’d get some answers. And hopefully the green-eyed monster would go back to sleep.
“Accha Suresh,” Raman spoke in a tone louder than usual. “Yahan kisi dhaabe mein rok dena thodi der.”
Ishita was taken aback. How much would this man eat? “Raman, aap ko abhi bhi bhukh lagi hai kya?”
“What?! No! This is for you and Mihika. Weren’t you just complaining about how little vegetarian food there was at the party?”
“I wasn’t complaining,” she corrected him.
“Akka, enough na! Jeeju, you are too sweet! That is so thoughtful of you!”
“I know Mihika, par tumhari behen ko kaun samjhaaye? Unhe to hum mein bas Ravan hi dikhta hai, Jhansi ki Rani.”
Ishita groaned. That was exactly the problem now. That she couldn’t find Ravan in him.
“Jeeju, maanna padega. Aap ko Akka ke liye itna concern hai? Itni care? Mere buddhu ne aisa kuch suggest bhi nahi kiya.” Mihika stared daggers at her boyfriend.
“Woh kya haina Mihika, agar maine tumhari Akka ka pet nahi bhara na to mujhe raat ko neend nahi aayegi. Kya pata woh mujhe hi khaane ko daude?”
Never mind. Ravan was back.
“Idea accha hai, par kya karein, main non-veg nahi khati na? So you have nothing to worry about. Okay Ravan kumaar?” Ishita smiled a fake smile to her husband in the rear view mirror, who chuckled in response.
Soon enough, they were at the dhaba. Mihika and Ishita both ordered their own versions of comfort food: idli-sambar and rasam-rice, respectively. Tempted by the vast menu in front of them, Mihir and Romi ordered some parathas and chole bhature as well. Even Raman -- who merely ordered a cup of coffee -- and his disapproving glare couldn’t discourage them.
The party of five sat down and shared their food together, relishing over food with real taste and flavor. Had it not been for Madhu’s phone call (who was waiting for Mihika to come home), they might have stayed for a good four to five hours.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Bhalla House - 10 pm
“Aa gaye tum log?” Toshi asked. She, Madhu, Omprakash, and Vishwa were gathered around the living room table playing cards when Ishita, Raman, Mihir, Mihika, and Romi walked in.
“Ji mummyji,” Ishita answered. “Patte khel rahe ho? Kaun jeet raha hai?”
“Kaun jeetega Ishita? Tumhare appa, aur kaun?”
“Ruhi abhi bhi jaag rahi hai kya mummyji?”
“Nahi puttar, woh aur Rinki dono so gaye lagbhag aadhe ghante pehle. Dono Rinki ke kamre mein hi hain.”
“Rinki itni jaldi kaise so gayi?”
“Bichaari Ruhi ki barbie movies dekhte so gayi hogi,” Romi remarked. “Lagbhag sau baar dekh li hai sabne.”
“Waise, kaisi rahi tum logon ki party?” Toshi asked.
“Acchi thi maa,” Raman answered. Toshi waited hoping for more details.
“Oye, bas ‘acchi?’ Kuch aur to bata mainu!”
“Main batata hoon na aunty ji!” Mihir volunteered. He pulled up a chair beside Toshi and began narrating the events of the night, from their first showdown with Ashok to the subpar dinner and even to the couple dance (especially the couple dance). Everyone else in the room had taken a seat either on the sofa or on a chair by that time. Mihir was elaborately describing how Raman and Ishita were dancing together. “Bohot sweet lag rahe the dono aunty ji, by god!”
“Sacchi mein? Haay! Mere bacchon ko kisi nazar na lage!” Toshi exclaimed.
Ishita was mortified. Her face was scarlet from blushing. Sweat gathered around Raman’s collar even with the A/C blasting.
“Bhai, bhabhi, aap dono ne galat line chun li,” Mihir remakred. “Ek business mein, aur ek medicine mein. Aap dono ko dekh kar lag raha tha jaise aapki chemistry mein Ph.D. hogi.”
“Ruk tu, abhi tere gaal pe physics chaapta hoon,” Raman threatened.
“Main… woh… main R-Ruhi ko dekhkar aati hoon…” Ishita stammered, as she escaped into her bedroom.
“Oh puttar, Toshi ji ne kaha na, woh to Rinki ke kamre mein so gayi,” Omprakash called after her.
“Rehne do Bhalla ji, jaane do use. Kudi sharma gayi!” Toshi chuckled.
“Main bhi chalta hoon, mujhe neend aa rahi hai,” Raman said, as he too made his quick escape.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Ishita sat on the couch, her head in her palms, blushing like a tomato. She had totally forgotten that the world was watching their dance, the repercussions of which she was paying now.
“Woh Mihir na… bas aise hi… mazaak…” Raman managed to say, as he entered the room.
“Haan… mazaak…” Ishita replied.
Unable to meet each others’ eyes, they simply got ready for bed in silence. Ishita changed in the washroom while Raman changed in their bedroom. While she was changing however, she was reminded of her questions. And she needed answers. Now.
“Raman, aaj aap Shagun se kuch baat kar rahe the na?” she asked as soon as she came back into the room.
“Huh?” Raman was flipping through the TV channels when Ishita caught him off guard. “Oh haan.”
“Toh… kya baat kar rahe the?”
“Kuch nahi. Bas aise hi.”
“It looked like you guys were arguing. All ok?” Ishita took her pillow and blanket to her couch while she tried to fish for answers.
“Everything’s fine. Nothing to worry about.” He didn’t want to lie to Ishita (even a lie of omission) but would revealing the truth actually help?
“Okay. As you say,” Ishita said, dropping the subject. If he didn’t want to talk about it, then she couldn’t force him. She lay down on her pillow and turned away.
After a few moments of silence, Raman changed his mind. “Ishita?” he called.
“Yes?” she answered without getting up.
“It’s about Adi,” he confessed.
Ishita shot up from her couch and faced Raman. “Adi? Is he okay? Koi tension ki baat to nahi haina?”
“No, not at all,” Raman said, marvelling at the amount and intensity of concern this woman had for a boy she had never met. “I just… I’m trying to meet him. Hopefully Shagun can get that fixed up.”
“That’s… that’s great, Raman!” she exclaimed with a 400-watt smile. “That’s amazing!”
“But don’t get your hopes up,” Raman added. “After all, this is Shagun we’re talking about. And don’t tell anyone in the family. It’s going to be a long road before anyone can meet him. Just, let me handle it my way, okay?”
“Okay. Thanks for letting me know. And I’m here for you if you need anything.”
“Yeah, thanks. Ab so jao jaldi. Kal Ruhi ki chutthi hogi par hum logon ki itni acchi kismat nahi hai. Good night.”
“Yes, good night,” she chuckled.
And so, both Ishita and Raman went to bed with a significant weight lifted off their chest.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Part 27
Superb update
Ishraru shopping scene was nice finally raman told ruhi about adi in gentle way loved the way ishra handled the situation and how ruhi took the news in positive way ashok have gone bad he is really dumb hehe romi wanted to have fun on ashok expenses so raman decided to attend the party
Part 28
Awesome update
Raman teaching ruhi maths was cute Minka ishra and romi were going to attend party ishra little banter was cute raman was about to say my madrasan but stopped on right time loving how ishra are falling for each other slowly ishra dance was cute ishita was jealous seeing raman talking to shagun raman is so Caring ishra dance was nice
Pls update soon
Awesome update as usual. Eagerly waiting for the next one. Best wishes for your job and studies.
Part 29
Bhalla House - Wednesday 23rd October, Diwali morning 4 am
“Raman, wake up!” Ishita whispered. “Raman, chaar baj gaye hai, utho! Aaj Diwali hai.”
Raman stirred in his sleep and turned away.
“Aiyyo, aaj hi Ravan kumar ko Kumbkaran banna tha?” she complained. She adjusted her new purple kanjeevaram saree that her mother had gifted her for Diwali and leaned in further to wake her husband up.
“Raman, utho!” It took a full five minutes to shake him awake.
“Yaar... itni subah subah… itni subah Diwali manaane ka shauk kyun hai tum madrasiyon ko?” he groaned as he stifled multiple yawns.
“Maine to kal raat ko hi kaha tha ki jaldi so jao. Lekin aapko hi match ki itni padi thi. Aur phir jab Indian team haar gayi to aadha ghanta uspe charcha huyi. Ab chaliye, jaldi se ready ho jaaiye. Amma ke yahan jaana hai pooja ke liye.”
“Ugh… fine.” Raman stretched and got out of bed, too tired to argue with his wife. “Ruhi ready ho gayi?”
“Sab ready hi ho rahe hain. Main bahar chai banane jaa rahi hoon. Aap ready ho jao.”
Ishita hurried into the living room as Raman dragged his feet into the bathroom. He leaned against the sink struggling to keep his eyes open. As he splashed cold water on his face to jerk himself awake, his mind went back to the real reason why he was irritated last night. It’s true that the Indian team had lost the cricket match, but the subsequent phone call was what agitated him much more.
Flashback…
As he had ranted with his brother about the “unfair” match, his phone rang and the name of the last person he would have wanted to hear from flashed on his screen: Shagun.
“Hello Shagun?” He excused himself to the balcony.
“Hi Raman.”
“What is it? Itni raat ko kyun phone kiya?”
“I need a favor.”
“I thought as much. You wouldn’t call unless you needed something.”
“Don’t give me that attitude, Raman. Tumhe yaad nahi ho to main bata du, tumhara Adi se milna ya na milna mere haath mein hain.”
“Are you kidding me Shagun? Are you going to use my son to extort favors out of me?”
“Whatever Raman. Tum batao, meri help karoge ya nahi?”
“Pehle yeh batao ki kaam kya hai. Phir main decide karunga.”
“It’s for Adi. Uski school ki fees deni hai. Normally to Ashok de hi deta hain, par abhi… you know… it’s difficult for him, financially speaking.”
“Right. Throwing lavish parties isn’t a problem for him, but this is.”
“Do I take that as a no?”
“I didn’t say that Shagun. Adi ke liye main apna sab kuch de sakta hoon. Fees kitni hai?”
“Four lakh rupees.”
“Give me a couple days. I’ll get back to you.”
“Raman, zyada waqt mat lagana please. The fees are due next week.”
“Fine.”
“Aur Raman, please kisi ko batana mat ki maine tumse paise maange hain.”
Raman chuckled in his mind. There was a time when Shagun used to berate him for how little money he provided. How the tables have turned.
Before he could reply, a tap on his shoulder interrupted him. It was Ishita.
“Ek minute, hold karna,” he spoke into the phone before he turned to his wife. “Kya hua?”
“Raman, 12 bajne ko aaye. Ab jaldi so jaaiye warna kal subah Diwali ki pooja ke liye nahi uth paayenge. Yaad hai na Amma ne bataya tha…”
“That on Diwali you guys wake up before the roosters crow at the crack of dawn? Yes, I remember.”
“Raman!” Ishita chided.
“Tum jao na, main aata hoon abhi.”
“Fine.”
As Ishita returned to their bedroom, Raman attended the phone again.
“Hello Shagun?”
“Yes I’m right here. Tumhari wife se baatein ho rahi thi?” she spat.
“Shagun enough. I know you have problems with me but I won’t have you talking about my wife in that tone.”
“Don’t pretend like you really love her, Raman. We all saw you the other day. It’s obvious that you’ve made a deal. A compromise.”
“My and Ishita’s relationship is none of your business. In fact, you have no right to say anything about my life. The only link you have with me is through Adi.”
“Speaking of whom, you never answered my question. Please don’t tell anyone ki maine tumse paise maange hain. You do know na that whether or not you meet Adi, it’s in my hands?”
Raman clenched his teeth. After a moment of thought, he unknowingly played right into Shagun’s ploy. “Fine, I won’t tell anyone.”
“Thanks.”
“Have you managed to arrange a meeting with Adi for me yet? It’s Diwali after all.”
“Raman, you already know he’s not coming home for Diwali. I’ll try to arrange something for Christmas.”
“Fine.”
“Okay, bye then.”
“Shagun-” Before he could protest, she hung up the phone.
Raman threw his phone on the couch in frustration. He was in a standstill. He knew very well that Shagun would leave him hanging for as long as possible to extort favors and money, but what other choice did he have? He couldn’t meet Adi on his own. He couldn’t go to the courts and fight for custody. His family wasn’t ready to go through another custody battle. And in Adi’s case, his chances of winning a custody case would be substantially lower. The most he could do now was arrange money for Adi’s fees. He had begun a saving’s account for his education ever since Adi was born, so money was not a problem, but Raman knew he couldn’t trust Shagun with it. Knowing how irresponsible she was, who knew where or how she would spend it? But this was his son they were talking about. He couldn’t take any chances. He only had one choice.
“Raman, kal subah jab chaar baje uthaaungi, tab kud-kud mat karna ki aapki neend puri nahi huyi.”
Ishita had emerged once again from their bedroom to chide her husband.
“Aa raha hu meri maa!” He clapped his hands in surrender and picked up his phone. “Ek to pehle se hi dimaag itna kharab ho rakha hai aur phir tum…” he mumbled as he stomped into the bedroom.
“India haar gayi match mein to itni frustration? Aiyyo murugan…”
Flashback ends…
While Raman got into the shower and got dressed, Ishita made tea in the kitchen. As the tea simmered, Ishita sighed and closed her eyes. Last night she had come into the living room to remind Raman of today’s early morning Diwali plans to find him on the phone. With Shagun. She had seen her name on the screen as he turned towards her. Yes, she knew why they were speaking. Raman had already revealed his plans of trying to get in touch with Adi, and Shagun was the only one who could make that happen. But still, the knowledge that her husband was talking with his ex-wife did nothing to calm the green-eyed monster. She didn’t even know where this sudden protectiveness came from. Why was she so territorial all of a sudden? That too of a person with whom she didn’t even have a real relationship?
It is a real relationship, though. It’s for Ruhi after all. It couldn’t be completely fake.
Realization dawned on her like the rising morning sun. How important this family was to her. Not just the entire Bhalla family. But her, Ruhi, and Raman. Her work, and her relationships with her maternal family and in-laws fulfilled her, but Ruhi (and by extension of course Raman) were the center of her universe. No wonder she was territorial. And after being dumped by her fiance a year ago, this visceral response was all the more heightened. She had no control over it. The cavewoman in her saw a threat to her family.
But her rational, progressive self chided herself for such thoughts. This isn’t a threat to your family, she told herself. This is an expansion of your family. It’s an effort to make Adi a part of your family. She took a deep breath and slowly opened her eyes. The tea was almost ready. As she poured it into several cups, she willed her heart to stop beating out of her rib cage.
“Chaliye sab! Chai ready hai. Phir Amma ke ghar bhi jaana hai!” she called out to everyone. “Ruhi, aap ko bhi doodh ke saath kuch khaane ko du ya pooja ke baad?”
Ruhi galloped to the kitchen counter in her new purple pattu pavadai, specially matched to her Ishimaa’s saree. “Ishimaa, mujhe doodh nahi chahiye!”
“To phir strawberry milkshake de du? Aapko pasand bhi hai aur pooja ke time pe bhookh bhi nahi lagegi.”
“Ok mumma.” She hopped onto the table with her bua and chachu who were struggling to drink hot tea with their eyes half closed.
Ishita turned around and chuckled as she took out the strawberry powder from the top shelf. It amused her how her daughter would refuse to touch even a drop of milk on its own, but with strawberries, she will drink down the whole glass. She was sure it had nothing to do with the taste and everything to do with the pink color of the milk.
Omprakash and Toshi emerged from their bedroom in traditional attire, and made their way toward the dining table for a cup of tea. Toshi was surprisingly upbeat for having to wake up before the crack of dawn, evident by her blinding smile.
“Oho mumma, itni subah subah aap itne fresh kaise ho huh? Mujhse to aankhein bhi nahi kholi jaa rahi,” Rinki asked.
“Oye fresh kyun na hoon huh? Meri Ruhi te Ishita ki pehli Diwali hai. Aur mera Raman puttar kitne saalon baad ghar pe Diwali mana raha hai. To kya hua agar ek raat ki neend gayi? Ek kaam karna tum dono, Rinki aur Romi. In madrasiyon ki pooja ke baad na tum dono dupahar ko so jaana. Phir shaam ko sab ko dikhaayenge, ki hum Punjabiyon ki Diwali kaisi hoti hai, thik hai?”
“I can’t wait for tonight,” Romi commented. “Itne patakhe fodenge ki maza hi aa jayega, by god.”
Ishita deposited a tall glass of strawberry milk in front of Ruhi, who was engrossed in Romi and Toshi’s conversation, and gently nudged her to begin drinking. She, too, joined everyone and grabbed a cup of tea for herself.
Meanwhile, Raman emerged from their bedroom in a white kurta and purple vest to match Ruhi and Ishita’s outfits, all coordinated by the one and only Madhavi Iyer. She was as excited as Toshi for Ishita, Raman, and Ruhi’s first Diwali, so much so that Madhu and Toshi had gotten into a fight about where Diwali would be celebrated. Omprakash and Vishwa had to intervene and convince them to celebrate in both Tamilian and Punjabi manners to calm the fight. For the Tamilian ceremony, Madhu had been annoyingly insistent that Ruhi, Ishita, and Raman all wear color coordinated outfits for the pooja, and Raman didn’t have the ability to deny it, even though he partially regretted wearing the color purple now. Some colors even he couldn’t pull off.
And then his eyes froze on his wife. She barely used makeup; kajal and lipstick at most for special occasions, sometimes a hint of mascara. And yet, as she sipped tea in her purple kanjeevaram saree with her satiny hair flowing down her back, Raman could not take his eyes off her. The hottest model of the world could be in his line of vision and he wouldn’t notice her. Somehow, he tore his eyes off her and sighed. He grabbed his cup of tea from the counter and sat on the couch marvelling at his situation. Why did his wife have to be so damn gorgeous? Yes, he had admitted to himself at this point that his wife was stunning. There was no point denying it. But the worst part was, Ishita didn’t even realize how beautiful she was. She had no idea what effect she was having on him; it was all unintentional, making Raman feel even more guilty for having such reactions for a woman he couldn’t have. For five years, women threw themselves at him, whether it was for his looks or money, he didn’t know. But none of them caught his attention. He had no interest in any of them. Now, here was a woman, his own wife no less, who got his heart pumping and blood drumming in his ears and he couldn't do anything about it.
The vibration of his phone from his kurta’s pocket forced him to take his mind off his wife (which he was utterly thankful for). He opened his phone and the notification ruined his mood all over again.
Shagun: Please get that money as fast as possible, Raman. The fees are due soon.
He pressed his lips together and a vertical line appeared between his eyebrows. He set his tea aside and typed his reply.
Today is Diwali. My accountant will probably be unavailable. I will get back to you after a couple of days. You said the fees are due next week, right? I’ll get you the money till then.
“Diwali ke din to apna mood thik rakho Ravan kumar.”
He looked up from his phone to find his wife standing there. Apparently he had been less than successful in hiding his scowl.
“Subah subah tum madrasiyon ne utha diya to kahan se thik rahega mood?” he shot back.
“Chai doon aur?” She pointed towards his cup on the table. “Sab ne pee li hai aur thodi bachi hai. Agar aap ko chahiye to.”
“Nahi, mera ho gaya.”
“Thik hai.”
Raman sipped the rest of his tea, and sent a message to his accountant. He didn’t want to disturb him on Diwali, but sending a message wouldn’t hurt.
Call me when you have a chance within today or tomorrow. Doesn’t have to be today though. Enjoy your Diwali.
“Aiyyo, aap sab ready hai ki nahi?!” Madhu’s voice drifted through the front door which was slightly ajar. Ishita opened the door and saw her mother walking toward their flat in her dark red saree, as Mihika worked on the last finishing touches of the rangoli at their entrance.
“Ishu, come on kanna. Pooja ka time ho gaya hai.” Madhu said.
“Haa Amma, bas sab chai pee rahe the. Aa hi rahe hai sab.”
One by one, the Bhallas filed out into the Iyers’ flat for their first Diwali together.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Iyer house - 7 am
“Kya ajeeb baat hai yaar, Bala. Jis time pe main roj uthta hoon, utne time me aaj do baar naha chuka hoon,” Raman complained as he rubbed his hair dry. “Upar se tel itna daal diya hai tum logon ne ki teen baar shampoo karne ke baad bhi nahi nikla saara.”
“Kya Raman, oil bath lena to hamari Diwali tradition hai. Aur agar itni problem ho hi rahi hai, to humne thodi force kiya tha oil bath lene ko? Ishu ne to kitni baar kaha that you don’t have to do this if you don’t want to?”
Raman casted away his towel on the chair by the dresser of Mihika’s room, which he was using right now to get cleaned up after his oil bath.
“Amma-Appa ka chehra dekha tha tumne?” he replied. “Dono ne kuch kaha nahi, par unki kaafi iccha thi mujhse oil bath karane ki. So I thought, why not?”
Bala shifted on the rocking chair where he was seated. “Are you regretting it now?” he asked.
“I’m regretting this conversation with you,” Raman replied curtly.
Bala suppressed a chuckle. He had been there when Raman insisted on taking the oil bath. He had also witnessed him taking part in every ritual of the pooja with Ishu and Ruhi with such enthusiasm, he found it hard to think that he could ever be complaining about waking up early in the morning. It made him wonder whether he was actually annoyed by today’s early morning rituals, or if he was simply hiding his excitement behind a facade of jokes and quips.
As Raman put his purple vest back on and began combing his hair, Mihir came in to call them for an elaborate South Indian themed breakfast.
“Periamma ne aap sab ko bulaya hai naashte ke liye. Bhai, main kya batau, itni saari dishes banayi huyi hai, mujhe to dekhkar hi bhookh lag gayi,” Mihir said.
Bala stood up from his chair and straightened his veshti. “To ab batao Mihir, kaisi lagi yeh Diwali?”
“Amazing Bala Jeeju. Especially jab bhai ne oil bath liya na…”
Raman turned around and glared daggers at Mihir, who lost his nerve and let his sentence dangle unfinished. “Rehne de Mihir, zyada uchal mat. Teri aur Mihika ki shaadi ke baad teri bhi yahi haalat hogi, dekhna.”
Working to hide the scarlet color rising to his cheeks, Mihir quickly left the room, with Raman and Bala on his tail.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Diwali breakfast at the Iyers was such an elaborate affair, it might as well have been lunch. Dishes ranged from savory items including dosa, idli, and medu vada to sweet treats such as payasam and halwa. With the Bhallas, Iyers, Bala and Vandu, along with Mihir and Simi (who couldn’t make it to the pooja but joined for breakfast), the dining table had been outnumbered in capacity. While the ladies and children sat at the table, most of the men took their plates to the sofa and chairs in the living room. The house was much more lively than it was during the pooja. The sun had come up and mostly everyone was wide awake, indulging in a luxurious breakfast. Loud conversations echoed from every corner of the room, ranging from world affairs to local gossip.
“Pulkit ji nahi aaye Simi?” Ishita asked. She was seated with her sisters and sisters-in-law at the edge of the table.
“Nahi na Ishita, woh to taiyyar bhi ho gaye the aane ke liye. Lekin Ananya nahi maan rahi thi. Phir unhe achanak se rishtedaar ke phone aane lage abroad se Diwali wish karne ke liye. Tab unhone suggest kiya ki main abhi aa jau, aur woh ghar pe ruke Ananya ke saath.”
“Par shaam ko toh woh aayenge na?”
“Yes yes, definitely. Tab tak to Ananya ka bhi mood ho jayega pathakhe fodne ka.”
“Pathako ka to naam mat lo, Simi. Ruhi aur Shravu ne naa jaane kitne hafto se rat laga rakhi hai, ‘patakhe kab fodenge, kab fodenge,’ ” Ishita sighed.
“I know right?” Vandu agreed. “Yeh to shukar hai ki is saal hum ne Diwali ke pathake jaldi khareed liye, warna pichle saal to Shravu Bala ke kaan kha gaya tha. Aur is baar to Ruhi aur Ananya bhi hai saath mein, to aur bhi excited hai.”
“Excited to hum sab bhi hai,” Rinki interjected. “Bas in baccho ki tarah hum dikha nahi sakte. Kitne saalon baad mumma-papa ko itna excited dekha hai Diwali ke liye. Warna pehle to bhai Mumbai mein hote the Mihir ke saath aur mumma ka man hi nahi hota tha Diwali manaane ka. Dekhna, is baar, Ruhi aur Shravu se zyada to mumma pathakhe fodengi.”
“Lekin sach mein Ishita,” Simi squeezed Ishita’s hand. “Tere aur Ruhi ke aane ke baad, bhai mein itna change aaya hai ki kya batau. Change se bhi zyada, aisa lagta hai, ke mera purana bhai wapis aa gaya. Jo khush raha karta tha, khud bhi hasta tha aur logon ko hasata rehta tha.”
Simi blinked away the mist growing in her eyes, and Ishita knelt her head down to hide her blush.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Akash Ganga Society Compound - 11 pm
True to Rinki’s prediction, Toshi had been the one to burst the most firecrackers that night.
After the night’s Laxmi pooja and Ganesh vandana, she had organized an elaborate Punjabi dinner in her house giving tough competition to her rival’s South Indian brunch that morning. The ladies had changed into salwar-kameez suits from their earlier heavy sarees, while the Iyer men, who had worn veshtis that morning, put on free moving kurtas. The first firecracker was burst by Ananya with help from her father, who then invited everyone to join in. Ruhi and Shravu had a bit of ‘friendly’ competition going on who could burst the most crackers that night, although it turned hostile more than once, demanding Raman and Bala’s attention. To mitigate their feud, Bala began a new competition: Shravan and Ruhi vs Raman and Bala. If there was anything more vicious than Ruhi and Shravu competing against each other, it was when they were in one team. They were a force not to be reckoned with, which Bala and Raman soon learned. Even then, Toshi’s excitement outshined them all. With every cracker she burst, she made sure to include anyone on the sidelines (especially Madhu), spreading her joy like wildfire.
“Ab yeh last patakha hai Shravu! Hum jeet jaayenge!” Ruhi ran across to Shravu with the last chakri (ground spinner). She laid it on the ground in front of him, and Shravu lit it up. As the chakri spun around on the concrete, Shravu and Ruhi jumped up at their victory.
“Hum jeet gaye papa! Dekha Raman Chitappa, hum jeet gaye!” Shravu hollered over the noise of the crackers.
“Haa tingu, tum log jeet gaye baba.”
“Thank god jeet gaye, warna jo hungama khada hota…” Bala whispered, eliciting a chuckle from Raman.
“Bala, are you guys ready to go now?” Vandu approached him from behind. “It’s almost midnight. Simi aur Pulkit bhi nikal rahe hai.”
“Yes yes, let’s go.”
“Main Shravu ko leke aati hoon.”
As Vandu and Bala bid everyone goodbye and cajoled Shravu into getting into the car, Ishita took Ruhi upstairs to get ready for bed. Meanwhile, the rest of the Bhalla and Iyer clan worked on winding up the mess in the compound before heading upstairs.
As Raman opened the front door to his flat, his phone rang again.
“Shagun, please stop calling me dammit!” he whispered loudly.
“Sir?” a man spoke from the other end of the line.
Huh? Raman looked at the screen. It was his accountant.
“Oh sorry man, I mistook you for someone else.”
“No problem sir. I saw your message earlier. How can I help you?”
“Are you sure you’re okay to talk right now? It’s almost midnight. We can speak later if you want.”
“No sir, right now is a good time.”
“Okay.”
Raman walked into his room and sat on the couch, as he explained his predicament.
“I see. Sir, if your wife-”
“Ex-wife,” Raman gritted out.
“Sorry. If your ex-wife needs the money so soon, then we need to act fast. The banks will be open tomorrow, but they close again on Friday for bhai dooj. Then it’s the weekend. So tomorrow is the only chance to transfer money soon enough. Tomorrow, we should get that investment account unlocked. If you haven’t used it for so many years, it may be locked. Then we can get the money transfered.”
“Okay then, we can meet at the office and then go to the bank. What time works best for you?”
“Afternoon is a good time, sir. How about around 1 pm? After lunch?”
“That’s great. I’ll meet you at 1 pm at my office then. Just text me what documents I should bring.”
“Okay sir.”
Raman tossed his phone to the end of the couch. He spread his legs, rested his elbows on his knees, and dropped his head into his head and took a deep sigh. If only he could have enjoyed this Diwali without Shagun dangling a sword over his head. He was home for Diwali for the first time in years, with his wife and daughter no less. The joy radiating from his family was immeasurable tonight, and as delighted as he was, he couldn’t help but notice that his son should have been there too. His son’s absence was the central factor that had been keeping him away from home for so many years. And his absence still held true. He couldn’t trust Shagun but the fact that he was doing all he could gave him hope. Enough hope to imagine next year’s Diwali with both his children. He wondered how excited Adi would get to burst firecrackers. Would he be the one to mediate Ruhi and Shravan’s fights? Or would he encourage their competition? How excited would Toshi be if Adi were here? Thinking of his son, he straightened up and sank back into the couch with the hint of a smile on his face. He noticed Ishita had returned too by then in her night clothes, as she hung her purple saree in the cupboard.
“Ruhi so gayi?” Raman asked.
“Haa. Bahot thak gayi thi. Badi mushkil se use brush karwaya.” Ishita closed the cupboard and grabbed a brush to detangle her hair. “Waise yeh Ruhi aur Shravu ke beech chal kya raha tha? Dono kabhi jhagad rahe the, kabhi uchal-kud kar rahe the?”
“Arey, woh to dono ne competition chalu kar diya tha ki kaun zyada pataakhe fodega. Usi baat pe jhagad rahe the. Phir Bala ne suggest kiya ki woh dono ek team mein aur hum dono ek team mein khelenge. To shayad, agar woh dono saath ek team mein ho to jhagdenge nahi. Phir kya tha, jaise jaise woh log jeete, waise unka uchalna-kudna bhi bhad gaya.”
“I guess it’s safe to assume ki woh dono hi jeete honge.”
“Obviously.”
Ishita set down her brush and sat down on the edge of the bed in her salmon pink kurti and white leggings. She rubbed her fingers together as she tried to contain her anxiety. When Raman had entered the house earlier after bursting firecrackers, she was on her way to the bathroom and she had heard him get a call from Shagun. Like this morning, she had brushed it off. But walking into her bedroom and seeing her husband smiling after said phone call was a sight she couldn’t brush off. Should she ask him about it? Would she be able to deal with the outcome? What if he still had residual feelings for his ex-wife? What would that mean for her? And what about Ruhi…? She shook her head and squeezed her eyes shut. No jumping to conclusions. She could just ask-
“Kya hua? Koi dimaag ka dohra pada?” Raman chuckled.
Ishita shot her eyes open. “Kya?”
“Why were you shaking your head? Kya soch rahi thi?”
All right, this was it. Moment of truth. “Um… Shagun se kuch baat huyi aapki?”
Silence. Raman stiffened in his place and rubbed his palms.
“Woh aap keh rahe the na Adi se milne ke liye…” Ishita clarified.
“Abhi tak kuch baat nahi bani. Adi Diwali ke liye ghar nahi aata. Shayad Christmas ke waqt baat ban sakti hain, par tab tak it seems difficult.”
“Oh, I see. To phir-”
“Main change karke aata hoon,” Raman interrupted and walked to the bathroom.
As Raman took off his vest and kurta, he pondered over his dilemma again. He was on the verge of revealing Shagun’s extortion efforts to Ishita, but he recalled Shagun’s condition of keeping it all a secret. Considering that he depended on her to meet Adi, he didn’t have much choice. So he kept it to himself. There was no point in worrying Ishita anyway. Besides, he was used to dealing with messes on his own. He had been alone for years; he was used to it. He would deal with this mess the same way. On his own.
Ishita laid out her bedding on the sofa, her head still full of doubts. She placed her pillow on one end of the sofa. As she straightened her blanket, she noticed Raman’s phone lying on the end of the couch. She gently placed it on the side table, only to be caught off-guard by an incoming message that raised even more questions in her already troubled mind.
Shagun: Thanks for your help, Raman. I knew I could count on you :)
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Part 30
Khanna Mansion - Next day, Thursday 8 am
“Shagun! Are you listening to me? Get your eyes off your damn phone for one minute, will you?!” Ashok ordered.
Across from him on the breakfast table sat Shagun with an untouched breakfast. She tore her eyes off her phone and looked up to find a seething Ashok glaring at her.
“What is it, Ashok?! Itna chilla kyun rahe ho?” she snapped.
“I asked, where are the bagels? You know I like to have one with my coffee for breakfast.”
“How am I supposed to know Ashok? Ghar ke naukar se pucho.”
“Tum saara din karti kya ho? Kuch bhi to nahi. Kam se kam mera ghar to sambhal hi sakti ho. Par tumse to woh bhi nahi hota. Useless woman.” He took a bite of his eggs.
“Don’t you dare speak to me like that,” Shagun shot back. “Tumse tumhara business to sambhalta hai nahi. Kisi aur ko mat sikhao…”
“Aur yeh tum phone mein dekh kya rahi kabse?”
“I’m waiting for Raman’s reply. Let me remind you that he is paying for Adi’s fees this term. Tumne jo mana kar diya.” She took a sip of her tea as she shot daggers at her boyfriend.
Ashok replied with just as much spite. “Look Shagun, I don’t have any time or money or energy to spare for your son. If you can’t remember, your ex-husband has already made my life hell. And I promise you he will pay for that.”
Shagun rolled her eyes.
“Screw breakfast.” Ashok shoved his plate away and stood up. “I’m going to work.”
He grabbed his coat and laptop bag from the couch and ordered his driver to start the car. He sighed and ran a finger through his hair, as he sat down in his car and slammed the door shut. He and Suraj had been talking with a new investor that they met on an international trip. With the most recent hit his business had taken, it was crucial that they recruit this new investor. Thinking about the losses his company had incurred renewed his anger at Raman Bhalla all over again. No matter what he did, Raman freaking Bhalla always one-upped him. When they competed for the contract, he won. When Ashok threw a party to show off his wealth, and more importantly, show off Shagun, it didn’t phase him once. He had a new wife after all. But come what may, that son of a bitch could not win. He smiled as an idea formed in his mind. For it just occurred to him that he still had the hukum ka ikka (ace of spades) in his deck. Aditya Bhalla.
Back in the house, Shagun scrolled through her past messages to Raman. As soon as Ashok told her he couldn’t spare money for Aditya’s fees, she immediately contacted Raman for the money. It was the best (and only) option she had. She had leverage against him after all. He wanted to meet Adi, and only she could make that possible. She could use that leverage to both get the money and keep that transaction a secret. She’d be the laughing stock of the town if anyone found out that she was taking money from her ex-husband who she had left because he didn’t earn enough. But although her initial plan was simply to get money for Aditya’s fees, the gears in her brain had been turning last night. It wouldn’t hurt to make sure she still had a hold of her ex in some way, especially if Ashok’s business was going to continue downhill. She knew for a fact that Raman didn’t love Ishita. Not the way he had loved her. If she could be a bit sweeter to him, she could still keep him in her clutches. Which is why she had sent the late night message.
Thanks for your help, Raman. I knew I could count on you :)
But to her bad fortune, no answer. Oh well, she could keep trying. Besides, if not her, she knew someone else who still held such power over her ex-husband. Her very own son, Aditya Bhalla. A tool she meant to use very smartly.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Bhalla House - Thursday, 12:30 pm
“Ruhi, read one chapter of your book first before you start the TV,” Raman said as he wiped his plate clean.
He was too late. His daughter had already made a beeline for the couch after her lunch and planted herself in front of the TV. Raman sighed and stood in front of the screen to block her view.
“Papa! Please move aside na!” she implored.
“Ru, Ishimaa ne kya bola tha? Vacation hai to iska matlab yeh nahi ki aap reading bhul jao. Pehle jaake apni book padho phir TV dekhna. Aur phir shaam ko niche khelne jaana, thik hai?”
“Papa, just one cartoon, pleeeeeease?” She made her signature puppy dog eyes.
“Thik hai, phir jab Ishimaa clinic se aayengi to woh puchengi aapko ki aap ne reading ki ya nahi. Tab kya bologi?”
“Par abhi to afternoon hai papa. Main ek cartoon dekh kar padh lungi.”
“Aap bhul gayi? Aaj Ishimaa ka half day. Do baje tak aa jaayengi woh. Jao, jaake reading karo apni.”
“Oh no!” Ruhi clapped her palm on her mouth. “Main to bhul hi gayi!” She ran into her room and shuffled through her backpack to take out her chapter book and began reading.
“Nautanki…” Raman chuckled.
He checked his watch. It was half past 12. He had to meet his accountant soon and transfer the money. He picked up his laptop bag from his bedroom with all his important documents and headed toward the door.
“Maa, main kuch ghanto ke liye office jaa raha hoon. Kuch kaam hai,” he said to Toshi in the kitchen.
“Thik hai puttar. Aaram se jaayio aur jaldi waapis aa jana!”
He left the building and got into his car. As he opened his messages app to text his accountant, he came across his last received message from Shagun.
Thanks for your help, Raman. I knew I could count on you :)
What the hell was her problem? Why was she bothering with such kind words when both of them knew neither of them had anything in their heart? He shook off his confusion and texted his accountant.
I’m on my way to the office. I’ll meet you in the parking lot and we can leave for the bank in my car from there itself. No need to climb up to my office.
The reply came seconds later.
Okay sir. I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Bhalla House - 6 pm
“Chal Ruhi ki bacchi neeche chalte hai khelne!” Shravu called out. “Amma! Main aur Ruhi neeche jaa rahe hai!”
Shravu and Ruhi ran down the stairs to join the other kids of the society in their play.
“Society compound se bahar mat jaana Shravu! Ruhi!” Vandu called after them from the balcony but they were too far away.
“Don’t worry, Akka. Ruhi kayi baar neeche gayi hai aise. Use pata hai society ko chod ke kahin nahin jaana hota hai. Aur waise bhi, main abhi Appa aur Papaji ko message kar rahi hoon ki woh baccho par nazar rakhe. Woh dono niche hi hai kisi society ke kaam ke liye.”
Vandu returned to the kitchen and joined Ishita.
“Sach mein Ishu, family paas mein ho to baccho ko sambhalne ka kaafi tension kam ho jata hain.”
“Haan akka, ekdum correct. Waise aapne bataya nahin, aap ka aur Shravu ka aane ka plan kaise bana?”
“Arey woh Bala ke department ka koi Diwali social hai aaj, so use wahan jaana pada. To main aur Shravu dono ki ghar par bore ho rahe the. Isiliye maine socha, yahan Miku ya Amma-Appa kisi ke saath time spend karte hain, aur Shravu bhi Ruhi ke saath khelega.”
“Accha? To matlab mujhse milne nahi aaye the?” Ishita took mock-offense.
“Arey no baba, nothing like that,” Vandu added defensively. “I thought you’d be at work. But look at the irony. Appa society ke kaam mein busy hai, Amma Toshi aunty ke saath Dolly aunty ke ghar par gayi hai, aur Miku bhi Mihir ke saath bahar gayi hai.”
“Shukar manao ki main thi yahan. Warna do khali ghar milte aapko.”
“Khali kyun? Romi aur Rinki bhi nahin hai?”
“Nahin na, woh log bhi apne friends ke saath gaye hain bahar. Keh rahe the, ‘family ke saath to Diwali mana li, ab friends ki baari.’ Waise akka, ab aap log aa gaye ho na, to khana kha kar hi jaana. Main bas usi ki taiyyari kar rahi hoon.”
“Kya bana rahi ho?”
“Aloo matar ki sabzi, tadka dal, aur saath mein roti aur rice.” She set out potatoes to chop and peas to peel, and both sisters set to work.
“Bas Murugan se pray kijiye ki Ravan kumar koyi nooks na nikale,” Ishita commented. “Waise to ab mujhe mummyji ne kaafi kuch sikhaya hai ki Punjabi khaana kaise banate hai, par kya pata, Ravan kumar ko kya galat lag jaaye.”
“You guys are too much…” Vandu chuckled.
They talked about everything they could think of while they cooked: how ergonomic the new instruments at Ishita’s dental clinic were now that they had changed suppliers; Vandu’s stress over how many instances of academic plagiarism she had to deal with during the last bout of exams; whether or not they should enroll Shravu and Ruhi in any extracurriculars soon; Ruhi’s interest in dance; Shravu’s interest in swimming; and much much more.
As they cooked the last few rotis, Shravu and Ruhi came bursting in through the front door, cheeks flushed and out of breath.
“Amma, I’m hungry!”
“Ishimaa, bhookh lagi hai!”
“Haan beta, bas khaana taiyyar hi hai. Yeh kuch rotiyaan ban jaane do,” Ishita said.
“Tab tak I’ll get you guys washed up.” Vandu led both kids to the bathroom, as Ishita flipped the last roti over the stove.
She set up the food and plates on the table and glanced at the clock: 7:15 pm. She knew the rest of the family would be home by 8. But when was Raman coming home? All Toshi had told her was that he’d gone to work for a few hours. No mention about when he’d come home. He hadn’t even texted her personally like he usually did if he was going somewhere or if he would be late. All of a sudden it seemed like she was slowly growing distant from him.
When were you ever close in the first place, Ishita? How can you grow distant from someone who you were never close to?
The sound of chairs being pulled back and the squeals of exhausted, hungry kids ended her musings.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Bhalla House - 9:30 pm
“Amma, one game na. Please?” Shravu pleaded.
“Periamma, abhi to vacation hai. Hum vacation mein nahi khelenge to kab khelenge?” Ruhi joined in.
They had been glued to the TV playing video games with Romi, who simply pretended to go to the washroom while the kids pleaded with Vandu to continue playing. He knew better than to go against the Iyer girls.
“Akka, khelne do na in logon ko. Aap hi ne kaha, abhi tak to jeeju bhi ghar par nahi aaye. Aap log ghar pe jaake karoge kya?” Ishita suggested.
“Okay fine.” The words had so much so as left her mouth and Ruhi and Shravu shrieked with delight.
Romi joined them again and they continued their game. Meanwhile, Toshi, Omprakash, Madhu, and Vishwa engaged in an after-dinner card game next door.
“Ishu, chal andar tere room mein baithte hain,” Vandu suggested.
They sat on the couch of her bedroom but Ishita was unable to hold a conversation with her sister as her eyes kept glancing at the overhead clock.
“Akka one minute please.” She interrupted Vandu’s monologue on the newest pasta recipe she had tried. “I’ll just call Raman and ask when he’ll be home. Usually unko itni der nahi lagti.”
“Haa haa Ishu, koi baat nahi.”
She dialed Raman’s number. No answer. She dialed again. No answer.
“Woh phone nahi utha rahe hain,” she said, puzzled. “Main unke office main try karti hoon.”
She dialed the reception at Raman’s office.
“Hello?” the receptionist answered.
“Hi, this is Ishita Bhalla, Raman Bhalla’s wife. Aap bata sakti hai woh kahan hai? Aur ghar kab tak pohchenge? Ho sake to meri unse baat karwa dijiye please?”
“Oh, hello ma’am. Office to bandh ho gaya hai. Main bhi abhi nikal hi rahi thi. Lekin Raman sir to aaj office aaye hi nahin.”
“Really?” Her eyes grew wide. “Are you sure?”
“Yes ma’am, 100% sure.”
“Oh okay. I think unki shayad kahin bahar meeting hogi. Don’t worry. And thank you itni raat ko mera phone uthane ke liye.”
“No worries ma’am, good night.”
The call ended.
Ishita leaned back into the couch and hugged her phone close to her chest. Her eyebrows scrunched up and a vertical line appeared between her eyebrows. Just like that, she felt the distance between her and her husband grow ten-fold.
“Ishu, kya hua? Raman ka kuch pata chala?” Vandu patted her sister’s shoulder.
Ishita placed her phone on the side table and turned towards her sister.
“Akka, receptionist ne bola ki Raman to aaj office aaye hi nahi the.”
“To kya hua Ishu, it’s possible that he had a meeting somewhere else in the city. You know na, aaj kal log business meetings restaurants aur cafes mein bhi karte hain.”
“Akka it’s not just that. Woh dupahar se gaye hain aur abhi tak nahi aaye. Kaunsi meeting itni lambi chal sakti hain? Aur agar unhe zara bhi der honi hoti hai to woh mujhe phone karte hai, ya at least message to karte hi hain. Par aaj naa to unka phone lag raha hai, na woh kisi message ka reply de rahe hain.”
“Ishu, kayi baar to Miku bhi messages ya missed calls ka reply nahi deti. Tab to tum hi Amma ko samjhati ho na that she is a grown woman who can take care of herself? Then even Raman can take care of himself too na? Ho sakta hai uski phone ki battery kam ho, ya kisi client ke saath phas gaya ho? There must be something else bothering you, isn’t it? Tell me.”
Her sister could see through her like a window. Without even meaning to, Ishita confessed to the distance growing between her and Raman since Ashok’s Diwali party. His conversation with Shagun, his efforts to get in touch with Adi, the phone calls and messages between them, and most importantly, Raman’s secretive nature about the whole matter.
“Ishu,” Vandu caressed a hand over her sister’s back. “Isn’t it a good thing that Raman is trying to get in touch with his son?”
“It’s a great thing, Akka. But it’s just that…”
“I know Ishu, your doubts are valid. Lekin aise sochne se kuch faayda nahi hoga. Tum Raman se face to face directly baat karo. Agar tumhe koi doubts ya fears hai then ask him directly. Clear communication is key to a successful marriage.”
Ishita pondered over her sister’s advice. It made perfect sense, but only for a real, true marriage. Their marriage was only for Ruhi. Sirf Ruhi ke liye. Did she even have the right to confront Raman over these issues when they didn’t concern Ruhi directly? What answer would she get if she dared ask? What if Raman refused to answer because it wasn’t her right? Or worse, what if he did address her questions and gave an answer she couldn’t hear? What if his and Shagun’s relationship was more than just exes? As far-fetched as the possibility may be, she was not ready to give another man the opportunity to reject her again.
“Ishu.” Vandu shook her arm and caught Ishita’s attention.
“Huh?”
“I know you are scared. But this is the best way to go about resolving the issue.”
Ishita nodded.
The bedroom door opened and Romi called to Vandu and Ishita.
“Woh Shravu aur Ruhi ko neend aane lagi hai. Kuch minute mein dono couch par hi so jaayenge.”
“Oh thanks for letting me know Romi. Main Shravu ko leke nikalti hoon abhi.”
Romi nodded and returned to the living room to shut down his video game.
Vandu squeezed Ishita’s hand as a sign of reassurance and left the room.
“Akka!” Ishita called to Vandu when she was at the threshold of the bedroom.
Vandu turned around.
“Akka, kisi ko batana mat ki Raman Adi se milne ki koshish kar raha hain. It’s a sensitive subject around here.”
“Don’t worry Ishu, your secret is safe with me.” Vandu smiled and left for the living room.
Ishita got up and followed her to bid her goodbye and put Ruhi to sleep. To her good fortune, Ruhi was so sleepy, she didn’t ask where Raman was and why he wasn’t home yet.
About 20 minutes later she returned to her room and saw a message notification on her phone. Reading it, she finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Raman: Sorry for missing your calls. Just finished work. I’m on my way home. I had some food a couple hours ago, so I won’t eat dinner. Did you and Ruhi eat?
She typed back a reply.
Yes, everyone has had dinner. Ruhi just fell asleep.
She received a succinct reply.
Okay 👍🏼
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Bhalla House - 10:45 pm
Raman crept into his unusually quiet apartment and closed the door behind him. The faint moonlight from the window was the only source of light illuminating the otherwise dark living room. It looked like everyone had gone to bed. He hadn’t expected to be greeted by a horde of family members but yet, finding his normally loud house so quiet made him feel empty inside. As he walked inside, he noticed the table was empty too, echoing the hollowness inside him. He knew that he had informed Ishita that he wouldn’t be eating dinner, yet the sight of an empty dining table bothered him. He then realized that what bugged him was not the quiet house or the empty table, but his wife’s absence. In the past three months of their marriage, he had grown accustomed to either expecting her at home if he came late from work, or waiting for her to come home if she was doing late hours at the clinic. Their late night meals had become a ritual without which his day seemed incomplete. Recalling their banter over her less than perfect Punjabi food or his over the top Italian cooking made him chuckle out loud despite himself.
Ignoring the growing hollowness in his chest, he proceeded towards Ruhi’s bedroom to check on her. His angel slept like there was no tomorrow. Pressing a gentle kiss on her forehead he closed the door to her bedroom and headed towards his own room. Ishita had already gone to sleep on the couch. She was facing away from him and having missed the sight of her peaceful sleeping face hollowed his chest even more. He set aside his laptop bag and grabbed his sleep clothes from the cupboard and headed to the bathroom for a quick shower and change.
Ishita sighed from her couch. She had heard Raman come in, but couldn’t bring it in herself to face him, so she had feigned sleep. But despite her numerous efforts, sleep evaded her. Ever since she received Raman’s message, she had been oscillating between confronting him or not. Unfortunately, her insecurities had gotten the best of her at the end. She was not ready to face the prospect of her marriage failing and losing Ruhi in the process. She had already lost her once. She couldn’t bear for that to happen again.
Underneath the showerhead, Raman closed his eyes and ran his fingers through his hair, trying to wash away the exhaustion of the day. It took forever to get his account unlocked thanks to numerous calls to the customer service department, being put on hold for hours on end, and waiting for the ever so elusive manager. His accountant being there was a blessing he couldn’t be more grateful for. He made a mental note to raise his salary in the new financial year. After finally getting access to his account, he had to deal with endless phone calls with Shagun to make sure she got the money, and more importantly, that she paid the fees as soon as she received the money. Raman knew better than to trust her with such a huge amount of money. In exchange for the money then, he had spent a good half an hour providing suggestions on how he could meet Adi. He even offered to drive out of the state up to his boarding school to meet him if only Shagun could authorize him as a visitor. But she had shot down his every suggestion and ended the phone call with a loose promise to think about the possibilities he had mentioned. He groaned in frustration at the memory. That was when he decided that he would allow Shagun one more chance to get serious about this, or else, he would declare an ultimatum and finish his dealings with her. If she wouldn’t cooperate, Raman Bhalla had other ways to get what he needed.
He dried himself off and put on his night clothes. He brushed his teeth and was ready to leave the room when he noticed the dental floss on the shelf. He shook his head and tore off a piece of floss and began flossing his teeth. He had gotten into a huge argument with his wife when she found out that he never flossed his teeth. She had gone on and on about gingivitis and bacterial plaques and decay until he gave in and promised to floss every day. Ishita -- the woman would surely be his end. Doing things on his own without relying on anyone came as second nature to him now. It was his way of protecting himself, even from his own family. Yet, hiding the money transfer from her felt… wrong. He wasn’t doing anything wrong per se. After all, he was paying his own son’s school fees. But it still didn’t sit right with him. Yes, Shagun had asked him not to tell anyone, but with that promise came the condition that she would help him meet Adi. If she wouldn’t keep her end of the bargain then he wasn’t compelled to keep any secrets either. He finished flossing, threw away the piece of dental floss, and rubbed his palm down his face, making a firm decision. Shagun had one more chance to get a meeting fixed with Adi. If she did, then he could reveal to Ishita that he had to pay four lakh rupees for Adi’s fees in order to get that meeting fixed. If not, he would reveal that Shagun had asked for the money to pay Adi’s fees but hadn’t kept her end of the promise. Either way, he wouldn’t be keeping the secret for long.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
| topics | author | replies | views | reply |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| --PriyaRay-- | 4 | 423 | ||
| ChanChanMan | 1129 | 144949 | ||
| --PriyaRay-- | 20 | 2543 | ||
| TheStranger | 6 | 1336 | ||
| -SG- | 8 | 1695 |
comment:
p_commentcount