Part 56
Bhalla House – 10 pm
"Adi yeh lo, thoda doodh pee lo." Ishita handed Adi a tall glass of warm chocolate milk, which he readily accepted and gulped down.
"How are you feeling now beta?" Raman asked.
"I'm okay dad," Adi replied between sips of chocolate milk.
He was seated comfortably on his parents' bed, his father beside him with an arm protectively draped across his shoulders while his stepmother came to sit on the other side. After the ordeal they had had today, this moment of respite was more than welcome.
When they had reached home from the clinic, Adi had immediately been taken into his grandmother's arms, as the rest of his family scrambled to hug him, caress him, and pretty much do anything to convince themselves he was back. After a long reunion session, Raman had gently urged his frantic family members to back away and give his son a moment to breathe.
The rest of the evening had been spent fussing over Adi. Toshi and Omprakash made sure he ate, Romi and Rinki distracted him with video games and puzzles, while Ishita and Raman dealt with Shagun and the accompanying legal mess.
Flashback to three hours ago
Toshi and Ishita fed Adi, coaxing him to eat despite his diminshed appetite, while Raman silenced his phone, fed up of Shagun's constant calls. He had sent her a curt message telling her Adi was found and would be staying at his house from then on. Naturally, a barrage of angry messages and missed calls had come his way, which he promptly ignored. His phone vibrated again and he muttered under her breath, deciding to switch it off instead.
But when he looked at the screen of his phone, he realized it was a call he had to attend. He quietly stepped away from his family and answered Pathak's call.
"What is it Pathak?" he whispered.
"Raman Bhai, can you and bhabhi come to the child welfare office right now?"
"Right now? What's so urgent?"
"Shagun is here. And she's complaining her son is being held illegally by you guys."
"What?! What nonsense is this?" he spoke up, utterly shocked.
"I know Bhai. But at the end of the day, even she has legal rights. Thankfully, I was here to get this legal motion filed for Adi and I saw her. I've handled the situation as best as I could and convinced the officials not to call the police but you guys need to come here and tell your side of the story."
Raman groaned aloud. This woman was not going to let them leave peacefully. "Fine. We'll be there as soon as we can."
"Thanks bhai."
Immediately, Raman pulled his wife aside, informing her of the situation, and they decided to leave for the child welfare office. They quickly bid their goodbyes to their family, paying extra attention to their son, explaining that they had to tie a couple loose ends. Adi suspected they were going to deal with Shagun, and he had many questions. Whether she was okay, whether she was mad at him, what she would do next in retaliation, and much more. But he was simply too exhausted to entertain those thoughts. Instead, he waved his parents goodbye, assuring them that he would be fine with his grandparents and aunt and uncle until they came back.
After a final goodbye to their son, they had stopped next door to check on Ruhi, who was engrossed in a Lego building competition with Shravu, unaware of the happenings outside of the confines of their room. She chose to stay back and have dinner with her Periamma and Paati who in turn assured Ishita and Raman that Ruhi would be well cared for while they dealt with the legal mess.
Once assured of their children's well-being, they drove off to whatever hell awaited them.
Pathak greeted them at the office and rushed them into the inner chambers of the officials, as he explained Shagun's newest trick.
"She's claiming that because she holds sole custody of Adi and she hasn't given permission for him to be at the Bhalla House, you are holding him illegally," he explained. "You just need to explain to the officals what happened in the past hour and why you're keeping him away from her."
Raman had been quick to explain Shagun's misdeeds which Pathak had followed by offering a copy of Adi's birth certificate (proving Raman's biological relationship to his son) as well as the signed motion he had filed to vacate Shagun's guardianship.
"This is nonsense, Mr. Bhatt!" Shagun screamed, addressing the official as he read the legal documents Pathak had handed him. "This paperwork doesn't mean anything! Aditya is still my son!"
"Ms. Arora, please calm down," Mr. Bhatt replied. "Give me a few minutes to review everything."
He breathed through his nose, reading every document meticulously, going over Shagun and Raman's stories. But even without the actual content, he could see from behavior itself who had the upper hand. A calm, sharp man vs a screaming, crying woman. Normally, he wasn't the kind to write off a hysterical woman as crazy and her claims as unfounded. Normally, Mr. Bhatt was a feminist. He had seen many separated and divorced women face injustice as their abusive in-laws snatched their children away, and their predicament was not unlike Shagun's. However, in this case, he could not bring himself to side with the woman, no matter how hard he tried. She gave off an extraordinarily arrogant and negative vibe. But even so, he needed to keep his own bias away when making a decision.
For more information on the custody details, he pulled up Aditya's file on the computer, hoping to get an idea of his parents' dynamics from the records of the previous custody case. As he clicked on his file and pulled up his details, he was astonished to see that it had been flagged for review. His eyes widened as he read Dr. Zoya Rashid's note reporting the abuse, and he knew without a doubt that he couldn't side with Shagun.
"I've reviewed the details here, and I believe it's best if Aditya remains with his father for the time being," Mr. Bhatt spoke with complete authority.
Ishita and Raman breathed a sigh of relief, Pathak smiled at his victory, while Shagun erupted with anger anew.
"What?! How can you say that?" she shrieked.
Mr. Bhatt turned to her and spoke with absolute authority. "Ms. Arora, not only does Adi's father have a signed motion to vacate your guardianship, but Adi's psychiatrist has also reported that you've abused him. All of this has flagged his case for review. Knowing what we know now, we can't send him back to you. Aditya will be staying with his biological father for now." He turned to Raman next. "Mr. Bhalla, can you and your wife sign some paperwork attesting to your legal responsibility and your capability as parents as long as Aditya is in your care?"
"Yes, yes absolutely!" Raman said eagerly.
"Good. Then that's that. Ms. Arora, if you disagree with my decision, then you can take it up with the civil court. Considering that Aditya's case is flagged, I believe he's custody case will reopen soon. You can contest for your rights then."
Ishita and Raman had signed the necessary paperwork and left with Pathak, leaving behind a fuming Shagun. They had arrived home and discreetly explained the situation to the Bhallas and Iyers, informing them that Adi would stay at Akash Ganga and Shagun had no legal rights on him until the custody case reopened. But one task still remained: they had to explain all of this to Adi himself.
Flashback ends
So now, Ishita and Raman sat on their bed, on either side of their son, debating how to bring up the topic.
Adi licked his lips and handed Ishita the empty glass of milk which she deposited on the side table.
"Adi beta..." Raman began. Adi turned his head to face his dad. "Ab se tum yahin rahoge. Humesha ke liye, thik hai?"
A weak smile broke across Adi's face. As happy as he was to live with his dad, he was extremely wary of how his mother would react.
"Is mom okay with that? What if she gets mad?"
"Don't worry about her beta." Raman was quick to assure him. "Ishita Aunty and I talked to her face to face. Humne unhe samjha diya hai ki aapko yahan rehna accha lagta hai. Yahan aapke dada-dadi aur tata-paati hai, phir Ruhi aur Shravu ke saath aap kabhi bhi khel sakte ho, chachu aur bua ke saath masti kar sakte ho... Humne sab kuch aapki mumma ko bataya. She understands that you get lonely at Khanna Mansion, so she won't object to you staying here."
"Oh okay..." Adi still wasn't convinced though. "Are you sure she's okay? I-I mean... Sh-she was so mad... What will she say when she comes to meet me again?"
Raman's arm around his son tightened. "She's not coming back here," he said before he could stop himself.
"What does that mean?"
Raman sucked in a deep breath. "Beta... Remember when your mom won your custody in court five years ago?"
Adi nodded.
"Well, after what happened today, that decision is being looked at again. What your mom did today is unacceptable. And that's why her guardianship has been revoked. She doesn't have your custody anymore."
"What does that mean?"
"That means Ishita and I are your temporary guardians. And to determine permanent custody, your custody case will open again."
Adi's eyes widened in surprise. Memories from five years ago flashed in his mind of his parents fighting over him in court. Memories that preceeded the worst phase of his life.
Raman read his son's fears correctly. "Adi beta, tum bilkul daro mat. Is baar aisa kuch nahi hoga jo pichli baar hua tha."
Despite his doubts, Adi chose to believe him. But that brought up another dilemma. "But dad, if the judge decides I can stay with you, then what will mom do? She'll be so lonely. Who'll take care of her?"
Raman was left momentarily speechless. Even after everything that woman had done, his son was still worried for her.
"Beta, Shagun is an adult." Ishita intervened on behalf of her husband. "She can take care of herself. You don't need to worry about her. Let us adults do the worrying."
"Aunty, isn't it... isn't it possible to just forget all this? We can just forget about today and return to normal." The possibility of another custody case frightened Adi.
"No beta," his stepmother said sternly. "We can't just forget what Shagun did today." Ishita caressed Adi's cheek, soothing the ache that Shagun's slap had left. "Adi, Shagun raised her hand on you. No one gets to do that. No one – absolutely no one – gets to hit you. We do not tolerate even the slightest of abuse in this house."
Ishita made sure to reiterate her statement until it was etched in stone in Adi's head. She knew very well how much a child's relationship with their parent affected every other relationship in their life. She didn't want Adi unconsicously tolerating any kind of abuse for himself, neither from his mother nor from anyone else.
Silence permeated through the room as Adi understood the weight of what had transpired today. It was only until Ruhi entered their room when the silence broke.
"Ishimaa, aap aur papa ab sirf Adi bhaiya se pyaar karte ho na?" she pouted with her hands on her hips. "Mere bina hi sleepover kar rahe ho? Meri to koi importance hi nahi hai."
Ishita shook her head in amusement as she stood up and lifted her daughter into her arms. "Kyun draamebaaz? Abhi kuch der pehle Ishimaa ne aapko humaare saath sone ke liye bulaya tab to aap ne kahan na ki aap busy hai? Periappa ke saath snakes and ladders khel rahe the?" Ishita resumed her position beside Adi with Ruhi in her lap.
"Aur waise bhi Ru," Raman interjected, "aapke bina humaari family complete kaise ho sakti hai? Aap se hi toh hum sab ke rishte judne ki shuruwaat hui thi."
But Ruhi was not convinced. She crossed her arms against her chest and turned her head away from her family, a dramatic frown marring her lips. Adi rolled his eyes and took matters into his own hands.
"Omg Ruhi chuhi, tu kitna naatak karti hai," he sighed. "Ruk ja tu."
Adi wiggled his fingers towards her and tickled his sister until her frown changed into uncontrollable laughter.
Ishita and Raman exchanged a meaningful glance. Their children were okay. Adi had become extremely resilient. Even after such a harrowing ordeal today, he had managed to find laughter and happiness. Meanwhile, Ruhi had been protected from the mess that transpired, ensconced in the confines of the Iyer house, occupied by Shravu, Vandu, and Bala. It had been a bad day, but all was well now.
The siblings' laughter session ended soon as the family of four went to bed. Raman pulled up the blanket and Ishita hugged Ruhi and Adi, as she put them to sleep with a bedtime story. They slept like that all night, Ishita and Raman cloaking their children in a protective and comforting cocoon, hidden from the troubles of the world.
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Bhalla House – Three weeks later, Sunday, 8 July, 3 pm
The whistle of the pressure cooker sounded in the kitchen along with the sharp clicking sounds of carrom pieces in the living room.
"Yes! Ab Rani meri!" Romi exclaimed. He positioned himself and struck his finger against the carrom piece, but missed his goal. "Ugghhh..."
"Chachu, my turn now." Adi adjusted his stance and took the shot... but he too missed.
"Tum dono ek se badhkar ek ho," Raman said. "Watch and learn." He leaned forward and struck the carrom piece, finally making the winning shot. "Dekha!"
Adi rolled his eyes. "Okay yeah, fine... Whatever."
He rearranged the carrom pieces, getting the board ready for another game. In the kitchen, Simi and Ishita turned off the stove and lights, before joining the next game. Adi, Ruhi, Raman, Romi, Simi, and Ishita spent the next hour or so playing carrom and pictionary.
The storm from three weeks ago had been all but forgotten. Adi had taken a while readjusting to his normal life. He had been plagued with a nightmare or two in the week after the incident, but ever since, he had been sleeping soundly again. His therapist had insisted he sleep in his own room so that his independence not be disrupted. With her help in the past three weeks, he had managed to heal from the hurt Shagun had left on his heart. Now, he was as normal as ever, back to his confident, chirpy, and sometimes stubborn self.
Dinner that night was a simple affair: masala khichdi with mix vegetables accompanied with buttermilk and yogurt.
"Yeh kya hai madrasan..." Raman sighed. "Punjabi chicken-shicken khaane wale logon ko rukha-sukha khaana khila rahi ho?"
Ishita filled everyone's glasses with buttermilk and sat down in front of her own plate. "Aaj ka lunch bahot heavy tha, Raman. Kabhi kabhi aisa light khaana bhi khaana chahiye," she said.
Raman shook his head even as he ate spoonfuls of khichdi.
"Ishimaa... mujhe yeh nahi khaana," Ruhi frowned at the tasteless porridge on her plate.
Ishita chewed her lip as she figured out how to deal with her daughter.
"Ek kaam karte hai, isme thoda aam ka aachaar daal ke mix kar dete hain. To aapko bahot accha taste aayega." She mixed a hearty helping of mango pickle into her daughter's khichdi and fed her a bite. "Ab kaisa hai?"
"It's better now, I guess..." Ruhi sighed and continued eating her dinner. It actually tasted really good now, but stubborn as she was, she wouldn't admit it.
Dinner progressed silently. Towards the end, Raman received an email notification, which caused him to brighten up upon reading it.
"Well... I just got some news that could lighten up this boring dinner," he drawled.
"What?"
"Kya?"
"Which news?"
"I just got an email and it says... Adi has been selected for the regional football team!" Raman exclaimed.
"OMG! Really?"
"Yes!"
"Congratulations Adi!"
Adi erupted with joy at the news, as everyone from his family hugged and congratulated him.
"Bhabhi, ab itni acchi news mili hai, to kya hum khichdi se celebrate karenge?" Romi asked.
Ishita rolled her eyes, pressing her lips to suppress a smile. "Accha fine. Fridge mein do tub ice cream pade hai. Dinner ke baad usse celebrate karenge."
An elaborate ice cream session followed their boring dinner.
"Madrasan, ab tumhi dono bacchon ko sulaane jaana," Raman whispered to her in the midst of the ice cream party. "I'm not going to deal with the ensuing sugar rush." He gulped down a spoon of chocolate ice cream.
"Maine khud hi apne pair par kuhaadi maari na?" Ishita mused aloud.
"Hmmm... ab bhugto," Raman laughed.
As her husband had foretold, it surely was a task for Ishita to put her children to sleep. She finally got them to sleep after three different bedtime stories and a long negotiation session over the next day's menu.
When she finally returned to her own bedroom, she found her husband in his night clothes, sitting on the bed, ready to turn in for the night.
"So... how did it go?" Raman smirked.
Ishita removed her night clothes from the cupboard and faced her husband. "Don't say it."
"Don't say what?"
"Don't say 'I told you so.'"
"Come on Ishita, I'm not that mean."
Ishita left for the bathroom and groaned as her husband called out behind her, "I told you so!"
She came back to her room five minutes later and sat down, facing the dressor mirror, as she applied her night cream. As she finished her night routine, her husband came up behind her, locking eyes with her in the mirror, and every sense of hers heightened.
"Ishita..." Raman whispered in a low, husky voice.
"Yes?"
"I have something for you."
Raman brought his arm in front of Ishita and presented a tiny red velvet pouch. She eagerly untied the pouch to retrieve two jingling silver anklets.
"Raman, yeh payal... Kab laaye aap?" She was rendered speechless.
"Aaj subah grocery lene gaya tab supermarket ke jewelry section mein dekha. Socha tum par bahot acche lagenge." He smiled at her as she blushed under his gaze.
"Raman, iski kya zarurat thi?" She turned in her seat and faced her husband. "Aap mujhe itni gifts mat dijiye. Pehle yeh ring, phir yeh thaali... Pichle hafte aap bina baat ke mogre ka gajre le aaye. Aur ab yeh. You know I don't need all this."
"Yeah I know." He knelt down on his knees to face her at eye-level. "Lekin main apni biwi ko pamper karna chaahta hoon. Tumhe koi problem ho rahi hai?"
"Woh baat nahi hai. Aap itna kuch karte hai mere liye... I feel like I'm not doing enough for you. Itna pyaar mujhse handle nahi hota."
Raman chuckled as he tucked a loose strand of her hair behind her ear. "You think you're not doing enough? Madrasan, I could gift you everything I own and it still wouldn't be enough."
Raman leaned forward and kissed his wife. He knew his madrasan would never ask for anything from him. She had accepted him for just him, all his wealth and power be damned. Those worries had been erased a long time ago. Oddly, that only made him want to spoil her more.
"Pehen ke dikhaao na, kaise lagte hai?" he asked, as he pulled away.
"Aap khud pehna dijiye," she answered.
He smiled and took the anklets from her hand. He ran his hand down her right leg and wrapped the payal around her ankle, scorching her skin even with the barrier of her stretchy white leggings. He repeated the action with her left leg, igniting heat in her body.
"Perfect," Raman remarked.
"I look good with them?" Ishita asked.
"No. They look good because they're on you."
"I love you, Raman."
"I love you too, Ishita."
That night, Mrs. Bhalla showed her husband just exactly how much she loved him, the clinking of her anklets and their ragged breathing being the only sounds in their bedroom.
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Batra Medical Center, Dentistry Office – a few days later, Thursday, 1 pm
"Sarika, are there any more patients for me today?" Ishita asked the receptionist.
"No ma'am, all your appointments are done," Sarika answered.
"All right then. I have a half-day today, so I'll be leaving now."
"Ma'am, before you leave though, can you meet Dr. Batra once? He was looking for you earlier."
"Okay sure."
Ishita smoothed down her purple saree and hoisted her purse onto her shoulder, as she proceeded towards her supervisor's office.
She knocked on his door and peeked in. "Dr. Batra? Sarika said you were looking for me."
"Yes yes Dr. Bhalla... Come in." Dr. Batra closed his open files and faced her. "I just wanted to ask about the upcoming dentistry symposium. Will you be attending?"
Ishita fidgeted with the pallu of her saree. She had read the email announcement last week, but she still hadn't decided whether to go or not.
"I'm not sure sir. I haven't decided yet," she answered truthfully.
"Oh I see... The reason why I ask is because I've been invited to present my research, the same project that we've been collaborating on. So I'd love for you to attend as well. We can present our work together. Plus, it's a great opportunity to learn about other research and advances in our field."
"It does sound very interesting." Ishita bit her lip in thought. "I've talked with my husband about it, and I do hope to attend, but our son's custody trial is coming up. So I'm not sure how my schedule will work out."
"Oh yes... Your stepson Aditya, right?"
Ishita nodded.
"Okay no worries. The conference is still many weeks away, so we have time. Just let me know if you plan to attend."
Ishita nodded and left the office. She pondered her decision as she entered her car and sat on the driver's seat. She had been to a couple smaller conferences when she was in dental school, and as Dr. Batra had said, they were great opportunities to learn and collaborate with other doctors and scientists. Even this year, she had the desire to go. But Adi's custody case was coming up soon. She didn't know if it would even work out.
She sighed and shook her head. This decision will just have to wait until after Adi's custody trial. Until then, she could just focus on her work.
She set her purse on the passenger seat and tied her seat belt. But instead of shifting the gear from park to reverse, she chewed her lip, deep in thought. She had a half-day today, which meant she had four more hours to pass before everyone came home from work. Ruhi and Adi were at their friends' place, her parents and in-laws were out for various errands, and while Mihika was back from her honeymoon, she was busy getting settled at Mihir's place. Which meant she'd be all alone at home with nothing to do.
So instead of going home, she pulled out of the parking lot and drove off to meet her favorite person.
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Raman's office – 1:15 pm
"So Mihir, are you ready to work now? Or is the honeymoon hangover still on?" Raman asked, raising his eyebrows.
The two brothers were seated in their conference room, having just wrapped up a meeting with their leadership team.
Mihir pocketed his phone and cleared his throat. "Of course I'm ready to work bhai. Why do you ask?"
"Because this is probably the tenth time I've found you looking at your phone today. Waiting for Mihika's calls and messages?"
Mihir sighed. "It's not that bhai... Mihika is redecorating my apartment. I mean, our apartment. And I'm kinda nervous..."
"Why?"
"Because she's a bit... over-enthusiastic, to put it mildly. Pure ghar ka naksha badal degi. Aur bhagwaan na kare kuch tut-wut gaya..."
Raman chuckled lightly. "This is what you get for marrying an Iyer girl."
"Bhai, kya aap bhi..."
"Tu tension mat le yaar. Ab woh ghar Mihika ka bhi hai. Toh use bhi haq hai apne hisaab se aur comfort ke mutaabik ghar ko arrange karne ka."
Mihir nodded silently.
"Okay, baatein bahot ho gayi." Raman straightened his back and changed from brother to boss. "First of all, you need to get caught up on the work we've done for the Tokyo clients. It's a multi-year, multimillion-dollar contract, so make sure you get each and every detail from Romi. He's been my right hand man on this while you were away."
"Got it bhai. I'll get started on that right now."
Mihir and Raman left the conference room and parted ways. While Mihir sped off to Romi's desk to catch up on the work he'd missed, Raman hightailed it to his office. He walked in and shut the door, slumping down onto his chair, stretching his arms and cracking his back.
He opened his laptop and checked his email inbox before resuming work on his presentation. He was twenty minutes into his market research when a knock on his door interrupted him.
"Come in," he said, without taking his eyes off the screen, not noticing the figure who had walked in.
It wasn't until something large was placed on the middle of his table, and flashes of red, yellow, blue, and green reflected off his laptop screen, that he tore his eyes off his work... and gasped. A large bouquet of red roses, yellow sunflowers, bluebonnets, and lavenders rested against a backdrop of lush green leaves. He was mesmerized by their beauty and fragrance.
"Do minute phool se nazar hathaakar phool laane wale par bhi nazar daaliye na?" a voice said.
Raman moved the bouquet to the side and craned his neck to see his wife sitting on the other side of the table, eyebrow raised flirtatiously. And his face brightened up like the sun.
"Tum kab aayi?" he asked.
"Jab aap apne laptop mein ghuse hue the tab."
"Lekin is waqt? Aur yeh phool ke saath?"
"Mera half-day tha aaj. Aur ghar par abhi koi nahi hoga. Isiliye socha ki thodi der aapse milne aa jau. Aur raaste mein ek flower shop mein yeh phool dikhe mujhe. Socha aap ke liye le lu." She shrugged, dismissing her small gesture as unimportant.
On the other hand, Raman's heart skipped a beat. No one had brought him flowers before. A bouquet of beautiful flowers brought by his beautiful wife. What better gift could he ask for?
"Accha... Matlab tumhe koi kaam nahi tha to mere office aa gayi? Jaise ki main to yahan par free baitha hoon na?" he remarked, hiding a teasing smile.
Ishita narrowed her eyes and glared at her husband. "Fine. Agar mera aana accha nahi lagaa to main chali jaati hoon."
Ishita made to get up but was stopped by her husband's hand on hers.
"Mazaak kar raha hoon yaar, madrasan." He guided her around the desk and pulled her into his lap. "I love that you're here. And I love these flowers too."
Ishita shifted on her husband's lap, burrowing closer to him, even as her eyes remained locked with his and her frown turned into a smile. Raman trailed his finger down her cheek and lips, eliciting shivers on her body.
Ishita caught his wandering hand before he progressed any further. She loved the way he teased her, overpowered her, caused her heart to beat out of control. But right now, she wanted to try something new. She knew now what effect she had on her husband. It was time for her to take ownership of it.
She lowered his hand and let it go, trailing her fingers loosely up his chest, settling them on his face. Before her husband could grasp the change of events, Ishita leaned in and pressed a kiss on his jaw, causing him to draw in a breath.
"Ishita..." he whispered, voice heavy with desire.
"Hmmm?" she asked, feigning innocence, even as her lips trailed up his jaw to his ear.
"W-We're in the off-office... Koi aa jayega..."
"Koi nahi aayega," she whispered into his ear. "I locked the door when I came in." She kissed the shell of his ear.
Raman groaned aloud. He had never seen his wife be so bold. And he loved it.
Ishita worked her magic on him, giving special attention to every inch of face and neck, while Raman closed his eyes, sighing in pleasure. After minutes of Ishita's soft kisses and tender touches, her husband lost his patience. He roughly jerked her forward, covering her teasing lips with his, and then... they were lost.
They came up for air minutes later, gasping for oxygen.
"What's gotten into you today, Ishita?" Raman asked, panting and out of breath.
Ishita shrugged, lowering her eyelids, coloring up under his passionate gaze. "Bas aise hi..."
"You're something else madrasan," he whispered, throwing his head back against the chair.
Ishita rested her head on his chest, breathing harshly, hearing his heart beating against his rib cage, much like her own.
"I should get going now," Ishita said minutes later when she finally found her breath again.
Raman sighed in regret. "Do you have to go?"
"Kyun? Aap hi ne kahan tha na aap yahan free nahi baithe hai?" she smirked.
"That was before you... did all this..."
Ishita bit her lip and lifted her head off his chest. "Jokes apart Raman, I really should go. You need to get on with your work."
She lowered her feet to the floor and made to get up, only to have her husband tighten his arms around her waist.
"Raman, kya-"
"Just give me a minute, Ishita," Raman groaned, cutting her off.
He dropped his forehead onto her shoulder, breathing in and out, in and out, in and out, trying to get his raging desire under control. He loosened his arms minutes later, finally letting her stand up.
"You'll regret this madrasan. Iska jawaab toh tujhe milega."
"I doubt I'll regret it." She winked at him and dropped a kiss on his cheek before escaping his office.
That night, the couple didn't even make it to their bed, when Raman took his revenge. And just as Ishita had predicted, she didn't regret it one bit.
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Bhalla House – one week later, Wednesday, 18 July, 7 am
The alarm rang on Ishita's bedside table, and she threw her hand on it, silencing it again. She stretched languidly, sitting up in bed. The cobwebs of her sleep cleared up, as she turned on the lamp and glanced at her phone screen. She saw the date and smiled.
Immediately, she turned over to wake up her husband, only to find his side empty and sighed in disappointment. She hadn't spoken to him until after dinner last night. He had gone to sleep before she came back to the room and now, he had left for an early morning meeting without waking her up. He had informed her of this meeting yesterday, but still... she hadn't expected him to leave without saying goodbye.
She threw off her blanket and dropped her feet to the floor, and the ensuing movement caused a peculiar piece of paper to fall out. Out of curiousity, she picked up the paper, unfolded it, and skimmed her eyes down the page.
Madrasan,
First of all, I'm sorry for leaving without saying goodbye. I know you hate it when I do that. But you look so peaceful when you're asleep, I never have the heart to wake you.
But I promise to make it up to you tonight. It's such a special occasion after all. You didn't think I'd forget, did you? Wish you a very happy anniversary my love.
Ishita, you came into my life last year and upended it. You were the person I last expected to encounter and the person I most needed. You were like an oasis for a man parched in a scorching desert. And in this past year, you have changed my life. I went from living in hell to thriving in heaven. I could never have imagined that I'd be so lucky to have you as my wife. And I'm grateful for it every day.
Let's celebrate our year-long journey. Meet me at The Hearth today at 4. I've already cleared it with mummy and papa. They'll handle Ruhi and Adi for the night. Tonight, it's just going to be you and me.
There's a gift in the closet for you. Make sure you wear that today. You know I love your kapdo ki thaan but this time, I want to see you in something else. I'll be waiting.
Forever yours,
Raman ❤️
Ishita ran her eyes across the letter over and over again, her fingers glued to her mouth, as a deep blush rose up her face. Her cheeks hurt from the width of her smile and her eyes were covered with a sheen of pure joy.
Immediately, she rushed to the wardrobe, threw the doors open, and gasped. She found in front of her a bouquet of white lilies and jasmine flowers – her favorite. She picked up the bouquet and surveyed the garden fresh flowers, inhaling their fragrance. The action revealed another designer Nookie bag that had been hidden behind the bouquet.
She placed the bouquet on the table before turning her attention to the designer bag. In it, she found the dress her husband had mentioned in the letter. It was unlike her usual wear, but she knew Raman wanted to see her in it. And she was thrilled to abide.
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The Hearth Hotel & Restaurant – 4 pm
Raman glanced at his watch again as he tapped his foot impatiently, fidgeting in the private booth he had reserved for him and his wife. He had gotten dressed at the office itself, and his wife was due to come from her clinic. He had told the hostess to bring her directly to the private booth, and he hoped she would be on time.
He craned his neck around the corner, his attention sharpening at every figure who walked by including waiters, chefs, other diners, and sometimes even the manager. But sadly, none of them were his wife.
After the longest five minutes of his life, Ishita appeared. Her eyes were lined with lush kajal, and her lips were covered in red matte lipstick. Half her hair was styled into a halo braid adorned with tiny white flowers while the rest of her hair cascaded down her back in loose curls, unlike her normally straightened hair. His eyes shone with love as he gazed at his wife.
She walked closer and that's when Raman noticed the rest of her appearance. It was all he could do to not drool in public. She wore the dress he had gifted her: A long red maxi dress that ran to her knees, fitted with split flutter sleeves, perfectly fitting her curves. It was true, she carried sarees with the utmost grace, but turned out, she looked just as bewitching in western wear.
He stood up to greet his wife, taking her hand in his and laying a kiss on the back of her hand.
"Wow..." he whispered, tightening his fingers around hers. "Aaj to tum meri jaan hi le logi." He ran his eyes down her figure, from head to toe.
Ishita glowed under his amorous gaze, even as she continued her own surveying. Her husband was dressed in a crisp black suit and white shirt, hair gelled back in style, eyes lidded with desire. She smiled at her husband's choice of wear; after all, she loved him in black.
"Aap bhi bahot acche lag rahe ho," she managed to say.
He nodded towards the table and they sat down, their hands remaining locked throughout.
"Happy anniversary Raman," Ishita said, once they had placed their orders.
"Happy anniversary madrasan." Raman kissed her hand again. "Can you believe it? I managed to spend an entire year with you without pulling my hair out."
Ishita rolled her eyes. "Must've been hard huh?"
"Eh... I suppose I managed."
They were served with appetizers followed by their main course, which included Ishita's spaghetti marinara and Raman's meat lasagna. But even so, they paid less attention to their food and more to each other, reminiscing about the memories they had made, the obstacles they had faced, and the love they had shared in the past year.
"To many more years of togetherness." Raman picked up his glass of champagne.
"To us." Ishita clinked his glass with her own glass of sparkling cider.
The light instrumental music changed into a romantic ballad, and Raman quirked an eyebrow. Ishita shook her head in amusement, smiling as she understood her husband's sign.
They stood up, hands intertwined, and arrived at the dance floor, swaying to the music.
Dekha hazaron dafa aapko
Phir beqarari kaisi hai
Sambhale sambhalta nahi ye dil
Kuch aap mein baat aisi hai
Aagosh mein hai jo aapki
Aisa sukoon aur paaye kahan
Aankhen humein ye raas aa gayi
Ab hum yahan se jaaye kahan
Dekha hazaron dafa aapko
Phir beqarari kaisi hai
Sambhale sambhalta nahi ye dil
Kuch pyar mein baat aisi hai
Mmm.. hmm..
Phir beqarari kaisi hai
Mmm.. hmm..
Kuch pyar mein baat aisi hai
The song ended but they remained like that, his hands locked behind her waist, hers wrapped around his neck.
"Raman..."
"Hmm?"
"Ab waapis chale table par?"
"Kyun?"
"Dessert baaki hai na?"
"I want a different kind of dessert."
He leaned in to kiss her but she stopped him with a finger on his lips.
"Not in public."
Raman quirked an eyebrow, as he leaned back and she pulled back her finger. "I figured. But not to worry... I have a suite booked for us upstairs."
He winked at her and she blushed.
"Chale?"
"Chaliye."
Raman paid the bill at light speed and whisked his wife away for a night they would never forget.
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Akash Ganga Society – midnight
Ishita yawned and Raman groaned as they trudged up the stairs to their apartment. Even though they had fallen asleep at the hotel for a couple hours, they were eager to fall asleep in their own bed.
Raman keyed their front door open and they tiptoed into their bedroom. A pile of mail on the side table beckoned their attention, but Ishita was too exhausted to go through it right now. She faced the mirror and brushed her tousled hair, removing any remnants of flower petals. Just then, her gaze fell on the top envelope of the pile of mail... and her movements stilled. She picked up the letter and opened it, feeling a sense of déjà vu.
"Mr. Raman Bhalla and Mrs. Ishita Bhalla are hereby summoned to Delhi Civit Court on Tuesday, July 24th at 2 pm for the permanent custody retrial of Aditya Bhalla..."
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