It's more detailed and realistic than what we had seen in show regarding ishita’s Issues .
Ishita is shattered 💔
Looks like Ishita will also go to Delhi now along with Bala n Vandu
Bring it on RKB’s entry❤️ in the next sequence
Bold: That was the purpose of starting the story in Chennai.
Underline: Hmmmm... Keep reading :)
Originally posted by: Girl_InMedicine
Interesting!
So Bala is adopted by Devyani 😲
Also I actually liked how you dealt with Ishita's infertility here. Much more realistic than the show. Waiting for RKB's entry ❤️
A small suggestion, can you edit the title of the post as "Part 2 Updated". Also whenever you update,please edit the title,it would be easier to find out if you've updated or not.
Bold: Yup. I always thought there needed to be more reason for Bala's cutoff from Subbu and Devyani. I know he dumped Ishu which Bala found wrong (rightly so), but in the show, Subbu got married, had a kid, and then his wife and kid died. It made no sense that Bala was completely separated from his brother who had gone through so much.
Underline: Thanks dear!
Italics: Thanks for letting me know. I'll keep updating the title every time I post a new update now.
Originally posted by: Divyalingaraju
A very nice and emotional update Subbu is really disgusting please update next part soon to know what happens next
Thank you dear. Subbu has been portrayed as an Indian man who does his mother's bidding and follows the old regressive norms more than doing what is right. But he does have some guilt since he apologizes to Ishu and Appa. Nevertheless, he doesn't deserve Ishu. I'll be writing characters like this only, flawed and gray. No one will be in and out evil (except maybe Ashok). Some will be lovable, some will be irritating, some will be relatable, and some will be hated on, but hopefully all of them will be digestible.
Thanks Sukhvi, check your inbox. I've PM'd you :)
Amazing update
Subbu took ishita to fertility expert poor ishita she didn't knew about that she read the board and got to know but subbu didn't gave her chance to ask anything vandu and bala were shifting to delhi as they got transfer so they hosted dinner at their home iyers were there ishita was looking for Subbu mihika asked bala vandu if they will stay till ishitas marriage or not bala said how can they miss that Subbu said marriage is not happening he said ishita can't be mother disgusting man so bala is adopted son of devyani appa took his family from there poor ishita waiting for ishra meeting
Pls update soon
beautiful update Dear...
so balla is adopted son in this story and you added this to justify his cut off from subbu..
glad mr iyer stood for his daughter's respect...when he thanked him..its look like slapped him on his face..
cont asap
Part 3
Delhi - Five months later, mid-January, 6:30 pm
“That should be the last box left to unpack, Ishu akka.”
“Finally it’s done! The house looks so nice na, Mihika?”
“Yes akka. Akhir hum Iyer girls ka kamaal jo hain!”
“Chalo, amma appa bhi aate honge akka aur jeeju ke saath. Hum dinner prepare kar lete hain. Aaja.”
It had been five months since Ishita’s heart had been crushed by the man whom she had considered to be the love of her life. Since she had found out that she wouldn’t ever be a mother. She had cried herself to sleep many a nights after that particular night. Her smile faded away and her laughter was nonexistent. In her weakest moment, she had even tried to call Subbu, but Mihika had stopped her. She started keeping herself busy with work around the house, since she didn’t have a job anymore. Yet, she kept a facade over her face as she needed to get better for her family. And as the pain of her abdominal incision faded away, the pain of her heart worsened. Two months after that night, Dr. Awasthi had officially declared her as recovered from the surgery. But Ishita would have taken the physical pain of her abdominal surgery over the emotional pain of her wounded heart any day.
But unfortunately, her heart had much more to bear. Soon enough, she had found out that Subbu was getting married. Less than ten weeks ago, he had dumped her in front of their families and now he was getting married to a girl his mom found for him -- Ragini. And then Ishita decided that she would not let her heart bleed any more for that man. She deserved better. Her family deserved better. She decided to start her life anew. The first step would be to start a new job which meant she had started job hunting. And after many phone interviews and Skype calls, she had gotten the job of the pediatric dentist at Batra Medical Center in Delhi. Amma, Appa, and Mihika decided to move with her to Delhi to ensure they were all far away from Subbu and Devyani, and closer to Vandu, Bala, and Shravan, who were already settled in Delhi for a month now. And so, they had moved to Delhi right after Mihika finished the last semester of her college. They had rented a flat in Akash Ganga Society on the first floor where Ishita, Mihika, Amma, and Appa had moved in. It was a spacious place in a location which was close to Vandu and Bala’s house as well as Ishita’s clinic. Having finished her studies, Mihika had also started applying for jobs in various marketing firms and was attending interviews. Amma and Appa had settled in as well. It was a new start in a new year for Ishita and her family. It would take a while for her heart to heal, but she had to move forward. Subbu most definitely had. By getting married. Ishita had to move on as well, and she just might know how. But for that, she’d need Amma’s permission first. The same Amma who had been hell bent on getting her married ever since Subbu tied the knot. Every day she came up with some new profile on a dating site or the biodata of another eligible bachelor. Ishita had avoided these “risthas” on the pretext of being busy applying for jobs and then with the move to Delhi, but now that everything was taken care of, she had to face her. How was she going to tell her mother that she did not want to get married? Rather, it was another relationship she craved for.
The opening of the door followed by the hustle-bustle and chatter of the Iyers brought Ishita out of her musings. Amma and Appa came in with Vandu and Shravu in tow, while Bala brought up some shopping bags behind them.
“Pati, aap ko pata hai, main one month ke liye itna bore ho gaya tha. Ab aap, Tata, Miku Chitti, or Ishu Chitti yahi rahoge na?”
“Ha kanna, ab hum sab yahi rahenge. Hamare Shravu ke paas.”
“Yay!” Shravu had barely just started preschool so he didn’t understand that his Chitti’s broken engagement had brought them here, but he was certainly happy that his family would be nearby. He could have his Pati’s payasam and could play with Tata and Chitti at any time he liked just as before.
“Yeh lijiye ladies. Aap sabki sari shopping bags upar aa chuki hain. Ab agar aur koi kaam na ho to khana khaale?” Bala questioned. “Pet mein chuhe daud rahe hai. Kya hai dinner main?”
“Rasam rice hai jiju. Aa jao sab khana khane. Dinner ready hai.”
“Waise Ishu, please tell me ki yeh tumne banaya hai. Mihika ke haath ka khana mai hazam nahi kar paunga.”
“Kya jiju! You’re always pulling my leg yaar. Not done jiju!” Mihika exclaimed while the rest of the family burst into laughter as they were settling for dinner.
After dinner, the family decided to sit and play a few games since Shravan complained of being bored. But after he happened to lose two games of UNO, he grew tired and decided to entertain himself with cartoons instead. The remaining players then decided to play monopoly; Appa managed to buy half the board all by himself easily defeating the rest of the players. As soon as the game ended, Vandu decided it was time for them to go home as they all had work and school the next day, including Ishita. After bidding goodbye to everyone, Bala lifted a sleeping Shravu into his arms and made his way downstairs with Vandu following him closely behind. He secured Shravu into his car seat and then sat down in the driver’s seat as Vandu made herself comfortable in the passenger seat beside him.
“Bala, amma ka phone aaya tha aaj subah.”
“Vandu, mujhe is baare mein koi baat nahi karni.”
“Bala, you can’t keep avoiding this topic forever. You have to talk to me.”
“You know I’m not avoiding anything, Vandu. I said what I had to say to them before we left from Chennai and there is nothing more I’d like to say.”
He was right. Avoiding his mom and brother was the hardest thing for Bala to do, especially since they were his closest family before Vandu came into his life. But that dreadful night, both Subbu and Devyani had told him where he stood. Devyani had been waiting to see her real grandchild. His mother had insulted him, his wife, and his son by saying only Subbu was her son since he was her flesh and blood. Bala could not take any more of it and before leaving for Delhi, he had broken his ties with them. His wife and his in-laws had showered him with love ever since he had gotten married and he would much rather consider them his only family.
“Can you believe what Amma said that day? You remember, she had been the happiest of us all when Shravu was born, but that day she practically insulted and broke her relationship with our son. She insulted all the love we shared as a family for so many years. How could you expect me to talk about her anymore?”
Vandu knew her husband to be the most calm and level-headed person, but when it came to family, he couldn’t hide his emotions. Not from her at least. But she had to break the news somehow.
“Bala, Amma had called me to tell me that Ragini was pregnant. We didn’t go for their wedding, so she wants us to come to bless the baby at least.”
“I’ll message Ragini and wish her and her baby. My good wishes are always with her. But I don’t want to talk to anyone else.”
“Ok then. As you wish. Let’s go home now.”
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
While Vandu had been summoning the strength to break the news of his family’s changing dynamics to Bala, upstairs, Ishita had been gathering the courage to reveal her future plans to her parents.
“Amma, Appa, I want to adopt a child. I don’t want to get married.”
Amma had gone ballistic at the mention of Ishu’s denial to get married.
“Aiyo Murugan, yeh ladki paagal ho gayi hai kya Vishwa?! Bolti hai shaadi nahi karegi! Bina shaadi ke kaise rahegi yeh saari zindagi? Tum use kuch kehte kyun nahi?”
“Madhu, uski baat to suno pehle. If this is what she wants then we should…”
“Ille Vishwa, main yeh sab nahi hone doongi. Ishu ki shaadi hogi first. Then only can she adopt if she wants. First marriage will happen.”
“Amma, aap kyun meri shaadi karaane ke piche pad gayi ho? Aap ko kya lagta hai, ki main akele baccha nahi paal sakti? Ya aap bhi apni beti ko bojh samajhti hai, jise jald se jald ghar se bhagaana chahti hai? Ya aapko yeh chinta hai ki log kya kahenge? Ki kunwari ladki ghar mein baithi hain? What is the problem exactly?”
“Aiyyo, yeh ladki mujhe paagal karke chodegi.” Amma couldn’t deal with her daughter’s ideas anymore and decided to retreat into her bedroom.
“Main dekhta hoon, Ishu, don’t worry,” Appa assured her.
“Nahi appa, I have to sort this out with her.” Ishita had always been closer to her father, but her relationship with her mother mattered just as much. And she needed to get her mother to let her live her life on her own terms.
While Appa sat outside browsing through TV channels and Mihika started getting ready for bed, Ishita went inside her parents’ bedroom to witness her mother sitting on the bed with her head against the headboard, her face scrunched due to stress. Ishita sat in front of her and put her head in her lap letting her tears flow unabashed.
“Amma, I don’t want to marry, why is that so hard for you to understand?”
Madhu lifted her daughter’s head up and wiped her tears.
“Ishu, tumhe yaad hai Mihika hamare ghar kab aayi thi?”
This was hardly the answer that Ishita was expecting. But she knew her mother was going somewhere with this.
“Jab woh almost saat saal ki thi aur Soumya Chitti ko flight attendant ki job mili thi. Woh bahut travel karti thi isiliye Mihika hamare saath rehne aa gayi.”
“Right Ishu. Tumhe pata hai jab Mihika only two years ki thi na, tab Soumya ka pati use chod ke chala gaya. Tum aur Vandu bahot chote the isiliye tumko yaad nahi hai. Soumya pehle apne sasural mein rehti thi. Lekin waha un logo ke saath woh adjust nahi kar paayi aur usne independent hone ke liye job shuru ki, flight attendant ki. Aur Mihika hamare saath shift ho gayi. Tumhari Chitii ko itna travel karna padta tha apne job ki wajah se. Use apni beti aur family se door rehna padta tha. Lekin phir bhi use job karni padi. Kyun ki tumhare appa ki health ministry ki job ki itni salary nahi thi ki woh tumhare, Vandu, aur Mihika, teeno ki school fees bhar sake… Ishu, maine apni sister ko akele apni beti paalte dekha hai. Use akele zindagi guzaarte dekha hai. Aur main nahi chahti ki tum bhi aise hi dukh se guzro. Isiliye main chahti hoon ki tum pehle shaadi karlo. Akele zindagi nahi guzarti, kanna.”
Ishita was speechless hearing her mother. She had never known that what seemed to be like a trivial stubborn rant of hers would have such a deep rooted fear. Fear that was borne out of a mother’s love.
“Ishu, mai tumhe bojh kaise maan sakti hoon? Tum, Vandu, Mihika, sab mera pride hai. Vandu ek college ki principal hai. Tum itni achi pediatric dentist ho. Mihika apne college mein first class rahi hain. I am so proud of you all. Lekin main tumhe khush dekhna chahti hoon kanna. Main aur tumhare appa hamesha nahi honge tumhare saath. Vandu aur Bala apni life mein busy hain. Mihika bhi baad mein busy ho jayegi, use bhi koi mil jaayega. Tab tum kya karogi? Akele kaise rahogi? Koi to hona chahiye na jo tumhara saath de?”
“Amma, Subbu aur mera six years ka relationship tha. Phir bhi usne mera saath chod diya. Soumya Chitti ka to marriage bhi hua tha. Phir bhi unke pati unhe chod kar chale gaye. Kya guarantee hain ki jisse aap meri shaadi karwaayengi, woh mujhe chod kar nahi jaayega? Amma, mujhe kisi ladke ka saath nahi chahiye. Aise ladke ka to bilkul nahi jo musibat ke vakht pith dikha ke bhaag jaaye. Aap ki Ishu na, bahot strong hai. Main apne aap ko sambhal sakti hoon. Aap mujhe khush dekhna chahte ho na? To mera yakin kijiye, mujhe ek baccha adopt karne dijiye. I know you’re worried after seeing Soumya Chitti’s struggle, but this is my choice Amma. I am choosing to be a single mother. Amma, I am a mother without a child. And somewhere out there, there is a child without a mother. Mujhe ek baccha adopt karne dijiye. Isi mein meri khushi hain. Trust me.”
Madhu had always had her daughter’s best interests at heart. She had missed seeing the smile on her lips and the sparkle in her eyes after her engagement had broken. Trying to get her to meet men on dates was only so she could find someone who could return that sparkle. But looking at her daughter’s face right now, she could see her smile again. And she saw the sincerity and sparkle in her eyes too. Thus, Madhu understood that adopting a child was the best thing for her daughter.
“Thik hai kanna. Agar isi mein tumhari khushi hai, then you should adopt a child.”
“Thank you Amma! Thank you so much!” Ishita exclaimed and hugged her mother as tight as she could. She and her mother didn’t always see eye to eye. But in moments like these, she knew that she was very lucky to be Madhavi Iyer’s daughter.
The next day - 7:30 am
Ishita quickly sipped the piping, hot coffee that Mihika had served her. But she didn’t need any coffee to wake up. She had hardly been able to sleep a wink last night. But this time, instead of the pain of the past, it was the excitement of her future that kept her awake. The past few months had been the most gruelling and tiresome ever with her new job, her move to Delhi, and most importantly, her aching heart. But now she had found a way to rebuild her life and world -- adopting a child and becoming a mother.
“Ishu, so when do you plan on adopting a child? And from where?” Appa asked. He and Amma were seated with the two sisters at the dining table having their breakfast.
“Appa, maine ek adoption agency dekh rakhi hain. It’s called Little Smiles Adoption Agency. Yahi paas mein hi hai. Maine apply bhi kar diya hain. They will call me for an interview and then a social worker will come and survey my home and workplace. Then we will take it from there.”
“Oh my god Akka, mujhe to abhi click ho raha hain. Meri Ishu akka maa banne wali hain. Mai phir se Chitti banne wali hoon. Periappa, periamma phir se Tata Pati banenge. Aur Vandu akka aur Bala jeeju to periamma aur periappa ban jaayenge! In fact, ab to Shravu bhi big brother ban jaayega na?!” Once Mihika had accepted the new forthcoming changes in her family, she had been the most excited. “Abhi tak to hamne Akka Jeeju aur Shravu ko to bataya hi nahi. Ruko main phone karti hoon.”
“Ruk jaa Miku!” Ishita hurriedly put down her cup and stopped her zealous cousin in her tracks. “Yeh baat phone pe bataane ki thodi hain? Unse jab milenge tab bata denge. Aur abhi tak to mera interview bhi nahi hua. Sab final ho jaaye uske baad batayenge. Waise interview se yaad aya, tumhara job interview kab hain?”
“Parso shaam ko hain Akka. Bahot badi marketing firm hain. Aur good position ke saath acchi salary bhi hain. I really hope mujhe mil jaaye yeh job. Murugan se pray karna sab.”
“Aiyyo, tum itni talented aur intelligent hain, tumko yeh job zaroor milega kanna,” Amma assured Mihika. “Dekhna, tumko yeh job milega, aur Ishu ko apna child milega. Aur us din main special payasam banaungi, aur puri society mein baatungi.”
It was as if Amma’s words had been divine intervention, for the very next moment Ishita’s phone rang. “Hello? Yes this is Dr. Ishita Iyer…. Ji haan, maine apply kiya tha…. Really?! Of course! Main aa jaaungi shaam ko… Ji ji, paanch baje… Ok then. Bye, see you soon!”
“Aiyyo, nandri Murugan, thank you so much! Amma, Appa, Mihika! Adoption agency se phone tha. Unhone kaha unko mera application itna accha laga ki woh log mujhe aaj hi interview ke liye bula rahe hain. Aaj shaam paanch baje!” Ishita revealed the joyous news to her family as her happiness threatened to spill over from her eyes. Mihika was the first to crush her Akka in a tight congratulatory hug followed by Amma and Appa’s countless blessings. Ishita couldn’t wait for the evening to come so she decided to leave for her clinic as soon as possible hoping for the day to pass quickly.
Alas, that was not so. Her day at the clinic had been too slow. But nonetheless, it was quite eventful with her little patients lighting up her day as usual. This job had been her respite, and today she felt a little extra love for the kids she treated. She was going to be a mother after all. “Calm down, Ishita. It’s just an interview today.” But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t calm down.
Her last appointment for the day was finished well before the time she had to leave for the adoption agency, and her mind wouldn’t stay still. Eventually she decided she might as well leave early and reach there ahead of time. She would give a good impression.
Little Smiles Adoption Agency - 4:20 pm
“Hi. My name is Dr. Ishita Iyer. I’m here for my interview to adopt a child.”
“Yes ma’am. I can see your name here in the schedule for today, but your appointment isn’t until five.”
“Yeah, woh actually, mai itni excited thi ki ruka hi nahi gaya.”
“No worries ma’am. I completely understand. Most new parents are usually very excited for this. Why don’t you sit outside for a while? You will be called as soon as the social worker is free.”
“Of course, I’ll be just outside.”
Ishita picked up her file of documents and made her way to the courtyard outside the office of the adoption agency. There were two sets of sofas surrounding a coffee table right beside the children’s play area. She took a seat on one of the chairs only to have something pinch her underneath.
“Ouch, yeh kya hai?”
Ishita pulled out from underneath the sofa cushion, a barbie doll dressed in a long pink and purple gown with long blonde locks that almost reached its knees. She looked around to find a child to whom the doll could have belonged to. Eventually she stood up from her chair and turned around to find a precious little girl looking for her doll. She was innocence personified; all she needed was two wings on her back and she could have been a cherubic angel descended from heaven.
“Beta, aap ise dhundh rahe ho?”
“My doll!” The girl cried out as she ran towards Ishita and retrieved her doll. “Thank you Aunty. My favorite doll dhundi aapne.”
“You’re welcome beta.” Ishita kneeled down to come at eye level to the girl. “Yeh aapki favorite doll hai? Kya naam hai iska?”
“Rapunzel. Because iske hair itne pretty hain. Like you.” The girl ran her hands through Ishita’s hair as she admired them.
“Thank you baccha. Lekin mujhe to sabse zyada aapke aur aapki doll ke baal pasand aaye. Waise, aapke baal bhi itne sundar hai to aapka naam bhi Rapunzel hai kya?”
The little girl burst into squeals of laughter which somehow tugged at Ishita’s heart strings.
“Nahi aunty, my name is Ruhi. Aapka naam kya hai?”
“My name is Ishita.”
“Wow, Ishita…”
“Ruhi, kya aap mujhse friendship karoge?”
“Okay Ishita aunty. You and me friends.”
Ishita pulled in Ruhi for a light hug. She didn’t want to intrude on Ruhi's personal space but she couldn’t help the love she felt for the child. However, she was surprised to find that Ruhi hugged her back tighter than she had. When she finally broke the hug, Ruhi took her doll and decided to go back to play. “Bye Ishita aunty! Main khelne jaa rahi hu,” she said as she ran off back to the play area where she came from.
Ishita was forced to take off her lingering gaze from Ruhi when a young man who had witnessed their interaction called out to her. “Ms. Ishita?”
“Yes, that’s me.”
“Hi, my name is Rakesh Yadav. I’m the social worker who you were to meet for your interview.”
“Oh hi! It’s so nice to meet you Mr. Yadav. I’m Dr. Ishita Iyer.”
“Please come in so we can have a quick chat.”
“Sure.” Ishita followed Mr. Yadav as they entered the corridor of his office.
“Excuse me, Mr. Yadav. That little girl outside, does she live here? Is she… an orphan?”
“Are you talking about Ruhi? Yes Dr. Iyer. She does live here. She was brought here when she was barely six months old. We tried to find her parents for a long time but to no avail. She’s been here with the rest of the kids for a little over three years now. Fortunately, she has been relatively happy with the caretakers of the orphanage and the other kids, and she hasn’t started school yet. So she hasn’t fully understood the meaning of being an orphan. We’re hoping she can find a family before she understands these things.”
Ishita felt a pang of sadness of the little child. She couldn’t imagine how a four year old girl could stay without a family. Mr. Yadav, on the other hand, saw a ray of hope. He had seen the instant connection between Ishita and Ruhi and how easily Ruhi had opened up to Ishita’s hug. She had been a reserved child most of the time, but this was one of the rare instances he had seen her light up. Maybe, just maybe, Ishita was the family that Ruhi had been waiting for.
Part 4
The next two weeks of Ishita’s life were spent in three places: her clinic, her home, and Little Smiles Adoption Agency. Her clinic had been relatively quiet with only a couple appointments every day and the majority of her time spent doing administrative paperwork. The home front had turned a bit more hectic however, since Mihika got the job she had been yearning for. She was now the marketing manager of an up and coming business firm of Delhi, which meant she wasn’t home until late in the evening, leaving Amma and Appa alone for most of the day. All three sisters had been trying to find a proper work life balance to make sure their parents were properly taken care of. The rest of Ishita’s time went by at the adoption agency as she was called in for various interviews and background checks. And every time, she either bumped into or made a point to meet Ruhi. With every meet, her love for the little girl had deepened, and with every meet, Ruhi had opened up to Ishita even more. She now lit up at the very mention of Ishita and excitedly asked when her “best friend Ishita aunty” would come again to meet her.
Mr. Yadav’s ray of hope had now solidified into a plan to get Ruhi a family. Thus, he had been particularly keen on Ishita’s case hoping against hope that the board would clear her application. He had repeatedly mentioned to the board that Ishita was the perfect parent for Ruhi. He had also come personally to Ishita’s house and clinic to survey her home and work environment, along with his team. And thanks to his efforts, Ishita’s application had moved along very quickly.
Today, Ishita had to come for one last meeting with Mr. Yadav to finalize the last of the paperwork. Today, Mr. Yadav hoped to introduce Ishita to her daughter and Ruhi to her mother.
Ishita was seated across from Mr. Yadav in his office signing the last document that he had presented before her. She handed it over once she had signed it, and Mr. Yadav neatly placed it with the other documents into Ishita’s file.
“Ms. Iyer, now all the paperwork on your behalf is done. I just have to file and submit these last papers and you will officially be a mother. Ruhi’s mother.”
“Ruhi’s mother?! I will get to be Ruhi’s mom? Are you sure, Mr. Yadav?”
“More than anything. I see you with Ruhi every time you come here. Ruhi hasn’t ever opened up to anyone like she has to you. She has been so chirpy and vibrant ever since she has befriended you. And I can say without a shadow of a doubt that if she goes home with you as your daughter, then she will be happy, healthy, and loved for the rest of her life.”
Ishita couldn’t believe her ears. She was going to be a mother. And that too Ruhi’s mother. The little angel with whom she had fallen in love with at first sight. The sheer joy of that thought threatened to spill out of her eyes and explode her heart. She would be able to take Ruhi -- her daughter -- into her arms and into her home. But she stopped her tears from spilling out, for she still had cause of worry. Would Ruhi accept her? Would she agree to come home with her?
“I can’t thank you enough for this Mr. Yadav. You have no idea how elated I am that I will be Ruhi’s mother. But will she agree? I mean, what if she refuses?”
“I hardly think that will be a problem Dr. Iyer. I think she will be just as happy as you are right now. But why don’t you ask her yourself?”
The duo walked out of Mr. Yadav’s office and into the children’s play area where Ruhi was giving her dolls a tea party.
“Ruhi, come here beta. Look, Ishita Aunty is here to meet you,” Mr. Yadav called out to Ruhi, who at once forgot the imaginary biscuits she was serving her dolls and ran into Ishita’s arms.
“Ishita aunty! Aap aa gaye?” Ishita kneeled down to pick her up and gave her a tight hug.
“Mujhe mere Ruhi bacche ki itni yaad aa rahi thi to main aa gayi,” she said as she sat on a nearby sofa with Ruhi secured in her arms. Mr. Yadav decided to watch from afar so as not to intrude on the mother-daughter moment.
“Ishita aunty, maine aapko bahut miss kiya.”
“Maine bhi aapko bahut miss kiya Ru. Aapko ek baat batau? Mere paas ek solution hai. Jisse ab hum dono ek doosre ko kabhi miss nahi karenge.”
“Kya aunty?”
“Aap mere ghar pe rahoge? Mere saath meri beti ban kar?” Ishita asked the million dollar question with her heart in her throat. Thankfully, she was not disappointed.
“Sacchi aunty! Aap meri mumma banoge?”
“Haa, agar aap haa bolo to. Chaloge mere saath?”
“Yes aunty! Yayyy!!!”
“I love you Ruhi beta.”
“I love you too Ishita aunty… Nahi, I love you Ishita mumma!”
Hearing Ruhi call her mumma, brought tears to Ishita’s eyes. This time she didn’t stop them from overflowing and relished in the joy of her newfound motherhood as she gathered Ruhi into her arms once again and hugged her with all the love she could muster.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Iyer house, Delhi - Six weeks later, second weekend of March, night time
“Amma, yeh Ruhi ki bacchi ne mujhpe firse color lagaya!”
“Nahi periamma, yeh Shravu jhooth bol raha hai! Isne pehle mere hair pull kiye, Ishimaa!”
“Offo tum dono. Holi khatam ho gayi hai. Ab colors ko haath bhi nahi lagaana. Aur Shravu, maine tumhe kitni baar kaha hai Ruhi ke hair pull mat karo. This is Amma’s last warning. Ab chalo mere saath, face wash karte hai tumhara.”
Vandu took her son away to the washroom to clean up the last remnants of the kids’ seemingly never ending holi. It had been like this for a while now. Ishita had brought Ruhi home six weeks ago and she had instantly won everyone’s heart. Slowly but surely, Ruhi had also opened up to her Tata, Pati, Chitti, Periamma, and Periappa. She became Shravu’s best friend, but as they got comfortable with each other, both cousins had become very competitive with each other. Shravu resorted to pulling the hair that Ruhi prized, while Ruhi learned various tricks to annoy him in return. And today was holi, so their masti had compounded along with Vandu and Ishita’s troubles. Madhu finally managed to calm down both her grandchildren with bribes of special jalebi with ice cream which got them to sit down at the dining table with the rest of the family to have dessert.
“Amma, abhi itni sugar doge, to phir dono raat ko jaldi nahi soyenge.”
“Don’t worry Ishu, they were running and dancing all day at the holi party today. The exhaustion of the day will catch up soon enough. They’ll fall asleep as soon as their head hits the pillow. And even if they don’t, it’s Sunday tomorrow. They can sleep in if they don’t fall asleep soon.”
Ishita wasn’t totally convinced though. She had just become a mother, so she was still figuring out the do’s and don'ts of parenthood. Six weeks ago, she had gone a bit overboard in shopping for Ruhi’s clothes and other necessities. She also didn’t quite know yet when to be lenient and when to be strict. It took lots of help from her parents and Vandu-Bala, but she was now slowly getting the hang of her new role as a parent.
“Chitti, mujhe woh Barbie Rapunzel wali movie dekhni hai,” Ruhi demanded between spoonfuls of ice cream.
“Again Ruhi? Kal hi to dekhi thi,” Mihika asked.
“Nahi mujhe firse dekhni hai.”
“Thik hai baba. Hum phir se dekhenge.”
“Par zyada der tak jaagna nahi, Ruhi, thik hai? Jab mumma bole ki sleepy time ho gaya hai, to phir chup chaap brush karke so jaana, ok?” Ishita intervened.
“Ok mumma.”
And so, once the family dispersed after dessert, Ishita, Ruhi, and Mihika cuddled up together in their bed (which had been changed from queen to king sized to accommodate Ruhi) to watch Ruhi’s new favorite move -- Barbie as Rapunzel. Ishita and Mihika sat on the sides of the bed with Ruhi peacefully settled in between them and the blanket covering them all.
Around the middle of the movie, when a song started playing, Ruhi stirred up and caught her mother’s attention to ask a question.
“Ishimaa, yeh song ka meaning kya hai?”
“Is song ka matlab hai ki jab tak sky mein stars honge, tab tak Rapunzel ko unki mumma bahut pyar karengi. Jaise har mumma apne baby ko karti hai. Bilkul waise jaise mai apni Ru baby ko pyar karti hoon. Aap bhi hamesha yaad rakhna, ki mumma always loves you.”
“I love you too mumma!” Ruhi said as she squeezed into her mother’s embrace and slowly drifted into sleep while playing with her Ishimaa’s hair.
Constant as the stars above
Always know that you are loved
And my love shining in you
Will help you make your dreams come true
Will help your dreams come true
The lamb lies down and rests it head
On it's mother's downy bed
Dolphin plays in the moonlight's glow
And butterfly dreams of a violet rose
Dreams of a violet rose
I'll cradle you in my arms tonight
As sun embraces the moonlight
The clouds will carry us off tonight
Our dreams will run deep like the sea
Our dreams will run deep like the sea
Constant as the stars above
Always know that you are loved
And my love shining in you
Will help you make your dreams come true
Will help your dreams come true
Note:
I know I hinted at Raman's entry a few days ago but I had to establish Ishita and Ruhi's relationship before he came into the picture. This time, I promise, Raman will enter the story in the next update.
Also, I might add songs and song lyrics to certain story parts, like I did here. I have a special connect with music, and I have a whole list of songs (English and Hindi, old and new) that would suit different YHM characters and relationships. You will see me insert links to them whenever applicable. Do give them a listen after you're done reading. I might not be the best with words so these songs will help you understand the emotions I'm trying to convey, when my words fail.
As always, keep liking the posts and dropping your comments ❤️
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