Part 22
Bhalla/Iyer Residence - Monday, August 12th, 6 am
The alarm rang and Ishita was startled awake. But unlike every day, when she got up with a spring in her step ready to seize the day, today she could barely lift her legs off the couch. Her body ached all over; her head was heavier than a bag of rocks; her skin was burning up; and she was ready to throw up at any minute. But she had responsibilities: Ruhi, her patients, her family. She couldn’t afford to miss a day. With every ounce of strength she could muster, she turned off the alarm as quickly as possible and stood up. Unfortunately, she wasn’t quick enough and ended up waking Raman who was fast asleep nearby on the bed.
“Madrasan, turn off the damn alarm! You might have fun waking up at the crack of dawn, but I’m no rooster! Mujhe meri neend bahot pyari hai!” Raman exclaimed as he turned over covering his ears with pillows.
Ishita didn’t even find any energy to reply. She simply made effortful steps towards the bathroom. Her gait was much slower than usual. All these changes did not go unnoticed by Raman. He was perplexed. This woman was the strongest, most persistent woman he had known but today she wouldn’t even reply to his taunt. And it bothered him. He loved the little fights they got into. They bickered on anything and everything. They were nowhere near a perfect couple, but even so, every interaction with his wife made him feel alive.
“Ishita, kya hua tumhe?” Raman asked, genuinely concerned.
He got up from his bed but before he could even reach his wife, Ishita lost her sense of balance as a bout of dizziness overcame her. She went hurtling towards the floor, causing Raman to dive forward. Ishita collapsed in her husband’s arms.
“Ishita! Ishita! Utho! Kya hua tumhe?!” Raman gently patted Ishita’s cheeks in vain attempts to wake her. He lifted her up bridal style and laid her down on the bed. The noise had drawn his parents to his room, who were knocking at his door.
“Raman puttar? Ki hoya? Sab theek hai?” Toshi’s voice boomed. Raman was confident that she must have awakened the rest of the house. He quickly opened the door with one hand as his other hand opened the dial pad on his phone.
“Maa, Ishita ki tabiyat theek nahi hain. Uska shareer garam hai aur woh abhi abhi behosh ho gayi. Main doctor ko phone kar raha hoon.”
Toshi sat beside Ishita and lovingly ran her hand over her head. “Hey Mata rani, abhi abhi to hamare ghar mein sab theek ho raha tha. Aur ab Ishita ki tabiyat ko kya ho gaya? Meri bacchi ki raksha karna Mata rani!” Toshi, as always, was filled with worry. And for her, Mata rani was the only hope.
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Fortunately, Raman was able to get a hold of the urgent care doctor on call at Batra Medical Center and convinced her to do a house call. The fact that Ishita was her fellow colleague helped in convincing her to make special accommodations. Of course, the extra payment and donations that Raman promised to the Batra Medical Center did more to help. The check up was happening now in Ishita and Raman’s bedroom. Madhu and Mihika stayed inside with Ishita, while Vishwa, Raman, and Omprakash waited outside in the living room, and Toshi prepared tea and coffee for everyone in the kitchen. The doctor had given Raman the first choice to accompany Ishita as he was her husband, but one exchange of looks between them told both of them that it wasn’t a good idea. Neither of them were at that level of comfort. At least not yet. As of now, Ishita would be most comfortable with her mother and sister.
“Ishita, how long have you been having these symptoms? Nausea, fever, body aches, stomach ache, and headache?” the doctor asked in the middle of her exam.
“I felt some nausea and stomach ache yesterday evening, but I didn’t pay attention to it. I thought getting a good night’s rest would solve the problem.”
Mihika and Madhu exchanged glances. This was so typical of their Ishu. Hiding her pain, be it physical or emotional, was her stamp card. She always kept herself together, being strong for her family, at her own expense. Especially, after her surgery and breakup with Subbu.
“Did you have anything weird to eat yesterday? Something that you don’t normally eat?” the doctor continued.
“We all went to a restaurant yesterday for lunch. We were celebrating my sister-in-law’s graduation.”
“That makes sense. Looking at your symptoms and their progression, it looks like you have food poisoning. I suggest that you rest for 3-4 days. Drink plenty of fluids and electrolytes. You can take some over-the-counter antiemetics for vomiting and nausea, and acetaminophen or ibuprofen for the pain and fever. If your symptoms don’t get better in the next two or three days then come into the urgent care facility and we can do further testing to isolate the source of your infection. But right now, I don’t want to prescribe any antibiotics or antiparasitics because your symptoms are not too severe.”
“Yes doctor.”
“I’ll go outside and update the rest of your family.”
Mihika escorted the doctor outside, while Madhu began to give her daughter a sound scolding. “Ishu, agar tumhe kal raat ko stomach pain ho raha tha, to tumne kuch bola kyu nahi?”
“Amma. aisa kuch nahi tha. Mujhe laga ki thoda sa upset stomach hai. Kuch aaram ke baad thik ho jaayega. Aur ab bhi mujhe kuch nahi hua hain. Maamuli sa infection hai. I’ll be fine.”
“Aiyyo, tumne aaj tak meri baat nahi suni. Tumhe to ab tumhare husband aur tumhari daughter hi thik karenge.”
“Amma…”
Before Ishita could reply, the rest of her family had arrived inside.
“Kyun madrasan, main bola tha na? Itna thusna accha nahi hai tumhare liye. Ab bhugto…” Raman teased.
“Oye! Tujhe ab bhi use pareshan karna hai khotiye?” Toshi bellowed. “Tujhe dikh nahi raha ki bichaari bimar hai?”
“Dikhta hai maa. Mai to bas mazaak kar raha tha.” He turned his attention to Ishita. “But all jokes apart, Madrasan, ab tumhe pura hafta aaram karna hai. Koi kaam nahi. Get that?”
“Aise kaise aaram karun Raman? Ruhi ka school hai, aapko office jaana hai, mujhe clinic jaana hai, ghar ka kitna kaam hai, aur Mummyji ko bhi meri help chahiye hogi. Main aaram nahi kar sakti.”
“Ishu, Raman sahi keh raha hai,” Vishwa agreed. “Kabhi to khud ka dhyaan rakha karo.”
“Maine bhi use yehi kaha,” Madhu interjected. “Par hamari kabhi suni hai isne?”
“Amma, Appa, please meri chinta mat kijiye. I’m fine.”
“No Ishita, you’re not fine.” Raman’s voice was stern and brokered no argument. He walked forward and sat at the foot of the bed. “You collapsed in my arms this morning. You’re not fine. Tumhe Ruhi ki aur is parivaar ki dekhbhal karni hai, right? Aur tumhare patients ko attend karna hai, right?”
Ishita gave a simple nod.
“To phir uske liye tumhe khud thik hona padega. Aur thik hone ka sabse fast tareeka hai ki tum aaram karo. Samajh mein aaya? Ruhi ki puri zimmedari main khud puri karunga iss hafte. Tumhare clinic mein call karke tumhare medical leave ki baat bhi main kar dunga. Aur ghar ki sabhi zimmedariyon ke liye bhi bahot saare log hain. So don’t worry about any of that. Do you understand that?”
“Yes.”
“To poora hafta sirf aaram karogi tum, thik hai?”
“Thik hai baba. Sirf aaram.”
“Good. Now lie down and go to sleep. I’ll get Ruhi ready for school.”
Vishwa smiled at his wife. They could try all they wanted but today was the first time someone got through to their daughter. Ishita could go to any lengths for her loved ones, but getting her to take her own health seriously was a task for her parents and sisters. A task that Raman, her husband, got accomplished in no time on the first try.
Ishita lied down and pulled the covers over herself. Going to sleep wasn’t a hard job considering how exhausted she was. Meanwhile, Raman signalled everyone to leave the bedroom. Once in the living room, he made sure to reiterate that Ishita be given complete rest. Romi and Rinki were awake then too.
“Jahan tak main use jaanta hoon, woh kuch na kuch kaam chalu kar dengi. Par use koi kaam mat karne dena. Jitna zyada rest karengi utna behtar hai,” he explained.
“Wow jeeju, how sweet!” Mihika teased. “Aap ko Akka ka kitna khayal hai. Dekh kar accha laga.”
“Khayal vayal kuch nahi hai, Mihika. Agar tumhari Akka ki tabiyat phirse kharab ho gayi to hum par hi musibat aayegi. Doctor bulao, hospital le jaao, dawai laao, vagera vagera.” Raman inadvertently began rebuilding the wall around his heart. He hated showing his vulnerability.
“Haa haa, aapko kahan Akka ka khayal hai? Tabhi toh apne itni der tak phone par argument karke aur itna bada donation dekar doctor ko ghar bulaya, Akka ko strict bedrest diya, aur unki saari zimmedariyaan khud le li,” Mihika noted with unmistakable sarcasm. Romi and Rinki sniggered in the background.
“Tum dono ko badi hasi aa rahi hai?” Raman scolded. “Rinki, aaj tere job ka pehla din hai na? Aur Romi, tujhe office nahin jaana? Chup chaap jaake taiyyar ho jao dono. Aur Mihika, tumhe bhi aur koi kaam nahin hai meri taang kichne ke alawa?”
“Haina jeeju, par aapki taang khichne mein zyada mazaa aata hain,” Mihika chuckled. She made a quick escape to her flat before Raman could retort.
“Maa, main Ruhi ko taiyyar kar deta hoon.” Toshi wondered whether she should offer a helping hand, but she dared not impose on father-daughter bonding time. So what if Ruhi had to go to school with uneven braids for a couple days?
While Raman went to Ruhi’s room, Madhu and Vishwa reluctantly left for their home across the hall. Toshi and Omprakash read their worry correctly.
“Oye madrasan, tu chinta na kar. Meri bahu ka hum sab pura khayal rakhenge. Tera jab bhi man ho tab aa jaana dekhne,” Toshi said.
“Thank you Punjaban.”
At that moment, Madhu did something she never thought she would do. She hugged Toshi. It took her a while to realize, but her daughter had been truly blessed. Raman and Toshi were a thousand times better than Subbu and Devyani. Ishita now had a husband and mother-in-law who truly cared for her, rather than those who simply pretended to. There were no false pretences.
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7:30 am
“Uniform pehen liya Ruhi?” Raman asked from outside the bathroom door. Ruhi was getting into the habit of getting dressed herself, but she still needed some guidance.
“Yes papa.” Ruhi stepped outside and as expected, Raman had to help her straighten her shirt and dress. “Come on, tumhare baal banate hain aur phir school bag pack karte hain.”
Raman sat on the edge of Ruhi’s bed and sat Ruhi down in front of him in a position to facilitate hair styling. This was going to be tough. He started combing her hair and made a partition.
“Nahi papa! Ishimaa nose se partition karti hain.”
“Accha? Thik hai. Ruko do minute.”
Raman started over. It took about three more tries to get it right, but after a long ordeal, Ruhi’s hair was done. She wasn’t satisfied with it, but Raman promised he’d practice and get better at it. But to give credit where credit is due, Raman had already come a long way. There was a time when he did not know how to interact with his daughter, but now, he didn’t need to think twice. Truth be told, he was no expert, but he was getting better every day. Soon enough, his bond with his daughter would be stronger than ever.
“Par aapne mujhe aaj ready kyun kiya Papa? Aap acchi choti nahi banate. Mumma hi best choti banati hain.”
“Beta, actually Ishimaa ki tabiyat thik nahi hai. Unke head aur stomach mein pain hai, aur unhe vomiting bhi ho rahi hai. Isiliye woh pura week aaram karengi.”
“Ishimaa thik to ho jaayengi na?” The thought of being separated from her mother frightened the little girl like nothing else. Raman drew his daughter closer and comforted her.
“Haan beta, mumma bilkul thik ho jaayengi. Aap uski chinta mat karo. Lekin yeh pura week unhe bilkul aaram karna hain. To agar aapko koi bhi kaam ho ya koi bhi baat karni ho, to aap papa ke paas aana, ok?”
“Ok papa.”
“Ab chalo, aap ke books pack karte hain aur phir breakfast karte hain. Phir daadu aapko school chod denge.”
Raman helped Ruhi pack her bag and served her breakfast. While she ate in the company of her grandparents, Raman packed Ruhi’s lunch. A double grilled cheese sandwich with apple slices. Ishita would not approve of the double cheese, but Raman went with it anyway. A kindergartener could be spoiled once in a while. Ruhi left for school with her grandfather after a quick goodbye to Ishita. Ruhi made sure to blow many flying kisses to Ishimaa and promised they would make her feel better (which they definitely did). Raman bid his daughter goodbye with a kiss on the forehead before he went to get ready himself.
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Raman’s office - 12:40 pm
Raman placed his laptop bag onto his desk and took a seat on his chair. He had just returned from a string of meetings and conference calls related to the latest contract they had bagged. They were making good headway on their project, but satisfying their clients and investors was never easy.
“Sir, aapke ghar se khaane ka dibba aaya hai.” The office peon entered Raman’s office and placed the lunch box on his desk at his signal. As the peon left, Mihir and Romi entered for lunch.
They all gathered on the sofa around the coffee table in Raman’s office and opened the lunch box. Today it was filled with vegetarian dishes: roti, aloo matar (potato and peas curry), dal, and rice.
“Bhai, maine suna bhabhi ki tabiyat kharab ho gayi hai. Is she okay?” Mihir asked.
“Yeah she will be fine. She got food poisoning from yesterday’s lunch. The doctor has advised complete rest for a week.”
Raman took his first bite of roti and aloo matar, and instant realization hit him. Ishita had made the aloo matar. He could recognize that taste anywhere. That meant she wasn’t resting. “Madrasan…” he sighed.
“Kya hua bhai?” Romi asked.
“Yeh sabzi teri bhabhi ne banayi hain.”
“Toh?”
“Toh iska matlab, woh kaam kar rahi hai, aaram nahi.” He set down his plate and got up from his seat. “Abhi ghar jaake uski khabar leta hoon.”
“Really bhai? Aapko ek bite mein bhabhi ke haath ka swaad pata chal gaya? Aur agar aapko unhe aaram karne ko bolna hai, to aap phone bhi kar sakte hain. Ghar jaane ki kya zarurat hain?” Mihir pried. He had talked to Mihika this morning and she had vividly mentioned Raman’s care for Ishita. There was no denying that Raman felt for Ishita. There was no saying how deep or how clear those feelings were but they were there.
“Aaj subah Mihika, aur ab tu. Tum dono ki ek din itni class lunga main, dekhna. Main ghar isiliye jaa raha hoon, kyunki mujhe us Madrasan pe bharosa nahi hain. Maine bola tha aaram karna, par madam sunti thodi hai kisiki? Jhansi ki rani…”
Raman picked up his bag, keys, and other things and made a beeline for the exit, leaving Mihir and Romi with his share of food as well.
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“Ishita! Ishita!” Raman yelled as she threw his bag on the couch of his living room.
Toshi was so startled that she almost dropped the stack of clothes that she was organizing in her cupboard. What was Raman doing at home in the middle of the day?
“Raman puttar? Tu is waqt ghar par kya kar raha hai?” she asked on her way to the living room. “Aur itna chilla kyun raha hai? Ishita aaram kar rahi hai.”
“Woh koi aaram nahi kar rahi hai. Aaj ke lunch ki sabzi usi ne banayi hain na?”
“Tujhe kaise pata?”
“Dekha? I knew it.”
Raman headed straight for their bedroom to give his wife a sound scolding. She could have her way whenever she wanted, but now was no time to jeopardize her own health. Toshi followed suit calling out to her son, hoping that he wouldn’t scold Ishita more than necessary. His anger had certainly mellowed down, but there was still no saying how he would react.
“Raman, pehle meri baat to sun!” Toshi’s calls fell on deaf ears.
Raman abruptly opened the door to his bedroom and saw Ishita sitting upright on the bed working on her laptop. Just as he had suspected. Not resting.
“Kyun madam? Aapko ek baar bolne par dimaag mein baat nahi ghusti kya? Sabne tumhe aaram karne ko bola tha na?” Raman crossed his arms and glared his disapproval at his wife.
“Raman? Aap yahan? Is waqt?” Ishita was surprised to see him.
“Na chahte huye bhi aana pada. Tum kisi ki sunti kahan ho? Aaram karne ko bolo to tum uska ulta matlab nikalti ho. Pehle kitchen ka kaam karti ho, phir yahan baithe laptop pe kaam karti ho.”
“Kitchen mein kaisa kaam kiya maine? Aisa kuch nahi hai. Aur main baithe baithe bore ho gayi thi isiliye main apne patient notes aur charts update kar rahi thi. That’s it.”
“Oh really? Tumne aaj ki sabzi nahi banayi kya?”
Ishita’s jaw dropped. How could he have possibly found that out?
“Haan… maine banayi thi… par…”
“Par kya? Ab ho gayi na bolti band?”
“Raman! Maine aisa bhi koi kaam nahi kiya. Sabzi already kati hui thi. Neelu aur Mummyji busy the aur main bahar tehel rahi thi. Isiliye maine sabzi bana li. Lekin uske baad aur kuch nahi kiya. Mummyji ne hi mujhe andar bhej diya. Puch lo aap khud.”
“Haa Raman, Ishita ne sirf thodi si sabzi banayi, aur uske baad maine hi use daant ke andar bhej diya,” Toshi concurred.
“You know what? I don’t trust you. Is pure hafte main ghar se kaam karunga. Tumhara kya bharosa, kabhi bhi uth ke aur kaam karne lagogi. Phir agar bimar padogi to mujhe aur musibat.”
Raman took off his coat and made himself comfortable. Toshi rolled her eyes and left the room. There was no reasoning with either her son or daughter-in-law. They were the only people who could show their care and concern through arguments. She would fare better to stay away from their “fights.”
“Pura hafta ghar pe rahenge aap? Mujhpe nazar rakhne ke liye? Aapki koi meetings nahi hai? Aur staff ko oversee nahi karna?” Ishita tried her best to get him off her back.
“Very clever. Meri saari meetings main shaam ko reschedule kar raha hoon. Waise jab main bahar jaaunga tab Ruhi hogi tum par nazar rakhne ke liye. Use tum kaise naa bolti ho woh main bhi dekhta hoon.”
“Very bad Raman. You’re going to use your daughter as a spy? Oh God Murugan.”
“You’ve got that wrong Madrasan. My daughter isn’t going to be a spy technically, because she’s not going to be discreet. Now shut up, lie down, and rest. Ek minute? Tumne khana khaya?”
“Yes. Lagbhag ek ghante pehle lunch kiya maine.”
“Good. Ab chup chaap so jao.”
While Raman set up his laptop on his desk to begin working, Ishita lied down and pulled the covers over her. She had never met a man like her husband. He was so adamant at getting her to rest, but god forbid if he could say it sweetly. She rolled her eyes and gave out a slight chuckle. Luckily Raman had his earphones in so he didn’t hear. But Ishita couldn’t help but smile at Raman’s way of caring. He was truly an enigma.
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Bhalla House - Tuesday, August 13th, 4:30 pm
“How are you feeling now Ishu?” Bala asked. He and Vandu had come along to see Ishita after hearing of her ill health.
“I’m much better now Jeeju. Kuch dinon mein bilkul thik ho jaaungi.”
Vandu took a seat on the edge of Ishita’s bed while Bala drew a chair from the nearby desk.
“Waise Ishu,” Vandu began, “Humne suna hai ki tumhara pati tumhara bada khayal rakh raha hai aaj kal. Usne to office se bhi chutthi li hai, aur tumhari saari zimmedariyaan bhi woh nibha raha hain. Ruhi ko taiyyar karna aur uska lunch pack karna and everything, huh?”
“Aisa kuch nahi hai Akka. Woh to mujhse kuch din nahi hoga to Raman Ruhi ko sambhal rahe hain. Aur khayal kam, woh mujhpe nazar zyada rakh rahe hain. Ab main koi bacchi hoon kya jo unhe mujh par aise nazar rakhna pade?”
“Nahi Ishu, tum kuch bhi bolo, but he really is sweet to do so much. Tumhe zara sa bhi nahi lagta?” Vandu prodded.
Ishita sighed. “Ok fine. It is nice of him to do this. Lekin sirf sweet cheezein karne se kya fayda? Zubaan par bhi toh thodi si sweetness honi chahiye na? Par nahi. Raman ko 24 ghante sirf kud kud karni hoti hain. Kud kud kumar…” Ishita crossed her arms and pouted. Despite their best efforts, Vandu and Bala could not hold back their laughter, upsetting Ishita further.
Bala was particularly happy. Ishita and Mihika were both like sisters to him, but he held special concern for Ishita after what his own brother did to her. He recalled how nonchalant Subbu was after Ishita had recovered from life threatening abdominal bleeding due to her tumors; his main point of concern was whether Ishita could carry a child and whether they could get married. But the man she had married now put her well-being above all else. Even after a bout of ordinary food poisoning, Raman had reorganized his entire schedule to make sure Ishita got the rest she needed. Now that’s what you call an upgrade.
Just then, a knock on the door interrupted them. It was Madhu and Vishwa.
“Amma! Appa! Ayiye na! Come, come!” Ishita gestured. She might dislike being sedentary and unproductive, but she sure was enjoying the attention she was getting.
Vandu and Ishita made room for Amma and Appa to sit on the bed.
“Ishu, ab tumhari tabiyat kaisi hai kanna?” Madhu inquired.
“Your mother has been worried sick, Ishu,” Vishwa commented.
“I’m fine, Amma. Really. Itna stress mat lijiye,” Ishita replied.
“Amma, you really don’t need to worry for Ishu.” Vandu rubbed her mother’s arm as a gesture of comfort. She had a habit of worrying, something which she passed on to both her daughters. “Yahan uska acche se khayal rakha jaa raha hain.”
“But Vandu, you know your sister, don’t you? She doesn’t take care of herself. How can I not worry?”
“Because now she has Raman who will take care of her even if she doesn’t,” Bala interjected. “Amma, you really need to stop worrying, or else even you’ll get sick.”
Intellectually, Madhu knew that Raman was taking good care of Ishu. But who could pacify a mother’s heart? No matter how old the child got, a mother’s heart always beat for her children.
Just then, Raman entered the room, returning from a meeting at his company’s plant site.
“Are wah! Sab yahin pe ikkattha huye hain?”
“Raman, ab tumhi Amma ko samjhao. Woh Ishita ki bahot chinta kar rahi hain,” Bala requested.
Raman kneeled beside his mother-in-law and put a hand on her shoulder.
“Amma, aap Jhansi ki Rani ke liye chinta kar rahe ho? Kuch dinon mein yeh bilkul pehle jaisi ho jaayegi aur phirse mera jeena haram karne lagegi, dekhna.”
“Maine aapka jeena haram kiya hai?!” Ishita exclaimed.
“Aur nahi to kya? Mujh bichare mard ke gale tum jaisi aurat jo pad gayi hain.”
Ishita grabbed the pillow beside him and smacked him on his side.
“Dekha, ise kya hoga? Tabiyat to uski kharab hogi jo uske saath rahega. Agar aapko chinta karni hi hai, to meri chinta kijiye.”
Raman handed the pillow to Madhu as proof of his misery. His last comment caused an eruption of laughter from everyone except Ishita.
“Aap sab log has rahe hain? Aap meri side hai ya unki?” Ishita pouted.
“Sorry Ishu… par tumhara… husband itna… funny hai… to hum kya kare?” Vandu managed to say between bouts of laughter.
Even so, a smile crept up on Ishita’s face seeing her parents laugh. Her health was a sensitive topic, especially after her surgery last year, so it was natural that her mother be so worried. But Raman had managed to ease the tension so effortlessly. She couldn’t tell whether he was deliberately trying to make everyone laugh or if he was just being himself. Or both. Regardless, she was pleasantly surprised, and impressed, to see this side of her husband.
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The rest of the week passed in much the same way. Ishita was hardly allowed to do anything, which meant she had nothing to do but rest. As much as she had resisted it initially, the week of rest that she got was very beneficial. The last year had been so eventful. Her body had endured very high levels of stress, from her surgery to her breakup to Ruhi’s adoption trial and finally a marriage of compromise. As expected, her immune system had taken a hit, making her susceptible to infections like food poisoning. The week of strict rest allowed her body to recover in a way that she hadn’t been able to in the past year.
In the meantime, Raman took on Ishita’s responsibilities along with his own related to Ruhi. He got her ready, packed her lunch, helped her with her homework, and everything else. And as much as Ruhi wanted her mother, she understood that Ishimaa needed complete rest for a few days. Truth be told, she had started growing fond of her father’s ways, especially the way he packed her lunch. For he usually added some chocolate or sweets or other junk food that Ishimaa wouldn’t allow. It was his way of showing love. Ishita found out soon enough and reprimanded Raman about it. So he changed it up a bit. Instead of adding junk food, Raman made a habit to write a motivational note to Ruhi in her lunch box. The notes ranged from encouragement to compassion to empathy. If he couldn’t think of anything, he simply wrote, “Mumma and Papa love you Ruhi” with a giant heart. He made sure to continue this for as long as possible.
He also made sure to take care of his wife simultaneously. He turned off Ishita’s alarm every single day and hid her phone in case she had set an alarm there too. She was as stubborn as he was, which made it easy to anticipate it all. He had made sure that nobody in the house let her work for a week. He had practically frightened Neelu, saying he would fire her if he ever caught Ishita in the kitchen with her. She was to send her back to her room no matter what. Poor Neelu had a spike in blood pressure every time Ishita came for as much as a drink of water or a bite of food. And when Raman wasn’t around, Ruhi was sure to fulfill his absence. She made sure Ishita stayed in bed, often engaging her in board games when necessary and occasionally using extraordinary measures such as emotional blackmail.
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