Connected: A YHM Story (COMPLETED) - Page 21

Beautiful update

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

Please update soon

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

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

Hello everyone,

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

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

God's blessings will be always with you

Part 27

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

“Pink or purple ones, Ruhi?”

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Phir ice cream?” Ruhi asked.

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

“Ok papa.”

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

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

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

“Ha papa?”

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

“Kya papa?”

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

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

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

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

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

“Ok mumma.”

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

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

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

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

Raman and Ruhi snapped back to the present.

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

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

Bhalla House - Later that day

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Knock, knock…

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Aur Ishita bhabhi?”

“Kya Ishita bhabhi?”

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

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

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

“Okay, I’ll think about it.”

“Thik hai, bhai.”

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

“Aur sun!” Raman called after Pathak.

“Yes bhai?”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Nahi bhai…”

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

“Thik hai bhai,” Pathak chuckled.

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

12:15 pm

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

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

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

Romi almost choked on his food from shock.

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

Mihir opened the letter and began to read aloud:

“To Whom It May Concern,

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

We hope to see you there.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Hello my lovelies!!! ❤️❤️😊

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

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

Good luck for your job and best wishes for rocking performance in studies .since yours plot of story is too good that makes us wait impatiently for updates please do continue

A very interesting update please update next part soon

Part 28

Bhalla House - One week later, Sunday evening, 20th October

“Good job Ruhi, very well done,” Raman admitted. He was seated on the couch reviewing Ruhi’s math homework.

“Saare sahi hai Papa?” Ruhi asked. She had been twirling impatiently in front of him waiting for her father’s assessment. The sooner she finished her homework, the sooner she could play video games on Rinki bua’s tablet.

Raman’s eyes moved down the page of the notebook momentarily stopping as his brain whirred doing elementary mental math. Suddenly he scrunched up his face.

“Kya hua papa?”

“Kuch nahi beta. Yeh suit naya hai na, isiliye itch kar raha hai.”

“Par aapne naya suit kyun pehna hai papa?”

“Maine bataya to tha, aaj meri ek business party hain -- Diwali party. Ishimaa bhi aa rahi hai mere saath. Aur Romi chachu, Mihir chachu, aur Mihika chitti bhi. Ek minute… Aur yeh dekho. Aap ne phir se silly mistake kiya.”

He turned the notebook around and showed Ruhi where she had added 3+4 as 6 instead of 7.

“Oops… sorry papa. Main abhi fix kar deti hoon,” Ruhi said, hastily grabbing the notebook and erasing her previous answer. As she wrote in her new, correct answer, she asked, “Ab ho gaya papa? Main jau khelne?”

“Thik hai, jao. Lekin apni pencil box aur saari books thik se rakh do pehle.”

“Ok papa.”

Ruhi gathered all her school items from the living room table and hopped into her room. Raman leaned back on the couch adjusting his silver-grey suit, as he turned his wrist to see the time. It was 4:50. Ashok’s party started at 5. If they left soon, they could arrive around 5:15-5:20, perfectly fashionably late. Just then, Romi came out in his best navy blue suit.

“Yeh lo bhai. Main to ho gaya taiyyar.” He raised his hands as a demonstration. “Mihir kab aayega?”

“Woh to kab ka aa gaya tha. Abhi baaju ke ghar mein hain, apne hone wale saas-sasur ki khatirdari enjoy kar raha hain.”

“Accha,” Romi said, as he put on his shoes.

“Kamaal hain na Romi. Main unka asli ka daamaad hoon. Majaal hain ki meri kabhi itni khaatir ki ho.”

“Kya bhai, aap bhi. Bichaare itne bhale log hain. Aap ki kitni izzat karte hain. Aise mat boliye.”

“Abey, tune kab party badal li, haan? Mummy ne sun liya na ki tu madrasiyon ki side le raha tha to tujhe kaccha chaba jaayegi.”

It was true. Romi glanced around the living room to make sure his mother was out of earshot. After all, Toshi had that kind of power.

“Madrasiyon se yaad aaya, yeh madrasan itna time kyun laga rahi hai?” Raman muttered.

He stepped out of the living room to check on Ishita, but before he could even cross the threshold to his bedroom, he ran head-on into his wife, who was incidentally exiting the room at the same time.

“Ouch!”

“Aiyo murugan!”

“Murugan ko kya kos rahi ho? Jab problem tumhare bheje mein hain? Itna lamba chauda aadmi nahi dikhta kya tumhe?!” Raman yelled.

“Mere bheje mein- matlab mere dimaag mein koi problem nahi hain! Aap hi ki aankhein kharab ho gayi hai. Aur khud ko lambe chaude to aise bol rahe ho jaise aap khud Salman Khan ho.”

“You know what, tumhe Murugan ko hi kosna chahiye. Kyunki unhone tumhe bheja to bheja, lekin tumhare bheje mein bheja hi nahi bheja!”

“Kuch bhi Raman! Aap ko hi chain nahi padta. Jab dekho tab idhar se udhar, udhar se idhar, bhaagte hi rehte ho. Aap na Ruhi se kuch kam nahi ho, pata hai aapko-”

“Arey bas kar meri madra-- meri maa!” Thankfully Raman caught himself in time before he said something irretrievable. Knowing Ishita, she probably would have caught on to it had Ruhi not created the perfect diversion.

“Ishimaa, Papa, aap dono ne apne heads bang kiye!”

“To kya hua Ruhi?” Ishita asked, as she straightened the pallus in her blue and golden designer saree that the crash had messed up.

“To apne heads phir se bang kijiye, warna aap ke horns nikal aayenge!”

“Tumhari Ishimaa ke sar be horns?” Raman fought a smile as he rubbed his chin imagining what his wife would look like with horns.

“Kijiye na bang!” Ruhi implored. It was a very serious matter.

“Accha baba thik hai,” Ishita submitted. She leaned in and banged her forehead on Raman’s temple. “Ho gaya?”

“Haan, ab better hai,” Ruhi said, satisfied.

“Accha Ru, ab mumma papa bahar jaa rahe hain. Aap time par khaana kha lena aur jaldi se so jaana, thik hai? Dadi aap ko khaana de dengi.”

“Par Ishimaa! Kal se mere diwali vacation shuru ho rahe hain! Mujhe Rinki bua ke saath movie dekhni hai! Jaldi nahi sona!”

“Lekin Ruhi…”

“Madrasan, dekhne de na use.” Raman jumped to his daughter’s aid. “Usne apna maths ka homework tak khatam kar diya hai. Let her have some fun.”

“Please Mumma?!” Ruhi made her signature puppy eyes. Ishita sighed. And yielded. It was hard denying a request from someone so adorable. “Thik hai, lekin sirf ek movie, ok Ruhi?”

“Yay! Aaj hum movie dekhenge!” Ruhi ran inside to Rinki’s bedroom to make their plans for the evening: video games and movies.

“Chalo madam, humein der ho rahi hain,” Raman snapped.

“Haan haan, let’s go. Mihika taiyyar ho gayi kya?” Ishita asked as she made her way to the front door.

“Pata nahi, tumhi dekho jaa ke.” Raman followed closely behind.

“Tum log nikal rahe ho?” Toshi called from behind them.

“Haan mummyji, bas nikal hi rahe hain,” Ishita replied. “Accha mummyji, Ruhi ko na video games aur movies dekhni hai abhi. Kal se uske vacation hai isliye. Aap dhyan rakhiyega ki woh zyada der na lagaaye sone mein, thik hai?”

“Tu chinta na kar, puttar. Maine aur tere papa ne sab kuch sambhal lena hai. Tu tension na le. Tum log jao aur enjoy karo.”

“Abhi chalo sab log! Aur kitni baat chit!” Raman yelled. He was already out the door and going downstairs. “Romi! Mihir! Mihika! Chalo!”

“Chilla kyun rahe ho?!” Ishita yelled. She and Romi rushed out the door after waving a quick goodbye to Toshi. While Romi skipped downstairs, Ishita went across the hall to see Mihika gathering her purse. She was clad in an elegant blue and green silk saree and silver stud earrings.

“Miku, chal jaldi!” she whispered. “Tumhare jeeju warna chilla chilla kar saara mohalla sar par utha lenge.

“Coming Akka! Chalo Mihir! Chodo woh payisam!” Mihika snapped her purse shut and dragged her boyfriend away from the kitchen to the door. “Periamma bigaad rahi hain tumhe. Seriously.”

“Aa raha hoon Mihika. Calm down!”

Mihir and Mihika hastily put on their shoes and followed Ishita down the stairs. It was already past 5 pm. Raman must be extremely agitated, they thought.

To their good fortune, Raman was seated in the passenger seat of the seven-seater van they had rented for the drive tonight and was lost in thoughts. Mainly of his big goof-up earlier. Meri madrasan. That is what he had almost blurted out today. What was he thinking? Why would he say that? That woman was seriously screwing with his head. That was the only explanation. He closed his eyes and sighed in exasperation. He was bound to go stir-crazy one day because of that woman.

“Kahan reh gaye--” Before he could launch another tirade, the back doors of the van opened. Mihika and Ishita took their seats in the middle, and Mihir went to the back taking the seat beside Romi.

“Aa gaye hum bhai, we’re here!” Mihir gasped. He was out of breath having jogged down a flight of stairs. The fact that he had two helpings of payisam did not help.

“Chal Suresh,” Raman said. And the driver turned the engine into ignition.

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

Khanna Mansion - 5: 25 pm

The Khanna mansion was decorated like a palace tonight. White, silver lights glowed along the stone building, and streams of yellow roses, red carnations, and orange gerberas adorned the house giving off classic Diwali flair. Women in elegant sarees and men in fashionable suits and kurtas gathered in the verandah as they made their way inside admiring the decorations.

The Bhalla-Iyer party stood outside.

“Chalein?” Raman asked no one in particular. He had his people by his side but going to Ashok Khanna’s party was never a piece of cake.

“Chaliye,” Ishita replied.

Raman escorted Ishita and Mihir escorted Mihika inside while Romi followed closely behind. The vibe could have been uncomfortable, but Romi was secretly looking forward to rubbing Ashok’s monetary losses in his nose. This was going to be fun.

They followed the crowd inside. Apparently, the fun was going to begin sooner than they thought.

“Hello Raman, glad you could make it…”

Everyone’s attention was turned to the right from where Ashok’s cold, sneering voice echoed. He emerged with a champagne glass in hand dressed in a black and navy blue three-piece suit. His hair was gelled back, while amusement and gloat hinted in his eyes.

“Happy Diwali to you all. I trust you’re impressed by my preparations?” he suggested.

“They’re very nice, Ashok. The decorator really deserves praise. Do give me his contact information if you get a chance. I’d like to have his services when we have a function at home,” Raman replied, tactfully giving credit to the workers instead of the man gloating in front of him.

But Ashok would not back down. “Come on Raman, who are you kidding? Aisi grand party throw karna tumhare bas ki baat nahi hai. Tumne kabhi dekhi bhi nahi hogi aisi party, right? Tumhari middle class mindset mein aisi lavish party kaise fit hogi?”

Ishita stiffened. The man, as usual, was loathsome and revolting. She hoped Raman would be able to keep his cool. She took a deep breath and sent a silent prayer to Murugan.

“Actually, tu sahi keh raha hain 6 foot 2 inch. Aisi party throw karna mere bas ki baat nahi,” Raman said, completely level-headed. Mihika, Mihir, Romi, and Ishita turned their heads to him in surprise. Even Ashok was caught off-guard.

“Ab kya hai na, hum sab itne busy jo hai. Itne saare contracts, itne saare projects, aur ghar pe bhara-pura parivaar. Is sab se fursat mile to insaan bahar walo ke baare mein sochega na? Time hi nahi milta faaltu ki parties throw karke paisa barbaad karne ka. Par yeh sab tumhe batane ki zaroorat thodi hai? Tumhe to pata hi hai humaare contracts kahan se aa rahe hain? Ab tumhare paas office mein kaam nahi hai to aisi parties throw karne ka time milna natural hai. Hmm?” Raman smiled.

Ishita bit the inside of her cheeks to keep herself from smiling. Mihir and Mihika shared meaningful looks and turned away to hide their giggles. Romi, on the other hand, let go of the pretense and burst out laughing. He was waiting to rub in their new success to Ashok but his big brother beat him to it!

“Baby…” A sickeningly sweet voice called Ashok and diverted his attention before he could retort.

Shagun waltzed up in an elegant, blood red saree, black sleeveless blouse and a diamond choker with matching diamond earrings. She held her nose high and looped an arm through Ashok’s arm.

“The reporters are all waiting for you, baby. Let’s go. We’ll be in the front and center of tomorrow’s newspaper.”

“Yes baby, let’s go…” Ashok found his edge again. He pulled Shagun closer, but the expression on Raman’s face did not change. It didn’t work anymore. Shagun pulled Ashok away.

“Bhai, that was amazing!” Romi exclaimed, finding it hard to stop laughing. “I can’t believe you said that.”

“Enough laughing,” Raman chided in a stern voice. “Go around and find people you can network with. Go do something useful.” But even so, he couldn’t wipe a hint of a smile off his face.

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

7 pm

“Are you sure this is not alcoholic, Miku?” Ishita asked again.

“Akka, I saw the bartender pour mango juice in our drinks with my own eyes. Nothing else. I didn’t take my eyes off for even a second. I promise you, there is no alcohol in it,” Mihika replied. “Although seeing how boring this party is, I regret not adding some vodka in mine.”

Both of them had been accompanying their partners in meeting various business partners and acquaintances for over an hour. Bored out of her mind, Mihika had escaped a conversation between Mihir and his old colleague and had dragged Ishita to the bar.

“Right, and how would you keep Amma off your tail? If she found out that you had even a sip of alcohol, she’d rip you to shreds. And me too,” Ishita said in response to Mihika’s wish for vodka.

“I know Akka. That’s why I only drink when I’m with friends. But I don’t get what Amma’s problem is. Even Bala jeeju drinks na? You guys don’t say anything to him?!”

“Miku, Amma would be just as angry if she found out that Bala jeeju drank too. And neither Vandu Akka nor I have ever stopped you, have we?”

“No, you haven’t,” Mihika admitted.

They took a few sips of their drinks. But their efforts to escape conversation with others were thwarted. Three women decked up in designer sarees and various types of jewelry were approaching them.

“Hi, are you Raman’s new wife?” one of them asked.

Mihika and Ishita looked at each other; they were visibly uncomfortable. New wife? Who addresses someone like that?

“I’m Ishita, Ishita Raman Bhalla, Raman’s wife and Ruhi’s mother,” she replied, recollecting her cool. Naturally, a smile rose to her lips. Introducing herself as Ruhi’s mother never got old. And being Raman’s wife was not so bad either. “And this is Mihika, my sister.”

“Mihir Arora’s girlfriend,” Mihika quickly added. Ishita raised an eyebrow at her.

“What? They should know I’m here as Mihir’s plus one. I didn’t just tag along with my sister and her husband,” she whispered.

“It’s so nice to meet you guys. I’m Preeti, Amar Jadeja’s wife. You might have met him just a while back. He was Raman’s colleague a few years ago,” the other lady replied. She went on to introduce the other ladies with her, Raina and Lalita, and stirred the conversation towards further boring small talk. But as unpleasant as it may have been, the conversation was about to get a whole lot worse.

“Hey girls!” Shagun cheered as she approached Preeti. “Long time no see!”

“Hi Shagun,” Preeti replied. “We were just talking to Ishita and Mihika here.”

Shagun hadn’t noticed either of them yet, so naturally, her expression turned sour when she finally did. “Oh wow, tum log bhi ho yahan?”

“Hi Shagun, how are you doing?” Ishita asked, while Mihika waved her hand at her. Both sisters knew very well how to take the high road.

“I’m perfectly fine,” Shagun replied, flicking her hair and then straightening herself.

“Isn’t it weird how fast time flies, Shagun?” Preeti asked, trying to cut the tension. “Your ex-husband is remarried… Your brother is in a relationship… Unbelievable, right?” Not really the best way to cut the tension, now that you think of it.

“Excuse us please,” Mihika said. “We’ll talk to you guys later.” She took Ishita’s almost empty drink from her hand and placed it on the bar top before dragging her away.

“Kaisi auraten thi yeh sab?! Waise to itni high society ki hain par logon se baat karne ki tameez tak nahi hain,” Mihika complained.

“Jaane de na Miku. Let’s not talk about them. Main jaldi se ghar par phone kar deti hoon. Ruhi ne thik se khaana khaaya hoga ki nahi…”

“Kar lo aap phone. Aap ko rokne ka koi faayda to hai nahi. Agar aap ghar pe baat nahi karogi to bina baat ke tension lene lagogi. I’m gonna go find Mihir. Hopefully dinner buffet khul gaya hoga.”

Mihika spotted Mihir in the opposite corner not too far from an appetizers counter.

“Akka! There’s some food there, look!”

“Tu jaa Miku, shuru kar. Main aati hoon,” Ishita chuckled, nudging her sister forward. Mihika waved her goodbye and left.

Ishita opened her purse and fished around for her phone. “Abhi to mere haath mein tha, kidhar rakh diya maine?” She looked here and there looking for her phone, in case she misplaced it. And then she spotted it. And she groaned. She had left her phone by a vase in the corner close to where Preeti, Raina, and Lalita were chatting. Would this mean another awkward conversation? ‘It’s okay Ishu, just slip-in, grab your phone, and get out. You don’t have to talk to them. They won’t even notice you,’ she thought. She walked back, discreetly turned into the corner, reached for her phone, and grabbed it. Phew! Now time for a quick escape.

But as she was making her way back, she happened to pick up on bits of the ladies’ conversation.

“...won’t even walk hand in hand. What a downgrade,” Raina said.

“I know right?! Raman and Shagun were such a passionate couple. They couldn’t keep their hands off each other. I mean, they were the talk of the town. But him with Ishita? There is literally no spark,” Preeti replied. “I mean, what were they thinking? You know…”

Finally out of earshot from the women, Ishita stopped to take a breath. She couldn’t even process what she had just heard. She checked her phone. There was a message from Rinki:

Bhabhi, Ruhi’s finished her dinner. She was being a bit picky about sabzi (again), but Madhu aunty came over and fed her everything. Mom and aunty even had a big fight about it lol. 😂

We’re watching a movie now, ttyl! 🎬🍿😉

Well then, no point in calling home now. Without any way to distract herself, the ladies’ conversation played in her head. Downgrade… literally no spark… ‘They weren’t wrong, were they?’ Ishita thought. The whole point of this marriage was being Ruhi’s parents. Sirf Ruhi ke liye. She had already admitted to herself that there could never be anything between her and Raman. They were no match; they were not at all compatible. So why did it hurt when others said it? Why did that matter to her?

Of course, it would affect her. No one would like a stranger giving unsolicited comments on any of their relationships, she told herself. And that too by being compared to Shagun? No way. Right, that’s what this was. Nothing else.

Ishita shook her head and put her phone away in her purse. She walked along the hall to join Mihir and Mihika -- and now Romi too -- for dinner, trying to ignore what she had heard. But try as she might, somewhere deep within, the green-eyed monster stirred.

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

8 pm

“Madrasan, tum sun bhi rahi hai ya nahi?” Raman shook Ishita’s forearm.

“Huh? Kya hua?”

“Kahan dhyaan hai tumhara?” he asked. “Maine pucha, tumhe kuch chahiye counter se? Romi abhi gaya chicken lene. Tumhare liye bhi kuch la deta.”

“Nahi, mera ho gaya.” Ishita disposed of her half-filled paper plate.

“Itni jaldi? Sirf soup aur salad? Tumne main course mein se to kuch liya bhi nahi…” Raman, on the other hand, had gobbled down a Caesar salad, a bowl of tomato soup, the main entree of chicken, and some tiramisu. “Weight loss plan chalu kiya kya?”

“Jee nahi, mera bas mann nahi hai. Aur waise bhi, zyada vegetarian options nahi hai yahan.”

“I mean, I’m not saying that diet is a bad idea…”

Ishita elbowed her husband on her left and glared at him. Raman held his hands up in surrender. “Sorry baba, mazaak kar raha tha.”

“Mihir-Mihika kahan hai?” she asked.

“Wow, you really weren’t paying attention, were you? Mihir and Mihika left to meet his old friends. Even Romi found an old acquaintance, look.” He pointed to where Romi sat on a far table with two other friends eating chicken and rice. “Seriously Ishita, where has your mind been? Kuch hua tha kya?”

Try as she might, she could not drown out the pieces of the ladies conversation from her mind. But how could she bring that up to Raman? Either he’d get mad about people gossipping or he’d dismiss it because after all, how real was their marriage?

“Nahi kuch nahi. Bas Ruhi ko miss kar rahi thi.”

“Don’t worry, usne acche se khaana khaaya hai. Abhi toh woh Rinki ke saath mazey kar rahi hogi.”

Ishita furrowed her eyebrows.“Aap ko kaise pata?”

“Tumhe kya lagta hai? Sirf tumhare jasoos hai ghar pe? Agar Rinki ne tumhe message kiya, to mujhe Maa ne bataya. Unko phone kiya tha maine kuch der pehle.”

“Oh… I see…”

“Main ek drink leke aata hoon.” Before Raman could turn, however, Ishita held his arm and stopped him.

“Aap zyada to nahi pee rahe hain na?” she asked, concerned.

“Madrasan, I’m going to get a can of Coke. And as far as alcohol is concerned, I’ve only had three drinks. I’m in control. Don’t worry,” he reassured her.

Raman walked over to the nearby table and grabbed a Coke. As he opened the can and took a sip, he pondered over Ishita’s distanced behavior. Something had happened between the start of the party and dinner. Someone must have said something. But what? He looked around. Men and women talked and ate in groups of different sizes. Ashok, Shagun, and Suraj went from group to group asking about the food and party arrangements (although Suraj couldn’t hide his scowl many times). And then he saw Ishita standing alone, while he was getting his drink. Of course, she must be feeling so out of place. Romi, Mihir, and he were used to this community of businesspeople. Mihika worked in a marketing agency. But Ishita’s background was medicine. How could she feel included in such a place? No wonder she was so out of sorts. He walked back to his wife, grabbing another can of Coke on his way back. If she didn’t feel in place at the party, at least he could keep her company.

“Yeh lo,” he said, handing the extra Coke to Ishita.

“Yeh kya?”

“Nariyal pani.”

“Raman!”

“Coke hai yaar, dikhta nahi? Piyo ise. Tumhe accha lagega.”

“Mujhe carbonated drinks nahi pasand.” She placed the extra can on a nearby table.

“Tum alcohol nahi peeti, non-veg nahi khaati, aur ab carbonated drinks bhi nahi? Tum zindagi enjoy kaise karti ho yaar?”

“Zindagi enjoy karne ke aur bhi tarike hai.”

“Jaise ki…”

“Jaise ki family, books, music, dance, aur bahot kuch.” She crossed her arms across her chest.

“To ek kaam karo, us list mein ab soda bhi add kar do.” He picked up the can she had placed down and handed it to her again.

“I said no, Raman. Nahi chahiye to nahi chahiye.”

“Fine then, do what you want.” He placed the can back down.

A few more minutes passed in silence as Raman sipped on his Coke and tried to think of another topic of conversation. But thankfully, he didn’t have to.

“Ladies and Gentlemen! I trust you are having a wonderful evening!” The announcer was received with applause from the audience, or from those in the audience who weren’t still eating. “Ab is party pe chaar chaand lagane ke liye kyun na dance shuru kiya jaaye?” More applause and cheers. “We’ll start with couple dance. If the hosts could do the honors?”

Ashok and Shagun took to the dance floor swaying to the first song. They were followed by various other couples. In a few minutes, Mihir-Mihika had joined too.

Raman threw away his empty soda can, then straightened his suit and took a deep breath. He had an idea about improving Ishita’s mood. He held out his palm and cleared his throat.

“Chalein madam?”

“Kahan?”

“Chaand pe. Arey dance karne aur kahan?”

Ishita’s jaw dropped. “Aap mujhe dance ke liye puch rahe hai? Mujhe?”

“Obviously, ab apni biwi ko hi puch sakta hoon. Padosi ki biwi ko thodi puchunga dance ke liye?”

Ishita continued staring.

“Listen Madrasan, just say yes or no. I look stupid with an outstretched hand that you refuse to accept.”

“Ok fine. Par mera purse?”

“Ummm… idhar do. Main Romi ko pakda deta hoon.” Raman grabbed Ishita’s purse and quickly walked over to Romi who stowed it underneath his chair. As soon as Raman came back, he outstretched his hand again.

Ishita took Raman’s hand and her pulse quickened. They walked over to the dance floor and faced each other. Ishita placed a hand on Raman’s shoulder while Raman’s hand found its place on Ishita’s waist by its own accord. They interlocked their free hands.

Raaton ke jaage subah mile hain

Reshm ke dhaage ye silsile hain

Laazmi si lagne lagin hai

Do dilon ki ab Nazdeekiyan

Raman led Ishita through the dance, with both of them finding their groove much more easily then when they had first danced at their wedding.

“You’ve really improved,” Raman remarked.

“Excuse me?”

“Yaad hai hamari shaadi mein? You were stepping on my toes all the time.”

“I was stepping on your toes? You were the one who lacked simple grace and coordination. Of course I would end up stepping on your toes if you don’t move them with the beat. Don’t blame it on me.”

“Oh come on, you’re the dancer. You can’t expect me to be able to match your level, can you?”

“Well, that is a fair point,” she admitted, finally laughing.

It had been at most a few hours since she had last laughed, yet seeing her wide smile sent a rush through his veins. His heart did a somersault in his chest. And so many other things that he couldn’t explain.

Dikhti nahin par ho rahi hain

Mehsus nazdeekiyaan

Do dil hi jaane lagti hain kitni

Mehfooz nazdeekiyan

As they swayed to the music, the lyrics resonated within them. No one knew it and no one saw it, but they were growing closer, emotionally and physically. Ishita unconsciously leaned forward and shortened the distance between them; Raman’s hand went from her side to her lower back involuntarily pulling her closer. It didn’t matter that no one understood their relationship. It didn’t matter if they didn’t compare to any hot, passionate couple. Because what they had, what they were building, was special. Something even they were yet to realize.

Zariya hain yeh ankhein zariya

Chhalakta hai jinse ek armaanon ka dariya

Aadaten hain inki purani

Ankahi si keh de kahani

Parchhaiyan do judne lagi hain

Dekho hawaa me udne lagi hain

Pankh jaisi lagne lagi hain

Do dilon ki ab nazdeekiyan

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lIWbb-oww4

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

Ishita headed to the restroom with her purse in an attempt to powder her face. The truth was, she had to get away from Raman for a good five minutes and recollect herself before she could interact with anyone at all. What had gotten into her husband? He was usually so obnoxious and annoying! Why did he have to act so sweet and gentle all of a sudden?! She knew how to fight and argue with him; she knew how to retort to his taunts. But she had no idea how to navigate a relationship where he was being so considerate. Handling herself was hard enough ever since he saw how caring he could be: when he obsessed over her health that time she got sick; when they were on that picnic; when she finally had a good cry about her pain and heartbreak. But those were all special circumstances. In the first one, she was sick and of course, anyone with humanity would be that concerned. Sure, he did go overboard a bit, but that was just him being an overachiever. The second time was different too, because Ruhi was around. Yes, that’s why he was being nice. But what about the third time? Well, that was when she was already crying before he came into the room. He wouldn’t have dared to make fun then, right? No one would. Although not everyone would sit there rubbing a crying woman’s back, letting their finest suit get drenched in tears either.

Ishita leaned back against the bathroom wall and closed her eyes. But what about today? There was no special circumstance today. She wasn’t sick or upset, and even Ruhi was not around. What did it mean?

Sirf Ruhi ke liye. Their agreement in the coffee shop rang in her mind. Sirf Ruhi ke liye. That’s all their marriage was. That’s all they had decided to invest in: their daughter. Just because her insides exploded into a million pieces each time she came close to her husband was no reason to jeopardize their family dynamic. ‘Get over it, Ishita. It’s nothing,’ she told herself.

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

Raman gulped the last of his whiskey and squeezed his eyes shut as he rubbed his temple. Yes, he wasn’t supposed to drink too much but he needed to calm his nerves. He was still in control of his senses, and he wasn’t the designated driver. But what was going on in his heart and mind was completely out of his control. It was unlike anything he had experienced before; the sheer intensity of his feelings overwhelmed him. Why did it matter to him what her mood was like? Why did her tears and her silence and her frowns and her missing smiles send him into such a whirlpool of emotions? ‘She’s Ruhi’s mother. It only makes sense that you want her to be happy so that Ruhi has a happy home and family,’ he told himself. Yes, that was it. Ruhi meant the world to him, and by the same token, Ishita’s happiness mattered just as much. After all, their marriage was just for Ruhi. It was nothing else. It couldn’t be anything else. He wouldn’t risk it.

But that wouldn’t be easy. She loved Ruhi with everything she had; she cared for his family like they were her own; she even took the time for her maternal home and family. It would be a monumental task to avoid catching feelings for a woman with such devotion. It would be even more difficult to give her the same kind of devotion, the kind of devotion that she deserves, which he simply did not have in himself anymore. Raman sighed and handed his empty drink to a waiter, and saw Shagun out of the corner of his eye talking to Preeti. Which reminded him, he had to talk to her about Adi. Now this was something he could control (hopefully).

“Shagun, I need to talk to you,” he said. “Please excuse us, Preeti.” Preeti waved Shagun goodbye and left for another glass of wine.

“What do you want, Raman? Mere paas zyada time nahi hai,” Shagun said.

“Main tumhara zyada time nahi lunga. Mujhe bas… mujhe Adi se milna hai.”

Shagun’s eyes widened in shock. “Tum acche se jaante ho, woh tumse baat nahi karna chahta. Woh tumhe apna pita nahi maanta.”

“Woh paanch saal pehle ki baat thi. Or who abhi bhi baccha hai. Usne gusse mein keh bhi diya toh iska matlab yeh nahi ki uska aur mera rishta khatam ho gaya. Kya tum sach mein chaahti ho ki tumhara beta apni puri zindagi ke liye apne pita aur dada-dadi, chachu, bua se door rahe? Tumhare andar itni kadwaahat to nahi ho sakti ki tum Adi ki zindagi barbaad kar do, right?”

“O please Raman, tum mujhse kadwaahat ki baat naa hi karo to behtar hai. Agar aisi baat hai to tumhe itne saal kyun lag gaye yeh sab kehne mein? Kya tumhaare dil mein kadwaahat nahi thi?”

“Mere dil mein darr tha, par ab mujhe apne bete se door nahi rehna hai.”

“Mujhe sochne ka waqt do.”

“Taaki tum Ashok se baat karo aur woh tumhe kisi aur plan mein uljha le, right?”

“Raman! How dare you…”

“Dekho Shagun, yaa to tum mere saath cooperate karo aur mujhe Adi se ek baar milne do, yaa to phir I can take the legal route. And you’ve already seen how much the custody courts favor you.”

“Tum mujhse mera Adi cheen loge? How could you…”

“Enough Shagun!” Raman was losing his patience. Could this woman not ever have one reasonable conversation? “Main jaanta hoon ki tum Adi ki maa ho, uski sole support rahi ho. I would never separate him from you so abruptly, for his own good. All I want is to meet him. That’s it.”

“Fine. Main uska hostel ka schedule dekhkar meeting fix karwa sakti hoon.”

“Thank you. That’s all I’m asking for.”

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

9:20 pm

Raman -- still irked from Shagun’s illogical behavior -- looked around for the rest of his family. The dance floor was still full with people who now danced to upbeat rock and jarring heavy metal songs. Why Ashok and Shagun were so obsessed with Western music was beyond him. Bollywood had much better songs to dance to.

As he looked around, he spotted Ishita, and did a double take; she was looking right at him. Suddenly, she started fishing around in her purse. Yeah, the woman was crazy (and she was driving him crazy too).

Raman walked over to her.

“Kya hua?” he asked, as loud as he could over the music.

“Kuch nahi, woh bas washroom gayi thi.” She was almost yelling to be heard. The noise was obnoxiously loud (yes, noise. No one in their right mind would call that music).

Raman beckoned Ishita and led her outside the mansion.

“Ab bolo,” he said in his normal tone.

“Kuch nahi kehna tha. I was just saying ki main washroom gayi thi.”

“Accha. Waise suno, ab ghar chalein kya? Yeh party ab enjoyable nahi rahi. Main baaki sab ko message karta hoon.”

“Haan, thik hai.”

As Raman texted Mihir, Mihika, and Romi to come outside so they could leave, Ishita observed her husband. He seemed level headed now, but she could tell he was annoyed with Shagun for some reason. She had just left the washroom when she saw him arguing with Shagun a few minutes back. Nothing to calm down the butterflies in your stomach like seeing your husband talking to his ex-wife. Would she dare ask what that was all about?

“Raman, aap abhi woh-”

“BHAI!” “JEEJU!” Romi, Mihir, and Mihika were half-running, half-walking towards them. “Aa gaye hum.” Mihika said.

“Kaisi lagi party Mihika?” Raman asked.

“Kya jeeju? Ek to yeh playlist itna loud hai, aur khaane mein bhi kuch accha nahi tha. Vegetarian options to kitne kam the. Maine sirf soup aur salad hi khaya,” she replied, making no effort to hide the disappointment in her voice.

“Tumhari behen ne bhi utna hi liya,” Raman mentioned.

“Non-veg bhi kuch khaas accha nahi tha. Saara western tarah ka khaana tha. Kuch masala nahi, oil nahi, kuch nahi,” Romi said.

“Sorry to say jeeju, lekin aap logon ki party ko 2 out of 10 marks se zyada nahi mil sakta,” Mihika said.

“Oh hello madam?!” Mihir interjected. “Yeh to Ashok Khanna ki party thi. Bakwas hi honi thi. Par hum logon ki party bahot dhamaakedaar hoti hai. Bhai-bhabhi ki shaadi bhul gayi?”

“Arey, ab bas karo sab!” Ishita exclaimed. “Ghar chalte hain na? Baaki ka discussion gaadi mein kar lena.”

On cue, Suresh pulled up with the van. They all got seated inside one by one, after which Suresh turned the car around. Romi, Mihir, and Mihika continued in their elaborate criticism of the party, while Raman conversed with Suresh, leaving Ishita to her own thoughts. What might have Raman been talking about to Shagun? Why didn’t he tell her about it? Should she ask? How would he react if she interfered? After all, it couldn’t have been about Ruhi, so what right did she have? But what if it was about Ruhi? Or what if-?

Just ask him when you get home. Don’t jump to conclusions. Yes, she’d bring it up at home. At least she’d get some answers. And hopefully the green-eyed monster would go back to sleep.

“Accha Suresh,” Raman spoke in a tone louder than usual. “Yahan kisi dhaabe mein rok dena thodi der.”

Ishita was taken aback. How much would this man eat? “Raman, aap ko abhi bhi bhukh lagi hai kya?”

“What?! No! This is for you and Mihika. Weren’t you just complaining about how little vegetarian food there was at the party?”

“I wasn’t complaining,” she corrected him.

“Akka, enough na! Jeeju, you are too sweet! That is so thoughtful of you!”

“I know Mihika, par tumhari behen ko kaun samjhaaye? Unhe to hum mein bas Ravan hi dikhta hai, Jhansi ki Rani.”

Ishita groaned. That was exactly the problem now. That she couldn’t find Ravan in him.

“Jeeju, maanna padega. Aap ko Akka ke liye itna concern hai? Itni care? Mere buddhu ne aisa kuch suggest bhi nahi kiya.” Mihika stared daggers at her boyfriend.

“Woh kya haina Mihika, agar maine tumhari Akka ka pet nahi bhara na to mujhe raat ko neend nahi aayegi. Kya pata woh mujhe hi khaane ko daude?”

Never mind. Ravan was back.

“Idea accha hai, par kya karein, main non-veg nahi khati na? So you have nothing to worry about. Okay Ravan kumaar?” Ishita smiled a fake smile to her husband in the rear view mirror, who chuckled in response.

Soon enough, they were at the dhaba. Mihika and Ishita both ordered their own versions of comfort food: idli-sambar and rasam-rice, respectively. Tempted by the vast menu in front of them, Mihir and Romi ordered some parathas and chole bhature as well. Even Raman -- who merely ordered a cup of coffee -- and his disapproving glare couldn’t discourage them.

The party of five sat down and shared their food together, relishing over food with real taste and flavor. Had it not been for Madhu’s phone call (who was waiting for Mihika to come home), they might have stayed for a good four to five hours.

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

Bhalla House - 10 pm

“Aa gaye tum log?” Toshi asked. She, Madhu, Omprakash, and Vishwa were gathered around the living room table playing cards when Ishita, Raman, Mihir, Mihika, and Romi walked in.

“Ji mummyji,” Ishita answered. “Patte khel rahe ho? Kaun jeet raha hai?”

“Kaun jeetega Ishita? Tumhare appa, aur kaun?”

“Ruhi abhi bhi jaag rahi hai kya mummyji?”

“Nahi puttar, woh aur Rinki dono so gaye lagbhag aadhe ghante pehle. Dono Rinki ke kamre mein hi hain.”

“Rinki itni jaldi kaise so gayi?”

“Bichaari Ruhi ki barbie movies dekhte so gayi hogi,” Romi remarked. “Lagbhag sau baar dekh li hai sabne.”

“Waise, kaisi rahi tum logon ki party?” Toshi asked.

“Acchi thi maa,” Raman answered. Toshi waited hoping for more details.

“Oye, bas ‘acchi?’ Kuch aur to bata mainu!”

“Main batata hoon na aunty ji!” Mihir volunteered. He pulled up a chair beside Toshi and began narrating the events of the night, from their first showdown with Ashok to the subpar dinner and even to the couple dance (especially the couple dance). Everyone else in the room had taken a seat either on the sofa or on a chair by that time. Mihir was elaborately describing how Raman and Ishita were dancing together. “Bohot sweet lag rahe the dono aunty ji, by god!”

“Sacchi mein? Haay! Mere bacchon ko kisi nazar na lage!” Toshi exclaimed.

Ishita was mortified. Her face was scarlet from blushing. Sweat gathered around Raman’s collar even with the A/C blasting.

“Bhai, bhabhi, aap dono ne galat line chun li,” Mihir remakred. “Ek business mein, aur ek medicine mein. Aap dono ko dekh kar lag raha tha jaise aapki chemistry mein Ph.D. hogi.”

“Ruk tu, abhi tere gaal pe physics chaapta hoon,” Raman threatened.

“Main… woh… main R-Ruhi ko dekhkar aati hoon…” Ishita stammered, as she escaped into her bedroom.

“Oh puttar, Toshi ji ne kaha na, woh to Rinki ke kamre mein so gayi,” Omprakash called after her.

“Rehne do Bhalla ji, jaane do use. Kudi sharma gayi!” Toshi chuckled.

“Main bhi chalta hoon, mujhe neend aa rahi hai,” Raman said, as he too made his quick escape.

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

Ishita sat on the couch, her head in her palms, blushing like a tomato. She had totally forgotten that the world was watching their dance, the repercussions of which she was paying now.

“Woh Mihir na… bas aise hi… mazaak…” Raman managed to say, as he entered the room.

“Haan… mazaak…” Ishita replied.

Unable to meet each others’ eyes, they simply got ready for bed in silence. Ishita changed in the washroom while Raman changed in their bedroom. While she was changing however, she was reminded of her questions. And she needed answers. Now.

“Raman, aaj aap Shagun se kuch baat kar rahe the na?” she asked as soon as she came back into the room.

“Huh?” Raman was flipping through the TV channels when Ishita caught him off guard. “Oh haan.”

“Toh… kya baat kar rahe the?”

“Kuch nahi. Bas aise hi.”

“It looked like you guys were arguing. All ok?” Ishita took her pillow and blanket to her couch while she tried to fish for answers.

“Everything’s fine. Nothing to worry about.” He didn’t want to lie to Ishita (even a lie of omission) but would revealing the truth actually help?

“Okay. As you say,” Ishita said, dropping the subject. If he didn’t want to talk about it, then she couldn’t force him. She lay down on her pillow and turned away.

After a few moments of silence, Raman changed his mind. “Ishita?” he called.

“Yes?” she answered without getting up.

“It’s about Adi,” he confessed.

Ishita shot up from her couch and faced Raman. “Adi? Is he okay? Koi tension ki baat to nahi haina?”

“No, not at all,” Raman said, marvelling at the amount and intensity of concern this woman had for a boy she had never met. “I just… I’m trying to meet him. Hopefully Shagun can get that fixed up.”

“That’s… that’s great, Raman!” she exclaimed with a 400-watt smile. “That’s amazing!”

“But don’t get your hopes up,” Raman added. “After all, this is Shagun we’re talking about. And don’t tell anyone in the family. It’s going to be a long road before anyone can meet him. Just, let me handle it my way, okay?”

“Okay. Thanks for letting me know. And I’m here for you if you need anything.”

“Yeah, thanks. Ab so jao jaldi. Kal Ruhi ki chutthi hogi par hum logon ki itni acchi kismat nahi hai. Good night.”

“Yes, good night,” she chuckled.

And so, both Ishita and Raman went to bed with a significant weight lifted off their chest.

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