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[All banner pictures are taken from Google. Only the text is added by me]
Hello! A Five Shot to begin with. 😊
Background -
Set in the Jan 2015 Hate Track. Yeah, this is the most suitable track for me to write this particular FS on. Remember that Susan Bar and stuff? Yes, the same one in which Ranveer grips the glass hard as Ishaani is the cynosure of lewd comments. So, after this bar incident, think that this Fiction starts.
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Fire and Ice - Shot One
Mumbai, Vaghela Mansion.
They were fire and ice. Oh, polar opposites all right. But they were. She knew it and she needed him as much as fire needs the icy air to burn, only to thaw the air with its warmth. Yet she was better off without him, because she knew, she felt the power of her love. It was not soothing as she wanted it to be. It was destructive. She also knew that her love would annihilate her one day. She knew that her love would be the death of her. She knew that their love would be the death of them. Because such a love couldn't be housed in this world. This world wasn't capable to encompass and nourish their love... she knew this all from the day she started loving a certain man called Ranveer Vaghela. Oh, which was that day? She still remembered it.
"Ranveer!" A thirteen year old pig-tailed Ishaani squeaked in horror, "Don't go, you dud! You know you can't climb a tree. And see, it's so tall. You would break your bones if you fall from such huge a height!" They were in the garden of the Parekh Mansion, IN THE RAIN. All thanks to the elders who had to attend a family function in their biradari. Few of the house help had stayed back to look after the needs of the stalwarts in the rain. But a majority of them were home due to the rain. It was raining like cats and dogs! Who else but a fool would venture out in such bad a pouring?
Ranveer was a fool!, thought Ishaani. They had so peacefully been playing in her cozy room, having hot crispy samosas and chutney. They had been watching the pearly droplets of rain flow by. Oh, why did she have to glance at that bird struggling on a high placed perch of the rhododendron? She did feel sympathy for the apparently injured bird at first, but not when Ranveer too followed her line of gaze and his expression turned stony. His eyes flared and she knew what was coming! He had wantonly trouped out in the heavily flowing rain ignoring Ishaani's requests of staying back snugly in inviting warmth of the house.
The bird, it was a dove. A white one. It had imperceptibly shuddered and Ranveer saw that. It looked so fragile from the glass panelled windows of Ishaani's room. So beautifully fragile. Just like the girl in front of him. And now he knew that he had to save it.
As he ignored Ishaani's protests and began climbing the slippery wet bark of the tree, he felt his arms shudder. The rain literally stung. In his fourteen years of life, he had never seen so fierce a rain. It was as though everything was trying to demoralise him from climbing the tree. He shouldn't lose control! He shouldn't, couldn't fear. Ranveer took deep breaths, feeling the texture of the bark beneath his palms carefully, tuned out everything and climbed gingerly, making sure to not slip down or even look down. He was scared of heights. But he was more scared of losing her. And he saw her in that dove.
Ishaani was tired of protesting by now. She did feel a little heartless for not feeling more for that bird. But she couldn't force herself to feel something, right? She looked around for something to take shelter from the rain. Ah, there was the rhododendron's splendid canopy! Though the leaves of it were dripping wet with droplets of water, it did make a better choice than the cold waters splashing down on her. Ishaani went closer still to stand under the tree to lie in wait of Ranveer who was in the same tree. The rhododendron was flowerless in the harsh monsoonal season of July, its leaves wet and grand forming a canopy of a covering over a huge extent of lush green and well trimmed grass.
But trimming the grass was difficult in monsoon, everyone knew that.
And it was at that time that she caught sight of a shivering bird in the considerably tall grass at the foot of the same tree.
Coming closer, she realised. It was a male dove. She knew how to distinguish male doves from females. Thanks to her remarkable interest in ornithology. Males had this flush pink and brown extent etched on their napes and necks. 'Oh, poor thing!' she thought as she picked up the maimed bird in her wet palms, 'now I know why Ranveer felt like rescuing the bird up there.' The birds looked like a couple. Maybe, they were. She caressed the uninjured side of the bird (which initially flinched at the touch of a complete stranger) feeling pity and empathy for the fragile creature. It looked so beautiful. Or handsome? It was a boy, right? It resembled someone she knew! But who?
The dove (which Ishaani later named Malhar; blame her ancient classical Raagas craze) looked up at her so slowly, turning his head up at her. And Ishaani froze. This was the SAME way Ranveer reacted to her tries when to befriend him five years back! Flinching and shying away at first, but warming up to her after a few heartfelt and loving tries. She instantly realised whom it resembled.
Malhar resembled Ranveer.
Just as Ranveer thought that the dove at the top resembled Ishaani.*
Ranveer finally had reached till where he had to but he had made a mistake. Of looking down! He mentally slapped himself, but all his thoughts got obliterated as he saw the ground below. He was at such a... such big a... height?! He gulped and tried to look away. It was so hypnotising. The fall below, the sight below. His mind instantly turned on the siren.
"Mr. Ranveer Vaghela, look up and not down! You are balancing so precariously on this tree. You may fall!"
He stayed still.
"Its raining harder! You fool, look up! You may fall off!"
He stayed still.
Only he moved his eyes to loiter at the place Ishaani was standing when he left her.
Wait, Ishaani was nowhere in sight!
"Where is she, now?" complained his restless brain.
"Keep quiet, will you?" Ranveer silenced the menacing commands, his trance broken by the absence of Ishaani.
Suddenly he realised the physical position he was in and panic bubbled in the recesses of his mind. NO! He couldn't be frightened now. Not now. But sweat trickled down his temple in spite of the rain and he no longer felt cold. He couldn't, shouldn't and wouldn't feel panicky. He looked up, finally.
Reaching out to the bird quiveringly and with great difficult, Ranveer trudged down. As he balanced and climbed down, closing in towards the ground, he spotted Ishaani cuddling a similar bird. Another dove? As if in answer his unspoken question**, she said, "It's a male dove. Found it by the floor of this tree, you know. I am naming it Malhar-" Ishaani stopped to wave her free hand around and continued, "-suits the situation. Like, Raag Malhari?"
Putting his right foot down first to steady himself and then jumping on his feet cautiously, Ranveer enquired, "The Raag which causes the rain to pour down?"
"Isn't it obvious?"
Ranveer sighed, "Everyone isn't a classical music fan like you Ishaani to know everything about it. And also, your Veena would do no good in future. Musician banna chahti ho?"
[Wanna be a musician?]
"No! It's a hobby and not among my future career choice, stupid."
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How compatible they were! Kailash thought as he sipped his chai. He knew what the children had been doing all along. He wanted to intervene and chide them for being so nonchalant about the rain, but after hearing snippets of their dribbling and veering conversation, he would only listen. And watch. It was more intriguing and interesting. Though he would be guilty to face Harshad. He hadn't or wasn't performing his duty of scolding the kids for their impertinence. Afterall, who would have the heart to scold such caringly endearing children? And when could Kailash ever watch Ranveer being himself other than with Ishaani?
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Ranveer and Ishaani's "dribbling and veering conversation" took hair pin turns as they stood in the smoothly warm shelter of the rhododendron, chatting away as if nothing had happened at all. As if Ranveer hadn't just had a close brush with death. As is they never found two hapless doves ever in the first place. Kids!
But they both knew what they had undergone. What each other had seen. As they trudged back home and towards to door of the side verandah, Kailash cautiously disappeared into his chambers. The two didn't know of Kailash's presence, of course.
Ishaani went in a little later and slower than Ranveer. She always loved the rain. She had already given Malhar to Ranveer who was 'ordered' to take care of both Malhar and Bhairavi (credits to Ishaani again for the name). As Ranveer reluctantly left her in the rain, to safe keep and safe guard both the fragile birds, Ishaani twirled, her arms stretched wide open and flashing an open invitation to the falling rain. Her feet firm and light on the gravelly path and eyes closed in sheer pleasure, Ishaani immersed herself to feel the rain.
But her traitorous heart went back to rethink the events which had just passed. Ranveer had not cared about his life for so small a bird! He just went up the tree in spite of all odds against him and retrieved the injured bird. For what!? She felt fury course through her as her arms fell limply to her sides and eyes opened to the falling droplets. How dare he risk his life? What if something happened to him? Such a careless jerk he was! But... if he was so caring towards a mere bird, unseeing towards anything which came his way, how would his love be?How would he love someone when he grew up? With lots of intensity and passion and utmost care. OH GOD! How lucky would his lady love be? Ishaani grew jealous of that unseen girl.
She instantly knew that she wanted to be that girl. She wanted to see that love in his eyes freely (which would be reserved for only and only his damsel) when she grew up if the girl were her. She wanted all of his love.
"Ishaani ki bacchi! Andar aao. Already you are so wet!"
And that was when Ishaani snapped out from her thinking stupor which was disturbed by his reverberating voice. Think of an angel and hear the flutter of his wings!
"Coming, Sir!" she echoed out teasingly as she slowly made her way towards the door of the side verandah.
But she knew what type of thoughts had crossed her mind before Ranveer called her out. And she chided herself for those till twenty five years of her life. Till she realised on that Karva Chauth night seven months back.
That the thoughts were a total cent percent of the truth.
That she wanted to be engulfed by Ranveer's love.
That she wanted all of it.
That she wanted to be loved by him.
That she wanted to love him.
That she really, really liked ('loved') him after that incident without ever realising it!
And that if fire and ice met, it would be destruction.***
Ishaani snapped out of her thoughts as the thunder rumbled in the distance. She found herself in the midst of shutting an open window which swayed languorously in the unsettling wind. Oh. What was she really doing? And where was she? Now it came back to her. Thoughts and information piecing themselves in her gray cells like mosaic pieces ready to fit in with each other. Connecting one thought to the other. The thoughts branding her as someone's wife, someone's soulmate, someone's daughter, someone's sister, someone's love, someone's mistake, someone's life... someone's something or the other... piercing her soul as they did so.
She was Ishaani Ranveer Vaghela.
Her chronological age was twenty-five.
Her husband was obviously the business magnate, King of Dalal Street, Ranveer Vaghela.
She was at her sasural, as usual.
He was out of India for a business trip or should she say, 'a stay' in Chaitali Kaki's words at Italy's Milano for seven months.
He didn't talk to her much.
He told her a seven months and thirty days before, that he hated her.
True, he had the right to hate her after all that happened.
He was shot in the heart on that dreadful Karva Chauth night by the poolside.
Because of her.
He didn't trust her anymore.
He didn't love... the sentence was too painful to be completed. But isn't that what he'd told her?
Ishaani shut the window with a bang and proceeded to shut the others in that wing. The drapes flowed against her face, brushing it as the wind forced it to. There was no one in the huge, huge corridor. Everyone must be lounging, she mused as she closed the penultimate window in that wing.
The Parekhs had moved out three months back saying that they were shamefaced to stay in their beti's sasural for so long. Her Sasumaa and Lakshmi Masi had been more than happy as the Parekhs did so. Though she did know that there hung a thick veil of sadness till a fortnight after the Parekhs left.
Lakshmi Maasi had left for her place a few days after the Parekhs did. "Apne Miya ko chodke yaha ke kar rahi hoon main? Parul yahi rahegi. Padai vadai karni hai usko. Acche se karna, teekh hai, jo bhi karna hai, Parul! Chakkar vakkar chalaya toh tujhe gaav leke chalungi firse, haan, samjhi na? Ishaani, uska aur sabka khayal rakhna, haan? Moti ben, mujhe mat bhoolna, phone karti rahegi na aap har roz? Main chali ab, Jai Shree Krishna mota bhai!" she'd said, her speech punctuated with her usual "haan?', 'teek hai?' and unual lilts of the orthodox Gujrati.
[What am I doing here with my husband somewhere else? Parul would stay here. She needs to study. Parul, do whatever you do with utmost care and devotion, okay? If I hear of any affair or such stories relating to you, you are going to come back to the village. Ishaani, take care of everything, okay? Motiben, don't forget me, and call me daily, will you? I am leaving now, Greetings Motabhai!]
From this, it was clear that Ishaani had long ago won Lakshmi's heart. She was a big softy. Just being in Amba's company gave her a tough exterior. She'd asked Ishaani to look after Parul. It meant something, right?
Now, it was only Amba, Kailash, Parul and herself in the house. Such a lively mansion turned into a silent graveyard in so quick a time? How? It looked so lonely. Every corner of the house reminded her of some lost story or song... tucked in into the deepest and darkest chambers. Sometimes with so less people around, she herself felt like an object placed in the ornate corridors. With so less people around, the house had become way too silent. Parul immersed in her studies. Kailash never the one to speak much. Amba speaking only when it was absolutely necessary. It was only her left to make conversation. Be the receiver of forced smiles from her in-laws. They still didn't trust her.
She had been so alone. Being alone was painful. It ached so bad.
Loneliness is like a leech. You never know when it had latched onto you until rivulets of blood trickled down your leg.
She was missing her Ranveer.
Why did you go there Ranveer? Kyun?
Do you hate me so much?
But everything turned around when her mother-in-law, who was always so cold and detached towards her, fell ill with a bout of continuous viral fevers with deliriums and weakness. Now there was no escape for Amba! Who other than Ishaani would be able to take care of her? Ishaani saw this as an opportunity to renew ties with Amba and milked this one cow of an opportunity with utmost care and love. She genuinely loved everyone of Ranveer's family, all right. There were hers, too.
Amba, who had been forced to accept Ishaani's seva [service] with a swallowed pride, was hesitant and slacked down at first. She felt wary and frightened of that girl sometimes. What if she too started liking Ishaani like everyone else? Her 'Ji'**** also liked that girl who spread sweetness in spite of everything. Ishaani's black orbs, which were capable of casting a spell of kindness and warmth around her for everyone to revel in, began to attract her too. She realised why her son loved her. Of course, she was no omnipresent to dig out the 'reason' because love had no reason! But Amba could say that a part of the reason why Ranveer loved Ishaani was because of her nature. She was so soulfully beautiful. Words tumbled down like songs and hymns from an ancient book from Ishaani as she spoke. They were full of wisdom and love. All her actions reflected her love for everyone. Her eyes shone like lamps and beacons of light in a hopeless city. And Amba Kailash Vaghela swore that she could see dams and reservoirs and pools of love in Ishaani's eyes for Ranveer. They were restrained. Bhagwan jane kya hoga agar un jalashayon ko koi kol dega toh!
[Goodness knows what would happen if the dams were let open!]
And Amba had truly come to adore her daughter-in-law. As long as Ishaani didn't break her Ranveer's heart, she would try to support Ishaani in all she does. Ishaani was actually like a daughter who Amba never had. Mere dikhre ke liye Ishaani hi sahi hai [Ishaani is the most perfect girl for my Ranveer.], she conceded.
Ishaani now had Amba. She used to talk with her, share tit bits of things with her and lapse into companionable silence. Sometimes or most of the time, the subject of the talk was him.
Sasumaa hai mere liye [My mother-in-law is there for me]. She's not angry with me anymore, smiled Ishaani as she was about to shut the final window. But one look at the view outside stopped her from doing so. Grey thunderclouds gathered and shone with rain all over and till as far as she could see. Shells of inky black coloured the mid-expanse of the huge bags of water vapour as a crack of lightening split the sky into numerous parts, brightening the surroundings more in an unnaturally bright light. Ishaani shielded herself from the light. And when it felt safe to look at again, she slowly lowered her left hand which held the folds of her flame red saree.
What cruel irony this is! Her life was no different from the stormy sky. Her life was stormy, too. Her husband was out on work for six months initially. He went soon after the fiasco at the dancing club. He received a professional call from Puneet, telling him that their European share of companies was suffering losses. They needed to establish his name there, too! RV, glad to receive some distraction from his personal life was glad to go there to handle everything himself. Little did he know the impact it would have on Ishaani. Because he still had probably no idea about her love which she harboured for him.
That's why he was on an extra seventh month there! He still hadn't come back. Still not. SEVEN MONTHS. Seven months without him felt so bleak. The whole responsibility of the house was hers. Heck, did she ask for responsibility? I only asked for all the share of my love, she cried softly in the rain. Cascades of tears washed her face while a voice echoed out throughout the west wing. And she immediately swiped the back of her hand to stop the tears.
"Bhabhi! Aapka phone bhaj raha hai. Bhai ne phone kiya hai! Jaldi aayiye daud ke."
[Bhabhi! Your phone's ringing and it's Ranveer Bhai who is calling you! You need to run to receive the call!]
Ishaani ran to receive the call. Like she had never ever run before. Being in a banarasi weave of flame red which threaded intricate borders up the shoulder, it was quite difficult to move her feet quickly. But nothing was difficult for Ishaani. Except, well... staying away from Ranveer.
And she ran through the corridors. Like, her life depended on it. Because, in a way, it did.
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"She questioned her own beauty because of him, he left scars on her self esteem..."
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First part is done. Phew.
Notes and references :
*the part where Ranveer and Ishaani see each other in the two doves - I wanted something common from the show for this. And what better than the two doves could it be! As to why IshVeer see each other in the doves, it's because... when you love someone, you tend to see them in everything.
**this is with reference to the cosmic connection all eternally entwined soulmates share.
***Fire and Ice - One of my favourite poems by Robert Frost. A must read! Theme is inspired from that. Destruction, fire, ice and all.
****'Ji' is Kailash, obviously. 😆
And for people wondering if the doves survived, well... Malhar didn't. He died. (Oops, spoiler alert!)
Sorry for the typos.
Link to the next part - Shot Two
Mannat Har Khushi Paane Ki
Cricket
