Posted:
Hello All
Here goes OS # 4. Thanks for the overwhelming response on the OS #3 🤗. And sorry I havent been able to individually respond to each of you. I have, however, read each and every kind word.
If you have read OS # 3, you know whats in this one😊
The song to go with this one is : "Aaj kal Paon Zameen Par" from Ghar
************
Ishita had a severe headache that day. It had been one of those days at the clinic. All her patients seemed to be young children or senior citizens; they were the most tender of the lot. Ishita couldn't deal with so many of them in one day. The only silver lining in her day had been that one of her senior colleagues had informed that she had got an opportunity to attend a prestigious medical conference in Mumbai. Ishita had always wanted to go to that one, and there were very few dentists who ever got a chance to attend the event. While driving back home, she got stuck in traffic for an extra hour. She put on some music to soothe her mind, but that didn't work either. But the thought of going home to Ruhi did brighten her face. She had to yet inform anyone about the conference, she was more worried about Raman than Ruhi. She was shocked by the reactions from both. When she gently told Ruhi "Ruhi beta, Ishima ko do din ke liye Mumbai jaana hai. Ek bahut important meeting hai. Bahut saare doctor aane waale hain, and sirf special logon ko invitation milta hai. Aap do din mere bagair reh logi na?" She didnt even get a chance to finish her sentence. Her daughter started crying loudly. Confused by Ruhi's reaction which only exaggerated her headache, Ishita got a bit irritated. This was the first time she was even remotely annoyed because of her daughter. Technically, it wasn't Ruhi she was mad at. It was Raman. His daughter had obviously inherited his penchant for drama. Ishita shuddered wondering what Raavan Kumar's reaction would be. It would be way worse than Ruhi's, she thought. Ruhi interrupted her thoughts "Ishima, main bhi chaloongi please. Mujhe chhodke mat jaao na please?" Ishita suddenly felt a bit guilty. Ruhi was really worried that her Ishima was leaving her. The child couldn't comprehend the difference, Ishita thought. But she was in a dilemma too, she couldn't possibly take care of Ruhi in Mumbai, and missing this event would really be a shame.
That is when her husband had walked in. He had his trademark scowl on his face, even before he could see Ruhi crying. When he saw Ruhi, his face changed immediately, and Ishita got a glimpse of the man she had started respecting. The man who knew how to take care of his family, the man who couldn't see any of them in pain, the man whose most precious belongings were his kids. Maybe exactly the kind of husband she had always wanted. She shook off her thoughts to stare at the drama that was unfolding. Ruhi was hugging her father and still sobbing. She then said "Ishima is leaving". For a split second, Ishita thought she saw another change in his face? It wasnt worry any more, it wasnt anger either. She was familiar with those faces of his. This look was something else. But it disappeared as quickly as it came. His eyes were lowered, so she couldn't read him anymore. She had to step in now, before it got any worse. She tried to explain to him that she had to go to Mumbai and Ruhi wasn't letting her. Their daughter wanted to accompany her too, that was impractical. Once she was done talking, Ishita stuffed imaginary cotton in her ears, closed her eyes and folded her arms to protect herself against the barage of words that he was going to throw at her. She knew what was coming. She half expected him to drag her into their room, and lecture her about her priorities. She was here for Ruhi, after all no? When the words she was expecting didnt come, she opened her eyes, one at a time.
She had two large drops of unshed tears in her eyes when she heard what he said to Ruhi. In one swift move, he had placated Ruhi and indicated his approval at Ishita travelling for the trip. No, it wasn't a tone of approval. It was almost as if he knew that he had no right to approve or disapprove of Ishita's actions. His reply was in the most natural tone she had ever expected from a man, let alone Raman. He told Ruhi that it wasnt a big deal, and that he would spend time with her when her Ishima wasn't around. He had even compared Ishita's trip to his own business trip, another first for him. Sure, he still made his caustic comments about why a 'dentist' had to go to the medical conference, but all things considered, that quip could be forgiven.
Status quo was restored within a few minutes when he went back to taunting her about their living arrangements and his clothes in disarray. She wasn't prepared to boost his ego by thanking him for his gesture, so all she did was taunt him back. The spent the next few days blissfully unhappy with each other. The night before she had to fly out, she couldn't get her packing done. She had to spend some extra special time with Ruhi to make sure the child felt OK. She explained to Ruhi clearly that she would only be gone for a couple of days, and this would be Ruhi's special time with Papa. Once Ruhi was satisfied completely, she went on to demand a couple of more bed-time stories. By the time Ruhi slept, it was too late. Raman had already come home, and he looked knackered too. Ishita did not want to ruin his sleep by moving around her suitcase and making any noise. She decided she would wake up earlier the next morning to pack for the trip. How long did she need to pack for a 2 day trip anyway?
The next morning, her body clock woke her up earlier. She decided to pack everything first and then shower and get ready for work at her usual time. SHe did not want to wake Raman or Ruhi up. She opened her eyes and felt her stomach to make sure Ruhi's legs weren't on her. Their daughter seemed to use both of them as a body pillow equally. It was as if she had decided not to torture one parent more than the other. Ishita didn't mind. She smiled when she looked at them. She had married into this family for Ruhi, but seeing Ruhi bond with her father was an added bonus. Raman's demeanour was generally softening over time too. His attitude towards Ishita had also been changing gradually. Ishita remembered the first few meetings before their marriage. He was loud, mean, offensive to her every time they met. He did not need any reason to trigger his wrath. But over time, his taunts remained just that, taunts. The loud shouting voice had gone, the meanness seemed non-existant, and it was almost as if he was pretending to offend her. Ishita shook off her thoughts and got up "Aiyyo Muruga, there is so much work to do, and I am spending time thinking about Raavan Kumar of all the people! I should make sure my clothes are packed, tickets printed, Ruhi ready for school. There are a million things to worry about today. And she had to call the cab company and confirm her booking too. Today was not the day to analyse her changing feelings for him. This was not the time to give them a name"
She was being as quiet as she could, so much so that she didnt even hear him stir. He looked obviously irritated because she had woken him up. He then started asking frivolous questions about her travel arrangements. This annoyed her, they had never fought so early in the morning. Mornings had always been more peaceful for them. Other than the first month of their marriage, when they were still getting used to sharing a room with a stranger. Nowadays, mornings were more routine, peaceful and had a rhythm. To be fair to him, she had woken him up. She tried to sound apologetic, but he wouldnt have any of it. He was shooting questions as if he was her Amma, and she was a young girl going on a weekend school trip. She had half a mind to tell him that she had given all the details to both their parents. She had also made sure her itinerary was with Bala and Mihir; just in case anyone needed to get in touch with her. She had printed out everything and kept it near his laptop bag too,earlier, but there was no way she would tell him now. She casually walked to his bag, and took her documents from there and dumped them into her suitcase. She casually told him that she would be fine and everything was taken care of. Later in that busy day, after she had spoken to Ruhi a couple of times and was walking into the Departures section of the airport, she came to terms with why she was mad. It wasn't because their day had started off with a fight. It was because he did not even ask her if he should come drop her off. She had given him the impression that she could take care of herself, that was true, but it would have felt nice to have him here to see her off. Like an emotional fool she kept looking over her shoulder to see if had turned up.
When she landed in Mumbai that night, there was still some residual anger and other unresolved feelings. She made sure she informed everyone back in Delhi that she had landed safely and settled into the hotel room. She even spoke to RUhi for 15 mins. She casually asked her if Raman was back home. Ruhi had told her "Ishima, papa aaj jaldi ghar aa gaye hain, but abhi phone pe hain bedroom mein. He said London mein kisi se baat karni hai unko. SHould I get him here to talk to you?" Ishita said "No" very quickly. It was better that she hadn't called his mobile then. His line would have been busy, he wouldn't have answered her call. Ishita would have felt worse. She was tired, so she just wished Ruhi Good night and went to sleep.
When Ishita attended the conference the next day, she was happy that she made the right decision to attend. She got to learn so many new things and also had met very senior and well-respected doctors from around India. She almost forgot the sprain in her neck and upper back. She hadn't slept a wink the previous night. When her colleagues asked her, she just told them that she wasn't used to sleep in a new place, or maybe the bed was bad. But she knew she was lying. When she got married, she slept on a couch, in a strange room, in the presence of a strange man. No, this was entirely different. It was because of that same strange man that she couldn't sleep. She was too proud to call him during the day, and he surely had million more things to do than to talk to her. She got through the day by being engrossed in the lectures and talks in the conference. In the evening, she called up everyone in Delhi and spoke to them. Romi had even made fun of her "Arre bhabhi, aapne galti se to phone nahin kiya na mujhe? Raman ki jagah pe Romi ko to call nahin kiya na ?". She had the reddest of cheeks right then, and thanked God she was alone in her hotel room and no one had seen her. She was still getting used to the brash Punjabi family she had married into.
Her travel agent called her then and told her that he got her tickets confirmed for Friday evening. She had sounded casual when she told Raman that she did not know when she would be back. But she knew in her heart that she wanted to go back home as early as she could. She couldn't bear another night like this. She kept telling herself that she was missing Ruhi, but Ruhi seemed to be OK. She was happy with all the extra attention she was getting from others because of her Ishima's absence. She wanted to go back early to him. It didn't matter that they slept as far away from each other as they could. It didn't matter that they barely spoke a word. It didn't matter that the only words they could even manage were laden with sarcasm. At least they were in the same room, at least she could hear his soft breathing while he slept, at least she could hear his voice. Before she could fully comprehend what she had just realised, the phone rang.
It was him, finally. She took a deep breath, promised herself that she wouldn't let him hear anything different in her voice. Not until she herself knew what that difference was. He sounded annoyed, which was a good sign. That was his baseline tone with her. He asked her another set of unnecessary questions, and she answered them as nonchalantly as she could. He finally told her to cancel her taxi arrangements and that he would pick her up from the airport. She protested, but knew it was half-hearted. Did she not want him to drop her when she was leaving? Why was she complaining now then? She finally said "OK Raman, see you tomorrow" That night was still lonely, but she still had the best night's sleep in a long time.
It was the same airport 2 days later, 'arrivals' instead of 'departures'. Her mood was as different as those signs were. She popped into the ladies room after she landed. She had to make sure she looked her best. If nothing, she had to ensure he didn't say she looked tired or haggard. When she walked out of the terminal, she was humming a song she didnt remember the words to, her eyes were looking everywhere for him. Both her pitch and eyes perked up when she spotted him. Her stride was faster, but she didn't expect his response.
She managed to utter only one word "Raman" before her pulled her into a hug. As rushed as that act seemed, he didn't let her go for some time. That was the warmest embrace she had ever felt. She thought she even heard him say "Welcome back". Surely, she was imagining things now? She was projecting her feelings, right?
After a couple of minutes when she realised that his hold wasn't loosening up any time sooon, she said the only thing she could think of. It didn't matter that she felt stupid for saying it after the fact. But she had to make him realise people were openly staring at them them. "Ruhi ya Shagun hain kya yahaan pe? Itni pyaar se gale lagaa rahe ho?" She felt him stiffen, and then step back.
He just said "Woh jinke saath zameen dekhne aaya tha, woh log bhi hain yahan pe. apne kisi relatives to receive karne aaye hain. They knew I was coming here to pick up my wife. Ab handshake karke Hi Hello karoonga to kya sochenge woh log? Isliye nautanki karni padi mujhe.
Don't get any ideas into that bird brain of yours"
Neither of them argued with that logic. That was the only way they could manage to keep some semblance of normalcy and decency in that public place.
"The Reality of The Other Person Lies Not In What He Reveals To You, But What He Cannot Reveal To You.
Therefore, If You Would Understand Him, Listen Not To What He Says, But Rather To What He Does Not Say."
Gibran Khalil Gibran
***********
I think I over-promised in OS # 3 I did not realise this one was going to be so difficult, and honestly I am not very happy with it. Primarily because writing this one reconfirmed what I already knew in my heart. Raman is my muse. It is a LOT easier for me to write about him, his thoughts. I struggled with Ishita's feelings. I am not displacing any blame for my under-performance 😆, but I think Ishita's character is still unexplored in the serial. So I don't have a lot of material to write with.
If this part is not satisfactory, please don't hesitate to tell me. I live to learn every day 😊
Here goes OS # 4. Thanks for the overwhelming response on the OS #3 🤗. And sorry I havent been able to individually respond to each of you. I have, however, read each and every kind word.
If you have read OS # 3, you know whats in this one😊
The song to go with this one is : "Aaj kal Paon Zameen Par" from Ghar
************
Ishita had a severe headache that day. It had been one of those days at the clinic. All her patients seemed to be young children or senior citizens; they were the most tender of the lot. Ishita couldn't deal with so many of them in one day. The only silver lining in her day had been that one of her senior colleagues had informed that she had got an opportunity to attend a prestigious medical conference in Mumbai. Ishita had always wanted to go to that one, and there were very few dentists who ever got a chance to attend the event. While driving back home, she got stuck in traffic for an extra hour. She put on some music to soothe her mind, but that didn't work either. But the thought of going home to Ruhi did brighten her face. She had to yet inform anyone about the conference, she was more worried about Raman than Ruhi. She was shocked by the reactions from both. When she gently told Ruhi "Ruhi beta, Ishima ko do din ke liye Mumbai jaana hai. Ek bahut important meeting hai. Bahut saare doctor aane waale hain, and sirf special logon ko invitation milta hai. Aap do din mere bagair reh logi na?" She didnt even get a chance to finish her sentence. Her daughter started crying loudly. Confused by Ruhi's reaction which only exaggerated her headache, Ishita got a bit irritated. This was the first time she was even remotely annoyed because of her daughter. Technically, it wasn't Ruhi she was mad at. It was Raman. His daughter had obviously inherited his penchant for drama. Ishita shuddered wondering what Raavan Kumar's reaction would be. It would be way worse than Ruhi's, she thought. Ruhi interrupted her thoughts "Ishima, main bhi chaloongi please. Mujhe chhodke mat jaao na please?" Ishita suddenly felt a bit guilty. Ruhi was really worried that her Ishima was leaving her. The child couldn't comprehend the difference, Ishita thought. But she was in a dilemma too, she couldn't possibly take care of Ruhi in Mumbai, and missing this event would really be a shame.
That is when her husband had walked in. He had his trademark scowl on his face, even before he could see Ruhi crying. When he saw Ruhi, his face changed immediately, and Ishita got a glimpse of the man she had started respecting. The man who knew how to take care of his family, the man who couldn't see any of them in pain, the man whose most precious belongings were his kids. Maybe exactly the kind of husband she had always wanted. She shook off her thoughts to stare at the drama that was unfolding. Ruhi was hugging her father and still sobbing. She then said "Ishima is leaving". For a split second, Ishita thought she saw another change in his face? It wasnt worry any more, it wasnt anger either. She was familiar with those faces of his. This look was something else. But it disappeared as quickly as it came. His eyes were lowered, so she couldn't read him anymore. She had to step in now, before it got any worse. She tried to explain to him that she had to go to Mumbai and Ruhi wasn't letting her. Their daughter wanted to accompany her too, that was impractical. Once she was done talking, Ishita stuffed imaginary cotton in her ears, closed her eyes and folded her arms to protect herself against the barage of words that he was going to throw at her. She knew what was coming. She half expected him to drag her into their room, and lecture her about her priorities. She was here for Ruhi, after all no? When the words she was expecting didnt come, she opened her eyes, one at a time.
She had two large drops of unshed tears in her eyes when she heard what he said to Ruhi. In one swift move, he had placated Ruhi and indicated his approval at Ishita travelling for the trip. No, it wasn't a tone of approval. It was almost as if he knew that he had no right to approve or disapprove of Ishita's actions. His reply was in the most natural tone she had ever expected from a man, let alone Raman. He told Ruhi that it wasnt a big deal, and that he would spend time with her when her Ishima wasn't around. He had even compared Ishita's trip to his own business trip, another first for him. Sure, he still made his caustic comments about why a 'dentist' had to go to the medical conference, but all things considered, that quip could be forgiven.
Status quo was restored within a few minutes when he went back to taunting her about their living arrangements and his clothes in disarray. She wasn't prepared to boost his ego by thanking him for his gesture, so all she did was taunt him back. The spent the next few days blissfully unhappy with each other. The night before she had to fly out, she couldn't get her packing done. She had to spend some extra special time with Ruhi to make sure the child felt OK. She explained to Ruhi clearly that she would only be gone for a couple of days, and this would be Ruhi's special time with Papa. Once Ruhi was satisfied completely, she went on to demand a couple of more bed-time stories. By the time Ruhi slept, it was too late. Raman had already come home, and he looked knackered too. Ishita did not want to ruin his sleep by moving around her suitcase and making any noise. She decided she would wake up earlier the next morning to pack for the trip. How long did she need to pack for a 2 day trip anyway?
The next morning, her body clock woke her up earlier. She decided to pack everything first and then shower and get ready for work at her usual time. SHe did not want to wake Raman or Ruhi up. She opened her eyes and felt her stomach to make sure Ruhi's legs weren't on her. Their daughter seemed to use both of them as a body pillow equally. It was as if she had decided not to torture one parent more than the other. Ishita didn't mind. She smiled when she looked at them. She had married into this family for Ruhi, but seeing Ruhi bond with her father was an added bonus. Raman's demeanour was generally softening over time too. His attitude towards Ishita had also been changing gradually. Ishita remembered the first few meetings before their marriage. He was loud, mean, offensive to her every time they met. He did not need any reason to trigger his wrath. But over time, his taunts remained just that, taunts. The loud shouting voice had gone, the meanness seemed non-existant, and it was almost as if he was pretending to offend her. Ishita shook off her thoughts and got up "Aiyyo Muruga, there is so much work to do, and I am spending time thinking about Raavan Kumar of all the people! I should make sure my clothes are packed, tickets printed, Ruhi ready for school. There are a million things to worry about today. And she had to call the cab company and confirm her booking too. Today was not the day to analyse her changing feelings for him. This was not the time to give them a name"
She was being as quiet as she could, so much so that she didnt even hear him stir. He looked obviously irritated because she had woken him up. He then started asking frivolous questions about her travel arrangements. This annoyed her, they had never fought so early in the morning. Mornings had always been more peaceful for them. Other than the first month of their marriage, when they were still getting used to sharing a room with a stranger. Nowadays, mornings were more routine, peaceful and had a rhythm. To be fair to him, she had woken him up. She tried to sound apologetic, but he wouldnt have any of it. He was shooting questions as if he was her Amma, and she was a young girl going on a weekend school trip. She had half a mind to tell him that she had given all the details to both their parents. She had also made sure her itinerary was with Bala and Mihir; just in case anyone needed to get in touch with her. She had printed out everything and kept it near his laptop bag too,earlier, but there was no way she would tell him now. She casually walked to his bag, and took her documents from there and dumped them into her suitcase. She casually told him that she would be fine and everything was taken care of. Later in that busy day, after she had spoken to Ruhi a couple of times and was walking into the Departures section of the airport, she came to terms with why she was mad. It wasn't because their day had started off with a fight. It was because he did not even ask her if he should come drop her off. She had given him the impression that she could take care of herself, that was true, but it would have felt nice to have him here to see her off. Like an emotional fool she kept looking over her shoulder to see if had turned up.
When she landed in Mumbai that night, there was still some residual anger and other unresolved feelings. She made sure she informed everyone back in Delhi that she had landed safely and settled into the hotel room. She even spoke to RUhi for 15 mins. She casually asked her if Raman was back home. Ruhi had told her "Ishima, papa aaj jaldi ghar aa gaye hain, but abhi phone pe hain bedroom mein. He said London mein kisi se baat karni hai unko. SHould I get him here to talk to you?" Ishita said "No" very quickly. It was better that she hadn't called his mobile then. His line would have been busy, he wouldn't have answered her call. Ishita would have felt worse. She was tired, so she just wished Ruhi Good night and went to sleep.
When Ishita attended the conference the next day, she was happy that she made the right decision to attend. She got to learn so many new things and also had met very senior and well-respected doctors from around India. She almost forgot the sprain in her neck and upper back. She hadn't slept a wink the previous night. When her colleagues asked her, she just told them that she wasn't used to sleep in a new place, or maybe the bed was bad. But she knew she was lying. When she got married, she slept on a couch, in a strange room, in the presence of a strange man. No, this was entirely different. It was because of that same strange man that she couldn't sleep. She was too proud to call him during the day, and he surely had million more things to do than to talk to her. She got through the day by being engrossed in the lectures and talks in the conference. In the evening, she called up everyone in Delhi and spoke to them. Romi had even made fun of her "Arre bhabhi, aapne galti se to phone nahin kiya na mujhe? Raman ki jagah pe Romi ko to call nahin kiya na ?". She had the reddest of cheeks right then, and thanked God she was alone in her hotel room and no one had seen her. She was still getting used to the brash Punjabi family she had married into.
Her travel agent called her then and told her that he got her tickets confirmed for Friday evening. She had sounded casual when she told Raman that she did not know when she would be back. But she knew in her heart that she wanted to go back home as early as she could. She couldn't bear another night like this. She kept telling herself that she was missing Ruhi, but Ruhi seemed to be OK. She was happy with all the extra attention she was getting from others because of her Ishima's absence. She wanted to go back early to him. It didn't matter that they slept as far away from each other as they could. It didn't matter that they barely spoke a word. It didn't matter that the only words they could even manage were laden with sarcasm. At least they were in the same room, at least she could hear his soft breathing while he slept, at least she could hear his voice. Before she could fully comprehend what she had just realised, the phone rang.
It was him, finally. She took a deep breath, promised herself that she wouldn't let him hear anything different in her voice. Not until she herself knew what that difference was. He sounded annoyed, which was a good sign. That was his baseline tone with her. He asked her another set of unnecessary questions, and she answered them as nonchalantly as she could. He finally told her to cancel her taxi arrangements and that he would pick her up from the airport. She protested, but knew it was half-hearted. Did she not want him to drop her when she was leaving? Why was she complaining now then? She finally said "OK Raman, see you tomorrow" That night was still lonely, but she still had the best night's sleep in a long time.
It was the same airport 2 days later, 'arrivals' instead of 'departures'. Her mood was as different as those signs were. She popped into the ladies room after she landed. She had to make sure she looked her best. If nothing, she had to ensure he didn't say she looked tired or haggard. When she walked out of the terminal, she was humming a song she didnt remember the words to, her eyes were looking everywhere for him. Both her pitch and eyes perked up when she spotted him. Her stride was faster, but she didn't expect his response.
She managed to utter only one word "Raman" before her pulled her into a hug. As rushed as that act seemed, he didn't let her go for some time. That was the warmest embrace she had ever felt. She thought she even heard him say "Welcome back". Surely, she was imagining things now? She was projecting her feelings, right?
After a couple of minutes when she realised that his hold wasn't loosening up any time sooon, she said the only thing she could think of. It didn't matter that she felt stupid for saying it after the fact. But she had to make him realise people were openly staring at them them. "Ruhi ya Shagun hain kya yahaan pe? Itni pyaar se gale lagaa rahe ho?" She felt him stiffen, and then step back.
He just said "Woh jinke saath zameen dekhne aaya tha, woh log bhi hain yahan pe. apne kisi relatives to receive karne aaye hain. They knew I was coming here to pick up my wife. Ab handshake karke Hi Hello karoonga to kya sochenge woh log? Isliye nautanki karni padi mujhe.
Don't get any ideas into that bird brain of yours"
Neither of them argued with that logic. That was the only way they could manage to keep some semblance of normalcy and decency in that public place.
"The Reality of The Other Person Lies Not In What He Reveals To You, But What He Cannot Reveal To You.
Therefore, If You Would Understand Him, Listen Not To What He Says, But Rather To What He Does Not Say."
Gibran Khalil Gibran
***********
I think I over-promised in OS # 3 I did not realise this one was going to be so difficult, and honestly I am not very happy with it. Primarily because writing this one reconfirmed what I already knew in my heart. Raman is my muse. It is a LOT easier for me to write about him, his thoughts. I struggled with Ishita's feelings. I am not displacing any blame for my under-performance 😆, but I think Ishita's character is still unexplored in the serial. So I don't have a lot of material to write with.
If this part is not satisfactory, please don't hesitate to tell me. I live to learn every day 😊
Pyaar Kii Ye Ek Kahaani
Hindi TV Shows
7