Hey all
I am back with OS # 8. Thank you for ALL your wonderful comments on OS # 7. I tried this time to individually reply to each one of you. If I have missed anyone, I am really sorry.
So, the only thing I can say about this OS, without giving away the plot is: Its an acquired taste. If you don't like it, please don't be too harsh with me.😊
The song to go with this OS is
"Yeh Raat Aur Yeh Doori" from Andaz Apna Apna
***
Raman was in his office, trying unsuccessfully to concentrate on the conference call he was on. It was a weekly update call on a new project, in which, unfortunately he was to partner with Ashok's company. All his investors were on the call, including Tandon, and usually Raman was well-prepared for this Friday afternoon routine. The calls would last 2 hours, unless of course someone started asking questions. Raman welcomed questions, that just meant the investors were really paying attention and were interested in the progress of the project. But today, he put his microphone on mute, and was only listening. For the first time, he was hoping no one would ask any questions, and they would all soon say "Good Weekend" and sign off. He got up from his chair, his wireless headset still on, and started walking around in his small cabin. He even opened the door and peeked at Mihir. Mihir was attentively listening to every word that was being said on the call. He was taking copious notes and looked really focussed. Raman had started including Mihir in all important decisions and projects; he deserved it. Mihir was soon getting married, and he was the most responsible person Raman knew. When he saw that Mihir was concentrating on the call, Raman looked at his phone for the time. He walked around his table a couple of times, and then checked his watch. That is all he had been doing that afternoon. Checking the time alternately on all devices he could. It wasn't moving. He wanted to get home as quickly as he could, to her.
Their relationship had moved along at a lazy, but appropriate pace. Earlier, one of the things that had been missing the most was acknowledging feelings, his own and hers too. Once they had a glimpse of the other person's emotions, the real honeymoon period of his marriage had begun. They had kissed a few of times now, but he knew that wouldn't ever be enough for him. His overwhelming desire to make her his was only matched by his love for her. He had given her space and time to get comfortable in this new zone. Even that period of anticipation was something he was thoroughly enjoying. This was the first time he was courting a woman. With Shagun, he had always been the only one doing the admiring and worshipping. In his eagerness to please her, and meet her every demand, he had lost his direction. He was a different man now. He was someone who could confidently walk up to any woman and ask for her hand. Everyone except Ishita. He chuckled "She was all happy and giddy when I kissed her, but if I were to take it one level further, I dont know what she will do. Madrasan belan leke mere peeche pad jaayegi. And waise bhi, she must be expecting some kind of grand declaration from me first. Women!" They hadn't yet confessed their love to each other. He wasn't sure how to. She wasn't an ordinary woman, so any cheesy proposal from him would look bland when compared to the special relationship they shared. Some times he wished he just could just tell her "I love you" and get it over with. He had never been so confused before, this woman had turned him into an emotional fool. At that moment though, he was really excited that it was a Friday. He had the whole weekend off, and there would be ample opportunities to spend time with her. He grinned like child looking at candy when he heard a knock at his door. It was Mihir peeping in. "Bhai, everything OK na? Rajeev asked you a question, and you never responded, we thought maybe your line was cut." "Arre question kya tha yeh toh bol?" he asked Mihir hurriedly. Mihir told him that is was about deadlines for getting approval from some govt. department for building on the land. He took his phone off mute, and said smartly "Yes Mr Tandon, sorry I was answering, but I didn't realise I was on mute." Mihir's jaw dropped. When Raman saw this, he slammed the door on Mihir's face with a look that said "This never happened!"
Ishita was finishing off work on her last patient when she realised it was almost time to go home. Once the patient left, Ishita sat down at her desk and practised some breathing techniques. Her heart had been racing the whole day, she knew it wouldn't stop. She would have to come up with a way of bracing the hurricane. There was something about the approaching weekend that made made her hum her favourite tune even in public. She fondly remembered the times they had kissed and how they tried to look for opportunities to be close to each other. Ruhi didn't have to make them hold hands while sleeping any more. Mihir and Mihika didn't have to pester to accompany them on movies or dinners any more. She was dizzy remembering each and every moment. She was liking this pace too, he hadn't pushed her into any more physical proximity. She thought they both needed time for that. For now, she was happy that they were moving forward.
Of course the way he treated her hadn't changed. It was almost as if he was struggling very hard to maintain a facade of normalcy. He used to still taunt her about her weight, her lectures, her dressing style, her cookery, and hold her responsible for any mistake that Ruhi did. Ishita also didnt change her tactics, she had always known how to reply to this man. Their sweet whispers and touches were one thing, but if they had stopped their banter, who would they be? She knew that some day he would change and become almost a regular man. But she wished for that day to be as far as possible. But at the end of the day, he was a man, and she knew what he would be expecting from her next. When she had trapped him into kissing her, she had a plan, with a purpose. She had that adrenaline boost of a person on mission. In hindsight, maybe she had been too bold, she thought. She wasn't prepared to commit to a deeper physical relationship unless they talked. If they didnt talk before getting more involved, things could be more awkward later. She did not want anything more than for him to hold her and say "I want to spend the rest of my life with you". She did not even expect an "I Love you", that would even sound funny coming from him. She just wanted him to admit that he wanted to be with her, not because he needed to be with her for Ruhi. This was a talk that she wanted for herself, not for Ruhi. For the moment though, she knew there was something special about the weekend. She had seen the excitement in his eyes in the morning and the heard the voices inside her head too. Love was in the air, and it would be soon when they would take that final step together.
Raman wasn't expecting an empty house when he walked in. He turned around and peeked into the Iyers' living room. There were 2 extra people in there today. He looked at Ishita, she was busy talking to the guests. He coughed to get her attention. Everyone turned around and they stood up when they saw him come in. Mihika's parents had come down from Chennai. This was a last-minute trip and Soumya chitti had wanted to surprise everyone. She was miffed that they couldnt attend Mihika's engagement and that they had to fulfill a couple of Tamil traditions to formalise the engagement. Mihika's father also wanted to meet Mihir and make sure he could handle his firebrand daughter. Amma asked Raman to sit down and offered him coffee and some hot vadas. Raman wasnt in a position to say no, and he didn't have anywhere else to be any way. So he casually asked Ishita, who hadn't even had a chance to look at him. "Ishita, Ruhi kahaan hai?"
Thats when she looked at him and smiled. He felt he was home now. "Raman, woh Shravan ke saath room mein khel rahi hai. and ghar pe koi nahin hai, sab movie dekhne gaye hain. Pehle dinner karenge, and then late show, Unko raat ko aane mein der ho jaayegi."
She was giving him a message. They had some time they could spend together in the Bhalla home. No one would disturb them for some time. If nothing else, they could at least talk for a few minutes. "WHo am I kidding? I don't just want to talk to her. I want to hold her and tell her how much I am looking forward to the weekend". Once he finished eating and talking to everyone, he stood up and said "I am going home to freshen up. I came in here directly from office. I will finish some work and come back here for dinner".He couldn't possibly beckon his wife in front of her whole family. She would get the message too, he hoped.
Ishita's heart and mind were on alert from the moment he had walked in. She hadnt had time to let him know about Soumya chitti's visit. She was as surprised as everyone else. She had picked up Ruhi from school, dropped everything at home, and changed into something casual so she could take Ruhi and Shravan to the park. Vandu and Bala had come to the Iyers, as they did every Friday evening. When she got there, and was waiting for Shravan to wear his shoes, she had heard the door bell. She instinctively checked her watch to see if it was time for Raman to come home. It wasn't, instead it was Mihika with her parents. Apparently, they had called her before they got on the flight, and asked her to come pick them from the airport. The trip to the park was cancelled and she ended up catching up with her aunt and uncle.
Once Raman was home, she was looking for an excuse to look at him, but she wasnt bold enough to stare at him openly, not yet. Her whole family would be watching her every move. Vandu and Mihika wouldn't miss any exchange between the couple, and would tease her later for it. Ishita hadn't told them about the kisses and their growing attraction. That was too private to be discussed, even with sisters. Somehow, she knew, they would find out on their own. She wasn't that good an actor.
A few minutes after Raman left, she told her Amma with a casual voice, "Amma, I will go and check if Raman needs anything, OK? I will be back in some time"
Vandu and Mihika looked at each other and Mihika said "Kya Ishita akka. Kya chaahiye hoga Jiju ko? He just had coffee and snacks. ANyway, he said he has to work na. So leave him alone. If he needs anything, he'll surely call you. Baitho na yahaan pe, kitne dinon baad sab saath mein hai, and that too in a happy situation. Please akka?" Mihika was a better actor than her Ishita akka. She then called Ruhi innocently and told her "Ruhi beta, go to your dad and tell him Ishima is busy here, and if he needs anything, just call out OK?"
When Raman heard what Ruhi said, he started his countdown to dinner. He really had to find something to do now. He couldn't go back to the Iyers, since he'd told them he had work to do. He then realised it had been a long time ago, since he was really alone in that room. He used to be so comfortable in the the meaningless noise coming out of the TV. That was his lullaby. Now, even when he was watching something interesting on TV, he was used to her presence. Even if she was taunting him to stop watching the cricket match. He smiled and turned on the TV and tuned out. A few more hours, he thought, and then she would be back here. He had the whole weekend, and the rest of his life. He could learn to be patient.
Dinner was a grand affair that night at the Iyer home. Raman saw quite a few shopping bags lying around, which weren't there before. He had asked Bala what all that was. Bala told him it was saaman for the puja on Sunday, some groceries, and gifts for Mihir. They were planning to visit Mihir the next day. Raman asked "You guys got all this in the last couple of hours? You should have called me. Appa's back is already weak, I could have helped no?" Even before Bala could politely answer, his wife interrupted "Arre Raman, You said you were busy with work na, how could we disturb you?" Raman could've sworn he saw a mischevious twinkle in Vandita's eyes that evening.
Once dinner was over, he called Ruhi and said, "Ruhi beta, chalo ghar chalte hain. Bahut der ho gayi hai. Aaj main aapko story bhi sunaaoonga OK? Ishimaa aa jaayengi thodi der mein" He was ashamed to admit that he wanted his daughter asleep before his wife got home.
Thats when Soumya chitti spoke "Raman beta, please hum sab itne dino baad saath mein hain. And we have to discuss so many things about the wedding. Hum toh bas do din ke liye hain yahaan pe. We cannot do all this without Ishita. She knows all the PUnjabi traditions also now, so she will be really helpful to us. She needs to explain everything to me, so when I go back to Chennai, we can plan and shop everything correctly for the wedding. Do you mind if she sleeps here for a couple of nights please? She'll come back in the mornings of course, and nothing will get disturbed in your home. Bas raat mein hum kaafi late tak baatein karenge, so its better she sleeps here too na? Ruhi can also stay here, so you dont have to worry about her."
Raman looked at her and said the only thing a decent man would "Arre chitti, please bolke sharminda mat karo aap. Aap ki beti hai, aapka poora haq banta hai. She can stay here, and dont worry about our house. We'll manage everything. Aap bas shaadi ki planning theek se kar lena"
Bala inncoently said "Arre Raman, think of this as your bachelor weekend. You can watch anything you want on TV, wake up whenever you want, not take care of your kid. Wow, I wish I was that lucky" when Vandita slapped his arm.
Raman had some of choicest foul words ready on his tongue. But he controlled himself, saying them out loud would do no good. The words were in Punjabi anyway. He had 2 nights in a row to curse out loud in the solitude of his room. The saddest part was, he couldn't even kiss her good bye. There was no way the ladies would let her out now. He mousily bid everyone good night, kissed his daughter on the forehead and went back home. Surprisingly, he fell asleep immediately. He was woken up around midnight, by voices from the living room. His family had come back from the cinemas. He grunted as he put the pillow over his head and tried to go back to sleep. It eluded him. He tried watching TV, playing games on his phone and even tried reading a book. Nothing could put him to sleep. Once he was up, he couldn't keep thoughts out of his head either. He missed her badly. He checked the time, it was way after 1:00 AM now, when he was struck with an idea.
He sent her a message on Whatsapp "Hi" and did a small victory dance when he saw her almost-immediate reply.
"Hi Raman, aap abhi soye nahin?"
"Nahin, neend nahin aa rahi hai, kya kar rahi ho? call kar sakta hoon?"
"No, hum sab ek hi room mein hain. Bas abhi sone hi waale the. main baat nahi kar sakti, sorry"
"mere pass ek plan hai"
"Plan, this time of the night? Kya Raman?"
"Sab so jaayenge, toh around 2:00 tum neeche store room mein aana ok?"
"Raman, store room mein ?"
"Trust me, thats the only place we can be alone now, and no one will interrupt us"
"The watchman?"
"Arre woh kaamchor nahin aayega. Yaad nahin Ruhi ke birthday par kaise headphone lagaake rounds maar raha tha. abhi bhi waise hi hai, bas gaana change hua hai... aajkal 'whistle bajaa' sun raha hai bewakoof"
"OK Raman. 2:00 AM then"
"OK, late mat karna"
He ran downstairs after some time and paid the watchman a thousand rupees and told him not to take that route for the next couple of hours. He checked to make sure they had a place to sit comfortably, turned off the lights so they wouldn't attract any attention, and started checking the time again. He heard a knock precisely at 2:00 AM.
"Arre knock kyon kar rahi ho Ishita, andar aao. Itni raat ko aur kaun ho sakta hai yahaan." He had to remind himself not to be sarcastic to her, not tonight. He still didnt know what he wanted to do that night. The door creaked open slowly and she came in quickly and went quiet. It was dark inside, so may be she was adjusting her eyesight. He didn't move either. The words started coming out of his mouth "Kab se wait kar raha hoon. I missed you so much. Tumhaari Chitti ko na bhi nahin kar sakta
tha, woh kya sochti mere baare mein. Kitna kucch socha tha maine weekend ke baare mein. Sab flop ho gaya, ab Mihir ki shaadi hone tak humko akele time spend karne ka mauka nahin milega... I just wish they would elope and get married tomorrow!" he let out a groan of frustration and thats when he heard her laugh.
"You are laughing? Seriously Ishita, tell me you don't feel the same way about me? I thought after the last few days when we..." His sentence never finished.
"STOP STOP STOP, I dont want to hear more" he heard a voice that was NOT hers. He fumbled and found the switch to turn the lights on. Thats when he saw Mihika, who let go of her suppressed laughter. She was laughing so hard that tears escaped her eyes. Raman stood there, eyes open, jaw dropped, head shaking slowly. Before he could catch himself, Mihika took his picture on her phone and then shouted "Vandu Akka, come in now, Sorry i couldnt act any more and started laughing"
"What are you ladies doing here? at this time of the night? and where is Ishita? did she put you up to this?" were all the questions he wanted to ask, but his voicebox was out-of-order.
Vandu, after she stopped laughing too, said "OK OK. Stop Mihika. Give the poor guy a break. See, for once, Ishu's Raavan Kumar is speechless." Mihika made a mock sad face and looked at him "Hi Jiju, aap yahaan, itni raat ko? Ishita akka toh kab ki so gayi."
"Woh main bas kucch saaman lene aaya tha. Tum log?" he said the first thing that came to his mind. That is when he realised her last line, and then he saw it, the phone in Mihika's hand; it wasnt hers. It was Ishita's. He realised that he'd been punked... big time. He remembered every word he'd typed and said in the last hour. He did not want to be in front of a mirror right now, he couldn't bear facing the embarassment.
He looked at Mihika the same way he'd looked at her fiance earlier that day "Delete Everything. This never happened!!!"
"When I am with you, we stay up all night.
When you're not here, I can't go to sleep.
Praise God for those two insomnias!
And the difference between them."
- Rumi
*** So, how was it ???
I will now say what I wanted to at the beginning: I am not usually a tease, but considering some real-life events and the song I chose, I couldn't resist spinning this yarn the way I did 😛
Edited by always_a_TV_fan - 11 years ago
Udne Ki Aasha
Anupamaa
Fan Fictions
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