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Hello All,
I wrote this OS for the 200 epi celebration thread. Some of you have already read it :) I thought I'd post it separately too, so it would be easier to find and I'd get to read some feedback. This is, by far, the 'sweetest' OS I have ever written
This one is for Nikki, Divya & Ranju... they pushed me for a Karwa Chouth theme... Hope you all like it đ
The title for this one is "Aye Chand teri Chandni ki Kasam" from Tera Jaadu Chal Gaya
***
As he walked across Mihir's desk, he heard Mihir fighting with Mihika. Raman smiled. He knew both Mihir and MIhika well enough to know that they wouldn't survive one day without fighting. Raman had often tried to imagine an older Mihir and Mihika, with a couple of kids, but he could never form that image. He didn't know if these two would ever grow up and enjoy the bliss of matrimony. "Stop Raman. You are a father of two kids, and even you don't have matrimonial bliss. There is no such thing, that stuff is made of thin air." His inner voice always spoke out the truth, and it shut him up always without fail. He'd given up on the hope of a blissful married life a long time ago.
That's not to say he was unhappy. He was probably the happiest person he knew. He had everything, a loving family, a supporting wife, an adorable daughter, a son who was on the way to being reformed. He also had more money than he could ever have thought possible. When he was married the first time, he had a wife he wanted to please in every sense, but the only means to please her seemed to be the one thing that he didn't have; money. Now he had all the money in the world, and was married to a woman who wanted nothing to do with it. With each passing day, and with every hurdle they crossed together, Raman had grown to admire Ishita more and more. She was the best person he had ever met. She had a generous heart, a clean soul, and brains to match. She never believed in materialistic pleasures, but would get excited at seemingly meaningless gestures like walking together at night, sitting on a bench talking, and even standing in the balcony trying to catch drops of rain. She seemed calm, and serene. If there was a face of content, it was hers. Raman knew that, and that made him question his purpose in life.
He had achieved everything he had set out to. But he never seemed to be as calm as her. There was always a fire in him, which was still lit, but it wasnt shining any light any more. He couldn't put a finger on it, but he knew he was missing something in life. The sudden rise in Mihir's voice made him break his thought process. "Arre Mihika, Ishita bhabhi bhi to karengi na. Ek din ke liye itna to jhel hi sakti ho yaar. I don't know har baat pe itna bhaav kyon khaati ho" Mihir seemed annoyed. Mihika must have laid a massive guilt trip on him after the last line he said, because the next line Mihir uttered was said with a meek tone "Acchha baba, I promise, after you do this, I'll take a whole weekend off. We'll do some touristy stuff around Delhi, just you and me. OK? Please baba, maan jaao na" He fist-bumped with the air when he heard her reply. He mouthed a quick 'I Love You' and hung up. His smile vanished when he saw Raman standing there and looking at him confused. Mihir couldn't make out if it was confusion or annoyance.
"Bhai, sorry, I know I shouldn't have taken this call here, but my mobile battery was finished, and I didn't bring my charger today. Anyway, I shouldn't have been speaking so loudly. I am really sorry Bhai." Mihir apologised, not knowing why his brother was acting so strange.
"No its OK MIhir. Kya hua? Madrasan kis baat pe peeche padi hai ?"
"Bhai, woh main uske peeche pada tha." Mihir said sheepishly.
"Phir to sach mein chhota dimaag hai tera. Tujhe pata nahin, sota hua sher aur biwi ka gussa; In dono to akele chhodna chaahiye. Inke saamne apna dimaag istemal nahin karna chaahiye. Waise kiya kya tune? and Ishita ke baare mein kya bol raha tha?"
"Accha, to aapko yeh pata lagaana hai, ki bhaabhi ki baat kyon ho rahi thi? tabhi main sochun, ki aapko mere aur Mihika mein itna interest kyon hai" Raman placed a nice little slap on the back of Mihir's head.
"OK Bhai... aapko to pata hi hoga, ki monday ko karva chauth hai. Bas main Mihika ko manaa raha tha, ki woh bhi vrat rakhe. To chalu ho gayi, saying Iyers don't have any such tradition, and poora din mere liye bhooki nahin rahegi and so on. Tab maine usko bola ki Bhabhi bhi to vrat rakh rahi hain na?"
Before Raman could think about formulating a response, an "Oh " came out of his mouth and it sounded like a question. He had no idea about any of this. If Mihir had noticed it, he hadn't mentioned. In fact, Mihir looked guilty and went back to doing his work. Raman quietly went back to his cabin, forgetting the print-outs he had gone out to collect in the first place. He looked at his watch, it was only 3. It would be a few hours till he could see her. He needed to talk to her and confirm the information. Although, Mihir would not lie about such a thing, Raman had to confirm if his wife was, indeed, fasting for a day for his longevity. He really didn't know what to make of it. The first thing he would have to do, would be to talk to his mother. Raman was sure she had put Ishita up to it. She must have fed her some old story, and said it would be very bad to break traditions, and Ishita would have fallen for it. He would surely have to talk to her. He called the clinic and Sarika answered. She told him that Ishita wasn't feeling well and had gone home. For as long as he'd known her, she'd never fallen ill, not to mention taking the day off from work.
He went home as soon as he could, and walked straight into their room, without even replying to his mother's question about why he was early. He saw her lying down under a blanket, on her side of the bed. This, from a woman, who had never even looked at the bed unless Ruhi was in their room. Her whole body was covered by the blanket, and she didn't respond to his voice. He took the blanket of her face and touched her forehead. She was burning up with fever and started shivering as soon as her face was exposed. He put the blanket back on her face and went out and asked his mother. His mother nonchalantly replied that Ishita had fever, and she'd just taken a couple of pills and would probably sleep for a few hours. "aapne mujhe bola kyon nahin?" he scowled at his mother.
"arre puttar, bas fever hi hai, and uska gala thoda kharaab hai. Most probably tonsils ki problem hogi. agar paracetamol khaane ke baad bhi fever kam nahin hua to kal subah doctor ke paas le jaayenge. "
"Bas fever aur gala kharab, and tonsils? aapko pata nahin, Ishita ko aaj tak koi health problem nahin hui hai. aur achanak ab yeh? Kya hua, kyon hua yeh sab pata lagaana padega na? kucch kha liya tha kya usne? ya phir se baarish mein ghoomne ka shauk chhada tha usko? and aap doctor ko abhi bula sakti thi na? why wait for tomorrow? Mummy aap bhi na, aapko koi fikar hi nahin hai Ishita ki" he was getting madder because of his mother's calmness. That is when his mother-in-law walked in with his daughter. She had heard everything he was saying. He was shocked when he heard her support his mother.
"Raman, its only fever. Dont worry, Ishu ne khud bola ki theek ho jaayegi. She falls ill very rarely, but when she does, she also bounces back very quickly. Just make sure she gets some sleep, and dont let her talk too much. She'll aggravate her throat pain" his wife's mother said as calmly as his own. Even his daughter didn't seem too concerned. It looked like they had enough notice, and he was the last person to know that his wife was ill.
He should have been happy that the entire family was already aware of her illness, and were taking care of her. But there was that annoying thought at the back of his head, that came to him some times like an itch you cannot scratch "I should have been here first to take care of her". Those were the times he was mad at the family. Those were the times he wished he had her all to himself.
He helped Ruhi with her homework and dinner that night, and asked her to sleep with his parents. Every 15 mins or so, he would go to their room and check Ishita's temperature. He couldn't make out anything, it felt to him that the fever spiked and came down with every alternate visit of his. SHe'd stopped shivering, so he took that as a good sign and decided against calling the doctor or taking her to the hospital.
Long after everyone had gone to bed, he'd gone to their room, and started working on his laptop. Every few minutes his eyes wandered over to her; he couldn't really get any work done. She woke up with a start around midnight, and immediately said "Ruhi?" and started looking around. He went to her and asked her to lie down again, and checked her fever. She did seem OK, but her voice was still hoarse.
"Raman, where is Ruhi? What time is it? Why is it so dark outside?" she asked, concerned about their daughter, as usual.
"Arre meri ma, chupp ho jaao, nahin to sab uth jaayenge. raat ke baarah bajne waale hain, sab so gaye hain. Ruhi is with mom and dad, and she is fine. SHe had her dinner and completed her homework too." he calmed her down a bit.
"Raman, did you eat?" she asked him quietly
"No, I wasn't hungry. Do you feel like eating? " he asked her, hoping his stomach wouldnt start growling at the most inopportune moment.
"I am not hungry, my throat feels too sore. But you should eat something please. Shall I heat food for you?"
"No, I am fine Ishita, main tumhaare liye haldi aur doodh leke aata hoon, tum bas uthna nahin. and tell me where the tablets are, I'll get them for you too"
"I'll drink it if you eat, OK?" she said, ever the stubborn one. Raman slapped his hand on his forehead and took her hand gently and walked with her to the living room.
Once he was sure she'd drunk the milk, he asked "How are you feeling?"
"I am OK Raman, I will be perfectly fine in a couple of days. I have to be. Monday is Karwa Chauth and mummy ji has given me all the instructions. I need to prepare for it too."
"arre goli maaro vrat ko. Aisi tabiyat hai tumhaari, and tum poore din bhooki rahogi? waise bhi mera murder karne ke liye din raat tayyar rehti ho, to mere liye fasting karne ki koi zaroorat nahin hai." he scolded her, instantly feeling guilty for mistreating her when she was ill.
"Who's doing it for you?" she asked with a smile. Her voice was gone, but her sharp tongue hadnt lost it
"Kyon? aur kitne pati hain tumhaare?" he asked back, with a teasing face. He was happy that she had at least retained her spirits.
"No, I mean, its an important tradition. Its the first one after marriage too, and I will really be fine Raman. Even if I were sick, I could fast. Ek din khaana nahin khaaya to kucch nahin hoga. Waise bhi you keep telling me that I eat too much na?" she was on her way to victory. She knew it and he did too.
"OK, lets review the situation in 2 days. I'll think about it" he said, clearly not having any more decent arguments.
Sunday night came soon enough, and the Bhalla household resembled a temple. Anything and everything had hues of red on it. There were too many pots and pans in the kitchen, and too many female relatives in the living room. It was a big deal, and Toshiji had made sure to invite all the ladies from the society the next day too, so there were lots of packed gifts too. Raman was just baffled by the situation.
He'd seen all this before, but the radiance on his mother's face, the smile on his father's and the eagerness on his wife's face was something he'd never dreamt of before. All such family functions during his first marriage were met with a reluctance on Shagun's face. She'd argue about the relevance, importance and the need for them. His parents had given up after a certain point. But this one was different. Everyone seemed to be looking forward to the next day, including the men. He would never say it out loud, but he was pleased that Ishita was meeting all the requirements of an ideal daughter-in-law. If anyone had told him all this 6 months ago, he'd have surely laughed.
Mihir had come down and asked if he could bunk with Romi. Raman was most amused by it and asked Mihir, "Kyon? auraton ki function mein tera kya kaam hai? waise bhi kal office mein bahut meetings hain, I want you there sharp at 9:00 AM. I don't want you distracted"
"No bhai. You don't know? They have to get up very very early in the morning and eat. Sargi kehte hain usse. aapko pata hai na?" Mihir asked with confusion.
"Mujhe sab pata hai, lekin tu kya karega usmein?" Raman asked again.
"Bhai, woh Mihika ne condition rakhi thi. If I spent time with her, and 'suffered' all the rituals with her, then she'll fast for me. Suffer is the word she used, and now I know why. Bhai, subah 3 baje ke baad directly raat ko khaana milega. Wouldnt that be torture?" Mihir said meekly. He clearly wasn't going to be the dominant one in his marriage.
Raman just laughed it off, and said "OK. we'll push some meetings, and attend the rest via conference calls. If its too busy here, we'll take the calls in Amma's house. Go sleep in Romi's room" Raman said.
"Bhai, what do you mean by 'we'?" Mihir smiled and asked the obvious question, and ran away before he could hear any caustic curses from Raman.
Raman had already made up his mind. If she was going to endure starvation for him, especially when she was just recovering, the least he could do was to support her. He also had to make sure her illness didnt get worse. But there was no way he'd admit that to anyone. So when he went to their room and saw her trying to sleep, he said nothing but "Good Night".
"Raman, could you please pull this blanket over me? It's a bit chilly tonight" she said when he heard him come in
"Kyon? tumhaare haathon mein mehendi lagi hai ?" he asked without looking at her.
She got up from the couch and trust her henna-filled palms in his face and showed him that he was right.
"Cheee, stay away from me. That stuff stinks. and what are you thinking, sleeping on the couch with that? Do you know how expensive that couch is? I dont want it all green and smelling in the morning. You can sleep on the bed tonight" he said, hoping she wouldnt argue over that. He should have known that she would.
"kyon? bed expensive nahin hai? and raat ko mera haath aap pe aa gaya, and your face or hair turn red because of my mehendi, then? this stuff won't even come off" she laughed at him. Both of them knew what his intention was; all he wanted was her comfort. But neither of them was ready to face any questions of emotions or feelings towards each other. They deflected to humour and sarcasm, their natural resting spot.
"Its OK. we'll put an old bed-sheet on it, and I will sleep on the couch" he said, and made the arrangements for her. Once she was settled, he set his alarm for 3:00 am and went to sleep too.
When she was ready to go into the living room, she saw him getting up and she made a face. "Kyon? couch pe neend nahin aa rahi hai? You were waiting for me to leave?" she asked.
"No, I just wanted to make sure you were up. and check if you have fever. I am telling you again, if you dont feel well enough, then you dont have to do this. Mummy will understand." he said
"Kucch bhi Raman. Mummyji will understand, but if you even get one scratch ever in your life, you'll taunt me saying I caused it. BEcause I didn't fast for your safety. SO you see, I am doing this for my peace" she showed her teeth, as if winning against him was her ultimate reward in life.
He came up to her, touched her forehead and that silenced them both. No matter how much they tried, they couldn't deny the effect they had on each other. They were both relieved by Toshiji's voice calling for her.
While Ishita was just finishing eating all the food that her mother-in-law had prepared, she couldnt help but glow. SHe'd offered her help, but Toshiji had strictly told her that it was the mother in law's duty to make sargi, and she wouldn't take any help from her. Ishita looked around and saw everyone, including her Amma and Vandita akka who'd come there to participate. Even Mihika, who was making faces at being woken up so early, was basking in the attention Mihir was showering on her. Raman came to the table just then and asked his mother for something to eat.
"Itna saara khaana Ishita ko khilaaoge to saal bhar khaane ki zaroorat nahin hogi madam ko. Kucch ghar ke beton ko bhi khilaao mummy" he said and ate some food.
When she went into their room after a couple of hours to get her car keys to drop Ruhi to school, she found him sleeping on the bed. "Aiyyo Raman, kitna late ho gaya hai aapko. Utho please, office ke liye der ho rahi hai aapko. and boliye breakfast mein kya chaahiye? Mummyji ne bola ki aaj omelette nahin ban sakta hai. To Amma ke yahaan se idli leke aaon? ki cornflakes chalenge?"
"Arre chupp ho jaao. Gala theek ho gaya iska matlab nahin ki poori duniya ko prove kar ke dikhaao ki tum theek ho gayi ho. Itna fast aur itna saara kaise bol paati ho tum. Woh bhi itni subah subah?" he said, irritation clear in his voice. When he saw her from the corner of his half-opened eyes, he sat up and said "couch pe soya tha, to thodi back pain ho rahi hai. So I will work from home I think. and I have eaten so much, that I dont feel hungry now. I will eat if I feel like it OK? you go please"
"work from home??? But Mihir toh bol raha tha ki aapki bahut important meetings hain aaj? and you've given him permission to stay with Mihika, but you were going to go to office?" she asked, her brows knit together.
"Main CEO hoon, Mihir nahin." he said, making a mental note to beat up Mihir later and muttered "Bhabhi ka chamcha"
"Kya kaha aapne?" she asked.
"Kucch nahin, please jaao tum. khaana nahin milega to mera dimaag hi khaaogi lagta hai" he said lying down again and pulling a pillow over his head.
They kept seeing each other regularly for the rest of the day, but had no chance to talk. Every time he went to the living room under the pretext of getting something, he halted for a few minutes to observe her. SHe was scurrying around talking to people, inviting friends, exchanging gifts with everyone. He made sure she didn't look flustered, and wasn't about to faint. When she walked into their room a few times in the day to check up on him and ask him if he had eaten anything, he was always on the phone, and used to signal her saying he'd eaten.
In the evening, when all the ladies had gathered for the ceremonial story telling, the men left the Bhalla house to find something to do. Mr Bhalla and Mr Iyer took the kids to the park. Bala had gone out for some work, and Mihir and Raman went to the Iyers' home to watch some TV. When Ishita was free, she went there to ask Raman if he wanted coffee or anything else to eat. He told her he'd raided Amma's kitchen shelves for some snacks and he was all set. Mihir started coughing violently at that, and Raman slapped him hard on his back on the pretense of stopping his cough. Once Ishita left, Mihir asked Raman "Kyon bhai? aapne kucch nahin khaaya, jhoot kyon bole phir?"
"Tu nahin samjhega Mihir. Dimaag pe zyaada zor mat daal" Raman said and started intently pushing buttons on the remote.
"Bhai, main to sab kucch samajhta hoon. Lekin lagta hain samajh aapke paas abhi aayi hai. Chalo, koi nahin, der aaye durust aaye" Mihir smiled as he ducked when Raman threw the remote at him.
All the men were summoned up to the terrace when there was an apparent sighting of the moon. Exactly at that moment, someone from the office called Raman. Raman asked Mihir to go up and let everyone know he would be there in a few minutes. As Ishita saw everyone looking at the moon through the sieve, and then looking at their respective partners, she had a wistful look on her face. As much as she liked her life then, she couldnt help but wonder if it would ever get as complete as it had for the couples around her. Even her mother and Vandita akka, who weren't fasting, looked up at their husbands with love. Their looks were all telling. Every womand there looked at her husband with an emotion that she never thought would be possible for her. She'd have to remain content with the relationship she had.
She shook her head to clear off any thoughts that were remotely negative and looked at her watch. She was hungry and her throat was getting worse with all the hustle and bustle of the day. She needed to eat and then take some tablets before going to sleep. She'd gathered all the energy she had and stood up on her feet. She saw Romi taking pictures of all the happy couples. When he spotted her, he volunteered to go get Raman. Ishita stopped him and told him that Raman would be there soon.
Raman's call lasted for some time. It was a call from an angry investor from London, who was asking about the delays they were having in their project. Raman finally turned a bit rude and told them that it was late in the night and his wife was waiting for him. THe investor's anger seemed to fade suddenly and he hung up. Raman smiled when he thought that wives seemed to be feared globally. He ran up to the terrace walking up 2 steps at a time. He'd changed into a traditional kurta as soon as he'd hung up on the phone. He wanted to make sure that when they looked at these pictures 10 years later, his wife wouldnt have any opportunity to taunt him saying he hadn't even taken the effort to dress up while she'd been starving for him all day.
The sight that greeted him on the terrace was something out of the world. She was wearing a red saree, with lots of heavy jewellery on her hands and around her neck. Her hair was tied into a loose braid on the side, and she had minimal make-up on. She had a serene smile on her face when she was looking around at the couples, but a small hint of sadness on her face that she was alone. He'd made her wait too long. He rushed up to her and said "chalo chalo, yeh sab jaldi karo, bade zoro ki bhook lagi hai. Subah se paani ka ek boond nahin piya hai maine". He bit his tongue when he realised what he'd blurted out. Looking at her, standing there like an angel had made him forget everything. His resolve had melted, and his brains mushed.
It took her a few seconds to realise what he'd said. Her mouth opened to say something, but the words didn't come out. She looked at him with a feeling she'd forgotten a long time ago. Her hands started shaking, and he had to physically guide her to look at the moon and complete the rituals. After he'd fed her some water, she gathered the courage to ask him "Aapne subah se kucch nahi khaaya? Mere liye?"
"Nahin, Chane ke ped pe chhadke dance mat karna abhi. Dopahar tak toh bhook nahin lagi, uske baad mujhe time nahin mila. Main to bas abhi aise hi bol raha tha. I was just saying what you must be feeling. You havent eaten anything na. thats all. I am fine, not hungry at all. I could go like this for 2 more days, i dont know what the drama is about fasting anyway" He was clearly trying to recover lost ground.
"Accha chalo phir. Mujhe bahut bhook lagi hai. Mere saath aap bhi thoda kha lena, OK?" she said. She was clearly not in a mood to argue with him. He had given her support that day, and that would have to do for the present.
"waise, tumne pati ke liye fast rakha. Tum ko toh reward mil hi gaya, isse acchha pati kahaan milta tumko. Main soch raha hoon, ki mere sacrifice ke liye mujhe kya milega?" he said with an evil glint in his eyes.
"Kya chaahiye aapko?" she asked, worried about the look on his face.
"Europe ghoomne chalein? Sirf tum aur main?" he asked in a tone that neither of them had heard before.
Later that night, when Romi put up all his pictures on the TV in the living room, Ishita saw her face looking up at Raman, just after he'd admitted he had not eaten the whole day. The look on her face was exactly the same one she saw on every woman's earlier on the terrace. She did not have to turn her head to see he was staring at the picture too.
"How do you spell 'love'?" - Piglet
"You don't spell it...you feel it." - Pooh
- A.A. Milne
*** So how was it?
I wrote this OS for the 200 epi celebration thread. Some of you have already read it :) I thought I'd post it separately too, so it would be easier to find and I'd get to read some feedback. This is, by far, the 'sweetest' OS I have ever written
This one is for Nikki, Divya & Ranju... they pushed me for a Karwa Chouth theme... Hope you all like it đ
The title for this one is "Aye Chand teri Chandni ki Kasam" from Tera Jaadu Chal Gaya
***
As he walked across Mihir's desk, he heard Mihir fighting with Mihika. Raman smiled. He knew both Mihir and MIhika well enough to know that they wouldn't survive one day without fighting. Raman had often tried to imagine an older Mihir and Mihika, with a couple of kids, but he could never form that image. He didn't know if these two would ever grow up and enjoy the bliss of matrimony. "Stop Raman. You are a father of two kids, and even you don't have matrimonial bliss. There is no such thing, that stuff is made of thin air." His inner voice always spoke out the truth, and it shut him up always without fail. He'd given up on the hope of a blissful married life a long time ago.
That's not to say he was unhappy. He was probably the happiest person he knew. He had everything, a loving family, a supporting wife, an adorable daughter, a son who was on the way to being reformed. He also had more money than he could ever have thought possible. When he was married the first time, he had a wife he wanted to please in every sense, but the only means to please her seemed to be the one thing that he didn't have; money. Now he had all the money in the world, and was married to a woman who wanted nothing to do with it. With each passing day, and with every hurdle they crossed together, Raman had grown to admire Ishita more and more. She was the best person he had ever met. She had a generous heart, a clean soul, and brains to match. She never believed in materialistic pleasures, but would get excited at seemingly meaningless gestures like walking together at night, sitting on a bench talking, and even standing in the balcony trying to catch drops of rain. She seemed calm, and serene. If there was a face of content, it was hers. Raman knew that, and that made him question his purpose in life.
He had achieved everything he had set out to. But he never seemed to be as calm as her. There was always a fire in him, which was still lit, but it wasnt shining any light any more. He couldn't put a finger on it, but he knew he was missing something in life. The sudden rise in Mihir's voice made him break his thought process. "Arre Mihika, Ishita bhabhi bhi to karengi na. Ek din ke liye itna to jhel hi sakti ho yaar. I don't know har baat pe itna bhaav kyon khaati ho" Mihir seemed annoyed. Mihika must have laid a massive guilt trip on him after the last line he said, because the next line Mihir uttered was said with a meek tone "Acchha baba, I promise, after you do this, I'll take a whole weekend off. We'll do some touristy stuff around Delhi, just you and me. OK? Please baba, maan jaao na" He fist-bumped with the air when he heard her reply. He mouthed a quick 'I Love You' and hung up. His smile vanished when he saw Raman standing there and looking at him confused. Mihir couldn't make out if it was confusion or annoyance.
"Bhai, sorry, I know I shouldn't have taken this call here, but my mobile battery was finished, and I didn't bring my charger today. Anyway, I shouldn't have been speaking so loudly. I am really sorry Bhai." Mihir apologised, not knowing why his brother was acting so strange.
"No its OK MIhir. Kya hua? Madrasan kis baat pe peeche padi hai ?"
"Bhai, woh main uske peeche pada tha." Mihir said sheepishly.
"Phir to sach mein chhota dimaag hai tera. Tujhe pata nahin, sota hua sher aur biwi ka gussa; In dono to akele chhodna chaahiye. Inke saamne apna dimaag istemal nahin karna chaahiye. Waise kiya kya tune? and Ishita ke baare mein kya bol raha tha?"
"Accha, to aapko yeh pata lagaana hai, ki bhaabhi ki baat kyon ho rahi thi? tabhi main sochun, ki aapko mere aur Mihika mein itna interest kyon hai" Raman placed a nice little slap on the back of Mihir's head.
"OK Bhai... aapko to pata hi hoga, ki monday ko karva chauth hai. Bas main Mihika ko manaa raha tha, ki woh bhi vrat rakhe. To chalu ho gayi, saying Iyers don't have any such tradition, and poora din mere liye bhooki nahin rahegi and so on. Tab maine usko bola ki Bhabhi bhi to vrat rakh rahi hain na?"
Before Raman could think about formulating a response, an "Oh " came out of his mouth and it sounded like a question. He had no idea about any of this. If Mihir had noticed it, he hadn't mentioned. In fact, Mihir looked guilty and went back to doing his work. Raman quietly went back to his cabin, forgetting the print-outs he had gone out to collect in the first place. He looked at his watch, it was only 3. It would be a few hours till he could see her. He needed to talk to her and confirm the information. Although, Mihir would not lie about such a thing, Raman had to confirm if his wife was, indeed, fasting for a day for his longevity. He really didn't know what to make of it. The first thing he would have to do, would be to talk to his mother. Raman was sure she had put Ishita up to it. She must have fed her some old story, and said it would be very bad to break traditions, and Ishita would have fallen for it. He would surely have to talk to her. He called the clinic and Sarika answered. She told him that Ishita wasn't feeling well and had gone home. For as long as he'd known her, she'd never fallen ill, not to mention taking the day off from work.
He went home as soon as he could, and walked straight into their room, without even replying to his mother's question about why he was early. He saw her lying down under a blanket, on her side of the bed. This, from a woman, who had never even looked at the bed unless Ruhi was in their room. Her whole body was covered by the blanket, and she didn't respond to his voice. He took the blanket of her face and touched her forehead. She was burning up with fever and started shivering as soon as her face was exposed. He put the blanket back on her face and went out and asked his mother. His mother nonchalantly replied that Ishita had fever, and she'd just taken a couple of pills and would probably sleep for a few hours. "aapne mujhe bola kyon nahin?" he scowled at his mother.
"arre puttar, bas fever hi hai, and uska gala thoda kharaab hai. Most probably tonsils ki problem hogi. agar paracetamol khaane ke baad bhi fever kam nahin hua to kal subah doctor ke paas le jaayenge. "
"Bas fever aur gala kharab, and tonsils? aapko pata nahin, Ishita ko aaj tak koi health problem nahin hui hai. aur achanak ab yeh? Kya hua, kyon hua yeh sab pata lagaana padega na? kucch kha liya tha kya usne? ya phir se baarish mein ghoomne ka shauk chhada tha usko? and aap doctor ko abhi bula sakti thi na? why wait for tomorrow? Mummy aap bhi na, aapko koi fikar hi nahin hai Ishita ki" he was getting madder because of his mother's calmness. That is when his mother-in-law walked in with his daughter. She had heard everything he was saying. He was shocked when he heard her support his mother.
"Raman, its only fever. Dont worry, Ishu ne khud bola ki theek ho jaayegi. She falls ill very rarely, but when she does, she also bounces back very quickly. Just make sure she gets some sleep, and dont let her talk too much. She'll aggravate her throat pain" his wife's mother said as calmly as his own. Even his daughter didn't seem too concerned. It looked like they had enough notice, and he was the last person to know that his wife was ill.
He should have been happy that the entire family was already aware of her illness, and were taking care of her. But there was that annoying thought at the back of his head, that came to him some times like an itch you cannot scratch "I should have been here first to take care of her". Those were the times he was mad at the family. Those were the times he wished he had her all to himself.
He helped Ruhi with her homework and dinner that night, and asked her to sleep with his parents. Every 15 mins or so, he would go to their room and check Ishita's temperature. He couldn't make out anything, it felt to him that the fever spiked and came down with every alternate visit of his. SHe'd stopped shivering, so he took that as a good sign and decided against calling the doctor or taking her to the hospital.
Long after everyone had gone to bed, he'd gone to their room, and started working on his laptop. Every few minutes his eyes wandered over to her; he couldn't really get any work done. She woke up with a start around midnight, and immediately said "Ruhi?" and started looking around. He went to her and asked her to lie down again, and checked her fever. She did seem OK, but her voice was still hoarse.
"Raman, where is Ruhi? What time is it? Why is it so dark outside?" she asked, concerned about their daughter, as usual.
"Arre meri ma, chupp ho jaao, nahin to sab uth jaayenge. raat ke baarah bajne waale hain, sab so gaye hain. Ruhi is with mom and dad, and she is fine. SHe had her dinner and completed her homework too." he calmed her down a bit.
"Raman, did you eat?" she asked him quietly
"No, I wasn't hungry. Do you feel like eating? " he asked her, hoping his stomach wouldnt start growling at the most inopportune moment.
"I am not hungry, my throat feels too sore. But you should eat something please. Shall I heat food for you?"
"No, I am fine Ishita, main tumhaare liye haldi aur doodh leke aata hoon, tum bas uthna nahin. and tell me where the tablets are, I'll get them for you too"
"I'll drink it if you eat, OK?" she said, ever the stubborn one. Raman slapped his hand on his forehead and took her hand gently and walked with her to the living room.
Once he was sure she'd drunk the milk, he asked "How are you feeling?"
"I am OK Raman, I will be perfectly fine in a couple of days. I have to be. Monday is Karwa Chauth and mummy ji has given me all the instructions. I need to prepare for it too."
"arre goli maaro vrat ko. Aisi tabiyat hai tumhaari, and tum poore din bhooki rahogi? waise bhi mera murder karne ke liye din raat tayyar rehti ho, to mere liye fasting karne ki koi zaroorat nahin hai." he scolded her, instantly feeling guilty for mistreating her when she was ill.
"Who's doing it for you?" she asked with a smile. Her voice was gone, but her sharp tongue hadnt lost it
"Kyon? aur kitne pati hain tumhaare?" he asked back, with a teasing face. He was happy that she had at least retained her spirits.
"No, I mean, its an important tradition. Its the first one after marriage too, and I will really be fine Raman. Even if I were sick, I could fast. Ek din khaana nahin khaaya to kucch nahin hoga. Waise bhi you keep telling me that I eat too much na?" she was on her way to victory. She knew it and he did too.
"OK, lets review the situation in 2 days. I'll think about it" he said, clearly not having any more decent arguments.
Sunday night came soon enough, and the Bhalla household resembled a temple. Anything and everything had hues of red on it. There were too many pots and pans in the kitchen, and too many female relatives in the living room. It was a big deal, and Toshiji had made sure to invite all the ladies from the society the next day too, so there were lots of packed gifts too. Raman was just baffled by the situation.
He'd seen all this before, but the radiance on his mother's face, the smile on his father's and the eagerness on his wife's face was something he'd never dreamt of before. All such family functions during his first marriage were met with a reluctance on Shagun's face. She'd argue about the relevance, importance and the need for them. His parents had given up after a certain point. But this one was different. Everyone seemed to be looking forward to the next day, including the men. He would never say it out loud, but he was pleased that Ishita was meeting all the requirements of an ideal daughter-in-law. If anyone had told him all this 6 months ago, he'd have surely laughed.
Mihir had come down and asked if he could bunk with Romi. Raman was most amused by it and asked Mihir, "Kyon? auraton ki function mein tera kya kaam hai? waise bhi kal office mein bahut meetings hain, I want you there sharp at 9:00 AM. I don't want you distracted"
"No bhai. You don't know? They have to get up very very early in the morning and eat. Sargi kehte hain usse. aapko pata hai na?" Mihir asked with confusion.
"Mujhe sab pata hai, lekin tu kya karega usmein?" Raman asked again.
"Bhai, woh Mihika ne condition rakhi thi. If I spent time with her, and 'suffered' all the rituals with her, then she'll fast for me. Suffer is the word she used, and now I know why. Bhai, subah 3 baje ke baad directly raat ko khaana milega. Wouldnt that be torture?" Mihir said meekly. He clearly wasn't going to be the dominant one in his marriage.
Raman just laughed it off, and said "OK. we'll push some meetings, and attend the rest via conference calls. If its too busy here, we'll take the calls in Amma's house. Go sleep in Romi's room" Raman said.
"Bhai, what do you mean by 'we'?" Mihir smiled and asked the obvious question, and ran away before he could hear any caustic curses from Raman.
Raman had already made up his mind. If she was going to endure starvation for him, especially when she was just recovering, the least he could do was to support her. He also had to make sure her illness didnt get worse. But there was no way he'd admit that to anyone. So when he went to their room and saw her trying to sleep, he said nothing but "Good Night".
"Raman, could you please pull this blanket over me? It's a bit chilly tonight" she said when he heard him come in
"Kyon? tumhaare haathon mein mehendi lagi hai ?" he asked without looking at her.
She got up from the couch and trust her henna-filled palms in his face and showed him that he was right.
"Cheee, stay away from me. That stuff stinks. and what are you thinking, sleeping on the couch with that? Do you know how expensive that couch is? I dont want it all green and smelling in the morning. You can sleep on the bed tonight" he said, hoping she wouldnt argue over that. He should have known that she would.
"kyon? bed expensive nahin hai? and raat ko mera haath aap pe aa gaya, and your face or hair turn red because of my mehendi, then? this stuff won't even come off" she laughed at him. Both of them knew what his intention was; all he wanted was her comfort. But neither of them was ready to face any questions of emotions or feelings towards each other. They deflected to humour and sarcasm, their natural resting spot.
"Its OK. we'll put an old bed-sheet on it, and I will sleep on the couch" he said, and made the arrangements for her. Once she was settled, he set his alarm for 3:00 am and went to sleep too.
When she was ready to go into the living room, she saw him getting up and she made a face. "Kyon? couch pe neend nahin aa rahi hai? You were waiting for me to leave?" she asked.
"No, I just wanted to make sure you were up. and check if you have fever. I am telling you again, if you dont feel well enough, then you dont have to do this. Mummy will understand." he said
"Kucch bhi Raman. Mummyji will understand, but if you even get one scratch ever in your life, you'll taunt me saying I caused it. BEcause I didn't fast for your safety. SO you see, I am doing this for my peace" she showed her teeth, as if winning against him was her ultimate reward in life.
He came up to her, touched her forehead and that silenced them both. No matter how much they tried, they couldn't deny the effect they had on each other. They were both relieved by Toshiji's voice calling for her.
While Ishita was just finishing eating all the food that her mother-in-law had prepared, she couldnt help but glow. SHe'd offered her help, but Toshiji had strictly told her that it was the mother in law's duty to make sargi, and she wouldn't take any help from her. Ishita looked around and saw everyone, including her Amma and Vandita akka who'd come there to participate. Even Mihika, who was making faces at being woken up so early, was basking in the attention Mihir was showering on her. Raman came to the table just then and asked his mother for something to eat.
"Itna saara khaana Ishita ko khilaaoge to saal bhar khaane ki zaroorat nahin hogi madam ko. Kucch ghar ke beton ko bhi khilaao mummy" he said and ate some food.
When she went into their room after a couple of hours to get her car keys to drop Ruhi to school, she found him sleeping on the bed. "Aiyyo Raman, kitna late ho gaya hai aapko. Utho please, office ke liye der ho rahi hai aapko. and boliye breakfast mein kya chaahiye? Mummyji ne bola ki aaj omelette nahin ban sakta hai. To Amma ke yahaan se idli leke aaon? ki cornflakes chalenge?"
"Arre chupp ho jaao. Gala theek ho gaya iska matlab nahin ki poori duniya ko prove kar ke dikhaao ki tum theek ho gayi ho. Itna fast aur itna saara kaise bol paati ho tum. Woh bhi itni subah subah?" he said, irritation clear in his voice. When he saw her from the corner of his half-opened eyes, he sat up and said "couch pe soya tha, to thodi back pain ho rahi hai. So I will work from home I think. and I have eaten so much, that I dont feel hungry now. I will eat if I feel like it OK? you go please"
"work from home??? But Mihir toh bol raha tha ki aapki bahut important meetings hain aaj? and you've given him permission to stay with Mihika, but you were going to go to office?" she asked, her brows knit together.
"Main CEO hoon, Mihir nahin." he said, making a mental note to beat up Mihir later and muttered "Bhabhi ka chamcha"
"Kya kaha aapne?" she asked.
"Kucch nahin, please jaao tum. khaana nahin milega to mera dimaag hi khaaogi lagta hai" he said lying down again and pulling a pillow over his head.
They kept seeing each other regularly for the rest of the day, but had no chance to talk. Every time he went to the living room under the pretext of getting something, he halted for a few minutes to observe her. SHe was scurrying around talking to people, inviting friends, exchanging gifts with everyone. He made sure she didn't look flustered, and wasn't about to faint. When she walked into their room a few times in the day to check up on him and ask him if he had eaten anything, he was always on the phone, and used to signal her saying he'd eaten.
In the evening, when all the ladies had gathered for the ceremonial story telling, the men left the Bhalla house to find something to do. Mr Bhalla and Mr Iyer took the kids to the park. Bala had gone out for some work, and Mihir and Raman went to the Iyers' home to watch some TV. When Ishita was free, she went there to ask Raman if he wanted coffee or anything else to eat. He told her he'd raided Amma's kitchen shelves for some snacks and he was all set. Mihir started coughing violently at that, and Raman slapped him hard on his back on the pretense of stopping his cough. Once Ishita left, Mihir asked Raman "Kyon bhai? aapne kucch nahin khaaya, jhoot kyon bole phir?"
"Tu nahin samjhega Mihir. Dimaag pe zyaada zor mat daal" Raman said and started intently pushing buttons on the remote.
"Bhai, main to sab kucch samajhta hoon. Lekin lagta hain samajh aapke paas abhi aayi hai. Chalo, koi nahin, der aaye durust aaye" Mihir smiled as he ducked when Raman threw the remote at him.
All the men were summoned up to the terrace when there was an apparent sighting of the moon. Exactly at that moment, someone from the office called Raman. Raman asked Mihir to go up and let everyone know he would be there in a few minutes. As Ishita saw everyone looking at the moon through the sieve, and then looking at their respective partners, she had a wistful look on her face. As much as she liked her life then, she couldnt help but wonder if it would ever get as complete as it had for the couples around her. Even her mother and Vandita akka, who weren't fasting, looked up at their husbands with love. Their looks were all telling. Every womand there looked at her husband with an emotion that she never thought would be possible for her. She'd have to remain content with the relationship she had.
She shook her head to clear off any thoughts that were remotely negative and looked at her watch. She was hungry and her throat was getting worse with all the hustle and bustle of the day. She needed to eat and then take some tablets before going to sleep. She'd gathered all the energy she had and stood up on her feet. She saw Romi taking pictures of all the happy couples. When he spotted her, he volunteered to go get Raman. Ishita stopped him and told him that Raman would be there soon.
Raman's call lasted for some time. It was a call from an angry investor from London, who was asking about the delays they were having in their project. Raman finally turned a bit rude and told them that it was late in the night and his wife was waiting for him. THe investor's anger seemed to fade suddenly and he hung up. Raman smiled when he thought that wives seemed to be feared globally. He ran up to the terrace walking up 2 steps at a time. He'd changed into a traditional kurta as soon as he'd hung up on the phone. He wanted to make sure that when they looked at these pictures 10 years later, his wife wouldnt have any opportunity to taunt him saying he hadn't even taken the effort to dress up while she'd been starving for him all day.
The sight that greeted him on the terrace was something out of the world. She was wearing a red saree, with lots of heavy jewellery on her hands and around her neck. Her hair was tied into a loose braid on the side, and she had minimal make-up on. She had a serene smile on her face when she was looking around at the couples, but a small hint of sadness on her face that she was alone. He'd made her wait too long. He rushed up to her and said "chalo chalo, yeh sab jaldi karo, bade zoro ki bhook lagi hai. Subah se paani ka ek boond nahin piya hai maine". He bit his tongue when he realised what he'd blurted out. Looking at her, standing there like an angel had made him forget everything. His resolve had melted, and his brains mushed.
It took her a few seconds to realise what he'd said. Her mouth opened to say something, but the words didn't come out. She looked at him with a feeling she'd forgotten a long time ago. Her hands started shaking, and he had to physically guide her to look at the moon and complete the rituals. After he'd fed her some water, she gathered the courage to ask him "Aapne subah se kucch nahi khaaya? Mere liye?"
"Nahin, Chane ke ped pe chhadke dance mat karna abhi. Dopahar tak toh bhook nahin lagi, uske baad mujhe time nahin mila. Main to bas abhi aise hi bol raha tha. I was just saying what you must be feeling. You havent eaten anything na. thats all. I am fine, not hungry at all. I could go like this for 2 more days, i dont know what the drama is about fasting anyway" He was clearly trying to recover lost ground.
"Accha chalo phir. Mujhe bahut bhook lagi hai. Mere saath aap bhi thoda kha lena, OK?" she said. She was clearly not in a mood to argue with him. He had given her support that day, and that would have to do for the present.
"waise, tumne pati ke liye fast rakha. Tum ko toh reward mil hi gaya, isse acchha pati kahaan milta tumko. Main soch raha hoon, ki mere sacrifice ke liye mujhe kya milega?" he said with an evil glint in his eyes.
"Kya chaahiye aapko?" she asked, worried about the look on his face.
"Europe ghoomne chalein? Sirf tum aur main?" he asked in a tone that neither of them had heard before.
Later that night, when Romi put up all his pictures on the TV in the living room, Ishita saw her face looking up at Raman, just after he'd admitted he had not eaten the whole day. The look on her face was exactly the same one she saw on every woman's earlier on the terrace. She did not have to turn her head to see he was staring at the picture too.
"How do you spell 'love'?" - Piglet
"You don't spell it...you feel it." - Pooh
- A.A. Milne
*** So how was it?
Book Talk
Shiv Shakti
