FF In Her Majesty's Secret Service COMPLETED 2/9 pg 79 (R18) - Page 33

Where r u?

After Raman left, having given her gobhi ke parathas a thumbs up, Ishita finished tidying up the house, before going next door to see her parents.

She spent the afternoon with her amma and Mihika, trying to decide what to wear to the party. Mihika did not broach the topic of Subbu or Ishita's strange behaviour again, although Ishita could tell that she was dying to do so !! She had caught Mihika googling lipstick shades on her phone, Mihika guiltily closing the screen when she saw the look on her akka's face.

Mummyji called her at 2.00 pm from Mamaji's house.

"Woh puttar, Romi wapas aa raha hai " Mummyji told her, taking the phone back from Ruhi, who had been describing jalebis to her Ishima in minute detail.

"Wapas yahaan? Kyon Mummyji?"

"Mainu nahi pata puttar. Bas adhi raaste mein kehne laga ki us ko kuch kaam yaad aa gaya, wapas jaana padega. Phir bas gaadi rukwayi aur bhaag gaya. Paagal hai. Wahan hi aa raha hoga. Mein ne socha tumhe warn sharn kar do"

Mummyji chuckled as Ishita blushed on her end of the phone line.

Later that evening, Ishita had just set out the midnight blue sari with a gold border that she and Mihika had spent an hour selecting for her to wear, when her phone rang again.

She blushed as she saw Raman's name on the phone display, her antics of the morning rushing back to the forefront of her mind.

"Sweetheart, wear your white sari, the one I gave you for the vrahalakshmi puja" he ordered without any ceremony.

"Raman, mein ne to ek dusri sari select ki thi. Why that one?"

"Kitni sawal puchti ho yaar. Mein tera pati hoon aur mein keh raha hoon, isliye. "

"Ramaaan."

"Are yaar, I am going to be wearing my white tux, that's why. Biwi ho meri, match toh karna chahiye na?"

"Accha, thik hai" Ishita said, then added. "Raman, Mummyji ka call aya tha. Romi wapas aa raha hai".

"Yes, I know" he responded. "He came to the office a while ago. Batata hi nahi baat kya hai, bas baith kar mujhe dekh raha tha. Kabhi kabhi lagta hai jaise pagalkhanne me rehta hoon main. Anyway, I have sent him off to the Oberoi, he can attend the party tonight, meet some clients, it will be good for him."

"Lekin kya hua hai us ko Raman. Bahut upset lag raha tha aaj subah bhi"

"Areh, mein kya janoon yaar. Listen, the car will be there at seven. Make sure you are ready. Aur haan, mein Subramaniam ke haath kuch bhej raha hoon, tumhare liye. He should be there at any time now. Woh bhi pehen lena" And with that he ended the call.

"Kya, Raman" Ishita was still saying as the call was terminated. At the same time, a knock sounded on the front door. Ishita rushed to the door and found a smiling Subramaniam with a small carrier bag in his hands.

"Thank you" she said, taking the bag from him, and he left, informing her that his car was waiting and he needed to get ready for the party.

Ishita carried the bag into her room, and put it down as she took out the sari that Raman had gifted her and that he wanted her to wear. Then setting it out, she sat down and opened the bag.

Inside was a jewellers box, marked with the logo of a famous Delhi jeweller. Ishita looked at the box in awe, and was about to open it when her phone rang. Raman, the display read.

"Raman" Ishita said sweetly, taking his call.

"Subramaniam called me to say he'd delivered my present" his voice was noticeably softer then when he'd called a few minutes ago. "Like it, sweetheart?"

" I.. I haven't opened it yet, Raman"

"Open it yaar, what are you waiting for?. Tell me, do you like it?" His voice was full of boyish enthusiasm, and yet touchingly uncertain. That juxtaposition of vulnerability and confidence that Ishita just adored.

She opened the box with trembling fingers. Her breath caught as she stared at a glittering necklace, a thin silver band studded with diamonds. It was classic and understated, and just perfect. The phone slipped from her hand as she touched the jewel, holding it up to her neck. The tinny sound of Raman's voice from the phone cut through her absorption with the diamond, and she hastily picked up the phone.

"Raman, it's beautiful." Ishita said in an awed tone.

"So you like it jaan?" His voice was gentle.

"Like it? Raman, I love it. But Raman, kitna expensive lagta hai. Kyon liya apne? Kya zaroorat thi?"

"Zaroorat nahi thi, but I wanted to. Can't I give my wife a gift?"

"Raman, you don't have to buy me expensive gifts all the time, you know. You've already given me the most wonderful gift in Ruhi" Ishita's voice was teary.

"I know" he said with a chuckle." But diamonds are nice too, no?"

"Yes" Ishita replied with a soft giggle. " Diamonds are nice too."

" I'm sorry sweetheart" the laughter faded from his voice. "Sorry for the way I behaved this morning. Sorry for being such a jealous fool"

"Don't call my jaan a fool." Ishita replied soothingly."But if you are going to buy me such expensive sorry gifts, then you better not get jealous too often, hmm"

"Aadat mat padao yaar" he chuckled. "Now get ready and get here quickly. Is your paagal cousin coming with you?"

"Raman" Ishita protested. "Bechari Mihika ko to aap ne pareshan kiya hai na. Yes, we will come together."

"See you soon sweetheart. At the party"

Across the city, another woman was also getting dressed for the party. Sitting before the dressing table in the luxurious bedroom of Ashok's duplex apartment, Shagun was trying on one expensive necklace after another, rejecting them in succession as not being opulent enough.

She would show that behenji Ishita tonight, Shagun thought, fuming. She would show her up before Raman and all his important clients and investors. She may be Mrs Bhalla now, but there could only be one Shagun, and Raman would never be over her, never.

Shagun admired her reflection in the mirror, her strapless skimpy gold blouse barely covered by her transparent gold sari. "Raman won't have eyes for any woman but me tonight" she smirked, settling on the heaviest gold necklace in her collection, it's cascading strands laden with rubies, dipping towards her exposed dcolletage. "In fact, Raman kya, no man in the room will have eyes for any woman but me tonight."

She turned around as Ashok approached, a gold brocade vest matching her sari under his black velvet jacket, set off by a ruby coloured cravat at his neck. "Let's go Ashok Baby. I can't wait for this party to begin."

Raman buttoned up his white tuxedo jacket, the black buttons and piping setting off the creamy whiteness of his jacket and shirt. His narrow black tie was of the same fabric as his trousers, the entire ensemble a perfect match for the sari he had bought Ishita.

"Ishita". He said her name out aloud, a blush settling on his face. Just the sound of her name, the thought of her, awakened a myriad of desires and feelings within him. Their relationship had started off in such an unconventional way, their marriage a compromise entered into with reluctance on both their parts. Now, though, he was completely smitten with her. Her goodness, her love towards Ruhi and his family, her understanding nature, her care and support - all of this had drawn him irrevocably towards her until she had become as essential to him as his own breath; the core of his being needed her now; he could not imagine life without her.

He frowned slightly as he remembered her conversation with Mihika that morning. He was enjoying the secrecy of their romantic escapades, but not at the expense of her reputation. He could not tolerate anyone misunderstanding his Ishita, even if it was her own sister. And what about what Mihika had said about Subbu? So he was in Delhi, then. Well, he hoped he never came across the coward, or God help him, Raman Kumar Bhalla would not be responsible for his actions.

Raman shook his head, as if to clear his mind of the sceptre of Subbu, looking around the room before he strode to the door. He couldn't wait until he brought his Ishita here, to finish off what they had started this morning...

Mr Malhotra, one of the investors of PSR, touched the hand of the young man walking alongside him.

"So good that you could make it to this party" he said fondly. "Your boss, my good friend Reddy, just can't stop singing your praises. And when he told me you were in Delhi, I knew this was an opportunity I just couldn't miss. But I am going to London tomorrow, so it's good you could come here today."

"It's very good to meet you too, Sir" the young man said politely. "But I hope your host won't mind my coming uninvited"

"Oh no, Raman will be delighted to meet you" Mr Malhotra said heartily. " yes, I am sure that Raman will be delighted to meet you, Subbu."

raman going to meet subbu?? God save him if he even looks at ishita..pls pls cont soon cant wait for their encounter..

Thank u for the pm