Picture Perfect :: IshRa OS

He was restless. He had his laptop open in front of him, but was unable to concentrate. He gave up trying to work on his presentation and took to pacing his bedroom. "What does that Madrasan think of herself?" He scowled as he thought about the fight they had had the night before.

"Ishita, all I asked was where you sneaked off to in the middle of the night!"

"And I already told you that I had gone to the clinic," she had replied, not looking in his direction.

He always knew when she was lying. Besides, he had seen her car in the parking lot which meant she had been in the vicinity, but he couldn't comprehend what she could be hiding from him.

"Look, you know you can't lie if your life depended on it. So, out with it," he had demanded.

She had turned away from him then and had lashed out at him, her voice quivering.

"Honestly, Raman, I can't take it anymore. I know our relationship is nothing but a compromise, a facade that we put up for the sake of our daughter and our families. I also know that you are not over Shagun yet. I have no expectations from this relationship, Raman. And the last time I checked, it was the same for you as well. But can't I at least expect you to trust me? Is that too much to ask for?" She had ranted in one breath and then marched towards her couch. Switching off the night lamp, she had lain on the couch, pulling her blanket over her head, leaving him flummoxed.

He wanted to go over to her and give her a piece of his mind. But he had stopped himself, reigning in the anger and hurt that her words had caused him. He had gone out instead, banging the bedroom door in his wake, hoping that some distance from her would clear his mind and help him deal with the mad woman who was his wife.

The next morning, he decided to skip going to office, because he knew his surly mood would affect his work as well. So he informed Mihir that he would work from home and that he would be available on phone, in case there was an emergency.

"Phir se bhabhi se jhagda kiya, bhai?" asked Mihir with a hint of mischief that Raman could make out from his voice even over the phone. "Kya bhai, bhabhi is so sweet and you keep fighting with her."

"Bhabhi ke chamche," Raman rebuked him, "it's not always my fault, you know."

He heard Mihir snigger on the other end. "So you're really not coming today because you had a fight with bhabhi?"

"Damn", he cursed himself and spoke into the phone, "Apne kaam se kaam rakh. I'm not coming in today because I have a headache. And if I find anything out of order when I do come back, you'll have to face the consequences. So you better get off the phone and on to work".

He cut the phone and resumed his pacing.

"Sweet, my foot", he muttered. Ishita had left for work earlier than usual before he could grab a chance to speak with her.

"Had she really meant all of that?" He wondered. "How can she even think that I'm.. and with Shagun?" His fists clenched at the thought that Ishita would believe that about him. What had gotten into her? For two nights in a row, he had woken up to find her couch empty. He had checked in the hall and also in Ruhi's room but hadn't found her in either of the places. So he had confronted her about it. But nothing had prepared him for her outburst.

After all that had transpired between them, did she actually think that their relationship was only a compromise? Trust her, she had said. How could he, now that he knew that she was foolish enough to harbor such thoughts? Didn't she understand him at all? He had believed that she had begun to see through him, since it had been she who had broken each barrier that his heart had put up. She had to know better than to take his sarcasm seriously. Didn't she realize that though he taunted her sense of fashion, he would only wear the clothes that she kept out for him every morning? That he criticized her cooking skills, but he would eat at the dining table everyday only to watch her work in the kitchen. No matter how tired he was, one sight of her beautiful smile was all it took for him to forget all the distress of a gruelling day at work.

She was a part of him now. Desire for her was a constant ache in his heart. He longed to touch her, the occasional brush of her shoulder against his, the feel of her palm in his doing little to quench his thirst.

He was also quite sure that his feelings were not one-sided. He had noticed her eyes light up whenever she spotted him from afar, her slight blush every time he clasped her hands authoritatively in his. How then could she say that their relationship was a facade? Did she need him to spell it out for her? The hell he would! He was sure that he hadn't done anything to deserve her wrath this time. She couldn't just say whatever she felt like and get away with it. So he would wait for an explanation from her. Now if only he could stop thinking about it; about her..

It was his parents' anniversary that day. Having spent the entire morning nursing his fury in the confines of his room, he had forgotten to wish his parents. He furiously made a mental note to thank Ishita for that. He saw the hustle and bustle in the kitchen and saw that his mother and Simmi seemed busier than usual.

"Maa, what is going on?" He asked his mother, observing that the number of serving bowls on the dining table was increasing by the minute.

"Puttar, didn't Ishita tell you?" She replied, failing to notice a change in his features in response to her query. "She has planned a family get-together.", she continued, with a smile on her face. "She said she has a surprise planned for us. She had to go to the clinic early to finish all her work in time for the party. You seemed really busy. Maybe that's why she didn't tell you." She looked up to see her son storming into his room. She shook her head and wondered if there would ever come a day where she would not see her son and daughter-in-law quarrel with each other.

Inside his room, he contemplated calling her and demanding the answers that he sought. She had planned a party and hadn't even considered sharing her plans with him. He reached out for his phone time and again but changed his mind each time his fingers arrived at her name in the callers' list, his ego outweighing his anger.

A couple more hours of grumbling and mutterings later, he finally heard her voice in the outer room. She was urging everyone to go to the society hall where she had apparently made all the arrangements for the party. He finally heard her enquiring about him and his body stiffened in anger. He folded his arms across his chest and stood, waiting.

Ishita made sure everyone had left for the hall and headed towards their bedroom. Taking a deep breath, she opened the door. She stifled a giggle when she saw him. He was waiting for her, with a glower on that pretty face of his. He was so predictable, she mused. She had known that he would be fuming. But she also knew all the tricks in the book to douse his anger.

She composed her features so he wouldn't notice the laugh that threatened to escape her and said, "Raman, you need to come downstairs. Quick."

He couldn't believe the nerve of the woman. He had been tearing his hair out all day and here she was, pretending as if their fight had never occurred. He was also baffled to notice a naughty glint in her eyes.

"Ishita..", he began but she was quick to cut in.

"No Raman, not now. Please. Everyone's waiting downstairs." She walked up to him and grabbed his arm, pulling him out of their home and towards the party hall. He had seen the excitement in her eyes so he walked beside her silently, his curiosity getting the better of him.

He stepped into the hall and it took him only a moment to understand what her enthusiasm had been about. He stood mesmerized and his jaw dropped in amazement at what surrounded him. Adorning the walls were close to a hundred smiling photographs of his beautiful family. They were of varied sizes but the happiness that emanated from each image was so conspicuous that he instantly felt his heart soar. He looked closely at the ones nearest to him to find that they were all candid shots, captured in the span of the past six months or so. At the centre of the hall, was a life size framed picture of his parents. It was a photograph of his father feeding his mother at their dining table. It was, without a doubt, the best picture in the hall. It wasn't an extraordinary moment; nothing that he hadn't seen before, but it had captured all the love on his father's face, and the slight shyness on his mother's. He couldn't help but marvel at how a single shot managed to reveal the dynamics of their entire relationship. He noticed his parents a few feet away, gushing over the centre piece. He had rarely seen his father in tears, but the moment was such that he would have been surprised had he not been moved.

She felt his hand go lax in hers and she looked up at him, the look on his face disclosing all that she needed to know. He was shaken out of his reverie when he felt her tug at his shirt sleeve. He turned to her and she was touched to see tears glisten in his eyes.

"You did all this?" he asked, confusion writ across his face.

"No, Raman, this time, the credit goes to someone else", she replied. "Let me introduce you to the star of the show, the photographer par excellence, Mr. Romesh Bhalla". She called out to his brother, who had been standing with his parents.

It was a night of surprises, indeed! If he hadn't seen the evidence with his own eyes, he would have never believed that his brother was so ridiculously gifted. He saw Romi approach them wearing his favourite hooded jacket and the disarming smile that he knew made girls go week in the knees.

"Romi, your bhai loved the pics!" Ishita declared, as Raman watched them exchange a high-five.

"Oh hello," he interjected, before Romi could begin gloating. "I havn't even seen all the photographs yet".

"Come on, Raman," Ishita said, her eyes pleading, "He's worked really hard for this."

He softened his stance at that and yielded, "The centre piece is beautiful."

"Thanks Bhai," Romi responded, unable to believe that, for once, his Bhai had nothing but praises for him. "But Bhai, I wouldn't have been able to do any of this without Bhabhi. It was all her plan. I had clicked all these shots just for fun. But when she saw the photos, she came up with the idea of putting them up for Mummy ji and Papa ji's anniversary party".

"Sure, the idea was mine, Romi, but the execution was all yours", she said, "Actually Raman, I owe you an apology. Romi and I have been spending the last few nights on the terrace, pouring over his collection, trying to select the best photos for this occasion."

"So that was what she had been up to", he thought to himself, sighing in relief.

"It was a really difficult task because his photos were so good", she laughed and pulled Romi's ear while he winced, pretending to be hurt. "Bhai, bhabhi, I'll go and show the others around", he said and sauntered off towards some of their family members. He noticed the pride on her face as she watched him leave.

She turned to him and saw him gazing at her. Unable to read his expressions, she asked him, hesitantly, "What?" She was afraid that his anger towards her had not subsided.

"What should I tell her?" He wondered. That his heart had skipped many beats in the past few minutes? That, at this very moment, all he wanted was to hold her in his arms and feel her body against his? Words failed him, so he merely shook his head at her and said, "I'll have a look at the remaining pictures".

"Okay", she replied, relieved that she had been spared, at least for the moment, "And I'll go check on the refreshments".

He began his tour of the hall admiring all the pretty snapshots, each one triggering a cherished memory. He couldn't help but notice how Ishita was a part of so many of those pictures, indicating how much joy and fulfillment she had brought into each of their lives. He stopped at a picture in which Ruhi and Shravan were pulling each other's hair, with his mother on one side and Amma on the other, trying their best to break them apart. He chuckled silently, as he imagined the irony of the situation.

He turned and saw the entire Bhalla-Iyer clan laugh in merriment and he went over to join them for the cake-cutting ceremony.

"Kuch bhi ho, Romi puttar", he heard his mother say, while feeding him some cake, "This is the best gift we have ever received. I'm so proud of you today."

"Santhoshi is right, Romi", Mrs. Iyer chipped in, "This is such a sweet gesture; a wonderful surprise".

Raman stifled a laugh when he noticed a shy smile on Romi's usually mischievous features. He checked himself in time to see Ishita glare at him from behind Romi's back. Narrowing her eyes at him, she gestured towards Romi, urging Raman to say something, too. He shrugged his shoulders and shook his head at her, indicating his refusal. That earned another glare from her and he spoke up, fearing another outburst by his Jhansi ki Rani.

"Romi", he said earnestly, "Thanks for this, man! You really brought a smile to all our faces." He was surprised to see the look of abject gratitude on his brother's face. He smiled in return and admitted to himself that though he had always been a bit harsh with Romi, this time he definitely deserved all the compliments coming his way.

He was distracted by his father's voice, announcing that they would all have to move to the Bhalla residence for dinner. Raman waited for everyone to leave so that he could lock up, but a photograph on the wall nearby caught his attention, making him stop in his tracks. It was smaller in size, that probably being the reason why he hadn't noticed it before. It was an image of Ishita's, and she had never looked more stunning. She had been amused about something, her face aglow with laughter, her eyes lowered, and her hands trying to brush away a few loose strands that were caressing her face. He stood there, unable to take his eyes off that image.

"Raman?" he heard her voice and quickly turned, trying not to reveal what he had gaping at.

"Raman, I really need to apologize to you", she continued, "The thing is, this was supposed to be as much a surprise for you as it was for Mummy ji and Papa ji. That's why I've been so secretive the past few days".

"Go ahead." He wondered where this was heading.

"Romi is really talented, Raman. I need you to consider photography as a career option for him. Rather than break his head over balance sheets, he should do something that he really enjoys." She paused to gauge his reaction, but he was silent, so she continued, "I've seen all his work. It's really commendable. We could encourage him to join a professional course. Promise me you'll think about it."

"I wanted to show you before you made your decision, and this was a perfect opportunity", she added, guiltily.

To her surprise, he only nodded and said, "Okay, I'll think about it".

She beamed at that, and moving towards him, took his hands in hers. "Thanks, Raman. I'll go and tell him. He'll be over the moon".

He didn't let go as she turned to leave and asked, "So that's it? There's nothing else you want to say?"

He saw confusion cloud her face. So he entwined his fingers in hers and stepping closer, he said, "You really hurt me yesterday, Ishita".

Her breath hitched as saw him close the distance between them. "Raman, I'm.. I said I'm sorry", she stammered.

"You're sorry you said I'm still in love with Shagun?" His hands left hers and went to her waist pulling her closer to him.

She gasped as she struggled to form coherent words, "Yes, I'm sorry.. I wasn't thinking straight. I was only trying to distract you..I didn't want to ruin the surprise."

She closed her eyes and felt his breath close to her ear. "Don't ever say such things to me again, Ishita".

Before she could reply, she felt his arms tighten around her and his lips cover hers, in one heart-stopping moment. She felt warmth course through her body and clutched at his shirt fearing that her knees would give way. He caressed her lips gently and then deepened the kiss, revelling in the tumult of emotions raging through his heart and body. Her body responded in kind, as she pulled him closer, urging him to take more. He felt her yield to him, so he pulled away reluctantly, before he could get carried away, and looked at her flushed face with adoration.

She stepped away, and stood fidgeting nervously, earning an amused look from him. Unable to meet his heated gaze, she uttered, "Dinner.. we should leave".

"Hmm, you go ahead," he replied, "I need to lock up."

She retreated in a hurry, while he ran his fingers through his hair, his mind still reeling from the memory of the last few moments with his wife.

Dinner was a grand affair, since his mother had taken care of everyone's tastes. She had prepared a few South Indian dishes as well with Ishita's help, which surprised the Iyers to no end. After they had finished up, they saw Romi and Mihir come in with piles of the photographs that they had removed from the hall. At everybody's insistence, the photos were passed around, for everyone to look at, one last time, before they retired for the night.

Raman was sitting beside Ishita, who was sifting through the photographs, searching for the ones with Ruhi in them.

Amidst all the cheerful banter, he heard Bala's voice, "So, Romi, Which one is your favourite among these? I know it's difficult, but if you had to choose..?"

"In fact, Bala sir, it's not a very difficult question. I have a favourite but it's not in this set."

"Oh, then?"

"Why do I have a bad feeling about this?" thought Raman.

"That photo is in Raman Bhai's pocket."

"I knew it. I'm going to strangle him". He knew Romi well enough to understand that he planned to embarrass Raman.

"Actually, even bhai liked it a lot so he kept it for himself. But bhai, it's my favourite pic. You should have asked me before taking it.", replied Romi, with an impish grin on his face.

Raman resisted the urge to punch his devil of a brother. He noticed Ishita staring at him, befuddled.

"Raman", Bala called out, with an all-knowing smile on his face, "Which photo is this? Hum bhi to dekhe?"

He reluctantly pulled out from his pocket, the same photograph of Ishita's that he had been smitten with. He saw his mortified expression mirrored in his wife's face as he held it out for everyone to see. He heard his family members guffaw at his expense, while he sat among them, at a loss for words.

"Jiju", he heard Mihika's voice and prayed for a savior. "Not fair! Now you've resorted to stealing. Pyar me pagalpan ki hadd paar kar di aaj toh aapne, jiju!" Her remarks caused a fresh spurt of giggles to erupt in the room.

"Aap bhi na!" He heard his wife whisper to him. "How embarrassing, Raman!"

But he laughed in response, realizing that he loved being teased with her; he loved the contentment that he felt each time his name was taken with her; he loved watching her blush at such instances, for him, with him. He loved her. Period.

So that's it, guys. I hope its not ill-timed considering the mini fallout that Romi and Ishita had in the previous episode. But I've always liked the bond that they share and so thought about putting it in an OS.

Please feel free to comment🤗