"Raman aap theek hain? Aap kaafi pareshaan lag rahe hain.." Ishita asked Raman for the nth time.
"Haan..kitni baar puchogi" Raman responded crudely, trying not to meet her eyes.
Raman had been tight-lipped ever since he had come back from work today. He had hardly been able to gulp down more than 2 spoons of rice with his favourite Palak Paneer on the dinner table, he had for the first time refused taking out Ruhi for an ice-cream, he did not sit down to watch the world cup cricket finals on tv tonight; he refused to give any reasons, the rest of the evening he had spent in the balcony, lost in deep thought.
Raman:"Ab mujhe aur tang mat karo. Aur light band karo jaldi se"
She had no choice but to obey his command, especially after all her efforts so far to try to understand what was bothering him had failed. Sleep wasn't coming to her, she was turning and twisting on the couch, her mind not at peace for she knew he wasn't at peace.
"Kya baat ho sakti hai.." she was deeply worried.
Later when he had got up from his bed during the night, she had to pretend to sleep.He walked out of the room, only to return after an hour, and finally lied down on one side.
"Itni thand mein bhi bina Kambal ke lait gaye hain" Ishita spoke trying to cover him with a blanket, after realising he had been lying on the bed without covering himself up properly.
She sat down close to him on the bed, her hand caressed his forehead and hair caringly.
"Kash main aapki tension kuch kam kar paati Raman" she spoke wiping a lone tear that rolled down her eye.
" Main nahi jaanti ki kya problem hai, bas ye dua karti hoon ki sab jaldi se theek ho jaaye.."
She couldnt resist, she bent forward and kissed him on his temple with affection.
***
"Ye kyaa Parantha banaya hai tumne? Arey kitni baar kaha hai agar nahin hota tumse to mat banaya karo Punjabi khana!" Raman shouted on top of his voice.
Ishita: "Raman aap pls gussa mat hoyiye..Main abhi aapke liye kuch aur le aati hoon"
" Rehne do! Subah Subah mera mood kharab kar diya" he threw the china plate on the floor in disgust.
"Aaah" Ishita screamed instantly, covering her ears with the unexpected noise of the china breaking. She couldn't remember the last time he had been in so much rage that he had started breaking things, maybe only once in the early days of their marriage when he had broken 2 glasses back to back after a fight with her.That time he had been hiding the most painful secret inside him, a doubt of Ruhi not being his child. Which painful secret was he hiding this time? Ishita wondered.
"Raman, ye kahan ki tameez hai? " Toshiji shouted back on Raman
"Maa ab aap bhi is Madrasan ki side lo. Pata nahin kaunse paap kiye maine ki is bewakoof Madrasan se paala pad gaya mera" he pushed back his chair to get up, picked up his coat quickly and strode straight to the main door of the house.
"Raman.." Ishita tried to stop him, but all her efforts in vain.
***
" Mihir tumhare bhaiyya kahan hain? Ye tiffin laayi thi main unke liye" Ishita stopped Mihir who was rushing towards the meeting hall in Raman's office.
Mihir: "Bhabhi bhai meeting mein hain. Main unhe batata hoon ki aap ayee hain"
Ishita: "Bas main unhe ek baar dekh loon..thodi worried hoon main unke liye.."
Mihir: "Bhabhi main abhi jaata hoon"
Ishita waited for almost 2 hours outside the cabin, but there was no response from his side. She was getting really desparate now, she got up finally and walked upto the receptionist.
Ishita shouted: "Aapko pata nahin hai main Mr Bhalla ki wife hoon? Aap mujhe andar kyun nahin jaane de rahin?"
Receptionist: " Mam, Mr Bhalla ne aapko andar aane se mana kiya hai. Abhi meeting chal rahi hai"
Ishita:" Arey kaunsi meeting 2-3 ghante chalti hai?"
She waited for another half an hour, but since there was no response from his side yet, she decided to barge in the room directly.
"Raman" she squeaked noticing the meeting room full of people, her eyes still fixed on her hubby.
"Ishita, tumhe sharam nahi aati? Aise kaise ghus gayee tum andar? Tumhe mana kiya na maine andar aane se!" Raman shouted on her infront of all the attendees.
Mihir got up instantly to hold his left arm. "Bhai ye aap kaise chilla rahe hain bhabhi pe? Aur sabke saamne" he spoke.
Raman: " Tu chup kar Mihir! Sharam nahi aati is bewakoof, gawar ko! Arey Kitni baar samjhaya ise, but meri life mein interfere karna band hi nahin karegi!"
"But Raman, main to sirf.." Ishita spoke teary eyed.
Raman: "Daffa ho jaao yahan se.."
"Raman aap aisa kyun kar rahe hain.." tears rolling down her eyes, her voice quivering, his anger was really hurting her.
"Maine kaha DAFFA HO JAAO YAHAN SE!"
Ishita turned and ran out of the room crying uncontrollably.
***
" Akka..Akka"
"Kya hua Ishu..tu itna ro kyun rahi hai?"
"Akka..wo..wo..Raman.." her voice choked as she spoke to her sister on the phone.
Vandu: "Kya hua Raman ko?"
Ishita: "Nahi..Raman ko kuch nahin hua hai..bas aap jaldi se yahan aa jao.."
***
~ End of Part 1 ~
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