Posted:
fantastic update...
liked it...
he agreed for marriage. ruhi is so happy.
ishita is hurt bcoz ruhi will go away from her...
waiting for next part...
plz update soon dear.😊
Simply beautiful work!!! I'm sorry I can't type more ...
I am still in the spell your magical words have cast. I can only admire this masterpiece!
Breath of Fresh Air
Chapter 16
[Dil kehta hai, chal unnse mil... uthte hai
kadam, ruk jaate hai
Dil humko kabhi samjhata hai... hum dil ko kabhi samjhate hai]
~~~~~~~~~
"Always" came the reply
A drop of tear threatened to escape her eyes. She quickly turned around and ran out of the room.
He closed his eyes with a sigh.
~~~
It wasn't a question of love anymore. She realised that she was irrevocably and madly in love with that man who loved her unconditionally. What a fool she was, how could she not read her own heart? How could she be so blind to her own feelings? Yes life did give her a second chance and she threw it away.
And now it was late... way too late... She knew he would break the marriage if she says so, but could she be so selfish? The wedding was a week away; she couldn't do to another woman what Subbu did to her. She couldn't break a marriage. Raman's family would go through so much of humiliation all because she was stupid enough not to realise her feelings.
She decided that she had already caused enough trouble to Raman, she won't do anything more to hurt him.
For the next week she did everything to stay out of his sight. The wedding preparation was on full swing. Each of her family members was so buzy with the preparation that the house mostly remained empty. Ruhi would come to her time and often to show off her dresses that Raman had specially ordered for her. She would satisfy her ailing heart by drinking every word Ruhi uttered about him. ' I have never seen papa this nervous ever' Ruhi giggled and went on to say how often she saw her father walking across his room pulling his own hair. She smiled softly, trying to imagine how he looked at that moment.
She at times wished to run to him and tell him to stop the wedding. At times she wished he would force her to accept that she didn't want him to marry, but nothing as such happened.
On the night before the wedding, she returned home to loud sounds of laughter coming from Mihika's room. She went there out of curiosity to find her mother and sisters sitting around a huge pile of clothes and laughing and discussing.
"Amma, what are you guys doing?" she asked
"Arre Akka you are here. Lets go" Mihika jumped out of the bed
"Go where Mihu?"
"To the parlour ofcourse" mihika replied "Kal shadi hai na, we have to look good"
The mention of the impending wedding made her heart skip a beat "I thought you didn't like him Mihu" she replied slowly "So why are you getting all excited about his wedding?"
"Things are different now akka. He is going to be a relative so I have to be good to him. Besides he's not that bad" Mihika halted suddenly and bit her lips "oops..." she said
Ishita frowned "Relative?"
It was Vandita who spoke now "Seems like Mhika is hiding a lot from you these days Ishu" she gave a small laugh and said "She is dating Raman's muh-bola-bhai, Mihir"
That was a new information, she looked at mihika who blushed "I was about to tell you akka but you are so not available these days. Not my fault" Mihika accused.
"You girls can talk on your way to the parlour, its getting late for the appointment. Go." Mrs Iyer said impatiently
"I'm not going anywhere amma" Ishita said "Its just another wedding"
"I don't care" said her mother with finality "another wedding or not, you need to look your best tomorrow"
"I think amma is going to set you up with someone tomorrow akka" Mihika whispered as they made their way out of the room.
~~~~~
For once in her life she didn't complain of how expensive the queen like treatment in this lavish parlour would have cost her appa. She felt relaxed and relieved.
But ofcouse it was shortlived because they returned to a fully decorated colony. There society was fully lit up with different lights and flowers were adorned at every possible corner. She felt her stomach crunching up with the pain that her heart felt. She quickly made some excuse and ran upto her room.
~~~~~
She had forced herself to sleep with pills. So the next day when she woke up it was noon already. She didn't have a moment to sit and cry. Ruhi had rushed to her and demanded that she should be dressed up just like a bride, her father had specially ordered the mini version of the bridal lehenga for her. As much she dreaded it, she couldn't come up with any excuse of not attending the wedding.
So, here she was making her way downstairs that evening with her sisters by her side. The wadding venue was a few blocks away. As she reached the bottom of the stairs, Simi came running and was about to fall when Ishita held her
"Careful Simi, what's the rush?" Ishita asked
"Don't ask Ishu, the bride didn't like the lehenga bhai ordered so she wore another one and promised to wear this one once the wedding rituals are over. So I was rushing to bhai's room to keep it there" simi said in a breath "Oh, please do me a favour Ishu, please keep it in bhai's room, I have so many other works to do" simi pushed the packet into her hand and without waiting for any answer rushed away.
Ishita looked at the packet at hand and then at Mihika
"Don't look at me like that akka, I don't know where his room is" Mihika said and pulled vandu away leaving Ishita alone.
She slowly went inside his house. The house was empty. She made her way to his room all the while telling herself not to feel anything and get over with the job. She placed the packet on the bed and rushed to the door when she heard the soft sound of the packet falling down.
She turned around and looked at the content that had slipped out of the packet. It was the most beautiful wedding lehenga she had ever seen. Her heart beat wildly as she picked up the soft fabric in her hand. She slowly hugged the lehnga to her chest. A drop of tear finally made its way out of her eyes. She sat down on the floor by the bed and cried her heart out.
She looked around the room, it was decorated just like a movie set, flowers and un-lit candles all over. Her heart hurt with the thought that all these decorations were for someone else. Someone else would lie in this bed where they made love. She walked to the window; this was her's. He told her that this was her place, then how could she see another woman standing here with him? An hour from now, she would have no right on this window, on that bed, on this room... on HIM. This jolted her to the core. How could she give him away? Why did she have to think about other's happiness? She deserved to be happy too. She slowly wiped away the tears, walked towards the door and closed it.
~~~~~~~~~
She rushed to the wedding venue. Her heart stopped as she saw the bride sitting next to him in the mandap, her face covered with the veil. Ishita wanted to to turn around and run in the direction she came. The wedding had suddenly halted and every single being on the venue was looking curiously at her.Yes, he was looking at her too, with an unreadeable stone like expression. That made her resolve falter a bit, but she composed herself. This was a test of his love, of THEIR love.
"Ishu... What have you worn?" her mother asked
"Yes, Ishita puttar, this is the bride's lehenga" Mrs Bhalla said, a tad bit offended
She ignored them and made way to the mandap and stood in front of him. He had stood up by now.
She took a deep breath and said "You said you will listen to me... always" he nodded but she barely noticed, and continued "I don't want you to marry her" she pointed towards the bride.
A collective gasp greeted her declaration as people around started whispering furiously. Her gaze didn't leave his face, neither did his' leave her's.
He finally broke his silence "Why?" before she could reply he continued "Why should I take such a big step and risk everything? There must be a strong reason for me to do so and no, the reason can't be Ruhi" he pierced into her gaze "Tell me Ishita, give me that one good reason"
She could hear numerous voices complaining to Mrs Bhalla which Mrs Bhalla hushed up quietly.
She smirked sadly "I wasn't going to hide behind Ruhi this time anyways. Doesn't this dress give you enough of a reason?"
"No it doesn't" he replied "I want to hear it from you" he said firmly
"Because... I LOVE YOU" she said loudly for everyone to hear. She held his sherwani collar and pulled him towards her "Do you hear that Mr. Bhalla? I Love You. Is that reason enough for you not to marry her?" She saw his lips curve into a smile, her anger grew "Oh so you are enjoying my plight? You knew I loved you and instead of convincing me you chose to marry someone else. How dare you" she glared at him and turned to the woman beside him
"I am really sorry, I know how you must be feeling, it is all my fault but you won't have been happy had you married him, trust me" she said with as much sympathy as she could.
"Yes, had you been a miniute late, I would have been married to this man and my life would have been ruined. Because my wife and son would have kicked me out of my house for cheating on them" said the bride while pulling the veil off
Ishita stood fixed for a moment "Bala jiju????? What are you doing in the bride's dress?" she asked horrified. Looking around she saw everyone laughing their hearts off. She looked and Raman who gave her a victory smirk. Blood crept up her cheeks as she blushed furiously and punched Raman on his stomach as hard as she could.
"You scoundrel, you framed me. I'll kill you" she raised her fists for another punch when he held her hands and pulled them behind her.
Pulling her closer he whispered "I would love to be killed by you sweetheart but right now with so many people watching, I would be sober had I been in your place. This jungle billi can be unleased when we are alone in OUR room"
She blushed furiously, Ruhi came to her rescue "Don't worry Ishima, we will make sure he is punished well. He lied to me too"
Ishita looked down "Say that again" she said
"We will punish him" Ruhi repeated
"No, what did you call me befor that Ruh" Ishita asked eagerly as she bend herself to Ruhi's height
"Ishima... Ishima... Ishima..." Ruhi repeated as Ishita hugged her tight.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THE END
Oh wait wait wait... not so soon, our puttar is yet to say those three magical words. And there is no end without that
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Look at me will you" he said frustrated as his newly wedded wife ignored him and continued with her task of combing her hair, her long lustrous unruly manes, that was currently creating havoc inside him. He took a deep breath and stood behind her looking at her reflection in the mirror
"I said I am sorry Ishita"
"And I said that's not enough" she retorted and walked up to the window
He sighed and followed her "I wanted you to accept me fully you know. Without Ruhi, I knew had I asked you to marry me you would have married me for Ruhi, never giving a second thought that you were marrying me because you loved me. I wanted you to love me" he held her hands in his and looked into her eyes "just me"
"why?" she asked. He gave her a puzzled look "why did you want me to love you Raman?"
He gave her a are-you-kidding-me look "Pagal aurat... Because I love you obviously"
She pushed him to the window frame "Could you tell that to me earlier, Raavan Kumar"
"What I did tell you" he looked surprised
"No you didn't, you said you wanted me"
"Isn't that the same thing?" he asked confused
"No it isn't" with that she pushed her mouth into his. He was taken aback by the ferocity of his Jhansi ki raani.
"say that again" she said between kisses
"I" kiss "LOVE" kiss "YOU" kiss... She smiled against his lips
He smiled too, but for an entirely different reason. His 'breath of fresh air' was here with him. He could inhale her every morning forever now...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
HAPPYSSS ENDINGSSS
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