Chapter -2
Yet Another Deal
"What do you mean you still
couldn't find her?" Raman ran one hand through his hair, frustrated beyond
belief, while his other hand was gripping the handle of his chair so tight,
that he was sure he was losing all sensation in his hand.
The PI he had hired began to
say something, but Raman's glower stopped him in his tracks. "This has been
going on for two weeks, Mr. Singh. You still have no clues, and we're still
stuck where we began." He closed his eyes, reining in the wearisome emotions
engulfing him, and then sighed, "What about the last credit activity you found?
It led to nothing?"
"Mr. Bhalla, her credit card
was used a week ago at a market in the Firoza Lal area and I don't have to tell
you that no one ever sees or hears anything in that area."
Raman's heart stilled for a
second as he heard the name of the place - the place famous for its poor
locality and slums. Here he was, sitting inside an air conditioned room in his
office, brandishing Italian coffee and five-star food, while Ishita was
probably living somewhere in penury.
Two weeks ago, at that fateful
day in the courthouse parking lot, was the last time Ishita Bhalla had been
seen. She hadn't been to her clinic and neither had she contacted her friends.
Contacting Ashok was out of question, but his PI had arranged for men around
his house, in case she decided to visit her house. So far, with no results.
How could she simply disappear
like that? Not a single phone call, in fact her phone was switched off, not a
single sighting of her car, nothing. The credit card activity was the last
straw he was hanging on to, and even that had fallen flat. The feeling of
despair was drowning him and he could feel his desperation turning into agony.
The fact that he was the reason behind her disappearance and he was her culprit
hanged around his neck like a noose. Tightening every second.
Disappointed and wanting to
squeeze the life of someone before his own life gave way, he took a deep breath
and opened his mouth to dismiss the investigator, but was interrupted by his
phone ringing.
Rolling his eyes at the timing
of the call, he picked up the phone answered.
"Is this Mr. Raman Kumar
Bhalla?"
"Yes, this is he. Who is this?"
"Sir, I'm calling from Rhodes
Medical Center. Your wife has been admitted to our hospital. Ishita Bhalla?"
Before the lady on the other
side could finish her sentence, Raman was out of his chair and on the way to
his car.
The repeated questions from his
investigator went unanswered and his employees moved to the sides as Raman
Kumar Bhalla all but ran to his car like a madman on a mission.
Somewhere between his office
and the parking lot lay his heart.
***
He watched as she opened her
eyes and looked around, trying to judge where she was. Her wandering eyes hit
his form and a hazy and soft smile graced her face. His response to her smile
was completely instinctive - a similar smile came onto his lips. Raman brought
his hand to her face, his fingers barely grazing her skin, when she seemed to
get her bearings back. Her smile disappeared and she flinched at his touch.
Swallowing hard at the rejection, he tentatively brought his hand back to his
side and just stared at her.
"Why am I here?" Ishita asked,
her voice was clipped and grated. But it didn't matter to her companion, who
breathed in a huge sigh and the frowns on his face disappeared on hearing her
voice for the first time in weeks. It didn't matter that she was angry and
disappointed at him. Nothing mattered. She was here and she was fine.
"You were severely dehydrated
and fainted on the street today. Some people who saw the entire commotion
brought you here," he answered, fighting really hard to not start blasting her
for being ridiculously casual about her health.
She nodded, as though expecting
the answer, which only served to make him angrier, but then asked, "Why are you
here?"
"Because I am your husband,"
his reply was prompt and cavalier.
"Were," she corrected.
"Am. We aren't divorced yet,"
Raman answered, getting up from his place on the stool near her bedside and
walking towards the side table.
Casually picking up a glass of
water, he offered the glass to her and when she stubbornly looked the other
way; he smirked to himself and drank it.
He waited a few seconds,
knowing she would break from his years of experience as an interviewer and
employer, controlling the urge to gather her in his arms and howl his apology.
He didn't have to wait for
long, for his wife took only a few seconds before looking at him again and
asking, "What do you want from me Raman? We are getting divorced. In a few
months we'll be done with each other. Why can't you just let me live? Why do
want to make me suffer?" Her voice broke towards the end and Raman closed his
eyes against the anguish he saw in her eyes.
"I...I don't want a divorce
anymore, Ishita."
"I do, Raman. Why are you back
here? I was happy living my life without you these past weeks. Let's just go
back. You wanted a divorce and I gave it to you. I'm done with you."
"I know you don't want to live
with me again. I don't blame you. But...just give me a chance to explain."
He heard her angry outbreath
and saw the disappointment on her face. "The time for talking was months ago
when you threw those papers on my face and walked away. I refuse to let you
treat me like dirt again. I want you to leave and not come back near me again."
Raman Bhalla knew his wife's
quirks. Of course, he hadn't been able to relate the woman he had thought he
had married and the woman he had actually married because of the obvious lies
he had been fed. But now that he knew the truth, he knew exactly what to expect
from her.
"That's too bad. Because we
have six months together. Court warranted time, Ishita. And someone may have
let it slip to the officials that we haven't been separated for a year."
Her gasp was audible and Raman
looked away at the betrayed look on her face. "What do you mean?"
"Our divorce application was
rejected." He kept his answer short and sweet.
The day after Ashok had spilled
the beans about his sordid plans; Raman had met Neil and taken a decision.
Seeing as to how to needed to at least be married for a year before they could
seek divorce, they had waited before filing their application. They had however
claimed to be living separately for the entire period as it had been mandatory
for their divorce. That day though, the truth had been conveyed to the
authorities and whether his wife knew it or not, they weren't getting divorced.
Not now. Not ever.
Raman Kumar Bhalla didn't make
the same mistakes twice.
The shock on her face was evident
as she opened her mouth to speak and then closed it a couple of times, on not
finding any words.
"Wh..What? What do you mean?"
"We aren't getting divorced,
Ishita." Raman fought hard to keep his composure at the disdain and confusion
he could see in her eyes.
"Why? Why now? When it's a done
deal? We are getting divorced," Ishita replied, refusing to believe that her
husband was going to put her through more pain of being with him. Of being
unloved and uncared for by him.
"Whatever floats your boat,
Ishita. But the truth stands that we aren't getting a divorce. If you want, you
can contest for divorce, but I'm not agreeing to anything."
He saw it on her face. The
confusion being cleared and the entire status of their relationship settling
in, in her eyes. But, he noticed sourly, the grimness remained.
"Why?" She refused to meet his
eyes, staring a hole in the wall next to him. Refusing to let him see her
weakness. "Why do you want to punish me even more, Raman?"
Unable to stop himself, he
lowered himself onto the stool he had occupied a few seconds later and took her
hand in his own. Ishita struggled for a few seconds, but on finding no respite
from his strength, resigned herself to simply glaring at the wall.
He almost smiled at the
defiance he saw on her face. Ishita was a people pleaser, someone who never
fought with anyone, for anything. Seeing this bold streak in her personality
was new, albeit a nice change. Then his expressions turned bleak.
"I made a mistake. I know you
don't trust me. And I don't blame you for that. But I need a chance, honey.
Just one chance to make this alright. To get you to forgive me. I know I've
wronged you. Let me do right by you this time, Ishita. Just please, this one
time." His voice was breaking and he knew that his desperation was reeking out
of his words. But if she could just give him a way to give her the happiness
she deserved, the desperation wouldn't matter. His weakness wouldn't matter.
"What were you punishing me
for, Raman? Why did you drag me into a life with you if you didn't want me
there in the first place? And then, when those report came..." an unexpected
sob choked her, as she forced herself to
continue, "you threw me out like yesterday's garbage. How can I trust you?" She
looked his way with that accusing look of hers, and Raman's own eyes glistened.
If she would just hit him, it
would probably have made him feel better.
"Because you are Ishita. You
are the one person who can make anything better just by smiling. You have a
heart that knows only how to love, how to give, not to hate," he tightened his
hold on her hand as he finished, "and because you didn't deserve any of the
things that were thrown your way. You...I...please, Ishita. Don't make me guiltier
than I already am. Give me a chance to show you the world you've always dreamed
of."
She shook her head and said, "I'm
not that Ishita anymore, Raman. That nave girl who idolized you died the day
you threw those papers on her. That all-heart woman who loved you faded away
when you made her realize that you were with her only for a child. I can't be
that woman again. I can't kill my self-respect even more by letting you grind
me to dust again. Please, Raman. Just let go."
Just let go. The words
resonated in his ears as he stared at her pained face. If that was all he had
to do to get her to smile again, to look alive again, he would have. But, Raman
had always been selfish. He wanted her to smile, but when she said his name. He
wanted her to smile and light up, but when she saw him in front of her.
If love had taught him
something, it was that sometimes, one had to be selfish. And if fighting for one's
love was selfish, he would be the most self-seeking man to have ever walked on
this earth.
"I can't. I can't let you go. A
chance is all I ask, Ishita."
"You haven't answered my
questions yet. Why were you..."
"Not right now. Not today. When
the right moment comes, I'll tell you, love. Don't ask me for something I can't
give you now, Ishita. Please. Just trust me"
"I don't understand you at all.
Fine. Don't give me any answers. You want to pretend some more with this sham
of a marriage. Go ahead. But it's going to be a waste of time Raman. I can't
trust you. Ever again."
A tear escaped her eyes as she
ended her statement and she closed her eyes to hold the rest, missing the
single tear that ran down her husband's cheek.
"I know, sweetheart. I know.
But I'll make it my life's goal to make you believe in me again. Because I've
tried living without you, and that wasn't living. I won't let either of us go
through that again.
As sobs wrecked Ishita's body,
all Raman could do was hold onto her hand and watch her helplessly. He wanted
to do more to comfort her, but he knew he had lost that position in her life
all due to his own stupid actions.
Raman watched with glassy eyes
as his wife fell into a restless sleep, tired with the physical and mental
exertion she had gone thrown, refusing to let go of her hand. Assured of her
slumber, he forced himself to calm down. Nothing had been resolved. She hadn't
accepted his apology - not that he expected her to. A lot more explanations, a
lot more truths, and a lot more care and love was needed to heal not just her,
but their relationship. It was going to take a lot more work than a few pleas
of forgiveness. It was a good thing that Raman Kumar Bhalla didn't tire easily.
He watched her sleep for a few
more minutes, taking in the calm on her face and using his fingers to get rid
of the wrinkles on her forehead. Brushing her hair back from her face, he
placed a tender kiss on her forehead, and then slept with his head on his hand,
sitting on that stool by his wife's bedside.
They may have slept many a
nights together on the same bed, sometimes, after making love for hours. But, it
was the first time Raman and Ishita spent a night holding each other's hands.
"I don't love you anymore", she whispered. "I don't love you at all." His throat closed. "It's all right, sweetheart. I love you enough for both of us."
Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Kiss an Angel
Edited by SurrealFantasy - 9 years ago
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