Ishra FF ||A Contract Of Love|| Prologue ~ Chapter 24B - Page 67

Originally posted by: Abhinaiscool

Aww smiles this one was so cute...

Their friendship is inching towards care and love... Ruhi is such a surprise packet yaar love her shooo much...

BTW love your new DP...

Originally posted by: usaonly

Prabh you always made me fall in love with each update dear. This part really cute from shopping part the way they fight for the chip and the old couple comment to support Raman feel like Ishra was married long time back from their the comfort zone Raman try to make her feel happy and relax.😳😳The other part she blurt out of her insecurity for Raman accept her or not is natural cause she also had a flaw but time and his goodness will heal everything. And Raman now slowly had give some piece of mind for her too from the way he always think of her. So this time had hand touch made them feel awkward need physical devlopment now I am not talking intimate still long way.the office tension that part also good you made it connect that they come to Mumbai for the work hope she will help and try to relax Raman as well love family moment of their natural connection. Thanks for Pm my dear.

Originally posted by: VENBA

Beautiful updates..

Felt bad when Ishu felt sad hearing Vandu and Bala..

But Loved the way Raman defended her...

And the best part i liked is when Raman remembers the happy moments he spent with Ishita while going to his office..

I Think that is the starting point of realization for him..

How he feels happy when Ishu is happy..

And how her sadness affects him and bring tears to his face..

Fabulous story...👏👏

Originally posted by: mayasundar

Hi Prabh,

I read both your chapter 18 together. I was glad to see my second favorite couple are neighbours of Ishita. I like the way Ishita insecurities are creepy on her and Raman identifying them. I was wondering when they will know that they care for each other deeply.

Originally posted by: umeirah02

Prabh... you often says leave feedback and comments. Well, I beg to differ! Yes!!! How do you think that words will do any justice to what I think of this beautiful story. I'm meant to sit back and enjoy because no word will be enough to do justice to this lovely piece! I love it alot, trust me!

Coming onto the part I loved the most;

"Ru!" Raman said frustrated. Seeing her dad's face and the food all over her, she started to cry looking over at Ishita. She came over going around the table the other way and picked up Ruhi calming her down as Raman shook the food off himself and started to clean up the mess. She took Ruhi inside after he told her he would handle the kitchen. She changed Ruhi into her PJs and walked out to find him disposing off the broken dish.

He told her to walk carefully by the table in case he missed a spot and walked over to them to pick up Ruhi. As he opened his arms, Ruhi looked away and started to play with Ishita's manglasutra as if ignoring him making him upset.

"Ruhi, Papa's sorry baby!"

She looked at him and turned away again leaving him disappointed again.

"So you're not talking to me now?"

Ishita looked Raman who sadly gave up on pacifying his little drama queen and went into the room to change.

"Ruhi, Papa is sad now, what should we do?" Ishita whispered in the child's ear making Ruhi look up at Raman.

She squealed loudly trying to get his attention and when he turned around on Ishita's call, Ruhi reached over to him almost leaping into his arms. His eyes filled up as today was the first time he had ever made Ruhi upset and his daughter touched his eye making him wipe them off. She cocooned herself on his shoulder and clutched onto his shirt as the trio walked into the room."

the way you pen this work of your's with so much conviction... I feel very happy! I'm not being able to express coherently what I feel for this story. However, the pace, the characterisation and the development of the plot is flawless! May the Almighty bless you!

I think I need story ideas from you... #touchwood you are #SheerTalent
😳 😳

He had dropped her off home and as he picked up their bags while she opened the door, he promised to come home for lunch to check on them and to give himself a break from this job which wasn't the easiest of things he had done. She bid him good bye with a smile and got busy with her own office work as well as Ruhi. She spent her day busy with working out Raman's schedule and sending email he had asked to be sent. Until her favourite movie started on TV making her forget all her work and sneak in a bunch of snack from the kitchen and watch the movie like a child as Ruhi slept. Half way through the movie, she checked the time and saw there was only an hour and a half left until Raman was home. She thought of skipping the end of the movie since she had watched it so many times, but after a debate in her head, she wanted to finish her movie...

~~~~~~~

He walked through the door to find her busily working away in the kitchen and Ruhi was sitting in the living room straight across from the kitchen. He quietly entered and she didn't noticed, so he placed his things on the couch and looked at her wondering when she would notice him. He looked at his daughter who was in her playing cot laying down. She turned her head and looked at him gurgling and waving her arms. He smiled at her and she squealed loudly getting Ishita's attention.

"Ruhi beta, just two more minutes. Papa will be here and he will be hungry, so I need to finish making this." Ishita said without looking up.

Ruhi squealed louder as if frustrated with her mother not looking up and noticing her dad. Knowing her noises weren't working, she used the solution she had to all problems; her tears. She whimpered and caught Ishita attention finally. As she looked up Raman just stood with his arms crossed on the edge of the couch...

"Raman! You're here already?! Just give me a minute, I will finish this up. I knew I should have started earlier, now you have to wait when you need to be working. I-"

"Okay first relax and breath. I came earlier because I couldn't concentrate on my work and I wanted to be with Ruhi. So just calm down and finish your work carefully."

He turned to walk to Ruhi, but he turned back as he remembered something...

"Also I have called the maid in for tomorrow, so I don't want you in the kitchen from tomorrow onwards."

"Raman...no!"

"I can't hear you over the microwave!"

"It's not even on Raman!" She yelled, but only to have him ignore it.

He smirked as he walked to Ruhi to pick her up and play with her leaving Ishita mocking anger over his bossiness. He secretly stole glances at her in between to find her muttering something to herself and pouting as she picked up a box of spices. He watched her as she was so precise in everything she did. She was always like this, she did everything with detail whether it was her office work or the household work. She caught him looking at her and brought him out of his trance. She raised her eyebrows questioning him while he shrugged his shoulders before going back to his smiling daughter. Ishita looked at him curiously before brushing away her thoughts and ask him to sit down.

"Aren't you eating?" he asked as he brought Ruhi over to the table and sat down.

"No I have to feed Ruhi, I will eat later."

"You relax I got this." He said as he took Ruhi into his arms and attempted to multitask with a child in his hands.

"Umm remember last night, I don't think it's going to work. You can only do one thing at a time."

"Then you eat and I feed her!" he ordered her to sit and gave Ruhi her bottle of milk.

She sat down with no choice and tried to eat quickly, so he could eat as well. She ended up eating a bit too fast and started to cough. He handed her some water and asked her to eat slowly since he could wait for his food. As she finished eating after he had already feed Ruhi, she took her from him to burp her while he had his turn to eat. As he almost finished his lunch, he slowed down his pace dreading to have to go back to work again. He just hated to work having to leave behind Ruhi and Ishita as well as going to the office was just becoming a huge burden he didn't want to bear anymore. He couldn't bear the business loss and the memoires that came along with that building that overwhelmed his emotions and made it difficult to concentre on anything. His head already started hurting at the thought of another 5-6 hours working and he decided to kill some time at home. He watched Ishita who sitting on the couch just

"Ishita I'm going out for a walk, do you want to come with me? If you have time..."

"I have loads of time."

"Then let's go. I'll take Ruhi."

~~~~~~~

They walked around the society's garden as he showed her the whole place pointing out places that were special to him. He talked about how he liked being outdoors and this society was perfect for kids. He even mentioned how the apartment Bala and his family lived in was his and they needed a place to live in Mumbai hence he gave them their 2^nd apartment. She looked around at the wonderful environment around the place with the kids running around and elders chatting on benches.

As they walked around, a group of children came up to them as they saw Ruhi in Raman's arms. As Raman got busy with carefully letting the children play with Ruhi, Ishita saw a few women staring at her, at first she ignored them and just watched Raman with Ruhi. He sat on the grass with Ruhi in his lap as a few children played with Ruhi.

The same women who were looking at her before now came up to her. They greeted her, welcomed her to Mumbai and spent a few minutes talking about how she is adjusting her and about Raman and Raman was also happy to see her mixing in with new people and opening up to others, but then...

"So how long have you and Raman been together?" an elder woman asked her.

"We just got married over a week ago."

"That's nice, so how did you two meet?" another asked.

"Our parents arranged it."

"Really? I thought it must have been some love marriage since Raman got married so quickly after Shagun's death. I mean he didn't even think what it would be like to have his daughter raised by a step mother. And it's so hard to believe considering how much he loved Shagun that he would remarry so fast. I mean what has the world come down to?" the first woman commented.

"Auntyji-" Ishita tried to defend her marriage and choices.

"Don't feel bad Beta we were just talking. If that's what you two wanted who are we to talk?"

Raman looked up at the group of women and Ishita looked at him with tears in her eyes. She tried to blink them away, but they were threatening to fall down. He didn't know what happened, but something was up for sure. He knew she wouldn't like crying in front of everyone, so...

"Ishita! Ruhi is feeling hungry, let's go home." He lied to her and she went back home right away as he followed...

~~~~~~~

She ran into their room and he ran behind her following her as he placed Ruhi on the bed and stood next to her as she cried looking out the window. She remembered everything right from the doctor's word to Raman's words to everything she had heard in Mumbai so far. Each fear of hers was coming forth in front of her face. She was scared now, what if Ruhi didn't accept her baby, what if Raman left her just like Subbu had. She scolded herself for comparing Raman to a man like Subbu, but then Raman would actually have reasons to leave her. She cried as she became scared of being left alone again...

She didn't know what to do, and started to just blabber every little fear she had to him and she herself didn't know what she was saying...

"Raman when Ruhi gets older and starts understanding things, won't she question why we had a second child so fast? Or will you already tell her I am her step mom? We can't hide the facts from her forever you know! Oh Raman how will we do all this?! Oh God what have we gotten ourselves into?"

"Calm down! Listen Ishita I understand what you're feeling, but-"

"No you don't! You don't understand what I go through, no one does. No one knows what it's like to be the second wife! And if I tell them why I became your wife, things will become worse because then the matter is on my character. Do you know what that feels like?"

"..." He looked at her shocked at her outburst.

"Exactly you don't! So don't ever say you understand!" She already had tears rolling down her cheeks, but now she had started to sob and he was just quiet. He reached out to her and gently held her shoulder, but she shrugged him off and walked away to the corner still crying. He wanted to leave her alone as her words didn't leave him in a place to talk anymore.

"I need a moment and so do you. And please don't come onto the balcony while I'm there...I'm not mad I just need some time."

He opened a drawer by his side taking something out with him to the balcony as he closed the door behind him. She was starting to calm down and she had stopped crying because she had blasted him for no reason when he was trying to help, so she walked over to the balcony to find him just looking out. Then he pulled a box from his pocket and a lighter. He pulled the one thing she hated the most from that box; that white cancerous stick and put it in his mouth proceeding to take the lighter and lit the cigarette. She stood shocked as she watched him inhale as he looked out and exhaled smoke from his mouth. How could he been smoking that? Doesn't he know what it does to you? She could tolerate anything except him doing things that would harm him later on. As she watched him take this third puff, she opened the balcony door and called out his name firmly...

"Raman!"

He looked back and immediately dropped the stick crushing it with his foot. She took a step towards him but then backed off smelling the lingering tobacco scent.

"What are you doing?!" she said fanning her hands sideways as if trying to get rid of the scent of the fading smoke.

"I'm sorry I needed a smoke. I just can't think right now and clearly you can't either."

"Come inside and give me that pack." She said in an authorizing tone.

"I don't smoke all the time, just when I'm stressed and need temporary relief." He said not giving his pack to her.

"I don't want to see that in my house!" She almost warned him to not be smoking in the house.

She went inside as he followed. He put the pack away and he sat down next to her on the bed. She got up and handed him a pack of gum from her purse. As he chewed the sweet minty gum, he asked her...

"You okay now?"

"Yea." She said as she took a deep breath.

"You always say it helps to talk, I think it's better to cry. Just let out all your anger, fears, disappointment, and frustration through your tears."

"Then why do you choose smoking? Why don't you lash out like me and cry?"

"Because I'm starting to find it hard to cry now. I can't cry anymore. The tears come to my eyes silently and I can only hold them back. I can't let them out, it's becoming impossible. "

"What's wrong Raman? You're not okay. So tell me what were you thinking about?"

"Nothing really. Just when you said I won't understand your feelings...I realize I can't. I don't know how you feel when people say these things to you, but I do understand your circumstance right now. I go through the same thing you do."

"What do you mean?"

"Ishita what do you think society has to say about a man who has remarried so quickly. They don't see that I have a daughter who needs a mother's love and care, they see a man who they believe treats women like toys. They wish for people like me to rot in hell. That what they think of me."

She held his shoulder and he didn't move, he only closed his eyes and when he opened them after a moment he looked into her eyes and then looked away...

"Ishita you might feel bad, but I loved her. She wasn't an object for me, she was my wife. Now you're my wife as well a friend. I respect you a lot and you're not a toy for me, no woman is!"

"I know Raman I know."

"They make me feel small and disgusting. I feel like I ruined things for you because these problems you're facing are because of your connection with me. And today when you said what we have gotten into, I feel like I should have maybe never let you do all this!"

What was he thinking? How could he blame himself for everything? Why did these people have to do this him? If they couldn't think good about someone selfless like him then how they think nicely about anyone else. And he, he actually listened to these ridiculous things and took these comments from heartless people to his heart.

"Raman! Don't you dare say that?! If people say anything about me, it's not your fault! They can't judge our relationship and why would we think our relationship is a bad one because of them. Did you say that it is just our destiny who we end up with, then why are you holding yourself responsible? It's their fault that they can't keep themselves away from other people's matter and you don't need to listen to these people. In fact you should just ignore them and they will stop talking about you."

"If I ignore them will things be okay?"

"They will, for you if you choose to stop paying attention to them."

"Then can you do the same thing? You told me all these things, but listen to yourself Ishita and tell me if your words applies to you."

"Raman..."

"I know it's easy to say and hard to do. We aren't in a normal relationship and I get it. People are bound to judge us, and we can't do much about it. So I am helpless and I can't help you or myself out of this. And I don't know how to assure you that everything will be fine either. But I can tell you that you don't need to clarify things with anyone and as far as our family is concerned...Ruhi loves you Ishita as much as or even more than she loves me. Children only care and value love. Just give her all the love you can and she will never feel like you're not her biological mother. As far as the second child is concerned, by the time she is old enough to understand these things, she will for sure have a bonding with this child. She will accept your baby just like she has accepted you."

She didn't know anything except she wanted to be his wife and the mother of their two kids and nothing else. His words did give her hope, but she wasn't in a state to understand anything, so she placed her hand on his and just asked him...

"Will everything be okay? Will this work out Raman because I don't want to be alone again!"

"It will work out!" he said with a faint smile hoping she would feel slightly better.

"I don't like being alone."

"I don't either, so I will keep you with me my whole life."

"That sounds creepy." She giggled a little bit.

"It kind of does, doesn't it?" he attempted to make her happier.

"Very."

"Fine forget that! Let's go with we will spend our lives together no matter what anyone else has to say."

"Much better."

__________________________________________________________________

That was it everyone! Please like and leave your honest feedback for this part! I still am confused myself as to how I wrote this part and how well or not it is written. So please leave your feedback!

Thank you note- Page 101!

Chapter 20- Page 105

Originally posted by: smilesforever98

@Bold: 🤣LOL seriously you're too good! But seriously should I add some misunderstanding then?

Anyways thank you so much for the lovely comment and you're right how they are so understanding and it's real love and friendship, but let's see how long it lasts...Glad you're liking how they are thinking about each other's feelings now and Ishita's insecurities will be dealt with over the next couple of updates. Glad you liked their text convo and the pic must be adorable😳 Glad you liked the RuMan moment and you're right that babies have actions that we can't understand many times! Glad you liked the grocery trip and the whole update! Thanks again for the comment!