Chapter 30B She got up a little trying to look at him. She noticed him lost in his own little world, in his own thoughts that left him smiling. She was quiet and pretended to sleep whenever he would turn and would open slightly open her eyes to find him looking at her with a huge smile on his face. A while later she opened her eyes to find him fast asleep with a pout on his face as always.
"You're so cute!" She said in an impulse and immediately blushed at her own words. He did do things that made her want to call him cute many times and his conversation with their baby was just one more of those numerous things. Whether the child or heard or not, she had. And she had loved each word of his. Their children were really to have gotten him as their dad, there was no doubt the he had accepted her baby and always told her he would love it like Ruhi, but today when she had seen his real love for their baby which he showed when no one would know accordingly to him.
She however felt disappointed to know he couldn't bring himself to touch their baby because it meant touching her. But at the same time she was overwhelmed at his reasoning to do so, not wanting to come closer to her in any sense without her consent. The respect and trust she had on him grew innumerable times as she had a grateful look on her face. She wished that he would always shower the love he had for their She knew he would never agree to talk or touch the baby if she asked him to, so she could only let him do so by sleeping and give them time alone...
"I'm going to "sleep" earlier from now on. Then you can talk to the baby all you want."
She carefully adjusted his blanket covering up and in a trance ran her hand through his hair as she admired his baby like face in his sleep. Realizing what she had done, she giggled softly and whispered...
"Oops! You always ask before even coming near me, but I didn't. I hope you don't mind."
And with that she hugged the blanket near her stomach and fell asleep with a smile on her face and one last look at Raman.
~~~~~
"Raman when are we returning to Delhi?" she asked casually as she packed his breakfast for him.
They were both running late for their respective work all thanks to the mischievous baby who was sleeping peacefully in his arms right now. Last night she had woken up at 3am and refused to sleep for a good hour as she cried. They both tried to do everything they could, but she wouldn't stop crying and sleep was out of the question. They were completely ready to rush her to the hospital when she had stopped crying after being burped by Ishita and being sung to sleep. After the mini scare she had given them, they couldn't sleep until early morning and had slept right through their alarm clocks. And now they were rushing to get ready in the morning.
"I haven't really decided on anything yet. Do you want to go back?" he answered as he handed Ruhi to her while she gave him his breakfast to go.
"Actually Mummyji and Amma were asking yesterday."
"Well, I'm thinking on another 4-5 days here and then we can go back."
"I hope you're not rushing things because I asked you this."
"No! My work here should be done by then."
"Okay, and I can always stay here longer if you need more time to work."
"That's fine! But I can only go get work done in time if we stop talking now."
She laughed as he left the house in a rush as she waved goodbye to him. However that smile vanished as she thought about how he never asked her a single question about where she was going, and she was hiding things from him as well.
~~~~~
"Mihika, I don't feel good about this. I mean hiding things from Raman like this, it makes me feel bad. " she said looking out the window of their cab.
"Oh God Akka, it's just a small meeting.
"Still I don't like this. I have a bad feeling about this. I mean he never asked me anything, but I feel like I should have told him something."
"It's not like he tells you everything as well. No offense we all know about your marriage. So neither should he control you and have you tell him everything neither should you worry too much about telling him."
"I know it was a compromise...but we've come a long way in such a short time. He never forces me to tell anything. And yet he does tell me everything. It's just me who hasn't been able to open up anything including my past to him yet."
"If you really want to talk about the past, then Akka, we all know about his past, he had a wife who passed away and left him with Ruhi. It's not complicated like yours."
"It's more than that...and I was lucky enough he told me all he ever hid inside him. Mihika...please don't ever talk about his past in such a way, making it sound like it was so easy. He's been through a lot of pain and I honestly feel for him. He never spoke about his wife and when he talked to me, he was a broken man. He deserves more respect than you give him."
"I know he's a nice man and he does deserve respect, but as much as I try I can't. It's hard to believe anyone after what Subbu did to you."
"Subbu was a disgusting man and Raman is a gentleman. They are completely different. So don't ever talk about Raman like that and never ever demean him by comparing him with Subbu."
"Akka..."
"He makes me happy, truly happy. And he loves our baby a lot, just like our Ruhi. Don't ever talk about him like that. It hurts..."
She was indeed hurt by Mihika's words. She knew her sister was concerned for her, but it didn't give her the right to say such things. He was a special man who women would love to be with and she was no different. Instead he made her feel as if she was special, the way he treated her made her feel like she was the only who mattered to him, it was as if he dedicated everything to her. And it was painful for her to hear anyone talk bad about him.
And comparing him with Subbu was the limit. Subbu was a man who no respect for women, for him they were objects...toys that he could throw away after they were no longer amusing to him. She was a pass time for him. There was no trust, respect, communication between them instead she was always put down, betrayed, and always told to do things his way. Sometimes she felt so stupid for ever thinking there was love between them when people like Raman were starting to show her what a true relationship is like. What it really takes to make a relationship work between two people, what it means to get through problems together, what getting to know a person was, and what it means to come closer and find a connection between two people.
Her thoughts were interrupted as Mihka put her arms around her noticing her lost into blank space and rethinking what she must have felt hearing things about the man she lived with. And clearly there was something happening between the two, but she couldn't help worry about history repeating itself with her Akka...
"I'm sorry...but I can't trust anyone with you anymore. It's hard to believe anyone after what happened."
"Please try to understand him and this time I'm sure I won't be hurt...there are few people like Raman who exist and I'm grateful to have found him."
~~~~~
They walked into a small yet crowded restaurant in the heart of the city. Mihika looked around to find him while Ishita was trying to keep Ruhi away from the loud noises by hugging her tightly and keeping her covered with a blanket. She wished Raman was here right now as she remembered what had happened at the mall before they had gotten married. She just wanted him to walk behind her right now protecting her and their kids from everyone. As Mihika led her to their table where he was waiting for them, Ishita's phone rang and the name on the screen lightened up her face. Everyone got introduced to each other and as she extended her hand towards him...
"Ishita Bhalla." Mihika and her noticed the color of his face go pale. There was something about her name that made him comfortable. She watched Mihika give her a stare and wondered what was the problem when her phone rang. Looking at the name on the screen, her face brightened up and she quickly picked up the phone.
"Hello Raman!"
"I'm fine and I've just reached the restaurant."
"I know I remember what I'm allowed and not! And you better eat on time. Bye."
As she hung up the phone, she saw Mihika shaking her head at her looking upset. When she gave her a confused look, Mihika spoke up...
"Akka, what do you mean allowed and not allowed? What has he been telling you?!"
She gave Mihika a glare before clarifying and husband.
"He was talking about food. What I should eat and not...How many times do I have to tell you that Raman isn't like...him?"
"Hold on... You're Ishita Bhalla and you just said Raman. Are you married to Raman Bhalla?" he interrupted them.
"Yes, I'm Ishita Raman Bhalla."
"No way! Like business icon, the CEO Raman Kumar Bhalla."
"That's my husband!" she exclaimed proudly.
"No! That's not possible!"
"What do you mean?"
"Raman Bhalla...I've been trying to meet him for over a year now! And I'm sitting with his wife right now! I can't believe this!"
"You wanted to meet jiju?! Why?" Mihika looked at him suspiciously.
"It's...it's a personal matter."
"Personal matter?" Ishita was now curious as to where this was going.
"Please...please give me one chance to meet him. It's really important!"
"I'm sorry, but I can't get let anyone meet him like that. I mean do you know him personally?"
"I do, very personally! Please let me talk to him, trust me it's only for him."
"I have to ask Raman. You can't just meet him without his permission. And how can I be sure you know him?"
"Akka you're his wife. Just introduce him to jiju and he will have to meet him."
"Mihika how can I-"
"Please! I am begging you, just take me to him once."
"Come on Akka, it's not a big deal."
"I'll see, but now can we talk about why I'm here instead of my husband?!"
The trio continued the conversation they had gathered together for, but time and again he mentioned wanting to meet Raman making her wonder what was it that he wanted to meet him so badly. She was definitely confused as to what she should do.
~~~~~
She stood at the doorstep of their apartment with Ruhi in her arms. She had agreed to let him meet Raman, but she herself wasn't convinced this was a good idea. Taking a deep breath knowing Raman would be home by now, she slowly opened up the door as she looked at the time on her phone. He would be here in 10 minutes and she needed to make sure Raman would be able meet and talk to him about whatever he was wanting to talk about.
She entered the quiet home and found him nowhere in sight. Nervously she entered their room and found him on his desk face down. She rushed to him placing Ruhi on their bed. Kneeling down by his side, she found him simply asleep. She sighed out of relief and decided he was too tired to be meeting anyone and needed to sleep...
"I'm not letting you meet anyone today."
She was about to get up when she noticed something in his hand. She slowly took out what seemed to a piece of paper and put it on his desk when she spotted her name on it. She looked closer at the paper and read his handwriting as he narrate everything about their visit to the clinic yesterday. She read about his excitement and nervousness and then about her crying and all about his feelings as he sat with her during the ultrasound and his talk with the baby. Considering he wanted this to be private, she didn't read all of it and left it on his desk. As she got up to let him, her hair brushed against his face making him stir in his sleep. As she turned to look back at him, the doorbell rang waking him up before he could settle back to sleep..
"Ishita...you're home?! I need to show you something!" he excitedly told her when the doorbell rang again.
"Who's that?"
"Don't worry I'll get it."
She rushed out to tell him to come another day to meet Raman and was about to do the same when Raman walked into the living room.
"Ishita, Ruhi is..." she noticed his expressions change to shocked as he saw him standing by the door.
"He's-" she started to introduce him.
"I know who he is." He seemed to be going through different emotions seeing him by the door. Something was off as she saw anger and sadness reflecting in Raman's eyes. It was something she never saw before and she went up to him to ask what it was about him that he was reacting like this...
"Raman..."
"Why him..."
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That was all! Hope you all like it and will leave your feedback! Will look forward to reading it!
Edited by smilesforever98 - 10 years ago
Cricket
7