Chapter 21
Ishani pulled Ranveer's left arm on her shoulder and then around her neck while he only fumbled few weak words in protest but in vain. Whenever Ranveer tried to rid himself from her arms Ishani glared at him which made him subside for few moments until he began to resist her again. Ishani again frowned at him when he asked why she was doing this when she wanted him out of her life.
"It was you, Ishani, right?" Ranveer asked her after some time while Ishani looked confused.
"I don't know what you are saying," Ishani replied. Ranveer laughed weakly as if mocking the sense of her statement.
"It was you who took me to the hospital, I know that. Why didn't you stay there?"
Ishani was surprised as she tried to keep silent and walk on. Ranveer again asked her.
"Why don't you answer me, Ishani? I know it was you!"
"Silence! You don't have to say anything now, or ask for that matter. Just walk with me until you get to your home," she said.
Ranveer only looked at her, flummoxed and feeling the flow of the same emotions, which her company gave him and that made him feel alive in years but left him feeling shallow again. He kept wondering if anything happening to him was real or just a dream. Ishani continued to walk his arms on her shoulder while he smiled a bit not understanding if he was really meant to smile or not, for he could still feel a certain dread in his heart that this moment would come to an end like all the ones before. While they continued to walk a strand of hair fell over Ishani's face which she tried to push back but it seemed to enjoy teasing her. Ranveer smiled at her childishly and carefully tucked it back. "Don't worry, it won't annoy you now," he chuckled.
Ishani, surprised, looked at him, for she could see the glimpse of the same old Ranveer who laughed with her, at her whenever she was in a mess but helped her through it as well. "That's not amusing at all," she said and he chuckled again. Ishani loved the sight, seeing him like this. How she missed this smile, this laugh when she was away from him, and for past few days she could only dream of see him smile. Ishani found her own lips twist in a soft smile. "Let's go," she said, shaking her head.
After sometime they came outside the building; the stars were splashed all over the sky and the earth was lit only with their dim light. There was a tiny shade of the moon that could be seen from behind the tops of the peach trees. Ranveer struggled to stand on his own feet, telling her he could walk here as loves to in the evening. Ishani set him free but held his arms as they proceeded towards the car. The cold air touched her face and she was suddenly reminded of her old times when she used to go on long drives with Ranveer, when she loved her easy and simple life without any complications. Getting upto the car, Ishani made Ranveer settle on the passenger's seat and herself on the driver's one, beside him. She asked him to put on his seat belt in which he showed very little interest. She could see he was not in his unhappy shell that he was few moments back and was beginning to smile and laugh but she understood not what made him do all this. "Ranveer," she said, but he did not look at her.
"I love this...it's so easy and pretty," he said after few moments, looking up at the sky. Ishani only shook his hand and gestured him to put on the seat belt before she started driving. Ranveer struggled with it and Ishani had to help him. She moved closer to him and he froze where he was not moving or even daring to turn away his gaze. As Ishani went near him there was a feeling that hit her along with the cold air brushing her face; it did not originate from anywhere outside and ended in an instant, she thought, but lingered there for a long, long time. She felt his steady breathing falling over her hair, the touch of his hand getting warmer in this cold evening. She realized the fever was still not over and she needed to get him back home as soon as possible.
For some reasons the atmosphere was filled with tension where neither Ranveer nor Ishani said anything. His jovial mood getting back to the brooding one and the air was filled a melancholic sadness. Ishani started to drive but her senses remaining lost somewhere. She tried to look at Ranveer but the previous emotions hit her in which she could not remain sure of the things happening to her. However, she kept herself composed and continued to drive, when suddenly she heard Ranveer's voice: low, feeble, weak and broken. Ishani's heart gave a leap for she was somewhere expecting it but wanted the moment to get buried in the darkness of night. Hearing his voice she looked at him and his eyes still exhibited the painful experience he had felt two nights before. Ishani gulped and tried to ignore Ranveer, but this time he said loudly.
"Why don't you answer me, Ishani?" he asked, as if offended by her ignorance. Ishani smiled to hide her uneasiness. "I'm driving, Ranveer."
Ranveer, however, did not consider her answer and asked, "Do you still think I was wrong?"
The question hit her like a bullet and a fountain of memories flashed in front of her eyes. She could sense what he talked about.
"Ishani, did you really mean what you said that day? Did you really think I wanted to separate you..." he paused, and then said, "...from Chirag because..."
Ranveer could not speak any further and Ishani knew what he meant. She had spent her nights in trying to understand this, and even tonight, in that moment a part of hers wanted to say no but what she came up with was a gruesome silence. Tears burned in her eyes as she drove across but no audible response was heard from her. She could see Ranveer, anticipating an answer...anything, but she could not say a word as her heart seemed to be shattering in pain and confusion she wished she had never witnessed. When Ishani did not say anything Ranveer looked away.
The journey to home felt longer than it actually was and arriving at RV Mansion Ishani saw two guards were standing there and the house was calmer than before. No noise of the loud music crossed her or the sound of chattering of the guests. The gates of the mansion were opened as Ishani helped Ranveer get out of the car and proceed towards his house.
"Easy, Ranveer," she said as he found it harder to stand and struggled. "It's only few more minutes. Please, be easy."
Ishani and Ranveer came to doorway of the large hall of RV Mansion and she started to guess which room might belong to Ranveer. It was 3 at night and no helper was to be seen. Ishani took few steps forward along with Ranveer who no more was conscious and kept tumbling over her. Ishani ran her gaze towards the rooms on the upper side of the home as she remembered Ranveer often told her about his dream house. It was like that. A smile crept over her lips. Slowly, Ishani moved forward and went on the second floor. Here and there were the lights illuminating and pieces of antiques placed in the house. Ishani halted as she came in front of a room: third one after climbing the stairs; its lights were dimly lit and on the hearth a fresh fire was lit as if someone had recently did it there. It did not take her time to think this was Ranveer's room and entering it she was not disappointed. She could see trophies, photographs and various things which must have belonged to Ranveer only. She made Ranveer lay on the bed as he groaned softly. Ishani took off his shoes, and jacket as well so that it wouldn't suffocate him and covered him with a warm quilt which might make him feel snug in the cold. She felt a cold wind rustling through the dry leaves and from a window entering the room. Ishani closed window as well as drew back the curtains again and finally shut the lights off. Before leaving Ishani turned back to have a glance at Ranveer and felt her heart shiver with a feeling it never had felt before. The moments of a while back rushed back in her mind but she forced them to dwindle although unsuccessfully and left, tiptoeing towards the exit.
*
Coming back to the hall she saw Amba and Ishani could but face her: Amba looked shocked and sad as she saw Ishani and soon she turned indifferent.
"Kaki," Ishani said, not understanding whether she should be apologizing for showing up like this or greeting her first. Amba only stared back at her without saying a word.
"Kaki, he has had this fever and there was no one he could come back with, and I could not ask either Puneet or Rishi to get him home. They were already in the office for long..." Ishani said.
"It's alright," Amba said and to Ishani's surprise she added, "and thank you as well. It would have been hard for him to get back if not for you."
"You're not mad at me?" Ishani asked.
"I have no idea. A mother never thinks beyond her child's happiness and safety and here you brought him home so I think I should be grateful to you for that," Amba said, and Ishani could sense this gratitude in the light wrinkles of her face as they formed when she smiled a bit"a formality, for sure.
"I...I should be leaving now, Kaki. It's late," Ishani said and turned to leave but heard Amba calling her back.
"Ishani, if Ranveer were awake he would not have let you leave," Amba said, her expressions stiff. "It's late and you should not be leaving at this hour. Better you stay here as only few more hours are left for the dawn. You can go back then."
Ishani looked at Amba; she had always sensed a detachment from Amba though it was not from her own side but Amba. Ishani could not understand the reason even after all these years but she realized it was still there and it did not bother her, rather she felt she deserved it somewhere. The words to say either yes or no fell short and Ishani dared not say either of it.
Amba still did not move and shook her head in enquiry once again and Ishani nodded.
"Good," she heard the old woman say. Amba led Ishani to a room, there were no light lit in it but as they entered Amba switched them on and the room was filled with a white light which dazzled Ishani's eyes for a few moments. She stared around, the room was as large as the one she had been in few moments before, and it too had the same round, king sized bed and the windows she had seen in her last visit gleaming in the moonlight, but now dark and the frost on their surface glistening in the lights of the room. The room occupied the usual set of things placed in almost everywhere. Ishani looked at Amba and was surprised to see she had no trace of vanity or pride on her face, though now they did not seem as blank as they looked when she had first seen her.
"Thank you, Kaki." Ishani smiled.
"Take care," Amba said and left. Ishani tried to find the hints of coldness in Amba's behavior, her attitude but all she could see was a motherly feeling she had been missing for so long. Ishani wished her mother were here, with her, talking to her about the tumult in her life and comforting her when all was dark and cold in her world.
*
Ishani did not feel like sleeping and nor did she pretend to, instead she felt an overwhelming emotion surging within her, sometimes telling her everything will be alright and sometimes making her fear something unexpected to happen. She did not feel any cold and went towards the window and slid it open. As she did it a blow of cold air hit her but she did not shut it down. Ishani smiled thinking of Ranveer: he always wished to own such house and he did it. She could imagine his face when he first would have entered this house with his parents, and his parents feeling the proudest they had ever felt. Ishani blushed as she could feel his presence everywhere in the room, as if he was standing there beside her like before when she found him in the office standing next to her. The air blew with a sweet fragrance in it, as the stars above shone radiantly as if struggling to shine brighter than each other.
Soon after Ishani could see the sky changing its color: the dark sky turning into a crimson mingled with orange in it, and the clouds accompanying it like they did every morning. There was no sleep in her eyes; still she went to the bed hoping to find some rest from the ceaseless thoughts and soon enough she was in sleep and surprisingly feeling more comfortable than before as she heard the gentle sound of music playing somewhere reaching her ears faintly and the cold weather spreading itself all over her without disturbing her in all ways.
Her sleep was interrupted by a phone call which woke her up in surprise. Ishani picked up the phone.
"Hello," she said, quite amazed.
From other side came an annoyed and angry voice and she could not recognize who it was. "Who's this?" she asked.
"Don't you remember me, Ishani? It's me. Chirag."
"Oh, hi," she said, her morning enthusiasm wearing off.
"Ishani, do you even remember what day it is?" Chirag said, still angry.
"No."
"Damn!" he cursed. "I've been waiting for your phone call, mail or anything since yesterday thinking you'd remember it's my birthday. It was my birthday. It's almost over now."
Ishani understood the reason of Chirag's anger. "I'm sorry," she said.
"Don't you think you should wish me now? And maybe you don't remember but I do still the expensive gift I had sent you on your birthday."
Ishani did not understand what the gift by Chirag had to do with her wishing him back. "Happy birthday," she said after sometime.
"Thanks," Chirag still could not hide his frustration. "Why don't you make phone calls to me now? You don't pick up mine either. Is everything alright?"
"Mm-hmm. All is fine," she lied.
"Baby, why do I feel something is bothering you? As if something is changing between us?" Chirag asked.
"Nothing's bothering me, Chirag. I'm fine. All right, I need to go. I'm getting late," she said and disconnected the call. Ishani gave a sigh of relief and wondered if Chirag was right. Is something had changed between them for real, and if it was so why it did not bother her. Ishani remembered the first time Ranveer told her about Chirag cheating on her and she had felt her getting lost at the thought of losing Chirag but if something had changed between them now why didn't it bother her?
"Everything's all right. Chirag and I are going to get married after all," she tried to convince herself but deep down felt the words were lost somewhere without making their existence possible.
Ishani stood up, and saw the sun had come over the horizon but hidden behind the grey clouds now scudded towards its journey's first step and the trilling of the birds could be heard nearby on the trees. Ishani looked around and remembered she was not at her own place but Ranveer's"the feeling being so close to him engendered her doubts on her own belief that she tried to convince Chirag with few minutes back.
So, guys! Done this one too. Hopefully it isn't like I fear (sort of) it to be. xD
Tum Se Tum Tak
Anupamaa
Cricket
Bhabhi Ji Ghar Pe Hain?
