IshRa SS - Crossroads Chapter 15 Pg 88 *CONCLUDED* - Page 2

He had met a lot of dazzling beauties over the years, his ex wife herself being one of them. But there was something distinctly enchanting about this one. Clad in a simple salwar kameez, she seemed like a regular girl-next-door, at a glance. But then, a look at her almond-shaped eyes, her creamy alabaster skin, and her long shiny hair made it impossible for him to think of her as anything less than a breathtaking vision.

Strands of her hair flew across her face, and she swept them aside with her slender fingers, tucking them behind her ears. Her glass of tea lay forgotten on the table, as she stared into nothingness, repeatedly twisting the ring that she wore on her finger.

It didn't take a genius to figure out that she was upset about something. Her brows furrowed, deep in thought, she hadn't even noticed that the stranger sitting across from her had been gaping at her for a while.

Looking around, he wondered if she was alone since he saw no sign of anyone approaching her. 'Why do you care, Raman?' he asked himself, and shook himself out his reverie.

He got out of his seat and went over to the counter to pay his bill, when he spotted a couple of young men smoking at the far end of the counter.

"Hot hai, boss! Uff, look at her figure. She's a perfect 10!"

"What's even more perfect is that she's alone. Kya bolta hai? Chance le le?"

The men sniggered amongst themselves looking in her direction, not noticing that Raman had heard their conversation.

Repulsed out of his wits, Raman walked to them and tapped on the shoulder of one of the men to gain their attention.

"Kya dekh raha hai be?" He asked, his throaty voice almost a growl.

"What's it to you?" One of them spoke up. "Biwi lagti hai kya teri?"

"Haan lagti hai. She's with me." Then grabbing the collar of the guy standing closest to him, he continued, "So do you need me to show you the way, or will you go away quietly? Because if you so much as look in her direction again, I'll see to it that you're beaten up so bad that you won't be in a condition to look at anyone for the next few days!"

There must have been something in his eyes that looked like he meant business, so the guys mumbled hurried apologies and set off in the opposite direction, to get away from him.

He went back to the counter to hand over the money that was due, when the elderly gentleman who was collecting the cash spoke to him.

"Beta, that's Rs. 30."

"30? But uncle, the tea costs only Rs.15, right?"

"Yes, but won't you be paying for your wife? I added hers to your bill as well," he said with a smile.

Raman hesitated for a moment, but ended up paying the entire amount.

"Oh yes. Sorry uncle. This is why Maths was never my favourite subject in school."

The man laughed at that and said,

"It's okay, beta. I understand your state of mind. After all, which man would tolerate it if someone misbehaved with his wife?"

Raman could only nod, since he did not want to lie to him anymore.

"Oh really! What about all those times that they've ogled me? You were pretty tolerant about that!" He heard a voice, and spotted a woman; short, slightly plump, probably in her mid fifties, standing behind the man.

She looked towards Raman then and said, "Now, you're the kind of husband that every woman needs. At least you stand up for your wife when it counts!"

Raman looked on silently, aware of the fact that uttering even a single word in such a situation would put him in a spot.

"Arey bhaagwaan," her husband spoke up, "when have they ever ogled you?"

"And why would they look at her when there are so many pretty young girls around?" he whispered to Raman with a wink. Raman widened his eyes at that, and judging by the way his wife glared at him, he wondered if the man planned on getting himself murdered.

"I heard that!" she said, gritting her teeth. "You see what I meant, boy? 25 years to our marriage, and he still behaves like a child.. He wouldn't survive one day without me, and yet he has no regard for me at all.."

"Survive? I would have been happy without you. In fact, I was the happiest man alive until I met you."

"Fine. You can move out whenever you like. I can manage by myself here!"

"Why should I move out? I own this place. I'm not going anywhere!"

"So you think I'll move out? Ha! Dream on.."

Raman, who had been too shocked to react initially, thought it best not to intervene. He left them to their own devices, and slipped away while he had the chance.

He walked around for a bit until he reached a railing that separated the restaurant area from acres of paddy fields that lay beyond. He leaned against the railing taking in a deep breath, glad to have escaped the bickering couple. The plants swayed in the wind, as if they had a life of their own. A light drizzle had started, and the refreshing breeze that accompanied it was doing wonders to his surly mood. But despite the beauty of the sight that lay in front of him, all he could think about was the sadness that he had seen in her eyes...

***

A loud honk snapped her out of her thoughts. Startled, she looked around and realized that her bus was about to leave. She was about to get up from her seat when she heard her phone ring.

"Bala jiju?" She spoke into the phone tentatively, bracing herself for the scolding that she knew she was about to receive.

"Ishu, what the hell is going on?" She heard his agitated voice and cringed inwardly. "Amma and Appa called up to tell me that you've left for Mumbai! Do you even know how worried we are?"

"Jiju.. jiju.." she tried to interrupt him, "I'm so sorry. But you know I have to do this."

"I understand, Ishu, but this is not the way to go about it. You should have told me. I would have accompanied you."

"No, jiju, I have to do this on my own. He's been avoiding me, so I had no other choice."

She heard his frustrated sigh and tried to console him, "Trust me, jiju. I'll sort everything out."

"I don't know, Ishu. I don't wish to see you hurt."

"Jiju, don't you know me well enough? I'll be fine." She hung up, trying to control the tears that she had been holding back. She was infuriated with him for putting her family through this ordeal, and vowed to herself that her decision to take this trip, though impulsive, would not go in vain. She would deal with him, and get from him, all the answers that she sought.

She walked up to the counter to pay for her tea, when she saw that the couple behind the counter were busy arguing about something.

"God! You will drive me insane one day, woman!"

"Good, I'll take you to the asylum myself then!"

"Hmph!" He stomped off with a tray of food to serve one of the tables nearby.

Ishita turned to the woman with a puzzled expression, who had begun giggling the moment her husband had walked off.

She spotted Ishita and said to her, "Oh, I'm so sorry for that, dear."

"It's okay, aunty," Ishita replied with a smile.

"You can call me Jassi aunty, beta"

"Oh!" It dawned on Ishita that the restaurant was named after her.

"Don't go by the way we fight", she told Ishita with a soft laugh. "We love each other to bits."

"Of course," Ishita replied, amused. "I'm not judging you at all, Jassi aunty. I know how complicated love can get."

"Complicated? LIFE is complicated, beta. Love, on the hand, makes it all bearable! My husband and I.. we've been through a lot together. But it's only because we had each other that the pain seemed less.. painful."

Ishita listened to her silently, and unconsciously began twisting her ring again. She found that Jassi aunty's words bothered her for some unknown reason.

"We may not express it all the time, but we really cannot live without each other. Besides, sometimes, these fights and then our attempts to make up with each other are much more fun than plain, simple romance." she continued with a smile.

And sure enough, when her husband returned, Ishita saw him slip a rose into Jassi aunty's hands. Ishita stifled a giggle as Jassi aunty winked at her, and she handed out the cash that she owed for her tea.

"Beta, your husband has already paid for you," Jassi aunty looked at her, puzzled.

"Who?" She uttered, wondering if she had heard right.

"Your husband!" She repeated and pointed to a man who stood a few feet away, against a railing, with his back to her.

"Looks like you both are in the middle of a fight, too." she said, misinterpreting the blank look that Ishita gave her. "Don't worry, dear. He cares so much about you. It'll be fine." Ishita looked towards the man in confusion, and felt her temper rise. She'd had enough with men who took advantage of her and got away with it. Stepping away from the counter, she stormed towards the man who claimed to be her husband'. She would show this man that he had tried to mess with the wrong woman.

"Excuse me!"

He turned as he heard a voice behind him, and was surprised to see her there.

She faltered for a moment as she took in his features. With his windswept hair, his brooding, brown eyes, a light stubble that ran along his jaw and the top two buttons of his shirt left unbuttoned, he looked like a movie star.

"Yes?" he spoke up, wondering what this was about. With her arms folded across her chest, and her eyebrow perked up, she looked ready for a fight.

He was looking at her curiously, and she realized that she had been staring at him wordlessly the past few moments. Her anger resurfaced as she shook herself out of her thoughts, and said to him, "Just what do you think you're doing, mister?"

"I'm sorry?" He questioned her, confused by the tone of her voice.

"Why are you going around telling people that you're my husband?"

"Oh that..." he shook his head, amused, but before he could explain himself, she interrupted him.

"So you admit you said that? And what's so funny?" she fumed, her voice raising with each syllable.

"Look, let me explain..."

"I don't want any explanations! You spot any random girl sitting by herself, and assume that you can try your luck with her? What the hell do you think of yourself?"

"You're the one assuming things here! And what do you think of yourself? I have better work than to try my luck with you!" He retorted, furious that she was blaming him when all he had done was try and help her.

"Ya right! So you're a pervert AND a liar!" She exclaimed. The man was infuriating. She had caught him red-handed, and he didn't even have it in him to apologize.

"Why are you over-reacting?" He snapped at her, his temper barely under control. "I didn't come anywhere near you, I didn't even talk to you, and get this straight.. I'M NOT INTERESTED in you! So stop accusing me!"

"That's good then because I'm not interested either. I only came to tell you that you better stay away from me! Oh, and one more thing.." She stepped towards him, pulled out his hand, and placed some money in it. "This is for my tea you paid for. Keep the change!"

That did it for him! Blinded by rage at her audacity, he did the only thing that came to his mind at that moment. Before she could turn away, he pulled her towards himself, placed his hand at the nape of her neck, and crushed his mouth onto hers.