IshRa SS - Crossroads Chapter 15 Pg 88 *CONCLUDED* - Page 32

Originally posted by: rufana10

superb updates
liked ishra shopping scene
ishra start to fall for each other 😳
but they r unaware about their feelings
crazy bhalla family 😆
but feeling bad for them and especially for raman 😒
thank u for long updates dear 😃
looking forward to d next update 😊

Originally posted by: rutu83

yay for the longer updates!

ishra shopping 😆

loved ishita's subbu who? 😈 hope the ever aware vandu helps ishra

aww bhalla family - they're just the cutest! will we get raman's interactions with iyers?

raman knows about the changing equation but ishita doesn't right? hope mihir graduates from accidental cupid to on purpose cupid :)

kinda coming back to the forum for this story only❤️

continue soon pls :)

Originally posted by: JniISHRA83

I am in Love with Crossroads dear❤️😳👏...
Waiting for next part😳

Originally posted by: sireesha76

Loved both parts

Originally posted by: yhmmylife

Neethi very nice update ...now the question is whether ishita will go to the party ..and where is subbu ...what role vandu will play.

Bhalla's giving all the love to ishita seeing raman happy with her .awww

Originally posted by: _SUMAN_

Ye lo waise bhi first to comment ho gaye😆

iss baar res! 😛

unres..

Itna bada update!

Padhte padhte aadhaa ghanta lag gaya😆

Raman ke dil me toh phoot rahe hai pyaar ke patake😆

Jalan dekho bhai uski😉

Hope he realises soon!

Vandu ko shak ho gaya hai ishu par.. Ishita ki ghar pe khabar na le le woh😛

Aur poore Bhalla khandan ne agar bhanda phod diya Iyers ke yahan toh aur maza aa jaega😆

Waiting for next update..

Raman ko rote hue nahi dekh sakti mai😭

Originally posted by: cutieruhi

Lovely update

The shopping scene was good

Feel bad for Raman and his family in the end

They r so good

Update soon

It's party time! What's YHM without a few party sequences, right?😉 So I've included one too. Unfortunately, it's incomplete. So this part is just a prelude.. Will update the next part soon, though.

Hope you like it. Please let me know through your valuable comments😊

"What were you thinking when you agreed to go to that party? And as his date, no less! Paithyam!" Ishita muttered to herself as she stared undecidedly at her collection of sarees hanging in the cupboard.

"Ishu.. here's your coffee," said her mother, who had entered the room with a hot cup of coffee for her.

"And where's my coffee, Amma?"

Ishita and Mrs.Iyer turned to find Vandita standing at the door with a smile.

"Vandu, you're early today!"

"Yes, amma. I had fewer lectures than usual. Now where's my little devil? It'll take me at least half an hour to convince him to leave his paatti, thaatha and chitthi and come home with me," she laughed.

"Shravu is in the park with your Appa. You wait here. I'll get you some coffee right away!"

Vandita plopped down on the bed, tired, and noticed Ishita desperately rummaging through her sarees.

"Going somewhere?"

"Yes, akka, I have a party to get to in exactly two hours, and I don't even know what I'm wearing to it!"

She gave up and sat next to Vandita, picking up her cup of coffee.

"Which party?"

"Raman and Mihir invited me, akka," she mumbled in a low voice. She figured that she could tell Vandita that much, even though she couldn't reveal to her the circumstances under which Raman was being forced to take her.

"Akka please help me na," she pleaded. "I've never attended such parties. What do I wear?"

Vandita had thought long and hard about her sister the day she had met Raman. Her family had been very happy when Ishita and Subbu had decided to keep aside their differences and marry each other; but over the past few weeks, especially since the day she had seen Ishita with Raman, Vandita had realized that Ishita's happiness did not lie with Subbu anymore. The gleam in her eyes, the glow on her face that had been missing for so long had all come back, not for Subbu, but for Raman. She had always known that Ishita had never been able to forgive Subbu wholeheartedly, but had figured that her resentment would go away with time. But she was wrong; and she now knew that Ishita would end up ruining her life if she went ahead with the marriage. She resolved that if Ishita's happiness lay with Raman, so be it. She would move heaven and earth to see to it that Ishita would only marry the one she truly loved. But before that, she wanted to know what was going on in Ishita's mind.

"Sure, I'll help you. But on one condition," she replied.

"What condition?"

"Tell me about Raman Bhalla," she asked eagerly, "Who is he?"

"What do you mean? You met him the other day."

"I meant, who is he to you?!"

Ishita looked at Vandita then. There was a strange sparkle in her eyes, unlike the suspicious looks that she had thrown her the day she had met Raman.

"I told you, akka, he's a friend," she repeated.

"Do you take me for a fool, Ishita? Or haven't you noticed the way he looks at you?"

Ishita burst out laughing at that.

"What's so funny?"

"Do you even hear yourself? Why would Raman Bhalla be interested in me?"

"Why wouldn't he be interested in you?" asked Vandita, surprised.

"Take a look at his ex-wife. You'll get the idea," she said and rolled her eyes.

"Oh yeah? Well, my sister is the most beautiful, smart and intelligent woman I know. Most men would fall at her feet to be with her!"

"Alright akka, if you say so," Ishita laughed, wondering what had gotten into her sister.

"Yes, I do say so! Come now, we've got to get you dressed up, and we'll see how you don't knock everyone's socks off at the party!"

****

"Relax, bhai, I just called her. Ishita should be coming down any moment, and we'll be there in no time!"

"But you're late, Mihir! If Mehta hadn't asked me to come over early to discuss the contract, I would have brought her here myself."

"No, bhai, we are not late! I got here on time, and we'll reach the hotel on time. Now, I can't help it if you're so eager to meet Ishita that you can't even wait for a few more minutes," he remarked, trying to control his laughter.

"Shut up, Mihir, and get here A.S.A.P," he snapped at him and hung up.

Mihir laughed and turned, only to be stunned into silence as he saw Ishita standing in front of him.

"Wow, Ishita! You look amazing!" He exclaimed as he looked her over.

"You really think so?" She asked him, unsure.

She and Vandita, after a lot of debate and discussion, had picked out a red, shimmer saree with a golden border which was as close to a party outfit that Ishita owned. But what made it look all the more alluring was the halter neck, gold-coloured blouse that Vandita had forced her to wear along with it. A pair of golden hoop earrings along with a matching bracelet completed the ensemble, and her long straightened hair only added to her elegance. She had intentionally kept her make-up minimal, but she hardly needed it; her kohl-lined eyes making her look beautiful enough to take anyone's breath away.

"You bet, Ishita. Trust me, you should wear sarees more often!" He praised her, and she gave him a nervous smile in return.

"Bhai toh gaye aaj!" He thought to himself and smirked, as he got into his car along with her.

They reached the venue within an hour, and as Ishita followed Mihir through the plush lobby into the party hall beyond, she suddenly found that she was developing cold feet.

"Mihir," she spoke up, "I..I just remembered. I need to make a phone call. Why don't you go ahead? I'll be right there."

"Sure," he said to her and excused himself.

"Murugan, what was I thinking? What am I even wearing? I don't fit in here!" She panicked, and

after taking a few moments to calm herself, she tentatively stepped into the hall.

"Where is she yar?" He hissed at Mihir.

"She's outside, bhai," replied Mihir, as he approached Raman.

"What? Mihir, it's your fault that she was made to come here. The least you could do is escort her inside!"

"Chill, bhai. Please. She's on her way! And how is this my fault? You should have told everyone the truth at home by now, which you have conveniently avoided to do."

"I will tell them...eventually. I'm just searching for the perfect opportunity! Now stop grilling me for that!" He said irritatedly and resumed tapping his foot, waiting for Ishita to arrive.

Mihir shook his head with a smile, which disappeared as soon as he spotted Shagun, a few feet away from them. His own sister, and it had been more than a year since he had last seen her. But he found that nothing had changed in all this while. She was still the same attention seeking woman that he had known her to be, her flashy attire bearing testimony to the fact; and he still felt the same hatred bubble inside him as he watched her stand alongside Ashok.

He suddenly remembered that this was the first time that Raman would be meeting her since the award night and worried for him, wondering if he would be able to cope with an encounter with Shagun and Ashok, especially now since they were married.

"I had no idea Shagun would be here," he said, still staring in her direction. "I would have warned you if I'd known beforehand. We should have avoided this party, bhai."

"Bhai...?" He shook him slightly when he found that Raman wasn't paying any attention to him, but was gazing at something in the opposite direction. Mihir turned to look at what had caught Raman's attention and smiled widely, as he realized that Raman had been staring openly at Ishita, who had just entered the hall and was looking for them.

"You spend all this time waiting for her, and when she's finally here, you do nothing but stare at her! Will you go and get her already?" He asked him, exasperated.

"What?" Raman uttered, finally coming out of his trance. "You're right!"

He walked over to her then, taking slow and steady steps, all the while unable to take his eyes off her.

Ishita scanned through the fifty-odd people in the room, feeling uncomfortable and out of place, until her eyes finally landed on Raman, who was approaching her, looking as appealing as ever, his endearing smile instantly bringing a smile to her lips as well.

"You look lovely," he said to her, as soon as he had reached her side.

She looked around at all the stunningly attractive women in the hall, and wondered if he had lost his mind. Or maybe he was just being nice to her, she supposed.

"Thanks," she smiled back at him, grateful that he was courteous enough to compliment her, when she could clearly see that she was sticking out like a sore thumb.

"Shall we?" He asked her, smiling, as he held out his hand to her.

She slipped her hand into his, hesitatingly, and followed him as he led her inside.

Heads turned and tongues began wagging as soon as people spotted them walking in together.

"Who's that with Raman Bhalla?"

"Haven't seen her at any of our parties before, have we?"

"She's gorgeous! Wonder where Raman's been hiding her all this while!"

Ishita held on to Raman's hand tightly, aware of the curious glances and stares that they seemed to be attracting.

"Relax, you've survived a freaking bus accident. This party should be a cakewalk for you!" He said to her, amused at her anxiousness.

"Easy for you to say, Mr.CEO-of-the-year!" She muttered. "What do you have to worry about? I'm the one that's not used to all this. I feel like such an alien!"

"Well, for all we know, you might actually be one!" He remarked casually.

She dug her nails into his palm in reply.

"Madrassan," he hissed at her. "are those claws you have in place of nails?"

"Call me an alien again, and I'll make you bleed!"

"You called yourself that! I was only agreeing with you!" He retorted.

"Guys! Give it a rest, will you?" They were distracted by Mihir's exasperated call to them. He had been standing with them all the while but they had been too busy arguing with each other to notice.

"Mihir, could you tell me where the washroom is? I need to freshen up a bit."

Mihir pointed it out to her, and she glared at Raman one last time before walking away.

"Bhai, what is wrong with you? Why do you always pick a fight with her?" Mihir asked him.

"Because it's too much fun," he replied, chuckling. "Besides, she could use the distraction. Did you notice how uncomfortable she looked?"

Ishita had only just stepped into the washroom, when her hands flew to her mouth at the sight that greeted her. She saw a man and a woman, locked in an intimate embrace, with the man pulling desperately at the woman's clothes, running his hands all over her, and kissing her senseless, while the woman pressed her body against his and moaned in pleasure.

Feeling embarrassed, Ishita closed her eyes shut and stepped out immediately, before they could realize that she had seen them in that state.

"Urgh! What sort of a place is this?" She muttered to herself furiously, and walked away from there.

"Akka, I'm not staying here any longer. I'm coming back!" Ishita spoke into the phone irritatedly.

"Why? What happened?"

"I don't like this place! I'm the only one wearing a saree here... and everyone's staring at me...and Raman called me an alien! I can't take it anymore, akka."

Vandita laughed as she heard her crib.

"Ishu, relax. I'm sure everyone's staring at you because you look awesome! Stop complaining now! Besides, when do you ever go to such parties? Forget everything else and enjoy yourself." Vandita chided her.

Ishita hung up the phone angrily. It was no use complaining, she realized. She had promised Raman's family that she would attend the party with Raman, and she would keep her promise. She decided that she would wait for a while and then ask Raman to drop her back home as soon as possible.

She looked around and spotted Raman and Mihir busy chatting with a group of men. But as she began moving towards them, she was stopped by a woman, who stood in her way, blocking her path.

"Hi there, I'm Tina," she held out her hand to Ishita.

She was tall, slim and attractive, and her short knee-long dress highlighted her perfect curves. Ishita's eyes widened as she realized that she was the same woman that she had walked in on, in the washroom.

"Hello, I'm Ishita," she shook hands with her politely.

"I'll be honest with you. Every single person in this room, especially all the females are wondering who you are.

"Yes, well, it's my first time here," she replied.

"So... Are you and Raman seeing each other?"

"Tina! Where are your manners?" Ishita turned as they were interrupted by another voice.

Shagun! The recognition was instant for Ishita. She looked exactly as Ishita remembered her from the photograph in Raman's wallet, but she was definitely more beautiful in person. She wore a long silver, sequined gown which was strapless and showed off her bare shoulders. Her perfectly styled hair fell in waves around her face, and her diamond-studded neck piece glittered on her skin, giving her a glamorous look altogether.

"Hi, I'm Shagun," she said to Ishita.

"Actually, I know you," Ishita smiled at her.

"Of course you know me! Anyone associated with Raman would know me," Shagun said with a smirk. "But I've never heard about you before. And I'll admit that I'm a bit curious about you," she added with a wink. "Is it true what everyone's saying?"

"It's not what you think." Ishita replied hesitatingly. She had no idea how she should be answering these probing questions, and looked in Raman's direction to see if he was free so she could escape these females and go over to him.

"Didn't I tell you, Tina? I know Raman very well. He will never be able to get over me!" Shagun continued blabbering, much to Ishita's annoyance.

"Oh, I'm sorry...err...Ishita, right? My friends here were going on about the new girl in Raman's life, and how much in love with her he looked, and I had to see it for myself. But now it's pretty evident as to what's true and what's not." She looked at Ishita from head to toe in a condescending manner.

"Ishita, what are you doing here? Bhai is waiting for you."

Ishita had barely recovered from Shagun's insulting comments when she turned to find Mihir standing behind her.

"Hey Mihir," Shagun addressed him with a smile, "How have you been?"

"Ishita, are you coming or not?" He ignored Shagun, and pulled Ishita along with him, towards where Raman stood.

"Apparently, my little brother is still on Team Raman!" They heard Shagun giggle along with Tina, as they walked away. "You really thought Raman would choose her? After me? What were you thinking, Tina?"

Ishita could still hear Shagun's stinging words as they walked further away from them.

"I'm sorry about her, Ishita," Mihir said to her, looking in Shagun's direction.

"It's not your fault, Mihir. But I must say your sister is.. she is..."

"Ya, she's a royal b****. You can say it out loud. I won't mind." Mihir remarked, making Ishita laugh.

"And that's her husband, Ashok Khanna," he said, gesturing towards the man who had joined Shagun, slipping an arm around her.

Ishita looked towards them, and tried to hide the shock she felt as she realized that Ashok was the same man who had been kissing Tina a while back! Was this the man that Shagun had left Raman for?

"What a creep!" She thought to herself, disgusted.

She looked at Raman then and failed to understand why Shagun would ever let go of someone like him. She had hated it when Shagun had gloated about the fact that she still held a grip over Raman's life and hoped for his sake that it wasn't true. She hoped that he had truly moved on...it was imperative for Ishita to know that. Because somewhere along the way, his happiness had become important to her... more so than her own.