New IshRa OS: Starting Afresh! Part 2 on pg 9

Khadoos!

Unromantic!

Karva Karela!

Raavan Kumar Bhalla!

Ishita muttered with a hint of disdain clouding her voice. What was she supposed to do alone at home when everybody has gone for shopping and dinner and would be late? When he told her in the morning about the plan, Ishita was excited. Finally she would be alone at home with her husband, after they had decided to bring their relationship to another level. Ishita felt her cheeks turned hot remembering that night...

*

His face inches away from hers, she stayed with her back glued to the wall and waited in anticipation for his next move.

-          I heard you talking to yourself Ishita. Did you say something about...

-          Raman...

 Her voice died in her throat. This was going to be very embarrassing.

Now how would I save myself from being ridiculed by him? He would not leave this opportunity to tease and taunt me.

-          Whaaat...what do you mean?

-          I want to make sure that you meant what you said minutes ago in the kitchen. I thought once you will tell me what is in your heart then me too...I will tell you...

God what was happening? Was it one of his farces? I am not sure I would survive this one. The last time i nearly had a heart attack.

        - Raman...I was saying that... I was so stupid...

-          Woh toh tum ho hi. Aur?

-          I...I should have asked you rather than tried to...

-          Play Karamchand Jassoos? Leopards do not change their spots...

-          I...I am sorry.

-          Forgiven. Go on.

-          I am sorry for believing that Sanjana. I...I think that I lost my mind when she said that...

-          We had an affair?

God! Did I marry a CEO of soft drink industries or the lawyer of Yeh Adaalat?

-          Why were you upset to hear that Ishita? Jealous?

-          NO!I...I only ...I felt...cheated. I mean ...I am your wife and you should not hide anything from me...

-          Hmmm... so you are my wife. Interesting. Yeh hasseen hadsaa kab hua? I thought you were Ruhi's Ishimaa

Wicked! Crooked! Devious! That was Raman Kumar Bhalla. The man knew that he was having the upper hand on me so he was exploiting it.

 Ishita's heart was drumming because of the direction the conversation was going.

I NEED TO PUT A STOP TO IT before I end up like a hypnotized mowgli glided to Kaa. His proximity was too distracting and his scent too intoxicating.

-          Yes you are right. I am Ruhi's mother...

-          And?

-          And...I am very proud of my daughter's father and very grateful too... for handling so sensibly the whole fiasco which happened thanks to me... Thank you Raman.

-          Welcome. But don't drown the fish Ishita. You were saying something else. You were talking about... The change of equation...

Oh Murugan! He had heard EVERYTHING. Why the hell was I rambling aloud to myself? How did I forget that if walls have ears and doors have eyes, Raman Kumar Bhalla had the sharpest ears and eyes, the softest skin, the yummiest lips, the...Control Ishita!

Ishita's heart flipped. The man was getting, no, was already under her skin. She had started liking this grumpy face with a razor blade tongue since some time and after listening to his conversation with Mihir...

"Relations are very delicate. Leave then free... Set them free. Look at me...I have moved on... I am a happy man now. She has no place in my life. I have let go of my past... there is no resentment...no anger... only pity for her because she is after all my kids' mother... I don't want people to talk ill about my kids' mother...She is frustrated...desperate...free her...so that she frees us and let us in peace..."

She was totally hooked, line and sinker. Lost in his words, she spoke aloud what her heart had been yelling inside her chest cavity - Aaj aap ke liye izzat aur garv aur bar gaye...aur uske saat saat aap ne mera dil bhi chuda liya... Aaj aap mere Raman hogaye ho! Ishita ki Raman...

She was still smiling to herself, blushing and feeling all shy when her eyes met his, head on. He was at the door.

And now I AM BEING COUT MARTIALLED...Ishita was concluding in her mind when she heard him again.

-          Tell me what I want to hear Ishita. THE TRUTH.

That's it. People do not stop living in the fear that one day they will die. There was no running away. Why run away when he had finally said it! He had moved on. There was no place in his heart for his ex and her perception of him has changed too. Tentatively she spoke.

-          Raman...You have all the qualities that I have been looking for in my husband...

-          I am honoured.

-          Can we make it...work between us?

-          Is it not working Ishita?

-          Raman...

Ishita tried to push him away but couldn't distance herself because the next minute she found her wrist being grabbed and once again trapped between him and the wall.

-          You are not going anywhere Ishita. You heard what I told Mihir? I have moved on in life. You have taught me to live and to find happiness in what life is offering to me. I am now a contented man.  I heard every word you spoke. I want you to tell me what is in your heart. I promise to do the same. Stop running away from me.

How to explain to him her state of my mind and the emotions she was going through...The pangs of jealous that shot through her when she heard about Sanjana...the fear to lose him when he was...not even hers... Ishita immediately lowered her eyes afraid that he would see her heart in them and they would end up telling him what her lips feared to utter. But this man seemed to be able to understand her so well. He lifted her chin to face him.

His eyes! The naughtiness that they had reflected in the beginning was gone. They were now like windows of his soul. Ishita had realized that they were in the same boat surrounded by a whirlpool of emotions. She had finally chosen to open up to him because she didn't want to regret anything later. Life has taught her that very often we end up regretting the chances we didn't take, the relationship we were afraid to have and the decisions we took too long to take and she didn't want that when it came to Raman. The man meant too much to her. Taking her courage in her trembling hands she spoke up.

-          Raman you are more than Ruhi's papa in my life.

-          You are also no longer what you used to be months back. I am a changed man too Ishita.

-          I know and I am so proud of you Raman.

They looked at each other, their eyes smiling softly to each other and then... he blew  her away with his next question.

-          Can we make it work? I mean like husband and wife?

Choked with emotions she could only nod.

-          I know I am not an easy man...

-          But... I will manage...

He chuckled and she smiled back sheepishly. Ishita felt him closing in, his arms circling her waist but without invading her personal space at all as if giving her the liberty to decide for the next step. She didn't hesitate this time and drew closer and rested her head on his chest, her action telling him what she was feeling shy to say. He understood and leaned closer and cradled her in his arms.

*

Ishita sighed! That was two weeks back. Since then they had neither had a single minute for each other nor a decent husband and wife moment. On the contrary he had turned really irritating and had been yelling like he always does. And then... in the morning when he told her about their little private moment, she could not concentrate at all at work and immediately rushed home earlier than the convened time only to sit all by herself alone at home. She dialed his number for the hundredth time.

Feeling as if she was going to explode she slammed the phone down. Hadd hain! How dare him? Firstly he had been his irritating self for the whole past week which urged Ishita to have second thought. Did that night ever happened? And then out of the blue, he came and proposed quality time together. And now this...Closing her eyes, Ishita took a deep long breath.

"Fine! I guess he is again trapped in some business meeting. I won't whine about him. I will spend the QUALITY time with myself".

Ishita turned around but only to walk on her saree's pleats.

-          Careful woman!

Ishita was stumbling, nearly falling when his arms were around her instantly. Holding her, he asked without giving her time to stand up straight.

-          Are you mad at me? I am sorry for being late. And I know I have been grumpy and short tempered lately.

She immediately scoffed:

-          Oh come on Raman. You are always like that! Grumpy and short tempered. And more so WITH ME. Why?

-          Because I was missing you.

Her lips parted but she couldn't speak. Raman patted his shoulder mentally for being able to disarm the Jhansi ki Rani once again with his mushiness and romantic avatar! She knew how to deal with the karva Raavan but she had no weapon against the Ramantic Bhalla in him. " Aage aage dekho hota hain kya", Raman muttered under his breath with confidence and attitude.

-          After our talk we had had no time to spend together. I would go in the morning and come back late at night only to find you busy or with the marriage preparations taking all your time. So I planned this.

He moved back and leaned against the door pulling her to him. As they stood face to face, his arms around her and her hands resting on his chest, she was a sight he would like to hold and behold. Her innocence and simplicity and that blush which would creep on her cheeks every time he would touch her again bowled him...she was beautiful!

-          I was missing my wife and I had no option but to kidnap her in my own house.

-          And for how long?

A smile crept on Raman's lips. She also realized the double entendre of this question and blushed profusely when he replied with a devious grin: Long enough!

 She gulped nervously and asked: For?

 Her question nearly had him laughing aloud but he restrained himself not wanting to embarrass her more than she was already. He only replied with a smile:

-          For weaving memories together. The family will be here late. They are going shopping, will have dinner out and we have more than 5-6 hours without interruption... I have a plan.

Ishita's eyes widened when they set on it . Unbelievable! She lifted her palms to touch her cheeks and asked:

-          Seriously? You and I...Oh Murugan! Raman pinch me...quick!

Rolling his eyes, Raman nodded amusedly and pinched her hard. Ouchh!!! "Raman Kumar Bhalla is going to watch a Rajnikant movie with me" she exclaimed. They both began to laugh. Excitedly she jumped on the bed and he came to sit closely beside her. Raman was not really interested in watching films with her. But he also knew that it was not safe to rush into things. He was craving for being close to her. She was not indifferent to his touch but it was a fact that she was not fully prepared. She was way too self conscious and too aware of him around her. He wanted to...break the ice before moving forward. But...Was it a good idea to bring Rajnikant in their bedroom?  Raman started wondering. The madrassan was busy fixing the screen waiting for the movie to start while he was left staring at her.

-          Ishita!

-          Mmm!

-          Look at me when I talk to you.

-          Hadd karte ho Raman! If we are going to talk then why did you bring this DVD.

He was now getting really furious. She was not even looking at him. Her eyes were not leaving the screen even once. He grabbed her and pulled her against him.

-          You know this Chandramukhi is way more thrilling than the Hindi version Bhool Bulaiyya and Mihika just loves this...

-          I am only thrilled by the Bhool bhulaiya in front of me and I am not interested to know what Mihika, Vandu, Appa, Amma, Bala, Shravu like...Have I missed anyone else?

-          Yeah! Chitti!

A slow smile began to creep on her lips.

-          Don't you dare laugh at me Ishita or you will regret it big time.

Raman could see her working really hard to resist her giggles. She was so annoying and frustrating this woman. "Mujhe unromantic bolti hain! She was good just for samaaj seva, nothing else". Raman muttered under his breath, looked at her again, half furious and half enthralled. She was completely immersed in the movie. He finally decided to relax and enjoy the picture in front of him and let her enjoy hers.

Sitting beside her, he realized how much he needed her in his life. His wife! He needed and... loved her. The moment he would come back home, she'd be busy. The moment he would leave for work, she'd be busy. How to proceed to the next level in their relationship when the only interaction they would have would be either argumentative or... irritating.

 "Uske lecture sun sun ke mere kaan pak gaye! Uske samaaj seva se mein tang aa gaya. This is why I blew a fuse and started being my Ravan Kumar self". Raman concluded. But as soon as he would be in the office, he would realize that her constant chatter comforted and amused him more than irritating him. It was just that he needed time with her. Now that they sat together, he was enjoying the moment, enjoying her nattering commentary of the movie and his face would lit up every time she would smile.

-          Raman!

"Oh I just loved the way she says my name..." Raman told himself lost in his thoughts but immediately zoned in when he heard her calling him again.

-          Uh...What? Is the movie over?

He looked over towards the television and she chuckled.

-          Weren't you watching?

-          I was watching...but something more interesting and...more beautiful.

She looked at him and again blushed. Raman moved closer to her and whispered:

-          Can I have my wife's attention now? But before that I need to clarify something. Rajnikant is the only man who you are ever allow to give attention over...me and even then...he better just be in a movie.

She laughed aloud and Raman immediately grabbed her tight in his arms.

-          We have two whole hours to produce, direct and act in our own film now. Ready?

-          Raman! Kuch bhi! You are shameless.

Yes he was shamelessly excited. Her giggles were undoing him. He leaned forward, ready to peck her lips and growled.

-          Keep laughing and looking at me like this Ishita Raman Kumar Bhalla and you will find yourself in a lot of trouble.

But the Jhansi ki Rani was quick to react. She sneakily slid off the bed and stood up. Before Raman could reach out to grab her hand, she quickly backed away.

-          Ishita I swear. I will chase you and there's nowhere you can run away.

She grinned and high tailed into the bathroom locking the door behind her. Unfortunately he could not catch her. "The woman was not only Salsa but also racing champion or what?" Raman muttered in between greeted teeth and slammed his fist on the closed door. She was turning him mad. He turned away, his hands on his hips, walked away and felt like roaring with his frustration culminating. He looked at his watch. Only one and half hour was left. At this rate his quality time would soon turn into waste time.

But one minute later Raman heard the creaking of the bathroom door but he did not turn back.

-          Raman! Please turn around.

Reluctantly he turned back and gaped completely disarmed.

-          I thought this suit is more appropriate for the film you are planning to produce, direct and act in with me.

She was standing in all her glory in a white chiffon saree, her hair cascading on her shoulders down to her waist, her hands on her hips with a naughty smile on her face.

To be continued...