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"It's 10 already, Raman." She tried to sound polite.
"I have a clock in my office too, ishita. I know the time."
"When will you come home then?" She sighed, it was of no use to even try to reason with him.
"Look, I'm also tired and I don't either like to stay here unnecessarily. Go to sleep. It will take me long." He cut the call and resumed reading the report. The new year brought celebrations, new resolutions, a lot of planning and also closing of the previous year's records which was what had caused the late sittings in office lately.
She was overreacting, she knew. It wasn't the first time Raman had stayed late at his workplace but she couldn't shake off the uneasy feeling she had been having for over a couple of days now. She changed into her pink night suit and stood by the window, looking in the darkness of the night. The darkness that she saw in her life prevaling. Was she losing him even before she had claimed him?
It made sense to anyone with a rational mind to see the reasons behind Shagun's employment in PSR. The sudden turn of events had made the bride-to-be homeless without any penny at her disposal. Though Mrs. Arora had insisted shagun to stay with her but Ms. Arora seemed adamant to fight the battle on her own.
Seeing her shatter after the incident, Mihir had tried to help to deviate her mind but to no avail. It was him who had proposed that she started working again and Raman saw no reason to deny when he could ensure a better upbringing of his only son, his first born. When he had brought up the topic to consult his wife, she had instantly agreed. And the following week, his ex-wife was delegated with the mundane tasks of report writing and making phone calls only.
Raman entered his room a little before midnight only to find his wife sleeping on her side of the bed. Usually she would wake up when he moved around the room, making enoight noise to wake the dead but today he was surprised when she didn't even bother to ask about dinner, tired as much as he was he sat beside her and shook her slightly, "I'm hungry."
She only stirred in her slumber and said, "the food is in the microwave."
"I'm tired." Came his reply.
She got up from the bed and made her way to the kitchen with him in tow. She placed the food in front of him on the table and moved past him when he held her wrist and asked, "have you eaten?"
"I'm not hungry." She said and left him to eat in his own company.
She was acting weird, it didn't take him long to figure out. No matter how late at night he showed up, ishita would make sure to accompany him during dinner. Sometimes, making excuses to skip dinner with family and have it with him instead and today she seemed disoriented, a little zoned out. Perhaps she was upset because she was not by her sister's side when she was about to have the baby shower in the next week but they both had decided mutually to visit Bala's clan over the weekend when he would be able to make time to travel to Chennai together.
"I'll get your tickets ready tomorrow. May be you shouldn't wait for me to visit Vanditta." He remarked when he lied down next to her on bed.
"Okay." She said. She was thankful for being on her side when he suggested, she would not have been able to conceal her reaction otherwise. Was he looking for ways to keep her at bay? She couldn't help but wonder. Why in the world had she ever hoped for a happy family, for a perfect relationship, for love? Hope, she realized was not meant for her.
The next two days were miserable for Mr. Bhalla as it is. He kept reminding himself it was for his own peace of mind and that his wife shouldn't suffer because of his impending work but he cursed himself all the more for relying on her when he couldn't find his white shirt and had no other option but to pick the blue one instead. He booked his ticket for the same destination and couldn't wait for Saturday to arrive.
With a huge round tray in her hands which contained the goody bags for the guests, she walked carefully around the room and placed it on the table. She felt a pair of small hands encircled her around her knees steadying herself, "watch out, Ru." She bent over and placed a kiss on her daughter's forehead.
"Why does this keep coming off?" The little one asked innocently, pointing towards her sash which said, big sister.
"Let me fix it." Ishita took out a pin from her purple sari and pinned Ruhi's sash in place with another pin over her shoulder. "You look beautiful." She complemented her daughter as she ran a hand over her purple organza frock.
And she did it again, hoping against hope for her husband to show up she mused. She looked at her reflection in the bathroom mirror, her face now devoid of any make up. She wiped away the tears of being foolishly in love with an arrogant man. She washed her face again and closed the door behind her, wiping her face with a white towel.
Only a gasp could escape her mouth when she felt herself being pulled away towards the wall next to the loo. The next minute she found her face being cupped by a hand, the other seemed to have found its place on her waist. It took her a while to realize it was a kiss. The one which left her out of breath. The ferocity of the intimate moment hit her when she found his hand travel inside her shirt, savoring her curves. It seemed only fair to tug at his hair when her hands had snaked around his nape.
"Raman.." She finally found her voice to say his name. The mere mention of his name suggested the pent up ardor, she felt.
"Yes.." He responded in between the kisses. "Its me..." He claimed again. "Don't forget that."
When she found her senses back, she pulled back and jerked his hands away.
"You are not going anywhere tonight." She heard him say and found herself being pulled again. His hands on each side of the wall beside her. She looked at both his hands and then back at him. If his hands showed passion, his eyes depicted anger. A mix of emotions she had never witnessed before. A need to possess was what described them best. She gulped and asked in her shaky voice due to the recent mingling, "what's wrong?"
"Suppose you begin by telling me what's wrong instead." He suggested, his tone anything but polite. The side of his cheek highlighted a throbbing vein as he tried to keep his anger in control.
"I'm not following you." She finally managed to say.
"What was the need to drown yourself in his eyes?"
"What nonsense?!" She tried to push him away but he didn't budge.
"No?"
"I don't know why you are talking about." She said averting her eyes, seeing him after four days had made her almost jump in joy but being in such close proximity was creating a havoc in her senses. He had no right to blame her when he had been literally playing with her insecurity. And that's when she recalled who he was referring to. Subramaniyam. She lifted her eyes and met his gaze when he just arched an eyebrow, seeing her catching up with his meaning.
"You are in no place to point finger at me." She remarked, lifting her chin up.
"We'll come back to this later, first answer my question."
"Its not how it might have seemed to you." She decided it was best to clear the air between them when he looked at her with anger lurking in his eyes.
"Then explain how else you happened to be standing so close to him?"
"It was the tray I was carrying. The give away boxes were heavy and .. And I tried to save the kids who were running around from stumbling down but ended up stumbling myself. That's when he caught the tray and I steadied myself."
He pulled away after staring at her. Knowing well she was saying the truth. He cursed himself for even doubting her and that's when he found her hands on his collar, jerking him forward. "Your turn?" He heard her ask.
"What?" He fired back, sounding weary.
"Why did you send me away early?"
"You should be thanking me for doing that not accusing me."
"Not when you have your ex wife working with you full time in office."
"That's the most absurd thing I have ever heard ishita."
"What you felt today for a brief moment is what I have been feeling since a week, Raman."
"Possessive?"
"Is that how you felt?"
"But you agreed on her working in my firm." He said instead.
"Then how can you accuse me when you had sent me here in the first place."
"And I have been paying dearly for that." He said getting away from her and then turned around to face her just as soon and asked her, "why does this shirt seem familiar to me?"
"Be.. Because it is yours." She said shying away from her husband as she realized she was standing in only a button down shirt.
"I looked for this white shirt every where!"
"I.. I packed it unknowingly. I thought it was my night suit."
"Take it off." He said threateningly.
"But.. I am comfortable in it."
"I don't care." He was close. Dangerously close.
"Raman.."
"Say it again.." He said kissing her cheek.
"Hmm?" Enjoying the tingle at his touch.
"My name."
She complied, even when he made her reach out to him for the first time. She complied again when he entered her and again when she was nestled in his arms.
"Is that why you were acting wierd in Delhi?" He asked when he stroked her arm.
"You were clearly avoiding me." She complained.
He rolled over with her under him and asked, "and what made you think this foolish idea?"
"Your late stays in office." Sh replied with a pout.
"Ever heard of year end? Closing?"
When her eyes grew wide and mouth open to accept her mistake, he nodded. "Yes, it was work."
"Why did you take so long to come?"
"I was in time for the event but seeing you so close to.. I didn't want to meet you when I was at my worst, seething in anger."
"In jealousy." She corrected him while she stroked his torso with a smile.
"Your love makes me do stupid things ishita." He said and claimed her for a kiss.
"You love me?" She asked when she hugged him.
"Isn't it obvious?"
"Yes. It is." She smiled dreamily.
"What?" He asked tucking away a lock of her hair away from her face.
"I didn't expect it."
"That our first time will be in in your home town?"
"What?" She hit him playfully when realization dawned on her. "No, that I would actually get what I had hoped for."
"What had you hoped for?"
"You."
- You Belong to Me
- by Lifehouse
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