The way you care - IshRa OS!

An unusual tightness pulled at Raman's chest as he looked at Ishita from the rear view mirror. In the past few days he had left no chance to hurt and insult her but what she had done for him today, had made him feel so low about himself. A silent tear made its way down his cheek as he remembered the happenings of the night.

"Inspector sahab pls in dono ko abhi arrest kar leejiye, court ki warning ke baad bhi ye log zabardasti mere bte ki birthday party spoil karne chale aaye" shagun yelled pointing at Raman and mr bhalla.

"nahin police waley uncle pls mere papa ko mat le jayo" ruhi was crying bitterly wrapping her arms around raman's legs.

Raman could not understand what exactly was happening. Today was the happiest day of his life but now everything seemed grim and distasteful. His son, for whom he had stalled all the work at his office, seemed not interested in even acknowledging him as a part of his family. Unable to fathom why his son really invited him to the party Raman decided to approach Adi when he suddenly noticed him smirking at Ashok. His heart sank as he realized what his own son had done to him. Adi didn't want his father to be a part of his happiness. Rather what all he wanted to do by inviting him was humiliate and hurt him. Raman felt a sudden pain grip his heart and a burning sensation in his eyes as tears welled up and blinded his vision. He didn't know how to react to his own son's aloofness and stood helplessly at his place glued to the spot.

"Mr raman bhalla aapko humare saath police station chalna padega" the inspector tried to drag him.

"Ruk jaiye inspector sahab" a blaring voice from behind shocked everyone standing at the place. Shagun and Ashok stared openmouthed as she walked inside. Seeing Ishita, ruhi ran to her and hugged her tightly.

"Ishima pls police waley uncle ko kahiye na woh papa ko na le jayein..mere papa to good boy hain na...unhone kuch nahin kiya" ruhi cried inconsolably. Ishita was surprised to see how cheap Ashok and Shagun could be. She took Ruhi in her arms and wiped her tears. "Ruhi beta aap do minute amma ke paas jao main abhi ati hoon" Ishita handed ruhi to amma who took her inside.

"Inspector aap inhein arrest nahin kar sakte" there was such firmness in ishita's tone that made shagun stare at her dumbfounded.

"Inspector sahab ye sirf aapka time waste kar rahi hai" ashok interrupted.

"Jee nahin inspector sahab. Main kisi ka time nahin waste kar rahi. Mere paas anticipatory bail ke papers hain. Agar apko koi shaq hai to check kar leejiye" Ishita handed over the papers to inspector while Ashok could not believe how she managed to know his plan. Even shagun had no news of what was playing on his mind.

Seeing the papers the police left the place. Ishita looked at Ashok and Shagun who seemed mighty pissed at her now.

"You know what Shagun, aaj tak bhi mujhe kayi baar ye sochkar bura lagta tha ki kahin maine ek maa se uski beti ko door karke kuch galat to nahin kiya. Kahin Ruhi ko uski maa ke pyaar se door to nahin rakh rahi main. But aaj, tum dono ne mere sare shaq aur confusion ko door kar diya hai. Tumne prove kar diya ki ruhi ko Raman ko dekar maine kitna sahi fainsla liya hai. Kyunki agar tum Ruhi ke saath bhi wohi karti jo tumne Apne bte ke saath kiya hai to shayad mai bhool jati ki tum Ruhi ki asli ma ho...And you Mr Ashok Khanna...agar ainda mere pati ya mere family kay kssi bhi member ke saath tumne koi gandi chaal chalne ki koshish ki, then let me remind you, court ne tumhein warning di hai. Agar aage se koi ghatiya jhooth bolkar meri beti ya Raman ki feelings ke saath khelne ki koshish ki tumne to I will make sure you get behind bars...and I promise I wont even think twice before suing you for defamation and harassment. Aur ye meri dhamki nahin last warning hai tumhare liye" her voice echoed back as they left the place.

The moments of the night splashed on Raman's mind as scenes of a slickly edited movie. He didn't even say a word to Ishita at that moment but it was the first time someone had stood for him like that and somewhere down the line he knew how much it mattered to him. Whether he accepted it or not. He stole another brief glance at Ishita. Ruhi was now sleeping peacefully in her arms while she stared out of the window blankly. Lost in herself she looked extremely pale and distressed. And though she had told she wasn't well, Raman could feel there was more to the story. But what was she hiding? He had no idea.

After a few minutes they reached home and Ishita made Ruhi sleep on their bed. Raman had gone to change when Ishita suddenly felt dizzy and she lied near Ruhi. A few minutes passed when Raman entered the room and he noticed Ishita already slept without even changing her saree. Feeling little concerned, he walked closer and tried to wake her up but she was fast asleep. He could certainly feel something being wrong with her. Her body felt like radiating heat. He touched her forehead with the back of his hand and realized that she was burning with fever.

For a second he felt extremely worried...afterall it had been years he had attended to someone alone. That too his wife. And waking up his parents at this odd hour of night didn't seem the right idea to him. To add he didn't even know if she had eaten properly or not so there was no way he could give her some medicine else it could inflict some reaction. Before attending to her, he first made Ruhi sleep with Mr and mrs bhalla and fetched some ice cold water and fresh towels from the cupboard.

Settling himself beside her, he placed one of the towels on her warm forehead. She looked so weak and vulnerable. It was strange though he had never had any good feelings towards her but seeing her in this delicate condition made his heart beat faster. He hated to see her like this. Concerned, his eyes were locked at her innocent face. Her satiny skin glowed in the dark room while her long, black hair framed her face. He felt totally awestruck by her beauty. Forgetting for a moment who she was, he slowly traced her beautiful face with his fingertips tucking an errant strand of hair back behind her ear. For a few passing seconds he kept on staring at her features. That peaceful sleeping face, her calm deep breaths, her rosy lips. The slightly fluttering eyelids, those long eyelashes that casted their lovely shadow on her soft pink cheeks. The soft curls of her hair on her shoulder. And her soft hand that rested fairly on his palm, his bracelet hanging freely around her wrist. He didn't know she had still kept it with her. The realization made a strange sense of content take over him when he suddenly noticed the towel he had placed on her forehead was warm now.

Shaking himself out of the spell he removed the towel from her forehead and replaced it with a fresh one. It was in the middle of the night that her fever finally broke. He placed two fingers firmly on her wrist and felt her pulse which was now steady. He heaved a sigh of relief seeing her sleep peacefully. Covering her with the comforter he was about to leave when he noticed she had been sleeping holding his hand all this while. His heart did a flip as she pulled him back in her state of slumber. He didn't want to let go of it either. But duty beckoned. Taking in a deep breath he carefully pulled his hand away from her grip and rested it on her stomach but noticed she was mumbling something in her sleep.

"Ishita...are you ok" he asked softly.

"simmi di..." she called out in her sleep heavy voice.

"simmi?" raman couldn't get why suddenly out of the blue she called out for smimi.

"simmi di...aap chinta mat keejiya..main hoon na apke saath..main hoon" she was saying it again and again.

Though Raman could not get why she was taking his sisters name in the middle of the night that too when she was herself so unwell but it didn't take him much to join the dots as soon as he got his hands on her phone. So that was the secret she was hiding. He felt utterly guilty for treating her so bad.

In the morning Ishita woke holding her head. She tried to get up but her body seemed to protest. Her muscles ached with the slightest of motion. Trying hard to fight her aching body she slowly sat up and rested her back on the pillow. She scanned the room for Raman with her achy eyes. But much to her shock she saw Simi walk into her room with a tray.

"simi di aap yahan..." She asked shocked, her voice hoarse from congestion.

"Ishita ab bukhar kaise hai tumhara?" simi checked her forehead. Ishita was surprised to know she was running a temperature at night. She hardly remembered anything than Raman going towards washroom to change. She was not understanding what all had happened behind her and that too in just one night.

"Simi di mujhe kuch samajah nahin aa raha...aap yahan kaise aur mujhe bukhar tha? mujhe to pata bhi nahin chala...aur aapne ghar pe sabko bata diya?aap yahan kaise aa gayi aur jeeja jee kahan hain"

"bas bas Ishita...itne sawaal karogi to phir se bukhar aa jayega."

"to phir bataiye na aap log yahan kaise"

"wohh actually Ishita hum to woh lajpat nagar wale lodge se nikalne hi wale the jab subah subah wahan bhai aa gaya"

"Kya! Raman?" Ishita was surprised.

"han...usse sab pata chal gaya tha.Shayad tumne neend mein kuch aisa bol diya ki use shaq ho gaya.Aur who seedha wahan chala aya...aur phir usne tabhi dubai mein 15 lakh bhej kar humara sara problem settle kar diya aur humein ghar le aya. Aur usne ye bhi kaha hai ki who apne ek friend ke paas parmeet je eke liye job ki baat karega" simi told Ishita.

"ye to bahut achi baat hai simi di..maine kaha tha na aapse aap dono ko ghar pe ye baat bata deni chahiye.aakhir parivaar hota kisliye hai" she squeezed simi's hand.

"Tu sahi kah rahi thi Ishita...bekar mein hi humnein itna jhooth bola aur tujhse bhi bulwaya. Aur waise main to bhai ko dekhar kuch zyaada hi hairan thi aaj...itna tension mein to maine use tab bhi nahin dekha jab uski badi badi meetings hoti hain. Tere liye kitni chinta kar raha tha pata hai.Subah subah mummyjee se kehkar tere liye ye kadha banwaya hai usne aur mujhe specially bolke gaya hai ki tujhe pila doon...aur agar tu koi anakani kare to use phone kar doon...srsly bada badal sa gaya hai mera bhai" simi poked ishu in the belly.

"kya simi di aap bhi na" ishu looked away sheepishly. "acha waise ruhi school chali gayi kya..main to uss se mil bhi nahin payi...woh raat ko kitna ro rahi thi"

"Oho Ishita tu kitna sochti hai.Kabhi kabhi na hum wives ko apni ye tension in patiyon ko deni chahiye.Atleast beemari mein to tension chod de.Ruhi school chali gayi hai...use Raman ne hi taiyyar kiya...bechari ko aaj baal khule chodkar hi jana pada" simi giggled.

"aiyoo...ye raavan kumar bhi na...apni bachi ke baal bhi nahin banana ata isse" ishu whispered to herself.

"acha sun tu ye dawai pee le aur change kar le...raman ne kaha hai tere kapde usne woh neeche wali cupboard mein rakhe hain" simi told and left the room. For a second ishu cudnt register what she just heard.Raavan kumar had kept her clothes in his cupbard. Was she hearing it right? But wait did he open her suitcase? She suddenly felt terrified..how could he? He doesn't even know not to see a woman's luggage. Throwing the blanket off herself Ishu ran towards the cupboard. When she opened she saw her suitcase being kept properly on the slab of the cupboard. A sigh of relief escaped her lips seeing that Raman hadn't opened her suitcase. Thankfully he had this much sense she thought to himself. Though her limbs still ached badly but she managed to pull her suitcase out. Removing it, she noticed a rosy pink envelop on the shelf.

"whats that" she thought to herself. Keeping the suitcase aside she reached for the envelope and opened it slowly. Her lips curled into an unexpected smile as she took a look at what came out of the envelope. Raavan Kumar Bhalla had gifted her a "SORRY" card...gosh was she really dreaming? Grinning she looked at the card back and forth and thought of all the events that had taken place since last night. So her khadoos husband was finally feeling all guilty for mistreating her and being broody. Whoa! that sounded fun.

"I am sure you are SO not gonna love it Mr Ravan Kumar Bhalla" - Ishita smirked naughtily as she had already begun to hatch a master plan in her head.It was time for some silent treatment!😉😆

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