Hi all,
thanks for the feedback. I wrote something last night, but it was gloomier than the first part, so I rewrote. I am not 100% happy with this part, but the next part (which will be the final one) will hopefully bring the story to a proper conclusion. Let me know what you think of this one please.
Raman's day was going from bad to worse. His friend Tandon was arriving soon from London, with his wife. A visit from the Tandons always threw Raman off his game. Instead of the rhythmic routine of his life, he had to play the tourist guide. "I mean come on, kitni baar Dilli ghumaaonga inko. Itna to asli tourist bhi India India nahin karte yaar" he rued. He liked the both of them, but their visits meant he had to drag Ishita out with him to all the cheesy places, doing what a couple in love would do. He was never one for public display of affection, but he would have done it, if he had a willing partner. To be fair, Ishita always supported him in his act in front of the Tandons. She always had a wide smile plastered on her face (the kind that only toothpaste commercials or dentists have!), but he did not want that. That smile was his biggest problem now. She always did everything with a smile, never disagreed with him. Never said no to anything anyone demanded from her. Correction, not never! She wasn't like this when he met her. She was a feisty woman, who spotted every mistake of his, who never hesitated in speaking her mind out, who never stayed held her tongue with him. Those were the days when he used to hope that she catches his bad throat problem and doesn't speak for a few days. Careful what you wish for, someone said. Now she was really quiet. There were times when he didn't even know if she was at home. He had asked for peace, not distance. He had asked for love, not just understanding. "wait, When did I ask for anything, and from whom? Should I have asked her for more? What would have happened if I did? Would she just have walked out? What would have happened to Ruhi then?" All these thoughts were now second nature to him.
His inner voice which used to taunt him with his love for Ishita, the voice that used to make him provoke her, just so he could see that scowl on her face. It was gone. That voice was replaced by a song that had no words, just a melancholic tune played with the saddest of violins and flutes. He knew it was mostly his fault, he should have taken some initiative to show her that he wanted to take their relationship to the next level. He always showed his love in the most unromantic of ways, always using Ruhi as a shield. Well, now it was too late. "Why did Ishita never say anything? I thought she also felt something in the first couple of years after we met. Waise to bahut independent woman banti thi, she could have given me SOME hint that she wanted more from me" He shook himself out of his mental monologue. What was the point any more. He wanted a mother for Ruhi, he got the best one. That she was an ideal bahu for his Mom was just a bonus. His poor family didn't even know what went on behind the closed doors. "Did Ruhi know?" He asked himself this scary question everyday. "No, she is such a sweet innocent girl, she thinks her Ishima and I are the cutest couple in the world. Which reminds me, I need to ask my assistant to cancel my meetings with the clients in the evening. One hour should be more than enough to talk to Ruhi. She surely would have come up with another trip to some new restaurant or a movie with her Ishima. Or is Ishita's birthday round the corner?, that's why Ruhi wants me to come there alone? Plan a surprise for her Ishima???"
Shagun reached the coffee shop first. She wanted to be there before time, to have a cup of tea to soothe her nerves and prepare herself for what was coming. She had to remind herself not to appear too eager or pleased with this meeting. Of course she knew what was coming. Adi had told her everything. Her Adi, the only one in her life who was loyal to her, the one who understood her pain and loneliness. She sometimes felt guilty of using him to win Raman back. But what else could she do? She had made the biggest mistake of her life when she left Raman for Ashok. It was the promise of a more prosperous, richer and fulfilling life that lured her to Ashok. Her life at the Bhallas was suffocating her, she wasn't used to their traditional ways. Every other week they had some kind of puja and expected her to be all decked up like she was a bride again. Raman's docile nature didn't help either. He was always trying to please her and his parents at the same time. And that lovelorn puppy look that he had on his face was so irritating. The uber-confident and successful Ashok came into their lives like a breath of fresh air. Of course, she knew that Ashok was equally arrogant and selfish. That was exactly the kind of man she was looking for. But that was lifetime ago. She had learnt from her mistake. She now knew what she really wanted. She still wanted a richer, prosperous life and a confident/powerful man by her side. But if all that was available to her with a very pretty tight-knit family, that was just icing on the cake. Adi was already on her side. All she needed was Raman,who would, no doubt accept her back to win his kids over. Ruhi's change of heart was most surprising. She never thought she could break the Ruhi-Ishita bond. "I thought I would have to manipulate my way into Ruhi's heart. Turns out Adi is a better brother than I thought!"
She suddenly checked her wily smile and looked around to make sure Raman and Ruhi hadn't arrived yet. She promised herself she would be a married woman again in no time. Once that happened, she could plot their split from the down-market Bhalla home. After all, they didn't expect her and Adi to live in that already overcrowded home no? She was just doing this for everyone's comfort, right!
When Ishita arrived at the coffee shop, she was pleasantly surprised to see Shravu there already. He had tamed his horribly long hair, tucked in his shirt and was sitting up straight with a determined look on his face. Ishita smiled, He had the looks of a Greek God and the attitude of a rockstar. At home, he was the epitome of obedience, and outside, he was the quintessential loverboy. Ishita grimaced at the thought of all the broken hearts her nephew was leaving all over Delhi. Her only solace was that he was a gem at heart. He seemed to have imbibed virtues from all the members of the Iyer-Bhalla family. She did some times see too much of Romi in him, but even Romi was a sweetheart. She gave Shravu a hug, and sat down. "So who's the lucky lady this time" She asked with a sarcastic smile that she knew would make him uncomfortable.
Edited by always_a_TV_fan - 11 years ago
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