-Destiny And Its Woes-*An IshRa FF* Updated part 3, page 2

Prologue

Love? What does it mean...? Does it have a meaning at all, or is it just something that people refer to when they get extremely affectionate of someone?? I had no idea and nor did the concept of love seem to please me anymore. After being divorced from a wife whom I thought I loved more than my life, this love seemed to have no meaning in my life. And my 7 year old kid, my sweetheart, my Ruhi, my ex wife had not only divorced me but had also divorced the child she had given birth to.

I was left all alone, with no one to understand my turmoil. My anger generally came out by shouting on my kid. I don't know why, I was extremely fond of her but she reminded me so much of my ex-wife, reminded me of the betrayal I had gone through, she seemed to be proof of the fact of how easily I could be cheated.

This is my story about betrayal, trust, friendship, and well yeah love.

Part 1

Ishita Iyer, actually its Dr.Ishita Iyer, yea that's me. I was a dentist to be more precise but I loved my profession as it's what I always wanted to do. Even now I was sitting before a patient who was going on and on about how his achy tooth was totally fine now and that he would get his son tomorrow for check up. The kids coming would be something I will be looking forward to.

Children I loved them, their innocence, their smile everything about them intrigued me. How I wish god would let me have a child too but I had a medical condition which would never let my wish of having kids come true. Even my request for adoption had also been rejected; life sometimes I felt was unfair.

I finished my work at the clinic and was heading back home. As I descended down the stairs, I saw this extremely cute kid crying out due to the pain she was going through. I could not resist going up to her and talk her out of the pain. I looked around but there was no one with her.

"Where is your mom beta" I asked her

She looked up at me teary eyed, my heart gave a pang to see her like that. For some reason I felt a strange connection with her and I could almost feel the pain she was going through in me.

"I don't have one" she said. As more tears rolled down her face.

The kid did not have a mother, that's tragic I thought as my heart skipped a beat. Maybe her father looked after her.

"Then your dad maybe, where is he?" I asked.

"He has gone down to see the doctor" she said chocking through the tears.

"What's giving you so much pain beta" I enquired.

"It's my tooth mam" she said.

I took her in my arms and sat down on the nearby chair and made her sit on my lap. Examined her and saw that she had a new tooth erupting which led to causing the pain to the child.

"What's your name sweetie" I asked her wiping her tears.

"My names Ruhi, but I like being called Roo" she said sniffing.

"So Roo you can call me Ishita aunty and don't worry your tooth pain will be completely fine, cause I know the magic that can cure the ache" I said winking at her.

I could see her give me a small smile through the tears.

"Really Ishita aunty" she said hope shining through her eyes.

"Really!" I said giving her a reassuring smile. "But before we do the magic, we need to find your dad" I told her.

Her smile broadened as she pointed towards a man who was walking towards us. He looked young for someone who had a 6-7 year old kid.

I made Ruhi stand and held her hand in mine. For some reason I wanted to make the kid feel safe.

The man came and stated shouting. "Ruhi where did you go, I told you to stay outside the doctor's cabin. Why did you come here and who is this woman with you" He shouted as he snatched Ruhi's hand from mine.

I could not take it anymore. "Excuse me! This is a hospital so please lower your voice. I am Dr.Ishita Iyer the on duty dentist"

The man still seemed angry as his expression was still grumpy.

"Ok doctor, can u examine my daughter she is having a tooth ache?" he asked his foul mood still on.

"Yes! Please get her to my cabin, it on the 2^nd floor" I said as I started walking upstairs.

"Ishita aunty wait" Ruhi called out. I looked back at the kid.

"I am coming with you" she said as she left her dad's hand and ran towards me. I took the kid in my arms and carried her upstairs.

I had treated a lot kids till date and I loved them all. But this one seemed different; I felt an innate sense of protection towards her.

I took her to my cabin, treated her pain and prescribed some medicines to keep the pain down in case it comes back.

Ruhi look relieved to at last have the pain gone. I wanted to talk to her father and tell him some precautions in case the pain came back.

I went outside with Ruhi. Her dad was sitting on the couch constantly speaking on the phone. I felt bad for the kid; her father was on the phone when his daughter was going through so much pain.

"Mr..." I said going towards him. He cut the call mumbling something on seeing me approach him.

"Its Raman, Raman Kumar Bhalla" he said with the kind of authority that would shake his subordinates but only made me cringe seeing his attitude.

"Mr.Bhalla, please be careful with what Ruhi eats for few days, make her eat only soft foods so that it does not hurt her much and in case the it pains again give her the tablets and bring her to me immediately" I conveyed.

"I thought u treated her, why is the pain going to come back" he said with disinterest.

I could not believe this man's audacity and careless attitude regarding his daughters tooth ache. The pang in my heart returned as I felt for Ruhi.

"Excuse me?" I said daring him to repeat.

"Um ok I will remember what u said and thanks" he said irritably grabbing Ruhi's hand to leave.

"Do I need to pay the fees outside" he asked when almost near the door.

"Yes!" I replied with a straight expression.

"Bye Ishita aunty" Ruhi said with a smile this time. I smiled back at her and waved her bye.

Looking at Ruhi leave did not make me feel nice. I felt as though a part of me was leaving with her. I was already missing her.

Feeling so deeply for someone's daughter was never a good thing. But this feeling inside me for the kid was something beyond my control.

Part 2

Raman Kumar Bhalla.

I had cancelled three meetings to take Ruhi to the doctor and now I think I would have to cancel a few more for the next few days I thought, as I remembered the doctor's instructions to monitor her. There was no one at home to look after my daughter. My parents had gone to visit my sister who was pregnant. And I could not leave my daughter in the hands of the nanny to take care when she was not well. So I decided to stay home and take care of my daughter. Could I? Was the big question.

I looked at Ruhi, she was sleeping so peacefully. My daughter was the only shining lamp in my dark world but still for some reason all my anger always came out on her. I was thinking about the doctor that I met today evening, even though I tried to ignore it she made an impression on me, the way she took care of Ruhi, how she remained calm even though I was being completely disrespectable towards her. She was a good doctor I thought and she looked pretty too, no actually beautiful was the word for her. I smiled thinking about her smile as she took care of my daughter. She looked incredibly young but worked with great expertise I thought getting into the bed beside Ruhi. That night my sleep was disturbed as a smiling doctor's face kept coming into my mind disturbing my sleep.

The next morning I felt tired and half slept. I looked at Ruhi who was still deep in sleep. I decided to wake up and arrange for some milk for the breakfast. I got out of bed and kissed Ruhi on the forehead mumbling a good morning. In her sleep she caught my hand and placed in between her arms trying to cuddle my hand. I felt a warm feeling in my heart. My daughter I thought looking at her proudly. I tried to pull my hand but she would not let it go, so I shifted her a bit and freed my hand and gave her another kiss before I left to get the milk.

I looked outside the door, there was no newspaper nor was there any milk. I decided to go down the street to get it myself and hoped that Ruhi would not get up and panic before I returned. As I was jogging down the stairs I bumped into someone.

"Can't you see, or have you sold your eyes off" I yelled not looking at the person I bumped into.

There was no response from the other end, so I just continued down the stairs. For I second I wondered if I was too rude but I brushed that thought away as soon it came.

I came back with a packet of milk and my newspaper. Ruhi was still fast asleep which made me relieved. I decided to wake her up and make her have some breakfast as she needed the strength. She had even skipped dinner due to her tooth ache. I went to her and called her out.

"Ruhi! Wake up, Utho" I said. But she curled more into the bed on hearing me; I could not help but smile on seeing her. Sometimes she was so much like me I thought.

"Ruhi papa's going to the office get up" I said and got the desired response as her eyes sprang open.

"No papa please" She said in her sleepy voice. I made her get out of the bed and told her brush and get fresh till I got the breakfast ready for us.

She ate the breakfast happily not complaining about the tooth pain at all. I was having my breakfast as my thoughts went around on what I and Ruhi would do the whole day. Maybe I should take her out somewhere, but where I thought as a brilliant idea stuck me.

Part 3 link: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/ye-hai-mohabbatein/4093887/destiny-and-its-woes-an-ishra-ff-updated-part-3-page-2

Part 3

Ishita Iyer

What a start to my morning I thought, as I headed towards my new home. We had bought a new apartment in a plush area in Delhi it had always been my dream and I had succeeded on it just yesterday. But a guy had put a stop to all that happiness so early in the morning. Firstly he bumped into me himself and instead of apologising just gave a freak shout. I was starting to have my own doubts about my new home.

"Amma where are you" I called out for my mom as I entered the house.

"Ishu , main kitchen mai hun come here" my mom said.

I went towards her and gave her a back hug. My mom I loved her so much and yes my dad too, I loved them both just too much.

"Amma I love you and Appa so much" I said suddenly feeling emotional.

"Ishu beta I and Appa love you too but..." she continued turning me towards her "Is everything ok" She asked with concern in her eyes.

"Ya Amma everything is super fine, how do you like the new house?" I said trying to divert the topic and stop myself from being grilled.

"It's very nice ishu; I like the kitchen a lot and the bedroom too. You designed it specially for me and Appa no, it's very good. Thank you ishu." She said proudly hugging me. I wiped the tear which rolled down my cheek thinking if I would ever find a partner like my mom and dad had each other. I broke our hug to share an idea which had sprung in my mind.

"Accha Amma I have brilliant plan for the evening, why don't you, Appa and me go this amazing place in the colony. It's this club that they have for people of all age groups and I hear there are some real fun things to do out there" I said.

We reached the club at around 5pm, I was registering our names on the counter while Amma and Appa where checking out the various activities on the list. They were some real cool things to do from swimming, tennis and squash to conventional card games.

Appa wanted to go the tennis court while Amma wanted check the card games centre. I let them both go to their respective zones and sat down in the food court sipping coffee. I suddenly heard someone call me out; I turned behind to see who it was.

"Ishita aunty" Ruhi called out as she came running towards me. The smile on her face bought an instant smile on my lips.

I took her in my arms and gave her a tight hug. I missed this kid so much whom I had met only once.

Ruhi's dad was following her and slowly walking towards us. He snorted as he came near us.

"I thought you were a doctor, but u seem to have a lot free time" he mumbled.

"Excuse me!" I said having enough of his nonsense. "Who are you to..." I started to give him a strong answer but Ruhi's large innocent eyes were staring at me which stopped me from saying anything.

I gave Ruhi a small kiss on her cheeks and let her down and was about to leave but she caught my hand and stopped me from going.

"Ishita aunty please come with us, we are going to swim" Ruhi pleaded. She looked towards her dad and said "Papa can Ishita aunty come with us please please please..."

He just gave a disinterested nod which meant yes.

We moved towards the pool. Ruhi went to change and I and Ruhi's dad were standing near the pool. Neither of us wanted to be with each other, he was looking on one side and me towards the other.

Suddenly a kid who was standing near the corner of the pool slipped and fell on his face. He started bleeding and crying uncontrollably due to the pain. I ran towards him to help him out. Raman who was behind me magically reached the kid before me and carried him and made him sit on a nearby pool chair. He took out his kerchief and started dabbing on the wound to reduce the bleeding.

Seeing him care for the kid like that made me think if I was too judgemental about him.

I called out for the first-aid box from the waiter near the pool. I went towards the kid and wiped his tears and tried to console him till the first-aid arrived.

Raman was still dabbing the wound and me trying console the kid made our hands touch. He immediately pulled away and went and stood far from me and child.

The first-aid kit arrived and I cleaned the wound and was dressing it when Ruhi arrived changed in her swimming costume. She looked worried seeing the kid bleed. I looked towards Raman and signalled him to take care of Ruhi. He somehow understood exactly what I was trying to convey and went to Ruhi and kept her busy in some random conversation while I finished treating the kid and made him lie down. I then went towards the reception area so that parents of the child could be informed and take care of him. His parents came in no more than few minutes and took the child with them.

I walked towards Raman and Ruhi. She looked very cute in her blue swimming costume, she reminded me of the days that Amma and Appa took me and my sister for swimming when we were young.

"Roo why don't you go and swim, and remember don't go too deep and always stay in the kid's pool only. I am watching you ok?" I said.

Raman looked at me kind of astonished. Ruhi enquired if the bleeding child was fine now and I reassured her that he was completely ok. She smiled and went happily to swim in the pool. While I and Raman stood and watched her have fun, a smile on both our faces.

Raman Kumar Bhalla

Ruhi was having so much fun in the pool. Ishita and I were watching over her. This Ishita amazed me. I was trying to keep her out of my mind so hard and she kind of pushed her thoughts into me. The way she took care of the bleeding child had me impressed. This was weird but after all these years of Shagun leaving us, just remembering her bought a frown on my face, this Ishita had my mind thinking in ways it had not in too long.

The scene of Ishita kissing Ruhi was for some reason replaying in my mind. And sometimes I even thought how it would feel if I was replaced with Ruhi. I had totally started loosing it and smacked my own head.

Ishita who standing just beside me, gave me a weird look.

"Why don't we sit down while Ruhi's swimming" I suggested to Ishita.

"Yeah u go ahead, I will stand here and watch over Roo I mean Ruhi" she answered pleasantly. But for some reason her answer seemed to upset me, it made me feel as though she does not want to sit with me which was really childish.

"As u wish" I mumbled angrily and went and sat down on the pool chair. I liked the view from here, Ishita standing there and watching out for my Ruhi. Life suddenly seemed worth living.