FF- Its in her kiss, mature 16+ part 10 page 25 Updated 14/09/2014

There was a time in Raman's life when everything felt desolate, food had no taste, the seasons never changed, laughter never brought joy, and the happiness of another made him hurt. The hurt caused by Shagun's betrayal had triggered him to shut down his human emotions and become a ruthless and successful businessman, aimed solely at beating those that caused his pain. He had achieved everything in his world, success and money. The old adage, does money buy you happiness meant nothing, because Raman had forgotten how to find real happiness and bliss until he was forced by fate into a marriage with a woman that he had no feelings for.

It had been several months since Raman and Ishitha's marriage, a union of two souls in agreement but not in love. To the outside observer this was a good life, husband and wife, living with his family, raising a cute daughter and running successful careers. Raman had all that he needed...or so he thought. Raman sat at his desk in the office, it was a quite week, Romi was finally being a competent worker, Mihir was picking up many meetings and showing leadership moments with clients. Raman sat back and thought about his life and smiled thinking about the Sunday he had spent with Ruhi and Ishitha at the park

Flashback

Ishitha had invited Raman to join her and Ruhi in the park, just the 3 of them...no interruptions for Ruhi , Ishima and papa she had said. The day was glorious and Ruhi and Ishima played on the swings while Raman had sat on a nearby bench and watched the two of them interact. It was hard to believe that Ishitha had not brought Ruhi into the world; it was hard for him to believe it now too! He watched the two mischievous women in his life walk toward him laughing and talking animatedly, and he suspected that they were talking about him.

As they approached him, Ruhi spotted some friends and asked if she could play with them for a while and Ishitha had agreed. As Ruhi skipped away, Raman was joined by Ishitha. They never spoke a word to each other, sitting on the park bench side by side just watching children play, trees rustle in the breeze, quietly feeling their hearts unfold and allowing joy in.

Present

It had been such a pleasant afternoon, no bade lectures by Ishitha, no fighting, just the purest form of love. Raman felt warm, his stomach felt funny...like he was nervous, his scalp was tingly, he could feel an involuntary smile on his face but he just couldn't understand what the hell was going on. Until it hit him. No, no, no, not again he thought, this was not happening. He tried to squash this feeling, distracting himself with work, but the feeling would not go away. Nothing could keep that sensation in the pit of his stomach from disappearing; it was following him around, distracting him, making him want to smile, had he gone mad?

What was he going to do? This could not continue!

Update coming soon

Weeks had gone past and nothing was helping Raman, he tried getting away from home with various business trips, left home early, arrived back late, did work at home with ear phones on. nothing seemed to help with Ishitha. The minute he walked through the door, no matter the time, it was ishitha who was waiting patiently, or stopped his late night work session with a hot cup of chai and a smile. She took care of everything. Why did she have to be so good?

As he walked out of his office, he read the bumper sticker of a parked car..."love like it's your first time". It was the answer that Raman was searching for unconsciously, needed to be given permission to love, an excuse, someone or something to tell him that he was good enough to be loved. He steadied himself, made a decision and was certain of his next action.

He got into his car, instructing the driver to drive him to Ishitha's clinic, he didn't know what he was going to say or do but he had to take some action, life could not continue this way. As he approached her clinic he noticed her lonely car parked, and he thanked his lucky stars, matha rani was smiling down on him finally after a bleak 6 years. Or maybe maatha rani had already intervened when she brought Ishitha into his miserable existence. He walked into the building and not even Sarika was around, things were working out according to his non-existent plan. He knocked lightly on Ishitha's office door and heard an apprehensive response. He immediately opened the door and noticed Ishitha buried under a pile of admin and he laughed out loud. Are you a dentist or a file clerk he asked out loud, she smiled with a slightly exasperated look and said "I know, it's so tiring to do research for an upcoming surgery that I have been given and I have to go through all these old files of Dr Bhatras to see if he had come across anything similar". Raman quickly interjected before Ishitha could give him any more of her long stories. "do you want to grab a quick bite to eat" he asked, secretly hopeful with butterflies dancing in his belly, instantly cheered up with her bright smile and vigorously nodding head. She looked like he had saved her from boredom and a late night.

But where to take her? And it hit him instantly, he said get in I have a surprise for you. He drove with a half smile on his face as she constantly pestered him to tell her where they were heading, was he clothes appropriate for the place, have they been there before. She was astonished when they eventually parked the car and looked up at the gold dome of the Gurdwara Bangala Sahib. Ishitha's face was filled with happiness, as she looked around disbelief and sheer joy. It was written all over her face that he had made the right decision, the evening lights that lit up the city were relected in her eyes. Even the loud street sounds were muted as he looked at her face. She turned slowly to him and with tears in her eye walked towards him and slipped her hand in his. He smiled and exhaled, but his heart was beating faster than any other time in his life, he turned and led her into the Gurdwaras fragranced interior. The both side by side knelt and prostrated in front of the main shrine in the Gurdhwara, he felt that even though he had been married in the eyes of both the law and the lord, he finally felt 100% Ishitha's Raman. They sat and listed to the bhajans that filled the room, the smell of the incense, his heart beating with Ishitha's name and for some strange reason he felt her accept him into her heart.

They walked out stood at the top of the stair that led away from the Gurdwara and he finally felt contentment, he turned to see her staring at him. Instead of leaving immediately her silently gestured her to take a walk around the large tank. He walked around the tank, the first round they walked without a word uttered and as the started the second round he used the courage gathered to finally tell ishitha his true feelings. "Ishitha, it has been 9 months since we were united, Sirf Ruhi Ke Liye, and I have spent many weeks thinking about just that" they walked a few more paces "I think we need to stop, I can't continue with the only thing holding us in this marriage being sirf ruhi ke liye" he glanced sideways and notice Ishitha sqeeze her eyes shut, and her breathing, though inaudible due to the noise of the other worshippers and the water tank, he could see that intake of breadth.

He continued "in these last couple of months, I have made many choices to keep Ruhi and now I have to think of me as well, but the difficulty is finding my happiness and what do I want for the rest of my life. I have brought you here to this holy site to tell you I have made a decision" he let those words sink in as they rounded the water tank for the third round. "Ishitha, you are my happiness, my life, my joy. I wake thinking of you, look forward to our little interactions, look forward to seeing you waiting up for me. at first I didn't want to believe it but I cannot continue with Sirf Ruhi Ke liye, now I want it to be Ishitha and Ruhi ke life, I want to make a life with you and live the rest of my life with only you" he looked at her reaction and could see tears falling freely down her cheeks. He was shocked, did she not feel the same way, had he given out his heart to only have it crushed again? "Ishitha...what do you think" She cried and laughed at the same time "Raman, I have loved you for months, the day you jokingly confessed you love to distract me from the pain in my hands I was already in love with you. I stay awake to eat supper with you so that I can spend the last waking moments of my day with you, I call to check up to see what time you are leaving the office just so that I may hear your voice. I drop all my work to answer your calls. I have been hurt in the past and I know I can be hurt again but I love you so much that not being with you would hurt more" as they again reached the stair leading away from the Gurdhwara raman said, "Ishitha, when we were married we walked around the fire, today we have confessed our love and have walked around water three times, it is a sign that even the 5 elements want us to be together. She laughed out loud a happy, peaceful, contended smile.

They drove home, both with smiles on their faces forgetting about Ishitha's car, her paperwork, surgery, nothing could damper their moods. Ishitha stepped out of the car and both Raman and Ishitha walked up to their home, happy that their lives had finally began...

Next episode to follow shortly...