New SS: Never Again- Last chapter on PG 32 - Page 19

Raman immediately goes to the doctor:

Raman: Ishita kaisi hai?

Dr. Gupta: it was a hard delivery Mr. Bhalla. She was exhausted. So I gave her sedative. She is sleeping right now. You can go see her though.

Raman turns around to take a look at the angel in his mom's arms. A happy tear trickle down his cheek. He carefully takes her in his arms and says

Raman: hello little angel. I am Raman. I have been waiting for you tirelessly. Let's go see your mom.

Raman goes inside the room with the baby in his arms. He sees Ishita sleeping. He goes close to her bed to caress her hair, to ease all of her worries. But once close to her, he sees ishita crying in her sleep.

He calls the doctor and asks her to check on ishita to see if she is in pain.

Raman: Doc, please see why she is crying? Is she in pain? Please tell me.

All this while, the baby is still in his arms.

Dr. Gupta: Raman, she is on heavy pain relieving medicine and a sedative. She can't feel pain, i.e. any physical pain. Looks like she is crying for something or someone. She seems to be having a dream or a nightmare.

Ishita is subconsciously crying recalling Rama's confession. She is thinking why it has to happen to her? She and Raman were friends. Why Raman had to change their equation like that. What is she going to do now? What happens if the baby is still attached to him like she was when she was in my womb?

Raman knew what ishita was thinking about. But he decided to wait it out. He patiently waits for Ishita to wake up while craddelling the baby.

After few hours, in the middle of the night, Ishita opens her eyes. The scenes unfolding in front of her eyes is priceless. She sees Raman sleeping with a sleeping baby tucked away carefully in his arms.

Ishita thinks: I am so lucky to have you in my life Raman. But I am not selfish. You are one in a million and you deserve much better.

She pushes the nurse calling button as she is thirsty. Due to the hustle- bustle, raman wakes up and what he sees, a sense coolness covers his heart. He sees Ishita looking at both of them with a bright, wide, content smile on her face.

Ishita: so what are we going to call her?

Raman looks up, surprised, and smiles at Ishita.

Raman: you want me to keep her name?

Ishita: it is your haq after all. She is connected to you more than she is to me. I mean, look at her. She is so at peace in your arms. I will prove it to you in one sec. please hand her to me.

Raman does so and immediately the baby starts crying.

Ishita: how many babies you have seen who starts crying when in mother's arms? None, right??? Now, what are you going to name her?

Raman: RUHI. Her name is RUHI.

Ishita; RUHI!!! Nice name. raman, I need to talk to you.

Raman: thinking: here is the moment I have dreaded for so long. And speaks, Ishita, I am sorry about the way you had to hear my feelings for you. But I am not sorry to love you. I AM IN LOVE WITH YOU BOTH ISHITA AND RUHI IYER. I want to spend the rest of my life with you both. You both are my life. Please don't take that away from me. I won't be able to live without you.

Ishita has realized that she has fallen in love with Raman, without her consent. The reason her heart beat faster when Raman was around her was love, is love. Every time he touched her, she shivered, that is love. But once burned, twice shy. She was again in two minds, at crossroads.

Her heart: Raman is not subbu. He will never hurt you. You have seen that in past months. What man accepts somebody else's child and love like his own? How many man love a rejected, pregnant woman? He loves you and Ruhi unconditionally. And ruhi can't stay away from him, so can't you. You love him more than anything. Than why not accept it?

Her mind: you can't ruin his life like this Ishita. He is a nice man with a future full of love and happiness. You can't take that away from him. You will have to sacrifice your happiness and go away from him.

Ishita being hurt in love once, listens to her mind and made a decision to leave Bhalla mansion.

Toshiji is at the door, with her heart in her mouth. She has never seen her son like this.

Ishita: Raman, now crying, I don't think you understand the situation here. I have a lot of baggage. I am a single mother and I am past the point in my life where I can love with abandon, I don't think. I can't keep you away from the true love and true happiness. I have made my decision, I am moving back to my apartment. Please, don't force me to stay at your place anymore. I want you to have the best in everything. And I am not that person. You deserve better. And I am the worst for you. My experience with love hasn't been an ideal one.

My father left my mom for another woman when I was 7yrs old. And subbu also left me for another woman.

Raman is shocked now.

Ishita: yes, that night, I wanted to tell him about my pregnancy and surprise him. So after you dropped me at my, no, his home, I entered the front room, the place was lit with candles, rose petals everywhere, champagne and two flutes on the dining table. I thought he somehow found out about my arrival. And wanted to stump my surprise. I didn't see him anywhere. So I walked towards out bedroom. The door was slightly ajar. I pushed the door open and I saw subbu with another woman in his arms. He was passed out, guess that bottle of champagne was empty. He was drunk.

You can't imagine how it feels Raman to see another woman with your husband, in your home, in your bedroom, in your bed. I was my mom all over again. At that time I found out how she must have felt. The difference was Ruhi was still in my womb. I am a lost cause Raman and I can't ruin your life. My heart is too damaged to trust again. I have lost my trust in love Raman.

You have always wondered why NEVER AGAIN', what does it stand for? Well those words keep reminding me of the betrayal. Those words were supposed to keep me away from you and from giving any man enough power over my heart and my life, to keep me from falling in love with you.

Raman: so, did it work? Can you stay away from me? Do you not love me?

Ishita stayed mum. She knew those words did not work. She did fall in love with raman. She can't stay away from him.

But her silence gave him feeling of content that at least he has confessed his love to Ishita. He wants to give Ishita her space and time to think about him and his love for her.

Raman: Ishita, all I can say right now is that I love you unconditionally. My love is strong enough for all three of us. Ruhi is my daughter. I love her more than I love you. But I am giving you time to think about us. I am letting you go because I know that you will return back to me. I know that you too have feelings for me. I will wait for you. No matter how long it will take. I will wait for you till the end of time. Just remember that there is somebody out there waiting for you to return back home, to him. You will be taking my heart with you as your amanat.

Ishita is touched by his words, but stays firm on her decision. She is hurting raman, herself and her Ruhi by moving away from Raman. She knows she can't stay away from him. She is also worried, how Ruhi will deal with the separation.

Toshiji is heartbroken. She leaves the room without saying anything. She can't seem to stop crying. She doesn't know what is written her raman and ishita's destiny?

Little did Raman know, he did not have to wait too long.

P.S. all of my lovely reader, thank you so much for your amazing comments. they make me feel so good about my writing abilities and they encourage me to do better.