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Hello friends 🤗
Long time no see (for real 😛)... sorry about the longish break... 😳
This one will be a two-part (or maybe 3 parts)
When I wrote my first story, it was about the future of Ishita,Raman & Ruhi. At that time, I had this thought about writing a prequel too. But, as I had discussed with someone, it was too premature to write about what Ishita & Raman had been through before meeting. But I think this is an OK-time to write about Ishita & Raman's past. This story obviously has nothing to do with the current track. Also, it would really not be very 'light' and 'fluffy' because of the heart-break they go through before they come into each other's lives.
This song to go with this update is"Tu Nahin toh Zindagi mein aur kya reh jaayega" by Chitra Singh.
***
She stared at the photos. Each and every face on them was a happy one. Her parents had been nervous on that day, but smiling nevertheless. Vandu akka had been joking with her about how she would be the dominating one; by blood and by relation. Bala jiju had that loving, patronising look that looked perfect only on some people. Ishita sighed while she turned every page of the album; 4 photos multiplied by about 50 pages. She had a lot of memories to go through. She did not know why she was doing what she was doing. The sane part of her brain told her that staring at photos wouldnt bring him back. She knew he wouldnt rush in through the partly closed door, accepting his mistake or even declaring his love for her. She knew he had once loved her. She supposed he had loved her till the precise moment he had found out that she couldn't help him further his gene pool. He had really loved her, until he found out that she wasnt as perfect as he had thought her to be. Ishita wasn't really mad at him. She wasn't mad at her mother either. Being the rational person she was, she couldnt really fault anyone but her own fate. Her mother wanted the best for her, and Subbu had dreamt to be with the best in her. Both of them were disappointed, almost as much as she was.
She couldnt help but remember the first time she had laid eyes on him. The tall, fair and handsome lad was eyeing her as she flitted about the hall. Her sister was getting engaged, and Ishita hadn't had any time to get dolled up. She had to make sure her Akka's ceremony completed without a glitch. She had to make sure her Amma wasn't too stressed out. And she had to make sure her Appa didn't feel like he'd have done better if he'd had a son. Ishita was like that; an independant woman with a strong personality. She didn't want anyone to feel like her parents suffered because they'd had no sons. So, even without realising it, she'd donned the hat of the
"man of the house" since she could remember. She'd had no time for fun; no time for friends; and particularly no time for any boys. She knew her parents would find her the perfect man when it was time.
But that day was different. She was looking her worst, hair flying all around, no make-up and no smile either. She had none of the 'weapons' that would attract any man, let alone a handsome, eligible one. She had been nervous because she had to please her sister's prospective mother-in-law. Bala's mother looked like someone who came to life from a comic book; not the hero but the villain. She had the funny face, the evil eyes, and plentiful acidity in her tone. Ishita had taken one look at the woman and warned Vandu akka about her. But Vandu akka was obviously flippant about her mother-in-law, because she was head over heels in love with her fiance at that time.
She'd almost banged into him a couple of times. She didn't know it then, but Subbu had intended to bump into her. He was in her way, only because he couldn't help it. He was mesmerised by the woman that he'd been told a lot about, but never seen before. His Anna (elder brother) and future-manni (bhabhi) had sung Ishita's praises regularly, but in a nonchalant manner. When he'd listened to them going on and on about her, he'd assumed it was just affection and exaggerated emotions. But he'd been shaken to his core when he'd seen her for the first time. There she was, a woman who was graceful, beautiful, nice, calm and efficient like no other. And she was the first, and perhaps the only one who'd not stared at him like he was Adonis. She was completely unaware of her own beauty, as she was of his. It hadn't taken long for Subbu to approach his brother for an introduction, and convince his mother for a possible match.
Their courtship had been of a textbook variety. They had met formally in the presence of their parents first. Once their parents had matched the astrological charts and decided everything was fine, Ishita and Subbu were allowed to talk to each other. Their first 'date' had been of the double kind. Bala, Vandu, Ishita and Subbu had gone to see a movie. Bala and Vandu were obviously more interested in spending time alone, so they'd left the theater an hour after the movie started. Ishita & Subbu looked at each other; two empty seats in between. They'd both moved one seat inwards to avoid any awkwardness. The sharing of the pop-corn and their mutual love for new-age Hindi cinema had only been a starting point. Neither of them had remembered what movie they'd watched; they only remembered the people behind their seats shushing them.
Something tickled her feet, breaking the reverie, and she almost dropped the photo album. There was that red car she'd gifted Shravu on his last birthday. His remote seemed to have been stuck, and the car was continuously bumping against her feet. Ishita knew the feeling. She bent down and gently switched it off and told Shravu that it looked like the batteries weren't working. She told him she'd change the batteries soon. In all his innocence, her nephew smiled at her and said "You are the best Chitthi!".
"If only I was" rued Ishita. She'd come to her Akka's house for dinner. While her parents were chatting with Bala & Vandu after dinner, Ishita had escaped into the study, only to find the photo albums chronicling her past. She was thankful for Shravu's presence to wake her up from the nightmare.
She asked him "What are you doing playing with the car so late in the night beta ? Didn't your Amma put you to sleep? "
"Yes Chitthi, but I woke up. They are all busy talking, so they didn't notice me slipping out of my room" he smiled like he'd escaped prison.
"Really ? Vandu akka wouldnt miss that, you badmaash... what are they talking about anyway? Why didn't they see you?" she asked him with a smile.
"Oh that... you know na Chitthi? Subbu Chithappa has a daughter now. They are all talking about her. So they didn't even see my car zoom by. I guess I got lucky."
And that time, she really dropped the photo album. She was in the presence of a small child, and she knew he wouldn't judge her for being clumsy or even notice that she'd momentarily lost control. Shravu just picked up his car and left in search of a new toy, the one that still had functioning batteries. The symbolism wasn't lost on her, even in her state of mind. She smiled a soul-less smile, and remembered a name "Gayatri".
The day before their official engagement, they'd gone to see another movie. Bala and Vandu had made sure neither of their parents knew. They had to come up with an intelligent excuse however, because by then they were married, so a 'double date' didn't really sell. Vandu had told her parents she needed Ishita to come with her to a beauty parlour appointment, and Subbu had escaped saying he needed a haircut before his engagement. The parents had been clueless, and obviously relented to their children's wishes. They all met in a restaurant, and Ishita & Subbu had left soon after. Bala, & the newly pregnant Vandu smiled at each other, proud of their cupid-powers. Ishita & Subbu didn't really focus on the movie or the story. But, the name "Gayatri" had stuck with them. Maybe it was the story, or the heroine's portayal of that character, but Subbu had said, "When we have a daughter, we'll name her Gayatri".
Ishita had just laughed at him saying "You said 'When', and not 'If'. How are you so sure we'll have a daughter?". And Subbu had replied haughtily, "Well, you can have as many sons as you want. But I am not stopping till I get my Gayatri".
Whether or not they remembered the movie turned out to be immaterial. The next day when all hell broke loose, and her life turned into a wishful memory, Ishita had cried herself to sleep. She didn't know if she was heart-broken because she had found out she couldn't bear a child, or because he'd chosen a Gayatri overIshita.
Turned out, she was sitting in that room lamenting over her past for a considerable amount of time. She barely blinked when all the lights were turned on. He brother-in-law came to her, and gently placed a hand on her shoulder. "I am sorry Ishita", Bala said with the saddest face a man could ever have. She smilled in return. Only, her smile was the fakest happy smile any woman could ever have put on. "Jiju, come on. It's been over 5 years. I am really over everything. I am really happy for Subbu. I am happy at least he got his Gayatri", she said.
"Ishita, did you know he was going to name his daughter Gayatri? Who told you? We didn't even tell Shravan.", Bala asked her, with a shocked expression. Ishita didn't know how to react. There was no way she could explain to Bala and not make him sad. She was relieved when she saw her father come into the room.
"Ishita, my boss just called me. They've approved my early retirement. I will be relieved in a couple of months. Finally, I can cash in on my pensions & savings and buy that flat in Mayur Vihar we have been keeping an eye on."
She could do nothing but stare out of the window. "A new place, new auto-drivers, new vegetable vendors, new security guards and new neighbours. But the questions would be the same; Aapki beti hain yeh? Inki abhi tak shaadi nahin hui ? dikhne mein toh theek thaak hain, but abhi tak kunwaari hain? koi problem hai?" and the heart-broken look on her mother's face would be the same. But Ishita wouldn't let any of that spoil anyone's mood right. then "Is It, Appa??? How wonderful" she said "Mayur Vihar is also closer to my clinic. I cannot wait to move there", she said with a brave smile.
"What's past is prologue."
- William Shakespeare, The Tempest
*** So, how was it?
If it was too sad, I am sorry, but I had to get it out of my system. And let me know if I should continue. The next part would be about Raman's past.
Ye Hai Mohabbatein
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