Tere Bin...Nahi Laage Jiya, Tere BinMonday 14 September 2014
Batra Dental Clinic
12 noon
Ishita took off her surgical gown and sat back in her chair, heaving a sigh of relief.
It was so good to be back at work, away from home...from Mihika.
After she had dragged Mihika away from the Bhalla apartment on Friday night, it had taken Ishita all of her powers of persuasion and not a little emotional blackmail to get Mihika to agree to hold her tongue about Raman and Ishita's relationship.
Mihika had been furious with her and was convinced that Ishita had made a terrible mistake.
"How could you akka ? " she had shouted, over and over at Ishita. "He's not a good man. He drinks. He has affairs. He manipulates people. He tried to split Mihir from me. You know that akka. He's just using you. He knows you love Ruhi so he used you to get her custody. How could you be so stupid akka?"
Ishita had tried to reason, but then had decided to concentrate her energies on getting Mihika to hold her tongue until Raman was back. She had been able to do it by convincing Mihika that she, Ishita, would have to bear the brunt of everyone's anger if the truth came out in Raman's absence. Mihika, who fervently believed that her innocent akka had been bewitched and manipulated by the evil Raman, had not wanted Raman to escape the wrath that the revelation of the marriage would bring on the couple, and so had agreed to stay quiet until Raman came back.
"But you can't do this to Abhi, akka" she had persisted. "I won't tell anyone else, but if you don't intend to marry Abhi, then you must tell him now. Don't lead him on. It's not fair. And you've made a huge mistake akka. You've given up a man like Abhi for that ..that Raman Bhalla."
"Mihika, you don't know Raman. He's not like what you think. But ok, I won't argue with you. I'll tell Abhi, I'll tell him now. And the day Raman gets back, we will tell everyone else."
She had left the still smouldering Mihika in their apartment, and had gone down again to speak to Abhi. She had found him with Bala, clutching a soft drink and looking pensive. He had readily stepped outside with her, and had taken the news bitterly.
"Abhi, we've been friends for a long time, so I am going to ask you for something" Ishita had stammered, guilt etched on her face. "I ...I can't marry you. I love someone else. I'm sorry for not telling you earlier, but everything is so complicated. And Abhi...please, you know how much my parents want our marriage. I need to tell them myself, but this is not the right time. I can't give you any explanations. But please, don't tell anyone now. Just stay away and let me handle this. I am so very sorry for doing this, but I...I don't have a choice."
"It's Raman Bhalla, isn't it?" Abhi had said, bitterness creeping into his voice.
"Yes" Ishita had replied simply. She could hear the hurt in his voice and she was ashamed of herself for having hurt him. She had never meant to, but it had happened nonetheless. And there was no point in lying to him now.
"So where is he now? " Abhi had countered. "Why isn't he here, why is he letting you do the dirty work?"
"Abhi" Ishita had replied quietly . "Raman had an emergency. He had to go to Mumbai. But he wants to be here when we tell the family. That is why I am asking you not to say anything now to my amma and appa. Raman and I will tell them together, as soon as he returns."
There had been an awkward silence while Abhi had stared at Ishita. "Fine Ishita" he had finally. "I thought I knew you, but I obviously don't. The Ishita I knew wouldn't have done this, lied like this, tricked her parents like this. That man has changed you Ishita, but if that's what you want, then what can I say? I won't tell anyone, don't worry about that."
And with that parting shot, Abhi had walked out of Ishita's life.
The weekend had been dreary and had dragged on intermittently. Mihika had barely spoken two words to her, and Raman had been too busy to call as well. He had sent her quick texts when he could, but there had been no time to seek or be given reassurance.
The only bright spot in the weekend had been her visits with Ruhi. They had gone to the park together, and had gone shopping with Rinki, with Mrs Bhalla's blessings. "I think mumma is coming around to liking you Bhabhi" Rinki had laughed delightedly.
Her amma had noticed Mihika's sullen mood but Ishita had been able to pass it off as a tiff with Mihir. Questions about Abhi she had countered by saying that he was spending time with his children, and would be away with them for a few days.
Now, as she sat in her office, Ishita acknowledged that everything had gone as well as could be expected. Mihika had kept her word and her silence, and Abhi was out of her life. Now all that was needed was for Raman to return, and they could bring their marriage out in the open. This charade would end and she could be Ruhi's mum and Raman's wife for the world to see.
Why then, she wondered, did she have this sense of foreboding, this sense that something was very wrong. That dark clouds were hovering and would drench her soon in misery. Just what, she wondered, was this feeling about?
**********************************************************************************************************
Khanna Mansion
7.00 pm
"Are you sure, Mr Khanna? If you get caught..."
"But I won't get caught Gupta, and it's your job to make sure of that"
Ashok Khanna looked up from his dwindling glass of neat whiskey at his lawyer, and shook a finger at him.
"Just you bloody make sure of that"
"But Mr Khanna" Gupta persisted. He may have been a thoroughly corrupt lawyer and a disgrace to his profession, but Gupta still had his wits about him. "When you said there were other ways to skin a cat, when you gave up on the custody case so easily, I never imagined you meant anything like this...What if Raman Bhalla finds out? What if he stops you..."
"Raman Bhalla is in Mumbai" Ashok smirked, refilling his glass. "I spread a rumour about contamination in Mehta's bottling plant. Bhalla and his side kick are in Mumbai, trying to do damage control. He won't be back for the rest of the week. I can take my time and go ahead with my plan"
"You think of everything Mr Khanna" Gupta said with grudging admiration. "But what about Mrs Khanna? Will she agree to this?"
"Shagun knows nothing" Ashok snarled. "She is in London. There is nothing to stop me from doing what I need to do to make Raman Bhalla suffer for humiliating me. I promise you that Gupta. I will make him suffer."
"But Mr Khanna, woh bacchi..."
"Don't be such a wimp Gupta. Nothing will happen to the child. She will be safe. But I will be the one who rescues her. Her stepfather. I will get all the glory and the publicity while I make Raman Bhalla look like a fool."
"How Mr Khanna?"
"Gupta, you are such a fool. Itni simple plan nahi samajhte. Ruhi will get kidnapped. By the goons you arrange. Then while Raman Bhalla and his family are off chasing the false clues you will give him, I will rescue Ruhi. Shagun will fly in from London, I'll stage their grand reunion. I'll say the kidnappers called me up as well to demand a ransom, but unlike Bhalla, I used my brains and found the kid. I'll prove that Bhalla is incompetent, that Ruhi is not safe with him. He humiliated me. Now I will humiliate him."
**********************************************************************************************************
9.30 pm
Delhi
She had been thinking of him all evening, lying in bed while her family watched television in the living room, claiming a headache, when what she actually had was a heartache...a heartache at being separated from him, at missing him...
Tere bin... nahi laage jiya
Tere bin ... ab to aa ja piya
Tere bin... nahi laage jiya
She tried to call him, but his phone was switched off. He was busy, she knew, but she yearned to speak to him. Her mother called her again, and with a sigh, she got out of bed and joined her family. Her phone was clutched firmly in her hand though. She needed to hear his voice.
Mumbai
Raman walked into his hotel room, impatiently looking for his phone charger. His phone battery had died and he had not realised it until an hour ago, when he had tried to call her. He spotted the charger and plugged his phone in, desperate for the phone to charge, so that he could hear her voice, talk to her.
Ye raatein ab nahi dharakti
Din bhi saans nahi lete
Ab toh aa jao mere soniya
10.00pm
"Did I wake you up madrasan?"
"No Raman" Ishita clutched her phone closer to her ear, speaking softly. "Everyone is watching TV. Mein bas balcony par aa gayi"
"You can talk?"
"Yes, but just for a short while. Warna amma suspicious ho jayegi"
"Yaar tum madrasiyon ko Jagga Jasoos banne ka itna shauk kyon hai?"
"Raaman"
"Ok sorry, talwar mat nikal, meri Jhaansi ki Rani. Tell me, miss kar rahi ho mujhe?"
"Of course"
Raman grinned and stretched out on his bed, loosening his tie with one hand as he spoke. He pictured her standing on her terrace in her cute night suit, the phone clutched to one shell like ear, her pouty lips speaking softly down the line and across the distance to him.
Baatein reh gayi adhoori
Mere laboon pe zaroori
Aa ke sun jao mere soniya
"Wait" he said, moving off the bed and walking out onto his own terrace. "mein bhi bahar aa gaya. Tere sang chaand ko dekhne. Aacha, so you miss me, hmm?"
"Yes"
"How much" His voice had turned husky, deepened by his recollection of the last time he had seen her, of those lips against his, her soft curves moulded to him, her voice moaning in pleasure.
"Ramman, please na baba"
"Just tell me"
"Raman amma is coming here. Wait."
Raman stayed on the line as he heard her speaking to her amma. "Patient hai amma" she said, and he chuckled. "That's right baby, I am your patient" he whispered down the line at her.
"But at this time Ishita?" He heard his mother in law ask.
"Thodi nervous hai amma. I have to do a big procedure tomorrow. It's ok, you go , I'll come in soon."
"Ok" Mrs Iyers voice came to him dimly as she moved away.
"Raman, I have to go" she was back on the line.
Raman stretched out his hand into the Mumbai night. It was a dull rainy night and a fine drizzle splattered against his shirtsleeves.
Pehle jaise mausam bhi aate nahi
Barishon mein pehle jaise Baatein nahi hai
"No" he said. "First tell me how much you miss me."
"Accha baba. I miss you a lot. I miss you to the moon and back."
"And when I get back, what will you do to show me how much you missed me, hmm? To show just how much you needed me, how much you wanted me?"
"Raman, stop it" her voice was low and he could hear the quick intake of her breath. The thought that he affected his wife in that way made his voice even huskier.
Sookhe sookhe alfaaz, khali khali mere
Haathon ki lakeerein bulave soniya
"Will you kiss me?" He ignored her protestations.
Ishita glanced at her parents and Mihika inside the living room and softly closed the door to the balcony.
"Yes" she whispered. "You know I will"
"Where? Where will you kiss me?"
"Wherever you say" she whispered.
"What else" he asked. His wife was certainly being bold on the phone, and his ache to get back to her, and to put her words into action, intensified.
"Raman" she said, shyly now.
"What else will you do to me baby?" His voice was hoarse with desire for her, and he cursed anew the circumstances that kept them apart. Their encounter on Friday night had been too brief, too hurried. He ached for her, and he could hear the same frustration in her voice.
Chaand bhi wahin hai, Wahin hai sitarein
Tere bina pheeke pheeke lagte hai saarein
"Whatever you want" his wife was saying.
"Mein kal aa jaon? Because what I want I want now baby."
"When are you coming back Raman?" He could hear the longing in her voice.
"Soon sweetheart. Just hang in there ok"
"Hmmm"
"Dream of me, like I dream of you"
"Hmmm"
"Want me, like I want you?"
"Um hmm"
"Do you have any idea what you do to me Ishita? I want you so bad. I want to feel you, to taste you, to make you mine, over and over again. I'm just crazy about you baby."
Aaja leke tu savere, dur karja tu andherein
Teri doori tadpaein soniya
"Don't say things like that Raman"
"Kyun?"
"Kuch hota hai"
"Kya hota hai, hmm?"
"I don't know" she sighed.
"Tell me something"
"Kya?"
"Kya jaadu kar diya hai mujh pe Ishita? I just hear your voice and I ache for you. Do you ache for me baby?"
"Raman, please...let me go. Woh...amma..."
"First tell me you love me"
"I love you Raman. Jaldi aana. I miss you so much. But I'm scared Raman. I don't know why. I...yes amma. Raman, I have to go."
He was left with the dial tone in his ear and he looked at his phone in frustration as the echo of her soft voice still resonated in his ears.
"I love you too Ishita" he whispered into the darkness." And there's no reason to be scared. Nothing will go wrong now baby. Nothing. We will be together forever. Very soon"
Ye raatein ab nahi dharakti
Din bhi saans nahi lete
Ab toh aa jao mere soniya
Baatein reh gayi adhoori
Mere laboon pe zaroori
Aa ke sun jao mere soniya
Tere bin... nahi laage jiya
Tere bin ... ab to aa ja piya
Tere bin... nahi laage jiya
Pehle jaise mausam bhi aate nahi
Barishon mein pehle jaise Baatein nahi hai
Pehle jaise mausam bhi aate nahi
Barishon mein pehle jaise Baatein nahi hai
Sookhe sookhe alfaaz, khali khali mere
Haathon ki lakeerein bulave soniya
Tere bin... nahi laage jiya
Tere bin ... ab to aa ja piya
Tere bin... nahi laage jiya
Chaand bhi wahin hai, Wahin hai sitarein
Tere bina pheeke pheeke lagte hai saarein
Chaand bhi wahin hai, Wahin hai sitarein
Tere bina pheeke pheeke lagte hai saarein
Aaja leke tu savere, dur karja tu andherein
Teri doori tadpaein soniya
Tere bin... nahi laage jiya
Tere bin ... ab to aa ja piya
Tere bin... nahi laage jiya
Tere bin
Tere bin
Part 21A: Meri Nazar Dhundhe Tujhe - Pg 113
https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/ye-hai-mohabbatein/4350612/ff-desire-ii-part-15a-part21e 
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