I am back with another update.
After one emotionally taxing chapter where Raman was rude and ruthless, this one is light and tension free. Some may feel that it is a filler chapter but I think it is important in the story to give way for things to move forward.
Still I would like to read ur views and feedback. Constructive criticism is highly welcomed too.
Chapter 9:
"The greatest thing you'll ever learn is to just love and to be loved in return"
Ishita was checking her appointments when she got a call from the secretary informing her that Ruhi Bhalla was there and wanted to meet her. Ruhi? So early in the morning! Was she in pain? Alert, Ishita immediately went to open the door but stood rooted on the spot when she saw him.
Raman!
He was the last person she wanted to see early in the morning after reliving those nightmarish moments with him in Mumbai.
"Ruhi! Good morning. Come in."
Standing at the door, she waited for the father and daughter to take a seat before joining them. Ignoring Raman who was looking at her, she immediately asked the little girl if she was alright.
-What happened Ruhi?
- Nothing Ishita aunty.
Ishita looked at her,frowned lovingly and again questioned the little girl.
- Are you in pain?
Ruhi shook her head and gave her a cute toothless smile."Then? Why are you here baccha?" she inquired.
- I dunno aunty. Ask papa!
Ishita glanced at an acutely embarrassed Raman who looked at Ruhi and then at Ishita as the little chatter box started explaining why they were at the clinic.
- Papa forced me to come Ishita aunty. I kept telling him that I am fine but woh sunta hi nahin. Insist kar raha tha clinic aane ke liye. I dunno why we are here. Main toh theek houn.
Ishita stared at Raman, her eyes throwing daggers.
If looks could kill, I would be baigan ka barta by now! Ruhi! Apne hi baap ka dushman! She will get me killed! Raman muttered inwardly. He needed to save himself and came up with the lamest of excuse.
-Well...uh... I brought her for a check up since you didn't give her any appointment. What kind of a clinic is this? And what kind of a dentist are you? There is no follow up and...
Ruhi looked at her dad and rolled her eyes. What a weird man was her father! Complete museum piece! One hour ago, on the way to the clinic, he was filling her ears about Ishita aunty's goodness and now...! Ishita aunty is not looking happy.
-This clinic is all right Mr Bhalla and most of my patients are satisfied with my work also. Ruhi is fine and need no appointment according to me. She had a cavity and the filling is done. She just needs to brush everyday morning and night. If you are not satisfied with my service, I can refer her to another pediatric dentist for regular check up.
Oh god! Yeh aurat! Jhansi ki Rani! Bloody overdramatizing queen! She is intentionally making things difficult between us, Raman muttered under his breath but fortunately his daughter saved the situation in time.
- Ishita aunty please! I don't want to see another dentist. I promise to brush every morning and night. I will also come for check up whenever you say.
Ishita shifted her eyes to the little girl and her expression softened immediately."You can come here anytime." Raman looked on as Ishita called his daughter at her desk and leaned forward for Ruhi to drop a kiss on her cheek. A small smile crept his lips seeing the two bonding so lovingly. It was true that he had not let his daughter come too close to him because she reminded her of his ex but that didn't mean he didn't love her. He had worked hard for her and for ensuring her future.
Every time he had come to Delhi to meet his family, he had tried to spend some time with her but he had never seen Ruhi so happy and lively. She was fond of Ishita and he could see that the affection was mutual. Ruhi leaned closer to Ishita and whispered in her ear. Ishita chuckled and then showed her the way...to the washroom.
Once the little girl had disappeared, Ishita immediately confronted Raman. Her arms folded on her chest, she asked in a serious tone.
- Why are you here Raman?
- I wanted to talk to you.
- By using Ruhi?
- Did I have any choice? You never listen to me.
- You were not interested to talk when I was ready to listen.
Their eyes clashed. She was clearly mad.
- I am sorry.
- For what?
- I...misbehaved with you in Mumbai.
- Misbehaved? That's a very mild vocabulary to use Raman. You were RUTHLESSLY CRUEL. And that's so long time back. Why now?
- I was not ready to talk about her at that time. You know the truth now.
- Yes I know the truth now but that doesn't mean that you are forgiven for your callous behavior on that night. I will repeat myself. You can go on with your life as per your wish. It's over between us and...
- No it's not. I am not yet finished with you. I...
Papa chale! Ruhi was back and the conversation between the two halted. Raman reached out to his daughter and exclaimed, his eyes still on Ishita, "Yes! Let's go but let me settle the bill first."
Ishita looked at Raman and gave him a dirty look. The man was annoying to the core. She would never charge a penny when it came to Ruhi. "It's alright. It has been taken care of. Ruhi is family." She said calmly and stretched her hand to stroke the little girl's hair.
"Then I should thank you for that. What about lunch today? Ruhi's way to say thank you." He said, his eyes giving away his ruse.
The shark! Ishita should have understood his machination when he starting talking about paying for Ruhi's treatment.
Ruhi's way of saying thank you! My foot!
But she was trapped. Ruhi was excited and was now insisting on having lunch together and Ishita loved the little girl too much to disappoint her or break her little girl.
-Ruhi beta , my last appointment is at 1 pm.
- That's not a problem Ishita aunty. Come after your work.
- Ok! I will meet you at 2 p.m. I suggest you have something and when I come we can go for a pizza and ice cream. And if your papa has something to do, he can leave you with me. I have the afternoon free. What say?
Before Ruhi had a chance to answer, Raman cut in the conversation.
- Great idea Ruhi! We will go shopping as we have planned and we'll meet your Ishita aunty at 2 pm at Domino's pizza and since your Ishita aunty is free, why don't you invite her for the movie you so wanted to watch.
- Oh Yes!! That would be fun. Ishita aunty we can go and watch Cinderella. Papa says it is a girls movie and don't want to go. Simmi bua can't go because of Ananya. Done! We are going to watch Cinderella.
Ruhi concluded when Ishita nodded and smiled.
Raman smirked. Ruhi was indeed her daughter. Hopefully he would get a chance to make amends...
Why? He had no answer to the question. All he knew was seeing her again had rekindled the flame inside him. What flame? He had no idea. When it came to Ishita Iyer, the more he asked questions, the more he would feel lost. He had therefore decided to dump his CEO brain at the office and let the logic of his heart do the rest and his heart was telling him that he should apologize to that woman who didn't deserve the way she was treated and then after seeing her and her selflessness towards his daughter...he was more than willing to rectify his mistake.
He scooped up his daughter in his arms and went away but not before winking to the uptight dentist.
Domino's pizza...2 pm...
When Ishita reached there, the devil and the angel were seated in the far corner, waiting for their order. "Ishita aunty I have ordered your favourite - veg Hawaiin delicacy with extra cheese topping, just the way you like it. Remember last time? We had so much fun right?"
"Yummy", Ishita exclaimed and smiled fondly at the little girl. Ruhi was the loveliest and cutest creature in the world, "Now I understand why your Ishita aunty is so healthy" and her dad...a complete Raavan! The devil!
Ruhi the Angel was quick to defend him.
- Papa is joking Ishita aunty. You are lovely.
- Of course beta. Aap ka papa ka joke was so funny.
Ruhi giggled while Ishita made a face at Raman who smirked back. Later Ishita was surprised to see herself enjoying both the father and daughter's company. His one liners did amuse her and watching Ruhi so proud of him of her dad made her heart swelled with happiness for the child.
Ishita was for another huge surprise when she realized that he was going to watch the movie with them. "Papa I thought you didn't want to watch Cinderella", little Ruhi said, visibly very happy that her dad had changed his mind.
"Yes but I changed my mind. I am yours all day", Raman replied back and winked at a flabbergasted Ishita. Sitting in the dark theatre Ishita who found herself being pulled back down the memory lane when they had their first movie date, unaware that Raman's thoughts were there too.
***flashback***
After their first dinner together, Raman had gone to Pune for one week. It was there that he had realized that the woman was getting under his skin. He was missing her and that had freaked him out. He had promised himself not to give a woman any importance in his life and that resolution was wearing out every single time he was meeting her. So he did what he thought best. He didn't contact her for one whole week but ended up restless and all frustrated all through his business trip.
Ishita was on the other hand very confused. The man and his legendary unpredictability! What could have been the reason for him not calling her after such a nice dinner, Ishita wondered. It was good in a sense, Ishita tried to reason herself. Weren't things going too fast between them? She had told herself. But Ishita found herself not only checking her call log and messages regularly but even the settings of her phone to see if everything was working well with her phone. How ridiculous! Who would tamper your phone Ishita Iyer? She mentally smacked herself.
Finally after one week of restlessness, angry with herself, she had switched off her phone all day and worked till late.
It was late in the afternoon when Ishita came out of the clinic on that day. She was walking towards her car when she had noticed it- the imposing white Mercedes, parked just at the opposite end of the road! Ishita's heart had skipped a beat when she realized that the owner...the man who had hijacked her thought for the past week... was just there. Leaning against his car, his arms folded on his chest, he was watching her closely. Ishita's heart started to race when he crossed the road to meet her. A sense of elation had captured her and with a permanent smile plastered on her face, she had greeted him with a soft 'hi', all her anger evaporated.
"Still working till late in the evening? Are you the only dentist in Mumbai with no personal life", Raman had asked with amusement in his voice.
"Now that's what I will call a typical case of the pot calling the kettle black. Aren't you not the only CEO who has no personal life too? You are the one who disappeared for one whole week" came her crisp reply.
Raman smirked. "Did you miss me?" He asked with his eyes never leaving her face. "Was it a strategy to see if you were being missed?" Ishita asked holding his gaze.
"Did it work?"
He gave her a lopsided smile making her blushed.
"I am sorry. I was out of town for a week. Just returned back from Pune a couple of hours ago. Is your phone not working? I was trying to call you."He finally told her.
Oops! Ishita muttered under her breath. She had forgotten about her switched off phone. Abhimanyu was in Malaysia for a month for his sister's wedding and she had promised to take up his appointments, she finally told Raman.
"I saw the red eyesore parked in front of the clinic and understood you were still there, so I decided to wait for you outside to surprise you. Let's go. Nobody will steal it."
Raman immediately proposed to have dinner together. He was starving.
"Yes but on one condition. We will go for a movie. My treat."
Ishita had proposed expecting Raman to refuse. Raman was not keen to watch Chennai Express but couldn't refuse the Madrassan. They went to a Punjabi restaurant this time and it was then that Ishita got a glimpses of his likes and dislikes. Matar Pulao, palak paneer and butter chicken were his favorites and Ishita looked on amazed as he gauged his food. Chennai Express proved to be a fun film and funnier was Raman and his reactions. Ishita had laughed aloud over his comments with people turning around and glaring at them. It was very late in the evening when Raman dropped her home.
"Awww...that was so romantic and funny." Ishita had exclaimed after thanking Raman for such a nice evening.
"That was crap! But you were funny for sure!" He had taunted back. "I can't believe that the hero had to climb the stairs with the heroine in his arms! What kind of tradition is that? You Tamil people are crazy with DNA completely screwed!"
"Oh hello! We Tamil people are romantic and Tamil men are so fit and strong and chivalrous and..."
"In sum Tamil men are henpecked! Now bas! Save your review of Tamil men for some marriageable girls. I am a straight guy. I am more interested in Tamil girls. How are they?" His voice had turned husky when he asked the question and Ishita felt her cheeks turning hot.
"Tamil girls are fiercely independent, stubborn and full of attitudes." She replied to put a stop to the conversation which was heading in danger zone.
"Wow! All the qualities that I look forward in a woman. Do you fall in that category?
This time Ishita had turned scarlet red and turned to open her door in the hope that he would get the signal. It was late and she would not invite him inside at such an odd hour.
- Good night Ishita. Sleep tight and do call me if you need anything and take your time to answer my question.
Ishita had looked on as he got in the elevator and faced her, his eyes reflecting a desire which made Ishita's heart drumming in her ears.
***end of flashback***
Sitting in the dark theatre, Raman watched the two ladies beside him, floored by the number of emotions fleeting across their faces as the movie was being played. He chuckled, rolled his eyes, tapped his forehead against his palm and even hid his face in his hands.
She stopped where she was...by the door. His bedroom was the last place in the world she should be having a serious conversation. But may be, she thought with unaccustomed cynism, that was his ploy. He was damn shrewd, shrewd enough to know that by bringing her there, he would immediately have the advantage.
He stripped off his shirt and tossed it off the chair by the window. "I am going to take a shower", he informed her without looking in her direction, walking towards his attached bathroom. "I don't intend to shout to you from the bathroom. Step over the threshold or wait till I am done."
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