Pyaar Ki Yeh Dastaan - Ishra TS part 1 edited on 21May

Pyaar ki yeh Dastaan

Kabhi kabhi hum Ek doosre ko khokar bhi to Pyar ko ucha Darza dete hain

Judaa Rehkar pyar ki unchayion ko prapt krte hain

Har pyaar milan to nhi

Judaai bhi to ek pyaar hai

As the chilly wind of late Winter Evening sent a shiver into her body, she found herself cocooning more into him. He just smirked and held her even tighter wrapping his arms around her shoulder. "Ishita...there are lots of people around. If you will do all this publically, I will lose all my image. If not yourself, think about me atleast. I have some name in the society." He teased her only to get smacked on his chest. "Aah...you directly hit me at the heart yrr...Beaware...there is someone inside." He pointed keeping a finger at his heart. "Stop this Raman. I am feeling cold." She hid herself into him."Ishita...that was the reason I told you...Boating is a bad idea. Its high time we return." He turned the handle but she was quick to stop him. "No Raman." She kept her hand on his. "You know how much I wanted to be here." She twirled her arms around his neck and rested her head on his chest. He ran his hands through her hair as his feet kept twirling the wheel of boat. "Ofcourse I know...the first place where we met. Where you said yes to my proposal...where our lives changed. The place where we got tied to each other for forever." He said entangling his fingers with hers. She smiled as she heard him say that with tears threatening to come out from her eyes. "Raman...Sun is about to Set." She said with a sparkle in her eyes as she looked at her favourite view. They joined their heads together to see the white and blue horizon changing to light orange and then dark as the sun entered into the waters of never ending lake. This was the view they could die for...to see together.

"Three years, Seven months and eighteen days before...same time and same place...this was where we finally knew, we were together. There was something to bind us." He said remembering the old moments. "And you know what, we will keep coming here again and again to celebrate that moment of our life." He tightened his hold on her. "I wish Raman...I come with you here everytime to see this amazing beautiful place." She said as she turned around to wipe a lone tear off her face."I wish this is not the last we see." She murmured to herself. He found it a bit wierd.

"Whats wrong Ishita? You came back this morning and I am seeing you are upset since then. Anything happened at home kya??" He asked worried. As if his words were her undoing, she hugged him tight and the next moment, he felt his shirt getting wet. "Are you crying?" He seperated her from himself and quickly raised her chin. She lowered her gaze again. "Look at me Ishita" He was confused. "Tell me..wats wrng? I am here for you. Just speak up." He wiped the tears off her face. "Baby...tell me." He asked again. She just mouthed Raman and hugged him crying more than before.

It took him some five minutes of consoling along with driving the boat to bring her crying voice to a halt. "Tell me." He said again. Her breath was heavy. "Raman...Raman...I went home." She said sobbing. "I know that Ishita. But what happened?" His hands still stroking her back. "Did you talk to them about us?" He asked worried. She nodded positively only for him to heave a sigh. "Then?" He asked...with unsurity in his voice. The tensed expressions on her face had a replica on his now. "Speak up Ishita. Mujhe dar lag raha hai. Batao mujhe. Wat happened?" He cupped her face in his hands. "You love me naa.." He asked making her meet her eyes with him. "Hmm..." she nodded "More than anything Raman." Then trust me...and tell me what is wrong?" He said softly. She melted in his arms as she told him everything that happened back home.

"Amma asked me never to meet you again." She told him. "Amma and Appa were having their morning coffee when I told them about...about us. I told how we met, our meetings, about you, about your job and family." She tried to look at his face for his reaction. He had turned around...his concentration on the revolving paddle of the boat. "Raman?" She tried to call. "I am listening Ishita." He cut her in between. "She said we can never be together. I am a Tamilian and you a Punjabi." She continued. "She said she will never allow a boy of other caste and community in our family. Infact she said...if I decide to marry you...she wont keep any relations with me. And Appa...Appa was really angry. He said he never expected this from me. It was not the reason he sent me here." She lowered her head. Raman went numb. He didnt know what and how to react. He simply chose silence. She said again sobbing "When I wanted to come here for higher education, my grandpa and tayaji were striclty against me. They wanted me to get marry to a boy of their choice. High class Iyyer Brahman Boy. It was Appa who fought with everyone and said that his daughter was his pride. He will get me married only after my studies. If I want to study, he would never stop me." Her thoughts went to the day five years back...when his father had faught with stereotypes of her extended joint family just to educate her. "He said he would never say yes to me if I want to marry some punjabi boy. Infact he..." she started crying hard. Raman offered his hanky to her while she sobbed. "He said...he said he was wrong in fighting with his father and brother for her sake. He should have never stood for me against them."

The tears were flowing in two pairs of eyes endlessly by the time they reached the bank. He helped her out. She looked at him longingly to say something but he just turned his gaze. She stood there waiting for him. He took the driver seat and opened the door for her. She entered the passenger seat and tied her seat belt. ('Always at your service Mam...he would say holding the belt...everytime...' ) but today all he did was set the gear and drive...on the most silent journey of their life.

"We are at your PG Ishita." He said after about 35 minutes drive. Huh...she opened her eyes to register the surroundings. "Oh.." She had rested her head on the back of seat and never realized when her eyes closed shut. Murmuring a slow bye to him, she moved towards her room. She could hear the start of car engine behind her back. Controlling her tears, she entered her room to share her sorrows with her pillow.

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Sleep was far away for him that night. All he could do was turn and toss on his bed staring at the empty cieling above. Her words echoed in his mind. They have asked me to stop talking to you Raman. He never knew when the stream of his tears had made its path to the pillow under his head.

~~Ishita...Ishita you love me naa? I know that. Then why cant you say yes?

Raman please let me go. I dont love you.

She said jerking his hand away.

You are lying Ishita. If you dont love me then why did u cry when I got hurt. Why did you sit at hospital whole night nursing me.

He asked in a loud voice.

It was...it was just humanity. She tried not to look into his eyes. I saw you lying there so helped you out. Nothing else.

Ishita...he shook her by shoulder. Stop fooling me as well as yourself Ishita. It is love not just concern what you have for me. His tone shook her from within and tears made way through her eyes.

Ishita dont cry please. Ishita I love you. And even if you dont say I know you love me too. Okk...if you dont want to say dont say. I will wait for the day you say that to me yourself. He said and left from there.

My family will never say yes to our relation. Her words brought his steps to halt.

What do you mean? He asked confused.

I am a Tamil Iyyer Brahmin high society girl living in an orthodox joint family. Even if I say yes to you, even if dream of my life with you, we will never be together...we can never be.

She lowered her head.

Do you want me? He asked in a firm voice.

She just looked downwards.

Its late now. You better go inside before your pg aunty sues you. And yes...get ready tomorrow...early morning..i will come to pick you up.

Where are we going? She found her voice back.

Just wait and watch darling...he smirked. It will be the best day of your life.

He said and went to his car as she saw him swinging his keys in the air humming some song. She could feel her cheeks getting warmer as a blush appeared on her face.~

He helped himself with a drink as the memories of their first date haunted him. The trip to Sukhna Lake...where she finally confessed her love to him. He had promised to keep her happy always and had asurred her that he will surely find out a way till the time they reach that stage.

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She woke up next morning to find 11 am on her mobile. Had she not put the alarm? She wondered. And then the flashback of her talk at home and with Raman last night played in her mind. Ohh God...she heaved a sigh resting her head against the headboard. She had slept while there was a photo frame in her hand. It had a photo of her with her Amma Appa...when she got awarded for coming first in her school in 12th Boards. She was smiling in the middle with her father with a pride on his face on left and mother, teary eyed on right. She remembered her appa supporting her when she wanted to come to Chandigarh for further studies. "I am sorry Appa...I didnt want to break your trust. I love you." She burst into fresh tears hugging the frame.

And then her gaze shifted to her cell phone in her other hand which had her favourite wallpaper. It was her photo with Raman on his last birthday. They had gone to Morny hills to celebrate his day. In the pic, they had been standing in her favourite titanic pose. Her back resting on his chest as she leaned onto him...arms streched out to inhale the sweet air...their fingers entwined in mid air...and ofcourse he, The Raman Kumar Bhalla, lost in his favourite play thing...her Hair. He never left a chance. God...how much she had to manaofy him for that single pose. It was not an easy task to make Raman Bhalla agree to be get clicked by some third person with her. He and his privacy issues.

In some moments, her mind was lost in the happy times she had with him, her dreams and life she had planned with him, the things they have thought about. How could she not hug that pic. She hugged it too...close enough...as the frame in her hand...as if trying to join the two...covering any inch of gap between them...making them one. But life was not that easy. Only if joining the two hearts was in her hand just like the two pics.

Another day of lecture missing for Ishita Iyyer. It was third day in tow. She had not heard a word from him amd she didnt have the guts to face the world. Her parents called her everyday to ask about her well being...and ofcourse they never forgot to warn her...stay away from such boys. Only if she could tell them...she was already away and her heart ached at the thought of that. She would just nod or reply with a hmmm and then cry all day to herself.

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Third day...for the third day he was driving aimlessly towards his office. If she had choosen loneliness as her companion, he had given all his time and energy to work. Bose was so happy that he he promised him a promotion pretty soon. He chukled..he will get all except what he needs.

"Maa...I am in office. I cant come home. No leave. There is lot of work." Raman almost shouted and the response he got was weeping voice of his mother. "Puttar...you know how much worried I am for you."

"Then dont be worried naa. I said I will marry once I feel like. But I cant right now Maa." He said this time calmly. "You have two younger sisters at home Raman. How will everything be sorted?" She asked and once again he had no reply to give. All he did was cut the call...his regular routine. And then...then cry. Cry to the lonliness, to the empty walls of his room and to his pillow.

Hum Hain Iss Pal Yahan, Jaane Ho Kal Kahan

Hum Miley Na Miley, Hum Rahey Na Rahey

Rahegi Sadaa Yahan, Pyar Ki Ye Dastan

Sunenge Sadaa Jise,Yeh Zameen Asmaan

To be continued...