Part 1
"You need to stop day dreaming, while your dosa is on the pan" Toshiji came and stood near Ishita.
"What?? Oh God" Ishita shook off her stupor, turned off the stove and hurriedly put the burnt dosa in the bin. With her hands on her waist she looked up.
"What are you dreaming about,Raman" Simmi teased.
"Ha ha , very funny...I was just thinking about work, the root canal that needs to be done today." Ishita replied.
Toshiji chuckled and while making coffee she spoke " I know you are missing kids, but don't stress about them Ishita. There are fine at the camp and they are having a gala time."
Ishita smiled but didn't reply . For a change she was not thinking about the kids. She missed them, but she also knew they were fine at the camp.
This time she was thinking about herself , about Raman, about them.
Raman went on a two day impromptu trip to Mumbai. She was thinking about the message he sent before the trip. His desire to take their relationship forward.
She loved Raman, there was never any doubt about that. With all her heart she wants to take the relationship forward too. But she was apprehensive, she was worried and nervous.She just couldn't sort herself out. She needed to speak to someone otherwise she was sure she would go mad.
She drank the coffee Toshiji has made for her and informed them that she would stay with Akka at Amma's house today as Akka insisted and left to work.
She sat in the clinic between the patients and again her thoughts wandered, to Shagun. How beautiful she was. How Raman used to love her. She knew Raman no longer loved Shagun but she was always struck with the thought. How could she reach up to Shagun. She knew she is being irrational but nevertheless she was afraid , afraid of disappointing him, afraid of how all this will turn out.
And if and when everything turn out well and if she still couldn't have a baby then how was she supposed to cope. She put her head in her hands and was lost in thought.
After deep thought she finally decided to confide to her Akka at home in the night. Having drawn that thought,she began to relax and carried on with the work.
In the evening when she reached her Amma's house, Mihika and Vandita are sitting on the sofa and debating what to eat. She put aside her bag and went and sat near them.
"Where are everyone else" She asked.
"Amma & Appa went to Vijji Chitti's house and they will return only in the morning. Sharvu is with Bala at home. We are having a girls night and What do you want to eat Pizza or Burger?" Vandita breathed out.
"Pizza topped with olives,corn & jalapeno and a What? "
"Yayyy ...See Akka's with me & Iam ordering the pizza " Mihika boasted and took out the phone.
"Mmm what to do. You people always back each other when comes to food." Vandita answered Mihika and turned to Ishita " A girls night, where we eat chocolate crib about our weight mostly mine and bitch about our husbands ."
Mihka eagerly turned to them "Iam very interested in the bitching about the husbands part"
"No sweet heart , you are not signed up for that, only we get to do that.Our husbands our right." Vandita winked at Ishita.
"Akka not fair" Mihika cribbed.
Simmi arrived then with a bowl of icecream and informed them that Romi bought it. They convinced Simmi to stay over and ordered food for them all.
They were all sitting around the sofa and tearing the pizza to eat.
"Ishu, When will Raman return?" Vandu asked.
"I guess tomorrow but it depends " Ishita replied.
"Don't you see how she is missing him, that is why she is moping around the house the whole day " Simmi teased.
"Yeah, even I noticed that" Vandu replied smiling at her sister.
"You people are always behind my back... Nothing like that "Ishita replied biting into her piece.
"Aaa, I remember the good old days, full of love and smiles" Vandu sighed.
"Akka, not fair. My Bala Jiju is still the same" Mihika looked cross.
"Ha ha...That is my talent, not your Jiju's"
"Akka What's the secret, please tell us too" Ishita asked with a broad smile.
"You know after the FN he never stood a chance" Vandu cracked herself up.
"Akka you have become shameless "Mihika admonished.
"No, it's true " Vandu winked.
Ishita for some reason suddenly became dull,all the laughter left her face... Simmi noticed this and asked what happened, she faked a smile and denied it as nothing...
Simmi and Vandu exchanged a look and Simmi stood up "Wait, I will get coke from home, I can't drink this Sprite anymore" and went to Bhalla house.
She returned with a bottle of coke and served them all except for Vandu, and when Vandu looked up she winked and shook her head in denial.Vandu returned the smile and answered to all "I can't drink more soft drinks as it I am always in the bathroom."
Ishita, Mihika and Simmi began to drink. If Ishita noticed something amiss with the drink, she didn't point it out as she was preoccupied with her thoughts..
Vandu brought pillows and sat with them on the sofa and she excitedly announced "We should play something, let's do sharing the secrets thing, since I love secrets and it's all in the family, no harm done"
She looked at Mihika and asked her to go first.
Mihika for a moment was taken aback but then she nodded her head and began to speak "Loosing Mihir was the hardest thing I ever had to face." Two tear drops rolled out of her eyes and everyone suddenly became somber,Mihika rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand and continued "I let go of him, for his own happiness and finally I learned to live again...Iam free from all the past entanglements and now I can't wait to start afresh."
Simmi also joined her."Same here but as you all know for different reasons. Breaking of my marriage was a shock to me and it was difficult in many ways. But now I can't wait to leave all this behind and start again."
Ishita who was sitting between them,hugged them with both of her hands and brought them closer and touched their heads with hers."Iam so proud of you both."
Vandu raised her icecream cup to their glasses and toasted. "Cheers!!! To two fabulous ladies I knew and to new beginnings"
Everyone smiled and turned to Vandu as if to indicate, that it's her turn.
"You guys, ok...Bala used to go mad about my waist"
Ishita and Mihika immediately shouted "Akka..." and closed their ears.
Unmindful of that Vandu continued "But, now I don't have a waist..." She looked down and began to cry...
"Vandu...Stop, I cant laugh anymore" Simmi shouted holding her stomach.
Mihika turned to Ishita and spoke "Your turn now"
Ishita sighed and replied "We didn't consummate our marriage...Yet "
Everyone for once where shocked and looked at her in disbelief.
Simmi who was the first one to recover "I gave tips for you on your FN and you didn't pay heed, see now what happened...I knew your madrasi's are very slow in these type of things...My poor brother.." She laughed.
Ishita who was still serious started speaking again. "Raman and I ,decided to take forward our relationship but for some reason Iam afraid. I don't know, how to explain but Iam a nervous, how will I ever measure up to Shagun..."She asked looking up and tears started pooling in her eyes..
Everyone understood the seriousness of the matter...
Mihika replied."Akka, What are you even talking...Don't you see yourself at mirror...How hot you are..."
"No, You don't understand" Ishita tried to cut in..
But Simmi took over "Ishita listen to me...I have seen both the marriages so closely and trust me when I tell you...Bhai loves you...The way he looks at you , the way he cares for you, even if it was a beautiful past it wouldn't have stood a chance and you are worried about something which doesn't matter anymore and which was never even beautiful to start with..."
Vandita directly cut into the matter "Are you holding that against him..That he is with someone else before you..."
"What, No ...I am not..." Ishita tried clarifying... "You people are not understanding...Iam not saying he still loves Shagun...I know he loves me...All Iam saying is how can I ever measure up...that ..."
"Why do you think you need to measure up to somebody..."Vandu asked her firmly...
"Ishita , Shagun is not a factor between you both, she never was...You are bringing her there...she is present in your head...And because Iam your sister , I can understand where this is all coming from...In the past what all happened to you...or what all happened to Raman...nothing matters now...What is important is what you both share...And if you are insecure about something talk to him directly...That's what married couples do...Just don't keep all the unwanted things in your head...Let it go..." Vandu stood up went near Ishita and hugged her tight ...
Ishita returned the hug and stood in the embrace for a few seconds...
Simmi stood up..."bahut ho gaya rona dona...You people are so boring...Don't you have some music..Is this a girls night or what..."
Mihika who felt insulted stood up too and switched on the music "Oh hello Miss.Punjabi, we can have more fun than you people...Now we will show you how we madrasi's have fun..."
She turned the music loud and pulled all the others out and began to dance...Ishita who felt light headed and relaxed after talking with Vandita joined them and began to groove to the tunes...Just then the door bell rang,but no one actually paid any heed to it...
Mihika pulling Ishita on to the table top shouted "Akka ,come we shall dance on the table just like we used to ,when we were little..." Ishita laughed and stood on the table...Vandita and Simmi cheered for them...
They were twirling to the beats and when they looked up they saw Bala and Raman's stunned faces at the entrance...
Ishita who was shocked to see Raman there missed a step, slipped but before she hit the floor Raman was there and she was lifted in his arms...
Edited by Anuhyaa - 10 years ago
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