Chapter 53B He walked back to his home to face Ishita who had been confident things would get sorted out, but she began to have doubts when he was in looking lost and upset. She left the laundry and walked over to him as he sat down with his office work quietly without a single word to her...
"Raman...did you talk?"
"Hmm..." he was still engrossed in a file.
"Did you invite them over?"
"Hmm..." he not once looked up at her.
"Is everything fine?"
"Hmm..." she started to wonder if he was even listening anymore.
"What hmm? Can you tell me what happened? You look worried...did things not work out? I should have known! I don't even know why I forced you, you weren't ready to talk and I should have given you time, but I didn't. I thought for sure everything would be fine, but now I-" she stopped rambling on as he got up and walked over to her without a word.
He put his arms around her and rested his head on her shoulder while she hugged him tightly. She thought her biggest fear was becoming true and he had come back more hurt than before. She didn't know what had happened there, but something sure shook him deeply that he wasn't speaking and only asking for her support.
"Raman...it's okay if it didn't work out...time will fix everything..." she stroked his back while he finally said something...
"You were right...they are wonderful people." She tried to pull back from the hug, but he wouldn't let go and confused she didn't move as he continued...
"Ishita, they are really nice. We just misunderstood each other. Their care was hidden under those harsh words and I couldn't see that after calling them my friends, but you did. They cared so much, so much worry for us." He was trying not to cry about how badly he was affected with Vandita's reasoning behind her words.
He was upset over hurting his friends and forcing them to talk about a phase of their lives they hated. He knew how distanced they became after losing their child and how badly it affect Shravan as well as themselves. He hated being the reason they had to revisit and talk about that incident again because of his anger on them. And on top of that, after remembering all they went through, he was terrified of what they had gone through. He didn't even want to think about what he would do if anything at all if anything similar ever happened to them. He felt like he had lost everything that day she fainted and now as he thought, he would have broken if anything else would have happened to her or their baby.
He wanted to cry to her and have her tell him it's okay. Her two words would take away all his fears, but he knew the affect his words had on her as he remembered how scared she had gotten after his nightmare and didn't want to bother her again. So he hugged her tightly keeping his cries buried in him while she could sense something was wrong with him.
"Tell me what happened? What are you acting like this?" he took a deep breath pulling back from their hug as she cupped his face asking him what's wrong. He grabbed her hands and gave her a smile seeing her worries over him. He tried to convince her was fine and as she looked partially convinced, he changed the topic...
"Okay now forget all this past stuff. I don't want these things getting in the way of out last night here. And now tell me is anything left to do for this evening." He succeeded in diverting her as she thought about the evening.
"I think everything is done, Mihika will order everything on time and you just need to pick up the food, can you do that?"
"Sure tell me when to go, and you? Will you eat that food or do you want something homemade by your personal chef?!" he winked at her putting his arm around her shoulder.
"I want to eat the same as you all! And no need for you to start cooking again because after eating I will have to bandage your hands." She giggled as she looked at his face.
"I'm not that bad at cooking. Anyways I was going to say before Bala, Vandita, and that Shani come we need to finish all our packing. Tomorrow there will be no time since flight is in the afternoon and ask Mihika to do the same. No offense but I walked into her room yesterday to drop off Ruhi and she might need some time to pack."
"That she does, but she won't like me saying anything today. I scolded her this morning about Ruhi and now she might be upset." She looked away upset about upsetting her sister when she later found out it was only so she and Raman could have some time alone with each other.
"But she's very sensible, she understands. After all she's your sister. Go talk to her and come back... to rest. I can see you've been busy trying to get my messy office work cleaned."
"Yes Sir! But you also need to pack, not just give resting orders." She smiled at him as he suddenly asked...
"And Ruhi? How is she?"
"Relax, she's sleeping." She pointed to the crib where Ruhi lay peacefully asleep. He walked over to his sleeping daughter and pulled a chair next to her crib. He sat down stroking her hair watching her as she lay peacefully in a deep sleep.
"She must be tired, she probably didn't sleep properly last night." He told himself as she walked over to him.
"You're right...I can't believe we became so careless that we neglected Ruhi..." he looked up at her as she kept her head down feeling horrible about this morning.
"She was crying so much...I can't believe we got so into ourselves that we didn't think about our baby. She always needs us especially in the mornings and we..." He looked on at Ruhi sadly while Ishita was in the same condition.
"And one of us usually wakes up in the middle of the night and we didn't do that last night either." She said on the verge of crying.
"But never again. No compromising with Ruhi ever again!"
"For sure, I felt so low seeing my baby cry so much because of me."
"I'm so glad she didn't fall sick or anything, I would have never forgiven myself." She looked at him as she knew how sensitive he was in such matters and keeping her hand on his shoulder she tried to assure him it will never happen again...
"She's fine now...and we need to always keep it that way."
"You're right...now let her sleep while we finish up our work before she wakes up. And go tell Mihika what needs to be done and get yourself some water too, the jug here is empty." He wiped the corner of his eye as she pecked his hair and squeezed his hand before he smiled telling her he was fine. And so he got busy wrapping up his office work and she went out to ask Mihika to get ready...
~~~~~
She walked back in 10 minutes after having a talk to Mihika asking her to pack and be ready on time tomorrow as Raman is specific about punctually. She got busy in talking to the maid about how a care taker would come in their spot once they left and inform her about any changes to her job and she finally went back to their room as he called her. She walked in to find the table usually full of papers all emptied off while he had his suitcase open on the bed and was starting to fill it with his clothes. He took a quick glance at her as she walked in and began to give instructions...
"Listen, I'll do everything like the flight conformations and my packing along with Ruhi's. And you only have to do your clothes. After that you sit down and take a nap until that Abhimanyu shows up. Oh I almost forgot, can you keep a change of clothes for Ruhi in your handbag, I would but my bag is filled with my office work and laptop so I don't have space."
She walked over to him and grabbed his shoulder turning him around and as he tried to say something, she shook her head at him and stopped him from saying anything else.
"Relax...everything will be done. I will pack my clothes, and take a change for Ruhi. And I know you will remind me of the pacifier and a bottle of milk and an extra one for water as well. I got it all memorized from last time." She exclaimed proudly as they both burst out laughing. He started to walk to their cupboard and suddenly he turned back after seeing something that caught his attention...
"Okay, but I haven't told you the most important thing yet." He smirked as she rolled her eyes and asked what that important thing was walking over to him. He put both is arms resting them on her shoulders...
"Don't forget that robe of yours." He winked at her and watched her look away embarrassed again.
"Raman..." she pushed his arms away shyly as he smiled at her blushing sight.
"I'm just saying. I meant don't forget anything." He shrugged his shoulder pretending to be innocent.
"I know exactly what you mean..."
"So..." he raised his brows asking her if she would listen to him and wear the robe.
"Raman not now, I'm taking it but not wearing it yet."
"Yet?! So I can hope?" he smirked as she bit her lower lips shying away.
"Raman..." she blushed as he pulled into a hug while she hid her in his embrace. He lifted her face with his finger and looked at her pink cheeks...
"You call me cute and look at yourself. Seriously this robe has made happy. You aren't even wearing it and I'm already getting to see you in this blushing form."
"Raman, not fair...you always tease me! I'm going to pack now!" she moved out of his embrace with a faint smile on her face as she picked up her clothes while he smiled to himself while putting her suitcase next to his.
He got busy with his own work and received a phone call which he left to attend. As he went onto the balcony, she took out that blue robe from the bag and tucked it into her suitcase before anything else. As she looked at him blushing, she saw him disconnecting the call and rushed to cover the robe with her other clothes. He didn't notice why she was rushing, but asked her to calm down as he got back to packing his things.
After she had stuffed her last saree, that red saree that had become her favourite, she slumped down on the bed next to the cheerful Ruhi as he closed her suitcase and placed it on the side of the room next to his. He came siting by the edge of the bed next to her and held her hand. She looked at him with a tired smile on her face.
"Tired?"
"A little." He cupped her face admiring the smile that adorned her face despite how tired she was.
"Then lay down and get some shut eye. I'm here with Ruhi and once everyone comes you'll get busy with them so use this time to rest." She nodded and kissed the palm of his hand before laying down to the bed as he tucked her in. He kissed her forehead as she closed eyes and walked away to make a phone call when he heard a loud rattling sound. He looked back and found Ruhi hitting the rattle really hard on the bed and looking at him. He smiled at his daughter's antics while Ishita looked at her hearing the sound as well. He came to her picking her up and giving her a kiss on her cheeks...
"My princess is jealous that mumma is getting kissies, no problem we can fix that now. Just don't be jealous of mumma, she deserves the kisses too. And soon you will have to share these with another baby. Then what will you do?" he chuckled at their daughter while Ishita looked on the two finding herself to imagine how Raman would be loving their baby the same way he loved Ruhi.
She came out of her thoughts as Raman nudged her sitting on the bed. He handed Ruhi to her asking her to watch over her as he needed to finish off some phone calls. He went out onto the balcony and got busy with his work while Ishita fell asleep talking to Ruhi and looking at Raman.
He came back to find his two girls fast asleep and stop for a moment to sit by them and just look at them. He had been told by his mother that Ruhi pouted like him in her sleep, but today he saw her smile like Ishita. His daughter had truly become hers in such a short time and he was more than happy to have it that way. He smiled to himself as he caressed her stomach, all he wished for now was that hopefully just maybe this baby of theirs would have some similarity to him and it was able to become his child just like Ruhi had become Ishita's. He came out of his thoughts as he heard a knock on the door and knew it was Mihika. She walked into the room calling Ishita and he got up immediately...
"Shhh. They're sleeping."
"Sorry Jiju. I was just coming to tell Akka my packing is done and ask if she needed help." Mihika looked down as she talked and started to walk away.
"Mihika, what happened? Why are you sulking?"
"No it's nothing like that...I-"
"This morning?"
"Jiju, I...no it's not this morning. I mean-"
"Ishita told me, you wanted to give us time. And thank you for that. I'm happy you are there to watch over Ruhi and think about us. But at the end of the day, Ruhi needs us as well. She's is really attached to Ishita and me obviously so when she doesn't find us in the morning, she reacts this way."
"I didn't know, I'm sorry."
"Don't be sorry, you meant good."
"Jiju, is Akka mad at me? Because trust me I never thought Ruhi would get so upset at not being with you two."
"Ishita is fine, now you smile or else she will wake up and end up yelling at me for making her sister cry."
""No way Jiju, nowadays she will only take your side. You know pyar ke side effects type of thing?" she giggled to herself and ran off before he could say anything. And as he went out to say something to her, she called him herself and asked him to pick up dinner for everyone...
~~~~~
He came back home carrying bags full of food for everyone to find Ishita happily chatting away with Abhimanyu on the couch. He was holding Ruhi who was looking extremely bored and unhappy in his arms. Handing the dinner to Mihika, he walked over to the two friends and with a forced smile greeted Abhimanyu and too Ruhi from him instantly making her happy.
Without another word he left the two alone in anger. Mihika noticed his weird behaviour with Mani and laughed as she walked over to him under the pretext of handing him water...
"Jiju, what's wrong? I smell something burning."
"Probably your cooking again." He joked trying to hide his jealousy as he looked back at Ishita and Mani laughing again.
"Jiju, don't mind Mani Anna. He's super close to Ishita, but doesn't mean harm. But first love is hard to forget, right?"
"First love?!"
"Yea, Mani Anna used to be crazy about Akka since they were young. But poor guy has been friend zoned all his life." She left giggling to herself as she looked at Raman's shocked face on learning about Mani's love for Ishita. He immediately turned around and called Ishita to talk. She excused herself and came to the corner to talk to Raman.
"Ishita you stay with me okay?" he looked at Mani with anger while Ishita wanted to laugh at him.
"Raman I always stay with you!"
"But today especially stay near me...and..."
"Away from Mani? God Raman you're seriously don't like him do you?" she looked shocked at Raman while she saw Mihika laughing at the back and knew this was a result of her antics again.
"He's like my sautan!" Raman exclaimed.
"Raman! You're crazy!" she gently slapped his arm and walked back off to Mani leaving him nuttering...
"I'm not crazy, that Shani is. He's crazy for you Madrasan. My madrasan!" he shook his head at her innocence while Mihika laughed at Raman's state and earned another glare from Ruhi.
Over the entire evening Raman kept close to Ishita and didn't fail to show his displeasure about Mani when he got a chance though he earned a few stares from Ishita and support from his daughter as she got her mother's attention by crying and reaching out to her when she could keeping Ishita from Mani. All this while Bala and Vandita who had joined later on along with Mihika had a fun time laughing on about his jealousy. All the while Mani and Ishita were completely unaware about what was going on with everyone. Ishita thought Raman was only angry about Mani, but couldn't figure out what was going on with everyone else. All their jokes and fun halted as they heard the doorbell ring. Raman opened the door and was left shocked at who was standing in front of him...
"You?! Why are you here?"
"Raman-" he spoke up, but Mihika came to handle the situation before it got bad.
"Jiju, I called Mihir. He's my friend and since I'm leaving so suddenly with you guys, I wanted to spend some time with him too. I'm sorry if you didn't like it, but I also wanted one meeting with him before leaving like you had with your friends and Akka had with hers."
"It's okay...I didn't think of that. Bring him in..." Raman agreed for the sake of Mihika who knew everything from Mihir and wanted to help fix their friendship.
As he walked away by the kitchen to Bala continuing their conversation, Mihika welcomed Mihir in with a hug and asked him in. As Mihir took seat on the couch with Mihika, Ishita came over with a glass of water and put up a smile for him as he greeted her. Before she walked away, he asked for Ruhi and in a few seconds she had brought Ruhi over to him. While she sat next to him as Ruhi would burst out crying if she did not, they couldn't even look at each other due to what had happened before. Mihir felt bad that everyone was being distanced from him including Ishita who didn't even get a chance to know him while Raman was one of his very close friends. As Ishita got up to leave, Mihir looked at her with hope that she could start a fresh relationship of respect and stopped her with words that silenced the whole room...
"Ishita...Bhabhi..." she halted in her steps and Raman looked over hearing his words. Ishita knew Mihir was regretting over what happened, but this was unexpected. She knew everyone deserved a second chance, but wasn't sure if she had it in her to forgive someone who hurt Raman so much and doubted her love for Ruhi. She turned around and looked at him confused.
"I mean I don't know what else to call you. I call Raman Bhai so..." he tried to explain while Raman cut him off...
"Dinner is being set on the table. Come join us..."
Dinner was a silent affair after what happened with Mihir. Everyone was quiet and didn't know what to say. It was only until Mani who was clueless about Mihir spoke up and asked why everyone was so silent.
"For the first- no second time I agree with him. Why are we so silent? I mean come on we are leaving tomorrow and who knows when we will return, so let's at least talk!" Raman spoke up agreeing with Mani and got the table talking. Soon Mihir was busy talking to Mihika happily while Ishita and Raman both noticed the two together, Bala and Raman got busy talking about Raman's company and about business while Ishita and Vandita were busy talking to Mani as Ishita raved about him to Vandita who was amazed to learn about Mani. Both Bala and Raman had to slowly change their topic to wives gaining the attention of their spouses which led to Mihika's giggling and Mihir learning about the jealousy in the house. By the end of dinner, everyone was laughing at the table due to their own reasons...
Slowly everyone started to bid goodbye to the 4 leaving tomorrow which resulted in loads of hugs and well wishes for Ishita and Raman while Ruhi got irritated with the constant pulling and pinching of her cheeks. Realizing she was getting cranky, everyone rushed out of the house. Mihir was the last one and said his good bye to Mihika with a tight hug to Mihika while he waved Ruhi and Ishita a good bye and stopped near Raman. He was dejected as Raman looked away and was about to leave when he saw Raman's hand extended towards him. A small yet meaningful hope rose in everyone as Mihir and Raman shook hands saying good bye to each other.
As everyone left and Mihika retired to their room while Ishita walked away with Ruhi, Raman's smile returned as he remembered something. He walked into the kitchen and fetched something to enter their room. Ruhi was on the center of the bed while Ishita had come out changed and was untying her braid in front of the mirror. He walked up to her and placed a bowl full of black current ice cream in front of her while she looked pleasantly surprised seeing the cold treat in front of her. She turned around giving him a hug...
"Raman you mind reader, I was just thinking about ice cream and you already got it."
"I thought from tomorrow you will be monitored by my mother dearest and no more treats so why not one last dessert in Mumbai."
"It's awesome!" She picked up the bowl and took a spoonful out.
"But Raman bad idea, you are spoiling me! I will, no the baby will drive you crazy soon and you will have no choice but to get me ice creams and all then."
"Anything for my pregnant madrasan!"
"Aww my cute pati! Now let me eat my ice cream."
"Enjoy, I'm going to gossip about that Shani to my supportive daughter."
"You're crazy Raman!"
"Might be. But not as crazy as you. You don't realize what that Mani of yours- no that Mani thinks of you. But on second thought I'm happy. You put him in his place; the friend zone!" he burst out laughing as he jumped into bed while she sat in bed shaking her head at him. He put Ruhi in his lap patting her to sleep while she relished her ice cream like a child and he only admired her childish looks while eating the whole bowl. It was until the last few spoons, she noticed him looking at her. Biting her tongue she asked him if he wanted any to which he refused, but got a spoonful of ice cream in his mouth when he tried to protest. She fed him the last 2 spoons and wiped his mouth with a small napkin while the whole time he was lost looking at her. She noticed his gaze and bit her lip in shyness to which he leaned over and kissed her cheek and got a kiss on his jawline again. She looked away after their kiss and he was no less than her when it came to blush.
As they both looked back at each other, he asked her seriously if she wanted Ruhi to sleep with them today and they both agreed tonight they needed Ruhi with them and after a few days, the trio slept together on the same bed...
Their last night in Mumbai ended with a pang of jealousy, a broken friendship that earned small hopes of bring fixed, and a happy family of 3...actually 4 and a load of memories, good and bad...
__________________________________________________________________
That was all for now! Hope you all liked this update and leave your feedback! I tried to give a longer update this time. Also I might now update tomorrow due to some work. I hope you all will understand! Thanks again!
Chapter 54 - Page 140
Edited by smilesforever98 - 10 years ago
9