Thanks everyone for the likes and comments. You make me feel so special. I have to admit that it also made me nervous. I am not sure if I will manage to meet your expectations. But I'm gonna give it a shot anyways.
This part is emotional. From now on, the story will focus on ishra's reunion. There is a lot of pent up emotions that had to come out..so here goes. This is my take and I wish it just be treated as a story and not as the actual show (which is also fictional😃)
This part is for Shal and Tia for being there and listening to my ramblings.
Part 2 - Below
Part 2
He proceeded towards the door and stopped just once to look at her. She was sleeping like a baby and her face looked like an angel. "Poore shaam hungama karke ab dekho kaise so rahi hai yeh madrassan" he thought to himself and smiled. He went near her and pulled the sheet on her. He was tucking the sheet when her face looked tense in deep sleep, her breathing became short and rapid and she started saying muttering something. She pulled his hand and rested her face on his palm.
"Uhnnn...kyun Raman..itna gussa kyun...dard ho ra hai raman...aaahhh...meri ruh..humaari ruhh car cliff...chali gayi...(her face now shuddered and changed from sad to shock)baanj? Manhoos? dobara chehra mat dikhana??..ab kya reh gaya haii...bahot boori hoon...(sobbing) marna hai mujhe..should have joined my baby Ruhi...kyun bachaya mujhe mani??" she said sniffling in her sleep while tears of sadness rolled out from her eyes onto his palm. His whole body started trembling and he felt a piercing pain in his heart hearing what she said. The second he felt her tears collect in his palm, he broke down and started crying, his body still shaking, forcing him to sit down near the bed. The words he heard pierced through him like a sharp knife. Some of them were his words, those which he had said to her in anger. But now when he heard her say it he realized he had said such horrible things and saw how much it has affected her. How could he? Did he say the same words that drove him mad when Shagun or Subbu's mom said them? Oh god what has he done. How could he expect her to stay after those words? He has been mad at her for 7 years not realizing that his anger was not for her but for himself for letting her go away. He was coping with the death of not one but two people who were close to his heart. He thought if he had to live for Pihu,the best way to deal with her death is by shutting out all thoughts, memories and people related to her. He was trying to reason out in his head that he was right in being angry but he was losing this time. Yes she had made mistakes too. She had let him believe she was dead and didn't look back once in these 7 years to find out about him or her parents or Adi and Pihu...especially pihu who was a newborn baby..their baby.
It is only now, however, that he realized that she was in pain too...if he had not uttered those words she would not have left and they would have dealt with Ruhi's loss together. How did he forget that she was the one who saved Ruhi when she drank the expired cough syrup. She saved Ruhi and Adi from the fire and earthquake. If her own baby was so important that she saved her instead of Ruhi, why didn't she stay back for that baby. Why would she miss out on her baby's firsts. He loves her so much then why did he not listen to her. Why did he chose to cause pain to her by saying those same words again now? Why does he let his anger take over him and block out all his other emotions and his thinking capacity? He was losing his mind dealing with all these thoughts and questions that were attacking him from all ends when suddenly he felt his palm which held her head started moving. He looked up and realized that he whole body was shaking and she was groaning and writhing in pain. He touched her forehead and realized it was burning. He got tensed and started rubbing her hands and her feet. He then picked the hotel phone and called reception and asked them to call for a doctor immediately. He brought a glass of water and dipped his handkerchief in it and applied it on her forehead. She was delirious and was saying his name.
"Haan Ishita..mai hoon yahan..tumhare paas hi hoon. Nothing will happen to you. I won't let anything happen to you" he said kissing her forehead and held her head in his arms and pressed it against his chest.
The next morning Ishita woke up cuddled alongside him, her head on his shoulders. She felt weak and tired. The doctor had come at night and had given her an injection so the fever had come down. She got up and looked at him and then the rose petals scattered around on the bed. She was confused as to how they both landed in this room and felt this was a bad idea. She went to the bathroom to fix her saree and hair. We she came out she noticed he was awake and looking at her.
"Tum theek ho?" he asked. "Haan..I don't remember exactly.."
He filled her in and asked her why she attempts to drink alcohol when her body can handle only rasam.
"Pata nahi kya hogaya tha..thank you for taking care of me and I'm sorry for the trouble. I have called Mihika to pick me up so I'll leave now. You should also go now. Everyone will be worried at home." she said and grabbed her bag and opened the door. "Ishita.." he tried to stop her as she was still weak and needed to rest some more.
"Don't worry, I understand. I won't tell anyone about this and neither do you need to. Bye" With that she left, leaving him wondering how he is going to clear this mess. He will have to do something fast. If she has gone with Mihika, he wouldn't be able to talk to her alone without everyone being mad at him. So he decided to wait for a day or two for her health to get better and for her to return to her apartment. He went downstairs and hid in the lobby to make sure that she is ok and if Mihika came on time to pick her up. It was time to make things right. He decided to correct his mistakes and become the Raman she had turned him into. He went home, shaved, smiled in front of the mirror for a good two minutes, and asked Adi to be ready as he was taking him out. Adi was pleasantly surprised when his dad took him out to play golf like he had promised when he was young. They had a good time remembering the time when he wanted to take him to play golf while he listened to his Ishima and joined guitar classes. "Jab se Ishima ka asar pada hai tumpe bas tun tun master ban gaya hai tu"
"Papa please haan don't say anything about Ishima. She is the best mom in the whole world"
"Toh maine kab mana kiya"he muttered. "Bas wohi sab kuch hai?"
"Nahi papa. You both are the best. I love you papa"
"I love you too Adi..and I'm sorry for every single time when I lost my temper with you. I am horrible. Your Ishima is right. I have become insufferable and a living nightmare to the people around me..especially the ones I love the most. I feel horrible and I want to make everything ok now, but don't know how. Will you help me?"
"No papa. You are not horrible. You were, are and will always be the best papa in the whole world to me and Pihu. And if Ruhi was alive today, she would say the same thing. Papa it's not Ishima's fault that Ruhi is not with us and you know this. She has suffered in guilt just like you. You both need to talk and solve things together like you always have, Papa. And I will help you in every way I can."
"Thanks Adi" said Raman giving him a tight hug.
Raman was relieved after his conversation with Adi. However, he got tensed again when he saw Shagun and Pihu preparing for his impending wedding with Shagun. He knew he had rushed into this and this was one more mess he had to clear. Breaking it to Shagun was not the difficult part. His head was spinning when he imagined how Pihu would receive the news he wanted to give her.
The next night, Pihu, who was sleeping in Raman's room, woke up crying because of tooth pain. He calmed her and told her he will take her to a doctor. He made some quick calls and took Pihu to Smile Please clinic where they waited for her dentist. "Ok i'm here where is the patient?" came a voice from the next room and in a split second he recognized whose voice it was. She came in announcing "ok let's drive that tooth pain away now" and then turned to look them, totally shocked. Pihu, who was crying in pain, stopped for a second as she was also shocked to see Ishita.
"Haarwali aunty..aap?"
"Pihu..Kya hua? Are you having too much pain? Raman kya hua meri.." she couldn't continue.
"She was sleeping since an hour and then suddenly woke up crying so I called the clinic and brought her here..but tum yahan" he said, relieved to see her.
"Woh...Asha..she is my friend and I bumped into her last week. She called me as her kid is unwell and couldn't make it here" she said while helping Pihu settle down in the chair.
She assured Pihu that she will make the pain go away and she did just that. She asked Raman a few questions about Pihu's brushing habits and if she had a sweet tooth just like how she had asked him when he brought Ruhi to her clinic the first time. Only this time, he knew all the answers as he paid attention to every little thing related to Pihu. They exchanged looks as this seemed like a scene from the past playing right before their eyes. She calmed Pihu and made her smile and planted a little kiss on her forehead. Pihu reciprocated with a big hug and a tight kiss on her cheek,saying "aap bahot ache ho" which brought tears to Ishita's eyes. Raman got emotional too watching them. It gave him the confidence that Pihu might accept Ishita when she knows the truth afterall.
He buckled Pihu in the rear seat and then came near her in front of the car.
"Get in the car. We are going to the same apartment."
"I'll call for the vehicle. It's ok"
"Please Ishita. Pihu ke liye"
He held the door for her and she got into the front seat. They turned and saw Pihu's eyes closed. She looked like an angel in her sleep.
"Bilkul.." she said
"Ruhi hai" he completed and smiled at her and she looked at him too wondering why he is being different.
"I need to speak with you Ishita. Kya hum kal mil sakte hain?"
"Kal woh Mani ka product launch party hai so I will be busy with that..and packing also"
"Packing?"
"I will be leaving the next day after the product launch to Australia"
"Ja rahi ho?" his voice was filled with disappointment and she noticed it too.
"Ad shoot ke liye aayi thi. Bumped into my past. Amma appa bache sab se milke bahot khushi huyi..bas..ab jaaoongi." They both looked at Pihu who had dozed off.
"Is that why you moved to our apartment?"
"I have done many mistakes and left in a hurry not knowing how much of bitterness it has caused in people and strained relationships. I wanted to set that right, but I realized that my presence is only complicating things further. I have such an effect."
"Ish"
"No there is some truth in this..I feel bad that I missed out on the cuteness of my Pihu, her resemblance to Ruhi made me greedy making me want to hold onto her. Woh hai hi aise, so cute. And I thought I have that right as she is my baby and I'm her real mom. But I was wrong. I am 7 years too late and even though we are still married to each other, things have changed between us. So I have to accept that and let go for her sake."
"Ishita.."he tried to interrupt.
"You deserve to move on. So you can get the paperwork ready and I will sign it and set you free to marry Shagun"
"Ishita...meri baat suno" he raised his voice.
"Nahi Raman..I don't have any strength to bear any more words that you are about to say. It is a misfortune that I am still alive after hearing those words the first time.
The car screeched to a halt as they had reached the apartment.
Current Affairs
Sadda Haq Season 2
7