Lessons in Love (IshRa FF)- CH 15 updated Pg 19 - Page 12

There is a light drizzle when they return to Mayur Vihar. The dinner was a disaster. Ishita now regrets asking Subbu to accompany her. But Priya had been insistent and she had wanted to introduce her husband to her friend. That is what other normal happy couples did, right? Get together with friends, chat, share stories about their childhood. Ishita looks out through the glass at the rain soaked streets. She notices a young couple hurrying down the pavement. Both of them are giggling as they huddle together under the one tiny umbrella. It is such an ordinary scene but tonight it fills her with a dull ache.

Subbu had surprised her that morning when he agreed to go with her to Priya's house. Priyanka was the same school friend whose brother's clinic she now works at. Priya had come down for a few days and had wanted to meet up.

"Bring that hubby of yours, Ishu! Let us all see what you've been hiding away from us!" She had said, over the phone as they planned a reunion of sorts.

Ishita had been apprehensive but Subbu had not refused when she broached the subject over breakfast. She had not admitted it even to herself but the relief she felt on his ready acceptance had added a spring to her steps.

And then reality had hit her. Over dinner, the only thing Subbu had been interested in was trying his best to curry favours from Priya's brother. The Batra's had a string of clinics and medicine stores across the country. But this was not their only investment. They were at present being courted by many for the textile mills they were about to put on the market. One of the companies interested was the one Subbu worked in. As it slowly became clearer that Subbu was there only to forward his company's agenda, Ishita noticed the easy smiles on the face of her friend and her brother become more and more strained. The dinner had turned out to be a lesson in humiliation for her.

Subbu stops the car near the building entrance so she can get off. Then he drives the car to the parking lot. Ishita stands near the stairs waiting for him. She needs to calm her mind a bit before she can speak to Subbu about what he had done.

It is as she is waiting that another car pulls up and out of it steps none other than Raman Kumar Bhalla. The car drives off. He remains there under the lights peering at her. He looks drunk and unsteady on his feet but as her eyes land on his, a crooked smile appears on his lips.

"Mrs. Ishita Iyer! What a pleasure!" There is something a lot like contempt that drips from every word. She draws back.
"Have you robbed Manik of his duty?" He says, still smiling. Manik is the security guard.
Ishita turns to him, with a guarded look and says, "Go away, Mr. Bhalla!"
"I'm not complaining," says Raman, holding his hands up as if in submission. "You are definitely an improvement on our regular security."

Ishita looks away. Since that evening, she had spent sleepless nights as the horror of his blatant disregard for social norms duelled in her mind with the memory her own momentary lapse of reason when caught in his arms. Life in the Mayur Vihar society made it impossible for her to completely avoid him but she had done her best till now.

So did you miss me?" His voice is gravelly and far too close to her for comfort.

She looks at him now. "What are you trying to do?" she asks, her voice trembling with pent up fury. "Leave before I scream and gather people."

He looks at her intently, his eyes focusing on her face. She stills at this scrutiny. It is unnerving. Then as she watches him, his gaze trails over her and she shivers at the intensity in his look.

"Don't make this into some kind of attack on you, Ishita," he murmurs. He tries to take a step forward and sways on his feet. "You hide behind that middle class morality but you can't fool me."

His arrogance is incendiary. She wants to hit him.
"Only you are fooling yourself!" She tells him, voice lowered but angry.
Before she can go on however she hears the sound of approaching footsteps.
Raman looks up at Subbu as he arrives on them.
"Subramaniam Iyer! How are you? I was just asking your wife about you!"

Ishita bristles at the brazenness of his lies. Subbu and Raman talk and then they turn around and go towards the lift. Subbu doesn't spare a backward glance at her. Neither does Raman. They enter the lift without her.

She watches them disappear behind the sliding doors and then lets out the breath she had been unknowingly holding. The fact that neither of them thought to wait for her hurts her far more than she is willing to admit. Wasn't one of those men married to her?

Instead of the lift, she takes the stairs. Mind full of disturbing thoughts, she takes slow steps. When she reaches the floor, Subbu has gone in. She is about to push the door open and enter the apartment as well, when a hand reaches forth and pulls her away. The landing is lit dimly and Ishita feels herself being pushed against the wall. In that bleak light she sees his eyes. The glitter in them engulfs her.
"I forgot to tell you how beautiful you look tonight," he says.

Standing there, back to the wall, Ishita stares at him. As she watches, the smile disappears and his eyes grow darker.

Before she can gather herself and say anything, he turns and with a few quick steps, has climbed up the stairs to his apartment on the floor above. Ishita remains standing, her breathing unsteady and feeling weak at her knees. She is suddenly terrified of Raman. When he had held her this time, she had felt her heart stop for a moment and it was not out of fear.

NEXT

A/N: A big thanks to those among you who took out the time to leave their feedback on the last chapter. Bolstered by the positive reviews, I came up with this. Please let me know what you think of the actions of our protagonists.

And also thanks to everyone who liked the last update.

❤️