CHAPTER-2
A gentle breeze grazed Ishitha's face as she stood watching Ruhi play with her friends in the playground. Raman would be here anytime now. He was quite shocked when she asked him to meet her in an orphanage of all places...So Raman Bhalla wanted her as his life partner, great...
" Ishitha didi a man is here to meet you."
Ishitha turned back hearing Sarika's voice.
" Sarika , be here and keep an eye on Ruhi, she fell from the swing last time..."
****
Raman was sitting impatiently in the waiting room of 'Little Angels Orphanage'. He was feeling extremely awkward. When he had called Ishitha yesterday night , the call was extremely short. Ishitha was very busy as she had an exam in the morning. Even though he will never admit his admiration for her, he was very proud of the fact that Ishitha would be a doctor in one year.
He heard a soft knock. He turned back to see Ishitha at the door. To say that she took his breath away would be an understatement. The last time he saw her she was a chubby sixteen year old, the attractive twenty three year old now standing before him was ... quite different . One glance at her and Raman understood that he was going to be a very possessive husband.
As Ishitha walked towards Raman, his heartbeats escalated uncontrollably. The woman he loved with all his heart was finally near him after seven years, he had a million things to tell her , a lifetime to share...but he was tongue tied in her presence , maybe for the first time in his life.
" Hello Raman..." Ishitha warmly greeted him.
" He...Hello..." . To his utter embarrassment, Raman stammered .
" You are nervous! OH MY GOD ! I made you nervous, didn't I?" Ishitha declared boastfully.
"In your dreams pagal madrassan..."
" Really Ravan Kumar.. When amma told me that you have changed I thought you changed for good, but guess you changed into a cute little kitten in seven years."
" Don't provoke a sleeping lion, madrasan, you will regret it!"
" Maybe I am curious to know what happens when you do provoke a so called lion"
" Trust me lady you don't need to know, at least not before our wedding night.. I will satisfy your curiosity at the right time, I swear.."
" You arrogant idiot! I did not hear myself saying yes to your proposal, did I?"
" So are you saying no?"
" Maybe , maybe not.."
" It was an objective question, for God sake!" Raman exclaimed.
The despair in his voice left Ishitha in a fit of giggles.
" Peace?" Ishitha forwarded her hand .
" Peace." Raman said shaking her hand.
" Let us sit somewhere private and talk over coffee, what say." Ishitha suggested.
" Sure."
***
" Omi I am tensed.."
Vishwanathan was in Bhalla residence. Raman had gone to meet Ishitha in the orphanage.
" Don't fret Vishwa, every thing would be fine. If Raman really loves Ishitha nothing will change his mind, not even Ishitha's past."
" It is easier said than done Omi...Is it right to force Ruhi on Raman's life, just because he loves Ishitha?"
" No one is forcing him, Vishwa. No matter what, we will support his decision.."
***
" Raman I need you...please don't leave!"
" How could you even hope that I will love a pathetic creature like you ? Look at yourself ! You are not fit enough to even be a maid to Shagun, my real girlfriend.."
" WHY DON'T YOU BELIEVE ME, HOW CAN YOU THINK THAT I WOULD LIE ABOUT SOMETHING LIKE THIS?"
" You fool I was just playing with you, it was not my fault that you stupidly believed it when I said that I love you..."
"ISHITHA? Stop day dreaming now !"
Raman's voice managed to bring her back to earth.
" Sorry I got distracted...I forgot to ask about Shagun, if I remember correctly she followed you to Oxford a few months after you left"
" Let's just say that she turned out to be a person quite different from what I have thought her to be..To be honest , I was wrong about so many things seven years ago...She is a closed chapter in my life...our life..."
Ishitha did not fail to catch the depth of his statement.
" Seven years is a long time...And you want to marry me, so I guess you no longer hate me?"
" OH GOD ! I never hated you . I never can...It was my jealousy speaking that day. I will make it upto you, everyday for the rest of my life, I promise..."
" Our past no longer matters to me , Raman. I think we should talk about our future now."
" So you are willing to give me a chance?"
" It is you who have to give me a chance...I am sure my amma and appa refused your proposal, when they heard about it first?"
" Yes-"
" You might be curious why I asked you to come to an orphanage...It was because the most important person in my life lives here and we will have a life together only if you agree that she gets a permanent place in that life."
"ISHITHA-"
" Please hear me out patiently Raman... I was in love with someone a few years ago. Sushant was my senior in college. Ruhi is Sushant's sister. Sushant had no one in this world but Ruhi. Appa was not ready to accept my relationship with Sushant as he felt that Sushant was trying to force a five year old girl's responsibilities on me. ... I had no option but to elope with him. We .. We had a court marriage... But like always this time also fate snatched away my love from me before I even got a chance to start our life..We met with an accident on our way to our new home..."
Tears ceaselessly flowed from her eyes. Raman's heart broke on seeing tears in her eyes.
" S..Sushant is no more...I brought Ruhi to this orphanage .after his death..It has been two years now...I am her sponsor and I intend to be her mother by adopting her. My answer to your proposal depends on whether or not you are ready to be her father?"
Raman was silent for a long time. He had not expected all this when he came to meet her. From Ishitha's word Raman understood that although Ishitha was sad for Sushant, she no longer had feelings for him, at least not that kind of feelings. What troubled him was Ruhi...
" A child's responsibility is not something light, Ishitha..I cannot say anything without meeting Ruhi.."
" After you meet Ruhi, then what happens?"
" After meeting Ruhi, if I can accept her and if she can accept me then I hope you will say yes...yes to a life with me?"
" Let's meet her then."
***
Mr Bhalla and Mr Iyer and their wives anxiously hovered about the phone in the living room. Raman would phone them any minute now. To tell them about his decision. They suddenly heard Mr Bhalla's phone ringing. He pressed the loudspeaker button and gently took the reciever.
" Hello papa?"
The four of them heard Raman's voice.
" Raman?"
" Papa should we bring the sweets or will you buy it?"
" Wh..OH MY GOD , Raman both of you are ready for the marriage?"
" Yes Papa."
Mr Iyer did not know whether to laugh or cry. Santosh and Madhavi had tears of happiness in their eyes as they warmly hugged each other.
" Raman you know about Ruhi , right?" Mr. Iyer's question was followed by a deathly silence.
" Ishitha's daughter is my daughter and uncle I might be more in love with her than your daughter at this moment."
***
Ishitha waved back at a smiling Raman as he drove away from the orphanage. An ecstatic Ruhi stood holding her hands.
" Are you happy now Ruhi? I promised that I will bring your father to you , didn't I?"
"I love you Ishima and I love papa too. Thank you for bringing him to me.."
With that Ruhi ran into the play ground to share her good news with her friends.
Ishitha Iyer had won the battle today. The best part was that the monster just made it too easy for her to fool him. All she had to do was tell him a sob story and the idiot was on his knees ready to wipe away her tears. What was her lover's name ? Yes Sushant, she shouldn't forget the name now. She should be careful till the wedding however. Uncle and aunty should not bring up her past in front of Raman..Well a few tears in their presence will do and she will make sure that the idiot remain in her company for longer than necessary...The fact that Raman Bhalla is already wrapped around her little finger gave her immense satisfaction... Well revenge is a dish best served cold...
Kumkum Bhagya
20