What happens when two very different individuals meet each other because of a child? How will Ruhi, the beloved child of Ishita bring Raman in her and her mother's life?
To find out more, read the Ishra fan fiction, written by me and requested by a...
My eyes open and I look at the clock. It’s still four o’clock in the morning. I look around me and find her sleeping on the couch just next to me. She looks so tired but still so beautiful in that green saree that she is still wearing. Amidst all the chaos, I barely had time to tell her how beautiful she looks. Right now, I think I still have to wait some more before I can finally wish her ‘happy birthday’. . ‘Good morning Raman’, I get up when I hear her whisper next to my ear. I smile at her and she continues, ‘the doctor and the nurse are here to check on you.’
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The doctor greets me. ‘Good morning Mr. Bhalla. It’s an absolute pleasure to meet such a well-known and adored teacher like you. It’s so good to see that you’re recuperating so quickly. I’m sure you’ll be home very soon.’
He lifts me so he can examine my head and then the arms. The pain has considerably decreased but I still feel a little numb around the left arm and leg, I inform him.
‘I’m sure that as long as Mrs. Bhalla continues looking after you in the same way, you’ll be much better very soon. If this progress continues, I assure you I’ll keep you for no more than two days’, he tells us before leaving and asking the nurse to attend to me.
‘Mrs. Bhalla’, the nurse asks Ishita, ‘would you like to give Mr. Bhalla his sponge bath?’
If I could get out of the bed and jump excitedly, I would definitely do so right now. I see her pause before she turns around to look at me. She finds me grinning and continues blushing.
She turns around and talks to the nurse. I don’t fail to miss how she’s shying away and hiding her face while she tells her that ‘actually nurse, I think I’m not very used to this and besides, I am still wearing a saree. Please carry on and while I inform Raman’s family about the accident.’
The nurse nods before she asks Ishita to help me get down on the wheelchair. I struggle a little but manage to get on it quite swiftly. The nurse pushes me into the bathroom while she dials the numbers.
When I come back, Ishita offers to get me dressed. I don’t miss how good she smells as she gets closer to me to put the shirt delicately over my head and around the shoulders. She doesn’t stop smiling along before she finally lowers the bed and helps me to sit on it.
After placing the breakfast on the tray, she sits next to me to feed me.
‘Ishita’, I ask her, ‘have you even eaten anything since you came here? You look so pale. You’ve not moved even once since you’re here, at least share this breakfast with me.’
Ishita shakes her. ‘I’m fine Raman. I haven't eaten yet but I’ll eat something later.’
‘Ishita, I insist you share this breakfast with me, otherwise I’ll remove this cast from my hand and feed you with my hands’, I tell her and she finally eats a piece of the toast.
I attempt to break the ice while we eat breakfast in complete silence.
‘You know Ishita, if I didn’t have had this accident, I had planned a very special lunch for us and especially you at the hotel…’ and then I pause, what a fool am I, I think.
‘Ishita!’, ‘I’m so sorry, so sorry. I completely forgot. Happy birthday jaan. I know it is not as happy as I had planned it to be but, I am extremely sorry.’
She clenches my hand tightly, ‘Raman, it’s okay Raman. Thank you very much for the wish. As long as you’re with me, I am the happiest I can be.’
She tells me before she leans in and I place two gentle kisses on her cheeks.
‘Actually Ishita…’, I tell her when suddenly my mobile starts to ring. I ask Ishita to put it on loudspeaker.
‘Good morning Mr. Bhalla, this is Devon from the Bollywood Hotel. Hope you are doing well. I was calling to inform you that since you couldn’t check in yesterday, we still have the suite unoccupied for you and your wife Sir. Would you like to check in today, cancel the offer or simply postpone it Sir?’
I look at Ishita. Her eyes look a little damp already.
‘Good morning Devon. Hope you are doing well. Actually, I had a small accident yesterday and that is why we couldn’t check in today. But I think I would like to cancel…’
Ishita holds my hand, ‘Mr. Devon, this is Mrs. Bhalla, actually don’t cancel it. We would simply like to postpone it for some time. We would inform you about the date as soon as we confirm it. Thank you.’
‘I’m sorry to hear about the accident Mr. Bhalla. Get well soon and rest assured everything will be taken care of when you wish to check in again. Have a good day.’
‘Are you sure Ishita?’, I ask her, ‘I don’t know my health and all?’
‘You will be absolutely fine very soon Raman. We will go back as soon as you feel much better and more fit.’
‘Oho! Achcha, when I am more fit! Why do you want me to be more fit? What are we going to do like that?’
She looks at me smiling and rolls her eyes. ‘I don’t know…lunch…watch T.V, swim, rest and what else. I don’t know, you tell me.’
‘Oho, come here then, I’ll tell you’, I wink at her before she starts leaning towards me. I already feel her warm breaths around my face and take my better hand and caress her face, I still never miss how her body reacts to my touches.
‘May I come in?’, and we hear a knock on the door. ‘As always,’ I exhale and Ishita laughs.
‘Yes please.’ The nurse enters and Mummyji, Simmi and Ruhi follow. Mummyji and Simmi start bawling as soon as they see me. Ishita has to ask the nurse to close the door so that their cries are not heard outside.
I start telling Mummyji and Simmi about the accident, while Ishita takes Ruhi who is still in a shock in her lap to console her. She looks close to tears but listens carefully as Ishita talks to her. Ishita then stands and brings her closer to me. She places her next to me on the bed and I hug her tightly. Tears start streaming on my face too.
‘I missed you so much papa. I was so scared when I heard about your accident. I’m so happy that you are fine. I wouldn’t be able to live without you. Please never leave us papa.’
I look at Ishita and find her turning around so that she doesn’t have to face us as she cries but Simmi moves closer to console her. No one has even asked her how she has been.
‘Papa will never leave you Ruh. I will never leave any of you. I promise you that’, I say as I wipe the tears off Ruhi’s face.
‘By the way, you all are so busy with me, you have forgotten to wish Ishita a happy birthday. Please do so.’
Their faces light up as they approach her and start wishing her. The family stays with me the whole day and I have to force them to leave because I feel much better and because Ishita will be staying with me for the night.
After they leave, Ishita feeds me dinner and as she returns after changing, I ask her, ‘are you ready to see your gift Jaan?’
