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...
‘Raman, now but…I told you nah, it’s totally fine. Please don’t bother…I don’t want anything…’
‘Oh Ishita, please, I insist. I want to give it to you. Can you please give me this bag? The one that Simmi left on the sofa?’
I look surprisingly at him before placing the bag next to him. He opens it but looks at me before giving the gift to me.
‘Ishita’, he says, ‘do you know the meaning of Ardhangini?’
I thought about it for some time before finally answering it. ‘Raman, I know it’s about the union of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. It is when both of them are depicted as half woman and half man. This according to me symbolizes the oneness of love and the perfect union that exists between spouses. I think it is when both of them complement each other, you know like the missing piece of the puzzle.’
I laugh, ‘you know Raman, I believe the Ardhangini form should be the absolute state of a marriage or a union, where both partners are incomplete without the other’.
I look at him and find him staring at me, ‘just like us I suppose’, I add and he starts smiling.
‘You know Ishita’, he says after some time, ‘since I was a child, Mummyji kept telling me that trust, respect and understanding are very crucial elements in a marriage or in any relationship. There can and definitely will be differing viewpoints but I think it is important to trust each other and understand each standpoint before coming to the best conclusion.
Mummyji and Papa did have clashes indeed but I never remember them going to sleep or waking up angry at each other. They always patched up, most of the time over a drink but…’, both of us start laughing and he clasps my hands.
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‘You’re my Ardhangini Ishita. My absolute counterpart. The missing piece to my puzzle. I will love and respect you as long as I live Ishita. I promise you. I love you’, he says before closing his eyes and bowing to my hands.
At that moment, my mouth wants to tell him so many things, but my heart prefers to bathe in this pristine and serene moment.
‘Ishita’, he says after some time, ‘when I was coming out of the auditorium after the competition the other day, I saw an old lady sitting outside on an old mat. She was wearing ragged clothes and was selling beautiful handmade God murtis out there. You know, I don’t know why but my heart melted at that sight. The murtis were so beautiful but no one was paying any attention to her. I couldn’t stop myself and approached her.
She saw me and was so happy Ishita. She was so humble, she asked me about the students I was with, about the competition and even congratulated me for the win. When I asked her about the murtis, she told me that they were the few dozens that she was left with because she couldn’t continue making them because of her health. She said that people didn’t even buy her beautiful handmade God murtis only because of her appearance. Can you believe how cruel people can be Ishita?
She told me that she spent hours making them, painting each of them with extreme delicateness even if she couldn’t see well only because she earns some money to buy food for herself and her cats. She told me that some people even told her to throw the murtis away because no one would buy them but she couldn’t bring herself to throw these murtis.
At that moment, I couldn’t stop myself, I bought all 12 of the murtis. I know it seems like a waste of money, but the smiles and the blessings I received in return from her were priceless. I gave the murtis to the 11 students that were with me. They even proposed to buy some food for the lady with their pocket money and I didn’t refuse.’
‘Raman, I am so proud of you and I’m sure your students must have been even prouder of you.’
He smiles back at me. ‘Actually Ishita, I kept one of the murtis for me. I wanted to give it to you on your birthday. I texted Simmi and asked her to bring this bag from the car because I didn’t want to lose this opportunity to present it to you.’
I cannot stop smiling at him. How can someone be so thoughtful, so nice, so humble? I wonder how I got so lucky.
‘Ummm Ishita’, he interrupts my thoughts ‘would you mind closing your eyes and extending your hands?’
I do as I am told. I open my eyes only when I feel he has already placed something in my hands. When I open my eyes, I am unable to control my tears. I am smiling and crying at the same time.
I hold it in my hands and look lovingly at it. It is a beautiful Shiva Parivar Murti. Their family of four, so beautiful, so precious.
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Oh, I remember it suddenly, that is why he was asking me about the ‘Ardhangini’ question. Oh Raman!
‘This is the most perfect gift Raman. This is undoubtedly the most special gift that I have ever received in my life. I’m so happy. Thank you so much.’
‘I’m so glad you liked it. Happy birthday once again Jaan. By the way, I’m sorry I got the four members Murti because there are only 3 of us in our family. There are 2 children in this one.’
I smile at him and hug him tightly before looking at him and saying, ‘maybe we can add the other one soon’.
"Hey guys, actually I wanted to continue writing more often but I'll be going to work as from tomorrow. It's a little stressful considering it's my very first job and that also during a lockdown. Please do pray for my health, my family and all the others that are going through hard times.
Please take care of yourselves and I promise I'll try to write as soon as possible. I won't drag the story too much, but will definitely complete it because of all the love you've been showering on me and the story. I love you all and thank you so much. Rab rakha. ✨❤️" -Vibha
