Back To Life

part 3

Oh what a fool I am. I just lost memory. Not brain.why didn't I think about all this before. I thought of consulting a good doctor. May be I will consult one in shimla. If I go back to Delhi then again I will become busy. If simmi or someone in the family gets to know then again they will be worried. Thinking of them they didn't even call me once to enquire if I reached safely. Yes, everyone will be busy in their lives. I am not complaining. But sometimes I feel bad. Don't I deserve to live a normal life. A wife to grow old with. Kids with whom I can live my childhood once again. I was too shocked when I got to know about pihu. I wonder why my family kept her away from me. Thanks to Ishitha who brought Pihu infront of me. Even I have only one life right. Don't I deserve a normal life. Pihu also deserves a normal life and happy family. With that intention I agreed to marry mihika. To be truthful I am not happy to marry her. It feels weird to marry your brother's wife. But I thought may be Pihu would be comfortable with someone from the family. She would accept mihika as her mother. But nothing of that sort happened. Neither Pihu accepted mihika nor I married mihika. Ishitha and mihika cheated us. Instead mihika ishitha sat in mandap under the veil and I ended up marrying Ishitha. Don't know why whenever I look at ishitha I feel I know her. I just want to take her in my arms and stay like that forever. But thinking about simmi stops me from doing so. Simmi said Ishitha killed ananya. I don't remember ananya either. She said Ishitha is our neighbour long ago. I thought may be that's why I get that feeling on seeing her. But I don't get that near anyone. Everytime I force myself to shout at her. Her tears wrenches my heart. Her smile makes my heart flutter with joy. My heart cannot accept that she is a murderer. If ishitha really killed ananya then she must be jailed. Why was she released. May be there is something else to the story. May be she didn't kill Ananya. She is actually so good with kids. Pihu is very close with her. I am amazed at their bond. She even saved Pihu putting her own life at stake. But, don't know why Ishitha always hurts my family. Because of her maa could have gone to jail that day. She always fights with simmi and param. Any mishap in our house she turns out to be culprit. Even our ancestral house papers are on her name. You remember that loan shark incident. I couldn't believe ishitha can do such thing. If she really did such thing then why she took care of aliya, why she saved her life, why she accompanied with me to gatecrash the party , why she stayed with me in jail the entire night. I am too shocked that day and even got hospitalised. After that all thought I forgot about it. But no I remember it. But I still can't believe that ishitha is culprit. She is not the one. May be there is some misunderstanding. Firstly I will consult a doctor and take treatment. Then I will try to solve all this mystery. My thoughts are broken as someone calls me Raman. Oh it's that magical voice.
"Raman aap kabh uthi. Aap theekh tho haina. Aap yaha kyon aaya. Dekho kitna thand hai yaha." Saying that she touches my forehead to see if I still have fever. She is relieved to see I am fine.
" Raman aap andhar aakar thodi dher rest karo. Mai tabh thak breakfast banaungi" she said.
I nodded and went inside. She prepared breakfast after taking shower. You know she looks like a flower after she showers. She prepared dalia for me.
Then she gave me a big glass of milk. I fussed over it.
After that she gave me my tablets.
" Ishitha tumhari paas meri medical reports kaha se aayi" I asked .
" Mai ek copy apni paas rakhi" she replied.
Oh how much she cares for me. Hope, she turns out to be innocent. Hope she turns out to be good at heart. Hope everything is not a pretense. Then no one will be lucky than me.
"Aap thodi dher sojayie" she said and went out.
I took my phone and searched for a good doctor in shimla. I even contacted my friend who is a doctor practising in London and took her suggestion( we became friends an year ago).Finally we finalised to consult a doctor. I took appointment for next day.
Where is Ishitha. I wondered. I peeped out and saw her washing clothes. I want her beside me. I don't know why. Suddenly I am craving for her love. You know yesterday night she made me sleep in her lap.she whispered sweet nothings till I felt better. It felt so good. So soothing. I just want to be beside her. But then I got simmi's call.
Simmi: Bhai aap kaha ho.
Raman:Guest house mai
Simmi: ishitha aapki saath hai kya.
Raman: nahi, I lied. I know simmi will not be happy if she comes to know that ishitha is staying with me. She will be worried for me.
Simmi: theeke. Voh kal hi kahi chali gayi. Mai socha office gayi hogi. Subha pata chala ki voh ghar vaapis nahi aayi. Tho tabh mai ghabra gayi ki voh kahi aapki paas tho nahi aayi .
Raman: nahi simmi. Voh mumbai gayi. Meeting keliye.
Simmi: par ashok bhi jaa rahi thi kya mumbai
Raman: tujhe kaisa pata.
Simmi: mai aur param ji aaj Maldives jaa rahi thi. Airport mai dekha.
Raman: tumne mujhe nahi bataya ki tum trip par jaa rahi thi.
Simmi: mai bataya na. Shayadh aap bhul gayi simmi said. Voh sabh chodo.
Tho ishitha kal hi mumbai gayi kya.
Raman: haa. Ashok aaj jayengi. Vaha conference hai company ki.
Simmi: Bhai aapko nahi lagta iss Ishitha aur ashok ke bheech kuch chal rahi hai. Pehle tho theekh hai. Par abh aapko shaadi karne ke baadh bhi dusri mardh ke paas chi.. voh. Ishitha ..
My blood boiled hearing simmi's accusations.
Raman: simmi mai usko patni hi nahi manti. Vuske baare mai baath nahi kar tu mujhse I said.
Simmi: theeke bhai. Meri flight ki announcement aayi. Mai jaa rahi she said and ended call.
See even today simmi accused ishitha falsely. May be all the accusations on ishitha are wrong. Don't know why I felt like slapping simmi today after hearing such bad accusation on ishitha.
My head started to ache by now. I sat there holding my head. I want to be with ishita. Thankfully she came in the next moment and rushed to me.
" Sar dardh " she asked me.
I nodded. She took me in her arms and started to stroke my hair. Oh it felt like heaven. Don't know when I slept. I woke up fresh after an hour in her arms.she is still stroking my hair. I told her I am alright now. She felt relieved.
We had our lunch. I want to go out . Afterall I came to visit shimla. Not to sleep.
But ishitha wouldn't let me go. I complained of my boredom. She suggested we play some game. That's not a bad idea. We sat to play carroms. She got the board from kids play room. We played till evening. It's somuch fun to play with her. Cheating inbetween and getting caught by her is such a pleasure. She complains cutely that I am cheating. Haha.
Later she went to wash utensils. I looked outside. It's so beautiful out there.
I went to Ishitha.
" Ishitha baahar bahuth accha hai. Thodi dher mai sunset bhi hojayengi. Please baahar chalo na mere saath " I pleaded. She agreed.
She went to get ready.
********
We are sitting in a park. It's a few minutes away from guest house. We walked till here. There are very few people here. Ishitha is pouring coffee into a cup from flask. She forwarded some fritters along with coffee. We sat there sipping coffee and watching orange sun dissapear behind white snow covered mountains. She looked at me with her love filled eyes.I felt lucky now. I felt very much alive and loved. Now I want to shed my inhibition. I am so happy with her. I just wanted to forget what all she did against my family. Today after simmi wrongly accused her I started to feel more protective about her. I decided to accept her as my wife. I know somewhere deep down in my heart I love her. Once I get well, I will propose her. Then I , her and Pihu will go somewhere and start leading a normal life. I know we three deserve it.
Thinking so I hugged her. She is surprised.
"Ishitha thank you for tending to me yesterday." I said. She is disappointed hearing it.
"Raman aap shayadh mujhe aapki patni nahi maanti. But I am your wife and it's my duty to take care of you. Please don't make me a stranger by thanking me "she said with tears in her eyes.
" Ishitha you know I forgot my past. Initially when I saw you I felt I know you. I felt a strange incline towards you. But later simmi said me that you are a murderer. I couldn't believe it. Even you did many things against my family. That Shanoo thing is horrible. I tried to hate you. I tried to push you away by hurting you. But Deep down I like you. Or say I love you still. I am tired pretending I hate you. I am tired with all this. So from today I decided to live a normal life with you. Like your husband. Just promise you will again never hurt my famiy and shatter me. You will never speak bad about simmi. You will never hurt her or any of my family member." I said.
She kept staring into my eyes. She hugged me overwhelmed.
" Mujhe bas aap chahiye Raman. Aur kuch nahi."
I kissed her forehead and we stayed there for long. We just stayed silent in each other's arms. I felt contended. Just I should get well. Once I get well I , ishitha and Pihu will stay happily. I don't bother if she really murdered someone in the past. I know she didn't. Later we went home.
I can see ishitha is so happy and excited. Just like a kid. We even called Pihu and talked with her. We sat to watch a movie. Later I got confirmation message for my appointment.oh I didn't tell ishitha that I am thinking to consult a doctor. When I looked at ishitha she is sleeping. I switched off tv and slept in other room. I want to sleep beside her . But I don't know how she will react. I woke up early morning .