Bhalla House – a few days later, Tuesday August 7th, 7:30 am
"Ruhi, jaldi apne shoes pehno," Ishita instructed. "Aapki choti ban gayi hai." She tied the rubber band at the end of the braid and stood up from the sofa. [Ruhi, wear your shoes quickly. Your hair is done.]
"Mumma, this is the wrong color rubber band! Mujhe green nahi, purple wali chahiye!" Ruhi whined. [I want a purple one, not green!]
"Aaj ke liye yeh thik hai, Ru. Abhi time nahi hai rubber band change karne ka. Warna school ke pehle din aap log late ho jaaoge." Ishita opened her purse and took out her car keys.
[It's fine for today, Ru. We don't have time to change your rubber bands right now. Otherwise you'll be late on the first day of school.]
"Dad, are our lunch boxes ready?" Adi asked, as he walked out in his school uniform.
"Haan beta," Raman snapped their lunch boxes shut and dashed out of the kitchen. "Yeh tumhara..." He handed one box to Adi. "Aur yeh Ruhi ka." He deposited the other box into his daughter's backpack and zipped it closed. [Yes beta. This is yours... and this is Ruhi's.]
"All right, let's go!" Ishita slipped on her sandals as Adi and Ruhi shouldered their backpacks. "Raman, main in dono ko school chod kar seedhe clinic chali jaaungi." [Raman, I'll drop them off at school and then go to my clinic directly.]
"Okay. Bye guys!" He waved his wife and children goodbye. "Have a great day!"
"Bye papa!"
Raman breathed a long sigh of relief once everyone was out the door. The first day of school always meant chaos. He jogged back to his bedroom to get dressed for office.
Meanwhile, Ishita drove her kids to school.
"Dekho Ru," Ishita met her daughter's eyes in the rear view mirror. "Class mein zyada baatein mat karna. Teacher jo sikhaaye uspe dhyaan dena. Warna aap friends ke saath baatein karte rahoge aur lesson miss kardoge."
[Look Ru. Don't talk too much in class. Pay attention to what your teacher is saying. Otherwise you'll be busy talking with your friends and end up missing the lesson.]
"Okay mumma."
"Aur Adi," She turned her attention to her son. "Try making some new friends, okay? Sirf books mein mat khoye rehna." [Don't bury yourself in books too much.]
"Yes Ishimaa."
She maneuvered the car into the parking lot of their school and parked her car.
"Have a great first day at school, kids!" she beamed.
"Bye Ishimaa!"
"Love you!"
Adi and Ruhi climbed out of the car and slung their backpacks over their shoulder. As they hopped off, Ishita caught a flash of a screen in Adi's pocket.
"Adi one minute, come here," Ishita called.
He jogged back and peeked in through the open window. "What's up Ishimaa?"
"Yeh aapke pocket mein kya hai?" [What's in your pocket?]
"It's my phone." He removed his phone from his pocket and waved it around.
"Lao, mujhe do." She put forth her palm and bent her fingers. [Give it to me.]
"Kyun?" [Why?]
"Aap school mein phone lekar nahin jaa sakte." [You can't take your phone with you to school.]
"But Mom ne toh aaj tak-" Adi bit his tongue before he could even finish his sentence. [But mom never stopped me-]
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Connected: A YHM Story ✔️
FanfictionFour separate souls -- Raman, Ishita, Ruhi, and Adi -- in four separate cities; but somehow CONNECTED. How? Read to find out.... Ishita Iyer has been dreaming of a life as a dentist, wife, and mother, but destiny plays a cruel joke on her, as her dr...
