Mr. And Mrs. Bhalla

26

Author's POV

The drive home was a quiet one. Ishita, worn out from the day's events, leaned back in her seat, exhaustion finally catching up to her. Her eyes fluttered closed, the soft hum of the car lulling her into a much-needed sleep. Raman glanced over at her as he drove, noticing the gentle rise and fall of her breathing. He knew the day had been hard on her; Shagun's unexpected disruption, the revelation of their marriage, and the emotional toll it all took were etched on her face even as she slept.

He drove on, letting her rest, not wanting to disturb her. But suddenly, his phone rang, breaking the silence. He reached for it, careful not to let the sound wake Ishita, but it was too late. Her eyes blinked open, and she looked around, disoriented for a moment.

"Sorry," Raman whispered, giving her a soft smile as he answered the call. "Hello?"

"Bhai, when are you and Ishita coming home?" Simmi's voice came through, a mixture of impatience and anxiety. Raman frowned, noting the tension in her tone.

"We're almost there, Simmi," he replied, trying to sound reassuring. "Is everything alright?"

Simmi hesitated, her voice dropping a bit. "I... I've been trying to reach Ishita all day. I needed to talk to her about something important."

Raman glanced over at Ishita, who was now rubbing her eyes, slowly coming back to full awareness. He could see the faint lines of worry etched into her expression as she listened to his side of the conversation.

"Yeah, I noticed she's been a bit busy," he said, a hint of curiosity creeping into his voice. "What's going on, Simmi?"

Simmi swallowed audibly, and for a moment, she didn't answer. "Never mind, Bhai. I'll talk to her when you both get here."

With that, she hung up, leaving Raman with more questions than answers. He put his phone down, turning to Ishita, who was now fully awake, her brows furrowed.

"What did she want?" Ishita asked, still trying to shake off the fog of sleep.

Raman shrugged, his face thoughtful. "She just wanted to know when we'd be home. She seemed a bit anxious, though. Is there something I should know?"

Ishita's heart tightened, the guilt creeping in as she realized Simmi had probably been trying to reach her all day, desperate for news. But she wasn't ready to tell Raman yet. Not like this, not with the day they'd both just had. She could barely think straight herself, let alone navigate the sensitive topic of Simmi's relationship with Param.

"She might have some hot gossips to share with me."

Raman's gaze lingered on her, but he didn't press further. He simply nodded, focusing back on the road, his thoughts already moving to the comfort of home.

When they finally arrived at the Bhalla house, they found Simmi waiting in the living room. Her eyes darted immediately to Ishita, a mixture of frustration and worry flickering across her face. Ishita barely had a chance to take a breath before Simmi marched over, grabbing her arm and pulling her towards the hallway.

"Ishita, we need to talk. Now," she said firmly, not giving Ishita a chance to protest.

Raman, watching with a raised eyebrow, called after them, "Simmi, what's going on?"

Simmi turned briefly, giving him a tight smile. "Nothing, Bhai. Just a quick chat with Ishita. Girl talk."

Ishita shot Raman a quick look, trying to reassure him, but he could sense something was up. As Simmi led Ishita down the hall and into her room, Raman's curiosity turned into a nagging suspicion. He hesitated, then quietly followed them, stopping just outside the partially open door to listen.