Back To Life ✔

26 | Departure

I'm back 😎

It has been so long he has not woken up with her call, her fragrance, and her proximity. Those past years, he has not even dared to think some miracle would happen and he would see her again, experience everything he cherished with her. This moment ignited the pain, the loneliness, and the weariness he has suffered, but face it with a sly smile. He did not know if he is the luckiest man alive, but he sure is blessed. Only if Ruhi was also there... His heart thumped up; he could hardly constrain the feeling of emptiness, even when Ishita was still in his arms, probably hearing how his heartbeat paced up.

"Raman..." She looked up, narrowing her eyes. "Nothing." He shrugged pulling her closer. "It's nothing..." Assuring, his lips lingered on the skin of her cheek, exploring the length and smoothness of her hair. "...this nothingness...it won't end, Raman. I'm sorry..." He darted his sight to her, sighing tiredly; from whom he was trying to hide his emotions! That too when she could measure the rate of knots of beats his heart took, the way his breath went warm and puffy; that was too intimate to cover-up. "Maybe someday..." He trailed off. "You want a baby?" She asked furrowing, much to his nervousness. "I don't mean to hurt you, Ishita. I was actually thinking of adopting, even before you came back. Nothing else." He forgot about her medical condition as he stepped down the bed and went to freshen up, leaving Ishita to shake her head feeling staggered at his behavior.

"After marriage, Raman!" She shouted and felt satisfied to hear him chuckling; she was unsure whether she meant making a baby or adopting one. "What marriage?" Shagun somehow managed to keep her voice under control, not to shriek. Her footsteps aimed Ishita who was standing near the bed; this woman would never acknowledge her place in the house. "What marriage?" Ishita threw the same question much to Shagun's frustration. "You were saying! You-I mean, what marriage?" She was acting like she is ready to pull her hair and dump her into a trash, but no, it was Shagun Arora's place; Ishita gritted. "I think you've lost it completely, Shagun! First you assume things and act all delusional. Now you're having a real hallucination." She dismissed further talks as she walked out of the room; she does not care whether Shagun stands there or not; it is up to Raman, how he would handle her.

"I'm not hallucinating. I heard you, Isheeta!" She shouted strolling behind her. "Stop Shagun!" She turned around raising her hand, making Shagun step back fearing she would get a slap. "You're impossible!" She took her hand back, fixing her saree plaits, as she left Shagun stand dumbfounded behind. "I missed something interesting, right?" Raman asked fixing his black vest over his ash-color shirt. Apparently, the handsome distraction made Shagun stand mute, eyes darkened. "Shagun?" He waved his hand in front of her, making her exhale aloud. "All okay?" He grinned sheepishly at her disheveled form. "Yeah, yeah..." She gulped a nervous bile before walking away.

"Papa, drop me huh," Aditya said munching his breakfast while Pihu was sitting on the kitchen counter, having her meal from her mother. "Haan-haan..." Raman agreed making an exasperated expression as he glared his son. He is talking as if he has never dropped him to college! "C'mon papa, I thought you might be busy." He heard Aditya mumble. How he also catches his thoughts like his mother does! "Yeah, whatever..." He made faces before having food while Pihu was chirpily throwing comments and eating in the kitchen. "Peehoo, come fast na..." Aditya checked his wristwatch the nth time but the little girl seemed to be enjoying his frustration.

It was then when he was about to call her again that she ran to her room to take something extra, as usual while a calling bell interrupted the strange calmness they were occupied in, for a moment though. "Neelu..." Ishita called her out, suggestively. Opening the door, Aaliya got inside, looking annoyed by Neelu's query, 'who she is'. "Ammaaaa!!!!" She screams like Shagun, Raman shook his head heaving a sigh and turned to Ishita. "What the hell are you doing here, Aaliya?" Aditya got up furiously. "I don't think I should explain you." She shoved his question away, making Aditya grit in vexation while Raman looked on; he was not sure whether he should interfere or not. Until before what happened last night, he was not okay with this new baby, but now, he did not know whether to shunt her or be sympathetic.