It Happened One Night ✔️

Part 2: Banjaare Ko Ghar

Raman's office- some hours later
"Yeh lo Bhai, yeh contact numbers ki aap ko shayad zaroorat pade." Mihir said, handing a folded note over to Raman. "Saari taiyaariyan ho chuki hai aur ghar ke butler aap ka intezaar karega. Jaisa ki aap ke bataya tha, sab kuch ka intazam ho chuka hai, aur dinner bhi jaisa aap chahte hai waisa prepare hoga"
(Here you go bhai, these are all the contact numbers you might need. All the preparations are in place, and the butler will be waiting for you. Everything you asked for has been arranged and your dinner will be prepared just as you had asked for.)

"Thank you Mihir" Raman was surprised to find that his hands shaking as he took the paper proferred by Mihir, tucking it away in his wallet.

"Nervous ho Bhai?" Mihir asked mischievously. "Don't worry, bas aap Bhabhi ko honestly aur sincerely apne dil ka baat bata dijiye - she is very understanding. Woh ab aap ko maaf kar hi degi. Aur Bhai, yeh shave wagera kar ke bahut handsome lag rahe ho aap.
(Are you nervous bhai? Don't worry, tell bhabhi honestly and sincerely what is in your heart. She is very understanding and she will forgive you. And bhai, you look very handsome with this freshly shaved look)

Raman laughed and heading to the door, retorted " Tujhe lagne se kya fayda? Matangi ko lagoonga ya nahi?"
(What's the use of looking good to you? The question is whether my Matangi will think I look handsome?)

And then with a final reassuring nod from Mihir, Raman set out to put their plan into action.

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Ishita's clinic - soon after
It was 2.00pm and Ishita had no other patients waiting.

There was still an hour to go before she had to leave to pick up Ruhi from school, so she was sitting at her desk making some patient notes. The air conditioning was chilly and she pulled her blue and white chiffon saree around her shoulders

Kapde ki thaan she remembered her Raavan Kumar used to call her saris.

Stop thinking about him, Ishita she admonished herself, as she bent her head again to her notes.

Her concentration was disturbed as the door flew open and her clean shaven, black suited and scowling husband strode into the room. He was closely followed by the temporary receptionist, Rita, who was filling in while her secretary, Sarika,  was on leave.

" You can't just go in sir" Rita was saying, vainly trying to impede his strides.

"Rita, it's okay" Ishita said quietly. "Yeh meri beti Ruhi ke papa hai" (This is my daughter Ruhi's father)

Raman slammed the door in Rita's face and walked up to the desk. "Tumhari beti ke papa hoon? What the hell is that supposed to mean? Tumhara pati nahin hoon?"
(Your daughter's father? What the hell is that supposed to mean? Am I not your husband?)

"What do you want Raman" Ishita asked quietly.

For a moment, Raman had forgotten the purpose of his visit, his plans to woo her. His anger when she called him " Ruhi ke papa" was real and overwhelming. He was her husband, dammit. That she should refuse to acknowledge him as such cut deep. He grabbed her arm, but then as she flinched back he recollected himself and with an effort, stepped back.

"It's about Ruhi, Ishita. Ruhi ki school se call aaya tha, unhe kuch urgent verification ki zaroorat hai, Ruhi ki subject choices ke liye, toh abhi bulaya hai."
(It's about Ruhi, Ishita. I had a call from her school. They need us to go there for some urgent verification, for Ruhi's subject choices. We need to go now)

" Verification? Subject choices? What's so urgent about that? And why did they call you? Ruhi's school always calls me"

"They said they couldn't reach you. Maybe your new secretary didn't put the call through. And it's not urgent but I told them I would be out of town from tommorow so this is the only time I have. So let's go." Inwardly, he was cursing at himself for Mihir's flimsy story. His Jhansi Ki Rani was too intelligent and quick off the mark.