It Happened One Night ✔️

Part 4: Bepanah Pyar Hai Aaja

Ishita's Bedroom
Ishita fled up the stairs after her little speech as if her life depended on it.

She knew he would be staring after her, but she did not want to look back, to see him. He created too many turmoils in her confused heart and she just wanted a break from her maddening, infuriating, utterly confusing husband.

Reaching the dimly lit landing, she saw an open doorway exuding bright light, and walked tentatively towards it. It was the second door to the right, next to the room Raman had slept in that afternoon. From the door, she could see her bag on the bed, and with a sigh of relief, she walked into the room, closing the door firmly behind her.

What she had said to Raman about being tired too tired to talk hadn't been entirely a lie.

True, she had mostly run away because the intimacy of being alone with him was just too disconcerting for her, and she did not want to hear another homily from him on the need for them to be friends "sirf Ruhi ke liye", but she was also exhausted. Emotionally exhausted.

Raman had been so forceful when he had barged into her office and spirited her away, but he had become quieter after her outburst in the car. It was as though he could not bear to cause her any pain, and his quiet attentiveness was getting too much for Ishita to bear.

She leaned against the closed door for a few seconds, blinking back sudden unbidden tears.

Why does he affect me like this  she mused. Why do I care so much? And why does it matter so much if all he wants to do is to go back to being friends?

Then with a sigh, giving herself a mental shake, she blinked back her tears and walked to the bed. It was a large bed, similar to the one in the next room, and the room was similarly luxuriously appointed, this in beige and sea green shades.

She brushed away a stray tear that had stubbornly remained, and deciding that she may as well get into bed, started turning down the beige cotton covers on the bed. Her bag was in the way, and she looked around, wondering where to put it, then spotted a luggage rack just on the side. She picked up the bag, and then stood still in shocked surprise.

A large package had been hidden behind the bag, a square boxy shape wrapped in silver.

There was a note attached to the package. A note with her name on it. Her name, written in Raman's bold messy handwriting.

Ishita sat down abruptly on the bed, turning her back to the package.

What was this? Was she dreaming?

She turned around again a few seconds later and it was still there, her name, in large imposing letters on that brightly wrapped shape.

No, she wasn't dreaming.

She took a deep breath and plucked the folded note from the covering, opening it with trembling fingers.

Meri Jhansi Ki Rani (it read)
I know that you are angry with me, and you have every reason to be, but please don't take your anger out on this poor package. Open it slowly, and I hope you will love what is inside.
Raman
PS: I should have bought you a talwar, but it's not that and it's not a toothbrush either.

Despite herself, Ishita couldn't help the little giggle that escaped her.

She missed being his Jhansi Ki Rani, and she remembered the beautifully wrapped gift he had brought for her at Ruhi's insistence, his first gift to her, which had turned out to be a toothbrush.