The telephone at the Bhalla"s rang three times before it was picked up. "Hello?" Ruhi 's voice echoed through the phone.
"Ruhi , it's me, is your Papa there?" she asked.
"No." she answered. "Romi Chachu took him to the airport about an hour ago."
"He left already?" Ishita asked.
"Yes.IshiMaa " Ruhi replied. "He's heading to Singapore for business ."
"I know." she responded. Ishita felt her heart drop, she had ruined her chance to tell Raman . "I just didn't think he was leaving so soon."
"Did you need to talk to him?"
"I did, but I suppose it will have to wait." she replied numbly.
"Is it important?"
Ishita 's eyes began to fill with tears. "Very."
"I'm sorry."
"It's alright, baby ." she replied. "Did he say when he was coming back?"
"No. Why do not you call him on his cell phone?" she answered softly.
"I want to talk to him personally...Okay. Thanks Ruhi ."
"You're welcome."
"Bye." Ishita said softly as she hung up the phone. "It's too late."
"I gathered that much." Vandita said softly. "I'm sorry."
"Not as half as sorry as I am." she replied, sobbing. "I think I've made the biggest mistake of my life. Why didn't I listen to
you?"
"Ishu ." Vandu said as she wrapped her arms around her. "It's alright, Raman will probably be back in a few weeks, you can tell him then."
"And if he's not?" she cried.
"Kya tum paagal ho ?Why should not he come back ?He'll be back soon."
Ishita continued to cry in Vandu 's arms for several minutes. "Ruhi ." she mumbled.
"What about Ruhi ?" Vandita asked.
Ishita pulled way from her and wiped her eyes. "If I can't tell Raman , then I'm going to tell Ruhi and Family " she told her. "I
don't want anyone else telling them, they should hear it from me."
"Are you sure, Ishu ?" she asked. "You don't have to do this right away. You can wait a while."
"I'd rather say Raman before I tell the others, but I'll say Ruhi, Amma and Appa...The sooner the better." Ishita told her. "I want to get it over with."
~The Next Evening~
Ishita came in the house, dropped her shopping bags and headed straight for the sofa. Shopping with Vandita was absolutely exhausting, but at least she had clothes that actually fit. Something about buying clothes she knew she would grow into was frightening and exciting all at the same time. The pregnancy still
seemed so surreal to her even though the baby was making it's presence known by her growing stomach.
Raman was constantly on her mind, how could he not be she was carrying his child? Feeling surrounded by Raman was a good feeling, a comforting one since
she had no idea how he was going to react to the news of their baby or the fact that she blew the opportunity to tell him.
She moved her hand over her slightly raised abdomen. The pain of losing her first baby flooded back to her. Things were going to be different this time.
This baby came first and everything else would be a distant second.
After telling the news to Amma and Appa , who was beyond stunned, the next one who she would deliver the news to in just mere minutes was just as important as telling Raman . The doorbell rang snapping her out of her thoughts. She gently patted her stomach. "Okay, little one, here goes nothing."
