Hum aur Tum

Part 9: Raman

We both sit on the sofa when we reach home. I can tell that Ruhi is also hurt by what she said to Ishita earlier. And Ishita is also very hurt, but how can I try to make Ruhi understand about the consequences of her actions and her words to her Ishima?

"Hey Ruhi, did your friends tell you what happened to your friend Pooja today?"

"No Sir, no one told me anything. What happened to her?"

"Actually Ruhi, they told me that Pooja got so angry with her mother about not winning the competition that she started to scold her mother in front of all her friends and the teachers just after the competition."

"Oh really Sir? That is so bad!"

"Oh yes Ruhi, her mother was so hurt that she got tearful in front of everyone. And Pooja did not even apologise to her, can you believe that?"

"But that is so rude Raman Sir. How can she do that to her mother? I am sure Madhu aunty must have been so hurt by her actions. I will definitely talk to Pooja and tell her to apologise to her mother and not to do that ever again."

"Yes Ruhi, I agree with you, you should definitely talk to her, but didn't you do the same thing that Pooja did today Ruhi?"

She looks up at me, startled by my words and shocked by being hit with the hard truth.

"Ruhi, I know you must not have thought of hurting your Ishima purposefully, but ask yourself, haven't you hurt her a lot today bacha?   Ruhi you got so angry when you got to know about Pooja's mother, but what about your own mother? How can you feel bad for her mother and not yours?"

"I know Raman Sir, I know what I did was wrong, but I just felt so angry at that time and did not think of what I was saying..."

"Ruhi I know you feel bad about it, but tell me something don't you ever make mistakes?"

"I make so many mistakes Sir, but Ishima always forgives them and tells me to turn them into lessons for the future."

"Exactly Ruhi, your Ishima, our parents get angry when we make mistakes as well, but they always end up forgiving us because they love us so much. But why is that we are unable to forgive our parents when they do some small mistakes, while they can forgive thousands of ours?"

"You are right Sir. But I was only angry at her because I wanted to spend more time with her, because for some reason or another, she keeps staying far from me."

"It is you who thinks like that Ruhi. Your mother works very hard for you. She wants you to get all the happiness in the world. Maybe her means to show love is different from others, but all she does is for you."

She lowers her eyes and starts sobbing.

"Ruhi you are a very lucky child. You know how hard is it to take care of a child all alone? I have seen how my mother has been taking care of our family alone, and it is very very hard. She will never show you her pain only to keep you happy, but she is very hurt Ruhi."

"I understand it now Sir and I want to apologise to her, but I am scared what if she does not forgive me? You saw how she had wanted to slap me Sir?"

"Oh no no bacha, your Ishima can never slap you. She only got angry. Just imagine Ruhi, how would you feel if your Ishima comes to tell you that she wants to leave you and go live with someone she just got to know for a few days? In the same way, she got really hurt that the daughter she has raised with so much love and affection wants to leave her and go live with me, who is just a teacher she knows for less than a year?"

Ruhi rushes in my arms and breaks down.

" Oh, Raman Sir, what have I done? I never wanted her to feel like that. I love her so much. Please please Sir, I want to apologise to her, please do something."

"Ruhi, she is your Ishima and only you can pacify her. I cannot do anything. When she comes back you take a flower and give it to her and tell her all that you feel and believe me nothing will stop her from forgiving you. Stop crying now bacha", I tell her before wiping her tears off.

Her hair strands were sticking to her teary face and I use my fingers to push them away from her face before leaving a gentle kiss on her forehead, “everything will be alright bacha, you don't worry,'' I whisper in her ears.

And at that moment, her mother enters the house and without looking at us she rushes upstairs in the room and we only hear a loud door banging noise that follows.

"I will go and talk to her Raman Sir, please wait until I come back."

She gets down from my lap and heads upstairs to her mother's room without forgetting to take a flower from the vase.

I silently pray that Ishita forgives her and all the incident that took place today. But again and again the words of Ruhi repeat in my head, "Why aren't you my father Raman Sir?"