What happens when two very different individuals meet each other because of a child? How will Ruhi, the beloved child of Ishita bring Raman in her and her mother's life?
To find out more, read the Ishra fan fiction, written by me and requested by a...
By 11:30 everything is almost done. Raman Sir tells Ruhi that he has to leave now. But when I move the curtains to look down, I see that it has been raining heavily since a few hours already because water has started to accumulate in the parking lot.
“Raman Sir, why don’t you stay up here until the rain calms? It will be difficult for you to reach downstairs or go home in this weather.”
“Are you sure, I can try to manage and wouldn’t you want some rest after this tiring day?”
“No it is okay Raman Sir, I do not feel sleepy at all and Ishima is used to staying up late. Please stay until the weather is clear and safe”, Ruhi tells him.
“Okay then.”
Ruhi jumps with excitement. “Raman Sir, why don’t we go and play Ludo in my room, I got a big Ludo set as a gift today.”
“Sure Ruhi. Tell your mother to join us as well.”
We go into Ruhi’s room and start arranging a spot on the bed for us to play the game.
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During the game, Ruhi asks Raman Sir, “Sir, what gift did you give me today, I haven’t seen your name any gift box yet.”
“Actually Ruhi, I have not given you a gift yet. I didn’t get a lot of time to go out today so I grabbed whatever I could and brought it for you. See there’s a red bag on the sofa there, your gift is in it. It is a very small gift, forgive me Ruhi, I’ll buy a bigger gift for you some other day.”
Ruhi opens the paper bag and tears the gift wrap around a medium sized rectangle. When she pulls it out, I find that it is a photo frame. Ruhi excitedly rushes to come and show me it. It is a picture of Ruhi and her Raman Sir the day of their cooking competition, both are wearing a chef’s hat and are looking at each other while laughing.
Ruhi runs to hug her teacher, “Raman Sir, this is an excellent gift. I really really love it. It is not a small gift at all, it’s the most special gift that I received after Ishima’s birthday party.”
“Ruhi. I am in your house and playing Ludo with you at midnight, please do not call me Raman Sir now. I am your teacher only in school. Here you can call me Raman Uncle. I get so tired hearing Sir Sir all the time already.”
We all laugh and Ruhi says, “okay Raman Uncle”.
“Hey Ruhi, and you still haven’t told your Ishima what gift you want for your birthday”, I tell her.
“Oh yes Ishima. I forgot. But I will not ask for it now. On my birthday I want you to promise me that you will try to give me whatever I ask you. Anything I ask you.”
“Okay Ruhi. Anything for my bacha today. I promise, I will give you whatever you ask me. By the way let me go and prepare some coffee for you. I’ll be back in some time.”
We spend over an hour playing the game and laughing and talking with each other. At last, around 2 o’clock, the weather actually cleared up. Raman Sir and I put Ruhi to sleep in her bed before both of us head downstairs to leave him.
“Thank you so much for the help and coming to the party Raman Sir.
“Please you also don’t call me Raman Sir now. Please call me Raman. Actually thanks to you for inviting me to the party and letting me stay here until the rain stops.”
“That is totally fine Raman. Actually, I wanted to thank you for something else as well. I thought a lot about what you told me about me and Ruhi some time back and I decided that there is no past or anything that can stop me from loving my daughter. Thank you, you made me realize what I was missing out from.”
“I realized that much earlier. Both you and Ruhi are glowing. I did not do anything great Ishita. I just made you realize what you already knew but hid it from yourself. I told you, you are an amazing mother.”
“Thank you so much.” And unconsciously I find myself leaning my cheeks towards him. He gets confounded by my impulsive act but he hesitantly places a kiss on both of my cheeks before saying goodbye to me and getting in his car.
What did I just do? Why did I do that? Why do I always get so affected by him and his words? Why? … The next day, I decide to take a day off because I still feel a little tired from yesterday’s activities. The Ludo set is still spread on the floor and I find Ruhi staring at it when I enter the room to wake her up.
“Good morning Ruhi, I hope you slept well”, I tell her while planting a soft kiss on her forehead.
“You know Ishima, I never ever asked you for anything previously. I never ever asked you for anything.”
“Yes beta, I know. Is something wrong? What do you want to ask about? Say, Ishima will answer it for you.”
“Ishima, I know you love me so much and I love you so much too. You have never made me feel alone or sad any day but I always feel that there is something missing. There is a sort of emptiness and loneliness around, don’t you feel it sometimes too Ishima?”
I raise my eyes to look at her but I immediately lower them. I cannot look at my daughter echoing what I always feared to think and talk about. The void and the loneliness that she is speaking about are the realities that I have till now tried to bury in my heart so that Ruhi never sees it, but today, she –
“Ishima, I do not know if you will feel angry about it or not, but for the first time ever, I did not feel the loneliness and the emptiness yesterday Ishima. I felt complete. Our house felt complete. Our family felt complete.”
Suddenly, I realize where Ruhi’s thoughts might be sprouting from. Yesterday-family-Raman…
“Ishima, I never asked you anything about my father. But yesterday, I felt like I also have a father-like all my friends, a father who plays with me, who cares about me, who loves me, and makes you happy Ishima. And even if not as my father Ishima, maybe he can be included as a member in our small family.”
I see Ruhi raise her eyes and closely stare at something in front of her. I follow her gaze and see her looking at- the gift that Raman gave to her yesterday and a smile forms on my lips. Both of them seem to be so happy in each other’s presence, they actually do seem to be- father and…
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“Ishima, can he be my father? If not, can he come and stay with us, as a family Ishima? Please Maa, I never asked you for anything and yesterday you even promised that you will give me whatever I ask you for. Please Ishima, bring Raman uncle here for me, for us, please.”
Ruhi starts crying but I simply rush out of the room without saying anything to her. Does Ruhi even know what she is asking me for? I know nothing about him except for that he is Ruhi’s teacher. How will I be able to ask him for such a thing? How?
I rapidly get dressed and reach the clinic. Once inside my cabin, I do something that I cannot even believe that I would ever do- I dial his number.
