Hum aur Tum

Part 28: Raman

Hi everyone. Thank you for all your love. I'm glad for everyone who commented and voiced out on the last update. Let me tell you that I appreciate all of your comments and your love for the stories and for me. You keep me going, both in my passion and in life. Everyone deserves love, and if you're not getting it from others, why not give it to yourself? Try to. Thank you. Please do read and leave comments. - Vibha.

I cry like a baby when I reach home. 'Papa', she called me papa! This is the best feeling in the whole world. I feel so blessed, so special, but will Ishita ever agree to let her be my daughter?

I knock on their door at around 7 o'clock. Ruhi sees me and jumps into my arms immediately. "See, I didn't break my promise and I hope you didn't break yours either", I tell her.

"No, I did not. Come inside, Ishima is sitting in the living room", she tells me before she starts dragging me towards her.

"Hi", I tell her and I sit on the sofa next to her. But no one is willing to continue the conversation until Ruhi says, "I think I'll have to leave you two alone so that you can talk" and then runs into her room.

We sit in complete silence for some minutes and then she says, "Raman... I... I don't know how this happens every time. You get involved in all these things because of us. But I will not let it continue like this anymore. This time, we'll have to come up with a good decision."

"I agree", I tell her, "what have you decided?"

"Raman, you've done so much for me. A million thanks will not even suffice. I will never have enough words to thank you for all that you've done for me till now. But...this time, I will have to free you from all of this Raman. I don't want you to get entangled in more complicated things because of me. You don't deserve all of this Raman and that is why I think...we should...umm...nullify the contract."

What? What? Oh no Ishita!

"Are you sure Ishita? Is this what you want? You would never have hesitated so much if you really wanted it Ishita..."

"Raman, I beg of you, please don't complicate it even more for me. I am battling between my heart and my mind right now Raman. I will fall too weak if I listen to my heart right now", she tells me as tears stream down her face.

"What does your heart wish for Ishita?"
But, she does not answer me, instead she lifts her head and stares at me.

"Listen to your heart Ishita. It will never lie to you. If you listen to it, everything will be good, trust me."

"It won't Raman. Nothing will be good. It will only imply that you...that we..."

"That you will have to come and live with me as husband and wife and as parents of Ruhi?"
I cannot even believe that I am actually telling her this.

She looks at me and struggles to find her words before slowly muttering, "I cannot...you cannot."

"Why can't I? I promise you, I have no objections Ishita. I love Ruhi so much and I will accept her as my own daughter. We will live together as a family."

"Raman, do you even realize what you are saying? I am not saying this for myself, I am thinking about you. You are young, handsome, you have a whole life ahead of you. You deserve someone better, someone younger. Not me. You should be getting married and having kids of your own Raman. Why do you want to ruin your life by getting stuck with me?"

I go and sit at her feet and take her hands into mine and wait for her to look at me.
"Ishita", I smile, "I am married and I have a child of my own already. I want nothing else."

She starts sobbing even more and I continue, "I will never be able to love anyone else the way that I love Ruhi Ishita. She has been the first one to call me papa and that is all that I want. I'd be able to live my whole life with this one word coming from her. I beg of you Ishita."

"Raman", she interrupts me, "what about your mother? She must have seen dreams for your marriage Raman. What about her dreams and her wishes? I can't break them."

"Yes dear, I have seen dreams", but this time it is not Ishita who has spoken. I turn around and see Mummyji stepping inside the house.

"Maa what are you doing here?", I ask her, but instead of replying to me, she walks towards Ishita and wipes the tears off her face.

"Ishita dear", she begins, "I have been seeing dreams but these dreams have you and Ruhi in it. I want you as my daughter and Ruhi as my grandchild in my house. That is all I want. Ishu, my son has been so busy shouldering the responsibilities of the house and the family alone that he has forgotten that he has a life of his own. But he has completely changed since you and Ruhi came into his life. Please dear, I beg of you, accept my son."

Ishita holds her hands and lowers her begging hands immediately, "don't embarrass me anymore Mummyji. Let me ask Ruhi. I'll do whatever she says."

I go into Ruhi's room and bring her into the living room. She is surprised to see tears on all of our faces as she sits on Ishita's lap.

"Ruh, you know that Ishima and Raman Uncle had to get married right, but do you know what that implies? Do you want to go and live in Raman Uncle's house from now on? He will be your...papa and we will live as husband and wife from now on? Do you want it?"

"Yes!!!", Ruhi shouts, "absolutely Ishima. I always wanted this to happen. I always wanted to live with my Ishima and Papa and in a big happy family like everyone else. Thank you Ishima and thank you papa. I love you both and I love you too daadi. Thank you for coming here for me."

I look astonished at her but Ruhi jumps into my arms and I cry as I hold her tight. My precious daughter. Mummyji then takes her into her arms as I walk towards Ishita to thank her for it.
We see Mummyji whisper something in Ruhi's ears and then Ruhi eagerly starts to ask us, "Ishima and Papa, daadi and I want to know when do you two want to get married now?"