Hum aur Tum

Part 33: RAMAN

"Hello guys. Here's the update finally. Please enjoy. Tell me how you find it. Please stay updated and keep showering your love. I hope everyone is happy, safe and healthy. Rab rakha."
-Vibha

School finally resumes on Monday. I wake up early to help Ishita prepare our breakfast and our lunches. I get Ruhi dressed while Ishita  gets ready to go to work. Simmi walks in the kitchen and sees Ishita packing her lunchbox.

"Ishita, don't tell me you're going to work already. It's been only one week of your marriage", Simmi tells her.

"Oh yes Simmi. I have some appointments lined up for today. Both of them are already going to school, so I thought it's better that I go as well."

"Oh yes then you should definitely go. I simply asked because I thought you'd be tired and all from last night... I mean from all the functions."

I glower at her, "Simmi, shut up."

Ishita goes into the room and I follow her.
"Ishita, I'm sorry, you know she doesn't mean to."

"Raman", she replies "obviously I know Raman. She's only kidding. I understand. I don't get bothered by this easily. Don't worry Mr. Bhalla", she smiles and winks at me.

I smile back and tell her, "have a nice day Ishita. Don't tire yourself too much. Don't worry about Ruhi, I'll always be here for her."

"I know Raman. Thank you. Have a nice day as well. Ummm...actually Raman... I wanted to talk to you about something...about us..."

At that right moment, we hear Ruhi shouting from the kitchen, "Ishima, papa, it's getting late. Let's go."

"Let us go Raman. We'll talk tonight."
.
School has been really fun today. All the students are extremely excited to resume school after so long. Ruhi insists that she wants to keep our relationship a secret in class. She wants to tell her friends on some other special occasion. In the early afternoon, our headmaster, Mrs. Anjali holds a meeting to inform us that the parents of all the students have been called to attend a special parent-teacher's meeting in the afternoon. They need to be briefed about the new term and some new changes in the school legislation. I know that Ishita won't be here, she knows that I will be here for Ruhi.

The mothers of most of my students start arriving soon. They start encircling me while I brief them and explain the next term guidelines to them. Most of them are more busy staring and smiling at me instead of listening to what I'm actually saying. They have grown very comfortable with me over the months and sometimes they start to get extremely tactile as well. Today, they are more keen in telling me how much they have missed school and how much trouble their kids have made at home.

Two of them start to get extremely close to me while they are talking and I simply smile and nod at them. At one moment, I noticed murmurs start erupting in their group as they start making way for someone to join the group. I raise my eyebrows when I notice Ishita walking towards me with crossed arms. She keeps staring at me when suddenly Mrs Sharma hugs her and starts talking to her.
"Mrs. Ishita! What a pleasant surprise. Welcome, welcome. It is the first time that you're coming to any school meeting. It's a pleasure to meet you."
Everyone then starts greeting her. One of them takes her hand and starts pulling her towards me. "Mrs. Ishita, let me have the pleasure to introduce you to Mr. Raman Bhalla, the teacher of our children. Let me tell you, he is a gifted teacher. All of our kids love him. He is so nice and thoughtful. Why don't you greet him?"

I smile widely and extend a hand," pleasure to meet you Mrs. Ishita."

" Same Mr. Bhalla", she says without batting an eyelid.