On Her Majesty's Secret Service ✔️

Date Night (2): Sarakti Jaaye Hai Rukh Se Naqab...Ahista Ahista

Batra Clinic
3 pm

Ishita had a very full schedule at work the next day, and had little time to ponder about the shocked looks Mihika had been giving her the night before. She had asked Mihika if everything was all right, but her cousin had simply shaken her head, refusing to say anything.

"I'll have to talk to her later" Ishita had thought then. "I hope everything is fine with Mihir."

Since this morning though, she had been up to her neck in surgeries and paperwork, and had relegated Mihika's strange behaviour to the back of her mind.

Her rare spare moments were taken up with imagining what Raman had in store for her that evening. She knew he had to get back to his project site, and wouldn't be able to stay long, but the thought of a few stolen moments with him put a spring in her step the whole day.

He had texted at around 11.00 to say that he had arrived in Delhi, was in the office, would be going home for lunch, and would then go to pick up Ruhi. Ishita imagined just how excited Ruhi would be to see her papa at the school gates.

Their little daughter adored her papa, almost as much as her Ishima did. And she knew the feeling was mutual on his side too, for both his daughter and his wife.

A slow blush warmed her face as she remembered how he had insisted on proving his love that night at the hotel.

"Ishita Raman Bhalla" she gave herself a strict talking to. "Stop fantasising about your husband and get back to work, you will see him soon enough!"

She looked at her watch now. 3pm. Well, just two files to write notes on, and then she could head for home...and him.

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Tootie Frootie
3.15 pm

Ruhi and Shravan sat across the table from Raman at Tootie Frootie, gulping down their ice creams, each trying to dig their spoons into the same dish at the same time. Raman watched them with amusement.

"Ruhi, Shravan" he put on a mock serious voice. "I have bought you seven different flavours. Phir bhi bas nahi hota? Different flavours try karo na."
(I've bought you seven different flavors and it's still not enough? Try some different ones please)

Ruhi had been ecstatic to see him when he had picked her up an hour before.

She had flown into his arms, and had held on tightly as he enfolded her and held her close. She and Shravan had regaled him with stories all the way from the school to the ice-cream parlour.

It was only now when the important task of eating was at hand that they had fallen silent.

Ruhi's eyes met his over her multi-coloured feast and she gave him a milky grin." Love you papa" she said sweetly.

Raman felt as if his heart would melt. He still remembered with anguish how he had deprived his little princess of his love and affection for most of her life, because he had thought she resembled Shagun.

It had taken Ishita to show him how to love his own daughter, her love for Ruhi breaking up the barriers he had built up around his heart, her acceptance of Ruhi as HER daughter wiping the sceptre of Shagun from his heart forever.

Now when he looked at Ruhi, he saw only Ishita reflected back in her face and her eyes. It was this resemblance that had given him the idea of creating an album linking Ruhi and Ishita together. He had given that album to Ishita at the Tandon Farmhouse, and he knew it had helped him to win her trust, had shown her that he truly understood her.

He smiled back at his little girl. "Love you too beta"

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Akash Ganga Society
Mayur Vihar