"I owe you an apology." Raman told her.
"I should have never showed up at your room that night in April like that."
"You mean completely smashed?" she asked.
"Yes." he answered. "I took advantage of you and your kindness and I'm sorry."
"You didn't take advantage of me." Ishita told him. "We both had too much to drink and things spiraled out of control."
"Well, be that as it may, I'm still very sorry." he apologized. "It shouldn't have happened like that."
"Oh." she breathed.
"I hope that you won't hold it against me."
"Of course not." she smiled, gently caressing her growing stomach which, thankfully, was hidden by her Saree.
"I guess we're all entitled to a drunken mistake now and then."
The word "Mistake" echoed in Ishita 's ears like ringing bells.
"Ishita ?" he asked. "Are you alright?"
"Haan." she answered as she made her way back to reality. "I'm....I...I'm..."
"What is it ?" he asked. "Are you sure you're alright ?"
"I'm..." she trailed off. Why can't I just say the word ? Pregnant, Ishita , you're pregnant. Tell him. Tell him you're going to have his baby. "I'm fine." she finally said. "Everything's fine. How was your trip?"
"Successful." he replied.
Successful ? Did he say successful ? Tell him, Ishita . Tell him you're pregnant.
"Successful." she repeated.
"Absolutely." he replied. "I came back here to check on Family and then I'm going to Singapore for further negotiations with a client. I want to do the business before arranging my private life"
"Arrange your private life?"
"Mmmm yes ... the marriage with Shagun was interrupted by the news that Nidhi is still alive. After that everything was a big mess ..."
Ishita looked at him silently
"Fortunately, everything went well. We have Ruhi back with us. Adi and Ruhi are happy that their IshiMaa is back and I think Pihu also has the right to be happy"
Did he really say that? I am still his wife and I am Pihu's mother!
"I am Pihu's mother and that's what she ought to know too. Will you tell her the rest of her life that I'm the Aunt next door?"
"Ishita, Pihu thinks that Shagun is her mother and that is not my fault or the fault of Shagun, that's all your fault!"
"My fault ? yes, everything is my fault! Of course you are innocent of all this Mr.Bhalla. We all run like raw eggs here. Ruhi can not call you Papa and Adi can not call me IshiMaa if Pihiu is around. Everyone has to watch what they say and do. How long should this continue?"
She got up from the sofa .
"Good luck ,Raman ,because you will need that, Ruhi and I are still alive and you can not hide forever who we really are." Ishita told him as she turned to leave.
He watched as she stormed out of the hall .
Ishita unlocked her front door and slowly made her way inside. Everything was a disaster, a complete and utter disaster. Things with Raman were suppose to
go smoothly and instead they were rockier than she could have ever imagined. She threw her purse down on the sofa and made her way into the kitchen.
