The Binding String

F I F T Y - F O U R

"Yes. Dr Ansari referred Roohi case to him and he is ready to be a part of operation team. Don't worry our baby is in safe hands." Damian kissed Ishita shoulder to pacify her.

"But why operation Raman."

"You know the answer Ishita. It's needed na. It will save our Roohi from future complications." Raman rubbed her shoulder looking at Roohi. He leaned at her and kissed her forehead, few minutes later the little child opened her eyes looked at her parents quizzingly.

"My jaan. What happened?" Ishita caressed Roohi's face, Raman removed the thick curtains from the windows allowing afternoon rays to fill the suite.

"Bhukki." Ishita pointed towards her little stomach and Ishita smiled the way Roohi made an adorable face. Raman sat next to Roohi and dialled the intercom to inform the attendant about the same. Santhosh and Om who just arrived back from Ishita and Raman's apartment come to meet Roohi. The little girl's pale face lit as her grandparents appeared before her. Ishita fed Roohi porridge whereas Santhosh kept her engaged in narrating stories.

"Raman puttar! Has the doctor given you surgery dates?"

"Not yet Papa but I think it's going to be in the next eight to ten days. Roohi's condition is not very good right now but we cannot wait more as well." Raman replied with a worrisome face looking at his three favorite ladies from distance.

"Tu fiqr mat kar beta, Roohi theek ho jayegi." Om Prakash assured Raman.

"We are still between hope and present, Papa. I can not sit peacefully until she recovers." Prakash nodded his head in affirmation, they just want their Roohi to recover. "Papa, Dadu," Roohi called her father and grandfather softly the two men walked towards her bed and bowed their heads, waiting for her words, "I want to play with Papa and Dadu Mumma." Roohi smiled with pout making her mother and grandmother smile.

"Okay then you play with your Papa and Dadu, me and your Mumma have some work." Santhosh pulled Ishita with her, the suspicious expressions on his mother face caught Raman attention, he was sure something is going in his mother head.

"Puttar, have this." Santhosh offered chapati and sabzi to Ishita, they were seated in the lounge.

"Mummy Ji, i am not hungry." Ishita politely declined to Santhosh who was serving lunch to Ishita.

"Stop being stupid Ishita. You're tirelessly taking care of Roohi, that's how you're going to take care of her?"

"My baby is eating bland porridge how can I eat this than?"

"That's the necessity Ishita, and Raman you need physical strength to handle this entire situation. It's going to be long journey for you my love." Santhosh caressed Ishita head, she herself started to feed her curry and chapati knowing well Ishita would ignore her request. She rubbed her eyes looking at her mother in law with affection filled eyes, wondering why didn't she born out from her womb. She is the fulfillment of the void she felt all her life.

"Puttar i have something else to discuss with you." Ishita encouraged Santhosh to speak further when a knock on the door disturbed them.

A hospital staff assigned for them came inside, with a message someone wants to see Mrs Ishita Raman Bhalla.

"Call them inside. Puttar you finish it." The three figures appeared infront of them and Ishita frozen at her place.

"Madhavi! How you came here?" Santhosh Bhalla had bitterness in her tone finding her samdhan at last.

"We came to see Roohi. How this happened Ishu?" Ishita ignored her mother as well as her sister, she approached her Jeeju and hugged him.

"Ishu, you could have told me." Bala Chandran patted Ishita head like an elder brother. "You was busy." Ishita replied in monotonic tone making Bala sigh with guilt.