The Binding String

F I F T Y - F O U R

"Ishu, you didn't even told me once." Madhavi looked at Ishita with accusing eyes. "Don't know what else is stored in my Roohi fate." Madhavi murmured trying to take a look at the other side of the suite.

"Let's not stretch it Madhu, it's a medical condition. Can happen with anyone." Santhosh shrugged off her shoulder as she made room for everyone to sit. "It's been three days we talked about Roohi, you got time to visit today?"  Madhavi and Vandita looked at each other, don't know what the day.

"Mummy Ji, leave it." Ishita pleaded Santhosh through eyes and collected soiled dishes from the table. She packed the lunch box and kept everything back in the lunch basket Santhosh bought from home. Ishita eyes met with Vandita who was standing close to the door of her suite, she tore her gaze from her elder sister. A part of her wanted to ask her to take a seat but she didn't. The hate and loathe came back in her eyes again, she definitely didn't didn't expected them to come, for adding her miseries. Raman, who was looking an opportunity to know what is going in his mother head came out only to get surprise seeing his in-laws sitting there.

"Vanakkam Amma! You remember your younger son in law?" Raman joked while touching his mother in law feet. Madhavi smiled and patted his back, next Raman engulfed Bala in a hug and waved at Vandita who was standing few feet away.

"Is Prof Ishita punished you to stand at the doorway?" Raman joked looking at Vandita making everyone chuckle. Vandita shook her head and hugged her old batchmate now turned brother in law.

"How are you?"

"We are doing fine. Even Roo is going to be fine in few days." Raman blinked his eyes with assuring nod, "Vandu why don't you sit? We have enough space to sit here." Raman insisted Vandita to take a seat who was shifting her eyes time to time.

"Actually someone else came with us." Vandita spoke in feeble voice catching Raman and Ishita attention. She curiously looked at the outside of the ward, expecting her nephew Shravan standing there but the person at the other side left her shocked.

"Atleast spare me Vandu Akka." Ishita grunted looking at her elder sister, glaring at her. "Stop creating scene, he genuinely wanted to visit Roohi."

"Ha!! Teach him to care his daughter first." Ishita snorted, going red finding her father outside of the suite. Raman who followed his wife gaze also appeared disturbed. He didn't expected his father in law to appear out of blue.

"Vandu! He is staying with you? We never knew."

"We don't need to know as well." Ishita cut Raman in the middle, annoyed with her sister and mother audacity to bring her so called father at the hospital.

"Raman he really wants to see Roohi despite being sick. I had no heart to refuse him." Vandita defended herself making Ishita mad. If it wasn't hospital than no one can stop her from committing something unimaginable.

"Akka, i have no strength, like no strenght to deal with you right now. So do a favour and take this man away." Ishita sneered on her sister face ignoring her in-laws who never seen Ishita ugly anger.

"Ishita. Please!" Raman held Ishita by her arms seeing the situation slipping out from his hands. He rubbed her shoulder exchanging looks with Bala and Vandita. Om Prakash who sensed something wrong too came outside and surprised finding Ishita alleged father there.

"Raman tell her not to increase my miseries more, I am not in state to deal with more issues." Ishita grunted in Raman arms, not ready to mellow down her anger even for a second.

"It's okay Ishita. He won't see Roohi if you are not comfortable with it." Bala pacified Ishita, she took a breath of relief and than looked at Raman eho pressed her hand with assuring eyes.

"We have to meet Dr. Ansari. He is going to give us insight about Roohi condition as well as the probable date of surgery." Raman spoke aloud to gain everyone attention, Ishita straightened her dupatta ready to accompany Raman.

"Can i accompany you?" Bala spoke with a hint of hesitation, Ishita nodded her head and the three left towards Dr. Ansari cabin without sparing another look at Mr Vishwanathan Iyyer who was standing at the doorway of the suite.

Some thirty minutes later when the three returned back, Ishita straightway entered inside Roohi room after sanatizing herself, she ignored every questioning gaze there leaving her husband and brother in law to answer everyone questions.

"Puttar! Why is she worried?" Santhosh caressed Raman shoulder seeing the line of worries on his forehead. "Nothing Maa. We will talk later." Raman excused himself and disappeared in Roohi room leaving everyone worried.

Inside Roohi room, Ishita sat beside her little daughter and kissed her forehead trying not to cry. She hid her misty eyes and smiled at Roohi who was exceptionally quiet."

"Whar happened my little birdie?" Ishita inquired looking at Roohi.

"Nothing Mumma." Roohi nodded her head in the denial still staring at her parents with dull eyes.

"Bolo na beta, kya hua hai?" Raman questioned again, sitting either side of Roohi.

"Papa!! Yeh divorce kya hota hai?" Roohi blinked her eyes innocently looking at her parents, her question stunned Raman and Ishita. Ishita found hard to blink her eyes and she managed to look at her little daughter who was waiting to get answer of her question.

"From where you heard this word baby? This is the bad word." Ishita hugged Roohi, her insecurities and fears started to bother her again.

"Paati came to meet me along some old uncle. She said he is my thatha, Nanu just like Dadu. He was asking Pathi who will keep me after Raman and Ishita divorce."

Raman and Ishita blinked their eyes, the pain was not easy to hide this time.

____________________________________

Just want to know if you guys are enjoying this story?