Raindrops Keep Falling on my Head

One Step Closer

Note: As promised, this is the Ram-Pihu resolution part. It's quite long, but I like how it turned out. I hope you guys like it. 

Pihu was walking towards the guest bedroom, but she paused for a moment in front of the room right next to it. Pihu remembered this room. She had wandered into it once, on that morning when she'd found the fashion magazine. She had been looking for a comfortable place to sit, and the bed in this room looked very comfortable. 

Pihu walked in and was looking around for only a few seconds when Tarun walked in with new bedsheets. He caught sight of Pihu, and asked her, "Why are you here? No one is normally allowed in except the staff. And Ram sir." 

Pihu was apologetic, and she said, "Oh! I'm so sorry, I was just looking for a nice place to sit, I didn't mean to break any rules." Tarun looked at her gently, and replied, "Don't worry, you didn't break any rules. But, Nandini ma'am has specified that no one is allowed to be in here, so I have to ask you to leave. I'm sorry." "It's ok," said Pihu, and she began to walk out. 

Before she left, she turned to Tarun and asked, "Who's room is this?" "Shivina," said Tarun, and his eyes grew wide as he realized what he had said. "I'm not allowed to speak about her," he said, and quickly started replacing the bedsheets. Pihu had left, confused.

Now, she was standing in front of the room again, but she didn't go inside this time. Instead, she stood in the doorway, peering in slightly. No one had been in this room for a while, but it still looked like it was lived in. Fairy lights were strung across the ceiling and there was a vase with blue orchids on the side table. The bedspread was purple and accented with dark blue pillows.

As Pihu moved her eyes around the room, she felt that Shivina, the person who used to live in this room, was loved very much. For a moment, she tried to imagine what Shivina must have looked like. Maybe she used to apply perfume near that vanity. Her favorite dresses must be in that closet. Maybe she would dance around this room sometimes. But, who was she?

Pihu remained near the room for a few more seconds before turning around to go to the room next door. Ram was in the guest bedroom. He had changed out of his suit into a cozy looking red kurta and white pants. The top button of the kurta was undone. He was combing his hair and applying some after shave while humming a song. Pihu gazed at him for a few moments. It felt private to watch him do these things, almost as if she was looking at...her own father getting ready for the night.

The last thought made Pihu's stomach lurch a little. It was the first time she had ever thought of Mr. Kapoor as a father figure. She had always wondered, ever since she was little, why she never had her father in her life. She tried to ask Priya a few times, but she always gave vague answers, never fully answering the question. Pihu remembered how she had felt when she had seen the kids in her school or neighborhood walking with their fathers, being lifted up and spun around by them, laughing with them. The way those kids probably felt was how Pihu was feeling now, as she watched Ram silently. She smiled a little.

Ram finished applying the after shave, and he smiled at his reflection in the mirror. "Well, hello there, handsome," he said. He was happier today then he'd been in a while, and that therapy session had truly been soothing for him. He was mulling over what his therapist had said to him so intently that he almost didn't hear the sound of tiny laughter. Ram turned around to see who had made the noise, but he froze at what he saw.

It couldn't be, said Ram to himself. I must be seeing a ghost, or a memory. His mind went back... "Ram bhai, Ram bhai!" squealed Shivina with delight as she ran into Ran's bedroom. She had just turned 8, and she was dragging 9 year old Shubham into the room. "Shivi, stop, stop, you're pulling my arm too tightly!" yelled Shubham. "Calm down, Shubu," said Ram. "Don't call me that please," Shubham replied. "Keep calling him that," said Shivi, laughing a little.