The Binding String

S E V E N T Y - N I N E

"Have you seen Neelu by the way? I have asked her to do a vacuum cleaning of Roohi's room?"

"Then Roohi must be the one doing vacuum cleaning instead of her Neelu Didi." Ishita chuckled listening to Raman words. She walked towards the kitchen and checked the cake she kept in the microwave for baking. "Are you sure about this cake baking thing wifey?"

"Stop doubting my baking skills." Ishita warned while preparing melted chocolate for icing. Raman tailed behind his wife enjoying teasing her and sat over the kitchen counter taking the water bottle. "Raman. Can't you drink water from the glass? You wet the floor."

"Oh God! Entire office, my entire office is afraid of me and here you're yelling upon me for stupid things."

"You're at home and I am your wife. Moreover they don't know what kind of untidy person you are." Raman narrowed his brows and then puckered his lips on his wife's accusations which were somewhere true. "Ye Neelu kaha hai, na Neelu dikh rahi hai na hi Roo." Ishita mumbled and continued to melt chocolate in a hot pan. Before she could ask Raman to go and call Roohi they found their toddler daughter running towards them followed by Oreo. Her face was smeared with the color paints so do her hands, the couple gaze fell on the floor which was covered with Oreo paw prints.

"Mumma!! See what we made." The couple kneeled before Roohi and took the card from her hand, she stamped a picture of a lady, a man along with some heart shaped balloons. "Can you write Happi Happie Anni Anni."

"Ye kiske liye hai Roo?" Raman asked curiously adoring the craft made by Roohi.

"Ale, aaj chitti aur chitappa ke liye hai na. Aaj unki Happy happy Anni Anni hai." Roohi kept her hand on her forehead dramatically making couple laugh. "It's called Anniversary betu." Ishita peaked Roohi cheeks and took color pen from her hand. "But who helped you in preparing this?"

"Neelu Didi." Ishita rolled her eyes and her gaze fell on Neelu who passed her sheepish smile. Her cheeks were smeared with colors so do her hands. "Neelu. You're kid or what."

"Bhabhi.....wo Roohi asked for my help." Neelu stammered making possible innocent face enough to make Ishita roll her eyes. She asked her to go and clean up herself and eyed at her daughter who was giggling wholeheartedly, enjoying her parents expressions.

"Mumma!! Aaj party mein maza aayega na."

"Hmm aayega but aise jaoge aap party mein?" Ishita started to wipe off the colors from her cheeks. "It's okay. Come Roo, we will take bubble bath before dressing up for party. Okay."

"Yayy......but Oreo will also come with us." Roohi forwarded another demand, their new member Oreo was already jumping around, spoiling the floor more. "Yes take her in the washroom and Sarita Jee, please take Oreo and give him bath." Ishita remained sitting on the floor admiring her daughter's artwork, since morning she was feeling uneasy with the thought to visiting her sister place. She brushed her thoughts aside and called another house help Malti Jee to mop off the floor.

*********************

"Vandu!! Meri pyari beti."

"You're always been a good daughter to us."

"Why are you so stupid Ishu?"

Ishita blinked her eyes and winced as the sharp pain shoot on her shoulder. She accidentally hurt herself on the shoulder with the safety pin.

"What happened?" It was Raman voice who came from the another end of the walk in the closet in the bare front, wrapping a towel around his torso. "You winced. Are you fine?"

"Yes yes. I am." Ishita pressed Raman hand with a hint of assurance but it wasn't enough to satisfy him. The pallu of her saree was loosened and he got glimpse of the blood drop on her shoulder. "How it happened? Why are you so careless." He softly wiped off the blood and rubbed the area to soothe off the pain. Ishita felt a rush of emotions looking at her half naked husband, his mushy colonge hit her hard and she felt her legs turing jelly. The way water was glistening down from his abs and disappearing at the south of his body made her throat parched. His jaw was turning stiff and thich brows were narrowing as he continued to rub her shoulder. His attempt to soothe her pain was enough to gave her sweet ache and she had no clue how to deal with the same. The dressing room had soft golden lights which fell upon his abs making it look more prominent. Why her man turning more desirable with the passing days. She couldn't help but wondered and ended up biting her supple lower lip. A jolt of current passed through her veins feeling icy cold hand on her petite waist, Ishita eyes met with Raman and she found herself stick against the wall, the pallu was falling down and her blouse was half done. Their breaths mingled as their faces were inches apart, he rubbed her neck with his rough thumb pad enough to make her moan.

"Woman! You still make me go crazy."

His one sentence of love and admiration and she was smitten over him.

"I want to ditch this party right away."

His face was hidden in the crook of her neck and she moaned louder this time when his teeth grazed her swan like neck.

"Uhmmm....not now..."

Ishita moaned, her gasps turned louder and heavier but his assults didn't stopped. Her lipstick was ruined till now, the bun she made was half done. They threw their heads back and looked into each other eyes for another time before capturing each other lips. His fingers started to undid the pleats of her saree much for her surprise and caressed her lower abdomen.

"Roo might come Raman."

"She is not here yet." His hardness poked on her stomach and she found herself lifted through her hips. Her undid blouse was thrown on the floor followed by her inners as he took her swells in his mouth. The door of the shower room shut with a thud as the water continued to drench and love soaked them.

******************

"Arghh!! I hate you Raman. Kitni mushkil se ek saari choose ki thi maine."

"I hate you too, kitne scratch aa gaye hai meri back pe."

Raman responded from another side, she stomped her feet finding him dressed in shirt and trouser. He was buttoning up the cufflink of his shirt when his gaze fell upon his wife standing in front of him just in the bathrobe and rejecting every saree. "How much time you take dressing up."

Ishita gasped looking at Raman, before she could reply back Roohi appeared infront of them looking absolute sweetheart in jumpsuit. Her hair was open and decorated with hair beads, she swayed her hairs from left to right making her parents smile on her antiques. Raman gaze fell on her shoes and as usual the laces were not done, he kneeled before her and tightened the laces of her white snickers.

"Kisne ready kiya meri baby ko." Ishita sat over the vanity stool and applied kajal behind her ears before she start moisturising her hands. "Neelu Didi ne." Roohi chipped and jumped admiring her mother sarees which can be seen through the half open door of her closet. "But why are you not ready yet? And why you guys were fighting?" Roohi wiggled her eyebrows looking at her parents who were clueless how to answer her query.

"Bolo na. Aap log phir se ek doosre se angry ho?" Roohi voice turned like whisper and the couple held her hand immediately, "No darling we aren't. Your papa spoiled my saree. What I am supposed to wear now?"

"Poor Mumma. Very bad Papa." Roohi scolded her father and rushed towards her mother's closet, she climbed on another stool and started to go through her mother numerous sarees until her eyes fell on an olive green satin saree with floral prints. She urged her father to pick that saree for her, "This is soft soft Mumma, you will look beautiful in this saree." Ishita grinned on her daughter choice and peppered kisses on her round cheeks. "I love you my baby. Now you go with papa, i am coming in ten minutes."

"Yayy!" Raman took Roohi outside of dressing room leaving Ishita smiling the two. Half an hour later the family was all set to leave, they first went to Ishita University where they submitted all the necessary documents along her leave application, since Raman already had words with her head of department regarding the leaves, the procedure became easy for them.

"Mumma!!! Why we came here? You came here to teach big bhiya didi?" Roohi tugged Ishita hand while walking back towards the car.

"No baby. Mumma has asked her boss to extend her leaves so that she can spend so many days with her baby." Roohi jumped on Ishita lap with joy and hugged her, the mother daughter really enjoyed spending their time with each other and they're inseparable. "Papa you also take leaves and then we will do lots of masti." Roohi eyes danced with joy as their car continued to run on the busy roads of the city. "I can't darling but we will surely go for vacations." The rest of the ride was filled with Roohi giggles and Raman Ishita smiles. From the distance, the sing board of Vandita housing building can be seen, Ishita drew a sharp breath wanting to remove all kind of negativity from her mind. Maybe she is overthinking.

To be continued......