The Binding String

E I G H T Y - T W O

"Hello Prateeksha! Tumhara boyfriend tumhari Prateeksha kar raha hai." Ishita over sweet voice fell in his ears, he felt her tight grip around his arm.

"Oh hi..." The girl whispered with flushed face.

"No greetings for Mrs Bhalla?" Ishita asked further leaning next to her husband arm.

"Good.... goodmorning mam. Bye." Ishita smiled within cheeks and then glared at her husband making the smile disappear from his face.

"Ho gaya ho toh chale? Mr. Eye Candy?" Ishita taunted Raman and dragged him along, "how can you be so shameless Raman Bhalla?"

"What I have done yaar?" Ishita pressed the elevator button, without caring to reply her husband.

"Heheheehahahaha. Sharam aati hai aapko? Jahan ladki dikhi flirt karna chaalu." (You need a chance to start flirting.) Ishita muttered under her breath which was enough audible to Raman. He chuckled enjoying her possessive side for him. "I wasn't flirting with her, I was just enjoying the attention." Raman shrugged off his shoulder, enjoying teasing her more.

"Really? Noutanki." Ishita twitched her lips, the elevator dinged and they reached on their floor. She unlocked the door and Raman tailed behind Ishita holding grocery bags.

"I don't mind flirting, but there is only one girl with whom I enjoy flirting." Ishita creased her brows, she stopped drinking water and continued looking at her husband who took predatory steps towards her. He caged her in his arms before freeing her hairs from the rubber band, "I can't say about the world but I don't want to flirt with anyone except you."

His husky words started melting her, the way he caressed her sweet spots with the tip of his finger, "Stop distracting me. It's not affectig me."

"Then let it be, don't get affect." His lips replaced his fingers, sensually teased her delicate skin enough to make her shudder. Before her legs turned jelly she hold him through his forearm and punched his stomach. "Mean."

"Maan gayi na?"

"Haan baba." Ishita replied, raising her hands in air. "Noutanki Bhalla." Ishita murmured and statyed to arrange fruits on the dining table. There is not a dull second for her when Raman is around, he knows how to make her days brighter. Sometimes she wonder how he understands her without saying anything, after coming back from her in laws place Raman immediately engaged her in yoga and other activities to keep her occupied and somewhere it already started helping her. Today is her first session of councilling and he is already trying his best to keep her mind free from any sort of thoughts. The night of her sister anniversary celebration still didn't leave her mind but it doesn't make her anxious now. Ishita startes preparing filter coffee for two, one eye stuck at the wall clock. Raman is going to visit the PSR factory today which is two hours away from the city capital. She whisked two eggs meanwhile to prepare omelette for his breakfast. She needs to pack his lunch box as well. Ishita decided to pack his favourite for tiffin, beans and carrot sabji, along paneer stuffed paratha, pomegranates and banana shake. When she was working, she used to wonder how it be like to full time homemaker. Many of her friends consider it a tough task but now as she started to manage her home all by herself, but now as she started handling the things by her own she understood homemakers are no less, a simple task like deciding breakfast lunch and dinner menu seems challenging to her. Once preparing Raman tiffin, she picked newspaper for herself and started sipping lukewarm water waiting for her husband to join.

"Mumma!" Her lips curved into wide smile finding her little baby walking towards her holding her favourite stuffed toy in one hand. She was still rubbing her eyes trying to find her mother, Ishita turned off the knobs and kneeled before Roohi.

"Good morning beautiful."

"Goo.....ning." Roohi replied sleepily hiding her face in her mother's bosoms. Ishita took her in her arms and walked towards the couch, it's her favourite time of the day when Roohi only needs her. The way she coocoons in her arms is enough to brighten up her day.

"You slept well?" Ishita kept caressing her open hairs, she kept Mintu next to her and snuggled against her mother chest.

"You're smelling yucky." Ishita mouth turned O looking at her daughter who scrunched her nose and then called her father seeing him coming out from the room taking his stuff along.

"Good morning princess." Roohi hopped on her father making him laugh. He patted his back and sat on the dining table whereas Roohi was still hung on her father like a baby bear. "Papa smells nice Mumma."

Ishita made a poker face on her daughter remark whereas Raman started to laugh on seeing Ishita face. "Then you stay with your Papa only, don't come to me." Ishita replied irritated and pissed, she sometimes feel jealous when Roohi choose Raman above her.

"Roo mumma is angry." Raman replied softly in Roohi ears. She opened her eyees and looked at her father, mischief startes to show on her face and she glanced at her mpther who was arranging table with the breakfast. Roohi waited until her mother settled down and sat infront of her.

Roohi stick her tongue out to get her mother reaction, Ishita bit her cheeks and pretended to read newspaper. She took newspaper from her hands and jumped on her lap, "Kya! Ab kyon aayi ho yahan?" (Why did you come to me now?) Ishita whispered dryly looking at another side.

"Offo buddhu Mumma." Roohi hit her head dramatically making her parents chuckle, she cupped her face with her little hands and pulled her nose, "Roohi toh bas morning masti kar rahi thi." (I was just teasing you Mumma.) She pressed sloppy kisses on her mother cheeks making her mother laugh. Their laughter resonated in the entire apartment making their mornings merry. Raman finished his breakfast and adjusted his shirt before started wearing blazer. He picked his bag and walked towards the door followed by Roohi and Ishita.

"By Roo. No masti okay." Raman kneeled before Roohi and kissed her cheeks making her grin. The couple shared an eyelock and Ishita waved him hand, as Roohi is growing up they have decided to keep their actions under control.

"Are Roo, Papa ka phone shayad room mein reh gaya hai, aap le aaoge?" (Roo looks like I forgot my phone in the room. Can you bring it for me?) Roohi ran towards bedroom and in meantime Ishita found herself caged in her husband arms. Before she could realise her lips were sealed for an urgent kiss, her back plastered against the wall as his tongue continued to devour the contores of her mouth making the butterflies flutter in her stomach.

"Now that makes my mornings complete." His words left her beetroot red and Ishita couldn't stop herself from hugging him. "I love you."

"I love you too wifey. Shaam ko ready rehna." Ishita hummed, meanwhile their little baby came back running. "Papa the phone was not there."

"Oh! I have kept it in my pocket. Sorry. Chalo bye." Raman pretended and winked at Ishita before making his way towards the elevator leaving his heartbeats behind.