It Happened One Night ✔️

Part 4: Bepanah Pyar Hai Aaja

Only Raavan Kumar could think of giving a toothbrush to a dentist. Paagal

Ruhi had made him buy that gift, but this one was from him alone, and she wondered what was in it. Some expensive jewellery perhaps.

Did he really think he could buy her forgiveness?  Did he think she was for sale?

For a brief moment, a bitter anger rose in her again. She thought about walking into his room, walking up to him, and throwing his present, wrapping and all, in his face. However, curiosity got the better of her. She should see what was inside. After all, she could always throw the opened gift in his face couldn't she?

But first she would see just what value the CEO of the Year, the great Raman Kumar Bhalla, put on the mother of his daughter, on his so called friend.

Disregarding Raman's admonition about opening the package slowly, she tore open the wrapping, the ripping paper sounding a discordant note in the otherwise still, silent room.

To her bemused surprise, what lay revealed was not a jewellery box, but a thick leather bound album.

Intrigued, and a little embarrassed by her earlier uncharitable thoughts about her husband, Ishita opened the album.

The photo of a baby, obviously not more than a few days old, lay revealed. The baby was looking solemnly at the camera with wide open eyes.

Ruhi. Her daughter. Her baby. Her Ruhi.

She would recognize her anywhere - that chubby face, scrunched up though it was, that beauty spot just below her cute button nose, and those solemn sad eyes.

She had never seen photos of Ruhi at this age before, and her eyes misted over as she stared at the newborn who would one day win her heart. She put forward a shaking finger, touching the photo softly, tracing the features which were imprinted on her heart. Ruhi. Her baby.

She blinked back a tear as she turned to the next page. To her surprise, the photo on the next page was one of her baby pictures, somewhat worn with age, but identifiably her, one that she had seen in amma's album many times. And she had the same solemn eyes as Ruhi.

She turned the page again, and there was Ruhi at a few months old. The next photo was of her at that age. The photos continued, one of Ruhi and then one of her, at similar ages, until she finally got to the photos of Ruhi now. A photo of Ruhi in her school uniform smiling happily at the camera. She caressed the print with trembling fingers, as she had the others before it, and then slowly turned the page.

The next photo was one of Ruhi and her together, both fast asleep, with her arms around Ruhi and Ruhi's hand entwined in her hair. They were in her bed, and the soft light of dawn bathed both their faces in a translucent glow. When had he taken this photo? It was so powerful, so beautiful, the trust between mother and daughter so evident even in their sleep, their love coloring and brightening each inch of the frame.

The tears which had threatened at the first photo were now streaming down her face, almost blinding her, almost obliterating her view of the note affixed to the next page. The page was otherwise empty, and her hands trembled as she picked up the note.

Ishita (the note read)
Turn to the last page before you read any further

Ishita quickly scanned past the other empty pages and turned to the last page. The photo on that page was of her, another candid shot that she did not know about. She was sitting on the sofa in their room engrossed in a book, her hair loose around her shoulders and her lips curved into a secret smile.