The Binding String

F I V E

In the recent years the South Delhi became the affluent and upmarket residential area for upper middle class peoples to live. The south delhi often came in gossip sections of newspapers for the sophisticated looking thin legs teenage girls walking on the roads. After the most posh area of the city Luteyns, South Delhi became the another place of living for enfuential peoples. Raman Bhalla, fondly called as Happy in his family is the beloved younger boy of Santhosh and Om Prakash Bhalla. Being an intelligent and hardworking boy of middle class family, Raman Bhalla chose to find his own ways. Om Prakash Bhalla was an employee in Income Tax Department and retired with a dignity where his mother was a retired school teacher from model school. Raman's elder sister Simran, fondly called as Simmi completed her degree in Botanical Sciences and now working as a professor in a Punjab University. Raman parents own their own three bhk apartment in Mayur Vihar, East Delhi and somewhere always knew he is going to own the apartment after his sister marriage but the dream of having his own apartment never let him stay in the peace. The south delhi is one of the most happening places of the city and the young MBA graduate from IIM-A determined to have his own place their someday.

The Gulmohar Park colonised somewhere near 1960 in the South Delhi and recently developed into demanded and expensive areas. The sky touching buildings and air conditioned malls were the main center of attraction of the area. The Gulmohar Enclaves, the residential society colony was near to the south campus of Delhi University which became the main reason behind finalising the place. Raman always believed on the planning before execution, and the choosing house near her university campus was one of those. The city is not so safe for ladies and he didn't wished to cause any discomfort to her atleast. It was somewhere ten of night when their car entered inside the area of Gulmohar Park. The sky has been covered with clouds, covering the moon blocking it's natural light. He continued to snarl their car on the crowded roads which were less crowded now. He looked at the back seat through rear view mirror and sighed seeing their daughter who was fast asleep, curling her little body.

"How much time it will take more?"

"Maybe fifteen minutes." He replied still keeping his eyes on the roads. Ishita Bhalla gave a curt nod to her husband and rested her head on the glass panels of the BMW, the exhaustion was clearly visible in her eyes yet she didn't wished to blink her eyes for once instead she chose to admire the golden and silver street lights enlightening the roads of Gulmohar Park. It was almost ten of night but the crowd nowhere looked to settle down, the public low floor buses mostly occupied the roads, jamming the traffic. Such a busy city it is, Ishita wondered mentally irritated with the snail speed of the car. She didn't knew what was irritating her, the slow car ride or the uncomfortable silence she was bound to share with the man she hated most. There was a time when such slow car rides made her happy, she herself didn't remembered how many such rides they had took in the Hyundai Sentro he owned in past, the old car always gave her happiness but now she was not able to find those moments of comfort even in the expensive series of BMW.

The day turned out another hectic day for them, convincing three and half years old girl is not going to be an easy task for them. When she reached at Bhalla apartment along Raman her daughter's innocent words shook her hard. She knew that with the current scenario it would be hard for her to get along with the little child but she certainly didn't expected so much fear from her. Her big brown eyes filled with accuses when she saw her at doorstep and ran to her Dadu. They received an earful from Raman parents as the child refused to come with them.

"Mujhe nahi jana hai Dadu, please Dadi main apna doodh roz finish karoongi aur scool wali copy bhi nahi gandi karoongi. Please Dadi."
(Don't send me away Dadi. I promise I will not trouble you more and will keep my school notebook clean.)