The Binding String

F I V E

Her brown watery eyes, the innocent pleads somewhere stabbed her heart hard. The way she ran away from her again and again realised her failure a mother, the responsibility she never wished to take. She took a deep breath a thanked her husband mentally who cajoled the little child.

'Roohi I promise wahan pe hum bohot saare games khelenge and do you know wahan big wala park bhi hai."
(Roohi I promise we will play lots of games their. And do you know the society has a big playground as well.)

"Aap kheloge Roohi ke saath? Aap toh kabhi nahi khelte Roohi ke saath."
(Will you? But you never plays with me.)

"Hmm and Mumma bhi."
(Yes and your mother will play with you as well.)

She didn't knew how a hot tempered punjabi managed to handle the little child with patinece but his sensibility amazed her when he kept Roohi's little palm in their and promised her. She turned turned her neck to backside just to check the girl and rested her head against the window.

"Chalo utro, hum pohoch gaye." (We have reached.) She stretched her hands lazily to relax her muscles and collected her bag before stepping down in the parking area of The Gulmohar Enclaves. She found no surprise when she gazed the sky touching residential society where they were supposed to live now. Four years back when they came to check the apartment, the building was proposed to have twenty five floors. She tightened the straps of her footwear continued to admire the two separate towers having twenty five floors each.

What he wished he got. Ishita exclaimed mentally somewhere happy for her not so soon to be ex husband.

"Apni gardan ki stretching karna ho gaya ho toh aakar Roohi ko uthaaogi?" (Can you care to pick Roohi if you're done with you're done with your neck stretching.) Raman was done looking at his wife who was occupied in admiring the society. He opened the trunk of his car and placed the three suitcases on the concrete floor of the parking area.

"Main?" (Me?) Ishita who was about to take her own suitcase stopped hearing her husband words.

"Nahi main. Mere paas paanch haath hai na, teen se yeh teen VIP utha loonga aur do se Roohi." Raman replied sarcastically passing weird looks to his wife.
(No, not you. I will pick her up. After all I have five hands, three to pick these suitcases and rest of two, to pick Roohi. Ok.)

"Toh aap Roohi ko le lo. I will take these suitcases." Ishita shrugged her shoulders looking back at him.
(Even you can pick Roohi. I can take care of these suitcases.)

"Oh please. Tum khud ko sambhaal lo yahi bohot hai. I can take care of these stuffs." (Do me a favour and handle yourself only. I am here to manange rest of stuffs.) He didn't waited for her reply and started to stroll the two carry bags towards the elevator of Tower-A. Ishita opened the backdoor of the car and started to look at the sleeping child with tentative eyes. Roohi absolutely appeared innocent lost in her own dreamworld, unaffected from her soft shoulder length hairs which were troubling her. Ishita covered her legs with the shawl she covered with her earlier. Ishita kneeled down and fastened the flip-flops in her feet before carrying her in her arms. As soon as she picked her, the little girl wounded her arms around her neck. The gesture of little girl somewhere warmed her heart and she couldn't help to stop herself from caressing her back. Raman who was waiting for them at a distance of few steps returned back towards car and closed the door after covering the girl with shawl.