The Binding String

T H I R T E E N

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"Raman tell me where was you last night. Raman stop! You dare not to show me your back. Answer me dammit."

"That's none of your concern Mrs. Ishita and you better interfering in my matters."

"Are you drunk Raman? How can you be so insensitive despite knowing that I'm preg..."

"Stop you're melodrama Ishita. Your accuses will not affect me anymore. And I'm warming you for last time."

Ishita curled herself more on the rug keeping the broken phone in her hands where the picture of her husband was still floating with some random woman. The tears continued to trickle down from her hazel eyes, he again stabbed her heart, he again made her feel unworthy woman. She covered her face with her palms continued to feel dejected. She was glad that mummy Ji went only after making Roohi sleep, she needed some time for herself today, to reminisce the pain he gave her always. She crawled towards nearby bedroom fridge and took out bottle of whiskey. She poured it in glass and emptied it in one go.

Thank you for making me try this alcohol years back. Earlier it was for fun but now it's helping me in bearing your cheating and betrayals.

Ishita laughed at herself continued to drink for long hours until she passed out.

NEXT MORNING

When Ishita woke up from shrill tone of alarm she found the sunrays filling her room from everywhere, she wiped her eyes hard and glanced at table clock which was showing seven of morning. She got panicked at first but calmed herself reminding herself about early arrival of Neelu who's going to arrive early. She ran towards washroom with heavy head and splashed water on her face. Her eyes looked puffy and red, hairs appeared dishevelled, she caught the basin tightly finding the world spinning around her. Ishita hurriedly kept the bottle of whiskey back into fridge and ran towards maindoor hearing the sound of doorbell.

"Neelu please make Roohi ready for school today." She simply threw an order to her house maid and went back in her room continued to feel heavy headed. The last night was disturbing and filled with restlessness for her, Ishita shut her eyes tightly and tucked herself inside duvet not wishing to see anyone today, not even Roohi but before she could drown herself in deep sleep, continuous knocks on door made her open her eyes.

"What happened Neelu?"

"Bhabhi I made Roohi ready for school but can you drop her? Actually I have pain in my foot so I'm finding hard to walk." Ishita looked at Neelu intently and then her left foot which was wrapped in bandage. She nodded her head and asked her to wait for two minutes. Ishita hurriedly wore her clothes along dark shades to hide her eyes from world and Roohi and came out from her room. 

"Chalo Roohi." Ishita asked Roohi to follow her and they entered inside elevator.

"Goodmorning Mumma." Roohi sweet voice made Ishita stern expressions mellowed. She couldn't help to smile on her before shifting her attention back on closed doors of elevator. She took her hand in her and started to walk towards her school which was some five-seven minutes away. Ishita continued to walk securing Roohi's hand in her occupied with thoughts of her husband going intimate with his new mistress. She couldn't stop herself from thinking about the reaction she may receive from her colleagues and friends after going to university. And occupied with thoughts of her husband and his new stunt Ishita never realised when her daughter ran towards road sliding her hand from her Mumma.

Roohi realised her Mumma is a bored companion while walking towards school. Unlike her Mumma, Neelu didi talks her about everything, she tells her about trees names and flowers names, they sing poems and sometimes admire rising sun but her Mumma is a bored companion to take along. Even Papa is entertaining, he plays stereo while going to school and talks with her. Roohi scrunched her nose heading behind her angry mumma until a sweet and small puppy caught her attention.

"Who is this puppy? Yeh Pluto ka baby hai kya?" Roohi wondered to herself finding little puppy trying to cross road in heavy traffic. Roohi panicked with fear and ran in the direction where the pup was. Otherside as Ishita registered her daughter absence her eyes widened in shock, she clamped her mouth unable to believe that her little daughter was actually trying to chase a little puppy ignoring the heavy traffic on working day. She tried to run saving her from heavy crowd, to save her from any mishap still with heavy head and droopy eyes, under an effect of alcohol. Before Ishita could call Roohi she found a truck approaching her daughter, inches away from hitting her little Roohi and all she managed to screech her name aloud.

"Roohi!!!!"