The Binding String

S I X T E E N

An he laughed on himself, and continued to celebrate his success all alone.

******************

It was almost midnight when Raman entered inside his apartments making no noise. He expected everyone to asleep but his steps halted in tracks finding his mother seated in TV lounge reading some book in the light of floor lamp. Raman rubbed his eyes and remained glued at at his place finding his mother coming towards him. He smiled weakly when his mother took his laptop bag and passed him a glass of water.

"Aap soye nahi abhi tak?" (You didn't slept yet?)
Raman asked slowly seeing his mother looking towards him intently.

"Tu itni der bahar tha toh main kaise so sakti thi." (How can I sleep when i know you haven't returned back.) Santhosh replied making Raman sit beside her. "Congratulations Puttar. I came to know about your new deal. And you're going to become head of Asia Entrepreneurship Association." Santhosh wished Raman warmly making his eye welled up with tears. He became emotional when his mother patted his back with love, he rested his head on her lap feeling himself tongue tied.

"Aapko kitna bataya? Mihir ne?"
(Who told you? Mihir?)

"Nahi. Ishita ne." (No. Ishita.) Raman almost stopped his breaths with shock when his mother took Ishita name. He found hard to believe the discovery and blinked his eyes several times while looking at his mother who confirmed same with smile.

"Does she know about it?" Raman asked slowly, making his voice enough audible to his mother.

"Yes. She is the one who informed us." Santhosh confirmed same caressing her son head. "Maybe she still feels for you Raman." Santhosh dared to spoke further continued to hold her son hand.

"That's bullshit Maa. None of us feel anything for anyone. We never loved each other." Raman replied with closed eyes.

"Maybe. I would believed on same if I didn't came to know from Mihir Mihika how enthusiastically you spend the evening sitting in bar or if I didn't see Ishita crying bitterly on the news spreading against you." Santhosh spoke making Raman eyes widened. He gulped saliva hard finding his mother stern face and cold eyes.

"Does she......she know about it?" Raman managed to utter somehow still looking at her mother.

"Yes she does and it's shameful Raman." Santhosh spat with anger filled voice.

"It's not what it looks like Maa." Raman replied softly still looking at his mother.

"Then you need to explain her about that. I never expected such things from you Raman."

"Maa even you feel I'm a culprit?"

"It looks like that only Raman. How can you do that with Ishita."

"I haven't did anything Maa. Believe me."

"I have no reason to believe you. You're simply making true all the myth about men."

"That's the problem you and Ishita have Maa. You guys just believe on the common myths peoples practice but never try to listen what is the truth. Your daughter in law is no exception. She always accused me but never tried to listen or understand my point." Raman yelled with frustration making his mother go silent. "Maa men are not always wrong. Sometimes even they can trapped in serious situations." Santhosh gripped her son hand as he continued to tell her the events happening from last four five years.