The Binding String

T W E N T Y - S I X

"Why are you sitting like this anyway?"

"My ankles are paining like hell. I shouldn't have danced wearing those stupid heels. The pain is killing me now Raman." He chuckled seeing her throwing herself on bed without caring to change her dress. He went towards wardrobe threw fresh pair of nightclothes towards bed making her open her eyes. "You change here, I will change in washroom." When he returned back he found her laid down with closed eyes, he took extra pillows and placed them below her legs and took place next to her.

"What you did?"

"You will feel better. Maa told me about it." Raman satisfied her curious mind and closed the lights. He tucked their bodies inside duvet and took her in his embrace. Ishita indeed slept after few seconds only but he was unable to get a wink, his mind repeatedly was thinking about the conversation he heard accidently in the party, somewhere he was having a feeling that the woman discussed in the party was Ishita, he twitched his lips and shurgged the thoughts. He didn't wished to be judgemental and reach on some conclusion, Ishita is an intelligent lady and enough to understand her right and wrong, there conversation he heard accidently could be for someone else as well. He didn't wished to reach on any conclusion so soon and he closed his eyes shutting the unwanted thoughts.

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YEAR 2013
AUGUST

"Puttar are you able to contact her? Do it Raman please." Santhosh looked at her son with tensed eyes who dejectedly nodded his head in negative after another unsuccessful attempt.

"Maa stop increasing your blood pressure. I'm trying it, right. Papa please take her inside. If her phone continued to be unreachable than me and Bala will lodge missing complaint." Raman assured his mother and mother in law continued to rub his forehead which appeared like going to explode anytime soon. Raman had returned back from South Korea in afternoon only and according to plan Ishita was supposed to join them by evening, the couple had planned to spend upcoming days with family but it was around eleven of night and there was no sign of Ishita. Her phone was repetitively coming unreachable and entire family was wondering what to do. Raman threw his jacket with a dejected face and covered his hands with his palms unable to get the reason behind his wife sudden disappearance. Her last phone call happened with Vandita in same afternoon when they discussed about evening plans and she promised her to meet at her in laws place by evening. The falling night was making Raman heartbeats thump rapidly, making impossible for him to think anything beyond his wife. "Bala leta go to police station. I cannot wait anymore" Raman spoke in haste seeing the watch showing half past eleven.

"But would they launch missing complaint? They won't launch before twenty four hours."

"What do you want then? I cannot sit idle when she is missing. You know how much Delhi is unsafe for ladies." The sexual crime rates towards women were increasing in Delhi day by day. The headlines of rapes and sexual assaults are going common with each passing day which was enough to make any family concerned for females of their family. Raman started to dial some numbers frequently and fetched the keys of his father car from key stand. He signalled Bala to come with him when a ring of door bell stopped them. He saw Vandita rushing to open the door and his mouth hung open seeing the sight in front of him. His wife was infront of him at last completely safe and fine. He took her in his embrace without delaying further and clutched her tightly failing to notice the Subramanyam presence beside her.

"Where the hell was you Ishita? Do you know how much worried we were for you."

"I am fine Raman. Stop exaggerating things. Look I'm fine." Her blunt clarification left everyone stunned her husband shocked but instead of backing out from her coldness he clutched her wrist in a deadly tight grip and dragged her inside of apartment.  "Yes we can see you're fine so explain us where you were. You was supposed to reach here by four or five and it's bloody eleven of night Ishita."
Raman repeated his question another time through gritted teeth and flared nose trying to suppress his anger which wasn't wasn't easy for him to do.