The Binding String

T W E N T Y - N I N E

"What happened?" She raised her left brow looking curiously at Roohi who was pointing at something.
"You want that?" Ishita asked with amazement finding Roohi pointing towards the mangoes. She took Roohi hand in her and walked towards the shop.

"How does these mangoes cost bhiya?" Ishita asked sniffing the piece of totapari aam looking at vendor.

"150 Rs per kg bhabhi ji." The busy vendor replied. Ishita scrunched her nose and rolled her eyes finding the double rates for totapari aam.

"Stop making us fools. These mangoes are not more than 70 Rs kg." She argued keeping the piece back.

"You do not look like to buys vegetables daily mam. The mangoes costs alot." The vendor replied with serious face making Ishita flared her nose.

"Now I need to tell you if I buy vegetables or not? These are Totapari mangoes not Alphanso which you're selling on such high prices. Come on pack two kgs and stop making me fool. I won't pay you more than 140 Rs." She declared and stared the vendor with wide eyes making him go mum. The other ladies who were purchasing vegetables started to argue with vendor and Ishita successfully manged to buy the mangoes with the price she wished. Neelu and Roohi giggled as Ishita winked at them and and started towards home.

AN HOUR LATER

"Neelu have you checked Roohi's tiffin? It's not in sink." Ishita called Neelu who was arranging the vegetables inside vegetable basket. Neelu bit her tongue and passed apologising looks to bhabhi forgetting to check Roohi's lunch box. Ishita kept her empty mug and called Roohi who was nowhere to seen.

"She might be in her room bhabhi." Neelu reasoned later while chopping onions and potatoes for curry.
Ishita rubbed the back of her neck and went inside Roohi's room to call her but found the washroom lights on along sound of running water. She took the tiffin out from her bag and came out from room unable to spot little Roohi who was peeping out from washroom door with pale face. "See it's half eaten again." Ishita growled with irritation and passed the box to her. It was another consecutive day when her box came half finished, Ishita sat on sofa worn dejected face early not understanding what things she can do to make her eat the food. Ishita had no patinece left to make girl understand sweetly and she does not want to scold her. Indeed her and Raman's relationship improved little but her equations with Roohi didn't improved with a single percentage. Roohi is still a quiet child who mostly answers in yes or no and undoubtedly do the activities whenever she calls her for same.

"Roohi come out and bring your school diary along you." Ishita called Roohi as soon as she spot her peeping  out from room. She started to flip the pages of teachers remark section and sighted with relief  finding none. She closed the diary and looked at Roohi again who was shifting her weight from one leg to another, her body language was showing her nervousness and Ishita lost her all anger in those seconds. "You again left your lunch. I told you not to do that Roohi. Bolo kyon nahi khaya? Don't you like eating food?"

"Mumma.......I was eating but bell rang." Roohi managed to lie again praying and hoping her Mumma does not caught her. Otherside Ishita signalled Neelu to keep the tiffin back and serve fresh food in two plates. Roohi exceptionally remained silent during entire dinner and than ran inside her room but her behaviour left something odd in Ishita mind.

"Neelu ek baat bata Roohi ki teacher ne tujhse kuch kaha?" (Neelu has Roohi's teacher conveyed some message.)

"Nahi bhabhi aaj kal toh Roohi sabse pehle hi bahar aa jati hai." (No bhabhi Roohi usually arrives before her friends does.) Neelu informed keeping the leftover inside refrigerator.