The Binding String

T H I R T Y - T H R E E

"Me and Mumma!" Roohi clapped her hands seeing a beautiful frame of her and Mumma kept on the desk.

"When you clicked this picture Papa?"

"When Rooh woke up from sleep and cuddled with Mumma who came after taking bath." Raman replied pulling her little nose. She jumped another time making her Papa laugh and he made her sit on his chair. Roohi loved everything around her, the attention she got, the love Papa showered on her and yes no compulsion for studies. "Papa what does you do here?" Roohi asked sometime later still seated on the revolving chair where her Papa was working on some on his laptop.

"Umm work. We do business and for that we employe peoples." Raman replied with smile, hoping if he can explain the terminology business to his daughter in easy manner. "Chalo Roohi,  now complete the work Mumma asked you to do."

"No Papa. Please. Let's play together." Roohi passed puppy looks to her Papa.

"No Papa. Come on let's play."

"Rooh please baby." Raman made more puppy face enough to change his daughter mood. Raman kept the book on the desk and asked her to finish the pages soon. "Rooh see if you finished doing this work than Papa would let you watch cartoon and we will eat whatever you wish." Raman proposed an offer and Roohi's eyes twinkled with joy.

"Sacchi Papa? But the tiffin Mumma send?"

"Leave it upto Papa. You will get whatever you want." Roohi started to write the page without further delay seated on her Papa lap otherside Raman continued to check his emails without disturbing her. The father daughter duo remained engrossed in their work until Mihir appeared proving that his timing are bad. Roohi left the page half done and ran to play with her Mihir chachu and everything went out of control from Raman Bhalla hand after that. Mihir arranged a little party for Roohi where all the newly appointed young recruite were invited along the kids of staff members who stays in day care center of office and they danced and played entire day.

Later that evening, Roohi had lots of stories of her day to share with her Mumma, her excitement shone from her eyes and voice giving enough idea to Ishita how much her little daughter enjoyed her day with her father unlike with her Mumma. Ishita kept nodding her head in affirmation listening her talks but she wasn't failing in passing you-lost-the-bet looks to her husband. "Mumma from tomorrow I will go with Papa office only." And the next line from Roohi made them realised that they failed in their plan. Roohi later ran to neighborhood to play with her favourite friend Pluto but everything happening with her was enough to worry Ishita.

"I'm sorry yaar Ishita. I tried to make her study alot but Mihir spoiled everything. We cannot even blame him. He had no idea about our plan." Ishita came out from her bubbles of thoughts and nodded her head listening her husband apology.

"That's fine Raman. Do you know I'm getting repetative messages and calls from Ms. Ritika about sending Roohi back to school. If it continued to do so than I don't think if Roohi would ever be agreed to attend school."

"Yes even I was thinking same while coming back from office. Pata nahi aisa kya hai jo yeh nahi bata rahi hai. Doesn't she trust us?"

"Maybe not." Ishita replied shrugging her shoulders. "Raman come with me." She took her husband in Roohi's bedroom and started to show him all the workbooks of her, "See she is easily learning new things. From no angle we can think if she is finding issue in learning. Dekho yeh sab." Raman looked at at the workbooks of Roohi, the initial sum looked correct so that the spelling mistakes were less than before. The one week of personal attention really helped in improving her studies as well as in her personality. The changes were worth to notice in Roohi's behaviour, she became more obedient and nodded vocal about her wishes infront of her parents and the changes were worth to appreciate. Roohi's eating habits weren't improved but she started to act disciplined more, Ishita didn't have to force Roohi for studies anymore, if Ishita didn't sit with her and assigns something to Roohi, the girl mostly completes her work without creating any fuss and the same was with Raman. He mostly teach her mathematics with fun, giving her examples with crayons or the pots and his attempts never went fail. Roohi always learnt the things her parents taught her with love and it was prove that she was not running away from studies atleast.