The Binding String

F O R T Y - T H R E E

"If I'm not wrong you're Prof. Ishita Bhalla right?" Ishita quizzed her brows listening someone's voice. She looked at other side and found a man of her age smiling at her.

"Yes I'm. Who are you?" Ishita greeted the man with a smile trying to keep herself sober.

"Myself Manas Chaturvedi. We were batchmates in Post graduation if you remember." Ishita rubbed her eyes and then smiled widely recognising her fellow batch mate.

"I'm sorry Manas. That's a wonderful surprise to see you. How you came here?"

"Anuj and me are from same regiment. I appeared for CDS exam after my post graduation." Ishita nodded her head happy to see her fellow batch mate after so long. "That's so good Manas. I'm so so happy for you." Ishita patted her fellow batch mate back too happy and proud with his achievements.

"Come on Manas let's dance." Ishita heartily respect Manas since her college days. He is been a gentleman since college days and often helped her in college assignments and other stuffs and after years as she met him today she is so happy. They went on dance floor and shake their legs on the jazz beats, Ishita forgot her all the worries and became the youthful woman she is; a carefree youthful joyous woman uncared of world and free from every responsibilities. That's what she is going to be from tomorrow, no longer a mother and a wife.

Just Prof. Ishita Iyyer all by herself.

"Where is your husband anyway?" Manas patted Ishita shoulder and she shrugged off her shoulder in response making Manas laugh. Just few meters away her husband was dancing with a woman without caring of anyone's and if he can does that so can she. Afterall he stays with so many woman how does it matter if he is dancing with someone today as well. He is not faking atleast and showing his true colors infront of the world.

"Honge yahi kahi. We really don't bother about each other much." Ishita was tipsy and heartbroken shaking her feet with the beats of music, her hairs were falling on her back and few tendrils were caressing her face. She was lost in her world away from the heartbreaks and tears and kept dancing unaware of the fact that her husband had overheard her tipsy talks. He thanked his old schoolmate Sukirti with whom he was dancing and pulled Ishita in his arms leaving her startle.

"What the fuck you're trying to do here?" Ishita opened her eyes little more and met her eyes with Raman who was boring his eyes into hers like he may eat her anytime.

"None of your concern aur chodiye mujhe. Yeh aapki jagah nahi hai." (None of your concern and leave my hand. It does not belong to you anymore.) Ishita barked back at Raman while trying to wiggle out from his grip.

"Mujhe tum se seekhne ki zaroorat nahi hai ki  mujhe kahan hona chahiye aur kahan nahi and wait a minute, tumne sharab pee hai?" (I don't think I need to learn it from you where I should be and where I shouldn't be and wait are you drunk?) Raman questioned back to Ishita and passed her wrist little tightly making her hissed due to pain.

"That's none of your concern Raman Bhalla. Chodo mera haath." (That's not your point of concern and leave my hand.) Ishita tried to free herself from his grip but it doesn't worked instead she found herself plastered against her husband chest more firmly then before.

"Kyon mera haath chod kar kisi aur ka haath thaamne ki zyada jaldi hai tumhe?" (Are you eager to hold someone's else hand?) Raman taunted his wife still dancing keeping her in his arms.

"Kisi aur ka haath thaamne ki jaldi toh aapko thi Raman aur yeh sach main jaan chuki hoon." (It's you who is looking forward to hold someone's else hand and I'm aware with this truth.) Ishita's eyes were red with rage and tears, the tears which she hid from him eventually made its way from her eyes and ended up on her cheeks.