Connected: A YHM Story ✔️

Chapter 8 - The One With The Bhalla-Iyer Clash

Raman stayed at the Iyer House for over an hour spending time with Ruhi. When he was about to leave and was at the door, Ruhi clung to his legs begging him to stay and asking why he had to leave, when all her friends' papa stayed with them. Raman managed to calm her down with a promise to come meet her very soon. Even though she relented, the frown on her face did not disappear. Raman and Ishita looked at each other with no idea how to cheer her up, when suddenly Ishita's eyes lit up with an idea.

"Ruhi, how about this? The next time you meet papa, you can meet all your relatives. Dada, dadi, bua, chachu, everyone. Is that okay?"

"Really mumma?! Yay!!!" Ruhi exclaimed as she started jumping around.

"Okay now calm down, Ruhi," Ishita said. "Go inside and tidy up your toys and coloring books. I'm going to see off your papa, then I'll be inside as well."

"Okay Ishimaa!"

As soon as Ruhi was out of earshot, Raman asked Ishita, "Are you okay with Ruhi meeting my family so soon? You didn't seem so fond of the idea when I broached the subject."

"Well, it was going to happen sometime and I think this is best for her. She should be able to meet her family now so she can cultivate lifelong relationships with them," Ishita replied.

"Thank you Ishita."

"For what?"

"For taking care of my daughter, especially in my absence. For keeping her interests above your own. You've really been a mother to her. More than her real mother ever was."

"No need to thank me Raman. I am her mother. It's my job to think of her well being before my own interests. And just because I haven't given birth to her, that doesn't make me any less of a parent than you are."

For some reason, Raman found more accusation than gratitude in Ishita's eyes and voice. "Is something wrong? Main to sirf tumhe thank you keh raha tha. Tum kahan ki baat kahan le ke jaa rahi ho? Where did this whole 'you being less of a parent' thing come from?"

[I was saying thank you. Where are you taking the conversation to?]

This man was just so insufferable, Ishita thought. Here he was thanking her for taking care of her own daughter and she didn't have the right to express even the slightest objection. Today he met Ruhi for the first time and spent less than a couple hours with her, but still he had the right to take her daughter away from her.

"What do you think, Raman? I'm her adoptive mother and you're her biological father. Mujhse zyada Ruhi ko koi nahi jaanta, aap to bilkul bhi nahi. Lekin phir bhi aap ka haq hai ki aap use mujhse door le ke jaa sakte ho. Aap mujhe paraya mehsoos karwa sakte ho jab ki Ruhi ki zindagi mein paraye to aap ho!"

[No one knows Ruhi better than I do, especially not you. But you still have the right to take her away from me. You can make me feel like an outsider in Ruhi's life, when the truth is that you're the outsider!]

How dare she, Raman thought. Who was she to decide that he was an outsider in his own daughter's life? How could she? He was not going to let one more piece of his life slip away from his grip. Not for himself, and not for his family.

"Enough Ishita! Tum ne Ruhi ka bahot khayaal rakha uske liye main haath jod kar aabhari hoon, lekin tum kaun hoti ho mujhe apni beti se paraaya karne wali? You are nobody to keep me away from my daughter. I'm her father goddammit. And I didn't leave her on purpose. I didn't even know I had a daughter until a couple weeks ago and now that I do, I'm not going to allow anyone to keep her away from me. Not even you. Especially not you."

[You've taken care of Ruhi very well, and for that I am eternally grateful. But who are you to keep me away from my daughter?]

"I'm not keeping her away from you, Raman. If I were, then neither would you be here nor would I have suggested she meet your family. Ruhi needs her father in her life so I would never keep her away from you regardless of the legality. You've only known about her for a couple of weeks and you just met her for a couple of hours. Even then, you got so angry with even the distant possibility of staying away from her. Think about me. I've been with her for two months now. Can you imagine how painful it is for me when there is a very real chance that you would take her away from me?"