CHAPTER SEVENTY SEVEN
'Because for all these years I have had to watch my father be a good dad and try and be a good husband but he wasn't happy. Everything he had in him he drowned to his work. I watched my mother love him one sided all these years because she always lived in the shadow of your mother but not once did she complain. We hold prayers every year in h=our house in memory of your mother every year because my mother figured trying to push the great Anjali Raizada out of papa's memory was going to be the greatest mistake she could do and she loved him too much to do so. So in a fit to just let him trust her, she just embraced it and it become a tradition in our house'' Said Ishana
'Why are you telling me this...'' Said Ishita again
'Then you showed up and all of a sudden it was like he become a different person. He was happier and seemed more content even when you were in the hospital he always knew you would be okay and he would finally get to make up for the time he lost. But then you just pushed him away and didn't even...'' Said Ishana as tears filled her eyes
'I don't understand how this is my problem...'' Said Ishita who truly felt bad but didn't want to show it
'It is your problem too because no matter what you say you have his blood in your veins. He is still you father...'' Said Ishana
'Oh dear he is most definitely not. Their needs a lot than just blood through ones' veins to be called a father'' Said Ishita as tears filled hers
'Well how will you know if he can be if you not willing to give him a chance? He is a good dad Ishita who loves his children more than himself. Right now he is miserable and it is even worse because he knows you're here but he can't do anything about it. ' Said Ishana as tears rolled down her face
'I can't forgive what he did...'' Said Ishita
'He didn't know that your mother didn't take the money. He was told that she accepted a substantial amount of money from grandmamma and in exchange for her walking away from him. Dad out of anger said yes to marry my mom and my mother being selfish because she loved him said yes to their wedding not caring about you or your mother. My father didn't know that your mother said No to that payment. When he found out that Anjali was still in Delhi he threatened to look for her and figure out why she had done what she did. You were about 2 and I was 1 and half. My mother got scared that her marriage was going to fall apart and told my grandmother that is how she ended up coming to your place that day, ' said Ishana
'No... No I don't believe you...'' Said Ishita
'It is the truth. She came to talk to your mother and convince her to let her take care of you two but your mother got scared because she thought that she was going to take you away from her so she left with you to Lucknow. I swear that is the truth. There is a diary from your mother that says everything up until the time she left Delhi. She wrote it to my dad but my grandmamma hide it until Raman walked into that door asking him to save you. Grad mama felt guilty and ended up giving it to dad. He didn't tell you about it because he did wrong by you both in so many ways and feels guilty so he thinks this is his punishment.'' Said Ishana
Ishita had tears flowing down her face as she remembered how her mother died in her arms, she remembered how she repeatedly told Ishita to always love no matter how hard and it just broke her heart all over again.
'Why are you doing this? What do you want from me?'' Said Ishita as tears flowed down her face
'My dad is not okay Ishita. He is a broken man even worse than he was all those years. Do you know how hard it as living in the shadow of a sister you never even knew? I didn't even know what to match up so that I try and be like you because none of us had ever seen you. I know my family has caused you so much pain and hurt but we are human. All I am asking is for you to give me a chance and try and give us a chance, we are not so bad I swear. I am not even asking for a lot just please give us a second chance. There will be a function at home in 3 weeks where we raise money for charity every year and I know this will give you ample time to think about it. I will be grateful if you come.'' Said Ishana before she stood up and walked out leaving Ishita there pondering what it is exactly she was supposed to do about such information
Raman had made his way down stairs when Ishana walked out and he guessed Ishita must have been going through a lot. He finally made his way into the living room where she was and he could see she had tears in her eyes. He wanted to tell her that everything would be alright but he knew that this is something she had to deal with on her own terms and in her own way so he just walked over to where she was. Like a good husband he sat next to her and put his arms around her holding her as she cried on his shoulder.
They stayed in each other's embrace not saying a thing to each other and Ishita feeling safe as she pulled herself into him some more into the comforting embrace of his arms. As Raman finally let go of her, he pulled her chin up such that her eyes faced his and he finally asked
'Are you okay?'' he asked to which she nodded in affirmation
As he was just about to say they go up stairs and just hang out there in walked Neelu
'Raman Sir there is a man at the door saying he is friend with Ishita madam...''
'Who is that...'' said Ishita
'I don't know madam...'' Said Neelu
'Okay fine let him in...'' Said Raman as he turned and looked at the direction of the door and who he saw walk in just pissed him off a little bit
'Hey...'' Said Tushar as he made his way into the room
'What the hell is happening today...'' Said Ishita who was a tad surprised
'Look I know you don't want to talk to me after everything but please just hear me out...'' Said Tushar
'What do you want?'' said Ishita out of curiosity
'Can we talk in private?'' Said Tushar
'No...'' answered Raman as he put his arm around Ishita
'Ishita please...'' Said Tushar
'You heard him, whatever you want to say you can say here...'' Said Ishita
Tushar looked at her and knew this was going to be a harder task than he had anticipated because the Ishita that was in that room was not the same Ishita he once knew
'Look I need your help, my marriage is falling apart. I don't know what else to do and who else to turn to...'' he said
'Yeah so how is that my problem...'' Said Ishita
'Ishana thinks that I didn't love her and she is asking for a divorce...'' Said Tushar
'Well I can't blame her...'' Said Ishita
'Please Ishita I am losing my family. She is pregnant you know. After years of trying and testing and failing she is actually pregnant and yet she wants to throw me out of her life. Please Ishita I am sorry for whatever I did to you. You never deserved that and maybe my reasons for marrying her were all wrong but I grew close to her and fell in love with her. I can't imagine my life without her.'' Said Tushar
'You remember the promise I made to you when you left me at the altar...'' Said Ishita as Tushar went down memory lane
'I PROMISE YOU. YOU WILL NEED MY HELP AND YOU WILL COME LOOKING FOR ME. WHEN YOU FINALLY DO I WILL REMIND YOU OF THIS MOMENT.''
'I told you, I always deliver on my promises and now look were we are ...'' Said Ishita
'Ishu please...I will do anything you want please'' Said Tushar
'There is nothing that I want from you Tushar and I am not as vile as you are that I will make you feel so low at your weakest. I am so sorry that you are going through this, I really am but your wife is not mad at you because I am mad at you. She is angry because you betrayed her trust. She is the one you should be telling all this not me because for me I don't care.'' Said Ishita
'she won't listen to me...'' Said Tushar who looked very dejected
'Then beg...'' Said Raman who by now was beginning to feel sorry for him as well
'Look you have to convince her that the man she fell in love with is still there somewhere. Whatever you think Ishita has to say won't make any difference as long as Ishana still feels like you never loved her in the first place.'' Added Raman to which Ishita nodded in agreement
'Get off your high horse and show her this side of you. This dejected miserable part of you...'' Said Ishita to which Tushar sat back in the chair thinking and realizing that they were probably right
'But you will still talk to her...'' Said Tushar
'I will try, it is not like she and I are best friends...'' said Ishita to which Tushar fell to his knees and said
'Thank you so much Ishita. You really are a good human being and a friend too...''
'Whoa slow down, you and I are not friends and never will be. I just feel sorry for that poor unborn kid. I really hope he brings out the good in you that is buried deep... deep down in you...'' Said Ishita looking at Tushar before she asked him to leave her house
Raman turned to her when Tushar walked out and said
'I am really proud of you Ishita...''
'Really... Why...'' she said surprised
'Because had been me I don't even think I would have listened to him. You're a better human being than I am...'' he said to which Ishita smiled and said
'Well thank you but I highly doubt that...''
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THE NEXT DAY
Mihika and Abhimanyu had been staying in the Bhalla mansion fro close to 3 months and they pretty much had come to the obvious conclusion that their sister was indeed in good hands and they really were not needed as first feared. So they were getting ready to go but Mihika was going to talk to her parents about her and Abhimanyu.
'Oh God I can't believe you are leaving so soon...'' Said Ishita
'So soon really... I have been living here for close to 3 months. I need to go back home and take care of my work and my babies too. I miss them...'' Said Mihika
'I know but still can't you stay some more days maybe...'' Said Ishita
'I have been postponing since last week...'' Said Mihika smilingly
'Well postpone again...'' Said Ishita
'Oh please I have spoilt you too much, besides I think Raman and you need to seriously spend some time together without you using us as an excuse all the time...'' Said Mihika
'No I don't...'' Said Ishita defensively
'Oh really... Let's see... Oh Raman I don't want to go out, Mihika and Abhimanyu will feel left out, oh Raman wouldn't it be nice if we went on a double date, oh Raman leave Mihika and Abhi to go to the movies in your car we can go some other time...''' Mihika mimicking Ishita until she interrupted
'Okay fine you made your point...'' Said Ishita as Mihika throwing her head back as she burst into laughter as Abhimanyu walked in
'Mihika I miss... Oh hey Ishita...'' he said suddenly holding his tongue
'Hey Abhi...'' She said looking at him as he stole glances at Mihika
'Oh My God could you just... ' said Ishita as she waved Abhimanyu a head
'What are you talking about?'' said Abhimanyu acting innocent
'Here I will close my eyes and you do your thing...'' Said Ishita as she closed her eyes and put her hands in front of her eyes just to comfort him that she wasn't looking
Abhimanyu smiled as he understood that she was just trying to tease him but still he was going to take full advantage because he hadn't seen Mihika all day since he had to work on Ishita's project. He slowly walked over to where Mihika was standing and placed a sweet wet kiss on her lips before he walked and sat next to Ishita saying
'Stop it Ishu seriously...'' as he pulled her hands down
'Are you sure you're done...'' she said again her eyes still closed causing Abhimanyu to shake his head and disbelief about how childish she was being
'Ishu...'' Said Mihika
'Nahi I want you to say Ishu I am done with the kissy kissy stuff...'' She said teasingly
Abhimanyu looked at Mihika who couldn't stop blushing and yet she was embarrassed at the same time. As he winked at her mouthing
'Should I...'' she just kept on shaking her head
Raman who was in the next room walked in to get a glass of water and could see Ishita with her eyes closed as she kept on saying
'Kissy... Kissy...''
He smiled knowing full well that she was making fun of these two because unlike Ishita Mihika wasn't a much of a public display of affection kind of girl like Ishita. He felt sorry for them and wanted to do something such that the tables turned. He grabbed his bottle of water from the fridge before he walked over to where she was sitting and slowly placed a warm soft wet kiss on her lower lip.
She quickly opened her eyes looking at him not believing he had actually done that. His face was so close to hers she could feel his breath on her face as he smiled at her, kissing her again and walking away as he said
'Stop teasing them...''
'Oh ho...Who wants more kissy kissy now...'' Said Mihika laughing to which Abhimanyu joined in as Ishita's face all of a sudden lit up like a red rose in snow
She smiled for a minute taking in the feeling that he always arose when he kissed her. It always felt like the first time he kissed her. She looked at him glowing as he walked away and started to chuckle
'Oh Ishu your okay, May be we should get you very cold water with lots and lots of ice...'' Teased Abhimanyu
'Oh stop it already...'' She said smiling before she let out a soft laugh
'Come one tell me did you do as I asked?'' She added looking at Abhimanyu
'Yeah I did... ' Said Abhimanyu
'Okay then... You're sure no one told him a thing... I don't want it to get spoilt...'' Said Ishita
'No one said a thing... It will just be the two of you. I even took care of the care takers. You have that whole house to yourself...'' Said Abhimanyu
'I think it is nice what you're trying to do for him...'' Said Mihika
'Yeah I know... This is long overdue... Plus it will also dub as my assignment for the week...'' She added
'Well I wish you all the best. I think you both do deserve this...'' Said Mihika
'Yeah me too and also please keep an open mind and just let lose...'' Said Abhimanyu
Ishita looked at them and begun to tear up because it finally dawned on her that she was really going to miss them since they were leaving when she and Raman were gone. She was going to genuinely miss them and she couldn't have been more grateful to them
'Thank you so for being here and for everything. I don't think there are more amazing siblings in this world like you...'' She said as she become teary eyed
'What... We said no tears and No thank yours...'' Said Abhimanyu as she pulled his chair in and hugged her
'Ishu... Stop getting all sentimental...'' Said Mihika as she dried her hands and joined in
'I will miss you two so very much...'' Said Ishita
'As we will you... ' Said Mihika as she and Abhimanyu hugged Ishita back
'Just try and get better okay...'' Said Abhimanyu
'I will I promise...'' Said Ishita
They stayed in each other's embrace for a while before Mihika jolted head back saying
'Oh God you need to go call Romi right now...''
'Oh yeah I almost forgot...'' She said before she grabbed her walking stick and run upstairs
She got inside and grabbed her phone walking to the balcony as she called Romi...
Romi had been away most of the time to handle the part of the business that Raman should have handled right before Ishita's kidnap. They were trying to make up for all the losses they had suffered during that period and he had been working hard.
He did a very good job that Raman had offered him a job aboard that he would have to handle for a couple of months and he gladly agreed understanding his brother had to take care of things at home as he was needed more there.
He had come back at home for a week just to relax a bit and unwind or at least that is the excuse he gave his family. The real reason for his being back had a little something to so with a very pretty doctor friend