Friday 29 August 2014
7.30 pm
Iyer Residence

"Vishwa, what is wrong with Ishu? Why is she acting so strange? Ab dekho na, woh kisi "friend" ke saath koi function mein jaa rahi hai. Kehti hai New Zealand mein mili thi. ( Now she says she is going out with a friend to a function, someone she met in New Zealand) Ishu was always so reserved. All these new friends, going out, this is not our Ishu, Vishwa"

"No, no Madhu, don't overreact. She's getting married soon, her life is going to change, this is probably just a reaction to that. Give her some time to adjust. And yes, Abhi called me. He is going to be a little delayed. He will be back on Tuesday now."

"Vishwa, mein toh bas chahti hoon ki Abhi aa jaaye aur shaadi announce ho jaaye. Bas."
(Vishwa,  I just want Abhi to come back and their wedding to be announced soon)

Mr & Mrs Iyer were sitting in their living room, discussing Ishita. She had come home from work and announced that she was going to a function that night with someone she had met in New Zealand.

"Kaun hai kanna ?" ( Who is it dear) Amma had asked. "Is she coming here to pick you up?"

"No amma, the function is at the Taj Oberoi. We will meet up there. I'll introduce you later, very soon."

"Kya naam hai tere friend ka Ishita?" (What is your friends name Ishita?)

"Aiyyo" Ishita thought to herself. "Now I have to tell another lie. Thank God Miku is working late, or she would have grilled me even worse. Kya kahoon? Raavan Kumar ka naam toh nahi bataa sakti na!" (What can I do? I cant tell them Raavan Kumars name)

"Sita" she fibbed, her Raavans moniker giving her sudden inspiration. "Accha, amma, I have to get ready." And she had escaped to her room, even as her parents gave bemused glances at each other.

Mrs Iyer glanced set her husband, who had picked up his Tamil paper.

"Aiyyo Vishwa, aur yeh Sita kaisa naam hai? ( What kind of name is Sita?) Who is named Sita these days?"

"Which Sita, amma?" Vandu called out from the open doorway.

"Vandu, Bala, Shravu. Aao na. Kitna acha surprise" Mrs Iyer jumped up and hugged her grandson, who was looking annoyed. (Come in. Such a nice surprise)

"Amma, don't mind Shravu, he had a cavity filled today, so he is a bit grumpy. Bala said we should come and visit, toh Shravu bhi thoda entertained ho jayega" (Bala said we should come and visit so Shravu will also be entertained for a while)

"Accha kiya Bala, Vandu." Mrs Iyer took Shravu into her lap. "Ab dekho na, Miku is working late and Ishu is going out to some function. You saved us from getting bored." (Its good you came, Bala, Vandu. Mihika is working late and Ishu is going out to some function. You saved us from getting bored )

"Ishu is going out, amma?" Bala asked quietly.

"Haan, uski koi new friend hai, New Zealand mein mili thi. Uski koi function hai. Ready ho rahi hai." ( Yes, with a new friend she met in New Zealand. To some function. She's getting ready now.)

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7.35 pm
Raman Bhalla's Room/Ishita Iyers Room

"Wow papa, aap kitna handsome lag rahe ho" Ruhi said tentatively from the door to her papa's room. (Wow Papa, you look so handsome)

Raman turned around from the mirror. He was dressed in a black tuxedo, his black shirt set off by a narrow pink bow tie. His short hair and freshly shaven face made him look years younger than his age, and a nervous smile played on his face as he fingered the single pink rose he held in his hands.

"Ruhi, wahan kyun khadi ho beta? Come inside." (Ruhi, why are you standing there baby? Come inside)

"Simi bua said aap ko disturb mat karo, aap naaraz honge, hamesha ki tarah." (Simi bua said not to disturb you, you'll get angry like you always do)

Raman sighed and, laying the rose on the dressing table, walked up to his daughter, gathering her into his arms.

"Mein naaraz nahi hoonga Ruhi. And Papa is sorry for being angry with you in the past. Baat kya hai beta, papa was sad before, toh gussa karte theh. But now papa is very happy, aur mein promise karta hoon, apni Ruhi chuhi se ab kabhi gussa nahi karoonga" ( I won't get angry Ruhi. And papa is sorry for being angry with you in the past. You see, Papa was sad before, that's why he got angry. But now I'm very happy and I promise you, I'll never be mad with my Ruhi again)

"Aww papa"Ruhi threw her arms around Raman, planting a soft kiss on his cheek. "Kitne soft soft lag rahe ho Papa" she said with a giggle. "Kahan ja rahe ho? Ishima ke saath date par?" ( Aww Papa. You feel so soft Papa. Where are you going? On a date with Ishima?)

"Haan beta" Raman put Ruhi down, moving to the dressing table and picking up the rose again. "Ruhi beta, papa ka ek kaam karogi?" (Yes baby. Ruhi darling, Can you do something for papa?)

"Kya papa?" (What papa?)

"Yeh rose chupke se ja kar apni Ishima ko de do gi?" (Can you go and give this rose to Ishima secretly?)

"I see papa. Aap chahte ho ki Ishima yeh rose pehne, aap ke date par" ( I see papa. You want Ishima to wear this rose on your date?)

"Haan meri dadima, mein yehi chahta hoon. Aap yeh rose ke kar jao, aur papa hotel jaa rahe hai. Aur haan, Ishima se kehna, papa said don't be late. Now come here, give Papa a kiss"( Yes, my grandmother. That's exactly what I want. You take this rose to Ishima and papa is going to go to the hotel. And tell Ishima, papa said not to be late. Now come here and give papa a kiss)

Ruhi let her father kiss her for a few seconds before squirming out of his grasp and running away. "Bye papa" she called out as she ran straight into the Iyer apartment.

Vandu looked up as Ruhi came barrelling in through the door.

"Hello Ruhi" she said with a smile.

Ruhi smiled back at her, ignoring the scowl that Shravu greeted her with.

"Hello aunty. Ishima kahan hai?" ( Where is Ishima?)

"Kya" Vandu said with a frown, mishearing "Ishita " for the "Ishima" said by Ruhi. "Aise naam nahi lete Ruhi. You should say Ishita aunty. She's in her room"
(What? You shouldn't take her name like that Ruhi. You should say Ishita aunty. She's in her room)

"Oops sorry" Ruhi realised her mistake. "Can I go to Ishita aunty please?"

"Haan jao" Mrs Iyer said and Ruhi ran into Ishita's room. (Yes, go)

Ishita was standing by her dressing table, a vision in pink.

The tissue silk clung to her curves, emphasising and flattering at all the right places, the matching blouse a perfect fit. Her long black hair flowed down her shoulders to her back, like a black raven on a pink perch. Her face was softly made up, her eyes emphasised with kohl, her lipstick as pale a pink as her sari.

The jhumkas and bangles that had accompanied the sari glittered subtly on her ears and hands. Her neck was unadorned, and the clean lines of her collarbone lay exposed, as if inviting someone's touch.

"Ishima, you're so pretty"

Ishita twirled around to see Ruhi standing in the doorway, her precious pink rose clutched in her hand. She held out a hand to the little girl who happily ran to join her.

"Come, sit here with me Ruhi" she led Ruhi to the bed and they sat together, hands clasped, backs to the doorway.

"Aap papa se bhi pretty lag rahe ho" Ruhi giggled. ( You're even prettier than papa)

"Of course mein papa se bhi pretty hoon. Papa girl kahan hai? Woh pretty kaise lagenge?"( Of course I'm prettier than papa. Papa isn't a girl, how can he be pretty?)

"I mean papa se bhi handsome" Ruhi giggled again. (I mean more handsome than papa)

"Acha, kya papa very handsome lag rahe hai?" (Is papa looking very handsome?)

"Haan, lag rahe hai. Woh bahut excited hai Ishima, aap ke saath date par jaane ke liye. Aur yeh dekho, yeh gift bheja hai" she held out the rose. ( Yes, he looks very handsome. And he is so excited about your date Ishima. Look, he sent you a gift)

Ishita took the rose from Ruhi. "Ek aur gift? Kitni pretty hai yeh" (Another gift? It's so pretty)

She busied herself with attaching the rose to her hair while Ruhi gazed adoringly at her.

"Ishima, papa ne aap ko best gift kya diya hai?" (Ishima, what's the best gift papa has given you?)

"Meri Ruhi" Ishita said immediately pulling Ruhi towards her. "Papa ki best best best best gift toh sirf Ruhi hai. Jis din Ruhi ne mujhe mumma kaha, us din mujhe world ki best gift mil gayi" ( My Ruhi. My Ruhi is the best best best gift Papa has given me. The day Ruhi called me mumma, I got the best gift in this world)

"Sachi?" ( really?)

"Muchi" (Yes, really) Ishita banged her forehead to Ruhi's then grabbed her daughter in a bear hug. "Ishima loves you beta"

"I love you too Ishima. Ab aap jao, papa ne kaha aap se kehna, don't be late" (Now you go. Papa said to tell you don't be late)

"Papa can wait, mujhe apni beti se thoda pyar karna hai" Ishita said with a mock scowl, tickling the giggling Ruhi, sending her into paroxysms of mirth. (Papa can wait, I need to love my baby a little bit first)

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Bala quietly moved away from the side of the door, having overheard their entire conversation.

He had been weighing up how to confront Ishita about Raman, but the love and comfort between Ishita and Ruhi gave him pause. He had heard the love and the happiness in her voice, the adoration in Ruhi's. It had been a long time he realised, a long time since he had seen such joy in his sister in laws face.

Bala loved Ishita like a sister. He carried with him a burden of guilt over how his own brother, Subbu and his mother had treated Ishita, and he wanted nothing but the best for her.

He could not bring himself to ruin her evening.

He needed to sleep on this, he realised, needed to think of the best way to tackle this matter, to work out how to speak to Ishita. He needed to find out if what was happening was not indeed for the very best.

He would let things be tonight. But tomorrow, tomorrow he would find out more. Tomorrow he would sort things out.

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Sajna hai mujhe sajna ke liye
Zara uljhi latte sawar loon
Har ang ka rang nikhaar loon
Ki sajna hai mujhe sajna ke liye

Paani pade tan pe toh shola nikle
Jaane kaise agan mein badan jale
Din bhar ki thakan utar loon
Har ang ka rang nikhar loon

Ki Sajna hai mujhe sajna ke liye

Ang ang dholoon zara malmal ke
Phool si mehek uthi mein khil ke
Titli se pankh udhar loon
Har ang ka rang nikhar loon

Ki sajna hai mujhe sajna ke liye

Sajh dhaj ke mein zara ban than ke
Baan chalaoongi nainain ke
Aaina zara nihar loon
Khud apni nazar utar loon
Ki Mein toh saj gayi re sajna ke liye.
Mein toh saj gayi re sajna ke liye