Monday September 2014
Raman Bhalla's bedroom
Three AM

Raman woke up with a start, bolting upright as his hand groped for the light switch. "Ishita" he called out as light flooded into the room. He looked around, expecting to see his wife in the bed next to his, then realised with a start that he was at home, that they were no longer in the hospital, and that Ishita was back at the Iyers.

He glanced at the bedside clock and saw that it was three am. A sense of dread assailed him, and he threw back the bedcovers, sliding his feet into his slippers. He had the strongest feeling that Ishita was in strife, that she needed him.

The next moment he strode out of his bedroom, ignoring the ache in his bandaged arm, headed for the main door. He opened the door and stepped into the passage between his apartment and his in-laws, and then stood hesitatingly.

Everything was quiet in the dull cool Delhi night. He could hear no sound, no activity from the Iyer's apartment. How then could he justify disturbing his in laws? And yet the feeling persisted, the feeling that Ishita needed him, that she was calling him.

As he stood hesitating, the door to the Iyer apartment opened...

*****************************************
Iyer Apartment
Five Minutes Earlier

"Ishu, Ishu, its okay kanna, why are you crying? Ishita utho beta, its okay, sab kuch theek hai"
(Ishu, Ishu, its okay kanna, why are you crying? Ishita wake up dear, its okay, everything is okay)

Ishita gasped as her mothers voice dragged her out of the nightmare that had terrified her into incoherent tears. She opened her eyes and looked around wildly. She was in her room, amma's arms around her, Mihika beside her, her face clouded with worry.

"Raman" she cried out "Amma, Raman kahan hai? Woh Raman ko maar dale ga. Please, Miku, where is Raman? Help him, please, they will kill him"
(Raman. Amma, where is Raman? They will kill Raman. Please, Miku, where is Raman? Help him, please, they will kill him)

Akka" Mihika sat down beside Ishita and took her hand in hers. "Who will kill jeeju? Jeeju apne ghar mein hai na, he is fine, aap ko kyun aisa lagta hai? Its okay akka, you're just having a bad dream"
(Akka, Who will kill jeeju? Jeeju is in his house, he is fine, why are you thinking like this? Its okay akka, you're just having a bad dream)

"No" Ishita insisted, turning her tear stained face towards Mihika. "Ashok ... Woh Raman ko... Raman kahan hai Miku?" She looked around wildly, trying to get off the bed. "Mujhe uss ke paas jaana hai. I have to go to him."
(No, that Ashok will do something...to Raman. Where is Raman, Miku? I have to go to him)

"Akka its three am, jeeju will be sleeping. Aap uss se subha mil lena. Abhi aap so jao please" Mihika said helplessly, as she tried to restrain Ishita.
(Akka its three am, jeeju will be sleeping. You can meet him in the morning, go to sleep now please)

Her sister was usually so strong, so level headed, that this avatar of hers, this vulnerability, this unreasoning anxiety scared Mihika. But Ishita would not be held back. Tears streamed down her face as she pleaded with her amma and Mihika

"Please" she whispered. "Just let me see that he is fine. I wont disturb him. Amma please"

"Ishu beta, you stay here, I'll call Raman" It was Mr Iyer, awakened from his light sleep by the noise in his daughters room, he had come to enquire, and his heart ached at the sight of his daughters tears.

"But Vishwa" Mrs Iyer said in a shocked voice, walking up to her husband "It's the middle of the night. Aise kaise...?"

"Its okay Madhu, I'm sure Raman wont mind. And Ishu needs him right now" Mr Iyer reassured his wife.

"Vishwa, she is so strong, this is not like her. Kya ho gaya hamari Ishu ko? Woh theek toh ho jayegi na?"
(Vishwa, she is so strong, this is not like her. What has happened to our Ishu? She will get better won't she?)

"Sabkuch theek ho jayega Madhu. Don't worry" (Everything will be fine Madhu. Don't worry) And with these words of reassurance, Mr Iyer walked to the front door.

*******************************************
The door to the Iyer apartment opened and Mr Iyer stepped out. He was somewhat nervous at what he was about to do, but his daughters tears compelled him.

He stepped towards the Bhalla's front door and then stopped in shock.

Raman was standing outside, looking intently at him.

"Raman" Mr Iyer exclaimed. "Tum is waqt..."
(Raman, you here, at this time...)

"Appa, I ...I just felt that Ishita is calling me, that something is wrong. Isi liye mein...Lekin aap yahan kyun? Is everything allright? Ishita..." Raman's panic returned and he grabbed his father in law's shoulder. "Appa please tell me"

"No no Raman beta, aisa kuch nahi. Woh bas Ishita had a nightmare, thodi se ghabda gayi hai, aur tumhe dekhna chahti hai, is liye mein..."
(No no Raman. Its nothing like that son. Ishita just had a nightmare and she's a little disturbed and she wants to see you, that's why I came...)

Mr Iyer was left talking to himself as Raman rushed past him and ran into the Iyer apartment.

**********************************************
Ishita's Bedroom

"Ishita"

Raman strode into the bedroom, past his mother in law and sat on Ishita's bed, taking her into his arms as Mihika stood up.

"Raman, aap theek ho. Mein ne socha..." Ishita babbled incoherently through her tears, throwing her arms around Raman, her body pressing against his, her tears staining his t-shirt as she buried her face in his shoulder.
(Raman, are you okay? I thought...)

"Shhh..shhh...Ishita...baby..its okay. Mein aaa gaya hoon na. Its okay, everything's okay. Bas...ab chup. Shhh" Raman tightened his good arm around Ishita, ignoring the ache in his injured arm as he slowly stroked her hair with it.

He lifted his head and looked at Mrs Iyer and Mihika.

"What happened?"

Mihika looked at her periamma and then at her nod, she moved closer to the bed.

"Jeeju, its nothing. Akka had a nightmare. She kept on saying that Ashok was going to kill you, that something had happened to you, that she needed to see you. Bas, she wouldn't listen to us that you are fine, that you were in your home."

Raman nodded briefly and then turned his attention back to his wife.

"Hey" he whispered in her ear, his arms still tight around her. "Im here aren't I? Mujhe kuch nahi hua hai. So I need you to stop crying now biwi. Dekho, tum Mrs Raavan Kumar ho. Hona? Toh phir meri Jhansi ki Rani, Raavan ki biwi aise kaise ro rahi hai, hmmm?'
(Hey, I'm here aren't I? Nothing has happened to me , so I need you to stop crying now biwi. Look, you're Mrs Raavan Kumar, aren't you? Then my Jhansi ki Rani, Raavan's wife shouldn't cry like this, hmmm?)

Ishita's tears had subsided and she was still in his embrace as Mihika dragged her periamma out of the room.

"Jeeju, I'm making filter coffee. I'll get you some in a while" she said as she closed the door behind her.

**********************************************************************************************************
Ishita lifted her tear stained face off Raman's shoulder and stared up at him. She knew she had created a scene, had been unreasonable and had acted more like a child than the grown woman she was, but she could not help herself. Her nightmare had been vivid, images of Raman being trapped by Ashok, being shot, his blood ebbing out... She shuddered and threw herself into his arms again.

"Hey, hey Ishita, what now hmmm?' Raman's voice was laced with anxiety as he pulled her away slightly, wiping her tears with his hand.

In response Ishita laced her fingers through his hair and pulled his head down towards hers. He hesitated for a moment then covered her lips with his, softly, gently as he poured all his love and reassurance into her. Ishita strained against him, the fears and anxieties of the past few days, the emotions of the past few minutes too much for her. She wanted nothing but to be his, wanted to bind him to herself so that he would never leave, wanted to keep him captive by her side forever, so she could keep him safe. She deepened the kiss, opening up to him until he moaned and pushed her back on the pillows, his lips hot against hers as his fingers caressed her through her thin nightgown.

The next moment he pulled away, running his hand through his hair, his breathing heavy as he sought to restrain himself.

"Raman" Ishita whispered, her own breathing ragged, putting her hand forward towards him, beckoning him back into her arms. "Take me home with you please. I cant stay here without you."

He grabbed her hand and smothered it in kisses. "Baby, no, I promised your amma that you would stay here until you've recovered. I've caused a lot of hurt to your parents Ishita, I don't want to make things any worse. Now, I want you to close your eyes and go back to sleep. No more nightmares okay. Nobody can do anything to me while I am with you."

"Then stay here with me Raman" she whispered as he stroked her hair gently, pulling the covers over her.

"I'm here" he replied. "Go to sleep, I'm here"

*********************************************************************************************************
She had drifted back to sleep ten minutes later when Mihika and Mrs Iyer knocked softly on the door. Raman was sitting by her side, his good hand still covering hers, his injured hand on her hair, stroking slowly despite the pain that was evident on his face.

Mihika walked up to Raman, a cup of coffee in her hand.

"Coffee, jeeju" she said quietly putting the cup on the bedside table. "Bahut dard ho raha hai, aap ki haath mein"
(Is your hand very painful?)

"Nahi Mihika, its ok, its fine, and coffee baad mein, I need to get back to bed. I have some early meetings" He caressed Ishita's head softly one last time and then stood up, gazing at her tenderly before tearing his eyes away.

"She should be okay now Mihika, amma" he said softly, moving away from the bed. "Woh shayaad kuch zyaada ghabda gayi hai with all that's happened with Ashok. But hopefully she'll sleep through the night now. Mein ne ek sleeping pill khila diya hai. Bas please aap abhi Ishita ko akela mat chodhna, just in case..."
(She should be okay now Mihika, amma. She was just disturbed by all that's happened with Ashok. But hopefully she'll sleep through the night now. I've given her a sleeping pill. Just please don't leave her alone, just in case.....)

His words trailed off as his eyes filled with unbidden tears. He brushed them off impatiently and stepped into the doorway.

"Raman"

Raman looked around in surprise at the hand on his arm. It was amma.

"Raman" she repeated, moved by the sincerity of his obvious love for her daughter. "Tum yahin ruk jao, Ishita ke paas." (Raman, you stay here with Ishita)

Raman smiled at his mother in law. He knew in that moment just how much she loved her daughter, to invite him to stay despite her feelings about their relationship, her adamant stance that their marriage was not valid unless it had been sanctified before God.

"Amma, no, Ishita ko abhi aap ki zyaada zaroorat hai. Aap se achi tarah uska koi abhi khayal nahi rakh sakta. Woh bas thoda dar gayi thi, isliye mujhe dhoond rahi thi. Let her sleep in, in the morning, mein office se call karta rahonga."
(Amma, no, Ishita needs you the most now. Nobody can take care of her like you can. She was just a bit frightened, that's why she was looking for me. Let her sleep in, in the morning, I'll call from the office)

He nodded at amma and then looked back at his sleeping beauty one more time.

"Goodnight sweetheart" he whispered as he left. His face changed as he walked out "Ashok, you bastard. I won't leave you. You will pay for this."

*********************************************************************************************************
Mr & Mrs Iyers Room
Half an Hour Later

"Madhu, ab so jayo. Ishu is fine, sleeping pill liya hai ab woh nahi jaage gi aur Mihika hai na uss ke saath."
(Madhu go to sleep. Ishu is fine, she wont wake again now that she's taken a sleeping pill and Mihika is with her too)

Mrs Iyer looked troubled as she sat up in her bed.

"Raman was really standing outside Vishwa?" she asked her husband for the umpteenth time.

"Haan Madhu. He said that he thought Ishita was calling him, that she needed him."

"Vishwa" Mrs Iyer responded hesitatingly "Shayad mujh se galti ho gayi Raman ko samajhne mein. Woh Ishu se sacha pyar karta hai aur Ishu bhi ab uske bina nahi reh sakti. Lekin muhurat toh teen mahine mein hai na, ab hum kya karen?"
(Vishwa, perhaps I made a mistake in recognising Raman. He truly loves Ishu and Ishu cant live without him now either. But the muhurat is in three months. What do we do now?)

Mr Iyer looked at his wife in delight.

"Kal temple chalte hai Madhu. Kuch na kuch sort out ho jayega."
(Lets go to the temple tomorrow Madhu. We will sort something out)

"Ok" Mrs Iyer replied. "Kal sochte hai."
(Ok, we will sort it out tomorrow)

**************************************************
Ek pyar ka nagma hai, maujon ki ravaani hai
Zindagi aur kuch bhi nahin
Teri meri kahaani hai
Ek pyar ka nagma hai, maujon ki ravaani hai
Zindagi aur kuch bhi nahin
Teri meri kahaani hai
Ek pyar ka nagma hai

La la la la la la, la la la la la la

Kuch paakar khona hai, kuch khokar paana hai
Jeevan ka matlab to aana aur jaana hai
Do pal ke jeevan se ek umr churaani hai
Zindagi aur kuch bhi nahin
Teri meri kahaani hai

Ek pyar ka nagma hai

Tu dhaar hai nadiya ki, main tera kinaara hoon
Tu mera sahaara hai, main tera sahaara hoon
Aankhon mein samandar hai, aashaaon ka paani hai
Zindagi aur kuch bhi nahin
Teri meri kahaani hai

Ek pyar ka nagma hai

Toofaan to aana hai, aakar chale jaana hai
Baadal hai yeh kuch pal ka, chhaakar dhal jaana hai
Parchhaaniyan reh jaati, reh jaati nishaani hai
Zindagi aur kuch bhi nahin
Teri meri kahaani hai

Ek pyar ka nagma hai, maujon ki ravaani hai
Zindagi aur kuch bhi nahin
Teri meri kahaani hai
Ek pyar ka nagma hai