Later that night Ishita was sitting up in bed reading her book, she was so hooked as she has reached the last few chapters.
Raman walked into the dim lit room were with just her reading lamp on.
She looked up acknowledging his presence and their eyes met….they both looked at each other at the same time, she swiftly looked away ignoring him.
Ishita knew that he had read her note she left in his night clothes.
He shook his head, “How can she be so shy?”
Even wearing his white Kurta he looked amazing.
Raman wiped the excess water from his wet hair.
Her eyes examined his every move as her heart pumped furiously.
Raman walked over to the sliding door leaning with his back resting against a pillar.
Every now and then he would look over to her, his warrior woman that has become tamed.
Gone were those days where she was ready to slay him alive.
She has never one to take compliments well and seem to always shy away from extra attention it must be that Raman thought as Ishita gave him the cold shoulder after dinner.
She was lost in her ornery mood but stuck between being mad and just melting in his arms.
His well sculpted arms.
Ishita looked over to Raman and she spotted his folded arms, with bulging muscles inviting her to touch them.
“Ishita, focus enough of this aimless ogling and finish the book” she thought to herself.
Flash back …….
Yet again Raman arranged for a private dinner and everything was picture perfect until they met their waitress.
She had that exotic look could have been a younger Shagun even.
She made it her point to greet Raman and only speak to him and barely greeted Ishita.
Giving Raman a warm smile and flashing her teeth to him.
Raman always liked attention he got from younger woman but today he listened attentively to her every word.
When she rested her hand on his shoulder, Ishita brushed it off as trivial but later on she saw the look in her eyes.
That was still all fair but when she poured him water and gave him his glass and she touched his hand, letting it linger for longer than was acceptable.
Now that was the last straw.
Isita always were her own worst enemy, as her mind was like a wild fire, furious and uncontrollable.
It took everything in her to contain her anger.
Raman was her….
And her alone.
Raman on the other hand was surprised by Ishita’s change of attitude.
After they received their food Raman tried to hold her hand and was met with a visibly upset Ishita.
She pulled her hand away much to his amazement.
What’s wrong he asked?
Nothing she replied.
Her answer was short but he knew that something happened in the 15 minutes of them arriving at the La Vue, a floating restaurant.
But Raman just reached over and held her hand, this time he held it so tight she was cringing.
“Madrasan, What’s wrong?”
“It’s nothing Raman, just leave it”, this time her voice was soft almost in a whisper.
The rest of the dinner was eaten in silence.
Ishita had that faraway look in her eyes as she looked out of the window.
Flash back ends…….
“Ishita”, Raman spoke his voice was filled with hurt and worry.
“You know sometimes I pinch myself as I can’t believe that I have you.
When I read your note my heart was over joyed.
I fear every day that I’ll lose you and my heart will have no place to shelter itself in.
No place to call its own
My heart is at peace when I see you, wake up next to you.
I am happy when I have you.
I promise that I will try a thousand times to prove my love to you again and again.”
The next day when Raman left Ishita could help but think about what he said.
And she could kick herself as she let her anger and jealousy get the better of her.
Her doubts and insecurities was always ready to resurfaced she thought.
She planned to go to the mall today and buy all the kids some presents and around mid-morning Ishita walked out to the taxi service that Raman arranged.
Dressed casually in a pair of stonewashed jeans and a white tunic top with embellished trim along the neck line and her every black sunglass she was ready to take on The Gateway Theatre of Shopping Mall.
Stepping out of the car she asked the driver to come back in 3 hours, she wanted to grab a bite to eat as well.
As Ishita walked around she spotted something from the corner of her eye but shrug it off as her imagination.
She had already bought an iced tea as she was parched.
Shopping was never something she liked to do, especially in a Mall.
After a few visits to some great store she saw him again.
He was sitting on a high chair ordering a drink at a nearby coffee shop. He kept wandering all over the mall behind her.
For some women of her age this would have been sweet but for Ishita she found this as a line being crossed.
So she decided to purposely go to a lingerie shop shake him from following her as he store walked out on the other side as well.
“God, what am I thinking”, Mani thought.
As her long curled tresses bounced as she walked.
She was normally covered in sarees but today her top was more form fitting than other tunic she normally would wear.
“And why am I following her”
Drinking his cool drink he was forced to retreat as it would look weird if she spotted him in a lingerie shop.