5 Days Later
8.00pm Raman and Ishita's Bedroom

Raman rested back against the headrest of his bed, his computer on his lap. He had been discharged from hospital that morning, his recovery being beyond his doctors expectations. Doctor Nur had given him strict instructions to take things easy, not to tire or stress himself and to recuperate at home another week.

He was Raman Kumar Bhalla, however, and inactivity was not his forte. Since arriving home this morning, he had set up a virtual office in his bedroom, demanding the presence of both Mihir and Subarmaniam, going over the work he had missed for the past 8 days and holding skype meetings with his major clients to reassure them he was still in control.

Mr & Mrs Bhalla had both tried in vain to get him to slow down, but he had brushed off their concern, shutting his ears to their entreaties. Mrs Bhalla had finally used her trump card at around 5pm, marching in with Ruhi and asking Raman if he wanted his daughter to be orphaned.

"Ma, aap bhi, kuch bhi kehti hai" (Ma, you're too much, you just say any nonsense) he had said angrily, closing his MacBook and holding an arm out for his little angel, who was standing back, staring in horrified fascination at the bandage on her fathers head.

"Papa, aap theek nahi honge ab kya" (Papa, wont you ever get better again?) Ruhi had asked tearily, her pretty face clouded over as she clasped her fathers hand.

"Mein theek ho gaya hoon beta" he had reassured her, gathering her into his arms. "Papa is fine, so don't worry, theek hai?"
(I am fine now sweetheart. Papa is fine, so don't worry, okay?)

His mothers ruse had worked though, and he had sent Mihir and Subbarmaniam home. It was now 8.00pm. Ruhi had just reluctantly gone off to bed and he had picked up his computer again, wanting to again busy himself to avoid the thought that refused to leave him alone.

Ishita.

She was in his every waking thought - he had no idea what to do about her, how to reconcile his need for her with the knowledge that he had to do what was right for her, had to put her happiness above his.

But where did her happiness lie?

He had thought that she had started to love him, her jealousy over Sanjana and her melting in his arms the night of their rain dance had almost convinced him of that. But perhaps that was just a result of their proximity and her need to be wanted. After all, even some kidnap victims supposed themselves in love with their kidnappers, he told himself wryly.

Because soon after their KKHH moment, Mani had come into her life. And her genuine happiness, her joy in Mani's company could not be denied. She had started to rely on Mani for every little thing, sharing with him those things that she would previously have shared with him. Her "vignaharta" she had called Mani. Her hero. He remembered her coldness towards him, her making fun of him, of her husband, with Mani.

That had led him to the conclusion that it was Mani who was her true soulmate, the man who could make her happy when he, Raman, could not.

But what then of her behaiviour in the eight days since his injury?

His parents had told him of her reaction to his being attacked, her breakdown, her three day vigil outside his room at peril to her own health, her despair and guilt at the fact that he had been at the site of the attack because of her.

He had been cold and distant towards her after he woke up from his coma, because he knew that if he let down his guard, if he let her hold his hand, then he would not have been able to stop himself from throwing himself into her arms and pleading with her to love him, to let him be her hero, to let him be the man he so desperately wanted to be for her.

His coldness, the distances he enforced between them, the dooriyaan, had not deterred her though.

She had continued to spend most of her waking hours at the hospital, going home only to tend to Ruhi and spend sleepless nights next to her daughter. She had spent hours sitting outside his room, coming to him when allowed, patiently coaxing him to eat, answering him eagerly when he deigned to speak, and sitting quietly when he ignored her.

He had seen the hurt and despair in her eyes, the bewilderment at his coldness and the distance he had forged between them. He hated himself for putting herself through such grief, but he knew he had to protect himself, hold himself inviolate, for if he let down his guard, if he let her know how he felt, how he ached for her, then what would he do if she did not love him back? How would he live through the pain of her rejection? He knew he couldn't, and so he continued to hurt her, even as his actions drove stakes through his own heart.

The pain of his unhappiness seared through Raman. He closed his eyes and groaned softly, his tears making salty rivulets down his face.

Half an hour earlier - The Iyer Residence

Ishita huddled on the sofa, her feet drawn up, her arms around herself, trying to hug some warmth into her frozen heart. Her amma and Mummyji sat on either side of her, one caressing her hair, the other patting her shaking shoulders, as tears wracked through her.

"Kyun?" She sobbed "Mummyji, Raman mujh se naaraz kyun hai? Aisa kyun kar rahe hai woh? Mein ne socha tha ki injury ka result hai, lekin aur sab se toh kitne normal hai. Toh mujhse yeh dooriyaan kyun rakh rahe hai? Jab se coma se jaage hai, mujh se achi tarah se baat nahi karte, mein jaati hoon toh muh mod let's hai, koi nok jhok nahi karte, naraaz nahi hote, kuch react hi nahi karte. Kyun?"
(Why? Mummyji, why is Raman angry with me? Why is he acting like this? I thought his behavior was a result of his injury but he is normal with everyone else. Then why this distance from me? Ever since he woke up from his coma, he won't speak to me properly, if I go near him he turns his face away, he won't joke or clash with me, he won't show anger to me, he just doesn't react to me. Why?)

Toshiji looked over Ishita's bowed head at Madhu and nodded.

The two women had discussed Ishita and Raman's relationship earlier that day. Romi and Neelu had filled Toshiji in about the events that had taken place in her absence, about Abhimanyu and Ishita's friendship and it's effect on Raman, about Ishita's collapse from fasting. She had seen Mani at the hospital, had seen his interaction with her daughter in law, and although Mrs Bhalla could tell that there was nothing but a platonic friendship between Ishita and Mani, she could imagine how it could have appeared to a passionate, possessive, vulnerable, complicated man like her son. To a man who had a history like Raman had,.

"Ishita, puttar" she said gently. "Raman tumse dur dur rah raha hai kyunki woh tumse kareeb aane se darta hai"
(Ishita my child. Raman is staying away from you because he is afraid to let you get close to him)

Ishita raised her head and looked at her mother in law through her tears.

"Lekin kyun, Mummyji" she asked yet again. "Hum kitne kareeb aa gaye they, dost ban gaye they, phir kyun?"
(But why mummyji? We had gotten so close, we had become such good friends. Then why?)

"Dost, Ishita? " Toshiji asked. "Woh tumhara pati hai, dost nahi. Woh tumse pyar karta hai Ishita. Beintehaan pyar. Lekin cheh years pehle uske saath jo hua, uske baad woh kah nahi sakta. Aur tumhe apne aap se dur jaate hue dekh kar usko kaisa lag raha hoga? Woh tumse dur isliye jaa raha hai kyunki woh tumhe apne aap se dur jaata hua nahi dekh sakta"
(Friends Ishita? Raman is your husband, not just some friend. He loves you Ishita, he loves you madly. But after what happened to him six years ago, he can't express his feelings to you. And can you imagine how it must feel to him to see you moving away from him? He is trying to distance himself from you because he can't fear to see you moving away from him)

"Mein Raman se dur kahan jaa rahi thi, Mummyji?" Fresh tears coursed down Ishita's face as she looked at her mother in law in bewilderment.
(When did I go away from Raman, mummyji?)

"Jab se Mani wapas aaya hai, tum kitna time uske saath spend karti ho Ishu" Amma spoke up. "Sab kuch mein Mani ka help leti ho, Raman ko undekha karts ho, Raman ko bura toh lagega na"
(Ever since Mani came back, you've been spending all your time with him Ishu. You take Mani's help in everything, you ignore Raman, of course Raman will feel bad)

"Lekin amma, aap toh jaanti hai, Mani mera best friend hai. Bachpan se jaanti hoon usse"
(But amma, you know Mani is my best friend. I've known him since I was a child)

"Lekin ab tum bacchi nahi ho Ishu" amma said gently. "Tum Raman ki biwi ho. Apni pati ke saamne tum kisi aur aadmi ki itni tarrif karegi, usse bura toh lagega na. Ishu, hum sab jaante hai ki Mani sirf tumhara friend hai, lekin Raman ke saath pehle bhi kitna kuch ho gaya. Tumhe shayad yeh choti baat lagti hai, lekin Raman ke liye toh yeh kitni badi baat hai Ishu"
(But you're not a child any more Ishu. You are Raman's wife. If you praise another man in front of your husband all the time, of course he will be hurt. Ishita we all know that Mani is just your friend, but so much has happened to Raman in his life, in his past already. This may seem like no big deal to you, but it's a very big deal to Raman Ishu)

"Toh kya Raman yeh samajhte hai ki mein Mani se... " Ishita asked horrified. "Woh kaise nahi dekhte ki mein toh usse pyar karti hoon" She hugged herself even tighter, staring with disbelief at her two mothers. "Mein Raman se pyar karti hoon, amma, Mummyji"
(Then does Raman think that Mani and I....how cant he see that I love him? I love Raman amma, mummyji)

"Toh humme nahi, Raman ko batao, puttar" Toshiji pulled Ishita into her arms, and kissed her gently on her forehead. "Ek baar yeh baat tum Raman ko bata do, phir dekhna, mera beta tumhari zindagi pyar se bhar dega. Tu toh badi ishmart hai Ishita, toh phir ek smart kaam toh karle - apni pati se baat kar."
(Then don't tell us, go and tell Raman, my child. Just say this once to Raman, and you will see, he will fill your life with happiness. You're very intelligent Ishita, so do something smart - go and talk to your husband)

Ishita smiled tremulously. " Mummyji" she whispered "Raman kya sachmuch mujh se pyar...?. Her smile faded as fear gripped her.
(Mummyji, does Raman really love.....)

"What if he's angry" she asked . "Mein kya kahoon?" (What should I say?)

"Ja kar sach kehdo Ishita" her mother told her "just tell him the truth"
(Go and tell him the truth Ishita. Just tell him the truth)