The Binding String

F O R T Y

"How was Roohi's day with Papa? Aaj kya kya kiya meri gudiya ne?" Ishita caressed Roohi's head lovingly taking a seat at sofa still carrying Roohi in her arms.

"Aaj mere saath Papa ne khela hi nahi Mumma." Ishita chuckled seeing her daughter making sad face.

"It's fine honey. Papa is busy na." Ishita caressed Roohi's face and kissed her nose softly making her young girl smile. Roohi wounded her arms around her mother's neck and kissed her both the cheeks, "Where was you at morning Mumma? You didn't even wake me up." Roohi complaint upset with the fact that it was just Papa and Neelu didi who woke her up instead of her mother. "I'm sorry darling. Mumma had to leave for early morning classes na but I promise it won't happen next time." Ishita promise bought a joy on Roohi's face. Ishita instructed Neelu to prepare snacks for Roohi and she took her for shower. Neelu had prepared vegetable sandwiches for Roohi adding cheese slice in it along a glass of milk.

"Mumma! It tastes good. Same as the aunty fed me this afternoon." Roohi spoke with delight eating the sandwich by her mother hand.

"Which aunty Roohi?" Ishita curiously asked helping her daughter in finishing the sandwich.

"Umm an aunty Mumma. She stayed with me through entire day and she is so nice Mumma. She came yesterday as well and we played too." Roohi happily shared about her new friend she made in her father's office today.

"How does that aunty look beta? Do you know her name?"
Ishita asked again curious to find some connection between the lady who is messaging her and the lady met with Roohi today.

"She told me to call her aunty only Mumma." Roohi spoke innocently unable to get the meaning behind her mother's words. "But she is so pretty Mumma and she also helped Papa with lunch. She is so good." Roohi was doing what typical children does to their mothers, sharing their entire day with mother's but what little Roohi doesn't realised that her words were enough to give birth to lots of suspicion in her mother's mind. After feeding Roohi Ishita decided to our her whole concentration on Roohi just to kill her time. They watered plants together and learned few rhymes and later Roohi slept due to exhaustion of entire day. It was around ten of night when Ishita was sitting in the hall, eagerly waiting for Raman to arrive. She was admanant to ask him about the lady about Roohi told her.

I will also tell him about those messages.

Ishita murmured to herself eagerly waiting for Raman but after an hour when he hasn't showed up she dialled his number which came busy. She was about to dial his number again when her phone rang displaying Raman's name. "Where are you Raman? It's already eleven."

"I'm so sorry for not telling you earlier. I am airport Ishita and going to board my flight."

"What! Airport?"

"Yes. We have to fly Kolkata tonight. I have meetings to attend and attend a business conclave as well. I would be back by Wednesday night or Thursday morning hopefully."

"And you're clothes?"

"Don't worry. I keep my few pairs of clothes and a set of toiletries in office. One man from my office will bring my soiled clothes tomorrow." Ishita hummed in response disappointed with his sudden visit to out of city when she was planning to share her dilemma with him, "give my love to Roohi and please stay safe. Bye."

"Have a safe flight. And text me once you land. Bye." Ishita disconnected the call and walked inside her room with a heavy heart. It was so frustrating not to have a husband beside when you're so much eager to share things with him. She wondered if the destiny is conspiring this all against her or he is knowingly doing it. Ishita caressed head of sleeping Roohi and slid beside her wondering what to do next. Next day it was Sunday and Ishita and Roohi was chilling and passing their day in leisure where Neelu was wrapping up the other works when the doorbell rang, Neelu opened the door and found a man standing at doorway carrying a bag along. Ishita took the bag and murmured a thank you and walked back at work the backside area where Neelu was washing clothes, "Look like he bought Raman's soiled clothes back." Ishita murmured dumping the shirts at floor, "Neelu prepare detergent water and soak these shirts in it and wash these pants in washing machine." Ishita instructed Neelu and started to segregate all the clothes one by one. She started to check the pocket of pants as Neelu started to prepare the detergent water in washing machine as well as in the plastic bucket, "Main yeh pants check kar leti hoon. Phir hi tu dhone mein daalna." (Let me check check these pants first before you put them into machine.) Ishita continued to speak with Neelu still checking his pants, she dumped his first pant in machine and started to check his second pant, "Thank god I have checked it." Ishita mumbled finding few folded papers in the pocket of his pants and she kept those with herself later to keep those papers in his bedside drawer safely. Ishita handed all the clothes to Neelu and walked inside to Roohi who was calling her. As Ishita decided, she kept the papers in bedside drawers without thinking to check it for once and the mother daughter duo got busied in playing with each other.