Chapter-10
The whole zone was quiet and abstemious except for the sounds of the flipping of the magazine pages. She was reading a random monthly waiting for him to come back home. Two hours since she came back home from the resort, she was waiting for him to come back. Her concerned expression told how much was she worried for his well-being. Looking at the clock to and fro, she stood up, her legs trembling in fear. Walking upto the kitchen for water and having it in one gulp, she wiped the soft sweat droplets from her temple and sighed out, coming back and sitting on the couch. She never felt so restless in her entire life, she thought. The clock struck eight when she got up again; biting her nails and thought "What if he is drunk even today? How will I face him if he's drunk even today? God, why is he not picking up the phone? Is he okay? He seemed disturbed in the morning too." Endless judgements ran over her mind when she heard screeching sound of his car. Turning back swiftly, she ran to the door as he pressed the bell, drowsily. Sighing back, she opened the door for him, deciding to clear the air today, at that moment.
"Hi, Ishani!" Ishani saw him aghast when he called her name in such a dry, drowsy manner.
"Where did you go, Ranveer?" He looked at her flabbergasted at the question when he fumbled back, trying to lie.
"Well, I went...went to witness the sunset. It was beautiful, you know?" Ishani folded her hands in dissatisfaction as he looked on, questioningly.
"Oh please, Ranveer. I checked for you at the beach at 7. You weren't seen there. Stop lying."
"I am not lying, Ishani. I am not lying!" Ranveer claimed when she asked him back, "Why didn't I notice you at the beach, then?"
"Oh Ishani, sunset in France is generally around 6." Ranveer tried to chuckle but instead coughed badly seeing her deadly eyes which were angry at him.
"Oops! Did I say anything wrong?" Ranveer looked at himself and smiled goofily when Ishani walked upto him in three strides, now really close to him and asked "In that case, why didn't you come back home earlier? If the sunset was at six, you should have been home by seven or seven-thirty. And, why didn't you pick up my call? Which place did you choose for drinking today?" her eyebrows were quivering and so were her eyes when she stepped back and ran back to the couch, entombing herself to the ground, weeping hard.
What Ranveer saw was out of his expectations when he had not got himself drunk. Inching closer to her, his drowsiness walking along with him, he knelt down and asked "Ish-Ishani, I did not get myself drunk today. Trust me." Ranveer's voice was clear unlike his normal, rolled ones. But then, Ishani's was quivering and her sniffs were the proof for it- she was crying. He held Ishani by the latter's shoulder and made his eyes meet hers when she pushed him away and said "You're lying, you spoilt brat! YOU ARE LYING!" she shouted at the top of her voice as Ranveer saw her appalled.
"Lying? Excuse me, Ishani." Ranveer now got up, his features turning severe along with hers, "What made you call so?"
"What made me call so? Ha! The way you look at me drowsily, you telling me that you had been to the sunset. Everything! Do you hear it? Everything!" she exhaled heavily, letting out her frustration when Ranveer stomped badly and pinned her against the wall saying, "Excuse me, Miss Ishani, stop calling me a liar, do you get it? I can turn myself really bad if you call me that, again."
"I will do that because you have got yourself drunk, again!" Ishani stressed upon the same words when Ranveer pushed her away from him and shouted badly "Oh please Ishani, give me a break! I did not drink today. Another time and I am telling you, I will have to use other ways to handle you."
"Oh really? How on earth do you ask me to believe that? Where did you go then? Okay, I agree that you did not drink. But tell me, where did you go?"
"Didn't I tell you that I went to witness the sunset?" Ranveer said, his hands, twitching badly. He was not in a good mood. Not anymore.
"Okay. You went to watch the dusk. OKAY. What's the time for the sunset?"
"Six."
"And what's the time now?"
"Eight-thirty."
"May I ask you of what on earth were you doing after the sunset? It takes just twenty minutes to come back home, if I am not wrong." Ishani bombarded him with a number of questions when he shut his ears and shouted "Just stop talking!"
She looked at him shocked and stood silent when Ranveer said "Don't open your mouth another time, Ishani. Let's end our discussion here."
"But mine is not yet over, Ranveer. I need the answers for my questions, do you get that?"
"Answers? Why should I give them, anyway?" he cocked his eyebrows in question when she looked at him flabbergasted and asked, "Ranveer?"
He looked at her silently and shifted himself away from her when she came forward and asked him, "Sit down, please. I have to clarify a few things with you."
"I have not got any time to do that. Tell me whatever it is, right here, right now." His anger did not seem to cool down any soon when she pulled him towards her. But he was still, emotionless as he pushed her away.
"Ranveer...don't do this. I won't scold you. But this is harsh, Ranveer. Sit down, please."
"Harsh? What was that called then?"
"What?"
"You were calling me a liar and a spoilt brat. Wasn't that harsh?"
"Okay. I am sorry. But at least tell me of where were you. Did you notice the number of missed calls you had on your caller history? Had you attended at least one of the calls, I wouldn't have scolded you. And, and, look at you! You look drowsy and weak!" she asked him politely, making sure that he wasn't harmed when Ranveer let go off him from her and said "I went somewhere. Neither you have got any right to ask me of where I went nor have I got the mood to tell you now. Now please, let me go."
Ranveer left the place slowly but his drowsiness did not allow him to. Catching hold of his head, he closed his eyes slowly, everything around him dissolving as quickly as the salt. The last he heard was Ishani calling for him when he shut his eyes, wholly.
Ranveer opened his eyes slowly, trying hard to get the surroundings but badly failed in doing so. He closed them back again only to open them , his vision blurred and fainted. All he recognized was that he was inside his room, the air conditioner doing its work for the cool air. He took in a slow, yet close view at his room when his eyes fell on a weak, quivering Ishani whose lips and nose were of the same colour- rosy. Looking at her shocked, he sprung up from the bed when Ishani ran back to him, helping him in doing so.
"Ishani, are you okay?" he asked in a not-so-healthy tone when Ishani slapped him hard on his shoulders asking him, "Why did you lie again?"
His face had a sudden change in expression when he said "I-I don't want to talk about the argument, Ishani. I am in no mood to do that." Ishani saw him with her bloodshot eyes when she slapped him hard on his cheek which left him annoyed.
"What the-"
"Shut up, Ranveer! Just shut up! Do you get it?" Ishani raised her brows and sat down beside him on the bed when he looked at her, still maddened with her behaviour.
"What now?" he asked in a bored fashion when she replied, "What did you have for breakfast?"
"Breakfast? It's eleven now. I am yet to have some."
"I am talking about yesterday, Ranveer."
"Uh?" he felt that her slap was justified now for him not having anything for his breakfast or his lunch.
"What you mean by that, Ranveer? It's okay...what did you have for lunch?" He fell silent as Ishani asked him to look at her and speak up.
"I did not have any, Ishani." Ranveer admitted as Ishani moved an inch forward and held his chin with her soft hands saying "Ranveer, do you know how much was I frightened seeing you faint? The whole house was haunting yesterday and do you have any idea or not? I had to call the doctor! It was scary, Ranveer. You were pale and cold! Just imagine my condition!"
"I am sorry but I wasn't in a mood to have food yesterday. Plus, my mood was also off. I am sorry, Ishani." The only way of his escape was an apology but Ishani was in no mood to listen to them when she continued, "Do you have any idea of what was I going through? The doctor had to use Glucose Saline, did you hear it?"
"Oh yeah, I did." Ranveer shook his head when she cupped his cheeks and said "Don't do this, Ranveer. It's terrifying!"
"I told you that I am sorry. I promise not to do it anymore!" Ranveer claimed when she smiled back, hugging him tightly. He felt her body was warm which had a soft effect on him. Her embrace was the only one in which he found a satiated smile on his lips. Breaking from the hug, he heard her say, "I am bringing your food, now and you are having it in front of me, now!"
"But Ishani, it's eleven now and we should go back to work already!" Ranveer wailed when she hit her head hard and said "Oh Ranveer! I don't mind a loss of pay! Not at all! I am taking an off today from work. What is going to happen anyway? I'll just lose a days' salary and I don't mind. But I am not going to leave you today until you have good food. Now listen, I'll be bringing the brunch for you and you are ought to have it! Understand?" she ordered him and all he could do was to throw his hands up in the air and shook his head.
"Whatever!" he said as she turned back when he interrupted, "Ishani!"
"Mm.."
"Bring some for you too. We'll have it together." Ranveer said when she smiled back at him, acknowledging to his request.
Twenty minutes later, Ishani came up to his room with two huge trays as his eyes now slipped back to see her and the two huge trays. Horrified with the size of the trays, he yelped "Ishani! What the hell is this?"
"It's food, Ranveer." Ishani chuckled as he saw her stunned, his eyes still taking in the size of the trays.
"What have you bought for the brunch, anyway? Why is the size so big?" he asked, his brows narrowing as she leaped forward with the trays and said "Well, I do agree, it's too much for brunch. But still, the doctor asked you to have good amount of food."
"But that doesn't mean that you should have tons and tons of food, right? Anyway, what's in it? I am hungry!" he looked at his tummy demons which were growling hard when Ishani snapped her fingers saying, "Monsieur is asked to brush his teeth before the brunch. Now get up and freshen up!"
"But Ishani-"
"No buts, please. Now freshen up quickly! Otherwise, you'll have to eat alone." Ishani quipped when he chortled at her innocence and tried to get up though he wasn't able to.
"Ouch!" he held his head hard when Ishani walked upto him and helped him stand, making their way until the wash. Helping him with the toiletries, both of them came back as she made him sit on the couch comfortably though his hands were trembling, all thanks to the dosage of saline injected inside his body through his nerves.
"So here we come!" Ishani opened his tray when he saw plates of Ricotta-Asparagus Souffle, Asparagus Omelette, Tarte Tatins, Vegetable Mini Quiches and Ricotta Herbed Filled Crepes. Ranveer looked at the tray in awe as he saw some rib-tickling delicious dishes in front of him which made his appetite even stronger now.
"I wanna eat." Ranveer admitted and gave his cheekiest smile ever when Ishani ruffled his already messy hair and said "Why wait then? Pounce!" Ranveer smiled back and tried to have a piece of the Omelette but gave up after ten minutes as he wasn't able to. Sighing, he looked at Ishani who had her eyes already transfixed with his. Claiming a seat beside him, she took the plates and said "Shall I feed you, Ranveer? Your hand is paining, right?"
"Ye-Yes, it is. But-but it is okay, I'll manage." Ranveer fumbled when Ishani said "Shh, I'll feed you today. Don't fuss." Taking the one piece of the Asparagus Omelette which had all the ingredients from eggs till cheese, she fed him lovingly as he had them, in silence, thanking his stars for making Ishani be by his side.
"Yum! It's yum, Ishani!" Ranveer said, chomping the omelette when Ishani smiled goofily and said, "I did not prepare the dishes, Ranveer."
"This is why that the food is tasty." Ranveer burst out into peals of laughter when she saw him, with her trademark poker face. Realizing what had slipped from his mouth just then, he clicked his tongue and managed to say a 'sorry' when she grinned and said "I promise to cook better than this someday."
"Mark my words...you can never do so. I still remember the charcoal-corn cob which you made the other day." Ranveer managed to control his laugh as she got up from the place and yelled "In that case, please have the food by your own way. I am not helping you in eating."
"Oh no, Ishani! I was joking! Now, if you're not going to feed me, I am not having the food and I may faint again!" Ranveer managed to deal her with his discourse skills when she hit her head again and continued "Oh yeah, how did I forget that? You may faint again!" The last few words of hers were making a greater impression when Ranveer smiled at her innocence.
Having their brunch by another half an hour with their talks about trivial matters, Ishani stood up, cleaning away their dishes when he held her hand and confessed "Thank you, Ishani."
"For?"
"For everything." He smiled at her when she argued "Don't do that, please."
"Means?"
"Don't thank me, Ranveer. It looks-looks odd." Ishani left a satiated smile on her lips as she went down with the finished trays as Ranveer slowly claimed his bed, for rest.
Gazing at the same ceiling for some time, his mind struck at a random thought when he thought "I guess I should've told the real reason yesterday. I wouldn't have got stuck with the argument. Nonetheless, it's fine now. I think I shouldn't think about it now."
Done! Constructive Criticism will be more than welcome and sorry for typos :D :D