Meherbaan (Hinglish) [Book 1]

19 | Dhoka Dhadi

Many would vouch for the fact that Raman Bhalla wasn't the same man as he was the night before. He had changed for some reason unknown to them - he didn't speak to anyone, interact with anyone or even speak to anyone in that case. Instead he just walked down the stairs, ignored the crowd and headed for his 'jog'. Jogs in the Iyer estate wouldn't need one to leave the premises, instead one could jog around the premises. While the other youngsters used the early morning hours to walk around and get away from their respective partners and/or flirt with each other, Bhalla here chose the time to actually exercise while the ladies either envied his partner for his stamina or just fangirled over him. Bhalla they said, was an interesting man though severely complicated for their liking. Too weird for their liking. Trust him to jog and at the same time crack business deal all whilst being followed hilariously by men dressed to the boot. An hour later he was back in the room ignoring everyone again. So when a certain Mrs. Sen called him out on the hickey' on his neck, he just rolled his eyes at her and grabbed an icepack. Any normal man, Mrs Sen said, would at least blush or avert the topic but this man just rolled his eyes. How could he? That bad man. Speaking of that man where was Ishita? That runaway chick who returned home seven years later. Where was she? And why wasn't she available at seven am in the morning. Didn't these Iyers' teach their daughter to be up by six am and before their husbands' were even up? Look at that Ishita's nerve to be sleeping at this time of the day.

When Raman came down hours later it was he who prepared smoothies for him and the kid. Men were so fascinating when they worked in the kitchen. Especially if they were well clothed and freshly out of the shower. With well chiseled bodies, fresh beard growth and wet hair - he was truly a cool worthy masterpiece. That Raman Bhalla. Especially when he came back from a room on the lower floors with his adorable babe in his arms, or as he chuckled as the little one grabbed at his hair. Or that sleepy yet evil grin she gave him as he fed her the drink leaning against the table as he sipped his. The little one giggled at the fact that Mommy was fast asleep as she and her father gobbled their drinks down not-so-hastily and then rushed to proceed to get rid of the evidence. Ruhi stood on the counter and rubbed her belly as her father quirked an eyebrow at her. Soon he was preparing their breakfast and Roo watched her tv shows on his iPad - another one of those little things forbidden by Ishita. Oh, they were criminal. Especially when Mihika joined the duo with Mihir in tow. Or when the despicable duo inquired the older brother if he would be joining them on their day out. Raman instead claimed that he was heading right back to sleep. That Madrasan was going to be the death of him, he claimed while Mihika grabbed an apple, leaned against the counter and waited for Ruhi to climb on her back for a piggy back ride.

The watchers' couldn't really decipher what the Iyer-Bhalla couples or rather the Iyer-Bhalla couple and the conspirator were plotting. Instead all that they knew for now was that it was evil. Evil enough to make Ruhi cover her mouth, narrow her eyelids and go haww' with an equally evil grin in her eyes only to be tickled by Mihir. Now, it was an entirely different story that as the older Bhalla brother stole Ishita from Subbu, so did the younger one steal Mihika from Subbu's best friend Raj. Only that Mihika was a brash spoilt brat unaware of Raj's feelings, not that she cared in the least.

While the family decided to spend the day at a nearby holiday destination - preferably a beach - the family' had wanted to take Ruhi along to which Raman had instantly denied only to hand the five year old over to the 'Mi' couple hours later mumbling something about required training, his daughter going too Madrasi for his liking and something that sounded like a threat about sending Ruhi on a vacation with her favorite aunt and uncle on their honeymoon to which Mihika had retorted saying that she'd spill all his dirty secrets while Mihir attempted to salvage the situation with somewhat legal claims that could losely be translated to a) he wasn't responsible for the fact that he decided to go private in public b) he should try dating a Madrasan instead of being married to one (which earned Mihir a well deserved whack from Mihika and a glare from Ruhi) and c) it wasn't exactly Mihir's fault that Raman was incompatible with South Indian food or that he fought with Ishita on their wedding right that needed their intervention. To this Mihika rolled her eyes, Ruhi hit her palm against her head while Raman sipped on whatever was in his club congratulating Mihika on the moron she decided to marry. To which Mihir fumed and walked away mumbling that he didn't like any of them while Raman locked his arm around Mihir's shoulder teasing him of all the fun things he could do with Mihika busy shopping with Ruhi. Even going further to plan a boys holiday with their friends - laughing all the way as Mihir fumed mumbling about how Raman had to have two of them when he couldn't even have one. While Raman smartly replied that both of them were nightmares - with the first one being with a self-obsessed wanton while the second with a bookish nerd who'd skin him alive if he had to say anything wrong or anything that sounded wrong to her ears. Further claiming that Mihika was scary as it is - the grown up version of the youngest girl of that cartoon that Ruhi watches with Minions, only more hyper. Mihir now laughed as he wondered aloud how his bhabhi tolerated a man like his brother.