Hey folks,
This came to me the other day, when my colleagues and I were discussing all the April Fool pranks that we've ever played, and it got me thinking on how much fun it would be to see Raman and Ishita celebrate April Fool's day in true YHM style.
So, this OS is an attempt to recreate the fun times in YHM that we've so come to miss!
Also, it's set in a time when there are no sordid custody dramas taking place, and Raman and Ishita are a normal, happily married couple!
It's long..again.. so please bear with me, and I hope you stick through till the end😆
Beep!
He looked away from his laptop, and frowned at the distraction that his phone had caused. An unknown number flashed on his mobile screen. Curious, he swiped across the display to read the text.
"Hey, Raman, guess what? I'm back in Delhi. Meet me tonight!"
"I'm sorry, but who's this?"
"OMG, R! Sweety, its me! You don't have my number saved?"
R? Sweety? He stared at the words, perplexed, and immediately dialled to find out who it was.
His call went unanswered, but the next moment, another text popped up from the same mysterious number.
"You've made me really angry, R! You say you don't remember me? Now I won't talk to you until you apologize"
"Suits me", he thought to himself, and busied himself with his work, not giving another thought to the weird messages.
THE NEXT DAY..
"Sweety, why are you being so rude to me? Don't you love me anymore?"
He pinched the bridge of his nose in exasperation.
"Excuse me, but I'm a married man! Who the hell are you?? And stop calling me Sweety!!"
"LOL, R, of course you're married. But when has that ever been a problem for me? You know my love for you is unconditional <3"
"Look, you don't know what I'm capable of. If you don't stop with this nonsense right this instant, you'll be very sorry!!"
"You're so cute when you're angry,R! But you're cuter when you smile that dimpled smile of yours! So keep smiling, SWEETY! Love you!!"
"R, I said I love you.. Aren't you supposed to say something in reply, baby?"
"Yes. STOP TEXTING ME!"
"Only if you agree to meet me,R!"
Deciding that he'd had enough, he threw his phone aside. But each time he heard it beep, he would grab hold of it in a panic, afraid that someone nearby would glance at it and read the appalling messages that appeared on its screen.
LATER THAT NIGHT..
"Raman, you seem tensed. What's wrong?" Ishita asked him, worry creasing her brow.
He looked at her and realising that he had been anxiously biting his fingernails, immediately composed his features. He had been staring at his phone every few minutes, as though it was a ticking time bomb, waiting to explode, having endured innumerable more messages throughout the day, each more mortifying than the previous.
"R..you don't miss me at all, do you?" Nope. Not in a million years', he ached to type back, but he had made up his mind to not respond.
"Come on, R, just meet me once, your wife won't even know about it." Again.. nope. Not in a million years!'
"Okay let me put it this way, if you don't meet me.. I will make sure your wife comes to know about us!!" Oh my God.. She's blackmailing me! What if Ishita comes to know? She'll skin me alive! Wait a minute.. what do I have to fear? There's nothing for Ishita to know! God, this woman is driving me mad!'
"Its nothing, Ishita. Just some work related stuff. You go to sleep. I have a few more files to go through."
"Okay, good night then", she replied and gave him a peck on his cheek before lying down on the bed beside him. He watched her contentedly as she slipped into slumber, and sighed, turning back to the work he had been unable to get done because of the nuisance that he had been made to put up with during the past two days.
The next morning, he was bombarded with another series of SMSs as soon as he reached his office.
"Good morning, sweety! Looking sexy in blue!!"
He looked around, bewildered, wondering how she knew what colour he was wearing.
"Are you stalking me now?"
"Maybe. Maybe not! Meet me, and you'll know!"
He gulped, and determined to put an end to this absurdity, texted back, "Fine! When and where?"
"Coffee House. Today at 7 p.m. I'll reserve a table for us! Yay! I'm so excited!"
He reached right on time, and true to her word, she had booked a table in his name. But he was disappointed to notice that the table was still empty. He had been so desperate to give her a piece of his mind that he had even rehearsed a few lines in his head to scare her off. He went over and sat on the table, irritated out of his wits, counting the minutes as they ticked by.
Beep!
"Are you there yet, Sweety? Did you like my gift? I'm sure you will.. Its just perfect for you!"
Gift? He looked around and that is when he spotted a neatly wrapped box on the chair beside him. It looked just big enough to contain a wristwatch, or a bottle of perfume perhaps.
"What does she think of herself?" He thought angrily as he turned the package in his hands, debating whether to open the Pandora's box, or just leave it and escape while he still had the chance.
"Oh, what the heck! Let's see what she's up to," he muttered and began tearing at the wrapping paper. "Ruined my peace of mind.. thinks she's very smart.. says she loves me? I'll show her who she's dealing with! I'll not rest until I find out who she is, and once I do, I'll.."
Pop!
Out sprung a plastic snake from the box! Raman almost fell off his chair, and grabbed on to the edge of the table, as he tried to process what had just occurred. Soon, his anger turned to embarrassment, and he picked up the box that he had dropped out of shock, wondering what games were being played on him. He noticed a note at the bottom of the container and opened it in trepidation.
DEAR "R",
It's the first of April today. Happy All Fool's day to my adorable fool!!
Oh, and Sweety, just so you know, the "R" that I've been so fondly calling you stands for Raavan...my Raavan Kumar ;-)
Love always,
Your Jhaansi ki Rani <3
"That's enough, Ishita", Raman warned her, as he chased her around their room. Ishita was running out of breath, trying to rein in her giggles and dodging her husband at the same time. He caught up with her soon, though, and turning her in his arms, he pinned her against the wall behind her.
"So, I was being fooled all along, huh? My Jhaansi ki Rani was trying to play a prank on me?" He whispered huskily, as he caged her between his arms and body.
"Trying to?" she asked, with a playful smile on her lips, "I totally pulled one on you. I wish I'd been there to see your reaction when you opened the GIFT", she added, bursting into a fresh spurt of giggles. He looked at her fondly, and couldn't help but admit that the entire situation was indeed funny. Recounting the events of the past few days in his head, he realised how easily she had managed to trick him.
"The mighty Raman Kumar Bhallla... All it took was a new SIM card and a few flirty messages to reduce you to a bunch of nerves. I've had such a hard time controlling my laughter around you these past few days," she continued breathlessly, between her giggles, "I have saved ALL your messages.. all of them! Hilarious they were! I still can't believe you fell for it! Oh, wait till I tell Simmi and Mummy ji."
She tried to get past him but he held her by her arms and pushed her back against the wall.
"Oh no, you don't!"
He wrapped his arms around her, making it impossible for her to escape, then swooped in and took her lips with his. He felt her sharp intake of breath, and pushed against her lips, persuading her to give in. Feeling helpless and overwhelmed at the same time, she surrendered, taking pleasure in the way her heart raced against his, and his hands moved along her back, stroking and caressing, pulling her into him, closer, and closer still. He nuzzled her neck and held her close, savouring her softness, and marvelled at how lucky he was to have her to himself.
He remembered how his life had been before, devoid of happiness, and his days, dull and pointless. And then she had entered it and turned it around. Now, with a wife who loved him unconditionally, a daughter whom they doted on, and his entire family by his side, he had begun to believe that he, too, could lead a fulfilling life; that he, too, would always have someone to share his joys and sorrows with. "And also someone to play pranks on," he reminded himself with a sly grin, and broke apart from her.
"Now you've done it, Madrasan!" he said out loud.
She raised her eyebrows at him, to which he replied, "What? You think you can trick me and get away with it? You've challenged the master prankster, Ishita. So beware!"
"Come on, Raman, I'm not foolish to fall for your childish pranks."
"Oh really? Who had blindly believed me when I had said that X-Ray glasses exist?"
She blushed, remembering how effortlessly he had fooled her that time.
"That was just the one time. Lets see you do it again!" She threatened him with confidence.
"We'll see, Madrasan! We will see who the bigger fool is!" He replied with a smirk.
A FEW DAYS LATER..
"No Bhai, absolutely not!" Romi cried out, "Bhabhi has always been kind to me. I won't do this to her!"
"Abey, I'm not asking you. I'm telling you, you have to do it. And are you my brother or hers? Jhaansi ki Raani has all of you dancing to her tunes!"
"Bhai, that's not true. She doesn't have us, but only you dancing to her tunes," he replied teasingly, and tried to duck the punches that Raman threw at him. Holding him by the scruff of his neck, Raman said, "Look, go to her and do as I've told you to. Madrasan needs to learn a lesson or two on how to play a real prank..so you're going to help me with that."
"Okay bhai, if you say so." Romi agreed reluctantly.
"Bhabhi," he called out to her tentatively.
"Yes, Romi?"
"Will you please make me a cup of coffee? I really feel like having one."
"Sure", she replied with a smile, and put out some milk to boil, while Romi stood around her nervously.
"So bhabhi," he began, "I was wondering if you've noticed anything funny around the house lately?"
"Funny, as in?"
"You know, like strange sounds, especially in your room?"
"No, Romi", she replied, slightly taken aback, "Why do you ask?"
"The thing is, bhabhi, I was just talking to the security guard the other day, and he told me that a few years back, a woman had hanged herself in this very apartment. And guess what? The incident had taken place in yours and bhai's room. So every year, on the day of her death, which happens to be today, her spirit makes an appearance!"
Ishita looked absolutely stricken with fear at what she had heard.
"But don't worry, bhabhi, I'm sure it's all cooked up. I only mentioned it because, well, it's our first year in this house, so we need to be careful, don't you think?"
"Umm, sure Romi, I'll keep it in mind. Besides, there's no such thing as ghosts. It's all make-believe."
But Romi had seen the anxiousness on her face, and had heard the doubt in her voice, and cursed himself for agreeing to go through with his brother's silly plans.
Ishita liked to believe that she was a brave woman. She was strong minded and had always tackled all the problems in her life head-on. But at the same time, she was superstitious, and would recoil in fear at the mere mention of anything remotely supernatural. She remembered how, during her childhood visits to Chennai, her paati would tell them tales of various haunted spots near her ancestral home, and while Vandita and Mihika would listen to her with awed interest, Ishita would be scared witless and would spend sleepless nights cuddled next to her mother, trying to stop her imagination from running wild each time the leaves rustled in the wind, or the insects chirped, disrupting the silence of the night. Even after she had grown up, her fear of the supernatural hadn't subsided. She had made the blunder of watching one of the "Paranormal Activity" movies once, and nightmares about invisible demons had tormented her for nights on end.
That night was no different, as Romi's words from earlier that day swirled around in her head. She kept darting glances towards the windows to check if they were securely locked and had also left the lights on in case something untoward did happen. Raman had left for an important meeting in the evening, and hadn't returned home yet, and though it was late, she had been unable to sleep, with thoughts of hanging bodies and vengeful spirits floating in her head.
All of a sudden, the lights went off. Ishita sat up straight, and clutched at the sheets, as darkness engulfed her.
"Relax Ishita", she whispered to herself, "It might be a regular power failure."
She was about to get up from her bed in search of a candle, when she heard an incessant tapping noise on the window. She felt goosebumps rise on her skin, and turned slowly to look towards the window, expecting the worst. However, she saw no one there, and wondered where the strange noise was coming from. She let out a whimper when the noise refused to die down and covered her ears with her hands to block it out. The next moment, though, her attention was diverted by the creaking of the bathroom door. She sat frozen in her spot, as she saw the door slowly open, and a figure clad in white emerge through it. It had no face, or body, only two holes for its eyes, and it seemed to be gliding towards her, getting closer with each passing moment.
Realizing that this was not just one of her nightmares, she willed herself to move, and jumping down from the bed, ran towards the door, screaming for her life. But before she could escape, she felt an arm around her waist, yanking her back. She flailed her arms wildly, slapping and kicking at whatever she came into contact with, all the while screaming for help. But her fear heightened when she realized that the hold on her was too strong for her to resist. Her head swimming, she felt darkness close in on her, and collapsed into the arms that held her captive.
"Ishita.. Ishita..", she heard him as if from far away, and opened her eyes to find herself on the bed with her family around her. Raman was on the bed beside her, with a look of sheer panic writ across his face, and was gently patting her cheeks, trying to revive her. She looked around in a haze, and sat up swiftly, as it all came back to her.
"Raman.. there was someone.. something in the room!"
"Shh Ishita, it was nothing." Raman put an arm around her shoulder, and crushed her to him, trying to calm her.
"Nothing?" Ishita heard Simmi's voice and saw her standing next to the bed, with her arms folded, and frowning at Raman in anger.
"Bhai, this is all your fault and don't you dare deny it," she continued angrily. "Ishita.. Bhai and Romi were playing a prank on you. There was no one in the room except your dear husband."
Surprised, Ishita turned to Raman with a questioning look.
"Bhabhi, I'm really sorry." said Romi, and Ishita spotted him standing in a corner of the room with a forlorn look on his face. "I was the one who switched off the mains supply. Then that noise on the window? That.. that was also me.. I was throwing pebbles at the window from below. I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to scare you so much."
"Puttar? Ab tu bhi bata de tune kya kiya!" Toshiji spoke up, looking daggers at Raman.
Ishita looked back at Raman. He had been holding her close throughout the exchange, she noticed, as if afraid that she might collapse again if he let go.
He looked away from her guiltily and said, "I.. I was in the bathroom all along. I snuck in when you were in bed, and waited until the lights went off...then I covered myself with this sheet..."
He showed her a white sheet with two gaping holes in it.
"Tum dono ne maar khaana hai ek din mujhse!" screamed Toshi, "You're lucky Ruhi didn't wake up with all the commotion. What would she have gone through if she had seen Ishita in this state?"
"Bhai, you're too much!" Simmi chimed in, "Of all the ways to scare her, you thought of this? Didn't you know how much it would affect her?"
"I had no idea, Simmi! It was supposed to be a silly prank and nothing else." He retorted but shuddered as he remembered how she had gone limp in his arms, making his own heart stop during those moments.
Ishita looked from Toshi's and Simmi's indignant faces to Romi's and Raman's guilt-ridden ones, and burst out laughing. They all looked down at her, surprised, and she said, "I'm sorry, but it's all so funny.. I couldn't help it." She tried to control her laughter and added, "Mummy ji, Simmi, please stop fighting with them over this. I'm fine!"
"Are you sure, beta?" asked Toshi, running a hand over Ishita's hair.
"Yes, mummy ji, you don't need to worry. All of you need to go to sleep. Its already very late."
"Okay Ishita, you take rest now."
And they turned to leave, each of them giving Raman a glare before they walked out of the room.
Ishita burst into a fit of giggles again, as soon as they had left, while Raman scowled at her.
"I was playing the ghost, but you were the one who ended up giving me a real scare! You fainted Madrasan, you actually fainted! I didn't know what to do, I was so terrified!"
"Serves you right, Raman! Think about me, you almost gave me a heart attack!"
"You're not angry with me, are you?" he asked her carefully.
"Actually, for now, I'm just glad that there are no evil spirits out to get me!"
He looked at her for a moment, taking in her appearance, still pale from the shock that he had put her through, and pulled her into a tight hug. "I'm so sorry, Ishita! I didn't know my Jhaansi ki Rani was such a bheegi billi. Next time, I'll keep it in mind!"
He laughed as she whacked him hard on his arms and struggled to free herself from him.
"Bheegi billi? Next time?! I swear, Raman, If you pull such stunts again, I'll..."
He didn't wait to hear the rest, and holding her by her arms, he covered her mouth with his, putting an end to her rants. He laid her head gently against the pillows, and placed soft kisses on her lips and her face, pouring into those kisses, all the relief that had washed over him since she had regained her consciousness.
"So who's the bigger fool, Raman?" she whispered into his ears, as a smile played on her lips.
He pulled apart slightly and chuckled as he pondered over her question.
Surely, it was him, wasn't it?
He was a bumbling, babbling idiot around her. Her smile was the key to his happiness, while her tears held the power to break his heart into pieces. Her touches sent him to dizzying heights of passion, and love for her was something he felt not only in his heart, but in his very soul. It had to be him, he decided with a smile.
He looked back at her, only to find that overcome with sleep, she had turned and snuggled into his arms. He caressed her hair, placed a kiss on her forehead and whispered, "I may not be a fool otherwise, Ishita, but I'm definitely a fool for you!"
She let out a soft giggle and murmured, "So am I, Raman...so am I."
.
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