Chapter 5

Chapter 4

“I’m Not Single.

I’m Not Taken.

I’m Simply on Reserve

For the one who Deserves

My Heart”

Troubled and Anxious that is all Riddhima was feeling at the moment. It has been a while since they returned from their shopping. When Sejal mentioned that she wanted to look the best, she meant that literally. They shopped for everything classy and luxurious, at least Sejal did, her shopping alone cost around forty-six thousand. When Sejal mentioned shopping Riddhima never expected getting dragged to branded shops like Vero Moda, Prada, Chanel. Her party dress only cost twenty-eight thousand, then came shoes, jewellery. When It was time for Riddhima’s shopping she put her foot down they exited the mall and went into a local shop. Her shopping cost went up to seven thousand. So total cost for today’s shopping was fifty-three thousand rupees!

How are they going to recover this dent in the pocket? Riddhima was angry with Sejal why her sister does not understand that they had other expenses, loan, rent, bills. Why can’t Sejal for once think about their problems and not about her? Why can’t she stop her sister? Oh well, she knew the answer to that because that would create a huge rift between them, and they will lose all the balance between them.

Riddhima suddenly got up from her bed, she did not think she could sleep tonight. She grabbed the photo frame from her bedside table. It was her parents’ photo that brought the sting of tears to her eyes. Theirs was a small family of four. Her parents and two daughters is a typical middle-class family.

Puneet and Priyanka Shastri had two daughters. Sejal was five years elder to Riddhima. They loved their children like any other parent. It was a love marriage. Her father was orphan, and her mother was from a well to do family. Her family was strictly opposed to this alliance. So, they ran, got married and settled in Mumbai.

Puneet Shastri worked as an Accountant in a private firm whereas her mother took a job as a schoolteacher. Her parents never let any hardship or problems affect their children. They taught them both good values, admitted both in good schools, took them on various vacations.

Even though Sejal and Riddhima were siblings they were poles apart. Sejal was more stubborn while Riddhima was always the mature one out of them. It was not as if the sisters did not love each other. They were each other’s secret keeper, but after her parent’s accident, Sejal changed a lot.

She could still remember that day very vividly, her father announced they must leave for Lonavala as his friends’ daughter was getting married, they will attend the function. Both the girls protested Riddhima just finished her exams, so she wanted to chill at home and Sejal already had plans with her friends. Her parents left in their car. After an hour, girls received a call, their parents’ car crashed with a truck, it was a major accident and both are admitted in a hospital. They could not understand what to do. Riddhima got up somehow and managed to inform her neighbours while continuously crying. Mishra’s were their neighbour for years now and they had a very good relationship with them. Mishra uncle immediately called a cab and reached the hospital with both the girls. They received another blow as they reached the hospital. The doctor informed them that both their parents died on the spot.

Sejal and Riddhima were too shocked to do anything but cry since this ordeal began. They still could not believe their parents left them. They are alone in this world now. Mishra uncle started completing all the formalities, called a few more society members. Together they completed formalities took bodies. Injuries from the accident were so fatal that they immediately had to perform the last rites. After all the ordeal they came home with society members. Few society aunties stayed with the girls at night for a few days. Many people came and consoled them. Riddhima was 16 but since Sejal was an adult she did not go to an orphanage. Suddenly Sejal had to bear all the responsibilities. She wanted to pursue her masters in Fashion designing but since Riddhima was yet to complete her 12th she took up a job in bpo sector as a telecaller and started earning.

It was after 6 months the homeowner gave them a visit and reminded them about the pending rent. Since the locality, they stayed in was good and It was a 2 room flat rent was forty thousand. He sympathised with them but also informed them in mild words that if they can’t pay rent, they better leave this apartment. Sejal created a big issue out of it like how the man was insensitive but Riddhima knew the person was not wrong as it is he kept quiet for 6 months but like everyone else even he may have problems. That day girls sorted all savings of their parents and paid the rent.

No one was going to help them forever, they had to stand on their own. The reality was harsh but she accepted it and started working towards it, for Sejal it was difficult to cope with the pressure. She started to stay angry all the time. When Riddhima suggested that maybe they should leave the house and move to a cheaper one. Sejal fought with her calling her heartless, who did not love her parents. Riddhima was hurt even she did not want to leave this house they had so many memories of her parents here, but they also had to become realistic about it. After that day nobody brought that subject ever again.

Riddhima started taking tuitions of school children to help her sister. She cleared her 12th exams with flying colours though she was happy she knew she could not pursue her passion, she wanted to become a heart surgeon. But with the high fees, it was not possible, so she took the available alternative bachelor of Physiotherapy as a course since she had good marks, got a scholarship, and joined a good college. Half of her fees were waived off and for remaining, she took the education loan. Sejal also joined part-time course in marketing as she did not want to be stuck in bpo sector.

When Sejal got a job offer from VR corporation with 4lpa as annual package both of them were very happy and celebrated, It seemed everything would settle now as in 6 months’ time Riddhima was going to start her internship as a Physiotherapist in Life-beat hospital with 30k stipend. Everything was going smoothly, but their fathers earning was now almost over and they would need to save for rent, bills everything. With heavy heart, they sold her mother's jewellery to manage the expenses.

The worst thing about Sejal was she never saved a single penny. Whenever Riddhima would try to stop her she will revert with “my money my choice”. It was during the end of her internship period she got frustrated and shouted at Sejal about their worsening monetary conditions and how she needs to be responsible. Sejal got angry and left the home on scooty, gifted by their father on Sejal’s 18th Birthday. After some time Riddhima received a call, that her sister got into an accident. She was shocked, as she reached the hospital she was relieved to find out that it was a minor accident. She apologised to Sejal and brought her home. She already lost her parents she can’t lose her sister now.

That day Riddhima decided whatever may happen she will not say anything about money to her sister. She will try to manage everything on her own, she once again started taking extra classes on weekends to pay the bills. She prayed to God to help her and he did. Finally, after such a hard work a few months back she got confirmation from her hospital they took her in as a Junior Physiotherapist, she had to assist doctor Batra a well-known Physiotherapist, and got a good hike in salary as well so, earning sixty thousand salaries a month resolved many of her problems. Now she could pay rent, bills and pay EMI on her education loan. Not much saving could be done after this, but she was happy they did not need to beg before anyone for money now.

Today when they did such a costly shopping it was going to put a big dent in her budget, though Sejal used all her salary she had to pitch in for the extra amount. She once again looked at the photo and murmured to her parent’s photo frame “I Miss You…please give me strength”. She exhaled it seems it was time to start tuitions again for extra income. She kissed the photo, kept it aside switched off the light as she slept, she only had one thought on her mind, how to do the damage control now….

Note:

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