CONQUEST(AR)part 5 page 13 - Page 8

Baggage

A look at our past, and we see ourselves different from what we are now. It seems like we have lost a part of ourselves and gained a new part. That's what she sees when she looks back into her past.

She remembers herself having fun, playing pranks, partying, playful fighting with sister,parents, catfighting with her enemies in college. But now was gone that girl to be replaced with a woman with responsibilities, realizations and a business to run, a life to look after. She was carrying a baggage that can never be unburdened even with a therapy of years.

A knock sounded on her door as she slid into her seat behind the desk mounted with files in her office. "Come in" her voice was hoarse, as if suppressing a sob. "Madam, you received this in the morning."her PA said placing the yellow flowers. "Ok, you know who sent it" she asked looking at the flowers. The fresh flowers that blossomed reminded her of all happiness in her life, the brightness just struck her. Her hands involuntarily caressed them delicately. As if trying to protect every petal from shedding. It was like her life, was the stem that held different cards of her life close to her. "No madam there was no card on it, however there is a letter addressed to you." Her PA handed over the letter to her. The letter was addressed to her "Ms. Riddhima Gupta". She dreaded as she read her name on the letter. Her life from the past made her anxious of the letter. She couldn't believe that her life has come to this, she culd handle people but on sight of a letter addressed to her, she just wants to curl and cry.

Letters addressed to her always left her sour. Tears formed in her eyes. Her lips trembled with fear. Her hands shaking with the letter still in her hand. The PA left noticing that her eyes were filled with tears and were threatening to fall down. She hurried outside to find the only person she knew could handle this. Riddhima still was their transfixed in her seat, her breathe getting heavy, a panic settling in her heart.

"Breathe Riddhima, calm down baby. Just breathe" he instructed soothing her rubbing her back. "Yes baby calm down. Slow deep breaths".

He took her in her arms and she felt herself settling back. She got the safety she was looking for in his arms, he always knew how to calm her. He was her sun, her rock. Her only guardian angel. Her best friend Siddhart Modi.

Sensing her calm down he gently picked her up the bridal way from her seat, where he was kneeling before her calming down to make her comfortable in her couch. He sat down with her in his lap still rubbing her back, kissing her forehead regularly. They sat still for few minutes, no one talked, the only thing that can be heard in the room was their breathe. They both knew they had to talk, he waited for her to start the conversation in her own time, while she was just relieving her pain.

"What happened Riddhima?" he finally broke the silence that was set in the room. She couldn't reply,she knew she had reacted strongly for a small thing. She was ashamed of her vulnerability. She couldn't understand how she can overcome this fear, how she can go back to her normal self. The fear was gripping her tightly and she couldn't do anything to get away from it. She was trying but wasn't succeeding. "Riddhima, please tell me baby" he took her face in his hands looking straightly into her eyes. He culd see they were red with tears. She pointed to her desk where the letter lay having fallen from her hands. Setting her down on the couch he walked to her desk and retrieved the letter. Looking at it he knew what had triggered her panic attack. He sighed, he couldn't understand how he culd save her from this. He knew her demons in life,but he didn't know how to hush them away. But he was trying, he was trying to save her, to protect her from herself, was helping her from drowning. He needed to try hard was the only thing he culd think. There was no other way for him.

"Do you want me to read it?" he asked gently. She just nodded in response. "It's not from him riddhima." He sighed after reading the letter. She looked up at him questioningly. Who culd write to her, there was no sense. Anyone related to her knew her number to cell or would write through her mail. No one writes her letters and send them with flowers except him. "I know what are thinking, but it's not him. Have you even looked at the flowers. They are not the one he wuld have send if it was him." He said. She looked at the flowers, and realized they weren't. everything escaped from her mind as soon as she saw the letter. Her brain was clouded with fear, her heart seized. "you need to stop this riddhima. You can't just panic everytime you see a letter named to you. You can't let even his thoughts fear you. He is gone, believe me. He is, baby . I can't see you like this baby." He cried softly as tears brimmed his eyes. He was holding her face in his hands, she culd see his tears. She knew she was hurting him too but she couldn't stop her responses. She was trying, she really was. She tried to convey it through her eyes, her eyes pleading him to believe that she was. That her behaviour was killing the same way as it was killing him look at her. "I understand baby, I understand. Just read the letter ok. We will take care of this later ok. This might be important" he said gently as he understood what she meant.

She took the paper from her hand and took a deep breathe, pushed the remnant tears away. The letter said :

Dear Mam,

We are very sorry that we can't name ourselves in this letter. We are not afraid but ashamed to face you, as we have involuntarily made you a scapegoat. I know it's harsh way to say it but that's what we think we did. We have made you a sacrificial lamb in our play.

We are very sorry for what we did. We are really ashamed to say that we have placed a bet on you. We have placed a bet with armaan, the most successful business man that he could charm you his way into your bed. I know what we did is really the worst thing and we are sorry for it. It wasn't intentional but it happened in spur of a moment. And when we realized what we have done we culdn't backdown.

We wrote this letter because we wanted to warn you against him. The man we placed bet with is ruthless, even if he can't charm you, he wuld try to play with you. He is a very sour loser. We don't want you to get hurt. We are deeply sorry for what we have done. We will try to help you as much as we can.

Thankyou,

Your well-wishers

She shuddered as she read the letter. She culdn't believe they could be people who can ever do things such as placing bets on others. She was disgusted, why was she always the one to attract such things.

"Do you thing it's just some prank letter or do you believe it." Siddhart's voice brought her out of her thoughts. She never thought of it being a prank, so she didn't know how to respond. Yes it culd be a prank but it could be a serious thing also. But she was sure she will deal with it. "I don't know sid. Why don't you just run this letter by our people, and also the flowers. Ask them who left it. Check our cameras if they can find anything." She said thoughtfully. "Ok, you got it ridzy. Anything else you want to try" he asked. "Ya, also ask them to gather all the information on armaan. I would like to know abt this man if whatever written in the letter is right. It would help us deal with him."she said depositing the letter in her empty file on the table. "So you gonna deal with him,how?" he asked. "You know me sid. If he is trying to play me, I can do the same thing. He needs to know I am not something to play with. But first we need to find of those who sent the letter. So just get going" she smiled coyly at him. "You got it ridzy" he smiled happy to see relieved and smiling. He knew not to forget of the panic attack she got on seeing the letter but he was relieved nevertheless to see her smile and planning to take on her offenders.

Her shoulders slumped as she rested her head on the desk. She wanted to cry now that she was alone, but she wuldn't. she has promised herself that she wasn't going to do that. She was going to be strong for she has a life depending on her. She knew she was just weak at the moment seeing the letter but she didn't want to be like that. She has resolved long back that she wasn't going to cry and nothing was going to change that, even the bet. She would deal with all the people involved with it and hopefully will teach them a lesson. She wasn't going to backdown.