What will you( AR FF) update part 4 17/8

When Padma woke up that morning, she noticed that Shashank hadn't come home. This was a common habit with him, and she learned early on not to question his whereabouts. So Padma ate her breakfast, without giving her absent husband one thought. If she had known why he was absent this morning though, she might not have had any appetite for the rice Ridz made.

Shashank Gupta, would usually spend his nights and mornings in a smoke filled room in Treasures Casino Majorda, gambling his inheritance away. Sometimes shanky won, but mostly he lost. In fact, he had lost more money than he realized, playing the addicting games of Pacific poker, and Blackjack. For several years, Shanky led a life of gambling excesses, causing him to sink deep in debt. His creditors had allowed Shanky to borrow money hand over fist, knowing his father was wealthy and the fact that he was also a world renowned cardiologist. Someday the old man would die, and leave his great fortune to his eldest son. This is what they were counting on, and so was Shashank
Today would be different, however. After spending three hours in front of a Pachinko machine's hypnotizing lights, Shashank felt someone tugging at his shoulder.

"What do you want?" he asked impatiently.

"Your father is dying. Come quickly." Shashank obeyed immediately.

Mr Veer Gupta had led a long life. Now he wanted to die peacefully, confident in the knowledge that the honorable family name would continue for several more generations. He had disapproved of his son's choice of wife, for he had hoped that Shashank would choose a woman of his own Status and Caste. The Social worker, blue ' eyed Padma , (with no heritage), was not what he had hoped for. But Mr. Veer knew how hard his son was trying to be worldly, and thought it was somewhat humorous. Shashank had a lot to learn before he would be as wise as his ancestors. Years would add wisdom to his son.

However, several hours ago, Mr. Veer received word of his eldest son's gambling fever and large debts. Many of Shankank's excesses were told him in great detail. The longer he listened, the angrier he became. This was no longer a laughing matter. His eldest and most honored son had disgraced the ancient family name, exposing it to ridicule. He must save face, (save honor), and do it quickly, for Mr. Veer knew that soon, he would die.

Shashank touched his fathers feet and knelt beside his dying father.

"Weariness fills my heart, for your disgrace has come to the doors of my house. The inheritance that you have so long taken for granted is given to Sanjeevani Trust. From this hour on, I have no firstborn son." A stunned Shashank stared disbelievingly at his father.

"Father, if I do not pay the creditors their money, they will kill me ... or worse!" Shashank was visibly shaken. Beads of sweat ran down in rivulets on his face. The "or worse", was in Shashank's mind, more terrifying than death.

"I have no firstborn son," his father repeated. Mr. Shashank would not even look at his dishonored offspring. Shashank opened his mouth to protest, but the words would not come. He knew his father would never reverse the death sentence he had just given. This was how Mr. Veer was going to punish his son. Silently, Shashank left his father's house for the last time

When Ridz returned home that evening, she found her mother standing by the window, sobbing. Concerned, Ridz started to cross the room, but Padma heard her coming, and motioned her to stop.

"Ridzi , the police were just here. Your father killed himself this morning. He jumped off a bridge ..." Padma's voice trailed off. Collecting her thoughts she added, "They found his body two hours ago." She stood gazing out the window, tears streaming down her face.

Suddenly, as if something within her snapped, Padma's sorrow turned into rage. She looked up to heaven and screamed, "You win!" Angrily, she began stuffing suitcases with clothes and small belongings. "Get up, riddhima. We're leaving!" Ridz was huddled on the floor, crying. She quickly obeyed.

Riddhima packed frantically, as if running from some evil person who was threatening her life. ButPadma , in her wrath against God's judgment, moved with a cold bloodedness that made Riddhima even more frightened than she was already. The packing was done without any thought. Soon they had everything within eyesight, jammed into four suitcases.

"Where are we going?" she asked. Padma didn't hear her daughter's frightened question, for they were in a taxicab before Ridz could close her mouth.

"To the airport", Padma commanded, "and step on it!"

"Which one?" asked the startled cab driver.

"The closest one!"

The cab ride was quiet, except for the occasional hiccup fromRidz , who had been sobbing all evening. With the oncoming of darkness, Mumbai city became alive with bright neon signs. The sidewalks were crowded with carefree people, coming and going from one store to the next. All this remained unnoticed byRidz . In one evening, her whole world had turned upside down. It seemed ages ago since she last visited the zoo, chatting to any creature who would listen. Her loneliness suddenly became terrifying. Ridz leaned her head against her mother's shoulder for comfort, but Padma jerked it away. She had not forgotten her first beating from Shashank came when he found out that Ridz was a girl, and not a boy. With a bowed head, Riddhima turned to the cab door for comfort.

Forty-five minutes later, they reached the airport. After paying the fare, Padma picked up two of the suitcases and told Ridz to do the same. They were a bit heavier than Ridz could easily manage, but with some determination, she was able to keep up with her mother's fast walk. When Padma came to a sudden stop, Ridz bumped against her.

"Sit here, and don't move." Ridz obediently sat down on one of the yellow benches, her eyes never leaving the ground. A single tear slid down her cheek and splashed onto the airport linoleum.

"What's down there that you find so interesting?" asked a voice in hindi .

Ridz understood Hindi perfectly, but was too shy to look up and see who was speaking to her. Maybe the voice was speaking to someone else, she decided.

"I said, 'What's down there that you find so interesting?'" the voice repeated slowly, thinking that maybe she didn't understand Hindi.

Ridz was now certain someone was talking to her. Slowly, she tore her eyes from the linoleum square she had been focusing on, and lifted her head cautiously to see who was speaking to her. Her eyes looked directly into the face of a grinning, young man. She blinked her eyes to see whether it was truly Mr Armaan mallik the owner of Mallik group of Business standing there. Upon seeing her blue eyes he let out a surprised gasp. They were the most beautiful pair of blue eyes he had ever seen! He couldn't help comparing them to fountains of deep blue water. She had obviously been crying, which was the reason he had spoken to her in the first place.

He had watched a girl in a red suit , approach the benches, struggling to carry two, heavy suitcases. He noticed the way she kept her head bowed, and had witnessed the solitary tear that told him she was crying. Feeling sorry for her, he decided to try and cheer her up. He was unprepared, however, for the look in Ridz's face. Feeling embarrassed, he repeated the question for a third time. But, before he had the words out of his mouth, ashort , heavy headed woman sat down next to the short, black haired girl. "Surely, that isn't her mother," he thought to himself. Padma's abrupt coming silenced him, for the young man decided it was time to end the one-sided "conversation." He prayed the girl would not get in trouble for anything her mother thought he might have said, for Padma's face betrayed that she was not happy. "Please God, don't let the girl get in trouble for something I did. And please, help me keep my mouth shut!"

God answered before he asked, for Padma had not noticed him. Her mind was brooding upon the fact that her Shashank had left her. ("He loves me," she would argue. "After all, we have been through a lot, and he has never left me. He would have left me if he didn't love me. That proves it!") Those words echoed in her ears.

Ridz was left in solitude to wonder about the grinningDelhi . She felt like laughing, every time she thought of him turning red with embarrassment. For the first time that day, she almost felt happy.

Mother and daughter sat there for several hours, waiting for their airplane, occupied with their own thoughts. No signs of affection or concern came from Ridz's mother, a fact that did not escape the young man.