I had a writer's block moment going on, so please forgive me if this part isn't all that great.
PT 26 B:
After all their classes were over, Rano and Tina start to walk over to the parking lot, where Tina was to wait for Saahil for a ride home. As they approach the black BMW, they see saahil leaning against his car, with his arms folded, looking like he's waiting, well waiting for Tina.
Tina: Hey, Saahil. You're early?
Saahil: Hey. Yeah. Chale?
Tina: Hain, chalo.
Rano: (to Tina) Well i guess i'm going to go now, Tina. See you tomorrow.
Tina: Rano, do you have a ride home?
Rano: (light smile) Do i ever? No, i'm just going to walk home.
Tina: Hmmm, why don't you come with us? We'll drop you home. You were complaining in last class that you were super hungry and wanted to go home soon.
Rano: It's okay, Tina. I'm headed home anyways.
Tina: (ignores her, turns to Saahil) Saahil, you don't mind if we give Rano a ride home, do you?
Saahil: (smiles) Nah, not at all. (to rano) Hop in.
Rano: (talking to Saahil, but looking at Tina) No, it's okay. I'll manage. I don't want to hold you guys up.
Saahil: We're going out to eat anyways, you can come along since you're hungry.
Rano: No no, it's okay. (this time looking at Saahil)
Tina: Rano,...get in the car.
Rano knew that she was stuck and would have to go. She lightly smiles at them.
Rano: OKay, since i have no way out of this.
Saahil opens the back door for her and lets Rano slide in. He closes the door after her and walks over to the driver seat. Tina opens the passenger seat and seats herself in. They drive off to the nearsest eating place by.
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Riya walks down the hall looking at all the apartment door numbers. Trying to locate the right one. She looks back down at the piece of paper in her hands that had Bani's friend's address on it. Aarti, was it? She begins to search and stops at the end of the hallway and stands right infront of a door, apartment 23B. Riya looks down on the piece of paper which had Aarti's apartment number, 23B. All of a sudden, she begins to feel nervous. "What if Bani and Pia don't want me here?" "I shouldn't had come, i don't want to bother them with my problems" "Should i just go?" "But where am i going to go now?" "No, i'll just go in, tell them that i need a place to stay for a day or two, think things over, contact my Aunt from Rome, see if she'll take me in, and if not, i can look for another place to stay" "yeah, that's a good plan" "They won't mind if i stay for a couple of days, would they?" She finally builds up courage to knock on the door. She knocks lightly at first, but then changes into an impatient and loud knocking. After a couple of moments of waiting, the door is opened by a tall, yet medium height, slim, dark brown haired girl, with hazel eyes staring at her with slight confusion. This girl was definitely not a familiar face. Was she Aarti? The one Rano was telling her about?
The unfamiliar girl asks her, "Riya???? Are you Riya?" Riya was about to speak up, telling her that indeed she was, but was interupted by a worried voice coming from inside the apartment, a very familiar voice. "Riya?! Riya's here?!", Bani pratically screamed. The next second, Riya sees Bani infront of her, standing at the doorway. Just by seeing Bani made Riya's eyes well with tears. "Bani....", she croaks. Bani pulls Riya into a hug and brings her into the apartment.
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Raj sighs heavily and hides his face into his shaky hands. He was going through a hell of a lot lately, and didn't know how to put up with it. There was always the office work that just kept on piling on and on, and there was the whole Riya situation,which he was more concerned about. He had hired investigators recently to find Riya or any type of clue where she might be, so far,...no news. Well it has only been one day, they couldn't possibly locate her that fast. Riya's a clever girl, Raj knew that very well, she did get inherit that from him of course. But Raj was growing impatient, he wanted his little girl found and brought back to him ASAP. It had felt like years since he hadn't seen her, not a day.
He stands up from his seat and begins to pace back and forth a bit. He then suddenly pounds his fist on his desk, in pure frusturation with himself. "I"m a failure.....a failure as a father", he says to himself. Raj runs his fingers through his hair.
Raj: Riya,....where are you? (desperate tone)
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Bani: Of course that's fine, Riya!
Bani says after Riya had told her, pia, aarti, jai (who she was shocked to see, but also glad to see him again), and even Rahul about her plan.
Bani: Is that okay with you, Aarti? If she can stay? Do you mind?
Aarti: No no, not at all. Riya, you are always welcomed here. (smiles at her)
Riya: (touched) Thank you.
Jai: How long are you staying here, Riya?
Riya: Just a day or two. I want to call up my aunt and ask her if she can give me a place to stay for awhile, until i can be capable to live on my own.
Aarti: Riya, you know, i'd be very glad if you stayed until my wedding, infact, i'd be extremely happy if you agree on staying.
Riya: (a little surprised)...I don't know, Aarti Ji, i mean, that'd be great and all,......but are you sure you wouldn't mind?
Aarti: Absolutely not! I told you before, you are very welcomed here. And please, just call me Aarti.
Riya: Thank you, thank you so very much! I won't ever forget this favor.
Bani begins to stroke Riya's hair affectionately.
Bani: Riya you look so tired. And why wouldn't you? You've gone through so much recently. How about you take a nap?
Riya: (light smile) A nap sounds very nice right now.
Bani: Come on.
Bani takes Riya to her temporary bedroom and gets her to feel a bit at home.
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Competely taken by surprise that she had fallen asleep all through yesterday, Riya comes out of the bedroom and joins the three girls, Bani, Pia, and Aarti at the kitchen table, where they were all sipping on their individual cups of coffee. She seats herself down next to Pia.
Bani: Good morning, Riya.
(very cheerful) Sleep well, last night?
Riya had actually had slept like a baby after so many weeks, knowing that she was safe and sound.
Riya:
(smiles) Very well....
Aarti: Want a cup of coffee, Riya?
Riya: (
shakes her head) No thanks, i'm not such a coffee person.
Aarti: Then tea?
Riya: Oh no, i don't want to put you through anymore trouble for me. I'm fine, thank you.
Aarti:
(smiles) No trouble at all, i'll get right on it.
Aarti stands up to begin her task.
Bani: Rano, called
.....(to Riya) she wanted to talk to you....see if you are doing all right.
Riya: Oh, she did? I guess i'm going to have to call her soon.... she deserves to know, after what she's done for me....
Bani: yeah, she told us......
Pia had one question on her mind, which she was so very eager to ask. And since they were kinda on the topic, she went on and asked her.
Pia: Riya,...if you were thinking of Running Away long time back, then why didn't you? Why now?
Bani:
(giving her stern a look) Pia....
Pia: I mean, don't take me wrong. I'm just curious that's all. Jai had told us that you've been wanting to get away for a long time.
Riya: and Mr. Walia's right...... it had been on my mind a lot when i was younger.... i told him that myself.....
Pia: Then.... why not before?
Riya:
(shrugs her shoulders)..... scared.......didn't have the courage too..... kept on thinking that maybe.... just maybe things would get better...... maybe my father would change..... i mean it could happen, right? ...... so i stuck around for awhile hoping that he would........ change i mean. But over the years, not one little thing gave me a hint that he would...... he just got even worse. And for the past couple of weeks, he just grew even more furious, more impatient, and he just because a terrible monster that i couldn't bear with... and then all of a sudden it hit me.. what was an eighteen year old girl still doing around, still stick around at her father's house, who clearly didn't love her? I'm eighteen, and adult, why should i keep sticking around? And how long would i? So i decided that i should leave finally........
Bani:
(placing her hand over Riya's) Well i for one, think you did the right decision. I mean, i was a bit shocked at first when i heard that you ran away, but once when i really started to think about it.... it was for the best. Truthfully, your father is horrible.
Riya:
(light chuckle) I know...... and the worst thing is...
(getting serious) that he's still all set on marrying you..... i tried everything i could to make him not to, believe me, even before you guys arrived at Mumbai, i tried talking him out of it, telling him what's the point of him getting remarried? And all he ever said was that he wanted a mother for me, which i told him that it wasn't necessary, but he's just so damn stubborn.
Bani swallows hard.
Riya:
(looking at Bani) Bani, what are you going to do? You're going to go back to India in about a week. and once you get back, the wedding prepartions will start.... and then a month or two later, you'll get married to him....
Aarti's swears under her breath.
Bani:
(shaky voice) Well-...that's not going to happen,....i won't let it happen....
Riya:
(confused) How? Bani, once my father sets his mind onto something, he never backs down....
(looks at her curiously) Do you have plan of some sort?
Bani:
(shakes her head) No plan, no plan at all....... i'm just going to be frank with him and refuse to marry him. He's going to have to agree.
Riya: I'm telling you Bani, he won't. If he has to, he'll drag you to the mandap to marry you. You have no choice....
(her voice trailing off) Bani: Riya, just like you, i'm not scared of your father anymore. I'm not going to ruin my life by marrying him.
(her voice raising) I am not set on spending the rest of my life with a man that i don't love. How can he expect me to marry him when i don't love him? And when i clearly don't want him? And i can assure you that i
WONT grow to love him because he is an awful, despicable, grouchy, and unbearable man.
(tears dwelling her eyes) I'd rather kill myself than get married to him.
Pia places a comforting hand on Bani's shoulder.
Riya: But what can you do, Bani? There's nothing that can be done..... you're going to become Raj Patel's wife, whether you wish it or not..... so don't get all hyped up... because your protesting won't have any effect.
A moment of dead silence passes by in the kitchen.
Bani: How can i marry him when i love someone else?
...(questiong herself mainly) Riya looks at her with shock.
Bani: Yes, Riya, i love someone else...
Riya: W-who?
(she stuttered out)
Bani:
(light smile) Your Mr. Walia.....
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Don't know when i'll update next, because honestly to say, i have no clue what to write next. 😕 😆 But no worries, i'll come up with something! 😉
Love
Goddess
Edited by indian_godess - 18 years ago
Arjun
