ll~Anki SS: My Last Scandal~ *Chapter Six Updated on pg 12*ll - Page 3

Chapter One

(Three months earlier...)

"What would you like to order ma'am?" a voice said.

I looked away from the menu towards the barista who was tall in height, with black hair and a noticeable scowl on her face.

I was at a coffee shop that wasn't too far from the law firm that I worked out and just a quick run to get something to drink turn into an errand.

"Kritika...oh Kritika you are going out right? You wouldn't mind buying me a cup of coffee right? No cream or milk please?"

"Kittu, Kittu, Kittu please can you buy me a hot chocolate I have to finish this report."

"Oh Kritika can you please buy me a latte please?"

"Oooh can you please buy me coffee, just black please?

"Oohh Ohh

"Oooh"

"Hey wait..."

"Can you...can you..."

The voices continued as it seemed one person asked for a cup of coffee or something else, another one was ready to line up to ask me for another favor.

"Sorry I would like..." I mentioned everything I could remember from everyone's order and the cost for everything had me bulge my eyes out but I groaned internally as I fished into my wallet.

Another thing when it came to these little "errand" runs, always ended up with me personally buying it with my money.

I sighed and handed the cashier the money and asked for a cup holder and placed all the beverages inside.

"Thank you." I said to the barista but she nodded towards the next person in line.

I sighed and tried to juggle the coffee in my hand but every time I tried to it felt as if one was going to fall out the holder completely.

I continued in my efforts and walked backwards out of the front of the shop until I was outside.

I checked out the time on my watch and cursed.

I quickly crossed the street, entering the building as someone was leaving it, squarely making it from having the door colliding onto me.

I entered the lobby and went to the security desk where one of the guards was busily nodding every second or so.

I smiled and placed the cups on top of the counter causing the guard to shuffle out of his sleep.

"Hello." I said smiling.

He grumbled for a while and looked back at me with confusion until recognition shown into his eyes.

"Kittu?" he said.

I smiled and plucked one of the coffee's from the cup holder and handed it towards him.

"Good afternoon uncle...it seems that you might really need this." I said pointing to the cup.

There were still traces of sleep still covered in his eyes and in his movements but he gave me a smile and was able to reach out for the coffee that I handed out towards him.

"Thank you Kittu. You always bring me a cup of coffee every time and you don't have to." He said with genuine gratitude in his voice.

"No problem at all uncle...sorry...so sorry...I have to..." I said while grabbing the coffee holders as I noticed that it was already one o'clock.

"Sorry, uncle I have to go but have a great day." I said while smiling and running off towards the elevator.

"You too Kittu be careful don't spill the coffee on yourself!" he shouted towards me.

I quickly ran towards the elevator that were unfortunately gaining a steady stream of people that were returning from their lunch break.

The elevator came and the people entered and it seemed as if the elevator was starting to become full but there was no way I could wait.

I continue to run and was able to wiggle my way past the doors that was about to close and the group of men and women that were groaning as I tried to shuffle and juggle the cups of coffee in my hand.

"Sorry, sorry, sorry, excuse me...sorry." I mumbled over and over as I tried to get comfortable but was impossible in the crap small space.

I felt something jabbing me on the side of the stomach and felt something skitter scatter across my feet but I ignored it with every fiber of my being.

The elevator finally opened on my floor and was able to maneuver myself out into the office and to my work area.

I quickly handed everyone their cup of coffee while they either said thank you or didn't say anything at all.

"Kittu did you pay for this?" a voice said.

I looked up and saw Asha standing by my desk.

She was busy sipping a cup of coffee, that of course that I bought, while she was curling a strand of her hair.

Asha was someone that I tried to remain indifferent to, to avoid her interest, but it seemed as along the line I poked her interest in me.

She was notorious for causing trouble anywhere she went along, dumping her work on others, gossiping, and humiliating and embarrassing anyone that got on her bad side.

In one word she was a trouble maker with ample time and an obvious good face that allowed her to get away with it.

"Um yes.." I said confused.

She suddenly grabbed my arm and pouted and I looked at her even more confused.

"You are such a sweetheart. Every time you always buy coffee...and you always pay...that isn't right." She said.

"It's okay..." I said still confused with her objective.

"No...no it's not...I understand how hard it is that you are supporting your family and it wouldn't be right to keep on asking you to buy coffee without paying for it." She said.

I slightly tensed but I tried to ignore it.

"It's okay, really." I said with a smile and gently removed my arm from her grip.

She smiled and she dug into her pocket and handed cash towards me.

"No it wouldn't be right. I asked the others around for the money and this should reimburse you for the cost of the coffee. It wouldn't be right." She said.

"It's okay don't worry about it..." I tried to say but she interrupted.

"No, no, no I mean especially since it seems as if you are the only one with an actual job. I mean unless you consider using other means to earn money then I guess you are not the only one with a job. " She said with a tight smile.

I tensed up incredibly at that and looked at her sharply.

She looked at me with the same smile.

I gauged her reaction and instead stood up and she followed me with her eyes where it seemed as if amusement was starting to enter them.

I called her bluff and instead I took the money from her hands and she looked at me confused.

"Better yet, you are correct...I should at least get reimburse for the money...you're right people are using other means to make money, haven't you notice that the economy is not doing so good right now so we need to save up as much as we can." I said while smiling and putting the money in my pocket.

I landed back into my seat, reaching over to a pile of folders of paperwork that needed to be complered.

She stood there, tense and confusion vibrating off of her in waves.

I looked at her and she was confused and there was annoyance in her expression.

"Asha." I said.

She looked at me this time in mild interest and annoyance.

I grabbed a small pile of folders that were on the left side of my desk and handed it to her and she almost dropped some of the folders.

"It seems as if some of your files and work landed on my desk, it would be better if you take it now instead of me having to disturb you while you are working." I said with a concern tone.

She grumbled and shook her head.

"Yeah..." She said.

"By the way..." I started off as she was about to turn around and walk away.

She looked back and whatever was on her expression was replaced by a cool smile.

"Yes?" she said with an eyebrow raised.

"Thanks Asha...you are really a considerate person." I said with a fake smile.

She lost her smile and I smiled back at her.

"Thank you?" she said more so as I question.

"No problem at all, have a great day." I said smiling and turning around back in my seat to finish my work.

**********************

By the time I reached home it was already seven o'clock and I was dead tired.

After having to spend almost an hour or two over time, I had to quickly stop by the pharmacy to pick up medication.

I unlocked the gate, carefully closing it, before I ventured towards the house.

I entered the house and wasn't shock to be greeted with silence.

"Reshma! Reshma!" I called out as I unloose my plait from its bow and ran my hands through the strands of my hair, having it unfurl and fall down my waist.

I sighed at how good it felt and closed my eyes as I continued but opened them as I didn't here any footsteps.

"Reshma! Reshma! Reshma!" I called out again and this time I scrunched up my eyebrow in annoyance.

I went to the staircase, climbing upward towards the second floor.

"Reshma! Reshma!" I called out again and this time I saw a head peek out the room.

I scrunched my eyebrow in annoyance.

"Reshma why didn't you answer..."

"Sorry, sorry, sorry it was..." she said with a tensed and frightened expression.

I quickly ran towards the room she was in, popped inside the room, and saw him on the bed with his eyes closed but he wasn't responsive.

My heart was already pumping and beating unbearably fast against my chest but I felt as if my breathing was starting to become shallower and harder to pass through my lungs.

I quickly ran towards Reshma and grabbed her.

"What's wrong?! What happened? What's wrong? Why...why is ..why is papa like this!" I said in confusion, anger, and exasperation.

She shook her head.

"Calm down...calm down Kittu...he had aseizure again. This time I was able to keep him on the bed he didn't fall of the bed like last time." She said quickly.

I looked at her confused.

"A seizure? When? How?" I said.

"Just an hour ago...it lasted for at most 1 minute or so." She said.

"Did you call the doctor?" I asked.

She nodded.

"He said he will be okay and said most likely that it's due to his medication being out of his system for too long." She said.

I released the grip I had on her arm and went towards the bed, barely able to walk correctly, as pinpricks of tears started to tease the corner of my eyes.

I landed carefully on the bed, dropping the bag I had, and observing my father.

"Where is Mira?" I said quietly.

"She left for work before it occurred." Reshma said.

I turned to her in anger and annoyance.

"Why on Earth didn't at least call one of us? We told you clearly when you became his nurse that you are suppose to alert us towards any emergencies!" I said while raising my voice higher as I started to become even more pissed.

"I did...but the house line...I mean the phone line was not working...it was disconnected." She said.

I tensed at that.

Due to the past few weeks we were trying to pay for the mortgage for the house and at the same time trying to pay for papa's medicine...that some of the bills we weren't able to pay for and was slowly getting disconnected.

The water was recently put back on after we were able to finally catch up on our late payments.

"What about your phone?" I said trying hard to distract myself at the situation and she stared down at the floor.

I sighed and tried hard to calm myself down as anger, annoyance, fear, and helplessness was rolling inside of me all at once.

"Just go...just for now go...you are done for the day...just go." I said turning back towards my father.

"I'm sorry ma'am. Also...the doctor told me to hand this to you. He said it's his fees. He said last time he didn't charge you but he can't ignore it this time." She said and she handed me a note and receipt.

I looked at the amount and sighed deeply.

I nodded towards her.

"Just go Reshma." I said with a calmer tone of voice.

She looked at me with a mixture of pity and sympathy which made me feel even more humiliated inside than the time with Asha earlier.

It was the same look people looked at us with when they heard about our situation. The same look that had adults treat us as charity cases and other children tease and bully us over not being able to always having lunch for school or being able to always attend school.

Mira was able to shrug it off, but for some reason...I just couldn't.

I looked at her and motioned for her to leave and she nodded.

"Have a good evening ma'am." She said and I heard as she closed the door and instead I ignored her and quietly crawled closer to my father.

His eyes were still close and if it weren't for the tell-tale sign of the slight rise and fall of his chest I would have believed that he was dead.

His lips were pale and his face was still too pale than I was comfortable with but his breathing and the faint heartbeat that I was able to feel from his pulse calmed me down.

I grabbed his arms and folded mine's in them.

Compared to his, my hands were too dainty, small, and slender compared to his massive, long, and bigger hands.

I brought his hands closer to my chest and curled up into a ball, like I usually did when I was child.

"Papa..." I said slightly and I could feel tears well up from behind my eyes.

"Papa..." I said again and this time a few tears slid out of my eyes.

"Papa you...said that...that...that you are invincible. You...you...you said any time something tries to scare us you will be there." I said causing more salty liquid to slide down my nose onto the bedsheet.

"You said it...you will be there...how can you be there...if...if..if..if..." I trailed off on the thought and shook my head.

"No, you have to get better...you...you...you can't leave us." I said.

Please don't leave us papa...you are all that we have...

***************

"She called again." A voice said.

I continued to look at my files and type at the computer yet at the same time responding towards her statement.

"Tell her I'm busy." I said while continuing to work.

I heard her take a deep breath and shuffle on her feet.

"That isn't a good enough excuse. She wants the entire family to come together tonight for at least one meal together." She said.

"Anna, tell her I'm busy." I said again this time looking up at her.

She was dressed in a grey pantsuit with her hair in a tight bun that was on top of her head, but even then it couldn't disguise the visible scowl that she had on her face.

"It's not much she is asking for Anand, can't you at least visit them once?" she said.

At that I stopped what I was doing for a second but resumed working.

"There is no need for me to go home every time that I go there...problems always arise...it's better if I don't go...especially since he is there." I said.

She sighed.

"This is not good. As we get further along there are going to be questions and you keep on refusing to even meet them like a normal person. Sheesh why on Earth did I ever agree for this position...why, why, why?" She laminated to herself.

At that I smiled and took time to look away from my work to look at her.

I dropped my paperwork and folded my hands together and stared at her with amusement.

"Says the one who was almost about to get kicked out of her apartment and was p-r-a-c-t-i-c-a-l-l-y begging me to consider her for the position." I said.

She stared at me and laughed.

"Says the one who was literally dumping PA's left and right because they couldn't deal with your freakishly OCD, prissy, and arrogant a**." She said.

"You talk to me like that when I'm your boss?" I said.

She shrugged.

"I can talk to you anyhow especially since I put my life on the line to save your behind." She said with a smirk.

I shook my head and instead continue onward with my work.

"Anyway, moving on, there is a charity event in three days..."

"Cancel my invitation." I said quickly.

"Can you please let me finish before you respond. There is a charity event in three days and the governor and Mr. Sharma will be there as well." She said.

I paused and looked up at her.

"Don't give me that look. You need to attend. You need those two on your side, especially how things are shaping in the polls. You aren't losing but after the last article about you...your numbers are falling." She said and she pulled out something from the folder she was holding and it landed on my desk.

I looked at the paper and scrunched up my eyebrow in annoyance and stopped all the work that I was working on to focus my full attention towards her.

"How did this get out?" I said looking at her.

"The article was posted today. I had no idea but the PR department are trying hard to ease the brunt that the article caused." She said.

I continued to read the article and the words across the page had me slammed the stupid article on top of my desk.

"Why didn't you report this to me earlier?" I said while growing angrier.

"I didn't want to bring up something that was already being handled." She said shuffling and staring at me with a serious expression.

"The situation is being dealt with and although the numbers are falling, going to the charity event, getting those two on your side, we can spin this on its head. Numbers are affected now but we have a long run and by the end of this week we can post something positive having all of this clear away." She said.

I calmed down after her words but there were still the small pinpricks of anger still lingering.

"It seems she hasn't had enough...humiliating and almost destroying me wasn't enough that she has to plaster herself on a freaking newspaper magazine." I said while laughing bitterly.

Anna didn't say anything and I stopped to stare at her where she was looking at me but I couldn't read her expression.

I sighed and shook my head to dismiss my thoughts and gave her a brief smile.

"Anna confirm my invitation to the event." I said.

She smiled.

"There it is, there is that smile. Now if you would do that more on more campaign events and photo-ops you wouldn't be nicknamed the "Stiff Iron Board" or the "Giant Statue" or the "Miss Priss Pants" or even the..." She continue and I had to raise my hand to stop her.

"You can stop Anna...there is no need to continue to tell me." I said but gave a soft smile.

She smiled.

"What did I do wrong I'm just stating the truth." She said while shrugging.

I shook my head.

"You are dismiss for now, I need to finish some last minute paperwork." I said with a serious expression.

Her smile went away and a serious expression settled on her face.

"Yes sir." She said and she nodded and exited my office.

Chapter Two

(Two weeks later...)

The loud thumping and throbbing of music could be overheard throughout the room as mass of bodies were moving, gyrating, and thrusting to the beat.

The DJ was busy vibing and rocking to the music as he kept one hand on his headphones while another raising up the noise higher and higher were the sound was pouncing and bouncing off the walls causing the crowd to go even wilder and crazier.

The lights in the club was masked in a deep dark purple and light blue over the crowd while glasses and bottles of liquids flowed from the bartenders to the servers and then to the crowd at large.

Although it wasn't discussed, it was obvious that most of the people here weren't drunk or "high" on alcohol but also the bright and colorful drugs that were being passed around like candy.

I was busily in the changing room for the female employees where I heard a voice calling out to and I turned around to find another employee waving me over.

"Yeah!" I screamed back.

Due to the loud music, it was making it impossible to hear her and vice versa.

"A customer requested to see you! He wants you to serve him!" she said.

I sighed and nodded.

"Okay, give me five!" I said.

I quickly dug into my purse popped out want I wanted, a red lipstick tube.

I twisted it until there was enough and rubbed it against my lips until I was satisfied, rubbed my lips together, and wiped out the excess when there was too much.

I quickly put eyeliner on, mascara and a light blue eyeshadow on until I was happy with my look.

I ran my hands through my curls in my hair and shook my hair out, straightened out my bra to push my breasts upward until it was fully visible above the small top that I was wearing.

I closed my eyes and blew out a deep breath and plastered a fake smile on my face.

"Time to get to work." I said.

I got up from my seat, straightened out the cloth that was deemed a "skirt", and headed downstairs where the club was fully packed and someone was spraying a wine bottle into the club causing people to jump up to get a taste of it.

"Mira!" a voice called out.

I turned around and saw my boss, Ricky who was busily smoking on a cigarette and was talking to one of the other girls.

"Yeah." I said.

"The same guy is here...what's his name...Adrian...he wants to see you." He said.

I groaned.

"Can I NOT attend to him...he gets too touchy feely for my taste." I said.

"Nope. He requested for you and he loves to spend his money." He said while making a rubbing motion with his fingers.

"But..." I tried to say.

"No buts...it's either you go or you quit." He said simply.

I remained silent.

"Good now go, he is getting impatient." He said while nodding off upward.

I looked up on the third level where the guy Adrian was and he was alone for once which was less humiliating any time he brought along his friends.

I sighed and headed towards the staircase area where there was a bouncer stationed there to stop people who didn't belong or pay for the VIP section.

I nodded towards him and he did the same and he removed the velvet rope and I climbed up the stairs one at a time until I was at the upper levels which were less chaotic than the lower levels but was no less as crazy as them.

I continued to walk until I was in front of his booth where he was busily slouched over in a daze.

"Sir...sir." I said and he seemed to shake out of his daze.

He was a fat older white man that had a very bad receding hair line, a large stomach that didn't seem to be able to be compress under the strains of any shirt he seemed to buy, and a very odd smell of tobacco and sometimes heavy alcohol.

A smile seemed to lit up on his face and he patted the seat that was next to him.

"Meee raaa...it...it it is so nice...to see you again...swit..swit hwere hwere..." he said in a deep slurred voice.

He was already drunk and he was already going to be a handle.

I smiled and sat in the seat but not to the area that he was vigorously before hand.

"No...no no no too far...too far...closwer...closwer...closwer...clowswer..." he said patting the seat again next to him.

I groaned internally but scooted until I was closer to him and odor I couldn't identify earlier became more definable as weed.

Something slammed on the table and I turned to see him holding a shot glass.

"Pwoour...pwooour fwor mweh..." he said in a slur voice.

"But sir..sir you are drunk." I said trying to talk to him but he shook his head .

"Pwoour...pwoour!" he demanded.

I sighed and reached over for the Bacardi bottle that was already halfway gone and slowly poured some into his glass and before I could place the bottle back on the table he swung the drink back and in less than a second slammed the glass back on the table.

So I poured him so more and some more and some more until he was spilling over in tears as he said in sluggish overtone about his wife, kids, and her lover.

"Meeerrraaa...youuurrr sooo pwreety. Sooo pwreety not lwike my bwitch wife!" he said.

I nodded.

"Sorry sir." I said agreeing with him...hoping he would soon get over it and eventually call it a night.

I felt something on my bare thigh and didn't have to look down to know that it was his hand was on my thigh that kept on creeping on higher.

"Meeerrraaa kwiss mwe!" he said turning to me with a glint and sick heat and desire in his eyes.

I placed my hand on his and removed it gently placing it back on his thigh.

"Sorry sir...I'm not that type of person..." I said.

But yet again his paws were on my thigh and I couldn't do anything but try to remove his hands yet again but this time he grew more persistent and despite me trying to remove his hands he wouldn't budge.

"Shooo...shoo...stwop stwop it I will pay you for it so shoo..." he said and this time his hands went under my skirt and close to my underwear and this time I raised my hand and slapped him across his face causing his head to fling backwards.

I tried to get out of the booth but he surprised me on how good his reflexes were when he pulled on my hand and I landed back closer to him and he was trying to touch my breasts and flinged his arms away from my chest while trying to scream out for help.

My heart was racing and my breathing was becoming shallower as I was trying to fight him off but he wouldn't stop.

"Stop...stop...stop it!" I yelled but he continued and there was no one coming as the music was hitching on higher.

He continued to touch me and I screamed even louder until the next thing I knew someone grabbed him off of me.

"That's enough!" a voice said and the next thing I know someone was slapped.

It was one of the security guards and one of my friends Pakhi who then peered over me.

"Hey Mira are you okay." She said while looking at me.

I was able to calm down and I nodded at her and she looked at me sympthatically as the guard was dragging the guy away.

"You have to be careful next time...it's okay go home, I will talk to Ricky and tell him what happen and I will help cover the rest of your shift." She said.

I nodded and she helped me out of the booth and walked me back to the changing room where I undressed into my regular clothes and removed my makeup.

The security guard called for a taxi for me and escorted me outside when the taxi arrived.

I gave the driver my address and zoned out as images and snippets of memories started to enter my vision.

I tried fighting it off but it continued to flood my vision as a dark figure seemed to peer over me, covering me, almost as if he was trying to suffocate me and immense pain follow throughout my body.

No matter how much I screamed no matter how much I tried to fight it away it just continued causing more pain to rack over my body.

"Shut up stop crying like a little b***h! Sheesh, just shut up and take it!" a female voice said.

I stared upward at a pair of eyes a pair of eyes that matched mine but there was nothing but annoyance and such hatred in them.

"Take it like a big girl...this is what your father does to other people so why can't you take it?!" she said while laughing even more.

"You should continue...I'm not paying you to laze around." She said to the figure.

At her words the dark figure continued to wrap more pain around my body, this time causing a ripping, an unbearable ripping and tearing that flooded red over my vision and caused my heart to literally stop dead in my chest.

I choked on the sobs, on the painful sobs that were struggling to come out but was being blocked by the death grip the stranger had over my mouth.

"Ma'am..." a voice pierced through my vision.

I jumped out of my seat and stared at the surrounding around me, confused, until I was able to regain my senses.

"Ma'am we are here." The driver said.

I nodded and handed him the money before I exited the taxi towards the front gate of my home I stared at it before I entered and entered inside the house which was quiet as everyone was already fast to sleep.

I was going to head on upstairs until I noticed a small dim light coming from the living room.

I sighed and slowly approached the area where the person had their back towards me and the person stiffened and suddenly turned around.

I relaxed as I realized it was Kittu was dressed in her pajamas with her hair hanging loose as papers were over her lap and on the couch.

She smiled and I gave her smile back as is slowly joined her.

"Hey what are you doing still up?" I said while smiling.

"I'm just trying to look atour expenses, there are so many bills that are due but not enough money around to pay for them." She said while picking up a paper and dropping it as she picked up another and circled something on it.

She continued with it for a while until she suddenly popped her up.

"What are you doing home so early...I thought you said you finish work around four? It's only 2:10 A.M." she said.

I tensed up under the weight of her gaze and the questioning that she directed towards me and I tried to give her a smile as I playfully slid my hand down her face to cover up face.

"Why are you asking so much questions? It seems that you don't even want me home." I said while slightly pouting.

She grabbed my hand and pulled it back towards my lap and this time her gaze was locked and focus towards me.

"What happened Mira." She said more so as a statement and with a more authoritative voice.

I lost my smile as I stared at her.

She was no longer the girl that couldn't defend herself when everyone used to tease and pick on her.

She always cried towards me or hid behind me when kids used to pick on her and I always had to fend for her.

I sighed and I flicked her forehead causing her to lose her serious expression.

"Stop it now. I'm still older than you and there are some things that you don't definitely need to know." I said with a more serious tone.

She picked up my hand and stared at me, her eyes searching mine.

"I'm not a kid anymore...you don't have to hide to me like you did before about what...what you do or what you go through...tell me?" she said while searching my eyes with concern.

I sighed.

"Didi...I would have died a long time ago if I didn't have you or papa. My only goal is to see papa get better and make sure you are happy and safe. Let me, as your sister, continue to protect you." I said while smiling.

"But..." she said.

"There is some things that I want you to avoid. There is some things that you should never know about so this is why I can't tell you do you understand?" I said enquiring into her eyes and tightening my grip on her hands.

She nodded and I released my grip on her hand and yawned while stretching out my arms.

"Don't think you have won this time around I will pry it out of you one way or another." She said while pouting.

I smiled.

"How is papa?" I asked changing the conversation.

She brightened and another smile popped into her face.

"Much, much, much better. He finally woke up and he squeezed my hand! This is why I'm trying to check all our expenses to see if there is a way we could pay for therapy. Reshma is not bad but...his recovery can be a whole lot better." She said and then her face fell.

"But then again that might be impossible...collectors came around yesterday." She said with a sharp edge towards her voice.

I looked up at her.

"Again? From where this time?" I said while sighing.

"From some loan sharks saying once again that we will pay off her debt." She said with growing anger.

I sighed.

"Leave it alone." I said while taking away the papers in her hand while she turned to look at me exasperated.

"Leave it alone? You wouldn't be saying that if you knew how much she took this time around." She said in disbelief.

"Does it matter? Will it erase the other mound of debts that she has? Will it stop them from coming to our house and harassing us? Just leave it and go to sleep, you have work in the morning...so go to sleep." I said.

She shook her head.

"There is no way...I have to..." she trailed on and instead I slid off the couch and lifted myself and crouched in front of her.

"If you are too tired to work in the morning will you be of any help to papa?" I asked while staring at her with a serious expression.

She paused and she stared at me.

"Plus don't worry about that...that...that woman...she will be coming back either way. She always does when she freaking runs out of gambling and alcohol expenses." I said.

She nodded in agreement and handed me the papers and she stretched while yawning.

"Goodnight didi..." she said while smiling and lifting herself off the couch and slowly wandering out of the living room while she continue to yawn.

"Goodnight Kittu," I said and Kittu must of heard me as she waved off as she disappeared behind the wall.

I smiled and got up from my position and the smile on my face slowly disappeared as I stared at her papers she was looking at and the evening that happened.

I looked up at the ceiling and clasped my hands together.

"I know I given up on you a long time ago but please God, you spite me and continue to make my life a living Hell if you wish but please don't let anything ever happen to Kittu. Please let nothing harm her and especially..." I said and began squeezing the paper, causing it to slowly crumple against itself.

"Don't let that b***h of a woman ever cross her again or else this time she won't be so lucky." I said with a smirk.

********************

I looked at myself in the mirror as I put on each silver earring in my ear hitting it causing it to swing.

I then put on my bangles on my wrist making a clinking noise; put on my mangalsutra over my saree, and stood up from my seat to admire myself from the mirror.

I picked up a perfume bottle and began spraying myself and wafted in the smell.

"That's it I look incredibly sexy." I said while flipping my hair back and smiling at my expression.

"Why are you dressed like that?" a deep voice said.

I continued to admire my image in the mirror until I saw someone enter my vision and I twisted around to see Ashish staring at me in confusion.

"Hmm...you said something?" I said in confusion.

"Yeah, I said why are you dressed like that when it's Kunal's roka and you don't..." he said but I interrupted.

"What are you talking about? It could be Kunal's roka or it could be Ishaan and I wouldn't care at all. There are going to be some photographers there and I want to look my best." I said while smiling and having my arms spread apart in mid-shrug.

"But Jaya...dad said not to make this a public event that there won't be any media play when it comes to things involving the family." He tried to complain but I wave my hand through the air.

"Forget what papa ji said. You are running a campaign and no matter when or where, if there is an opportunity to showcase you in a good light, you should take it." I said.

"But.."

"Or do I need to mine it that your brother is beating you right now in the popular polls." I said with annoyance.

He smiled and grabbed my hand into his.

"It's okay honey, I didn't run to win...I did it just to make you happy but if we don't win it's okay..." he started but I interrupted and released my hands away from his.

"Doesn't matter? Are you nuts? Do you think I would have settled with you if I wanted someone that was just happy with second best? Sheesh everything and every time...you are just completely useless. Useless!" I said in disgust and frustration.

"Jaya...honey...baby...calm down that is not what I meant. I was trying to say..."

"Hush! I don't have time for this. You can decide on your second best and being praised by your father and brother while I try to salvage my image." I said while twisting away and about to exit from the door until he grabbed my hand.

I turned to him in annoyance.

"Speak." I said eyeing him with a level gaze.

"I'm sorry Jaya, I will take this more seriously...if it will make you happy. I will try my best." He said.

At that I smiled and I brushed my hand over his cheek.

"I need more than your best." I said and I released my hand from his cheek.

"I might as well hurry downstairs...I hear some of the reporters are already here...might as well break the ice. It's such a shame that Kunal is getting married to such a dull and boring girl both in looks and personality but what can you do?" I said while shrugging and heading downstairs to prepare for my entrance.

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