~ Prologue ~
Seven years ago
There are places where you expect to bump into your boyfriend's ultra-posh mother, like at the Kodak Theatre, watching some fancy opera, or at a Movie Premiere, walking down the red carpet with Brad Pitt, or even at the Buckingham Palace, having chocolate with the Queen. And then, there are other places where you don't expect to see her at all, like in your living room, sipping tea while the house is empty.
"Aunty you scared me!" Riddhima said nervously, as she entered her house. Seeing her boyfriend's mother is the last thing she had expected to see in her living room. How did she get in any way?
"For the love of God Riddhima, how many times should I tell you to call me Mrs. Malik? What is it with Aunty? You make me sound so old!" She put down the cup of tea. "This tea is rubbish."
"How can I help you Mrs. Malik?" As much as Riddhima despised her, she hasn't forgotten her sense of hospitality.
"I don't have time for all these formalities. I'll cut to the chase. I want you to stop seeing my son." She said calmly as if it were the most natural of things.
Riddhima blinked. "Excuse me"
"You heard me, I want you to end your relationship with my son."
Riddhima just stared at her in disbelief. Was she serious? She is a retired actress, so she does know how to act... maybe not. But NO! She was dead serious. "Why?" That was the only word that came out from her mouth. Serena Malik never like Riddhima, but she never thought she would go this far. Asking her to break up with her son was just flat out wrong!
"Because he's nineteen, and going to college, and you are going to be a distraction for him. He has dreams, and you are going to stand on his way."
"I know he's going to University" she said bewildered "And I'm not stopping him. We talked about it already. He is going there, and coming back only on long holidays if he doesn't have any exams. I want what's best for him too... I love him. I would never let him sacrifice his dreams." She was mad. How dare she accuse her of destroying her son's future? "I won't break up with him and you cannot force me to."
Mrs. Malik's lips curved into a wicked smile. "You're right, I can't force you, but I can surely try my best to persuade you."
"It's not happening. I love him, with all my heart." Riddhima blurted out. She was determined to prove her that their love was not just a teenage puppy love that would fade away with time. At seventeen, most people would think she doesn't know anything about love, but they were wrong. What she felt for him was true and pure. Nothing was going to change that.
"Five hundred grand, take it or leave it."
"What?"
"That's what I am offering. Think it over. That's a lot of money there, much more than how much your parents win running their little bakery shop."
Riddhima was furious now. She crisped her hands, feeling her fingernails dig into her palm. "Not happening! Before I lose my temper, I am politely asking you to leave." She opened the door.
Mrs. Malik simply stood up, fixed her Burberry skirt, adjusted her Hermes scarf around her neck and strode gracefully towards the door as if nothing had transpired between them. "By the way dear, I'll give you till tomorrow noon to think about my offer. You know where to find me darling."
Riddhima just shut the door with a thud as soon as her unwanted guest left the perimeters. She had never been this angry in her whole entire life. That lady had just insulted her, her parents and her love. How could someone fall so low? She stomped to her room and crashed on her bed. She tried to calm herself down by reminiscing all the good moments she had spent with him. They always brought a smile on her face.
She had met him two years ago. She was fifteen and he seventeen. It was a typical love story. She was new in town, and he was the popular boy. They met in a very unconventional way. He was in a hurry to get to school, and she had missed the bus. He was driving his new shiny Porsche while she was walking down the street. She was crossing the street, and he looked down to change the music. A loud screech was heard, and a few insults flew here and there, and that's how they became enemies from day one. They fought, and then fought some more, and then even more. There was no end. But obviously, things had changed one day. The day he saved her from drowning at the beach, and that's how it all started. They became friends, and then it grew to love, and now, they were inseparable. His father died when he was ten, and his mom raised him alone, but he was nothing like her. He was sweet and caring and his mother was a witch. He had a little sister named Muskaan; she was the same age as her. He got accepted at Yale's school of Drama; he wanted to be an Actor, the only genes he got from his mother. He was there now, at Yale, filling out all confirmation fees and resident fees. He would be back in a week, once he got everything settled, and they would spend the summer together like they had promised each other.
Riddhima was brought back to reality by a creaking sound of the floorboard. She was sure the house was empty. Her parents were supposed to come back at night. She took an umbrella and walked silently through the house, afraid that someone might be lurking around the corner. The sound seemed to be coming from her parent's room. She slowly approached the room, and peeked inside.
"Dad?" Something was terribly wrong. Her father, Sameer Gupta, was packing a bag and his face was unrecognisable; a black eye, bruised cheeks, and swollen lips. "Dad what's wrong?"
"Nothing Riddhima, go downstairs" He turned his back to her. He did not want his daughter to see him in this state.
"Dad, why are you packing?" Riddhima was shaking now "Maybe I should call mom"
"NO!" He jumped in front of the phone before Riddhima could reach it.
"You're scaring me, dad, please tell me what's wrong."
Her father sat on the bed and buried his face in his palms. "I screwed up Riddhima. I gambled with the wrong crowd and now, I owe them five hundred grand. We don't have that much money, and now they are after me. If I don't return the money, I don't know what they'll do to me."
"So you were running away. Leaving us"
"What else would I do? They want me and me only, if I stay here, they will find me and hurt me and maybe all of you too. But if I go away, they will follow me there, maybe find me after a couple of days, but no harm will be done to you. They don't know I have a family. I love you and your mother so much, remember that and promise me that-"
Riddhima hugged him tightly. He wasn't going to leave them. She knew how to fix this problem. She had no other choice. "You're not going anywhere dad. I can get you the money."
"Riddhima, it's five hundred grand, it's impossible."
"Dad! Listen to me" Riddhima explained him how she could get the money.
"No! No! I won't let you destroy your life for me like that." He didn't want his daughter to be heartbroken.
"It's okay dad, it wasn't going well between us anyways" she lied "But we'll move away from here in less than a week okay?"
"OK. But your mother, she can't know about this. She'll be heartbroken. Promise me that this whole thing stays between me and you only."
"I promise Dad, she'll never know a thing about it" She hugged her dad again. She knew what she had to do now.
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Riddhima walked towards the big huge mansion. This house could probably put the white house to shame. Okay, maybe that was a bit exaggerated. She rang the bell, and was greeted by the butler. "Mrs. Malik will be here soon"
"Riddhima! Didn't expect to see till tomorrow" her shrill voice echoed from the end of the hallway.
Riddhima's throat was dry and she was pale as a ghost. She wasn't sure how to bring the topic up. "I... umm... am... here... I am here..." She stammered.
"We both know why you are here Riddhima, so why don't I just get my check book." She came back with her fat book, and signed the amount. That was it, this piece of paper held her destiny, her future, her family's life, and her most precious beloved. She took it, and sealed her fate. Mrs. Malik already hated her, but now Riddhima had proven her right. She was nothing but a money loving scumbag through her eyes.
Riddhima went back home with the check and the whole debt was clear. In less than three days, her father had found a place in New York, a place where their business would prosper much more. Everything was set, and they were leaving tomorrow, a day before he would return from Yale. That night, as she sat by the window, the tears she had been holding onto for almost a week were now streaming on her cheeks. She heard her cellphone buzz and saw his name on the screen, so she whipped her tears and cleared her voice. "Hello"
"Hello Beautiful! Thinking about me?"
She was dying to hear his voice, but she could barely utter a word. Riddhima tried so hard to control her tears, but she couldn't.
"Honey, are you crying. It's okay, I'll be there in two days, and we'll be together for the whole summer, just the two of us. You are going to be my only priority, I will enjoy every second of the summer because after that, I'll be going back."
"It's just that I'll miss you"
"Baby, I'll miss you too. But it's not like I'm going to mars. We'll see each other all the time and we'll talk to each other all the time. Now stop crying. Ok" His voice sounded so caring. "Now give me a smile."
Riddhima half smiled "That's not really a smile, I want the whole smile, the one that reaches your eyes" He knew her so well. She smiled.
"Now that's my girl."
"I'm sorry..."
"For what? Crying. You don't have to be sorry for that."
"No...just for everything." She sniffed through the phone.
"Baby, you've never done anything wrong. Okay. Now, I know it's late, and you must be tired so go to sleep. I'll see you soon"
Riddhima was about to hang up when she heard his voice again. "Oh and Riddhima... I forgot to tell you the most important thing...I love you" He waited for her to reply.
"I love you too Armaan" And that was the last time she ever spoke to him.
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Hey guys!! That was the prologue! I hope you enjoyed it!! Next part goes back to the present!! Please do comment as I love reading them and replying them!!
Love you all - XOXO- Alisha K.
Edited by ksgforlife07 - 14 years ago
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