Little Red Flower -Thread One- Chapter 1 to 8 - Page 7

Little Red Flower

Chapter One

Fatal Charm

The ice-cold wind wafted through her senses as Khushi stood at the huge gate of the school. "St. Teresa's Convent School, Kochi" she sighed and her eyes searched for the cutest of person, who was her daughter, "Camellia" she was staring at the huge iron gate her almond eyes wavering to the play ground and the classrooms simultaneously.

Khushi's face lit up with a smile as they both entered through the huge gate, passing the security guards and few students who were busy with their own chores. Khushi had to drag Camellia along with her to the principal's room as she kept looking around and tripped few times.

The admission processes were been already done and now Khushi had to just sign few papers before enrolling Camellia into 1^st grade. Camellia kept playing with her long ponytail as she sat on the huge chair right in front of her Principal Madam who seemed a nice woman.

"Camellia how do you like the school, so far?" Principal Mam asked and Camellia hoisted up on her seat to look at her when she talked.

"Its beautiful Ms. Samuels. And I think I am going to have a great time studying here.." The 6year old said politely smiling at the elderly woman.

"Then welcome to St. Teresa's .. we are happy to have a bright student like you..." She said standing up while Khushi and the principal shook their hands after signing the papers.

"Thanks you Ms. Samuels.."

_____________

Khushi left after settling Cammy into her classroom. She had to reach her workplace at time, as it was going to be her first day, at Kochi Techno Park. She used to work at Mumbai, then after completion of 1 year of her services, she got a promotional transfer to Kochi as Software Solutions head with a good pay.

She walked towards the auto rickshaw stand and hired one of them instead taking the transport bus, because it was already past 8:30am. She pulled the visiting card out of her purse and showed it to the driver, who willingly took it from her and then nodded his head.

"How far is it from here?" She asked hesitantly while the man looked at her through the rearview mirror.

"5kms madam.." he answered taking a left turn from the highway. She held onto her bag as the vehicle crossed the crowded streets with people, small shops and schoolchildren who were waiting for their buses to take them.

Her thoughts went straight to her daughter who was on her own at the new surroundings and people. She did not even know the language the kids spoke but she seemed delighted to have found one friend called Athira in her class.

Khushi knew her daughter is little sad to have leaver her earlier school which she was very fond of, but she never showed it to her. Always accepted whatever she offered, with a smile on her face. Khushi was very thankful to almighty for giving her a gem of a daughter. The driver's voice snapped her out of her reverie and she climbed out of the vehicle before paying the man.

She looked at the huge building in front of her and walked towards the same, with a prayer in her head. God, please be with me!!

___________

Cammy stood up from her seat as it was her turn to introduce herself to the students. She walked towards the teacher's desk and waved her hands to everyone.

"Hello My name is Chaahat, I used to study at Sacred Hearts, Mumbai, and then my mumma got transferred here. My mumma is working at the Kochi Techno Park...and I think I am loving Kochi so far.."

She finished and then walked towards her seat only to be stopped by the monitor of their class. Suhasini Menon.

"You did not say anything about your father.." She said scrunching her nose cutely while the class teacher reached for Cammy's sides and asked her to take her seat. But Cammy adamantly walked towards the middle of the class and looked at everyone.

"My mumma, she is a single mother.." She concluded and took her seat, while the students looked at her with widened eyes. Some of them where looking sadly at her, while some threw sympathetic look at her. Both she hated with a passion, but it was not their fault right?! She was mature enough to compose herself.

The teacher begins with the class and they all got busy in the subject instead of Camellia and her tragic childhood.

___________

Khushi and Cammy walked hand in hand towards their new house after their hectic first days at School and work place. Khushi had straight gone to pick Cammy after her office. Since Khushi had office until 5pm in the evening and Cammy's school finished at 4pm, she had arranged a violin class for her at the school choir. Cammy was very fond of music instruments and violin was her favorite.

They rushed inside the living area holding the huge tub of ice cream and settled onto the only furniture they had, a small bed. Cammy's eyes twinkled as Khushi slowly opened the lid of the tub. Cammy was all set to attack the tub with two spoons in her hands.

"Main Scream, Tum Scream, Hum Sab Scream for Ice Cream"

The both shouted and started digging into the tub with both their hands. Cammy giggled at her clumsy mother as Khushi got a little cream on her nose and she tried to lick the same with her tongue.

"Mumma you are ajeeb..." She said absent-mindedly and then bit her tongue nervously as she realized what she said. She looked up at her mumma who have stopped eating and seemed lost in some thoughts.

"Mumma.. are you alright?" Cammy asked placing a hand on Khushi's shoulders. Khushi nodded her head and dug into the tub flashing a smile at her daughter.

"How was your first day at school?" Khushi asked trying to change the topic and Cammy pouted cutely.

"It was good, except the part where our monitor asked me about my father... but I managed very well...the school's good anyways.." She said stealing glances at Khushi's stiffened form.

"How was the work?" She asked taking the tub as she walked towards the kitchen to place it there. Khushi stood up from the bed adjusting her sari in the process and looked at her daughter who was trying hard to mask her emotions.

"Ohh..it was good..." She said pulling her into a hug. Cammy rested her head onto her mother's chest inhaling her scent while Khushi kissed her hair, her eyes tearing up a bit.

No words exchanged between them as Khushi sat on the floor hugging her daughter closer. They understood each other's silence too. Such was their unbreakable bond.

___________

Khushi flashed smiles at her colleagues as they wished good morning to her. Finally, she was getting used to the place and the new office. The people were very nice except few men who seemed to have a very keen interest in her personal life rather than trying to share a professional relation with her.. She never paid any heed to them, as it was a quite a normal problem wherever she worked. She being the single mother was everyone's favorite topic to discuss during his or her free time.

She was used to the same, hence no hard feelings. She smiled down at the new appointment Lavanya Nambiar, a beautiful Keralite girl, her dusky complexion made her look even more alluring. Khushi instantly liked her friendly nature and politeness. She signed the legal papers and they both shook their hands.

Lavanya was appointed as an Asst. to Khushi and she was the only person who did not looked at her with disgust after finding about Cammy. She said everyone has their own priorities in their life, you should live your life as it pleases you not to please others. Khushi had squeezed her hands as soon as she let those words, and she knew she found a new and trustworthy friend in her.

___________

Cammy enjoyed her school life immensely it's been 3weeks already since she had joined St. Teresa's. The teachers, the students everything was just so perfect, except the one fact that irked Cammy the more. Every other student came with their father's for the PTA meetings, instead of their mother. She really wondered as why mothers could not attend the meetings.

But she never said anything about the matter hence skip the PTA meeting to get a minus remark on her performance chart. Khushi was unaware of this until she once read Cammy's diary and saw the minus marks. She was speechless after that incident but she did not have the courage to scold her precious daughter for the same. She was just trying to help her mother from being embarrassed in front of everyone, while she was getting minus remarks on her performance.

Cammy knew every damn thing about her father from Khushi. His name, his likes and dislikes, his favorite cuisine, music, places...and his favorite color too. Khushi was been forced to share about him on her 6^th birthday when they were in Mumbai. Sometimes, it took the patience of the whole world to calm her down so letting her know about her father was the best solution she came up with. After all, she had to know one day. It was her father, not a long lost relative or cousin, right? She had every right to know about him, whether he accepted or not accepted her in future.

Khushi was afraid that Cammy will force her to meet her father, but her daughter was mature enough to understand their situation, and the circumstances they were in. She had hugged her mother close after she shared every detail. Khushi knew, it was more than a six year old could digest, but Chaahat seemed totally fine and then after that incident they never spoke ever about the matter.

"Are not you coming to the playground?"

Athira's voice startled Chaahat and she stood up instantly smoothing her uniform skirt and joined her friend to the playground. Most of the days, it was either basket ball or rugby, both she hated. She was not a sports person, she loved books, music and opera's, she was quite a girly little thing, in her mother's words, very Romantic at heart.

______________

"Its been 7 freaking years NK, S.E.V.E.N Y.E.A.R.S... and no news of Khushi yet... do you think she has left the country already?" Arnav said tousling his gelled hair while NK stood at the windows of Arnav's cabin, holding a cup of steaming hot coffee.

NK turned around to look at his cousin brother; he was leaning back onto the chair, holding few scrap papers in his hands, as if his life depended on it. His lips thinned in a line, his eyebrows knitted together, his eyes surrounded with huge dark circles, his eyes red and puffy, showing the amount of sleep he had last night.

NK had no words to soothe the pain he was going through, nor the details, which will make him happy. They were trying hard from last 7years to track Khushi, but it seemed impossible to have single news of her living in some corner of India.

Ever since Khushi had left him, he lost himself slowly. The arrogant ASR whom everyone was afraid of, the ASR who never gives any second chances was begging to god for a second chance with his life, his Khushi. Because without her he was nothing, He had admitted the same in front of his entire family, when they forced him for a marriage.

He turned into a maniac searching for her, while his family was worried to lose him, to find him in a depressed state. So they hired detectives everywhere to have find Khushi before its too late. Nevertheless, everything went in vain, she was nowhere to been found, and Arnav slowly slipped into a depressed state. Where he forgot to have food, his medicines, and his darling company that he had taken to a level that everyone envied, was in the verge of breaking apart.

He kept chanting the words, if Khushi comes back to me, everything will be all right. I know she will come to me, one day.

NK looked at his brother's determined eyes shining like anything when he talked about her. He too was sure that Khushi was alive somewhere, feeling the same way as Arnav. But she was not at fault, Arnav was the one who pushed her away despite of the feelings he had for her. Just, because her stepmother was the reason behind the destruction of his family. And without thinking he connected every damn thing to that one cause...The reason his mother, died. The reason his father forced to kill himself. The reason he lost everything. The reason his sister's marriage broke.

But was not his love more powerful than all this so called reasons??

Or Arnav Singh Raizada was a coward to live a life with his love, while Herpresence in his life would only remind him of his dreadful past

NK's mind travelled back to that night, when Khushi waited for him at the altar. Her eyes, showing the trust she had in her Arnav. NK had always envied their relation and the powerful bond they shared despite of their differences.

But, never had in his life he had thought that Arnav could really leave her behind and make her regret for loving him. She was broken beyond words and the pain in her eyes was unfathomable when he had tried to console her stop her from going away from there.

Was their love so weak, which stopped them from becoming one?

NK had no answers for that, but he had a little hope that their love was not weak, it was the strongest of emotions he had ever came across. If it was not, then why Arnav was still hoping that she will be back to him? Why he was still waiting for the impossible, like his family had stated before?

NK looked at his tired form one last time before leaving his cabin. Arnav had passed a weak smile at him when his cousin had finally left him alone. He loved loneliness, it made him little happy with all those beautiful memories of him and Khushi flashed in front of him.

"I miss you, terribly.."

He whispered, throwing his head back onto the chair, while he held onto the picture of him and her, it was the picture taken on Akash and Payal's havan before the haldi. She had her hand in front of his face, showing off the bangles and teasing him in every possible way.

He was adamant to admit that he bought the bangles, just for her. And Khushi being the annoying brat wanted everything out of his mouth, she just plainly wanted him to admit the same. Which he did few minutes after, at their favorite meeting spot, his poolside..No their poolside... She was shocked beyond words and her face had fallen in a huge O.

He fluttered opened his eyes, when Aman came barging into his cabin, holding onto a file.

"ASR, there's news.." He said handing over the file to him and he almost snatched it from his hands. He knew as what Aman meant by news, it was about Khushi... and he would be damned if he delayed anything this time. He wanted her at any cost.

"She was in Mumbai.. I was there one whole month for the Batra's project.."

Arnav stomped on his feet, showing his restlessness. He was angry and sad at the same time. He did not know as what to do or to be done?!

Arnav looked at the out of focus photograph of her, her face was not clear but he can recognize her even in a huge crowd. She was unique in every matter.

"ASR, we don't have any other details, but they are working on it...and they said she left Mumbai few weeks before to join some other company...she is in South India, but don't have any other details as which place or state..."

Arnav thanked Aman and waved him off, clutching onto the photograph for dear life as a lone tear escaped his eye.

______________

ps : Camellia is an evergreen flowering shrub!

Note : Few readers have asked me for PMs. I have buddied you and I have a request do unbuddy me after this SS finishes.. Because I dont want to spam your inbox with the pm's of my other stories.

@mbbsrocks : Thanks for reading Doc Sahiba..Aapka darkshan hogaya sabse pehle..Sautan is bheerry Khush 😉

@ma-nishada & @Nickysweet : Great Guess!😊

@Twilightstar_Jp : Thanks Machi.. and me a Super Lady ? 😆

@ranogill : I too do not want Arnav to marry another girl... 😉

@arshi_sunshine : Thank You o Much ji!

@P4rveen12 : I am glad you liked it. It's an Asian Movies title, which I adapted!😊

@Pheonixtears : Thanks Dosa ji 🤗

@sman : Thank You!

@cheesemad : CC.. meri I did so much mehanat for the banner.. and sirf meri CC ne notice kiya *wipes aasoons*

@jahnvi.luvs.ASR : Thanks darling.. !!

@bridgeofdreams : Thanks Shaima ji... Main aur serious... 😆

Well I am trying hard..

Thank You for the beautiful response on the Prologue!

Hope you all like the first chapter!