Niharika

"Harika, I know I was not a good mother. I know that I was sometimes concerned more about Ananti and ignored you. I'm sorry for not being there for you always, when you were always there for us. Even you were calling me mother; I always yearned for a baby of our own. And we were blessed with Ananti after a long time of treatments and prayers. I may be biased but I loved you Harika. I never wished anything bad for you. Please trust me. I was not aware of Karan's behaviour till you came home after that incident. Please forgive me for being such a bad parent." My mother said wiping her tears. We were sitting on the sofa. She was holding my hands in her hand tightly.

After I decided to go to Mumbai I called and informed my sister about it. They came to see me early in the morning before I leave. "You know that you can come home whenever you want right. Don't listen to father. It is my home and you are always welcome there." Ananti told trying to be authoritative but there were tears in her eyes.

I smiled at her and nodded my head. Vedant came in and told us that it's time to leave. My luggages were already kept in car. We all got up from the sofa. I hugged my mother and sister. Then I turned to Kavya. She gave me a reassurance smile and hugged me tight. "I will miss you so much." I said with tears in my eyes. "Me too." She said and wiped my tears. "Remember what I said. I will come and kick his ass if he hurt you." She whispered. I chuckled and said. "Take care of my house." She smiled "With pleasure."

We said our goodbyes and Vedant opened the car door for me. I got inside and he walked around the car and hopped into the other side. The chauffer drove us to my new destination. It will be a lie if I say that I'm not scared. I'm scared. I don't know what is going to happen in my life after this. The insecurities started to pop inside my head. I leaned back to the seat and closed my eyes. A drop of tear rolled down from the corner of my eyes. I opened my eyes when a warm hand wiped away the tears. I looked into those deep black eyes. There was concern, guilt and some other emotions in them. He took a deep breath and asked the driver to stop the car.

The car was parked near the express highway. I could see a small water fall at a distance. It was slightly raining the traffic was not that heavy like usual. He signalled the driver to go out and looked at me. "Can we talk for a moment?" he asked. I nodded my head.

"See, I know you have so many doubts and tensions. I know this marriage was not intended to happen. But I am a man who takes his responsibility seriously. When I can be sure that you are safe from those men. I will set you free from this relationship. Or if you find a person whom you can trust with everything you have even before what I said earlier I will give you the divorce. But for now please trust me. Hurting you is not my intention. I know you are not able to trust me because of the stunt I pulled and I admit it was a shameful act. I'm sorry for that. You don't have to be committed to me. I won't pressure you for any type of relationship. Anyways, I am not good with relationships too. So you are free to live your life. I just want to take responsibility for what I did. I just want you to be free from the mess I created. Till everything gets cleared let me keep you safe." He said firmly without leaving my gaze for a moment. He was damn serious about what he said.

So he doesn't want any commitments, is he for sure? Then what was it that happened yesterday night? Was it just concern? Is he thinking of me just as a responsibility? I felt a prick in my throat. Am I feeling sad by hearing him? Am I expecting more from him? No. I too don't want a relationship right now. I have to find myself first. Let's this be like what he said. A deal that benefits both of us. He could get his revenge and I can be safe from that monster. When everything cools down we will go on our separate ways. Let the time decide if we should be together or not. After a long thought I decided to go with the flow. "Okay." I said looking at him. He gave a small nod and called the driver back.

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We reached his penthouse by afternoon. Raghu, his driver brought our luggage's up and kept at the door step. Vedant pressed the code to open the door and we entered inside the house. It was pitch dark inside the house. Suddenly I heard him clap and the room filled with lights. I kept my in hand in front of my eyes because of the sudden brightness.

I slowly removed my hands that covering my eyes. Luxurious, was the first word come into my mind. Even though we were rich and lived in a mansion this was beyond everything we had in our home. He led me to the living area. The sectional sofa was covered in black leather with a white fur carpet lying in the centre and small black glass top coffee table sitting on the top of it. The dining area was next to the living area. The black mahogany table was surrounded by white cushioned chairs and the open kitchen was adjacent to the dining area. He took out a remote from the side table and pressed a switch. The curtains opposite the dining table opened and a beautiful view of sea came in front of me. A smile formed in my lips. I walked towards the balcony and opened the glass door. I stepped into the patio. There was a small lawn set up on one side and a small swimming pool on the other side. The view from the patio was serene. I turned around when I heard someone clearing his throat. Vedant was standing by the door.

"Your room is in upstairs. Come I will show you." He said. I nodded and followed him. I was looking around while taking the stairs. Everything in this house was exclaiming rich. The only flaw I saw was the lack of colours. Everything in this house was in black and white. I think it explains his life too, a black and white movie.

He opened the first door to the right and gestured me to go in. I went inside. The room felt whiter than the other areas. The bed was covered with a white bedspread with black dots on it. The pillows were in black and white covers. There was a long mirror with white frame next to the black bed side table and a white chair was placed aside. A black and white carpet was spread under the coat. There were two white doors opposite to the mirror. I went and opened the first one and was greeted by a walking closet. So next will be the attached bathroom I guess.

"If you want anything else to be fixed in this room you can tell." He said.

"No. This is very much comfortable. Thank you." I said and gave him a small smile.

He nodded. "You must be tried. Freshen up and take some rest I will order some food. The maid will be coming from tomorrow only. Do you have any preference?" He asked.

"Anything is fine. I'm not a picky eater." I replied.

"Okay." He went out and closed the door behind him. I turned around and walked towards the closed curtains. I opened them, it is still drizzling. The sea was buzzing with its dormant strength. I opened the window and cold breeze hit my face with little drops of rain. I felt relaxed. I closed my eyes and enjoyed the cold breeze on my face for some time. Then I heard a knock and the door opened. Vedant was carrying my luggage. He kept my two suitcases near the door side. He was changed into a black track pants and a white hoodie. He looked more handsome in his tousled and wet hair.

"The food will be delivered in half an hour. Come down when you are ready." He said.

"Okay." I said and he nodded and went out.

I opened my suitcase and took out a change of clothes and walked into the bathroom. I took a long hot bath. Wearing a black leggings and loose grey t-shirt I went downstairs. The table was already set and Vedant was waiting for me. I went and sat down opposite him. It was Chinese takeaway contains fried rice, chow mein and crispy sesame chicken. We ate in silence. Only the clattering of spoons was heard. Awkwardness filled the room. When we finished I took the dishes to kitchen and started to wash. He also came in a joined me. "It's okay I can manage." I said.

"I want to help." He said without looking at me and started to dry the rinsed dishes with a towel. I sighed and let him do what he wants. After cleaning the dishes and keeping them on place we walked out. "Uh-uh, if you can buy the groceries I will cook the dinner." I said.

He stopped and looked at me. "You will cook?" he asked surprised. I rolled my eyes. "Hmm. Yes, if you don't mind eating the food that I cooked." I said awkwardly.

"Of course not, I will go and buy the groceries. You go and take rest for some time." He smiled and said. He looked so happy like a child. He walked out of the house and I went to my room. I took a book from my bag which I brought along with me. I lied on the soft bed and started to read the book. But I couldn't keep my eyes open, they were becoming heavy and I fell into deep slumber.

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I woke up hearing the grumbles and growls of thunder. I opened my eyes and looked outside. The rain was getting heavier. Did he come back? I sat straight and looked at my phone. It was half past six. I got down from the bed and went inside the bathroom and splashed water on my face. I came out wiping my face with a towel and tossed it on the bed. I went downstairs, he was nowhere to see. Didn't he come back yet? That's when I heard sounds coming from kitchen. I walked towards the kitchen.

The sight in the kitchen made my mouth reach the floor. There was a whole grocery shop in the kitchen. "What is this?" I asked in surprise.

"Hmm. I didn't know what dish you want to cook for dinner. Soooo I brought .. all.. these." He said with a raised eyebrow and a puppy face, scratching his head. Oops. That's so cute. I scoffed at his action. "So, since you have brought a whole grocery store here, what do you want me to cook for you?" I asked while walking close to where he was standing. I stood near him and crossed my hands in front of me and gave him a questioning look.

He looked surprised. His smile widened. "Roti and matter paneer?" he asked with excitement. At first I gave a serious expression he looked disappointed but then I nooded my head and said. "Okay."

He gave me a happy smile and suddenly pulled my face and gave a hard lingering kiss on my cheeks. "Thank you so much." He said while pulling away. I was looking at him shocked with my mouth wide open. That's when he realized what he has done. He closed his eyes tight and face palmed himself. "I. I didn't mean it like that. Okay. I. I was just excited." He said without looking at me. I closed my mouth and came back from the trance. I looked here and there to avoid embarrassing us both. He looked at me awkwardly. "I. I will go out." He said and I nodded my head and moved away from the way. He walked out of the kitchen. I took a deep breath and shook my head. I started to take out everything he brought from the grocery bags and arranging them.

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The roti was ready and the matter paneer was almost done. I was stirring the curry when my mind went back to the kiss happened some times before. My other hand automatically went to touch my cheeks. I bit my lips and a shy smile appeared on my lips.

I poured the curry to a serving bowl and kept the roti on a wire basket and took them to the dining table. I arranged the dishes and the plates on the table and looked for him. He was in the living area and was doing something in his laptop. I walked up to him and stood behind him. He was so into the work that he didn't acknowledge that I was standing there. I cleared my throat to get his attention. He suddenly turned to see me. "The food is ready." I said. "Oh Ok." He said smiling and got up after closing the laptop.

We sat facing each other on the dining table and served ourselves. He took a piece of roti and wrapped the paneer in it and took it to his mouth. I eyed him to see his reaction biting my lips. He put it in his mouth and closed his eyes and let his taste buds do the work. A few seconds later I heard him moan with a smile. "Wah!! This is awesome. I love it. You are not going to get anything more." He said looking at me with a satisfactory smile.

"Oh. Please don't exaggerate okay. I know I'm not that good in cooking. I'm just an average cook." I sarcastically remarked.

"No. I am being honest. This is so good. Perhaps this is first homemade meal I'm eating in years." He said while eating. "In years? So you don't cook here?" I asked curiously. "No. I always eat out." He said with a mouth full of roti. "Why?" I asked again.

"I don't know how to cook." He said. "You can appoint a cook right." I asked.

"No. It feels so lonely while eating alone. So I prefer restaurants. There will be people around always. I know every good restaurant in the city. I will take you sometimes." He said while wiping the curry bowl with his last piece of roti. He put it in his mouth smiled at me. He doesn't like to be alone? Then why is he living alone here? What about his family?

He helped me to clean the kitchen and dishes. We finished cleaning and I sat on the kitchen island sipping a glass of water. He came near me and kept a container next to me and handed me a small spoon. It was my favourite chocolate ice cream. I smile "How do you know that I like chocolate ice cream?" I asked. I saw it in your fridge when I came in to your apartment. I looked at him. "Eat." He said while digging himself into the ice cream container.

"If you feel alone why are you living here alone? What about your family?" I asked. He stopped eating. "My father died 10 years ago and my brother was studying abroad. He came back recently only." He said without looking at me. "What about your mother?" I asked again. He looked annoyed. He looked away avoiding eye contact. "I don't want to talk about her." He said with a low voice. "Why?" I asked curiously. "Because I said so. I don't want to speak about her and that's it. End of conversation." He raised his voice suddenly. He looked furious. His fingers formed into a fist and his knuckles turned white. I gasped with the sudden outburst. I gulped and looked down. I got down from the island and walked out of the kitchen.

Why is he so angry? Did something happen to his mother? I was thinking while taking the stairs to my room. But I was stopped when someone hold my wrist. I turned around and saw Vedant looking at me with guilt in his eyes. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have shouted at you." He said. He looked sincere. "It's Okay. Leave it. I shouldn't have crossed my limit." I said. "No. No. It's not your fault. It's just... I..." He stammered. He looked so uncomfortable. "Hmm. Can we not talk about it?" He asked hesitantly. I felt bad for bringing up the topic. I shook my head for a yes. He sighed and left my wrist. We started to climb the stairs. When we reached in front my room we stopped and said goodnight. "My room is next door. Call me if you want anything." He said and I gave a smile in response and went inside my room closing it behind me.

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He was coming near me. I moved back further until my back hit the wall. "Please no. Don't hit.. " I couldn't complete the sentence. My head turned to my right with a force. My cheeks were burning and I felt a metallic taste in my mouth. "I told you to behave. Didn't I? Then why did you come in front of them? To show your beauty to everyone?" he was furious. I gasped when my hair was pulled back and I could feel his breath fanning my face. "You are mine to see, mine to enjoy and mine to torture. Did you get it? This is where you belong, inside the walls of this mansion. Don't you dare come out of this? Understand?" he said while gripping my hair more tightly. Tears welled up in my eyes. I nodded. He pushed me hard and walked out of the room. I lost my balance and fell forward on to the glass top coffee table. It broke into pieces. The pain was unbearable, blood started to pool around me. No. Please somebody save me. I prayed but no one came. The thing I saw before closing my eyes were a pool of blood.

My breathing was getting heavy. I need air. "Hey wake up. Niharika. Niharika. Wake up. Open your eyes. It's just a nightmare. Open your eyes." I could hear someone calling. Finally someone heard me. Please help me to get out of this hell. Please. I could feel some one tapping my cheeks. "Niharika." I heard the voice again. I opened my eyes and gasped. I saw two eyes looking at me. I shouted and pushed him away with force. I sat straight and looked at the eyes, they were not green. Two deep black robs were looking at me with worry. I looked around, that's when I realized I was having a nightmare. I sighed in relief. I wiped my sweaty face with my palm.

"Are you ok?" he asked while giving me a glass of water. I nodded and took it in my hands and sipped. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to disturb your sleep." I apologized.

"It's okay. I was not sleeping I was in my study doing some work. I heard your voice while walking back to my room. Are you alright now?" His concerned voice asked me. "Yes. Thank you." I replied.

"Do you always get nightmares like this?" he asked again. I looked down without saying anything. Why is he always around me when I'm in my vulnerable state?

He took the glass from my hands and placed it on the side table. He removed a strand of hair from my face and lifts my chin up with his index finger. "It's okay to be vulnerable. No one is strong enough to carry all baggage that life gives them. But you should remember that only you could fight your fears. Others can only give you support and show the right path. Fight it Niha. Don't give up on yourself. You deserve much better. Don't let the past shadow your future." He said wiping away my tears. I couldn't recognise the emotions hidden in his eyes. There was a small reassuring smile playing on his lips. He tucked my hair behind my ears. He cupped my face and pushed me back so that I lie on the bed. He covered me with the quilt and took my hand in his one hand and pulled the chair forward with the other one and sat next to the bed. He sat there holding my hand with his one hand and his fingers of the other hand ran through my hair slowly. "Sleep. I will be here." He said smiling. "No. It's.." I went silent when his finger was placed on my lips "Shhhh. Not another word. Close your eyes and sleep." He scolded me like a parent scolding their child and started to pat my hair again. I slowly drifted in to sleep while looking at his face.