After enduring a marriage that was poison for ten years, Rahi decided—enough was enough. She would escape Vikrant's captivity and start a new life with her daughter, Chiki. But divorce wasn't easy. Vikrant refused to sign the papers. His demand was c... After enduring a marriage that was poison for ten years, Rahi decided—enough was enough. She would escape Vikrant's captivity and start a new life with her daughter, Chiki. But divorce wasn't easy. Vikrant refused to sign the papers. His demand was clear—Rahi could have her freedom, but not a claim to his wealth.<br /> <br /> Rahi didn't want wealth, but how would she protect Chiki without money? Forced, she sought help from a man of authority—her best friend's fiancé. Adhikar, who was younger than her and to whom she had approached solely with the hope of a job.<br /> <br /> But what did Rahi know that the door she was knocking on would push her towards another dark captivity?<br /> <br /> Now the question is—has Rahi escaped Vikrant's clutches only to fall into Adhikar's trap? Or is it possible that every attempt to escape is dragging her deeper into darkness?
Page 1 of 6
The beautiful bungalow in Pali Hill, Mumbai's most posh area, was filled with sadness. Although it was evident from the decorations that a birthday party was being planned, a woman and her young daughter, seated in the room, gazed at the door with disappointment.
Rahi, 30, had been waiting for her husband, Vikrant Mehra, since evening as he had promised their five-year-old daughter, Chikki, that he would attend her birthday celebration and bring a gift. However, as the evening turned into night, Chikki's hopes began to dwindle.
At 11 PM, Chikki was on the verge of sleep, her eyes drooping, but she wanted to wait for her father. Rahi, however, had gently scolded her and put her to bed. Once Chikki fell asleep, Rahi's expression turned angry.
She walked out of the room, closed the door to prevent any disturbance, and entered the living room. She picked up her phone and dialed Vikrant's number.
As the phone rang, Rahi's anger grew. When Vikrant finally answered, Rahi's voice trembled with rage. Vikrant seemed to be under the influence of alcohol.
"Honey, what's going on? Who's disturbing our private moment?" A girl's voice interrupted the conversation.
Rahi's eyes widened, and tears welled up as she realized Vikrant was with another woman.
The girl took the phone from Vikrant and addressed Rahi, boasting about her relationship with Vikrant and how they were together in a hotel room.
Rahi's body shook with anger and sadness. She tried to speak but couldn't. The girl ended the call, and Rahi collapsed on the floor, crying uncontrollably.
She didn't want Chikki to know about her parents' issues. Despite her efforts to hide the truth, Rahi's heart ached. She had maintained the relationship for Chikki's sake but now felt it was time to move on.
Rahi entered her room, took a file from the wardrobe, and pulled out divorce papers she had prepared two years ago. She had been hesitant to sign them, hoping Vikrant would change. However, after the phone call, she decided it was time to end the toxic relationship.
As she sat beside Chikki's bed, holding the divorce papers, Rahi thought about the consequences. India made it difficult to get a divorce, and she would face societal pressure, especially from her family, who considered Vikrant a perfect father and husband.
Rahi had been keeping her marriage alive for Chikki's sake, fearing the impact of a divorce on her daughter. However, she couldn't continue living in a loveless marriage.
Taking a deep breath, Rahi picked up the pen and wrote her new name: "Rahi Sharma."
Vikrant was in his car, parked in front of his house. He was staring at his house with bloodshot eyes. His head was pounding with pain, as if someone was hammering nails into it.
Last night, he had been in a hotel room with his business partner, Saina Adani. Saina and Vikrant had been having an affair for the past four years, and many nights during these years had been spent together in hotel rooms. Despite the long four-year affair, Saina didn't want to leave Vikrant. She probably hoped for marriage.
Vikrant closed his eyes and rested his head on the steering wheel. He shouldn't have drunk so much last night, but he couldn't control himself with Saina. This morning, when he woke up in bed with Saina in his arms, he remembered what had happened last night.
"Tell your foolish wife to divorce you. There's no love between you two, and you don't even like her. So why are you staying married? You don't even like to look at her. Then I don't know why you've tied her around your neck."
Divorcing Rahi was a foolish idea. Saina had said this to Vikrant for the first time. But every time Saina talked about divorcing Rahi, Vikrant would either brush it off or ignore it.
Today, Vikrant did the same. Looking at Saina angrily, he said, "Don't talk nonsense. I can't leave Rahi. She is a very good mother and manages my home very well. She wasn't like this before. But after she got pregnant and gave birth to Chikki, her body changed somehow, which is why I stopped liking her. But the biggest thing is that she is still my wife in front of the whole world. If I divorce her, it will go to the media and ruin my reputation."
This was a bit strange. But whenever Saina said something wrong to Rahi, Vikrant always took her side. Saina didn't like this. Raising an eyebrow, she said, "And if I tell the press about our affair, that wouldn't be good either, would it?"
Upon hearing this, Vikrant looked at Saina with dangerous eyes. Understanding his gaze, Saina quickly changed her tune and said with a laugh, "Oh, come on. Why do you care so much about her? Marry me. Then I will become your wife. Just imagine what big news will be in the papers tomorrow when news of your and my marriage comes out. And it's good for our business too. But if you want to keep your wife just because she cleans your house, then to be honest, there are maids and servants for that. Obviously, with such a big business empire, I won't do household chores. Such work suits your wife..."
Then Saina came a little closer to Vikrant, placed her hands on his chest, and caressed him, saying, "Kamal Vikram, try to understand. We've been together for four years. I satisfy you in every way. Then what's the reason you're still not ready to leave your wife?"
Vikrant's eyes were closed, and his head was against the headrest. But he didn't respond to Saina's words. It wasn't that he hadn't heard her, but it wasn't the first time he was pretending not to hear.
Not getting a response, Saina got annoyed. She removed her hands from Vikrant's chest and looked at him angrily, saying, "I'm telling you for the last time, Vikrant. I can't stay in this affair with you forever. I want commitment in our relationship. I want the tag of your wife. And if you don't do this, I'll go to the press. Remember, if I raise my voice, your company will be ruined overnight...."
And with that, Vikrant, sitting in the car, regained consciousness. The argument he had with Saina last night made his head hurt even more. He was sitting in his car in front of his house, but he didn't want to go inside. He didn't want to see Rahi. But for Chikki, he had to go home.
Vikrant started the car and parked it in the parking lot. Due to being drunk, his car collided with a tree. But Vikrant didn't care, as he just wanted to see Chikki. He felt guilty about yesterday. He hadn't come home yesterday for Chikki's birthday. How disappointed his little daughter must have been. He had been so caught in Saina's alluring trap that he had forgotten about his child.
With slightly stumbling steps, Vikrant entered his house. But as he entered the hall, he scanned the surroundings, looking for Chikki. But he couldn't find Chikki anywhere in the hall. The only person he saw was Rahi, sitting on the sofa, staring intently at Vikrant.
Seeing Rahi, Vikrant's face filled with anger. He turned his face away, trying to calm himself down, because he didn't want to look at Rahi's ugly face.
"Welcome home, dear husband..." Rahi said, looking at Vikrant. Her voice was completely calm. Rahi stood up from the sofa and, clapping her hands, asked Vikrant, "Do you know what time it is? Because I am very surprised to see you home at this hour. I thought maybe you had forgotten about me and Chikki."
Hearing Rahi's voice, Vikrant's headache worsened. He didn't want to see her face or hear her voice. He turned his face away and, controlling his headache, said without looking at Rahi, "Where is Chikki? I'm taking her to the mall."
"Neeraj (Rahi's brother) has taken Chikki with him to my mother's house," Vikrant said, glaring at Rahi. Rahi continued, "She didn't get the kind of birthday she had imagined, so she became a little sad. And because of that, I sent her with Neeraj to my mother's house, so that she could enjoy herself a little there with my brother's children and my mother and lighten her mood."
Vikrant's eyebrows shot up, and he angrily said to Rahi, "Are you out of your mind? Why did you send her to your mother's house? We celebrate her birthday together every year. I'm just one day late."
"One day?" Rahi stared at Vikrant and then began counting on her fingers. Counting the days, she said, "Don't you remember, Vikrant, you are not one day late, but three months late. How many times have you come home in the last three months? And how many times have you spent time with Chikki? Because most of your time is spent on your business partner's bed."
"Stop your nonsense, Rahi. I haven't come home to listen to all this, okay? I'm already very tired from work. What I do with whom is none of your business. So, instead of escalating the matter, it's best if you end it here. I'm not in the mood to argue with you. I have a headache, and seeing you has only made it worse."
Hearing Vikrant's words, Rahi's patience snapped. How could Vikrant easily ask her to forget all this? She couldn't even remember how many times she had cried all night from Vikrant's actions, nor how many times her tears had dried. Whenever she heard car sounds outside, Rahi thought Vikrant had come home. But as always, she was met with disappointment. And now this man was telling her to forget everything easily.
Even if it wasn't a big deal for Vikrant, he had forgotten Chikki's fifth birthday. He had missed other important days of Chikki's life many times before, all because he was indulging in pleasure with his business partner.
But this was perhaps the limit of her pain. Beyond this, Rahi couldn't endure it all. She gathered her courage and let out a deep sigh.
Rahi picked up the paper from the table and glanced at it. Divorce papers. She went directly to Vikrant with the papers and placed them on his chest. Vikrant stumbled and looked at Rahi in surprise. He quickly regained his composure, took the paper in his hands, and looking at Rahi in astonishment, asked, "What is this?"
Looking into Vikrant's eyes, Rahi expressed her anger and said, "I'm tired of all these things. And now I want to end it all here. You were right. The more I drag this out, the bigger it will become. So I am ending it here. Every word that passed between you and me ends here. I have signed. I hope you will sign too, because you wouldn't want to leave your valuable business and go through court battles. So, it's better if this is settled between us directly."
Vikrant's eyes narrowed, and he stared at Rahi. Looking at the paper in his hands, his eyes widened in disbelief. Divorce papers.
Divorce...
Vikrant’s steps faltered. He looked at Rahi with stunned eyes. He had not expected Rahi to ask him for a divorce. Trust was clearly visible on his face.
“Yes, divorce. I want a divorce from you,” Rahi said, standing firm before her cheating husband, demanding a divorce.
Rahi remembered well that Vikrant had been cheating on her since she was 7 months pregnant. To strengthen her decision, Rahi had to recall Vikrant’s betrayal, something she never wanted to remember. She had tried her best to appear strong before Vikrant, but only Rahi’s heart knew what her state was when she handed the divorce papers to Vikrant.
Vikrant held the divorce papers in his hands. He looked at the papers with surprise. Rahi wasn't joking. She really wanted a divorce. When Rahi had first asked him for a divorce, he thought she was joking. Rahi was angry because of last night, which is why she was saying this to Vikrant. But now there was no room for doubt. He was sure that Rahi would never even think of divorcing him in her entire life.
Vikrant did not want to leave Rahi. Despite his betrayal, he wanted Rahi as his wife. Vikrant had given Rahi everything she needed: a comfortable life, a life that perhaps every girl dreams of. Despite all this, Rahi was asking him for a divorce.
Although Vikrant knew very well that Rahi never indulged in any extravagance. Otherwise, other girls knew very well how to utilize Vikrant’s gold card. But Rahi was the only one who never showed any interest in Vikrant’s money.
Vikrant looked at Rahi with stunned eyes and said, “You’re joking, aren't you? These divorce papers are fake, right? You’re lying, aren't you? Look, if this is just because I was with someone else, then that’s not that important. You know what, why don’t you go shopping?
Maybe you need to buy something. Expensive clothes, shoes, jewelry, whatever you want. You can even take a friend with you. But if this divorce is a joke, then I’m not finding it funny at all.”
Rahi, keeping her face neutral, said to Vikrant, “You can see my signature on the divorce papers. I have already signed them. And yes, these divorce papers are not fake, nor is it a joke. Rather, you have turned my life into a joke.
But in the joke you created, I have spent 10 years of my life laughing heartily. Now I want to live my life a little more seriously. That’s why I just want a divorce from you.”
“Stop your nonsense. My head is hurting a lot. I am in no mood to fight with you,” Vikrant said, almost shouting at Rahi.
But Rahi’s reaction was still the same. There were still no changes in the expression on Rahi’s face. Vikrant’s eyes hardened. Rahi was serious. She was really talking about divorcing him. And she truly wanted to separate from him.
Vikrant was flustered. He shouted, “Have you lost your mind? What are you lacking? You have a house, car, bungalow, money, comfort, everything. What else do you want?”
Tears welled up in Rahi’s eyes. This man was valuing her emotions in terms of money. 10 years of marriage and 5 years of infidelity.
For the past 10 years, Rahi has been managing Vikrant’s household like a housewife. She is raising his child. Rahi single-handedly takes care of and raises Chikky, while Vikrant spends his nights with some girl in hotel rooms. Vikrant has no hand in Chikky’s upbringing. Despite all this, Vikrant has no regrets for what he has done.
“I have given you a luxurious life. I have given you such a big house. I have given you money, cars, a luxury life, everything. Despite this, you want a divorce from me? What else do you want? Stop blackmailing me in the name of divorce. And tell me clearly, what do you want?” Vikrant asked Rahi, almost shouting.
“I don’t want anything from you, except a divorce…” Vikrant’s face filled with anger. Rahi stood by her words. It meant she was serious about the divorce. Vikrant’s face began to tremble with anger.
And looking at Rahi in anger, he said, “Don’t be foolish, Rahi. Use your head. If you can’t think, then I’ll remind you. Have you forgotten where you came from? You come from a place where you had to struggle day and night for money.
Forgotten those college days? When you were collecting money for your project, I helped you. If I hadn’t helped you with money then, you would never have completed college. From marriage until now, you have been surviving only on my money.
Do you think you can live this life after separating from me? By marrying you, I have done you a favor. And what are you doing in return? What is your grievance? Is it because I don’t come home at night, or because I have a relationship with another woman? How does that affect you?
I have never shirked my responsibilities towards you, have I? Tell me, have I ever let the shadow of my extramarital affairs fall on my home?
Had I ever allowed all this to affect Chikki? I didn't fulfill my responsibilities for you and Chikki. In terms of money, comfort, and luxury, did I ever let you both feel the pinch?
So, tell me, despite all this, what's the reason for wanting a divorce? And if you still want a divorce from me, I'll tell you that you won't have anything left after separating from me."
Rahi stared at Vikrant with bewildered eyes, dumbfounded by his words. She couldn't believe for a moment that this was the same person she had loved so much in college, the same person she had wanted to spend her life with, bear a child with, and have a lovely daughter. He had promised to stand by her all her life.
Rahi's eyes welled up with tears. Vikrant shouted, "No need to cry and create a melodrama now. Tell me, what do you want despite all this? I'll give you whatever you ask for."
"Love," Rahi said, wiping away her tears. Vikrant was taken aback.
"What…?"
"Love. I want love, Vikrant. Can you give me love?" Rahi's question left Vikrant completely speechless. He didn't have an answer.
It wasn't that Vikrant had started deceiving Rahi from the beginning. Initially, he loved her very much and had thought that he would always love only her, have many children with her, at least three.
But when Rahi became pregnant, her pregnancy was complicated. The doctor forbade physical relations after the fifth month. However, Vikrant's needs weren't understood. His body craved physical intimacy, having been deprived of it for five years of marriage.
To satisfy himself, Vikrant turned to prostitution, finding relief there.
However, after one instance, Vikrant didn't look back. He became addicted to it and started cheating on Rahi. First, one or two girls, then many, entered Vikrant's life and shared his bed.
After Ria's delivery, Vikrant's focus shifted entirely to raising Chikki, as Rahi was doing it alone. Immediately after delivery, Rahi's body shape wasn't the same as before.
But now, perhaps none of this mattered. Vikrant had moved on. He wasn't looking back at Rahi or their family. If Vikrant told Rahi he loved her, it would be a bigger betrayal than the deceit she had already suffered.
Vikrant said nothing. His lips were sealed. He didn't want to answer Rahi's question. However, Rahi got her answer from his silence. She looked at Vikrant with tears in her eyes and a mocking smile on her face, saying, "No need to take so much tension. I know your answer.
"Let's make it easier for me. Tell me, will you love me in bed the way you used to before Chikki was born? Just answer this question."
Vikrant didn't want to lie. The truth was that when Rahi became pregnant, her weight gradually increased, and by the full term, she looked like a big drum. Her body shape was very strange, and Vikrant didn't find it appealing.
Although he knew it would be okay after pregnancy, it was still very strange for Vikrant. He had started feeling nauseous about going to her. Even after Chikki's delivery, for a long time, Rahi's body wasn't in its correct shape. Busy with Chikki's care, Rahi couldn't pay attention to herself, and her body gradually became unsightly.
When Rahi first learned about Vikrant's affair, she created a big scene. Vikrant then told her she wasn't as attractive and beautiful as before, causing Rahi to break down. She started paying attention to herself and her body shape again but couldn't succeed because whenever she had a moment for herself, she had to spend the rest of the time with Chikki.
Vikrant fell silent; he had no answer to Rahi's questions. A sarcastic smile appeared on Rahi's face, and she said, "I've got the answers to my questions."
Vikrant said in anger, "Okay, this can be a reason for a divorce. But I won't divorce you just for this reason."
Rahi looked at Vikrant with astonished eyes. He stated this with such confidence. Rahi glared at Vikrant and asked, "So, what do you want? A marriage where there's no love between us, why do you want to keep such a marriage? If it's about Chikki, I'll tell you we can raise Chikki alternately."
Vikrant had fallen silent. He had no answers to Rahi's questions. A sarcastic smile crept onto Rahi's face as she said to Vikrant, "I've got the answers to my questions."
Vikrant looked at Rahi angrily and said, "Alright, this could be a reason for a divorce. But I won't divorce you just for this."
Rahi looked at Vikrant with surprised eyes. She couldn't understand how he was saying this with such conviction. Rahi glared at Vikrant and said, "So, what do you want? A marriage where there's no love between us? Why do you want to keep this marriage? If it's about Chikki, we can take turns raising her."
Rahi accused Vikrant, "You're just going to throw me out and I'll be left with nothing. I'll be like a piece of furniture in one corner of the house. And you'll be out living it up at night."
Rahi's face lit up with a smile, as if she was laughing at herself. She looked at Vikrant and said, "Sorry, Vikrant. After ten years of marriage, you still don't understand me. I don't need your money. I'll only take what's mine. And I'll take Chikki with me. I don't need anything else from you."
Rahi didn't stay for another minute. She immediately left the room and started packing her bag. She had kept her old clothes, the ones she had brought before the marriage. She didn't take anything Vikrant had given her. She was grateful for her habit of saving old things.
With a small bag in her hand, Rahi returned to the hall. Vikrant was already standing there, his eyes fixed on her.
As Rahi was about to leave, Vikrant shouted angrily, "I haven't signed the divorce papers yet!"
Rahi stopped and turned to Vikrant, "You'll sign the divorce papers first. Then you'll submit them to court. And then the court will make our divorce legal. I don't want to stay with you until then. That's why I'm leaving your house right now. Sign the divorce papers and submit them to court."
Vikrant was furious. "So, you've made up your mind. Fine, if you want to leave my house, will you tell me where you'll go?"
Rahi replied simply, "Anywhere, anywhere is better than this hell. For now, I'll just take my stuff and go. Chikki's stuff and clothes are still here. As soon as I find a good place to stay, I'll get her stuff and take it with me."
Vikrant came in front of Rahi, furious, and shouted, "Has your brain gone crazy, Rahi? You'll be wandering on the streets, and you won't get any support. Do you think you're a college girl who can get a job and a place to stay? Use your common sense. You're a 30-year-old woman, a mother. People see women like you as old."
Rahi had a slight smile on her face. She looked at Vikrant and said, "So, what's it to you? What I look like or what children call me? If I'm an ugly woman to you, I'm sure you'll say the same about your new wife. I heard she's 29 years old."
Vikrant's eyes widened. Rahi smiled, picked up her bag, and left Mehra Mansion.
As she reached outside, she hailed a taxi and got in. She looked back at the house she had spent ten years taking care of. The house was full of memories, both good and bad. She was beautiful, and she had decorated it with her own hands. But it was no longer her house.
Rahi's eyes welled up with tears. She wiped them away with her dupatta. The driver asked, "Madam, where do you want to go?"
Rahi composed herself and said, "Take me to a cheap lodge."
The driver turned the car around and headed towards a cheap lodge.
Meanwhile, Vikram was sitting on the sofa, divorce papers in hand. His eyes were burning with anger. He couldn't believe Rahi had actually given him a divorce and left the house.
Vikram's phone rang. He thought maybe Rahi was calling, that her mind had changed. But when he looked at the phone, his eyes narrowed. It was a private number. Vikram's eyes widened as he answered, "Hello? Who's speaking?"
Even after sitting in the car, Rahi's mind was repeatedly thinking only about Chikki. She couldn't directly tell Chikki that she had separated from her father, but she would slowly make Chikki realize it so that it wouldn't affect her too much. Rahi understood this well because when she was young and her parents had separated, she couldn't bear it.
The car suddenly stopped with a jerk, and the driver said, "Madam, this lodge is the cheapest and also the best in this area." Rahi nodded in agreement and stepped out of the taxi. She paid the fare and entered the lodge. She was surprised to see two to three strange people sitting in front, some boys and girls with their faces covered.
Rahi knew that lodges were rented by the hour, but she didn't have enough money to stay in a big hotel, so she decided to stay in a cheap lodge. She booked a room for herself and moved in, but her mind became restless after seeing the condition of the room. The walls were peeling off, a dirty bedsheet was spread, and the whole room had a strange smell, like a cheap phenyl spray had been applied.
Rahi wasn't worried about herself, but she was worried about Chikki. Chikki lived in a luxurious house with her own room designed like a princess's. Chikki had all sorts of clothes, and her bedsheet had Mickey Mouse on it. How could Chikki stay in this place? Rahi needed to find another place to stay as soon as possible.
Rahi thought to herself, "I need to keep Chikki with mom for some time, until I find another place to stay." She had booked the lodge for a week and hoped to find a good job soon. Last time she visited her mom, her mom had given her Rs. 5000, which she had brought with her to manage for a few days.
Rahi went to the bathroom and washed her face. She noticed her body and remembered how she had gained weight after Chikki's birth, and her body had grown in a strange shape. But when she found out that Vikram had cheated on her just because of her appearance, she started taking care of herself. However, it wasn't possible, and her condition kept deteriorating due to Vikram's betrayal. She ate less, and her health kept worsening.
Rahi's weight had dropped significantly due to less food intake, and she had no energy left after Vikram's betrayal. She didn't feel like eating or drinking, and her condition kept worsening. As Chikki grew up, her weight increased in an awkward way.
Rahi remembered the doctor's advice when Chikki was drinking milk - to eat everything because what she ate would affect Chikki. So, Rahi started eating a lot for Chikki's health, but Vikram scolded her, saying she was already gaining weight in a strange shape and would become even more obese if she kept eating like that.
Vikram's taunts made Rahi stop eating, and she only ate a little for Chikki. When Chikki stopped drinking milk, Rahi almost stopped eating. Her habit became eating very little, and now her body was very thin. Her wrist bones felt prominent when held.
Rahi looked at herself in the mirror and laughed at her body shape. She thought, "What's the point of my body shape? I couldn't even keep my husband by my side." Vikram wanted a slender girl, and now Rahi's body had become even thinner.
For a long time, Rahi hadn't looked at herself in the mirror and was surprised by her strange body shape. She felt like she wasn't worthy of being someone's wife. Tears were in her eyes, and a bitter smile was on her lips.
But then her smile became genuine and real when she remembered Chikki. She said to herself, "It's been a long time since I've seen a smile like that on Chikki's face, which I always want to see." Even if people said she was the ugliest woman in the world, she knew that to her daughter, she was the most beautiful woman.
To her child, what could be more beautiful than their mother? So, she needed to take care of herself for her daughter, and the most important thing was a job. She needed a job to raise Chikki well. She could get a job because she was a graduate with good marks.
However, she wondered if she could get a job since she hadn't worked for the past 10 years and had no experience. If she hadn't married Vikram after graduation, maybe she would have got a job.
Rahi had her mark sheets, and she was sure that any company would hire her because of her good marks. Even if the salary was low initially, she would work hard and create a better future for Chikki.
Smiling, Rahi returned to the room and looked around. The small room felt strange to her because she had lived in a master bedroom for 10 years. However, it wasn't too bad for a new beginning in her life. Rahi took out her phone from her handbag and called her mother.
"Rahi...." her mother said, answering the phone. Rahi smiled and said, "Yes, mom, it's me. I wanted to say something to you." Her mother replied, "Tell me, I'm listening." Rahi asked, "Mom, is Chikki still with you?" Her mother was slightly surprised and asked, "What's wrong, Rahi? Why are you asking like that? And you sound a bit worried. Is everything okay?"
Rahi was about to finish her talk when her mother said, “What are you saying? How can I keep Chikki with me? Just half an hour ago, Vikrant came here and took Chikki with him. He said he was taking her to get her a birthday gift. He said you weren’t well, so he didn’t bring you along.”
Vikrant took Chikki with him. As soon as she heard this, Rahi's eyes widened in surprise.
Alright! Chikki, give your papa a call.
As soon as Rahi said this, Chikki put the phone back in Vikrant's hand and started looking for a new toy for herself.
“Yes…what do you want to say now?” Vikrant asked her directly and calmly, but Rahi's face was filled with anger.
“What do you want, Vikrant?” she shouted at him.
“Why are you doing this, Vikrant? I was busy, that's why I couldn't celebrate my daughter's birthday. Of course, I remember the promise I made to her, and now I'm fulfilling it.” Vikrant replied shamelessly.
“Are you really spending time with Chikki just for this? Do you really think I'll believe your foolish talk? Look, Vikrant, I signed the divorce papers. You can easily finalize it if you want, or I'm ready to fight a court case….” Rahi said angrily.
Vikrant was not one to be outdone. He also said angrily, “Oh, shut up, Rahi…I'm no fool. If we get a divorce, I'm sure you won't let me meet Chikki. Besides, you'll ask me for money for your and Chikki's expenses, and that's separate…
“You want to use my daughter to extort money from me…I know what's going on in that foolish mind of yours. You just want money, so say it straight. You won't use Chikki for this.”
“Stop your nonsense, Vikrant Mehra! I'm not the Rahi you can talk to like this anymore. Listen to one thing - you can't keep Chikki with you even if you want to.
“Because you know very well you can't take good care of her. You'll need my help for that. And if that weren't the case, you wouldn't have been having fun outside all these years. You knew there was a woman at home who could take good care of your daughter, so you did as you pleased outside.”
Rahi said angrily, and her words were an insult to Vikrant. He felt like giving her a piece of his mind right then and there, but there was Chikki on one hand, and they were in a mall with many people on the other. He didn't want to create a scene there.
Rahi calmed down and summoned up the courage to tell Vikrant, “Vikrant, tell me which mall you took Chikki to so I can come and pick her up.”
“Where will you go? To that dump of a lodge where the walls aren't even properly painted? You can live in such filth alone if you want, but my daughter won't stay in such a place. She lives like a princess in her own room, with an interior more expensive than the price of that entire hotel. And you want me to send my daughter to such a place? No way, you can live there alone if you want.” Vikrant said angrily.
“Any place will be better than one where you are. It's better for us to live somewhere with no proper facilities than to be with you.” Rahi replied.
A slanted and dangerous smile appeared on Vikrant's face. He told Rahi, “Alright, if that's your insistence, it's fine. I'm ready to send Chikki with you, but you'll have to come home to pick her up.”
“I'll never set foot in that house,” Rahi said as soon as Vikrant spoke, and his laughter echoed in her ears. Vikrant said with a laugh, “When did I say you have to come to my house?
“If you want Chikki, you'll have to come home, but not my house. You'll have to come to my mother's house. You can come to her house tomorrow on her birthday, and if Chikki wants to go with you, she can go. I promise I won't stop her. Just get permission from my mother and take her.”
Rahi was stunned. She couldn't understand why Vikrant was suddenly saying this. She knew Vikrant's mother, Shalini Mehra, didn't particularly like her because she and Vikrant had a love marriage, and Rahi wasn't the kind of girl they approved of. That's why Vikrant's mother had been against the marriage from the start, but despite not liking Rahi, Vikrant's mother loved her son and granddaughter very much.
Rahi was still lost in thought when Vikrant asked her, “So, Rahi, what's your decision?”
Obviously, Rahi didn't want to go back to Vikrant's house because she couldn't separate her memories from that place, and she couldn't face everything again. Everything there would remind her of her past, which she didn't want to remember. She wanted to move on with her life, and she had already started doing so.
Vikrant told Rahi that if she wanted Chikki, she would have to come to Vikrant's mother's house on her birthday, and if Chikki wanted to go with them, Vikrant would not stop her.
Rahi was shocked by this. She didn't want to confront Vikrant's mother, as Vikrant's mother never missed an opportunity to demean Rahi. And if she found out that Vikrant and Rahi had separated, she would blame Rahi for it.
Rahi said to Vikrant in a mocking tone, "Wow! Vikrant, why are you thinking about all this? Oh! I thought when I left your life, you would party, celebrate, and have fun in a hotel with your girlfriend or your business partner, whoever she is... This opportunity would be no less than a golden opportunity for you... And anyway, now that there's no one at your house either, you can bring your business partner or someone else home... You don't even need to go to a hotel."
Vikrant was terribly annoyed by Rahi's words. His fists clenched, and he nodded, "You're absolutely right! I won't go to a hotel anymore, but now I can bring girls home. And don't worry, after leaving here, a girl will already be waiting for me at home... That's why I'm taking Chikki straight from here to Mom's house, so she doesn't find out anything about this." Vikrant also said this to Rahi, insulting her.
"If you had cared this much about your daughter in the first place, Vikrant, we wouldn't have these distances between us today. There's one thing I want to say for Chikki: she will never lose her mother, but yes, she lost her father long ago. Fine! If that's what you want, then so be it. I will come to your mother's birthday party to pick up Chikki, and I will take her from there in front of everyone. She will want to come with me herself."
Rahi said this to Vikrant furiously through gritted teeth and disconnected her phone, throwing it on the bed. She had dared to say all this, but now her heart was pounding wildly, her face was tearful, and soon tears started streaming from her eyes. She hid her face in her hands and sobbed uncontrollably. She felt no shame in using her daughter. Rahi kept thinking this.
But still, Rahi composed herself and told herself that she had to put on an act now, of being a good wife and a good daughter-in-law, because renowned people from the city would definitely come to Vikrant's mother's birthday celebration, and they all still knew nothing about Rahi and Vikrant's separation.
There was one thing Rahi disliked about her mother-in-law: her expectation that Rahi would do better in everything. Rahi was human, not a machine that would do everything perfectly. Even machines break down sometimes. But Rahi wasn't allowed to make mistakes in any task. And because of this, Vikrant's mother would humiliate Rahi anywhere and in front of anyone.
After crying for a long time, Rahi got up from her place. After washing her face, she felt a little refreshed. She gathered her courage, took deep breaths, and told herself.
"It's okay, Rahi. This is just the last time you have to face this family, and that's only to bring your daughter back. Remember, you're not going there as a daughter-in-law of your mother-in-law; you're only going as Chikki's mother. You will go there and become completely deaf and dumb. Your only job will be to pick up Chikki and leave. You will not argue with anyone else."
Rahi was talking to herself and encouraging herself. Meanwhile, in the kids' section of the mall, Chikki had bought many toys. Vikrant's bag was almost half full of toys.
Picking up another toy, Chikki said, "Daddy, I want this too." Vikrant smiled at Chikki, took the toy, and looking at it, said, "Okay, my princess, if you want this too, Daddy will put it in the cart. But first, tell Daddy why you want this little baby-like doll. Do you want to take care of a little baby?"
"No, Daddy, this is for Mommy. Mommy and I will take care of it together. When my little brother comes, we will both take care of him. Until then, I will practice on this," Chikki said innocently to Vikrant. Vikrant knelt in front of her and, looking at the small baby toy, said, "Why only Mommy and Chikki will take care of him? Can't Daddy too?"
"No, Daddy can't take care of him," Chikki said innocently. Vikrant said in surprise, "Why can't Daddy take care of him?"
"Because Daddy never comes home and doesn't have time for Chikki, so where will he find time for Chikki's little brother? Just like I am alone, my little brother will also be alone. So I will be with him, and I will never let him miss Daddy."
Chikki's words surprised Vikrant. Had he really lost the best days of his life?
Rahi was sitting in a taxi and it was heading towards Mehra Mansion. Worry was clearly visible on Rahi's face. She took out her phone from her purse and called Vikrant. On the other side, Vikrant picks up the phone and says, “Hello, what’s up?”
“Vikrant, where are you? I'm on my way to Mehra Mansion,”
she said while looking towards the road. Vikrant said, “Okay, come, the party is about to start. Mom is here too, and she was asking about you. When I took Chikki to her, she asked if we were the only ones coming and where you were. I told her you weren't feeling well and that's why you sent Chikki alone. You know what my mom said? She said you're a lazy woman who can't even take proper care of your daughter, which is why you sent her alone.”
Rahi was very angry, but she didn't want to fight right now, so she hung up the phone. After hanging up, Vikrant realizes that what he said didn't affect Rahi at all.
The taxi stops in front of Mehra Mansion. Rahi gets out and looks at the ancestral house. For a long time, this generation had lived a rich life. After her husband's death, Rahi's mother-in-law, Vikrant's mother, became the sole owner of this entire property.
Shalini Mehra was the sole owner of the entire Mehra industry and empire. Her only son, Vikrant Mehra, was the only heir to this entire property.
A party was going on in the garden area. All the rich and influential people were there, trying to outdo each other. Everyone had expensive glasses of alcohol in their hands and were gossiping with each other. Some women from the society were looking at Rahi and gossiping about her, but Rahi was used to it by now.
Rahi knew that right now, these women must be discussing her clothes because she was wearing very simple and ordinary clothes. But it didn't bother her anymore. Even when she wore expensive and designer clothes, nobody praised her.
Rahi was wearing the same dress she used to wear in her college days. It was her favorite gown, and it was the most expensive one she had, costing 5000 rupees. After marrying Vikrant, she wore clothes worth lakhs, but she had always kept this gown safe because it was very dear to her.
As she reaches the door of the mansion, Vikrant comes out, and they collide. They stand face-to-face. Vikrant looks at Rahi from top to bottom with a surprised expression and says, “You really came? I thought you were joking. What are you wearing? It looks like an old rag. You should have worn a rag if you were going to wear something like this.”
Rahi looks at Vikrant in astonishment. How could he call this dress a rag? This dress made her look so good in her college days. She tells Vikrant, “Don't you remember this dress? I wore it on our college annual day, and you said I looked like the most beautiful girl in the world.”
Vikrant laughs and says, “So, you're here dressed like a college student, but unfortunately, this dress can't hide your age. Your face still looks old.”
Rahi glares at him and says, “Stop your nonsense, Vikrant! I didn't come here to reminisce about the past. I came for Chikki. Where is she?”
Vikrant has a condescending smile on his face. He points to the side and says, “Chikki is in mom's room.”
At that moment, a girl from the party calls Vikrant, and he greets her without hesitation. He walks towards the party, looking at Rahi with indifference.
Rahi enters the mansion and looks around. The mansion was made of marble, with red carpets laid out like the ones in the corridors. The corridors were decorated with flowers and expensive interiors.
She knows which room her mother-in-law is in. She stands outside the door, takes a deep breath, gathers her courage, and turns the handle. She opens the door and enters the room. She peeks inside and smiles. An elderly woman is sitting, and Chikki is in her lap. She's feeding Chikki cake, and Chikki is smiling and talking to her grandmother.
Seeing Chikki smile, Rahi also smiles. She enters the room and says, standing by the door, “Happy birthday, Mom.”
Shalini Mehra glances at the door but doesn't acknowledge Rahi. She continues to feed Chikki, not saying a word to Rahi or responding to her greeting.
“Mom, you came! You know how much fun I'm having at the party. Grandma gave me so many chocolates and now she's feeding me cake,”
Rahi smiles and nods. Shalini, cleaning Chikki's mouth with a napkin, says, “Chikki, go to the garden and play with the other kids, but don't go too far. I need to talk to your mom alone.”
“Okay, Grandma, I'm going. But I want more chocolates,”
Shalini smiles and hands Chikki a chocolate packet. Chikki takes the chocolates and runs to Rahi, saying, “Mom, why are you late?”
Rahi bends down, takes Chikki in her arms, and kisses her forehead. She says, “Sorry, baby, Mom had some work. That's why I'm late. Now go play outside, and Mommy will join you in a bit. We have to go home, okay?”
After Chikki left, there were only two women in the room now. Shalini Devi and Ruhi.
Rahi knew that her mother-in-law would not respect her, and she could feel it.
Shalini Devi was wearing a beautiful chiffon sari. Although she was a widow, she still wore light-colored clothes. At this moment, she was wearing a light blue chiffon sari with a golden border and a thin necklace with diamonds around her neck, matching earrings, and bangles with real diamonds.
Shalini Devi was the queen of luxury... At 56, she did not look like she was aging. Her face had no wrinkles, and she got expensive beauty treatments. She did not hesitate to spend money to keep herself looking young.
"Why have you come to this big party to shame us?" Shalini Devi said, sitting on the sofa with a haughty attitude. She had been looking at Ruhi from top to bottom since she entered the room.
"Don't you have anything to wear? If not, you could have told my son, and he could have provided you with a line of designer clothes. I don't think Vikrant wouldn't have gotten you designer clothes, so why did you wear this simple dress?" Shalini Devi said.
"The reason I wore this simple dress is that I don't need anything from your son," Ruhi replied.
Shalini Devi's eyes narrowed, and she glared at Ruhi, "Does that mean you are talking about your husband? If you won't take things from him, then who will? Who will fulfill your needs?"
Ruhi looked back at her mother-in-law and took a step forward, "Yes, I said I don't need anything from your son because I have no right to take anything from him. As for my husband, he's not my husband anymore; I signed the divorce papers, and I'm completely free from that relationship. I have no relationship with your son."
Shalini Devi stood up abruptly and looked at Ruhi, "What nonsense are you talking about? You divorced Vikrant, but when and why? And why didn't Vikrant tell us?"
Although Shalini Devi did not like Ruhi, she loved Vikrant and Chikki very much, so she never considered them separate.
But Ruhi's words made Shalini Devi skeptical. She started laughing, and the room was filled with her laughter. It seemed like she was mocking Ruhi.
Ruhi understood the meaning of her laughter and looked at her mother-in-law angrily, "I'm not lying; I really came here to pick up Chikki. Vikrant told me if I want Chikki, I have to come here and take her away, so I'm here to take Chikki with me."
Shalini Devi looked at Ruhi, laughing, and said, "Oh, Ruhi, you make such a good joke. I don't know if you're good for anything else, but you made me laugh. Go enjoy the party and let me laugh at your joke."
But Ruhi did not like her laughter. She said sternly, "What I said is true. If you don't believe it now, that's your problem, not mine."
Shalini Devi's laughter slowly faded, and her face returned to normal. She looked at Ruhi and said, "So you're telling the truth; you and Vikrant are really separating?"
Ruhi nodded firmly, and a playful smile appeared on Shalini Devi's face. She said, "Well, it's good that you two are separating. Honestly, I didn't care if Vikrant married you or some street girl. All I needed was someone to take care of Vikrant and provide an heir to this house."
"Although you gave birth to Chikki, I don't have any complaints about you. I needed an heir, and I got one. Your job here is done; you can leave if you want."
I just needed an heir for my property. In a way, Vikrant has done his job as a good son. He has given an heir to carry on my lineage. Even if it's a granddaughter. But she has continued my family line. He has given our family a beautiful granddaughter. And also helped my late husband's business grow. And now it's your turn. As a woman, you've done your job. You've given our family a granddaughter. Now you can leave if you want.
Rahi's eyes widen in shock. What did it mean? Was she just a machine to produce children? Did she have no other existence? And now that she had given the Mehra family an heir, her role was over? Was she just a commodity?
Shalini Devi glanced at Rahi and then sat back on the sofa. She pulled out a bottle of wine from a drawer and poured herself a glass.
Rahi was shocked. Shalini Devi drank alcohol. She hadn't known that. But Shalini Devi opened the bottle, poured the wine into the glass, and said,
"You can leave if you want, Rahi. But as a woman, I want to tell you one thing. At the Kitty party, I meet women who are not from rich and wealthy families like your in-laws. Nor are they celebrities with a lot of money. Nor do they have any special qualifications that set them apart. So, in a way, you don't have anything of your own. You're from a poor family, and without our name, you have no existence.
If you want a better life, go back to Vikrant quietly. Because the life Vikrant can give you, you will work hard your whole life and still not get it. So, throw your self-respect in the dustbin and go back to my son quietly."
"Even though he's someone who has affairs with other girls while having a wife and child," Rahi said, boiling with anger.
Shalini Devi's hand stopped on her glass, and she glared at Rahi. But then she turned her gaze back to her wine glass.
She picked up the glass, sipped the wine, and put it back on the table. "What difference does it make? As a husband, is he not fulfilling his responsibilities? Has he let you want anything? And besides, if he wants to relax outside, what's wrong with that?
I'm not entirely blaming Vikrant. Because you're a woman, and as a woman, you failed to keep your husband by your side. So, before blaming my son, look within yourself. Can you give him the happiness he's looking for outside?
So, what difference does it make? He can have relationships with as many girls as he wants. But he comes back home, doesn't he? He's presented you as his wife to everyone. So, everyone knows you're his wife. And in big businesses, this happens all the time.
You have to compromise for some profit. If Vikrant compromises a little, what's wrong with that? If his business grows, you'll also benefit. You'll have all the luxuries. So, it's better to focus on your own happiness. If you ignore Vikrant's extramarital affair, life will be easier for you."
Rahi couldn't believe her mother-in-law was saying such things. She was taking her son's side, even though she knew he was wrong. She was shocked. Women were indeed each other's enemies. A mother never saw her son do wrong, even if it was right in front of her eyes.
"How can you say such things? Does only your son matter to you? Do a woman's feelings not count? What if this happened to you? Would you forgive him?"
Rahi asked Shalini Devi, her voice trembling with anger.
Shalini Devi stretched one leg over the other, put both hands flat on the sofa, and said, "I have an illegitimate child."
Rahi's eyes widened in shock.
Shalini Devi raised a hand, picked up her wine glass, swirled the wine, and said, "But it doesn't matter how many times my husband cheated on me.
My loyalty to him was only as long as he was giving me money. And he had his private life. As long as I got money, and he had his freedom.
And one more thing I got was my husband's name. I'm known everywhere as Mrs. Mehra. And that name belongs to me alone. That's why a wife is a wife, and another woman is another woman.
It's better if you just stay as a wife. Because if you leave Vikrant, you'll be labeled a dumped woman."
"You know, Rahi, my late husband deceived me more times than I can count, perhaps even more than Vikrant, but my loyalty only lasted as long as he provided me with money. He gave me all the luxuries I needed and desired. What more do we women need in life than money? Money is all that helps us fulfill our needs. Besides that, what are human desires? They change every moment. Vikrant is seeking solace elsewhere for his happiness; if you wish, you too can find comfort elsewhere for your happiness. There's nothing major about it; it's very common in high society."
Hearing such absurdities from Shalini Devi, Rahi's anger intensified. Her fists clenched, and she wanted to say a lot in anger. But her upbringing still held her back, forcing her to maintain decorum. It reminded her that this shameless woman before her was none other than her mother-in-law, and she was older than her.
But Rahi had to respond. If she remained silent, it wouldn't just be her insult, but the insult of all those women currently enduring their husbands' extramarital affairs. Rahi looked at her mother-in-law in anger and said, "You are very great, Mummy ji! I have never seen such a great woman as you, who isn't even upset by her husband's ongoing affair. But I am not like that. I cannot spend my entire life with someone who has no love for me in their heart."
"Life isn't lived on love alone, Rahi, and you'll realize that soon. Anyway, I have no interest in hearing whatever your decision is. I don't want to spoil my birthday occasion by listening to your foolish talk. Go and eat, and then leave from here without any argument," Shalini Devi said with arrogance.
Rahi, also angry, replied, "You don't need to tell me, Mummy ji. I wasn't planning to stay here anyway. I just came to pick up Chikky, and I'm leaving with her. And your food, I'm sorry! the cost per plate will be too high for me to afford."
Saying this, Rahi turned and walked out of the room with quick steps. Only Shalini Devi remained in the room, looking angrily at the empty doorway.
Shalini Devi was looking at a photograph on the wall. In it, her husband was seated on a grand sofa, with Shalini Devi standing behind him. This picture was from when her husband was alive and had an air of grandeur about him. But only she knew how false that picture was, because it was taken when Shalini Devi had already discovered her husband was having an affair elsewhere and even had an illegitimate child.
Today, after so many years, she was looking at that photograph again, and her old pain was resurfacing. Today, everything that she had endured so many years ago was being repeated.
Rahi was running through the gallery, trying to hide her tears. Her dupatta was completely soaked, but her tears wouldn't stop. She knew she would be humiliated here, but her dignity was also being trampled, and she was being told to try and live by suppressing her self-respect. She hadn't thought that Vikrant's mother would think just like Vikrant. Being a woman herself, she couldn't understand another woman's feelings.
Now, she couldn't possibly leave Chikky here, nor would she ever let Chikky return to this family. She quickly started searching for Chikky, wanting to take her and run away from here, far away.
She descended the stairs with quick steps, heading towards the exit, as the party was ongoing in the garden. But as soon as she took her first step down the stairs, she was running so fast that she didn't pay attention to the person coming from the front and collided with them. She felt as if she had hit a solid wall and couldn't regain her balance, falling straight onto the first step of the stairs. However, she managed to steady herself by holding onto the railing.
Her hand was injured, and she panicked. She thought her head might break or she might get more hurt. But she saw that her hand only hurt slightly. Composing herself, she sat on the step and looked ahead.
Her gaze fell on expensive shoes on the ground. Then, her eyes moved up the shoes to a pair of black pants. Slowly, she raised her face to look up. And then, a face appeared before her. A sharp, attractive face with dark, dark eyes, and he was looking at Rahi with those eyes. He observed Rahi, lost in her thoughts, with his intense gaze.
Rahi was staring at the man with a lost expression. His face was very attractive, with large dark eyes fringed by long lashes that he was blinking. His lips were slightly dark, his nose long, and his jawline was perfect. He had a light beard, and his shoulder-length hair swayed in the breeze. The man looked as if Cupid himself were standing before her. Rahi couldn't take her eyes off him after one glance.
For a few moments, the man also gazed at Rahi intently. Then, he slowly bent down and said, "Are you alright?"
Hearing his deep and resonant voice, Rahi snapped out of her reverie. She quickly looked around and nodded a hasty "yes." The man extended a hand to help Rahi up. Rahi was surprised. She hesitated to take the hand of the stranger, but there was a pull in his eyes that drew her towards him. Rahi slowly extended her hand and placed it in his. The man pulled Rahi's hand and helped her stand. But due to the sudden pull, Rahi couldn't maintain her balance. Before she could falter and fall again, the man placed his hands on Rahi's back and steadied her.
As the man who was helping Rahi stand at this moment, when Rahi stumbles, he supports her by placing his hand on her back. Feeling the warmth of his hands on her back, Rahi is surprised and looks at the man, whose fingers were slipping between the cords of her suit.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to..." Rahi quickly pulls away from him and says this to him, but she stops mid-sentence and, looking at the man in surprise, says, "Have we met before?"
The man's hands were now free, as Rahi had freed herself from his arms. But he smiles at Rahi, takes a step back, puts both his hands in his pant pockets, and says, "Your steps are faltering even though you're not wearing heels, which means the path is bad. Walk a bit more carefully."
Rahi looks at the man in surprise, trying to understand his words. He hadn't answered her question about whether they had met before, but instead, he had drawn her into a web of confusion. She couldn't understand what he meant. Rahi glares at the man and then crosses him, moving forward. But Rahi was thinking about him and then suddenly remembered that this was the same person whose photos were published in magazines and newspapers every day. And she had seen so many of his interviews on business news channels. While she wanted to watch Vikrant's interview, this man's interview was being broadcast in many places.
But she couldn't recall his name at that moment. Rahi had tuned into news channels many times to watch Vikrant's interview, but it happened many times that Vikrant's interview was canceled and this man's interview was shown instead. And when Rahi didn't watch Vikrant's interview, she would turn off the TV. She had probably only caught a few glimpses of this man on television, but even so, this man looked more handsome in person than on TV.
In a way, he looked a bit boyish on TV, and in reality, he was younger than Rahi. Rahi was 30 years old, and this man was probably 26-27 years old at the moment, appearing 4 years younger than Rahi, or rather, he looked like a child. His face was attractive, but it's not a big deal to have an attractive face at his age. But even at such a young age, he had reached the heights of business, and success has nothing to do with age.
But as Rahi reached the door, her steps stopped because the man called out from behind, "Excuse me."
Rahi stops and turns back to look at the man in surprise. The man walks briskly towards Rahi and, taking out a gold business card from his pocket, says to Rahi, "If you ever can't find the right path, call this number."
Rahi looks at the gold business card in surprise and takes it with trembling hands. The man smiles, hands Rahi the business card, and then goes upstairs via the stairs. Rahi just stood at the door, looking at the business card. But when she turned and saw the name that appeared before her, she was a little surprised.
Adhikansh. M... CEO of Marine Group.
Marine Group is currently the number one company in Asia. They have their own textile business and have also made a significant name in import and export. From entertainment to the stock market, Marine Group is currently dominant, and this little boy, who is not even 30 years old, is the CEO of such a large company.
The gold business card contained all the important contact numbers of Marine Group, but the one that caught her eye was a private number, as it was highlighted separately.
But looking at the last 7 digits of that number, Rahi is surprised. 1271991.
She looks at the number in surprise and says,
"No, it can't be... how can this be? This is a coincidence, and I'm overthinking it."
Rahi folded the business card and put it in a corner of her purse and, after entering the party, started looking for Chikki. She was standing in a corner of the party and trying to find Chikki amidst the people coming and going. She had nothing to do with Vikrant or his family.
After searching for a long time and not finding Chikki, she went inside the party, where people were present. And there, she started trying to find Chikki. When she couldn't find her even after searching a lot, she became a little worried.
But then she noticed that both Chikki and Vikrant were not at the party. She started thinking about Vikrant angrily, wondering if Vikrant was playing another new game. She took out her phone to call Vikrant, but before she could, Vikrant called her. She picked up the phone angrily and said, "What is this joke, Vikrant? You said to come to the party and bring Chikki with you. I've come to the party, now let me take Chikki with me."
"Relax, why are you getting so agitated? When did I say you couldn't take Chikki with you? I just thought you would be looking for Chikki at the party and would get worried if you couldn't find her, so there's no need to worry. She's fine, she's with me, in my room."
Rahi hung up the phone angrily and turned back towards the mansion. She walked towards Vikrant's room, where Vikrant used to live before marriage. She really didn't want to come here, but she had no other option at the moment.
Turning the doorknob, Rahi let out a deep sigh and then entered the room directly.
Vikrant told Rahi that if she wanted Chikki, she should come to his room and get her. She did not want to go into the room. This was the same room that used to be Vikrant's before his marriage. The room Rahi had come to so many times with Vikrant. And had always talked to him about living in the room. But when they got married, Vikrant's mother threw her out of the house. And Vikrant started living with Rahi in his other house.
Rahi hesitantly walked towards the room. And opening its door, she looked inside. Vikrant was sitting on the sofa. Rahi was standing near the door. Seeing her like this, Vikrant said sarcastically, "Why are you standing there? Come inside."
"Where is Chikki..?" Rahi asked directly, cutting to the chase. Even though she had many good memories with Vikrant associated with this room, how could she forget the bitter memories she had endured for so many years in exchange for those few good memories? That's why she didn't want to come inside this room.
"Chikki is in the other room. She was looking for you. But I had something to talk to you about. That's why I called you here. I just need to talk to you for 2 minutes. Can't you come inside for a little while?"
Rahi was very angry, but she didn't want to argue with Vikrant at this moment. So she came inside the bedroom. As soon as she entered, Vikrant gestured behind him and said to Rahi, "Please close the door."
"No, I won't close the door. I know what you'll do once the door is closed," Rahi said, glaring at him angrily. Hearing her, Vikrant started laughing. He was laughing as if Rahi had told a funny joke. Laughing, he said to Rahi, "So you remember what we used to do here? But don't worry, these aren't college days, where I used to bring you to my room and then start undressing you after closing the door.
To be honest, living with you, I felt like you were the one who could give me the happiness I was looking for. But after separating from you and being in relationships with many girls, I realized you had nothing special. Those girls were very beautiful and knew how to entertain very well.
So don't worry, even though I'm alone in this room, my interest won't shift towards you. Haven't you heard the saying that men are like wine; the older they get, the better the intoxication. And women are like milk; leave it for two days and it spoils."
Rahi had clenched her fists. Vikrant's words were insulting to her. She had not come here to be insulted, neither by Vikrant nor by his mother. She just wanted to leave as soon as possible. She looked at Vikrant angrily and said, "Will you tell me where Chikki is? Or should I go find her myself?"
Vikrant stylishly got up from his place and walked slowly to the bed. He gently touched the headrest of the bed, looked at the bedsheet, and said in a very soft tone, "Really Rahi, don't you remember this room? Look at this bed and try to remember. Does anything come to mind?
This is the same room where we both came close for the first time. Remember? We came home from college and for the first time, I made love to you right here."
"If you called me here to tell me all this nonsense, then I'm not interested. I'm just asking where my daughter is. And I think you don't know where she is. So I'm going to find her myself."
Rahi screamed angrily. Vikrant looked at her and said sternly, "I didn't call you here to say all this. Rather, I'm reminding you how crazy you became for me after that day. How you begged me to marry you because you gave me your first time.
How important your self-respect was to you, and you gave it away in my name. But after that, when I didn't come to college for two days, you came to my house. And how you fell at my feet and asked me to marry you, otherwise you wouldn't be able to show your face anywhere. Does anything come to mind?"
Vikrant said this and started walking towards Rahi. Rahi took a step back and said angrily, "Take your steps back. Or I'll scream."
"Scream about what? And for whom? This is my house. This is my mansion. Remember? No one will hear your voice here. Did you forget your first time? But when I came close to you, how loudly you screamed. But still, no one heard anything here. Nor did anyone come to your aid.
I am just telling you that where once you surrendered yourself to me and fell at my feet to marry me, so that the world wouldn't point fingers at you. Then how can you make such a big decision today? When you separate from me, do you think the world won't point fingers at you? Won't they question you? Won't they point fingers at your character?"
"I don't care what happens to me now. And what doesn't happen? I have made my decision, and I am not going to change it, Vikrant. I don't want to live with you. I don't want such a life. Our marriage ended long ago. And I don't want to carry the burden of such a false relationship anymore."
Rahi shouted angrily at Vikrant. Vikrant's steps stopped in their tracks. He had never seen Rahi like this. He thought he would pacify Rahi by talking like this. But Rahi seemed firm in her decision, and she had completely ignored Vikrant's words.
Vikrant took a step back and put both his hands in his pant pockets, and said with attitude, "Chikki is in the next room. She is watching her favorite cartoon. But before you take her, I will tell you that you will take care of Chikki. Whatever she needs, it should be with her. You will take her clothes and other necessary items with you. And if you ever have to compromise for Chikki because of money, you will come back to me.
This is my last warning to you, remember. If you come back, all doors for you to return will be closed forever."
"There is no question of coming back to you," Rahi said, turning towards the door and walking away quickly.
As soon as she entered the other room, a smile appeared on her face. Because Chikki was indeed sitting on the sofa, watching her favorite cartoon. Seeing Rahi, Chikki jumped up with joy and ran to Rahi. "Mommy, where were you?"
Rahi picked Chikki up in her lap and kissing her cheeks, said, "Nowhere, dear. Mommy was just looking for you. Did you eat?"
When Rahi asked, Chikki nodded yes. But her face was a little drowsy. Resting her head on Rahi's shoulder, she said, "Mommy, I'm sleepy. Take me home. I want to sleep in your lap."
Rahi picked Chikki up in her lap and placed her head properly on her shoulder. She started walking towards the door. Just then, her steps stopped at the door. She saw Vikrant standing at her room's door. Who was looking at Rahi with angry eyes. And then Rahi's gaze went up.
Where Shalini Devi was standing on the stairs. She was also looking at Rahi with a glare. But Rahi didn't care about their looks and left with Chikki.
Rahi had already left for the hotel with her daughter. She was sitting in a taxi, with Chikki in her lap. But when Chikki saw that the car was going somewhere else, and that it wasn't the way to their home, she asked Rahi in surprise, "Mommy, where are we going? This isn't the way to our home. Are we going to Nani's house?"
Rahi smiled and shook her head, "No, beta, we're not going to Nani's house, and we're not going to Daddy's house right now either. Actually, we're going somewhere else, to a different place."
Chikki asked in surprise, "Somewhere else? Where exactly? Why didn't you tell me before?"
Rahi replied, "Because Mommy wanted to surprise you. Actually, Mommy is playing a game with you, and in this game, we'll be staying at a different place for a few days, where no one can find us. And if someone finds us, we'll lose."
Rahi tried to convince Chikki, and Chikki seemed to be getting convinced. She was excited and said, "Really, Mommy? We're playing a game? I love this game where I hide and everyone tries to find me. My school friends can't even catch me. And, Mommy, can Daddy join us? It'll be more fun if Daddy is with us."
Chikki's innocent request made Rahi's face show a disappointed smile. Rahi shook her head and said, "No, beta, Daddy isn't part of this game. He's very busy and doesn't have much time. And I forgot to tell you, we have to keep this a secret from Daddy, so he can't find us. You have to remember not to tell him where we are, or he'll find us. Do you understand?"
Chikki nodded, smiling, and the taxi stopped in front of a cheap hotel. After paying the fare, Rahi took Chikki in her lap and entered the hotel. The receptionist handed her the room key, and Rahi went straight to her room.
As soon as they entered the hotel, Chikki looked around in surprise and disgust. The place seemed dirty, with peeling paint and broken walls. She seemed scared and said, "Mommy, where have we come? This place is so dirty. I don't feel good here. I'm scared."
Rahi consoled her and sat her on the bed. She combed Chikki's hair and said, "Don't worry, beta. Mommy is here. We're playing a game, and we have to stay here until it's over."
Just then, there was a knock on the door. Rahi opened it to find a hotel staff member with her bag. The bag contained Chikki's belongings, which Vikrant had packed earlier. Rahi was surprised to see Chikki's school uniform, books, water bottle, and favorite teddy bear in the bag.
Rahi spread the bedsheet on the bed and handed Chikki her teddy bear. Chikki was happy to have her belongings and soon fell asleep. Rahi covered her with a blanket and sat beside her, thinking about their future.
Rahi realized that Chikki was used to a comfortable life, courtesy Vikrant. But now, Rahi had to take care of her and provide for her. She knew she needed a job to support them.
As Chikki slept peacefully with her belongings, Rahi thought about the challenges ahead. She was determined to give Chikki a good life, no matter what.
Since Chikki had eaten at Vikrant's house, she didn't ask for food. But Rahi was hungry and made herself some Maggie noodles. As she waited for the noodles to cook, she thought about the future and the challenges she would face. She knew she had to survive and provide for Chikki.
It was morning in the hotel room.
Rahi had ordered food from a nearby restaurant. At this moment, she was sitting on the bed, feeding Chikki. All of Chikki's belongings were kept aside. While putting food in Chikki's mouth, Rahi said, "Chikki, is your homework finished?"
Chikki, while eating, replied, "Yes, Mama, everything is done, just a little bit is left. I'll do it now."
After having breakfast with Chikki, Rahi started setting her uniform. Chikki, too, sat on the bed and began to complete her homework. Looking at the uniform, Rahi glanced at Chikki, and her face grew sad looking at her daughter. She couldn't keep Chikki like this. In this room, in this place, Chikki was not comfortable. And this place was not right for her, considering the life she used to live. Rahi hadn't been able to give her that life since the first day. She had been missing home since yesterday; she had started getting used to that life since yesterday. She couldn't keep Chikki here for long in this situation. She had to find a job quickly.
While Chikki finished her homework, Rahi picked up her phone and started searching for job applications online. She had filled out some online forms and looked at some online company advertisements. Most job interviews required at least 2 years of experience, and the candidate's age was also kept below 30 years. But Rahi had no job experience, nor was her age below 30. In fact, she was turning 31 this year. However, she had still sent her resume to some companies.
Rahi didn't care that she didn't meet the job requirements. She had neither the experience nor the age. But she could still make an effort for her daughter. After all, she had heard somewhere that in the corporate world, jobs are also given based on merit. Rahi thought that if she could prove her capability, she would also get a good job.
After dropping Chikki at school, Rahi went for her job interview. She had already been rejected by two companies and was going to try her luck at a third. She saw a girl at the reception. She went to her and handed her biodata. The girl at the reception looked at the slip and said, "Auntie, are you here for a job interview?"
Rahi was surprised. She was only 30 years old, and she definitely didn't look like an auntie, nor did she seem the auntie type. But whom would she explain this to? She smiled and confirmed, because her awkward posture made her look like an auntie. She had to accept that she had turned 30, and at this stage of life, anyone half her age would call her auntie.
She nodded and said, "Yes, I am here for this job interview." The reception girl looked at the form again and said to Rahi, "And you think you can work here? Actually, we needed a 25-year-old girl for the front desk, and seeing you, there's no way you look 25. I don't think you should go for this interview; they'll reject you as soon as they see you."
Rahi asked the girl if she was leaving soon. The girl replied that she was leaving in a few days, and interviews were ongoing for the front desk, and they wanted someone like her, someone who would be a good example at the front desk. Rahi still wanted to try. She went inside for the interview. They interviewed her but rejected her as soon as they saw her. Tired and defeated, Rahi returned to her hotel. Three days had passed. She had been struggling for a job in this manner, her hope was fading. And Vikrant's words echoed in her ears, that she would become dependent on money, and something similar was happening; her money was running out. And Chikki, she asked Rahi the same question every day: when would they go home, and when would this game end?
It was the fourth day. Rahi was wandering around again, looking for a job. She had the desire to work. Whatever job she got, she would do it very well. Any job would do; she would do even the smallest task with great dedication. But here, no one was willing to give her work. Rejected by one company, Rahi sat in the company's parking area. She saw that the water in her small bottle had finished. There was a fountain in front. Rahi slowly started walking towards the fountain. She thought she would wash her face at the fountain and fill her water bottle. But with every step she took, she thought about the past days. She didn't want to go back to Vikrant, but she thought about Vikrant's words. Without money, she was just a helpless woman outside. He was right; without experience, no one gives work. Because of Rahi's age, it was becoming very difficult for her to find work.
"Mark my words, a day will come when you'll come back. Begging at my feet to take you back," Rahi could feel Vikrant's last words, but she didn't want to go back to him. Looking up at the sky, she said to God.
"My faith in you still remains. If you are testing me, I am ready for this test, but do not involve my daughter in this difficult test."
Rahi was disappointed. She was broken, helpless. A job that she wasn't getting anywhere. She didn't lose hope and decided to make one last attempt. Rahi, who used to travel in expensive cars, was now dependent on the DTC bus. She boarded a bus and went to Chikki's school, as she had to pick her up. As soon as Chikki's school finished, she saw her coming out of school.
But in the next moment, she could see anger on Chikki's face. She sensed that Chikki was angry about something.
As Chikki came to Rahi, Rahi bent down, cupped her cheeks in her hands, and said, "Chikki, what happened? Why are you angry?"
"Mama, I beat up Jay Sony a lot." When Chikki said this, Rahi exclaimed in surprise, "Jay Sony? He's your friend, isn't he? So why did you hit him?"
"Because Jay said that my Daddy was with his Mommy and he was kissing his Mommy."
Rahi was surprised after hearing Chikki's words. But she knew that there could be some truth in it. She knew Vikrant very well. It was not possible for him to not fulfill his desires after going there. If he was seen with his family friends, then what was big about it?
Jay Soni, Rahi knew him. This boy studied in Chikki's class. And Rahi had met his parents at the parents-teacher meeting last year. Coincidentally, Vikrant had also come to the parents-teacher meeting that day. But his eyes were constantly on Jaya Soni's mother, Asha Soni. And a month later, Asha called Rahi. She told her that there was an affair going on between them.
Rahi was surprised to hear Asha's words. Asha further told her that when she and Vikrant were starting their affair, Vikrant had told her that Rahi had caught him several times. So it had become a common thing for him. He didn't care about Rahi's affairs. That's why Asha had told her this beforehand so that if she and Vikrant were together in the future, she wouldn't be too shocked. But Asha Soni's imaginary castle remained in her imagination. After using her for two or three months, Vikrant had left her too.
Vikrant might have gone to Asha just to pass his time and Asha might have wanted some expensive gift, that's why she was with Vikrant. Rahi didn't care about all this anymore. She took Chikki in her lap and took his school bag in her hand and said, "You don't need to think about all this. Jay Soni is lying."
Chikki's face became sad. He said in a sorrowful voice, "But mom, why would he tell me such a lie? He was my best friend, then why did he say such a lie to me?"
"It may be that Jay was joking with you. You know that daddy doesn't have time, he rarely comes home. Then why would he go to someone else's house? Daddy is very busy with work and he is looking for you, so we have to hide. Do you understand me?" Rahi tried to convince her daughter. Chikki was innocent and naive, she quickly agreed with her.
Chikki was innocent, but Rahi was not a fool. She knew Vikrant's nature. How could she expect him to be a good father when he had a habit of flirting everywhere? She had to keep Chikki away from Vikrant.
Rahi sat in an auto with Chikki and moved towards the hotel. Chikki became upset on seeing the hotel and said to Rahi, "Mom, how long are we going to stay here?"
"Why, beta, don't you like staying here?" Rahi asked, and Chikki shook his head and said, "No, mom, I don't like this place at all. It's very dirty. There is a strange smell. I want to go home. I don't want to play this game anymore. If daddy finds me, I won't be upset even if I get out. But I want to go home."
Rahi became upset after hearing Chikki's words. Chikki got upset in just two days. And now Rahi felt that the destination was far away. She consoled Chikki and said, "Beta, we can't go home now. You see, the pest control people have come home and there are many cockroaches in the whole house, so they have sealed the whole house. And daddy is also outside for work. So how can we go home? Daddy told me to stay hidden where I am. When daddy comes, he will find us."
"Then mom, let's play this game somewhere else. I don't like this place." Chikki said with a sad mind. Rahi could understand Chikki's state of mind. She put Chikki's head on her chest and stroked him slowly and said, "No, beta, we can't go anywhere else. We have to wait."
Actually, Rahi didn't want to show her tears to Chikki. She knew this time was very difficult, but Rahi was helpless. She didn't have enough money to stay somewhere else. And she couldn't go to her mother's house because her mother would insist on sending her back to Vikrant. And her younger sister and younger brother also lived with her mother. So she didn't want to become a burden on them.
By the time they reached home, Chikki was asleep. Rahi laid her on the bed and covered her with a blanket. Then Rahi's attention fell on her handbag, whose strap was broken. Today, while catching the DTC bus, Rahi ran so fast that the bag strap broke. Now this bag was of no use to her. She couldn't go for a job interview with this bag, she thought. So she took out all the items from her bag and kept them on the table. She threw the bag into the dustbin. Then Rahi's eyes fell on a gold business card among the items, which surprised her. She suddenly remembered the party night. And the unknown person who collided with Rahi and gave her the business card.
Rahi picked up the card and turned it over. It had "Adhikar M." printed on it. (CEO of Marine Group).
Rahi felt a strange stir in her heart. The man looked very rich. And according to this business card, he was the CEO of Marine Group, which means he was the owner of a very big company. Could Rahi expect a job from him? Any job, no matter how small, would be very big for her at this time.
Rahi took out her mobile and started searching for the CEO of Marine Group on the internet. The photo of Adhikar appeared, along with his entire biodata. The biodata mostly contained information about Adhikar's business. There was no mention of his family background. But there were details about the awards he had won and the prizes he had received. And looking at the photo of Adhikar on the front, Rahi forgot to scroll the phone.
A round, clean-shaven face, black deep eyes, and black hair that was set with gel. His jawline was so perfect that if he wasn't in business, he could have been a model at some big agency. No film star looked less than him. But his black eyes seemed to have buried some deep secret. It seemed that he was staring at Rahi from the picture. Rahi felt a restlessness inside her. Although it was just a photo from the internet, Rahi felt nervous. She quickly turned off the phone and kept it down. But she still had the business card, which had a VIP number. The last digits of the number, 1271991, surprised her again.
Whatever it was, in this darkness, a ray of hope for help seemed to be visible. And at this moment, nothing was bigger for Rahi than Chikki. If she tried for a job, could she get work with Adhikar? He was the owner of such a big company. A small job would not be a big thing for him.
She picked up her phone and dialed the number that existed on the card. But she didn't dial the VIP number, whose last digits made her restless. Instead, she dialed another number written on the other corner of the card.
After 2 hours, the phone was picked up, and a man's voice came from the other side. "Thank you for calling Marine Group. How can I help you?"
Rahi was surprised. It was indeed the number of Marine Group, and the phone was connected to the Marine Group office. She was surprised, but no words came out of her mouth.
"Hello? Hello?" The voice came twice, but Rahi was so scared that she couldn't say anything. She immediately hung up the phone and became nervous.
She threw the card back into her belongings. She was very nervous. She couldn't even talk properly in a small or medium company interview. And here, in a big company like Marine Group, she couldn't even talk. The next day, after dropping Chikki off at school, Rahi went out for another interview. By noon, she had given interviews at three companies and was very tired. Because she didn't have enough money to eat properly. She had eaten properly, but she had only drank a glass of water. And now her water bottle was empty.
Rahi opened her bag and saw that there was only a ₹50 note left in it. If she went for the next interview from here, she would run out of money. And she had to go to school to pick up Chikki and then back to the hotel. Rahi moved towards the bus stand with tired steps. But slowly she moved forward. The sun's rays were so strong that they fell directly on Rahi's head. Rahi's head was spinning, and her eyes were becoming heavy. She was very upset, and the weather was so hot that Rahi couldn't manage herself and fainted. As soon as she fainted, the people present there panicked and came to her aid. But then a car came in. It stopped right in front of the crowd.
The car door opened, and a girl came out of the back seat. She pushed the people away and saw the unconscious girl. Then she got surprised. The girl whispered, "Rahi!"
Rahi had regained consciousness and was now sitting on a king-size bed in a large room of a big house, with a glass of juice in her hands. In the room with her was a girl who was standing by the window, wearing a long plazo suit salwar and her hair tied in a ponytail.
Rahi looked at the girl with a hint of nervousness and said in a soft voice, "Shanu, don't worry."
"I should have slapped you. I don't want to hear a word from your mouth," Shanu said, pulling out her phone and calling someone. She told the person on the other end, "Alright, great. You bring her straight home."
Shanu hung up and looked at Rahi angrily, saying, "My driver has gone to pick up Chikki from school, and she'll come straight home. From now on, you and Chikki will stay here."
Shanu was furious, and Rahi looked down, feeling sad, and said, "I don't want to trouble you, Shanu."
Shanu looked at Rahi, still angry, and said, "You're troubling me now by saying all this nonsense. If you don't want to stay with me, fine, leave my house, but Chikki will stay here with me. You didn't even think it necessary to tell me what was going on in your life, Rahi. You know where I found you - on the street, unconscious. I brought you home, called a doctor, and it turned out you hadn't eaten properly for two days and were dizzy from weakness. You were lying on the street, unconscious. All this happened to you, and you didn't even think I was worth telling."
Shanu's words made Rahi's eyes well up with tears. She looked at Shanu with a melancholy expression and said, "What could I tell you? What could I say? I made a mistake by marrying Vikrant, and 10 years later, I'm realizing it. In college, you were my junior, and all my junior friends told me I was making a mistake by choosing Vikrant. But I was so blinded by love that I didn't listen to anyone - not my family, not others. I lost everything in Vikrant's false display of love, and now I'm in such a situation that I'm being forced to roam the streets."
Seeing Rahi so upset, Shanu came over to her, put her hand on her shoulder, and said, "We may have been younger than you, but we could see that Vikrant wasn't the right person for you. Even though he was with you, he would look at other girls in a certain way. Although he never did anything with any girl, his gaze didn't seem right to us. After we graduated, you both got married, and we all went abroad for further studies. But I always worried about you and took care of you. When I found out on the internet that you had given birth to a daughter, I was overjoyed. I saw Chikki's pictures on the internet, and she looked so cute that I decided I would definitely come to meet you and Chikki as soon as I came to India. But I didn't know our meeting would happen like this."
Shanu continued, "We're connected on social media, so you could have at least told me once, couldn't you? You had my number, but you didn't think it necessary to tell me what kind of situation you were in."
Rahi broke down in tears, hugged Shanu, and said, "Forgive me, Shanu. Forgive me. I was in so much trouble that I didn't know what I was doing or not. Please forgive me."
Shanu consoled Rahi, wiped away her tears, and said, "Alright, I forgive you, but only for Chikki's sake. Now, come on, eat something. The doctor said you can't take medicine on an empty stomach, so eat quickly."
Rahi turned her face, looked at the plate of food on the side table, and shook her head sadly, saying, "I won't eat; Chikki must be hungry."
Shanu quickly said, "Don't worry about Chikki; my driver went to pick her up. As soon as he brings her home, I'll feed her. But you need to eat and take your medicine."
Shanu took the plate of food in her hand, made a bite, and offered it to Rahi. Rahi looked at Shanu with tears in her eyes, and Shanu glared back, saying, "You can cry later; eat first. After that, you can cry as much as you want; I won't stop you. The more you cry, the more your pain will lessen."
After feeding Rahi, Shanu gave her medicine and told her to rest. But until Chikki arrived, Rahi couldn't relax; she sat in the hall with Shanu, her eyes constantly looking towards the door.
Shanu asked, "Why are you so worried? The driver has gone to pick up Chikki; she'll come home with him. I've spoken to her; she's with the driver."
Rahi nodded, still worried. Just then, her phone beeped. She checked the notification and a smile appeared on her face. Shanu noticed and quickly asked, "What's wrong? Looks like there's some good news. That's why you have such a lovely smile on your face. I've been waiting to see this smile."
Rahi looked at Shanu and said with a smile, "Yes, actually I had applied for a job online, and they called me for an interview tomorrow. If I get this job, all my problems will be solved."
Shanu listened to her, "You're struggling for a job? But why? Didn't Vikram give you alimony? With such a big business, you should get alimony for Chikki's upbringing after the divorce, right?"
Rahi shook her head and said innocently, "No, I don't want anything from Vikram. I just want freedom from him, and he hasn't signed the divorce papers yet, nor has he submitted them to the court. I'm just waiting for him to send the divorce papers and submit them to the court so that I can be legally free from his name.
Vikram had already said that if I separate from him, he won't give me a single penny. I won't get a paisa from him. If I want an Aishwarya Rai-like life, I'll have to stay with Vikram. I don't want to do that in his house, so I decided to separate from Vikram without any compromise. I will raise Chikki alone.
That's why for the last 4 days, I've been desperately looking for a job. But I'm not finding any job, first because of my age and second because of my circumstances. Shanu, at this moment, I just need a job, any job anywhere will do. I just need a good job so that I can move my daughter out of that hotel and place her somewhere decent. This job interview is very important for me. I just hope I get this job tomorrow."
After hearing everything Rahi said, Shanu looked at her in surprise and then, after thinking for a moment, said, "Where is your job interview, by the way?"
"Kapoor Group Industries... I have an interview for the receptionist there tomorrow," Rahi said. Shanu made a strange expression and said, "Are you crazy? Do you even know how big a company Kapoor Group Industries is? And they'll just give you a job like that? Have you ever seen the receptionist who's currently working at their front desk? That girl is a former model. Just think, a company that hires a model just to sit at the reception, why would they hire you? And as far as I've heard, they might have already hired a candidate, and this interview is just for show. If you ask me, going there is useless; you won't get anything."
The smile and hope that were on Rahi's face broke, and she said dejectedly, "No, Shanu, don't say that. I desperately need a job. If I don't get this job, I don't know what I'll do. I don't even have enough money to apply for jobs elsewhere. A job is very important to me."
Rahi was very distressed, and there was despair on her face. When Shanu saw her so worried, she also started thinking about her. Truly, Rahi's situation was very bad. In such a situation, if Shanu doesn't help her, how will Rahi survive, and what will happen to Chikki?
Just then, something struck Shanu, and she quickly held Rahi's hands and said, "Rahi, you need a job, right? I'll get you a job, and that too without an interview."
Hearing Shanu's words, Rahi was completely stunned and said in surprise, "A job without an interview? What are you saying, Shanu? No one here is willing to give me a job even after an interview, and you're saying you'll get me a job without an interview? How is that possible?"
Shanu quickly took out her mobile and said, "It's entirely possible. You don't need to worry anymore. You need a job, and you'll get it. Just trust me..."
"I trust you completely, but still, I can't believe anyone would give me a job without an interview. And where are you talking about getting a job?" Rahi asked, worried. Shanu said with some irritation, "Rahi, why do you keep asking such silly questions? When I say trust me, why do you need to know where I'm getting you a job?"
Then Shanu took a deep breath and said to Rahi, "Okay, fine, I'll tell you. I'm getting you a job in my fiancé's company."
Rahi's eyes widened, and she said in surprise, "Fiancé's company? I don't understand. Are you engaged?"
Shanu smiled and nodded yes, "Yes, I'm engaged. I got engaged just 6 months ago. Actually, Papa was in such a hurry for the engagement that he didn't give anyone a chance to say anything. And my fiancé has a very big business. I'm getting you a job in his company, and when I tell him that my friend needs a job, he'll give you a job in a good position in his company without any interview. You don't need to worry. He's very good. I'll talk to him for you."
Rahi was surprised, but getting a job this way was no less than a miracle for her. Rahi herself didn't believe in such things and got very angry at people who got jobs through recommendations. Meaning, people getting into positions without any merit through recommendations. But today, seeing her situation, Rahi felt this method was also acceptable.
Shanu picked up her phone and went near the window. She put the phone to her ear. Someone on the other end picked up, and Rahi just kept looking at Shanu. She couldn't hear what the person on the other side was saying, but she could hear everything Shanu was saying. Shanu was talking about Rahi, saying that her friend needed a job and if there was any vacant position in their company, they could give it to her friend. She desperately needed a job.
After talking for 2 minutes, Shanu hung up the phone and looked at Rahi with a smile. She said to Rahi, "Rahi, your job is confirmed."
He saw someone sitting near the very beautiful wooden central table. His back was towards Rahi. Because he was sitting with his chair turned. Rahi stood up comfortably and, with newfound confidence, said, "Good morning, Sir."
Then the chair turned, and the person sitting on it said, "Good morning, Miss..."
Rahi's eyes widened. The man was also surprised. They both looked at each other. The man, who was still sitting, stood up and said, "You!"
Rahi was also stunned. Her mouth hung open. She quickly composed herself and said, "You... you are the one I met at the party that night, aren't you?"
After that, Rahi started to remember. The man had given her his business card, and his name was written on it: Adhikar M.
Looking at the man, Rahi said, "Mr. Adhikar..."
A smile appeared on Adhikar's face, and looking at Rahi, he said, "So, you read my business card. That's why you remember my name. And if you remembered my name, you would also remember that I told you that if you ever needed anything in life, you could call me on my number. Yet, you asked me for a job through my fiancée's reference... Strange."
Rahi lowered her face and said, "You...! I didn't know you were Shanu's, I mean Shanaya's fiancé."
Adhikar started smiling. He extended a hand towards Rahi, gesturing for her to come, and said, "Come, sit."
Rahi slowly walked towards the chair and sat down opposite Adhikar. Adhikar also sat opposite her, but he leaned back in his chair, resting his back against it. His deep gaze was fixed on Rahi, but Rahi's eyes were lowered.
Adhikar said with a smile, "So, you finally had to come to me."
Rahi was surprised and looked at Adhikar. Adhikar quickly added, "I mean, for the job! You had to come to me for the job. Whether you came of your own free will or through someone's recommendation."
"I am sorry, Mr. Adhikar! Actually, I need a job, that's why I am here. I didn't know you were Shanu's fiancé. If I had known, I..."
"I would never have come here and would never have asked you for a job. Is that what you want to say? Mrs. Mehra?" Adhikar said, looking into Rahi's eyes, and Rahi flinched.
Shaking her head quickly in denial, she said, "No, it's not like that. I honestly didn't know you were Shanu's fiancé. Meeting you suddenly at the party that night made me a bit uncomfortable."
"Shanu didn't tell me your name, so I couldn't recognize you. And Shanu..."
"Mrs. Mehra... You are sitting here in front of me, and I am sitting in front of you. Don't you think you should tell me something about yourself? I know a lot about Shanu, I mean my fiancée Shanaya. You don't need to tell me anything about her. Tell me about yourself, because I have to give you the job."
When Adhikar said this, Rahi became completely stiff. There was a harshness in Adhikar's words. It seemed as if he was giving Rahi an order.
Rahi quickly took a deep breath and said to Adhikar, "Yes, sir, I will tell you about myself, and I will answer any questions related to the interview. But before that, I have one request: please don't call me Mrs. Mehra."
Adhikar's eyes narrowed, and he stared at Rahi, saying, "Why shouldn't I call you Mrs. Mehra? Aren't you the wife of Mr. Vikrant Mehra? By the way, I forgot to ask you one question. Despite being the wife of such a wealthy businessman, what need did you have for a job?"
Rahi lowered her face with regret and said, "I am not his wife anymore! We are going to divorce soon, and I want this job for myself. My name is no longer Mrs. Mehra, but Miss Sharma. After separating from my husband, I just need a job. Can I expect this from you? I will work very honestly."
Adhikar listened to all of Rahi's words, twirling his pen. He furrowed one eyebrow and said thoughtfully, "A job...! Well, I can give you a job, but what can I possibly give you in the job? I mean, whatever your husband spends on you, my small company is nothing compared to that. I can offer you a very meager amount. I don't think you will be comfortable in that job?"
But Rahi quickly shook her head and said, "No, it's not like that. Any job will do for me, and at any salary. I just need a job. I will work very honestly and will not give you any reason to complain. However, I don't have any job experience. I have been a housewife for years, so I have never worked. But I know I have the passion to work. I will do every task with utmost honesty, and whatever work you give me, I will not give you any reason to complain."
Rahi said this with full confidence. A slight smile appeared on Adhikar's face at her words, and he nodded in affirmation, saying, "Well, it's good that you want to work to prove yourself. But being a housewife is also not an easy job. That too is a very difficult job."
"In my opinion, being a housewife is the most difficult job in the world. That is, without salary, without any increments, and without any purpose. You take care of a family your entire life. This is not a minor task. In business, in a company, employees are given leave after 8 hours. But a housewife has to work 365 days a year, seven days a week, 24 hours a day. So, running a home is more difficult than running a company."
