I'll Be Okay

Chapter 8 - The Art Show

Soon, the people were just looking around at the displays, some of them inquiring about purchasing them. Kimaya looked for her mother and found her talking to her friend and a stranger. She walked up to them.

"I told you, Clarisse. My daughter can paint if she wants. You saw the proof today," Kimaya heard her mother say.

"Yes, Anisha. I'm sorry to have said that your daughter can't paint. Well, all these years, and not a single artwork from her. It was just a little... Hard to believe," said Mrs. Verma's friend, Clarisse.

"That's all right," said Mrs. Verma. "Kimaya can paint - she is just not interested. I don't want to force her to do something she doesn't love."

Kimaya glowed. She was glad she had such an understanding mom.

"Actually, a friend of mine had thought about this. You know, about Kimaya not being an artist? Aakash here is a big fan of yours. When he came to know that I know you personally, he asked me to tell him more about you, and when I told him about Kimaya, he started wondering why she had never painted. So I asked you," said Clarisse.

"Hello, Mrs. Verma," said Aakash, extending his hand. Kim's mom shook his hand politely. Aakash continued speaking. "I love your paintings. They are beautiful. You are extremely talented."

Kimaya's mother smiled. " Thank you, Mr.---" Mrs. Verma wondered what his surname was.

"You can call me Aakash," he said, amicably. "It's Aakash Singh, by the way."

"Alright," said Mrs. Verma. "Thank you Aakash." 

"And this is your daughter, I suppose?" Asked Aakash, looking at Kimaya.

"Yes," said Mrs. Verma, proudly.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Singh," said Kimaya.

"Good afternoon, Kimaya. It's a pleasure to meet you, you are a great artist," said Mike.

"Thank you. It is all because of my mother though." 

"I am sure you are brilliant. What do you intend to do when you grow up, anyway?"

"Well, I'm not exactly sure," said Kimaya. But in her head, she thought, liar. Kimaya knew exactly what she wanted to become. Except that only Astrid knew about it. No one else.

Just then, a media person dragged Kimaya away to her painting to get a couple of photographs.

"Excuse me," she said to Aakash.

The journalist soon left her alone, and Kim stared at her painting, shocked that she could do it in just a few hours. She was glad that she made her mother proud.

"Nice work," said someone behind her. The voice was too familiar and too close for Kimaya's liking.

"What the heck are you doing here?" Asked Kimaya, without turning back. It was her old captor.

"It's an art show. Anyone can attend it, right?"

"Yes, but... What if someone sees us together?" 

"You didn't even turn. Besides, no one can recognize me at the first glance."

"What?" Kimaya turned around.

Her captor's hair was dyed a medium brown, along with a pair of light brown lenses. The complexion of this person was already light, so, the new eye and hair color didn't look too striking. Kimaya couldn't help but gasp.

"Stop staring. Now who is giving us away?" Smirked her captor.

"Sorry!" Kimaya muttered, turning away. 

Kimaya heard a chuckle, and then her captor walked away. 

---------------------------------------------------

The Sun had fallen below the horizon by the time Kimaya and her mother reached home. Kimaya's mom went inside the kitchen to get something to eat, and came back with some snacks and juice.

"I'm proud of you Kimaya," said Mrs. Verma.

Kimaya glowed. "I just wish dad was here to see this," She replied. Kimaya's father was in the real estate business, and was most often out of town. She loved her dad a lot, and couldn't help but feel sad that he wasn't there at an important time in her life.

But in one way, she was glad too. The lesser the people, the lesser the chance of her getting caught. And the lesser the chance of them getting affected. Kimaya sighed. She wished she didn't have to be caught up in this mess. But there was no more any way out of this.

As she lay in bed that night, Kimaya wondered what to do next. After half an hour of thinking, she decided that all she could do was let things continue with their own pace. She couldn't think of a single idea; it was a miracle how she was able to think up a good idea in the coffee shop. 

Kimaya had enjoyed at the show today. But she didn't have the least idea about a pair of eyes; the pair which had been following her ever since she visited the club with Astrid; the pair with the cunning gleam.

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