Sleeping With The Enemy

Chapter 25

Arohi sipped her second cup of coffee as she stared at a photo of her and Riya, taken on Riya's 3rd birthday.  They had been so happy.  Riya's bright beautiful smile and her eyes full of mischief.  That was all before.  Before Arjun came back into their lives to reek havoc.  Glancing at the clock she saw it was 6:30 am.  She hadn't slept a wink.  Every time she closed her eyes she saw Arjun's livid face or worse she saw a furious Arjun ripping Riya from her arms.  Arohi closed her eyes against the pain.  "I'm her mother!" she said bitterly.  I am her mother!  I have been the one raising her!  I will die before I let Arjun take my daughter from me!  And she would.  If it was a fight Arjun wanted she would give it to him.  "I will not let you win!" she said furiously.  She would go to his house, see what he wanted and then lay it out for him.   Meaning she was in charge.  Arjun wanted to see his daughter, she couldn't stop him, but he'd be doing it on her terms.  Last night he'd come into her shop and tried to lay down the law.  This morning he would learn that she wasn't the easily manipulated Arohi any more.  She'd grown up and she'd be telling him how things were going to be...Not the other way around.

Arjun stared at the dozens and dozens of toys that were arranged in what would now be Riya's room.  It was 8:50 am and he was waiting for his daughter and her mother.   His daughter.  Closing his eyes he took a deep breath.  Stuffing his hands in the pockets of his jeans he took it all in.  He had a three year old daughter that he knew nothing about.  Other then she was the cutest child in the world.  Her face brought a smile to his lips.  He had a child.  A daughter...WOW!  He had 3 years of making up to do.  It didn't help that he had no idea what so ever to do with a child.  He didn't know what little girls did, or liked.  He didn't know anything!  And that thought alone scared the hell out of him.  All he knew was that a part of him had fallen in love with his little girl the very first time he had met her.  Even when he hadn't known she was his...it was like he'd known.  Shaking his head he glanced at his watch again.  8:57.  "Come on Arohi."  "Don't make this harder then it already is" he muttered to himself.  He didn't know a lot about paternity cases  but he did know that he wasn't about to drag his daughter through any of that.  Threatening Arohi last night with taking Riya away had been just that...a threat.  He wished he could take her from her mother he thought bitterly.  But that would hurt Riya the most and he would never let anything hurt his daughter.  Never!  Pulling him from his thoughts he head  "Sir" "A Ms. Ahluwalia is here to see you." from his housekeeper.  Arjun let out the breath he was holding.  Turning he saw first, his beautiful little girl dressed in a pretty summer dress, and then his gaze lifted to her mother.  Also beautiful but beneath that beauty lay something cold and malicious.  "Hi Riya" he said resisting the urge to pull her into his arms.  "Hi, Ajun Uncle!" Arjun forced a smile.  Uncle!  He was the uncle!  Arohi had made him the uncle while Amar had got to be the father! "How are you doing?" he continued. "Very well tank you" she answered in her sing songy voice.  "That's good" he said with a smile.  Arohi looked between Riya and Arjun with surprise.  "How do you two know each other?" she asked slowly.  "Ajun uncle get ball at Rosa house." Riya answered.  Arjun had an urge to ignore Arohi's question and let her wonder..let her suffer trying to figure out how long he'd known Riya for.  But with Riya being here he knew he couldn't do that.  Instead he quickly explained how he and Riya had met, and there was no way Arohi could have missed the anger in his voice as he told her about their last meet.  The one where she knew he figured out Riya was his daughter.  She could not believe her damn luck!  "Would you like something to drink Riya?"  "Breakfast should be ready  for you soon." Arjun said looking at her.  "We've already eaten!" Arohi said coldly.  Arjun ignored her.  "Riya, I have a special surprise for you."  "Do you want to see it?" he asked.  Riya looked up at her mom as if she was asking for permission.  "Go on my love." Arohi said letting go of Riya's hand.  Riya walked over to Arjun and placed her little hand in his.  Arohi's heart shifted a little as Arjun and Riya hand in hand walked up a few steps and made their way down a hallway.  Arohi hurried behind.  "This is for you." he said opening the door to her room.  Riya's eyes grew wide.  "For me?" she asked awestruck.  "Yes, for you sweetheart."  "Do you like these toys because if you don't we can get you others."  Riya smiled happily.  "I like!" she said walking into the room and picking up a princess doll.  "Mama, look pincess so pity."  Arohi forced a smile on her face, but inside she was seething.  "Riya, why don't you play with these toys while..while..Arjun and I talk."  "And you can have one, only one from these toys."  Riya didn't respond because she was already too engrossed in her new toys.

As the walked out of the room and back into the living room Arohi lit into Arjun.  "What the hell are you doing?"  "She's 3 years old!" '"She doesn't need all those toys!"  "She barely even plays with the ones she has, and here you are throwing all this materialistic junk at her."  Arjun stared at Arohi open mouthed.  And then glaring at her he said "I have three years of birthday and special occasions to make up for!"  "Times when I wasn't there to spoil my daughter!"  "And you, Miss Materialistic are talking about not making Riya materialistic".  "I have never met anyone more material then you!"  "I'm not that Arohi anymore and I don't want Riya to be spoiled!"  "You don't' need to buy her love!"  "She will love you if you give her love and attention! "That's all children really want and need!"  Arjun stared at Arohi like he didn't recognize her.  "Anyways, we need to discuss a few things." she said.   "Firstly Arjun if you try to take my daughter away from me I will fight you tooth and nail."  "I am her mother and I will never give her up!"  "Don't test ME on this!" she said throwing his words from last night in his face. "That being said, I don't think it's a good idea for you to try to come into Riya's life at this point."  Arjun opened his mouth to give her a piece of his mind but Arohi kept going "But I know you're going to man handle the situation and fighting you at this point will be much worse for my daughter then just letting you become a small part of her life."  "BUT!"  "There are conditions."  Arjun folded his arms across his chest and raising his brows he listened.  "First of all, I don't think it's good for her to know that you're her dad!" "She won't understand it right now."  "It'll just confuse her." "I think it's better if she gets to know you and becomes comfortable with you, and then if we must, we can tell her."  "Secondly I don't' think it's good to introduce any of your family to her yet...another confusion."  "She's too young, and she will feel too overwhelmed."  Arjun continued to stare at her.  "You can see her when it's good for me."  "You are never allowed to take her without me being there."  You need to lay off and give us some space."  "Now that you're back in our lives I don't want to have to put up with your constant know it all ways!'  "We have a life here, friends, family, a business, a way of doing things."  "I will not let you come here and disrupt that."  Arohi paused.  "And I make all the decisions about Riya."  "Not you."  "I'm her mother, the only parent she's known."  "I will decide what happens in her life."  Arjun's eyes continued to bore into Arohi.  "If you agree to all these conditions then you may be a part of Riya's life." she finally said.  "Are you done?" he asked coldly.  "Yes, for now."  Arjun shook his head and gave a cold laugh.  "You are a piece of work Arohi." Seriously a piece of work."  "And you have some nerve coming into my house and giving me ultimatums regarding my own daughter."  The one you hid from me for 3 years!"  "You've said your piece and let me tell you, I'm quite impressed. little Arohi has grown up." "She's making big girl speeches now."  "BUT nothings changed where you and I concerned."  "I do what I want!"  "When I want!"  "You don't give me ultimatums."  "I have the upper hand here!"  "You have no upper hand!" said the little voice in his head.  He ignored it.


"Riya is my daughter too, and yes you're the only parent she's known but that's' changing now!"  "You've been making the decisions regarding her upbringing for way too long, now it's my turn."  Arohi glared at him.  "I see you're still a pig headed jerk!" she snapped.  "What do you even know about being a father that you think you can come along and decide what is and isn't best for her!"  Arohi watched Arjun's whole body go rigid.  "I love my daughter and would give my life for her!"  "I might not know how to be the perfect father, or exactly what to do in every instance but I'll learn!"  And besides she needs atleast one stable parent in her life and we both know that isn't you!"  Arohi gasped.  How did this man still have a way of getting under her skin.  "As for not telling Riya who I am...I grudgingly agree."  "I hate it!"  "But I don't want her to feel overwhelmed, so I'll wait."  "I'll wait until she's comfortable with me."  "Which shouldn't be long because I plan on spending plenty of time with her!"  "No you won't!" Arohi snapped.  "She's got a schedule that has no time in it for you."  Arjun raised his eyebrows at Arohi and smirked at her.  "You never stop do you?"  "Even now after knowing what you did was so wrong, making me believe my child is dead...you just can't stop."  "When are you going to grow up Arohi?"  "I can't believe my daughter has been subjected to you alone for 3 years!" Arohi's eyes widened.  She couldn't believe  what she had just heard.  "What she's been subjected to is..." she said softly, glaring at him.  She's been subjected to a one parent family because her father is a disgusting adulterer!"  "She's been subjected to a mother who's wanted the very best for her and has worked the last 3 years day and night to give her just that!" "She's been subjected to a mother who stayed up nights for months holding a colicky baby by herself where other women have husbands to share the burden with!"  "She's been subjected to a mother that sat by her hospital bed holding her hand all night and praying that her baby's high fever would come down."   A mother who would have loved to have a husband to lean on!"  "She's been subjected to a mother who would give her life in a second to protect her baby from harm!"  "She's been subjected to a mother who was so scared that she would do something wrong that could hurt her angel when her child was first born that she would wake up gasping for air."  "Racing to the bassinet to check umpteen times that she was still breathing."  "She's been subjected to mother who cried herself to sleep her whole pregnancy because her husband cheated on her!"  "Her husband that she had loved and trusted more than anyone else in the world!"  "That is what she was subjected to Mr. Arjun Singhania!" Arohi said poking her finger into his chest.  Arjun glared at her and then reaching out he grabbed her wrist.

"Who told you to do everything by yourself!"  'We had an amazing life."  "We had everything!"  "And you destroyed it."  "If once, just once you had told me about Riya still being alive we could have salvaged our relationship."  "But no!"  "In true Arohi Ahluwalia form you destroyed everything!"  All those things you've mentioned having to do alone!"  "Alteast you were here to do them, experience them!  "I MISSED OUT ON EVERYTHING!"  "Do you know how it feels to know your child doesn't even know who you are?"  "I'm no one to her."  "Amar to her is her father!"  "Amar was the one that experienced her firsts, her talking, walking, smiling, laughing"  "You replaced me."  "And in YOUR life, you replacing me doesn't matter!  But you replacing me in my daughter's life...now that I will never put up with."  "I didn't replace you!"  "You chose to be replaced when you cheated on me!"  "I DIDN"T CHEAT ON YOU!" he roared!  "Mama" Riya said from the top of the stairs.  A doll in each hand.  Arohi forced herself to calm down.  "Yes baby"  Riya stared at her parents.  Looking from one to the other.  "Why you yell?" she asked Arjun.  Arjun winced.  "I'm sorry sweetheart for speaking loudly."  "You yell at my mama?!" Riya asked frowning.  Arohi rushed to Riya.  "Baby, no he didn't yell at mama"  "Arjun Uncle was just telling mama a story."  "He got a little loud."  "We're sorry."  Riya smiled.  "It okay."  "I like this pincess"  "Can I take home?" she asked Arjun.  "You can take anything you like." he replied walking to her.  "Riya, you may choose one." Arohi said, giving Arjun a look that he ignored.

"Riya, what's your favourite ride at the park?" Arjun asked crouching to her height.  "Swings." she answered right away.  "Would you like me to take you so that you can go on the swings?"  Arohi didn't miss the hesitation in his voice.  He was asking a 3 year old for permission to take her to the park!  How the mighty fall she thought smirking.  "Mama, may I go pak?" Riya asked excitedly.  "Yes, you may."  "I'll come too!" she said glaring at Arjun.  "That's not necessary" he said smiling and gritting his teeth.  "Oh yes it is!" she answered.  "Where not finished!" Arjun whispered as Riya ran to put away her dolls.  "Oh we're finished."  "This conversation may not be, but you and I...we're definitely finished!"  "AMEN to that!" he snapped.

The two of them stood glaring at eachother but hearing Riya's "Let's go!" had them shifting their attention to her.  "There's a park walking distance from here, we can go there" Arjun said.  "Are you sure you're not hungry Riya?" "Do you want anything to eat before we go?" he asked.  "No, I eat yougut, and fruit!"  Riya said happily placing her hand in Arohi's and swinging their arms.  That's it? Arjun thought frowning.  Is that all little kids ate? He had had his housekeeper make a huge feast and Riya just liked Fruit and Yougurt.  Note to self, stock up on yougurt and fruit he thought to himself.  As mother and daughter walked infront of him he was hit again by their similarities.  Riya looked like him.  Now that he knew she was his daughter the resemblance was glaringly visible.  But her mannerisms, the way she scrunched up her nose when she giggled, her laughter.  They all reminded him of the woman he had once loved more then anything in the world.  No matter what now, whether they liked it or not they were going to be a part of eachother's lives.  They shared a child together.  That tied them forever.  But if Arohi thought he was going to step back and let her continue to raise their child by herself, she had another thing coming!

Arohi sat on a bench near the swing and watched as Arjun and Riya looked at the flower Riya had just picked.  Bent down over it, their heads together.  They were so similar, so beautiful.  And to see Arjun, leaned over and touching the petals of a flower awkwardly was comical...but also a little endearing.  She hated the thought as soon as it entered her head.  She didn't want to think of anything soft, and warm when it came to Arjun.  She didn't even want him standing near her daughter.  But from their little exchange in his home she could tell he was going to make this difficult.  "Mama look!" Riya said holding up the flower.  Arohi's eyes met Arjun's as he looked up at her.  For a second she saw warmth.  And as quickly as it came it went..turning back to the ice cold that she was used to from him now. "That's so pretty" she said.  "Mama, push me!" Riya yelled running to the swings.  Arohi quickly got up but stopped when she heard Arjun say "Riya, is it okay if I push you?" Arohi watched as Riya gave this suggestion some thought, and then she nodded her consent like the royal princess that she was, putting her hand into Arjun's and letting him help her into the swing.  Arohi stared helplessly at the two.  How was it possible that Riya was taking so quickly to Arjun.  Calm down Arohi she told herself, it's just something as meaningless as pushing her on the swings.  You've done it 100's of times.  But it wasn't just the pushing on the swings, it was the way that Riya for some reason seemed to trust Arjun already.  They'd met what like 4 times total, that too for very short periods of time.  But for some reason, it was almost as if she knew that Arjun wasn't someone to fear, he wasn't a stranger, he was someone to her.  But that was impossible she was too young to really understand something like that.  But as Arohi watched Riya giggle and scream "Higher, Higher!" as Arjun pushed her she still couldn't get rid of that feeling, that feeling of being out of the loop.  Arjun should be the one sitting here on the bench feeling like an outsider, not her!  "Time to go home!" Arohi said suddenly standing up.  Arjun ignored her. Arohi marched over.  "Riya, it's time to go home."  "No, Mama, please!" Riya said giving her the same puppy dog face Arjun used to use on Arohi to get his way.  Usually that face worked, but today it just made Arohi angry.  He was taking over, she couldn't breathe being around him.  His betrayal had been bad enough, now he was trying to replace her in her daughter's life too.  She knew she was being unreasonable but surviving on very little sleep, seeing too much of Arjun after so long and feeling like she was losing her daughter had her mind thinking crazy things.  "Riya, we're going right now!" Arohi said forcibly stopping the swing that Arjun was still pushing.  Arjun looked at Arohi like she's lost her mind.  Here he was spending some time with his daughter and she was trying to sabotage it.  Well he wasn't going to put up with that.  "Riya, I think that's enough on the swing."  "Why don't you go pick another flower, one I can keep at my house." Riya smiled.  "Okay!' she said excitedly.  But then she looked at her mom, "mama should I pick fower for you too."  Arohi was livid.  How dare this man come along and try to dismiss what she was saying to her daughter.  "Yes please" Arohi finally said to Riya.  The second Riya turned away, Arjun grabbed Arohi's arm and pulled her a little ways away.  "How dare you?!" she said whispered angrily.  "I am her mother!" "I make the rules and when I tell her to do something, you can't come along and dismiss is!"  "If I don't think it's in the best interest of my child, I can!" he snapped.  "What do you know about what's in her best interest?"  "You know nothing about her!"  "Who's fault is that!' he snapped  "You're not coming with my daughter next time."  "I'll pick her up or have her picked up from your home and I'll spend time with her without you!"  "With you here she'll never get completely comfortable with me."  "You're jealousy will always hang like a black cloud over Riya and I!" he said furiously. "Alone!'  "How can you be alone with her!'  'You don't even know how to change a diaper!" she said with a disgusted laugh.  "For your information she wears pull ups not diapers!" he snapped.  Arohi stared at him in shock.  "What did you just say?"  "You heard me!" he replied.  Googling pull ups had been a good idea after all he thought to himself.  Especially since it shut up Miss High And Mighty!  "Fine you know about pull ups!"  "Do you know what she eats, her allergies??"  "Her..." Arjun interrupted!  "I'll learn!"  "I'm her father...I will learn!' he said roughly.  "Arohi, this is not up for debate I want to NO need to spend some time with my daughter you need to give us some space.  "I haven't seen a lawyer yet but if need be I will."  "I might not get full custody but I sure as hell could get joint"  "If you push me you know I'm only going to push harder!" he threatened.  Arohi glared at him.  In that moment she hated him with every fibre of her being.  "I hate you so much Arjun."  "I hate you for what you did to us 3  1/2 years ago, and I hate you for what you're doing to me and my daughter now!"  Arjun stared stubbornly back at her.  Believe me the feeling is mutual!"  "I never wanted to see your face again but now that we have a daughter together you're going to need to get very used to having me around, because I will be a part of Riya's life whether you like it or not!"  Hearing Riya's footsteps they quickly wiped the anger off their faces.  "Ready sweetie?" Arohi asked softly taking Riya's hand and starting to walk away.  "Bye Arjun Uncle!" Riya called.  "Bye Riya" Arjun said.  "I'll pick up Riya the day after tomorrow in the afternoon , will she be at home?"  Arohi glared at him.  Again her was telling her instead of asking her!  She wasn't going to let that happen!  Ignoring him she quickly walked away leaving Arjun staring after them.