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Mythili's POV -
The next few days, I had buried myself in my books to prepare for my ongoing exams and no one ever disturbed me.
Mr. Rathore had left to New York for a few days for some work and Malini aunty usually was out of the house. In the little time that I had spent with her, I found out that she had a chain of NGOs which works for women who had faced sexual harassment. It was a bit of surprise for me initially because our first meeting was still very engraved in my head where she was cold towards me and then all of a sudden, right in the same party, she had sent dinner for me.
As much as she was friendly with me, I didn't dare to question her kindness, how could I?
She had even got a new phone for me and I did make a few calls to my friends, assuring them that I was alright. They had panicked when they found my phone to be switched off and my parents hadn't told them about my whereabouts either.
Malini aunty had even allowed me to call them over but I was hesitant so I just told her that currently we all were busy studying for the exams which wasn't a complete lie.
Yesterday was my second-last exam, microeconomics and it went fairly well. All that was left was history and then I would be in my final semester of graduation.
I was reading about the prehistory to the age of Mauryas after dinner when there was a slight knock on the door. I placed my books down on the bed and walked to the door, opening it, only to find Kirti, one of the maids, standing here. What could have happened? It was almost 11 PM and Malini aunty usually goes to bed by now.
" I am sorry to disturb you but Mr. Rathore is asking for you in his study and wants me to tell you that this is urgent but will not take much time." She said.
" He is back?" I asked, confused. I thought he was supposed to come back the day after. At least that's what Malini aunty had told me.
" Yes ma'am. He got back an hour ago." She replied, politely.
" It's Mythili for you and sure, I'll just be on my way in two minutes." I said and after giving me a nod, she left. I closed the door behind me and decided to change first before going to see him because for sure, I was not going in front of him wearing my stupid panda T-Shirt and shorts.
I put on a blue kurti with the same jeans I had worn to college yesterday before I left my room but as I walked out, I realised that I had no idea where the study was. The house was so huge and I hadn't even seen half of it in my time here.
" Where could the study be?" I muttered to myself descending the stairs when my leg somehow got stuck in between the floor stair's carpet in the dark and I lost my balance completely. Extremely confident about my fate of falling, I clenched my eyes shut but surprisingly, the fall never came. Instead, I found myself just hanging with a hold on my left wrist as I slowly opened my eyes, turning a little, to find that Mr. Rathore had caught hold of me before I could fall.
He pulled me to help me stand on my feet and descended a stair, standing right in front of me as I turned to face him. A shiver ran down my spine as his hold on me tightened even as I had regained my balance.
" Thank you." I murmured in the darkness as the whole house was so silent that there was no way he didn't hear it. He just chose not to respond.
" Careful." I heard him say as he started to walk, leaving me to follow him just as I did. His study was right on the floor of my room, in fact, just next to it. He went on to stand right behind the huge Mahogany table with a glass top, on the sides were huge book shelves and right attached to the study, there was another very small room which had a huge couch and a coffee table, probably a reading space. The flooring of the room was just as dark as the furniture. The only colour pop in the room were the book shelves which were made of Italian Marble against the grey walls of the room.
I then looked at him to see his sleeves rolled right up till his elbows, tie loosened and his coat casually lying on his arm, he looked tired to say the least but even then, his stance was just as stiff and cold as he had picked up a file from the table which was lying next to the Mac.
" Your father wants you to sign this which will transfer all the shares that are in your name to your brother." He said, looking up from the file to me and to say that I was shocked would not suffice it.
" I had shares to my name?" I didn't realise that I had said it out aloud till the time I saw his head nod in acknowledgement.
I walked near to the table where he had kept the papers. I took the pen which was lying there and was just beginning to sign wherever required when his voice stopped me.
" Do you have any idea what exactly it is that you are doing Mythili?" His voice was laced with anger as he stormed towards me, snatching the papers away from me. I took a step back because his anger truly scared me. The rage in his eyes was defining.
" I...I'm just giving father what he wants." I replied, fumbling as I clutched onto my kurti tightly to prevent my nervousness.
" Never give away something that is yours, something you are entitled to. Those shares are yours and I will let your father know that you will not be signing anywhere." His eyes softened for a bit before going back to being devoid of any emotion but just for that split second, I thought there was concern in them, but then again, I was probably imagining stuff.
" I may be entitled to it but I don't want it Mr. Rathore. If I am to choose between a few shares and my self-respect, I will always choose the latter. I'd rather lead a humble life with the money that I earn, how much ever that might be than live a rich life after shredding my dignity." I told him in all honesty, looking at him in the eye.
He did not say a word but he did keep looking at me, looking like he was trying to find something and I faltered under his gaze, breaking the eye-contact, finding my bare feet suddenly interesting at easy to look at.
After a while, I found his hand placing the papers back on his desk near me before walking out of his study without a word as my eyes followed him till the door.
I sighed, sitting down as I signed the papers and then placed the paper weight on it from the table before making way to my room to finish studying for tomorrow's exam but all of a sudden, my mind was too hazy to focus on anything.
I could see the happy faces of my parents and brother after finally getting rid of me in all senses which for some god forsaken reason did hurt, even after everything they have done to me.
" Mythili you have an exam tomorrow. Stop thinking about what is not important." I chided myself and once again, focused back on my notes trying to just forget the bad feelings.
I somehow managed to finish whatever that was important by 2 AM and after setting up the alarm for 5:30 AM in the morning, lied down on the bed where now there were three feelings haunting me. The very first being my exam tomorrow, the second being the happiness of my family and the third, which was surprisingly the most dominant was that of Mr. Rathore's disappointed look I saw right before I tried signing the papers for the first time.
I tried to shake to away but sleep didn't come to me very easily, but when it did, I embraced it with wide arms.
..........................................................
After waking up, I freshened up and took a quick bath and put on my white shirt with green pants and let my hair open for them to dry quickly because I rarely used hair dryer.
Throwing a few pens in my bag, I was all set as I started to make my way towards the car which Malini aunty had forced me to use. All the days, she would force me to eat something before going for the exam but I just couldn't eat anything so early in the morning but even then, she forced two slices of apple in my hands, just like today.
Mythili's Look -
" Mythili, it is your last exam today and if you want to go out with your friends after your paper is up, it is perfectly fine, alright?" She said giving me a smile as she wished me best of luck.
" Thank you aunty! They may drag me out for a while indeed." I replied as she nodded before I went to the car and left for the exam.
.........................................
" All done. I'm just glad that I am not failing this one. I really couldn't study because who can, for the last exam!" I announced as we walked out of the examination hall. Hritik, Amrita and Viraj agreed, laughing.
" Let's go to Olive Kitchen?" Hritik suggested as we settled ourselves in his car. It is one of the most expensive and high-end restaurants of Mumbai.
" Of course! And who will take care of the bill? Also, it's so far!!" I asked, rolling my eyes at him and Amrita seemed to agree.
" Hritik and I. You girls helped us study and made sure that we pass so this is a treat. And about it being far, relax and enjoy the long drive ladies. " Viraj announced as Amrita and I looked at each other.
" Who are we to refuse free food?" She agreed and I nodded, grinning but little did I know that this was going to be a mistake.
As we walked in, the first person I spotted was my mother who was sitting next to dad and there were two people sitting opposite to them with their backs facing towards me. I walked a little closer only to get a look when I saw Malini aunty's face and the other had to be Shivaay.
" What are your sorry ass parents doing here?" Viraj seemed to have followed my gaze and asked.
" I have no idea. Is there a way I can listen to what is going on?" I asked him to which he gave me a small nod as he asked the waiter to get us a seat near the television, which he obliged to. We were given the table just ahead of theirs and I sat carefully with my back facing theirs and tried to listen to what was going on. Viraj and Amrita who were sitting just opposite to Hritik and me hid their faces, pretending to read the menu so that my mom and dad don't see them.
" Kapoor these are your fucking papers and god forbid if I catch you or your little spies anywhere near my family, you will live to regret the rest of your life." I heard Mr. Rathore's hushed voice, dangerously angry.
" Shivaay don't forget that I am giving my daughter to you. You will be my son-in-law. Now this is no way to talk to your father-in-law, is it?" Dad said and I felt sick to my guts after listening to his voice. He was talking about me as if I was a commodity instead of a living person.
" Your daughter is not yours to give Kapoor. Stop talking as if you have a claim over her and don't you think for one second that this gesture is because of any pressure your daughter had from either of us. She signed the papers even when I asked her not to. What I did ask of her was to fight for her right but do you want to know what she said? She said that nothing is above her dignity and for a moment, I was surprised, even taken aback. She is richer more than either of us will ever be." I heard Mr. Rathore who was defending me and the lone tear escaped my right eye.
" Oh she is most definitely rich now, isn't she? Maybe that is why she is spying on us with her little minions." I heard mother and my eyes widened in surprise and the menu cards in Amrita and Viraj's hands dropped as the four of us threw ourselves out of our seats.
" Mythili?" I heard Mr. Rathore's voice, rooting me to the stop I was standing at, not daring to turn around to face all of them.
" How big a fools are we? We should have fucking played it cool instead of jumping out like idiots." I heard Hritik mutter and despite the situation we all were in, a chuckle managed to escape my lips like like it did for the other three.
I know I would be asked a thousand questions but at least I had my idiots around to have my back and maybe, Mr. Rathore did after all, have my back too along with his mother.
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