Next morning 8:00 am
Ranbir stirred awake, the first light of dawn seeping through the curtains, casting a soft glow in his room. He'd barely slept, the weight of impending conversation heavy on his mind. With a sigh, he rose from his bed, his steps deliberate as he made his way to her door, heart thudding with anticipation.
Standing before her door, Ranbir could almost hear the muffled sounds of morning beyond. He waited, his breath caught in his chest, until finally, the door creaked open, revealing her tired eyes. Before he could utter a word, she shut the door firmly in his face.
"Mom... Mom, please," Ranbir's voice was pleading as he pressed against the closed door. "I just need to talk to you."
Pushing the door open with determination, Ranbir stepped inside, his gaze locking with hers. "Mom, look... I'm sorry, okay?"
"If this is about Aditya, we're not having that conversation again. He's staying here with me," she stated firmly.
Ranbir took a deep breath, steeling himself. "I can't allow that," he said, his voice resolute.
"Who said I was asking for your permission? Ranbir, he's my son," she retorted, her tone tinged with frustration.
"And who am I?" Ranbir's voice wavered with emotion.
"We forgave him, we all did. Your father would have wanted the same. It's time for you to let it go," she insisted, her eyes pleading for understanding.
"Let it go? How can I forget everything, Mom? I'm the one who suffered," Ranbir's voice cracked with raw emotion.
"We all suffered, Ranbir. We can't forget, but we can forgive. He was just a child," she said, her voice softening with empathy.
"A child? He was 19, Mom. He was a coward. Dad always said there's no place for cowards in our home," Ranbir's frustration simmered beneath his words.
"It's time we chose," he declared.
"Ranbir, stop this nonsense," she pleaded, her voice trembling.
Ranbir's lips curled into a bitter smile. "Actually, I was thinking last night. It would've been easier if I were the one who wronged you, right?" he asked, his words heavy with implication.
"What do you mean?" Her voice was barely a whisper, betraying her confusion.
"If I were the one who betrayed our family, you wouldn't have chosen him over me," Ranbir's words hung heavy in the air.
"Ranbir, that's enough. You're going too far," she warned, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.
""I'm scared mom, I'm scared, I'm scared of darkness, still, I'm scared of being alone in the darkness, but I knew I have to work for my family, I have a sister, a mother," Ranbir confessed, his vulnerability laid bare.
"And this scares the shit out of me even more, when I ask you to choose I know you'll choose him even though I gave my everything for this family." he admitted, his voice trembling with emotion.
With a swift motion, her hand collided with his cheek, the sting of her slap reverberating through the room. Tears streamed down her face as she collapsed onto the bed, her sobs filling the silence.
"Because I'm not the real one, am I?" Ranbir's voice was heavy with resignation.
"That's enough," she choked out, her voice strained with emotion. "Please, Ranbir... Don't say anything like that ever again."
"I'll make it easier for you, Mom. I'll make the choice," Ranbir's voice was barely a whisper as he turned away, his footsteps echoing down the hallway.
Alone in her room, she crumbled under the weight of his words, her heart torn between love and obligation.
——————— Suzy stirred from her slumber, her eyes fluttering open to find Ranbir already in the room, his presence unexpected in the early morning light.
"You're up already?" she murmured, her voice groggy with sleep.
Ranbir tossed a bundle of clothes from his wardrobe in her direction. "Put these on," he instructed curtly.
She caught the fabric, eyeing it with skepticism. "But it's way too big for me. Can't we at least order something that fits?" she pleaded.
"We don't have time for that. Just get dressed," Ranbir insisted, his tone brooking no argument.
With a reluctant sigh, Suzy dragged herself out of bed. "But I'm so tired," she protested weakly.
"Suzyyyy," Ranbir's voice rang out sharply, causing her to flinch as if struck by a wave. "Do as I said," he commanded firmly.
"Ranbir, I'm sorry," she murmured softly, her eyes downcast.
Without another word, he stormed out of the room, leaving her to dress in silence. She emerged moments later, clad in the oversized black shirt and pants he had provided.
As she stepped out of the guest house, she found Ranbir standing beside a long truck, his expression unreadable.
"What's all this for?" she ventured, her confusion evident.
Ranbir turned to face her, his gaze inscrutable. "I'm moving my things," he stated simply.
"Why?" Suzy pressed, her brow furrowing with concern.
"Because I am," he replied tersely, offering no further explanation.
"Oh... okay," she replied hesitantly, uncertainty clouding her features. "But... what's going on?"
"Follow me," he instructed, striding forward without waiting for her response.
"Ranbir, don't you think you're taking this too far?" Suzy ventured, her voice tinged with apprehension.
"What?" Ranbir halted abruptly, his gaze piercing as he turned to face her.
"With everything that's happened with your family," she clarified, her concern evident.
Ranbir's expression hardened. "Did I ask for your advice, Suzy?" he demanded, his tone sharp.
She stood there, speechless, as he turned and resumed his brisk pace. With a heavy heart, she fell into step behind him.
"And just because we've been intimate doesn't mean you have a say in my family matters," he added coldly, his words cutting through the air like a knife.
"I'm sorry, okay?" she murmured, her voice barely audible as she trailed after him. "I was just worried."
"Save your apologies. It's none of your damn business," he retorted, his tone final.
Silent and subdued, Suzy followed him to his car, where he arranged for her transport. As the vehicle pulled away from the mansion, she sank back into her seat, her thoughts consumed by the rift between them.
Meanwhile, Ranbir returned to the truck, overseeing the loading of his belongings with a stoic demeanor.
"You missed that large framed picture in the hall," he noted, his voice clipped.
"A woman told me not to take it, sir," one of the workers explained.
"Fine, I'll handle it," Ranbir replied tersely. "Is everything else loaded?"
"Yes, sir," the worker confirmed.
"Good. You can go now. Deliver it to the location I specified. My men will take care of the rest," Ranbir instructed, patting the man's shoulder in dismissal.
As the truck rumbled away, Ranbir remained in the hall, his gaze fixed on his father's portrait. Arms crossed tightly, he stood in silent contemplation, grappling with the weight of his decisions.
"What's the meaning of all this, Ranbir?" A voice called out from behind, causing him to turn.
"I told you I'll make the choice this time," Ranbir replied firmly.
"I don't want you to go," she pleaded, her voice tinged with desperation.
"But you want him to stay, don't you, Mom?" Ranbir's question hung heavy in the air.
She sighed, her expression torn.
"We can't live under the same roof. Every time I see him, I'll want to..." Ranbir's voice trailed off, his fists clenching at his sides.
"Ranbirrrr... He's your little brother," she implored, her voice pleading for understanding.
"No, he's not. Just like I'm not your son," Ranbir's words were laced with bitterness.
"Stop this," she shouted, her frustration boiling over.
Ranbir's gaze shifted to Aditya descending the staircase, his jaw tightening with resentment.
"There's no need for trouble because of me. I'll leave," Aditya offered as he approached.
"You're not going anywhere," Vandana insisted, reaching out to restrain him.
"Bhaiyya, please understand," Aditya pleaded.
"Shhhhhh," Ranbir silenced him with a gesture, his eyes flashing with anger. "You don't get to speak here. I don't want to hear your voice."
With deliberate steps, Ranbir retrieved the framed picture of his father from its place on the wall.
"Ranbir, please don't do this," Vandana begged, her voice trembling with emotion.
"Mom, can't you see? This is how it's going to be. There's no point in pretending otherwise," Ranbir's voice was heavy with resignation.
With the picture clutched tightly in his hands, Ranbir made his way out of the hall, his mother following close behind, pleading with him to stop. But he remained resolute, his path unyielding.
He looked for his driver and realised, he left him Manhattan to pick Tripti from her apartment.
He looked into the garage and saw another driver standing there, he walked towards him. His mother trailed after him to the car, her pleas falling on deaf ears as he climbed behind the wheel. With a heavy heart, she watched as the car pulled away, leaving her alone outside the mansion, the weight of her decisions heavy on her shoulders.
As the car pulled away from the mansion, Ranbir carefully placed the framed picture on the seat beside him, securing it with a seatbelt as though it were a precious passenger. With a sigh, he reached for his phone and dialed John's number, the weight of the morning's events heavy on his mind.
"John, I won't be coming to the office today," he informed his assistant, his voice tense with determination. "So, don't forget to pick up Ms. Dimri... Yes, from the same place you dropped her off yesterday." A moment of confirmation passed between them before Ranbir ended the call.
Leaning back against the seat, Ranbir was lost in thought, his brow furrowed with concern. "What's next? Everything seemed to be going perfectly until Aditya showed up," he mused aloud, his mind racing with uncertainty.
"Something isn't right,"
—————————
Throughout the day, Tripti found herself battling boredom, unable to find fulfillment in the routine meetings and tasks that filled her schedule. Despite being surrounded by activity, she couldn't shake the feeling of isolation, as if she were adrift in the vastness of the mansion.
Growing increasingly restless, she found herself falling into the habit of trailing after Ranbir, her thoughts consumed by his enigmatic presence. In a moment of impulse, she reached for her phone, her finger hovering over Ranbir's contact, teetering on the brink of calling him.
"No, I shouldn't," she scolded herself, reluctantly setting the phone aside.
But a nagging voice in her mind persisted. "Why shouldn't I?" she countered, wrestling with her conflicting emotions. "And who am I compared to the women he dated?"
A flicker of insecurity gnawed at her as she recalled the glamorous figures from his dating history. "Maybe he's drawn to wild, adventurous types, like Hailee suggested," she pondered, her thoughts spiraling into uncertainty.
Shaking her head to clear her mind, Tripti chastised herself for indulging in such thoughts. "Why am I even bothering with this?"
Interrupting her reverie, John's voice broke the silence from the driver's seat. "Did you say anything, Ma'am?"
Startled, Tripti quickly composed herself. "Oh, nothing," she replied, her tone casual yet guarded.
"Alright," John nodded, his attention returning to the road ahead.
Unable to shake off her inner turmoil, Tripti spoke up again after a moment. "I was just thinking," she confessed, her voice tinged with uncertainty, "your boss is quite confusing."
"He certainly is," John chuckled.
"Sometimes I wonder if he even knows what he wants," Tripti continued, her words tinged with a hint of frustration.
John chuckled again, a knowing expression crossing his features. "That makes two of us, Ma'am."
As they drove on, Tripti's mind continued to wrestle with thoughts of Ranbir. She couldn't shake the feeling of being drawn to him, despite the uncertainty and confusion that seemed to surround him like a shroud.
"Maybe I'm just overthinking everything," she muttered to herself, trying to push aside her doubts. "Perhaps it's best to focus on my work and leave the rest to fate."
But even as she tried to convince herself, a nagging voice at the back of her mind refused to be silenced. Deep down, Tripti knew that her feelings for Ranbir were more than just a passing fancy. And as much as she tried to deny it, she couldn't help but wonder what the future held for them both.
Tripti's heart skipped a beat as her phone rang, the sudden sound jolting her from her thoughts. With trembling hands, she picked up the device, her fingers hovering uncertainly over the screen.
MR. KAPOOR
(646)8X6-32X0
calling...
"Mr. Kapoor?" she murmured, her gaze fixed on the caller ID, her mind racing with questions.
Taking a deep breath, she pressed the answer button, her voice shaky as she greeted him. "Hello," she managed to say, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Tripti, this is Ranbir," came the familiar voice on the other end of the line.
"Yes, Mr. Kapoor... Ranbir," she replied, her voice betraying her uncertainty.
"Where are you right now?"
"I'm on my way back to Queens,"
"With John?"
"Yes, with John,"
"We'll meet tomorrow,"
"Yes,"
"Whatever you do, come to my office tomorrow morning,"
"Okay, I will," Tripti responded, her voice steady despite the turmoil within.
But before she could ask any further questions, the line went dead, leaving Tripti staring at her phone in confusion.
"Mr. Kapoor?" she called out, but there was no response.
"He hung up," she murmured to herself, her mind whirling with possibilities.
""He only tells you what's important and you'll have to figure things out." John's voice broke through her thoughts, his eyes focused on the road ahead.
Tripti sighed, sinking back into her seat. "Thanks for stating the obvious. Now I'm even more nervous," she replied, a hint of sarcasm in her tone.
"Anyway I'm gonna meet him tomorrow, why did he said that like something special." she thought to herself, her mind already racing ahead to the possibilities.
"Maybe he's planning to give me a new project,"
But then, a wave of doubt washed over her. "I should stop overthinking," she scolded herself, leaning back and closing her eyes.
"Maybe I should stop thinking at all."