Pia saw them coming towards them. Where is Christopher when she needs him? Like right now? And where is Disha and Reva? "Mia, I haven't seen you in long." She placed a kiss on her cheek and Mia did the same.
"Good to see you too Mrs. Woodland." Mia said. Mrs. Woodland, the one thing she never thought someone else would be called so other than her. Pia guess it was because it was something special. Something reserved for her and Christopher.
"Oh Mia, you are polite one, but shouldn't you call me Mom? I mean you are to be married to my son soon" All those thoughts Pia had kept hidden away resurfaced, that doubt over herself, that envy and jealousy returned by full force.
"And who might you be young lady, have you forgotten you way?" The woman asked. Pia concluded she doesn't like her very much, but she did adopted her husband and raised him, so she can be civil with her.
"Mrs. Woodland, she is my sister, Pia and she is Christopher's research assistant" Mia said. "Also, she is..." The woman cut Mia off "You must be very brave to let her close to your to be husband, but a word of advice, just be careful about how much close they gets, you don't know their kind, but I know well, after all genes don't lie" Pia wasn't listening anymore. That word had triggered something very bad. Suddenly she was once again on the door of their house, back in India, she heard the same words, genes don't lie.
As she tried to covered her hurt self, the little thirteen year old, who had known no malice, was told that she was the culprit, when she had no idea about the meaning of the word. Her mother's eyes lost in the light and she wasn't defending all the hateful comments coming her way. Yes, Genes don't lie, they never do.
"You are solely Mistaken, My father may have adopted my sister, but she is my Cousin from my mother's side, and she is one of the brilliant neurosurgeon the world have ever seen. She is no way what you think is, also I am not what you claim to be Mrs. Woodland, please don't insult my sister like this and accuse her of doing something that falls within her rights." Mia said. By now Pia was in tears, Disha came and held her close, Reva tried to shook her out of the episode she was having.
"What are you saying" Then the woman notice Mia wasn't the one wearing the ring, Pia was "You? You are the one my son chose to marry? I wonder why, what have he ever saw in you." The woman accused.
"Something you all fail to notice, mother, father, something no one can notice but I can. And that makes her perfect for me. Yet again, I do not need to justify my reasons for me to chose her." Christopher said looking at the unlikely confrontation between his wife and his mother, mostly her mother doing the talking and she was listening.
Sometimes he wishes he fight back just a little so that she doesn't have hear all this nonsense. He pulled Pia closer and she gasped as if she was woken up from a slumber. He wiped her tears, and shook his head. "They are not worth your tears little pixie." He said.
"And she is not worth to be called a Woodland, Son, How can you go against our wishes? We have found such a beautiful bride for you? And you? What you did? But this can be amended, you are just engaged and this can still be amended. You can still marry Kelly, can't he dear? Tell him to obey my wishes." She said to the man.
"Son," The man started but Christopher hold his hand up. She can feel him getting angry. And she knew it wasn't the best time for him to snap. So she pulled the collar of his tux kissing him in front of them. All of them were shocked. Even Christopher. But he kissed her back anyway. She pulled back and whispered "Don't fight over me, I don't want you to lose this opportunity over me." He smiled
"You should understand you are worth every opportunity, but fine I will not do anything against your wishes." He told her. "After all it is your research, my mentors are impressed by you not me my dear." He said for all of them to hear.
"And Father, mother, I am always will be grateful for you, because you had raised me, that doesn't give you permission to decided whom I should marry. Yes, you have given me choice you told me to marry a D'silva, I married one, just not the one you expected me to." His mother looked at him with shock.
"Married? What are you talking about? I thought you were just engaged." Christopher pinched the bridge of his nose. He felt the headache creeping in. "You were insulting my wife, and I don't tolerate anyone who insults my wife, not even you, yes you have made me what I am, but I refuse to be your puppet anymore. I have my own family, and I like to live my life as I want"
"But you..." The man put his hand over her shoulder "Dear, he had grown up, he had right to make his own choices, right to chose his own life partner. We cannot just decide everything for him. He had chosen his path, now all we can do is let him walk on it." The man said.
"It was good that I made him make her sign that prenup and NDA." Christopher held his head. Pia looked at him worried. "Are you alright?" She asked looking at Christopher. "I will be alright beautiful. But I am sorry that you have to hear all that. And as for prenup and NDA, you once signed considered it gone." He said to her.
"But I told you I am not interested in your money Christopher." "It is not your decision to make, it is mine and I am giving you this." He said concluding the argument. " I am not going to argue about it now" She said.
"Ok, we can later settle it in our bed," She blushed hiding her face in his tux. That made him smile too. He then laid her to their seats. They all were on one table and next to them sitting very unlikely person, his mother and father with Kelly.
"Don't look at them, they are jealous of what we have, and I am happy because that means, I am doing the right thing." Christopher said.
"You are unbelievable sometimes," She said. "But you must believe when I say this that I am happy you are next to me little pixie." He said. The event started. "You forgot to mention that it was an auction?" She asked him. "Must have slipped my mind." He joked.
"You know that is a sign, that you are getting old." Christopher looked at her and chuckled. "Oh, you didn't said that baby, I will show you how old I am once we get to our hotel." Her feet turned cold with anticipation what was about to happen tonight, even if he was just joking now. She felt his hand on her knee. And she pushed it away. Christopher looked at her with a adoring smile. And then placed his fingers on her leg again brushing it over her skin so gently. She felt Goosebumps rising all over her body.
"Christopher may I remind you, we are in public?" She asked. "yes, I know, but sometimes, I cannot help myself." Luckily none of their friends were looking at her. The auction was announced. "So, tell me why you forgot to say that it was an auction too?" she asked him.
"Simple, because I wanted to win you over, with the most beautiful prize." He said. "Prize?" She asked confused. "You will see soon enough." He said. All the girls were excited to see the rare collectables, but her eyes were trained on him, because for her nothing can be as rare as the man beside her.
"Why are you looking at me that way?" He asked. "Just like that, I almost thought you are going to fight with your parents for me. I don't want that to happen Christopher." She said. "Oh my sweet little Pixie, for you I will fight with the world, whole world." He promised, and that is what scared her. She didn't wish for anyone to fight for her. "keep your eyes on the prize darling" Christopher said. "I already have that in my life Christopher," And then their eyes met and he understood what she was talking about.
The auction was over and as said, he had the prize in his hand. "You have to spent so much on that piece of jewelry?" She asked as he led her to the dance floor. "My money, my choice, all you have to do is try it on and if it doesn't fit they will resize it." She said nothing. "come on what is wrong? Tell me," He asked twirling her, it reminded him of the first dance they ever shared, they had grown since then. They are closer than before.
"You could have spent it on grants, or some special equipment, or maybe provide free clinics to the homeless? It could have been to good use rather than buying something..." "Buying something that accentuate your beauty further, Mrs. Woodland, and what makes you think I haven't set aside the funds for those?"
The dance had ended, and he introduced her to many other doctors. And they liked her work, her proposal. "Where did you found her? She is such a rare gem," One of his acquaintances asked Christopher. "I got lucky, or maybe I was always lucky, I don't know but the thing is, she is the one who had found me. Not the other way around." The man nodded. "You are one Lucky man Christopher Woodland, see you next time with the grant, but I am doing it for her not for you." The man said shaking his hand.
"So was that all of them?" Pia asked as they made it outside. Some fresh air feels good now. "No, apparently one of them, the most important one was missing. He was supposed to be here, but somehow something came up and he missed this." She nodded.
"Tired?" he asked. "A little." She said. He saw the time it was little after midnight. "let's get your cover, it is late and you should get some rest." He told her. Her anticipation returned ten fold, thinking whether she could pull it off, something she had been planning for so long, can she do it?
He caught up on her anxiety, "Are you alright Darling? You seem tensed." He said. She leaned over his shoulder, "Must be the after effects of party." And seeing some not so good folks, but he didn't voiced that thought, knowing it will only add up to her anxiety. So he stayed put not saying anything. "Nothing a good night rest cannot handle after all, I have something special planned for tomorrow." Yes and she had something special planned for tonight.
As they entered the hotel, she looked at her friends Christopher was about to follow her when they stopped him "wait here for a while," Pia said looking at him. "Why is there is something wrong?" He asked.
"You trust me right?" She asked. He nodded, "Then please just stay here and wait for sometime before coming up?" Christopher didn't understand why she said this. But he decided not to disappoint her and waited.
She walked towards the master bedroom and checked everyone is in place. It looked good. She took out the package and walked towards the bathroom. Pia dressed in red lace, something she had bought for this occasion only she pulled a robe and texted her friends to let him come up. She walked towards the bed sighing. All or nothing, she wants to do this for her husband and he deserve her love. All of her love.
Christopher looked at the three girls faces, they were whispering themselves, "Now, care to tell me what is going on with your friend?" They made an innocent face. "She is your wife weren't you are the one suppose to know?" Disha asked. "No, and that is why I am asking you," "Be patient and all will be revealed in due time." Reva said, and few moments later, they signaled him to go up all while laughing and whispering.
He don't understand why the secrecy, he wonder what is that she is hiding. He walked inside the suite locking the door. He called her name and she responded from the master bedroom. As soon as he entered a strong smell of roses hit his nose, last time when he felt it... "Turn on the lights" She urged, He complied and turned the switched on, his eyes roamed all around the room before stopping in front of bed, there she was lying between roses. And in red lace, same as he imagined her so many times.
"Happy Birthday Christopher" She said looking into his eyes.
Word Count: 2238 Words