Beauty and the Beast

Bloody roses

Shehnaaz

After ending the call with sidharth I go back to work, sadly today it's just me as ayesha has taken the day off. She's sick and I'm fine on my own so I said to take as long as she needs off.

I admire the white roses sitting on my desk that got delivered early this morning to my office. I was confused at first as I didn't order any flowers but it soon clicked.

Although I do wonder what sidharth has planned for tomorrow night. I'm willing to try and go out, hopefully me going on dates will please my mother and father.

Are they dates? I don't know, part of me thinks this is some sort of prank because he's so good looking that it's unbelievable. I don't need my mother knowing about him yet, I don't even know what we are or where sidharth wants it to go. I don't even know where I want it to go.

I try to continue my day normally but I keep glancing at the flowers. They remind me so much of when rishi was always there for me and how he always made me feel better.

*Flashback*

"Hey" rishi smiles, coming up beside me at the lockers. "Hey, are you okay? I saw what happened yesterday" I sigh, remembering when rishi got punched and pushed around by karan and his friends.

You'd think the middle school bullying would stop now that we were 16 but nope. It got worse and more violent.

"I'm fine shehnaaz. Let's get to class okay?" He reassures and I nod as we both walk to our first class of the day.

Soon a day full of physical and mental bullying had ended. I hold back tears a lot but I guess today was a rough day because as soon as I greeted my clueless parents I ran to my room and burst into tears.

I didn't want to keep living like this, I didn't want this to keep happening.

A knock on my bedroom door forced me to wipe my tears and check my red cheeks in the mirror.

"Come in" I say, sitting on my bed pretending to read the first book I grabbed.

"Hey, I know you were crying" I heard rishi's voice and I look up to see he had entered the room and Just closed the door.

I tried to force my tears back but I couldn't at the sight of his face.

I burst into tears again and he sighed, that's when I noticed a bouquet of flowers in his hands.

"I got you these. I know it's hard" he smiles softly, sitting next to me and pulling me into him. I thank him for the flowers, placing them on my nightstand as I hold onto him.

"Why us? Why does this keep happening?" I sob and he runs his hands through my hair, comforting me.

"I don't know shehnaaz. But we'll get through it okay? I'll always be here for you" he smiles and I look up at him.

"I know, you'll always have me too. Forever" I sigh.

"Forever"

*present time*

If only I comforted him and gave him flowers.

I push the memories and the tears back as I remember those times. I wish you were still here.

A few tear drops fall onto my notebook and I sigh, wiping them away as my phone rings. Snapping me out of my trance and back into work mode. I take a deep breath and calm myself as I pick up the phone.

The next night....

I wore a red dress for tonight because something told me sidharth is going to do something on the fancier side. I paired it with some 2 inch black heels because I still want to walk by the end of the night and I left my hair to naturally fall in wave.