Forced √

Willing Revelations

Mahira Khan as Ridhima ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

After Karan left me at the doorsteps of the Singhania mansion, he drove off to god-knows-where.
I on the other hand, was a woman on mission. Nanu's words wouldn't leave me.

Love can melt stones, Karan is still human....
Love can melt stones, Karan is still human....
Love....

Urgh!! So I just had to talk to Ishika before I could, delve more into the love crap.

I found her easily. I asked the house help, where Ishika is and they directed me to her room.
I knocked once and she opened the door.

"Ridhima? Hi, come on in."

I didn't beat around the bush and went head straight to the point.

"Your father knew who the real murderer is, from the very beginning, he threatened to reveal it to everyone if we don't accept the proposal." I tell her earnestly and her expression changes from confused to realisation, as my explanation reached it's end.

She bolts the door and turns to me. Her face an epitome of calm.
"I know" she says and after a beat continues "I also know that dad was the one who gave your dad money to kill my mother."

Okay,
WHAT.
THE.
ACTUAL.
FUCK!!!!!

"What the fuck..." I let my jaw mingle with the kashmere carpet for a while before I get my bearings back.

" why have you not done anything about it? Why would your dad do that? No don't answer that, I know he is a fucking heartless bastard. But why are you still quite about it? Why didn't you tell this to Karan?" I say, my words coming out a mile a minute and my thoughts run faster.

Ishika stays quite for a while and that was not mere seconds for me, they were huge fuckingg hours. This revelation has my blood ringing in my ears. And without looking in the mirror, I can guarantee that my face is red, despite me having a tanned complexion.

No that is not me blushing, damn it! That is my blood pressure skyrocketing!!

"I...umm.... Ridhima promise me you won't tell this to anyone" Ishika pleads, holding my shoulders and looking me in the eyes.

"Of-course, I am going to tell someone! That someone being your brother, then the police." I tell her matter of factly.

"Please Ridhima. You hear me out, and then I will tell you why you can't tell all this to anyone. Not even to Karan Bhai." Her eyes hold a deep desperation. And I can only imagine how she feels, knowing that her own father is the reason her mother is dead. I relent and agree to keep this between me and her.

"I like sketching, designing to be exact. I design clothes and I want to be a fashion designer-" Ishika starts but I interrupt her, "ummm.... How is that relevant to the story you are telling"
Ishika huffs and let's out an exaggerated sigh.
"Do you ever listen, I was about to come to that point"
I smile sheepishly and let her continue. "Sorry, you continue, I won't interrupt now"

"I like designing, so I sketch clothes. I have been doing ever since I was a small kid. My mother liked painting and sketching, I got it from her. So after her death, my step-mother threw out all the canvases and paints and charcoal. But mom's special charcoal stash was kept in dad's office in a drawer at the corner of the shelf." Ishika flops on the bed and I follow her, flopping carelessly and in the midst of it remove my earrings which were heavy and made my earlobes ache.