You and I Collide - RiKara fan fiction

Chapter Two

Egos

As usual only the dim lights of the main hall was waiting for her. It was half past two in the morning according to her mobile screen, Ri sighed, locking the door after her and unbuckling her heels. Jai’s car was not parked at his usual spot, so she assumed he was not home for the night. The manor was scheduled from the busy part of the city, the noise of the traffic only a distant murmur. Inside the house, the absolute silence was thick and suffocating. It was one of the things Ri hated most about the place.

Hooking her index finger through the straps of the heels, she picked them up and padded over the marble floor towards the staircase. There was no point in waking up anyone by the sound of her ticking shoes. On the wall at the peek of the staircase a portrait of a young woman hung. She had stylishly short hair, and was dressed in a heavy worked indigo color saari. Her features were mild and eyes deep and understanding. The soft light coming from the wall lamp still burning above the portrait attracted Ri’’s attention towards it, she stopped in front of the portrait, her hands hanging limply at her sides.

“Hi Mom,” she said sheepishly. “Woh…todi dher hogayi…” she swallowed and continued. “But I know, only you’d be waiting for me.” She let the silence drag, her espresso eyes tearing up. “App ko ghussa aaya honga na? Hmm Mom? Are you disappointed in me, just like all the others?” Ri stepped closer to the portrait, her hand stretched to touch the cold glass. “I miss you Mom, I miss you both…” she whispered to the glass,  and reached to give it a kiss, but before she could do that a voice broke the silence.

“Don’t be too hasty to judge people O, you weren’t like this before,” that voice she immediately recognized as Jai’s. In the silence it poured out clearly from the half closed study door. She could see a little shimmer of light inside, and someone was pacing the length of the room.

“Perhaps I learned it the hard way, nothing in this world is perfect,” a new voice replied. That one was unfamiliar to her, but she could have made an educated guess on, to whom it belonged. It seemed Jai had brought his friend home.

“Perhaps your dad has reasons,” Jai started again.

Deciding this was not a conversation she should be eavesdropping Ri tried to walk past the study door as stealthily as she could.

“Like your sister…?”

She stopped, narrowing her eyes. What connection did she have to whatever they were discussing?

“I know where you’re coming from,” Jai interrupted, his tone a little defensive. “But Gauri is nothing like the woman you speak of.”

There was a snort of laughter. “Right, so she is basically a spoilt brat who thinks breaking hearts is fun?”

“Omkara,” Jai’s tone was bitter. “It’s not necessary what you saw tonight was true. You don’t know why she is like that…”

“Trust me I have no desire of knowing either. People who don’t give a damn to what other’s go through because of them, is hardly worth my time.”

Ri had had enough. So by the time Jai replied in a calm tone, still trying to make his friend see his sister’s point of view, she had already slammed the door of her room. What exactly did this Mr. Omkara think he was? Some sort of a almighty, who had the right to judge the mere mortals in his presence? Huh! She leaned against the cold door and took in a calming breath.

Her room was lost in bluish darkness, yet the faint form of her reflection was still distinguishable in the mirror on the opposite wall. There she was, the blue highlights, the pierced nose and the tattered jeans. Was not that everybody saw? A brat? Who had too much money that she was literally high? But the saint down the corridor had gone further, she had no feelings huh? She was not worth his time?

Well, we shall see.

Ri thought as she sat in front of her dressing table and started removing her makeup. The colors always did more than enhance her beauty. They masked her vulnerabilities, hid her true self. She felt safe when she was beneath all those layers of compact. Without them, her skin rubbed clean, she looked younger, softer…different.

Nobody insults her and walks unscathed. No – freaking – body does that! He has no time for her – hmm? She is a brat – hmm? Then she shall see, if he would be able to resist her. There was more to her that poor saint did not know, when Ri decides on something, she gets it done, no matter what.

“Omkara Singh Oberoi, you’ll never forget this business trip, Gauri Kumari Sharma promises you that!” she muttered whispered to her reflection, puling her hair into a messy ponytail.

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