LIFE I CHOOSE

WHERE ARE YOU?

At the Arora's everyone was worried sick about the girls, Shrishti's wasn't picking up her phone and Preeta's was off. They thought something bad had happened to them. "Would you please sit down, your making us nervous, the girls will be back soon maybe they are just stuck in traffic" grandma told Sarla. "Mom, am worried, my children have never come home this late, its almost eleven.  If  something bad were to happen I don't know what I will do.
She heard a knock at the door and hurried to open, she hugged Shrishti as soon she opened it. " I was so worried about you and your sister"  but Shrishti didn't react to anything and Sarla realised that Preeta wasn't with her. So she checked and looked outside to see if she's still out there but Preeta never came. "Shrishti, where is your sister?, I thought you were together. Instead Shrishti greeted her grandma and Jhankj then proceeded to her bedroom without saying anything to her mom.

They followed her while Sarla kept asking her about the whereabouts of Preeta, "mum am very tied and want to sleep, can you please just leave me alone" Shrishti answered however Sarla also didn't give up as she was becoming afraid, agitated. She really wanted to make amends with Preeta but was now scared and she didn't want to think that Preeta has maybe left the house. Jhanki who was observing everything said that Preeta is not here and maybe she's gone. Everyone was surprised including Sarla who had the same thought but didn't want to believe it. "Shrishti is that true?" Grandma asked to which nodded her head.
"Why did she decide this?, we are her family", grandma said but Shrishti told her not everyone thinks like you grandma looking at her mum. "But why?" Jhanki asked and Shrishti said " to avoid humiliating this family, isn't this what mum told her the other day, how she was going to humiliate and lots of hurtful things?. She never gave her a chance to even say something, she treated her like a stranger and said so much, what was my sister going to do? She  spoilt my sister's life right from the beginning when she forcefully forced her to marry that idiot Prithvi, had she not done that Karan wouldn't have done what he did. So she and Karan are responsible for everything that has happened to my sister."l want to sleep, please leave my room". Shrishti told them.

They all left her room and went to their respective rooms with such heavy hearts, for Sarla this felt like she had lost a second daughter after Bulbul. Even though Preeta wasn't dead like the other daughter she still felt that way and  wasn't even  sure if she will ever see her again now that she has gone. And also wondered if she was gonna be okay especially now that she's pregnant.  She remembered Shrishti's accusations and wondered if  she'sright. "Did I really spoil my daughter's life?, no that can't be true, I always wanted her to have a good life" she told herself. She regretted having been so hard on her the past few days and how she's been treating her. She was ready to make amends with her and help her with her pregnancy as a mother should, even though she was angry at her at first,  she was also happy that she was getting a grandchild.  She only prayed that she was fine wherever she was but also decided to try to look for her by asking Preeta's  friends she knew around their neighbourhood.

Sammy was very very sad and felt disappointed at himself and his family. He blamed his family for Preeta's troubles and even the humiliations the Aroras have faced over the course of time. And now Preeta was expecting his nephew yet no one knew where she was, how was he going to keep such a big secret from his family, it's just inevitable.  Everything was falling out of place and didn't know how to put it back  into place, but he also knew  he had to try.
As soon as he reached home, he realised they've been waiting for him and he was bombarded with questions about where he was and how he scared them into thinking that something bad had happened to him. He didn't feel like talking to anyone because he was angry at himself and this family. When Karan approached him and he asked him if he was fine, he acted so aggressively and told him " you are the last person, I want to talk too, so please leave me alone". Everyone was surprised especially Karan because everyone knew how close their bond was, they are best friends.  So  seeing him this angry and aggressive was really  surprising,  they wondered if something happened between them to which Karan answered "he doesn't know what he did to piss him off".

Sammy excused himself to go and freshen up but he was unable to sleep, he remembered what Shrishti told him about Sheilyn and Mahira and thought about the times he's caught them together, at first he hadn't minded about their friendship but also he wasn't blind to see that they seemed suspicious. " I have to do something as soon as possible before they ruin more lives, but how?" He asked himself. He knew he couldn't do this all alone, he's gonna need someone to help him and he knew who would be willing to protect their  family.  He wasn't going to let Sheilyn and Mahira to win.

Karan was trying to sleep but couldn't,  his date with Mahira went well but to say that  he enjoyed it, he would be lying but he  had to do everything  in his power to make sure that  this relationship worked  because Mahira was  the woman he was gonna spend the rest of his life with and she was rich, fashionable as him better than Preeta and he suited his class, and hence he's making the right decision for himself and his family. He didn't want to think about her but then his thoughts shifted to Preeta, he remembered the first time they meant, their augments, their laughs and the sad times and then   when they made love, something that happened naturally, perhaps those memories won't go away.  Tears fell onto his cheeks and smiled. He got his phone and dialled her number but it was  going to voice mail, he repeated so many times but was getting the same answer. He slept with a heavy heart because he really wanted to hear her voice.

Thanks for reading, and forgive any mistakes

Note: In this story, Sammy is not adopted, he, Rishabh and Karan are brothers from the same parents.