The Second Mother (DISCONTINUED)

Prologue

He stood alone on the desolate hill. 'Where are you, Riddhima? I know you have been waiting for this for so long. I'll finally give you all that you've asked me for. We'll live a happy life. You, me and our two children. I can't wait anymore. Just come fast.'

The fairy lights strewn across the grass flutter, the white tent on the other edge of the hill shakes a little as strong winds blow out of nowhere. Suddenly, a strong gust of wind blows away the power cables drowning the night in a melancholic darkness.

Omkaara snaps his head to the left as the sound of the tent collapsing echoes like a bad omen. His heart is restless. He takes out his phone and dials her number.

She drove faster down the hill. She couldn't let them catch her. She wasn't worried for herself but her daughter. She saw the little munchkin sleeping away in her baby seat. Riddhima leant over to give her a kiss. In the split second that she had drooped down the back windshield of the car was broken.

Terrified, Riddhima checked back to see the reason, only to find the men chasing her. She had to get out of here fast. She took an abrupt left into the trail that lead further into the forests.

The car's tyres screeched against the rough terrain and she could feel it. Her end was near. The tyres would catch fire and then, so would the car. The men chasing her would kill her if she stopped. She had no way out. She was going to die tonight. But she wouldn't let anything happen to her baby.

Wiping the tears that stained her cheeks, she lovingly caressed her daughter's cheeks one last time. 'Always be safe, my love.' she whispered as she carefully detached the baby seat and kept it safely on the ground under the passenger seat. Then, she turned to the road ahead only to find herself colliding with a tree.

Pinky looked down at a five year old Reyaansh. "How many times have I told you not to trouble the workers? Why would you paint on their faces?"

Reyaansh smirked. With big, innocent eyes he inquired, "But you told me to.."

Pinky frowned. "Ae chotte shaitan! When did I tell you to do anything like this?"

The servants gasped. The mistress was making a big mistake. Everyone knew the young master would now make her bite her words and then... Everyone simultaneously took a step back and looked upon the scene with terrified eyes.

Reyaansh raised his eyebrow. With a grin wider and brighter than any colgate model, he said, "You always tell me to be more sanskaari, don't you?"

Pinky nodded with a frown, still confused about the situation.

The servants facepalmed. The storm was coming. They could all feel it.

"So, I was being sanskaari, Daadi saa."

Fed up with the small prankster's puzzles, Pinky slightly raised her voice as she asked, "Why are you twisting your tales? Just tell me why you think I told you to paint their faces."

Reyaansh chuckled in his mind. His plan was going to be beautifully executed. "Par Daadi, you told me to celebrate Indian festivals, didn't you?" When he saw the realization in her eyes, he shrieked and brought up his close fists, throwing the paint in his hand onto her saari, screaming "To bura na maano holi hai!"

And off went the little prince finding a new target to trouble. Pinky was left gaping at the mess on the floor and her precious twenty thousand saree. The servants looked at her with expectations and she didn't disappoint.
"REYAANSH!!" Her voice echoed as his giggles reverberated in the mansion.

She ran faster than she ever had. She had to catch her. Aanika needed to know that she was okay. As she decided to take a shortcut through the forest trails, she heard a loud boom. Birds shrieked and created a havoc above the trees in a distance. Smoke wafted from between the trees. Aanika ran towards the smoke, desperate to help that someone out.

When she reached the clearing, she saw a car crashed into the tree. If the smoke was anything to go by, the car would likely blow up any moment now. When she opened the passenger door, shrill cries of a few months old baby urged her to take the little angel out of the car. As she moved to help the driver in the car, she found no one. Where was the driver?

Shivaay closed his lyric book with lightning fast speed when he heard a knock on his door. Two seconds later, his assistant opened the door and told him that there was an urgent call for him. He looked down and found that his phone also had ten missed calls from home.

A little worried, he took the phone from his assistant and impatiently asked for the problem. "Riddhima is dead. She-she crashed her car into a tree. Someone saved our Karaina but she couldn't save Riddhima."

Shivaay landed on his chair with a thud. Tightly clutching the phone to his ear, he asked the question that only one person knew the answer to, "How?"

They all sat in silence as relatives flew in and out of the house. All offering prayers and condolences and asking questions. Questions that chipped away Omkaara. If only he hadn't called her asking her to hurry up. If only he hadn't asked her to come meet him. If only....

Reyaansh sat and observed all the elders, stupid stupid elders, didn't realize that this was a prank. His mother was safe and sound. She would come back and then, everything would be fine. Come home soon, maa.

But she didn't come back and in a way neither did his father. She had really gone away to God. Maybe she liked it there better than she did here. Maybe God needed her more than him. But he missed her. Very much. If only she could have come back. If only.....

~~~~~~~||||||||~~~~~~~

Phew! This one's a heavy one. The story isn't that emotional but starting it off here just felt right.
Anyway, the next chapters are lighter.
Stay happy and thank you for reading.

Don't forget to vote and comment to show your interest!