Mishti was all set for tonight. She was dressed in a red fish tale, off shoulder dress with matching heels and purse. The party was a planned one where she would make Karan feel possessive for her.
Jealousy and feeling possessive is a part of relationship and she chose it to deepen the feelings karan have for her.
"You look absolutely gorgeous, Mishti" Lexi said layering a last layer of white powder in her face.
Mishti found a new version of herself in the mirror. Lexi had done a good job while dolling her face but still a part of her preferred her normal self.
She never Preffered making up her face with so much glitters and products but Lexi told that men like girls in make-up more.
As much as she cared less about what others think about her physical appearance, she knew it was true. If she has to Impress Karan and get close enough to put up ber plans, she need to lure him up.
"Yes. I'm so happy that you both decided to give a chance to each other." Raya spoke , referring to Mishti and Karan.
Mishti smiled at her, keeping her uneasiness aside.
"When will karan come?"
Mishti looked at the side clock, it showed 6:17. "He should be here by six. But i believe, he must have caught up with something. He will be here soon."
"Let him come. I swear, i will twist his ears until he apologizes to you to keep you waiting!" Raya said keeping her hands on her hips. She looked like a cartoon.
"Ofc, he will apologize. For all his mistakes. Right Mishti?" Lexi winked and mishti could hear the unspoken words and she nodded positively.
"Its 7 now. He's still not here." Lexi said pacing in the wide hall. "You sure he agreed to accompany you?" She asked mishti who sat in the sofa while shaking her left leg and her eyes running to the clock after every second.
"Yes he did, lexi." Mishti said frustrated. "I don't know why is he not here!"
Her heart was was weighing more as the seconds passed. Her mind was strangely blank.
"Don't worry, my child." Raya pacified Mishti as she stroked the latter's back. "He must be on his way. The traffic must have got him."
My child.
"Really, Raya?" Lexi retorts. "Traffic? Mishti is not a child whom you are pacifying why his dad didn't turn up on time! She knows that the route he takes, is rarely jammed."
It was true, indeed.
Lexi goes to Mishti and hugs her with a grimaced face."Sympathy." She whispers.
Mishti nods and breaks off their hug. "His phone is switched off too." She sobs lightly. "If he didn't want to go with me, he could have said that on my face. What's with the way of getting me all ready and waiting for him when he might have forgotten about me?"
"Shh.. don't cry." Raya says rubbing Mishti's back. "He's a jerk. He doesn't know how to take care of a princess like you. I will rip his head as soon as he comes and make him clean this whole house , which is not less than a mansion, twice. I will have him clean all his cars, which are a lot, by himself and clean a dog's shit."
Mishti chuckled and the tears flowed more rapidly. This time, real. She wondered why Raya is so good that it makes her hate herself for keeping Raya in dark and lie to her.
She even called her my child and princess. Being an orphan, she knew what power these word holds. You feel belonged and not unwanted. Raya was like a mother to her that she never had.
She hugged Raya and cried in her bosom. "I'm sorry, Raya. I'm really sorry." She chanted.
"Why are you sorry? That boy needs to be sorry, to you. He always ruins everything and then repent the next moment. He has his brains sold out." Raya spoke.
"Do he even have brains?" Lexi questioned.
"I doubt." Raya turned back to Mishti. "You change the dress and until then, i will prepare your favorite meal."
Mishti nodded and left.
She wiped and washed the make-up off her face, while thinking about Karan. Why did he not come?
Did he find out the truth?
What if he did? What will be his reaction.
Her mind filled her with unlimited questions and her palms started sweating .
In the mid of all opposit thoughts, a part of her felt scared, for his safety. But she chose to ignore it.
"Its 11 in night, now. Is he safe?" Mishti questioned Raya as they sat in the sofa waiting for Karan to turn up.
Though she knew Raya was equally updated about Karan as she, but she needed some assurance to calm her growing nerves.
"He's never this late. His phone is switched off too." Raya said with concern. She didn't want to voice out her worries knowing how tough it probably must be for a CEO fo run his company and Karan might be busy. But then, he always called her to inform his whereabouts or will, atleast , send a message.
This time he did none.
"Do you have the number of his office?" Mishti was growing impatient.
"He wrote it in a diary but ..." Before Raya could continue, the home telephone rang and Mishti hurried to pick it up thinking it to be Karan.
"Hello, Karan?" Mishti spoke, unsure of response.
"Yeah. I'm in..." She heard Karan.
"Are you an idiot? Where are you? Do you know how tense we are here, for you? Even your phone was off? We thought ...Where are you, karan?" Mishti yelled without listening to him.
"Mishti, i am in City hospital and the battery ..."
"What? You are in hospital? Why? What happened? You didn't answered when i asked you if you are safe? Are you sa..." She again interrupted without knowing and heard a beep sound before the silence. She looked at the phone and,
The call was dead.
Mishti turned to Raya who was looking at her with curiosity. "He hung up."
"You said hospital. What happened? Is everything fine?" Raya said, concern dripping from her tone.
"I don't know. He never answered my questions. He just told, he is in City hospital." Tears brimmed Mishti's eyes. Her chest felt double heavy, just to the name of hospital.
The dreading thoughts ready to pop her but she was firm to not think about it. She took deep breadths to control herself before looking at Raya who was already wearing her sandals near the door.
"Wait for me!" She followed Raya grabbing her mobile and her fancy purse that she took out for today's party.
"This boy is too careless. I told him to not discard his security but No, he thinks he can control everything. He's grown up now, why will he listen to me. He will do as per his need, as per his thoughts." Raya muttered under her breadth, cussing karan But Mishti could see the care behind her curses.
You would find numerous caring for you in the most sweet words but very limited who would yell at you. Not in anger but in affection. And those are the people that will never leave your side through thick and thin.
"Who am i? Just a maid or a Nanny to him.." Raya said wiping her non-stop tears.
"Shh.. Raya. We all know how much you mean to him. How much you care for him. You treat him like your son." Mishti consoled while scooting closer to her to rub her back.
"He's my son, Mishti. He is." Mishti looked confusedly at Raya. "He was 3 when his mother, Samantha gave him to me to look after because she could not handle two kids , by herself. Their father would only spend a month or two with them otherwise he'd be busy in his business.
From then, i treated him like my son. I taught him the alphabets, the numbers. Everything. I played with him, cried with him, cheered him at his low and Celebrated his wins, like a real mother. I never, for a second, thought him to be someone else's son. He was mine.He was always mine for me. " Raya told remembering those days.
"He calls you by your name."
"Yes, because he was taught to call me that. His life has never been so easy. He has his own ups and downs. His own fall and rise. There are things that i can not tell you as its his share of story to tell you." Raya concluded and jumped out of the taxi, once it stopped at the hospital.
Mishti followed her with a busy mind, still contemplating on Raya's words, and after paying the rent, they ran inside.
"Is there any reservation under Karan Kundrra?"
"No Ma'am. But there is reservation under the name of Kundrra's. Its room no. 103" the receptionist told gracefully before turning to another man.
Muttering a 'thankyou' , they ran to the said room and a sighed of relief escaped mishti's mouth as she saw Karan talking with a nurse.
Raya stomped towards Karan and slapped him before grabbing his collars. "Are you insane? Do you have any idea , how much tensed we all got?"
"Raya.." He spoke in shock , his mind still registering the fact that he was slapped, In the middle of Hospital and he could literally feel the stares.
"Don't Raya me, Karan. I never expected such carelessness from you. If there was an emergency, you could have called us and informed. You know i have Blood pressure issues. Its fortunate, that i'm here without any problems otherwise it seemed, you had decided to see me on hosp--"
"Raya-Raya. Stop. I'm all fine and i'm here for Dad. It was an emergency and like i tried to say my phone was dead because of battery. " Karan took Raya in his embrace and the nurse left after requesting them to maintain silence.
"He's not well?"
Karan shook his head even though Raya could not see him. "His health is deteriorating and today, he got an unbearable pain in his abdomen."
"But he was operated a month ago. Doctors said he'd be fine."
"Long story, Raya. I'm really sorry for riling you up like this. I had no intention to--"
"Oh, shut up boy! Its fine, i can understand. I'm surprised that you are here , all calm when all i know is, right now you are capable of creating a havoc in the hospital."
Her words were not a lie. Everyone close to him, knew that the topic of his father is sensitive to him and under no circumstance, he could be calm if his dad is in pain.
Karan chuckled. His gaze fell on Mishti who stood in a corner with tears in her eyes and smile in her lips. She was looking at them with adoration. "Mishti" he mumbled in a whisper.
"You have a lot to compensate, Boy. " Raya wished him luck before walking towards Samantha who was sitting there with a blank face while Ritwik accompanied the latter.
Raya knew, no matter how mean Samantha was, but she still loved her husband. She was his wife and spent 25 years with him. He was always busy in his work but whatever time he could make out, he will spend it with her.
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