5. New Job Again?

DIYA

"Maa..."

The words escaped from my throat in a low tone, explaining the anxiety I felt after seeing my mother standing in front of the house with expressions full of anger.

I knew she would blast on me as I didn't inform her about my absence, nor did I tell her about my work, in fact, I didn't complete the household chores. She would kill me today.

"You wretched girl," Maa scowled as she approached me and yanked my hairs without even giving me the time to retreat.

She then pulled me inside the house while yanking my hairs and pushed me on the floor. 

"Ahh," I cried out the moment I hit the floor.

Tears started gushing down my eyes as I sobbed silently, fearing about what was waiting for me now. I know, Bhaiya doesn't fight with maa, so he won't be there to save me from her wrath. She will eat me up. I don't know, why she hates me so much?

"Maa, what are you doing?"

To my surprise, Bhaiya immediately held my hand and pulled me up so that I could stand and questioned maa. I closed my eyes as I hid myself behind Bhaiya and sobbed.

"Ask her. Ask your loving sister, where was she till late at night? And ask her, who was that man who dropped her home at this moment? Is she sleeping with people? Is she intending to be a prostitute?" 

My mother's loathsome words hit my ears. She was angry, and if Bhaiya wouldn't have been here, she would have been murdered me in cold blood.

"Maa, I have been trying to tell you where was she. But you were so angry that you didn't care to listen to me. I know what she is doing and why she is doing that. You distrust her so much that you don't even care to listen to me about her," Bhaiya shouted at mother.

I was surprised by Bhaiya, he never fought with maa. While I could see maa was taken aback by bhaiya's tone as well.

"Daksh," Maa growled.

"Listen to me. Diya has got a job, in a nightclub as a waitress. That job would sponsor her studies so that she can get her degree and achieve whatever she wants to achieve in her life. She is doing that because she wants to fulfil her ambition. And that man who dropped her home, it's someone from the club as they have promised to drop her home safely at night. And this job has been provided to her by my employer," Bhaiya told that to maa in a loud and clear voice.

"What will she do by studying? She is eighteen, I will be marrying her off before she turns twenty. So there is no need for her to studying or get a degree to get a job. It's unnecessary, and second thing, good girls don't work outside till midnight. I don't want this dumb girl to do anything that maligns the family's name or make us feel shameful," my mother shouted.

Maa's words broke my heart into pieces. I don't want to marry, I don't want to be someone's liability. I want to work and stand on my own feet. Her words made me cry and I sobbed silently while Bhaiya and she fought. Why can't she understand me? Why can't she see what I want in my life? She has never spoken sweetly to me, she just shouts and badmouths me. Am I so bad that I don't deserve love? Or am I wrong if I start to hate the woman who gave birth to me?

"First thing, Diya is an individual, she will do whatever she likes. If she wants to study and get a job, there is nothing wrong with it. She will marry when she feels like marrying, not before that. And what are you saying? You didn't even wish her birthday today, instead, you're spoiling her birthday. And the most important thing, I trust my sister enough to believe that she won't do anything that would malign our or this family's name in the society," Bhaiya responded to maa in the same tone.

I looked at Bhaiya, the way he stood for me in front of maa, I couldn't say anything else. The way he trusted me and fought for me. No, I won't do anything to break his trust. I immediately hugged him and cried bitterly in his arms.

"What does this girl knows except crying?" Maa taunted me.

"Maa, it's midnight. Please, leave," Bhaiya shouted as she caressed my hairs.

"Sshh! I am here with you little sister," he softly mumbled as he held me while I cried bitterly.

I couldn't stop crying and wailing, all of this hurts so much. I see people being friends with their mothers and my mother can't even tolerate me. Why? This hurts so much. Why my life is such a mess?

RAJVEER

I reach my home and walked straight to my room. I wanted to make a call but I couldn't as I broke my phone hours ago. 

I settled down on my bed and started taking deep breaths as I tried to calm myself down.

Thank God I reached the club on time because if I wouldn't have been there, that pervert would have molested her. I tried to close my eyes, thinking if I could sleep but all I was getting was flashes of the girl. Her eyes were full of fear as she cried and struggled to get away from him. Her cries for help, her being unable to fight for herself, it pinched me so bad like someone was poking my heart and making it bleed slowly.

I felt anger rising as I saw that guy and couldn't help but punch him. This was the first time that I punched someone. I have never raised my hand on someone and the helplessness the girl felt, made me punch a guy multiple times. What had happened to me? How do I behave such?

But then, my eyes fell on that little girl's eyes. Eyes full of fear, discomfort and sheer innocence. It made my heartbeats upswing. I felt something that I have never felt and I don't know why? That girl, she felt something different to me.

I don't know what to do, all I knew was that I have to be with that girl.

The next morning,

I wake up early in the morning. It was 6:00 am and most of the people in the mansion were still sleeping, but without wasting any other moment, I advanced my footsteps towards the corner room of the floor.

As I stood in front of the room, mixed feelings occupied me, love, worries, fear, a bit of sadness and guilt. And among these, guilt was the strongest one. I slowly opened the door and walked inside the room.

My eyes fell on the little boy who was sleeping while holding a photo frame of his mother tightly in his embrace. I looked around the room, the room was full of pictures of me, Ved and Leena. I was feeling guilty that I couldn't save my son's mother. And with that guilt on my heart, I sat beside him on the bed.

"I am sorry, little one," I muttered as a drop of tear escaped from my eyes. Ved's face had turned pale and dull and even if he was sleeping, he looked upset. He lost his best friend, his mother and I can't imagine the pain he was feeling.

I slowly caressed his hairs so that his sleep isn't interrupted. I couldn't help, but sob silently. 

"Papa," his sleepy voice hit my ears as I looked at him slowly opening his eyes.

"Vedu," I uttered as I pulled him in my lap.

"Mummy never left me alone, Papa. But this time, everyone is saying that she won't come back anymore. Is it true?" He innocently asked me.

I looked at him, and I wanted to cry so bad. I never wanted my son to go through this pain, but I was helpless, I immediately wiped my tears and looked at him.

"Mummy is always with you, Vedu. It's just, you will see her as the most shining star in the sky at night," I tell him in my broken, crumbled voice.

"A star? Why a star?" He questioned me.

"Because she was so good, that God took her and made her a star so that she can shower her love over every kid," I tell him as I sobbed.

"But why did God take her? She is my mother, she should love me, not everyone," Ved complained as he tried to hide his tears in his angry voice.

"I am sorry, Vedu. But I couldn't stop God from taking her away. And now, she will be with you as a star," I answered him.

He immediately got up and hugged me tightly.

"I miss mummy, Papa. I feel so alone, there is no one to play with me, help me study and talk about so many things to me. I miss her so much," Ved cried.

As Ved cried, it reminded me of Diya. The girl with those innocent and painful eyes. The girl who doesn't think twice before shamelessly staring at me. Was it some kind of gesture?

DIYA

I was making breakfast for everyone. I had to do all the household chores no matter how much I worked or studied. Maa works as a housemaid so she doesn't want to do the household chores and I understand her. She works tirelessly for hours in other people's houses.

As I looked at the prepared breakfast, I heard a knock on the door. I immediately went and opened it and I was surprised.

"Ahmed Uncle," I was surprised to see him this early in the morning.

"Diya, Sir wants to meet you," he told me.

"Meet me? Me Raichand?" It was another shocker.

"Yes, it will take ten minutes," he informed me.

"Okay. Wait," I told him and walked inside the room.

I saw Maa was getting ready for work. I went near him. 

"Maa, I have prepared the breakfast," I told her.

"So?" She asked me.

"I need to borrow Nikita's clothes for going to college for admission tomorrow, so I am leaving for her home. I will be back in ten minutes," I lied to her because she wouldn't let me step my feet out of the house if I tell her the truth. 

"Fine," she responded and I immediately walked out of the house with Ahmed Uncle.

I followed Ahmed uncle, he was taking me towards the empty area of the slums where no one lived. Those deserted areas scared me, but I don't know why, but I was feeling excited to meet Rajveer Raichand. I wanted to see him again. It felt like my eyes craved for him.

As I reached there, Rajveer was waiting for me, outside his jeep.

"Sir," Ahmed uncle called me as Rajveer saw me. 

I looked at him as he approached me. I felt nervous with the increasing proximity.

"You won't be working in the club anymore," his hoarse voice hit my ears.

What? Is he firing me from the job? Did I commit something wrong? What will I do now? What about my studies? No, this shouldn't have happened, I want to study.

"I am hiring you as a caregiver for my son."