New Friends

Recap: In the previous chapter, we learned that after Riddhima's father's accident, she and her father came to a poor state, so they decided to live with Riddhima's aunt and uncle in Mumbai. There, her uncle has ill intentions for Riddhima. Now next -

One day when she was getting ready for college, she went to her friend's house to call her, she came to know that Meena had gone to her brother's wedding and would return after a few days. Sunita is not well. And Babita does not want to go to college. Babita said, "You too don't go to college. What is the need to go to college every day?"

But Riddhima could not explain why she liked to spend time in college. So, she started walking quietly and alone on her way to college. But her heart was beating very fast when she was standing at the corner of the street. On that day, no one attempted to flirt or tease her. Everyone kept quiet. But Riddhima knew that the boys were there and were watching her. But why were they so quiet?

Suddenly her sixth sense turned a little left to find a beautiful young man, and she saw, it was him again. The same attractive young man with blue eyes, whom she had seen many times before, at this very place; inhaling the cigarette smoke and lost in his world while sometimes meeting her own eyes.

Riddhima, awkwardly, lowered her gaze from their eye contact and almost ran to cross the place. After crossing the main road, she thought, 'Who is he? Why does he keep staring at me all the time?'

Even while attending classes in college, she was reminded of his blue eyes. And she feared by thinking about the incident. She had heard that these people keep an eye on such girls and kidnap them. Her heart was beating loudly, "How will I return home? And maybe now I shall have to come to college alone every day! What will I do? Should I stop coming to college? What will I tell Dad? And if I don't go to college, how will I study? After completing my studies, I have to return to my city with my dad, where I can support myself and my father by doing a small job."

She was sitting in the college canteen, lost in thought, and then a girl came near her and said in a very sweet voice, "Hi! What is your name? Can I sit here?"

Riddhima saw her and recognized that she was her senior. She quickly said, "Yes, sure! My name is Riddhima." The girl said, "That is a lovely name. Can I call you Riddhu?"

Riddhima found her behaviour strange in their first meeting. But she didn't answer her back.

She was anyway troubled by her problems. But this girl herself was blabbering!

"Did you come alone today? Will you also go alone?"

Riddhima replied, "Hmm."

That girl paused for a while and said, "If there is no problem, you can come with me! I live in your neighbourhood. Meaning... in your neighbour's neighbourhood!"

Riddhima got support like a blind man's stick. She said to her, "Will you not have any problem with me, ma'am?"

She said hurriedly, "No way! If I had any problem, I wouldn't have asked you in the first place. And please don't call me ma'am. I don't like it at all. You can call me di, or Zareena di. My name is Zareena."

Riddhima smiled politely and said, "So I will call you Zareena di."

Zareena and Riddhima become good friends. When they walked together from college to home and the next day home to college, this thing became known in the society that only by staying with Zareena, all the street loafers would stay away from them. As far as facts are concerned, they didn't even look at her. But Riddhima's friends no longer came with her. She could not understand, why they didn't like Zareena at all. But Riddhima did not care.

She had got Zareena as a big sister and a best friend; both of them were found.

Sometimes she received a message from Zareena in college, "Meet me in the canteen."She came to the canteen and Zareena said in a shaky voice, "Ughh! Why did you make me wait so long?? Look! Despite the food being my favourite, I waited for you so we could eat it together."

One day Riddhima asked, "Di, your mom and dad love you very much, right? They always bring tiffin for you here."Zareena said hurriedly, "No! This is my Rhino, who brings my tiffin and who loves me a lot."

Riddhima asked with surprise, "Who is this... Rhino? And why do you call him like that?" Zareena said holding the food in her mouth, "This Rhino is your to be BIL. And I call him by this name out of love."

Riddhima asked with surprise, "You call him by this name, doesn't he mind?"

Zareena said, "No way! I have been calling him by this name since our childhood. Now that he has grown up, will his name be changed? And he is a very sweet person. He never says anything to anyone."

Riddhima smiled and said, "What does my to-be BIL do?"

Zareena says, "He is looking for a job. TBH, he doesn't need a job, his father is a very rich mafia leader. Most of Mumbai's wealth is his. But Zakar doesn't like all this. So, we thought that after our marriage, we would go somewhere far away from Mumbai. Where his father's property is not there, and where he cannot attempt to do any bad thing."

Riddhima says, "This is a good thought di." Zareena said nodding her head, "Yes, I am happy about the fact that Zakar hates his father's black money as much as I hate it. By the way, your BIL is a pass out from this college. And his heart is very pure. Miss Riddhi, where his father doesn't care about anything except bloodshed, Zakar takes even injured animals on the street to the hospital and stays with them until and unless they are fit and fine again."

Riddhima knew that Zareena di loved Zakar a lot. Zareena's face was glowing as she spoke about him. Riddhima thought, 'Maybe this is what they call love, which is not in everyone's luck.'

Meeting Zakar was also so strange. Riddhima also recalls that day, remembering which, immediately brought a smile to her face.

One day when she was walking home with Zareena, a long car stopped in front of her. And out came a beautiful, tall young man. Upon seeing him, Riddhima started crying a little and got scared. But then the young man looked towards Zareena and said, "Hello baby, how are you?"

Zareena looked at him and growled, "You will always be a Rhino. How many times have I told you not to call me baby? It seems like I am a baby!"

Zakar started laughing. He said, "That's why I say this. I know you will become angry with me when I call you baby. And I like your anger very much, darling. You are my lioness," and he flashed his super white teeth, as though he had done a proud deed.

Zareena said angrily, "Zakar, are you senseless? Do you want to do romance in the middle of the street? If your father hears about this, you will be damned!"

Zakar shrugged his shoulders and said, "Why be scared of anything if you are in love?"

Zareena said angrily, "Becoming a lion in front of me but in front of your father, you will become a scaredy cat! Do you want to marry me or not?"

Zakar says, "Of course baby I will! And why are you spoiling my self-respect in front of your sister? This is the new car I bought. So, I thought today I would drop you home. You know right, without this car, I can never be happy!"

Now Zareena smiled and said, "That's why I love you so much. But I have to drop Riddhima to her house."

Zakar smiled and said, "Riddhima, you can come along with us too. We will roam around the city, and then dine in Zareena's favourite restaurant. I will eat the food with my eyes closed, because I do not like Chinese at all," he said and looked at Zareena, smiling shamelessly.

Zareena said loudly, "This is your problem. Make it a habit. Because you have to live with me only."

Riddhima said, "Di, I have to return home ASAP."

Zakar quickly asked, "Why? You don't like Chinese too?"

Riddhima says, "No, no, big brother, my dad is waiting for me. We eat together. He must be worried since it is past late."

Zareena said, "Should I call Aunty? Don't stress out. I will inform her."

Zakar says, "Yes. You have to come with us. Because you are my sister-in-law now. And sister-in-law is said to be a half housewife..."

But before he could finish speaking, Zareena said with a loud voice, "Don't even think to complete the sentence."

While Riddhima was returning home at night, her heart was cheerful. Zakar was very nice. And with Zareena di, it was like their relationship was for ages.

When she came home, her mood got spoiled. Uncle was roaring his lungs out on Aunt, "It is almost night, the young girl is outside. You must have heard, how people in the society are. Men salivate and become crazy upon seeing a young girl alone!!"

Aunt replied, "Of course! Everyone salivates upon seeing a young, hot and beautiful girl. And Riddhima is not a child anymore who can be tied inside the house. Zareena had already informed me on the phone that she would come home late today."

Her uncle shouted, "Now you will also destroy my religion?! I don't like my family meeting with other caste people at all."

Riddhima wanted to reply to her uncle but instead, she said it in her mind, 'Zareena di and Zakar BIL, are at least better than you uncle. I feel disgusted by just looking at you.'

Riddhima then heard Sonu's voice. He was whispering near her, "Didi, let's go from here. Father has turned into a monster now."

Riddhima came with Sonu to his room, where she also used to sleep.

Sitting on the bed she said, "Sonu, you should not talk about your father like that. It's a bad thing.

"But Sonu made a face and said, "What should I say, Didi? When she shouts at my mother or beats me, I don't like it. My heart aches. I want to take her along with me somewhere far!"

Riddhima placed her hand on his hair and said, "I will come with you, Sonu. And I will take Dad with me too. We all will live together."

Sonu said in a happy voice, "Yes Didi, I will work, and you can help Mother with cooking food. Mother is not able to do it. She does not feel well at times and also keeps coughing all the time."

Riddhima says, "Sonu, I will have a job then. We both will work hard and keep my dad and your mother very happy."

Sonu asked, "So you won't cook food?"

Riddhima replied, "No stupid! I will cook the food, do the household chores, and do my job too."

Sonu cheers up, "So then I will give you my hand in all the work!!"

The sound of the door opening brought Riddhima to her senses. She was almost lost in the memories.

It was the same girl, Shanta, having a lovely smile on her face, and a tray in her hand. She placed the tray on the table and said, "Ma'am, hot coffee for you. Two teaspoonful of sugar, and a lot of milk. You like it this way, don't you?"

Riddhima was surprised and asked, "How did you know?"

The girl first was nervous, but then regained her composure and said, "No, umm... I like it this way. That's why I thought you would too. You tell me, how do you like your coffee?"

Riddhima smiled and said, "I also like it this way. Keep it, I will drink after some time."

After the girl left, Riddhima took the coffee mug in her hand and laughed loudly.

"Looks like this girl's sir is a very intelligent man. He will do anything to keep me awake."

But little did she know about who her customer was tonight.

Read in the next chapter, what the street boys say about Riddhima which on hearing, she gets upset. Stay Tuned!