Off to Mumbai

Recap:

In the previous chapter, we got to know about Riddhima's life - how her mom left her and her father for money, and while sitting in a hotel room, she waits for her customer and soon thinks about her father and her childhood spent with him. Now next -

Riddhima missed her mom a lot after she left them. But Dad's love washed away all her memories. Dad cared a lot about his daughter. He knew that Sona had refused to go with her mom because she did not want Dad to be alone. And he still had to take care of his little and innocent princess.

Time was passing by gradually. Now Riddhima had come in 12th standard. She was excelling in her studies. When she sang the hymns of her dad's choice in her sweet and melodious voice, a passerby also stopped to listen to it. And she was so much beautiful that sometimes her dad used to doubt that maybe the giver had sent him some angel from heaven.

As much as he was proud of his daughter, he was also worried a lot about how to protect his Sona from the evil eye of this world. He wanted to provide a higher education to his daughter. But for this, he had to arrange a lot of money. But how could that be done? Though he didn't say anything to Riddhima in front of her, while walking around, he remained immersed in his worries.

One day, perhaps lost in his thoughts, he was coming back home from school on his cycle. Lost so much that he couldn't see anything on his front. And despite the efforts of the truck driver, he started moving towards the truck along with his cycle.

Shashank's life was saved. But he had become physically disabled.

And that day, Riddhima and her world fell apart.

Riddhima didn't know what to do. Where to go? Whose help to ask for?

In her whole life, she only knew her mom. And dad. Little did she not know about any relative. She had heard from Dad that his family had broken relations with him because of his marrying mom. And then dad also never looked back to his family. A few years ago, Dad got the news that grandfather had passed away. Grandmother had passed away when her dad was still young. Her dad has a brother, but he did not even advise her father to go to her grandfather's house.

Riddhima took Dad home from the hospital, but Dad had lost his job. And Riddhima was not yet educated enough to do her dad's job. Yes, they gave the necessary amount, which they spent on her dad's treatment. She had even thought of doing some small work herself, but the strange looks of people looking at her, as if she was a food item, had put her off. So, she decided not to go out to find a new job.

One day she sat with her dad, lost in her thoughts.

Dad called out, "Princess Sona..."

Riddhima immediately replied, "Yes Dad... what do you want?"

"Child, open the cupboard and there will be a small box. Bring it for me."

When Riddhima brought the box, Shashank asked her to open it.

Riddhima looked surprised; it had a few pictures. Of dad's childhood. His father and brother's.

 And there were a few pictures of his and mom's marriage.

Riddhima asked with surprise, "What will you do with these pictures, Dad?"

Shashank smiled then said, "Look, there might be something, covered with a piece of cloth, a letter from your aunt. It contains the details of your aunt." Riddhima says, "What will you do with it, Dad?" Shashank remained silent for a while and then said with a sigh, "Your aunt is very nice, Sona, even better than your mother. She was my childhood friend. But I fell in love with her elder sister, your mom. And she was very happy for us. She also loved her sister very much. But your mom didn't like her. She used to doubt us. So, your aunt cut off all connections from us."

Riddhima says, "What will she think after so many days, Dad? Has she found out that Mom is not with us?"

Shashank shook his head and said, "Yes. I don't know how she came to know about this. She called me then, and she told me that if there was any help that we wanted, she was with us. But I had rejected her sympathy. Anyway, she is married, and she is living in her in-law's house. But I think that it is only her who can help us at the moment."

Riddhima asks, "Dad, don't you have her phone number?"

Shashank shook his head and replied, "No child, I only have this address. Give me a pen, and I shall write a letter, so we can get some help."

Riddhima looked at her dad's face. Who never bowed before anyone, never took help from anyone. Today, he was expressing his compulsion.

She gave paper and pen to her dad and prayed to God, 'O God! Dad is asking for help from someone for the first time today. Please don't let him down!'

God had not let them down. Aunt arrived as soon as she received the letter. Her aunt lived with her husband and her son Sonu. Both of them were there too. Riddhima loved her aunt very much and Sonu loved Riddhima very much. But Uncle looked suspicious. He seemed to be showing great sympathy to Dad.

Riddhima noticed his gaze falling on her body. That's why she started trying to stay a little away from her uncle. When her uncle proposed to take them to his home, i.e. Mumbai, aunt was more surprised than Riddhima. Then Aunt said in a long voice, "BIL, you guys are very familiar with this place. Sonu's school is also here. So, you can stay here. We will keep visiting you."

But Uncle immediately replied, "What are you saying, Sadhna? How will BIL stay alone with a young girl in this condition? We all are living there; Riddhima will be fine there. And we will also take care of BIL."

Riddhima understood well that her aunt was not at all happy with her uncle's decision.

But why? 

Among everyone present there, Sonu was the happiest. He had finally found a lovely and sweet sister for himself!

The next day Riddhima, along with her dad, came to Mumbai.

A completely unfamiliar, big city for her.

And she didn't like it at all.

Coming to a new place like Mumbai and adjusting themselves to the atmosphere was genuinely difficult. Dad is happy because Aunt takes great care of him. And soon he also got four children who came to the house to study with him. This even kept him busy.

But Riddhima was not happy. She had been admitted to college and befriended some girls in the locality to go to college. The stray boys eating at the street's corner and flirting shamelessly seemed strange to her. She was new to all this. Her friends were from Mumbai, so they had the habit of facing everything, almost every day. Sometimes they used to curse openly, or sometimes they took off their sandals and threw them on the boys. Riddhima did not like all this. 

This was not only the condition outside, but also at home. At home, Aunt and Sonu were nice but Uncle seemed extremely strange. His coming close to Riddhima while talking, trying to touch her, was unbearable for Riddhima. That's why she went to college every day, so she could escape from her uncle's dirty eyes.

You will read in the next chapter, who is that blue-eyed boy, who keeps staring at Riddhima on her way to college and on the street.

Stay Tuned!