(A/n- Left or right your choice.)

Is that even possible?! That girl.... the one with the ocean of sadness and regret in her beautiful eyes....was her? This bitch?!

No wait, I shouldn't be calling her that. But why shouldn't I call her that? She's a slut who uses her body to seduce men.

'Who told you that?' My conscience questioned me.

All those people in the office.

'Who told them?'

Maybe...other people? I don't know. All I know is she's stained.

'So are you.'

A realisation made me question everything I thought. Those eyes that I was lost in again because of the same sadness I saw that night.

Am I going crazy?

"Are you...."

I noticed someone approaching the door with the corner of my eye and I quickly released her stepping back as she fell on the floor.

"Ouch!"

Damnit! What was I about to do? I can never ask her.

(A/n- red or gold. Your choice.)

I tripped and I closed my eyes shut ready for the painful impact of the floor meeting my face but something caught me in mid air. I opened my eyes as I felt a hard warm wall in my front rather than the cold floor below. But that hard wall was him. I froze completely gapping at him with wide eyes. I was too scared to do anything.

His expression changed from annoyed to something as if he realised something important. He just gapped at me with disbelief on his face. What the hell was going on? Whatever it was....it was really awkward and I wanted it to end. Especially, I wanted his disgusting hands off of me.

Suddenly he let me go and I fell down on my butt.

"Ouch!" I yelped. How mean!

"Oh no! Madam!" The maid came and helped me stand up dusting my dress while that man just stormed out of there taking a long stride from above my legs and my pretty gown. Huh! If you help someone from falling atleast you let them get thier balance not throw them on thier butts. Didn't he learn that in his big shot University in USA?

###

Aunty was right. Today there were more people than yesterday. Seeing all those famous faces again was making me nervous and excited. I wondered if I'd get to see Salman Khan, Deepika Padukone and Varun Dhawan again. 😆 But ofcourse, they didn't come today. They're such famous actors, must be busy I thought sighing.

What was stranger was that HE wasn't glaring at me anymore. Sure he was ignoring me but not glaring whenever our eyes met. Is he feeling bad about how he treated me last night. Maybe. But why do I care about a rapist's opinion? He has ruined a life too.

The reception went on till late at night. My legs were killing me and ugh all those lights and camera flashes. Good thing it's all over now but now from next morning my new life as a married woman begins, and not just any married women, the wife of Kaif Alam, the CEO and future Director of Alam group of companies. Just the thought of it gives me goosebumps.

###

I woke up in the morning for Fajar and he wasn't in the room. Maybe he went for namaz. I felt relieved as I could freely pray without any pressure. I was soo tired but I couldn't sleep all night. It's true that the best and most peaceful sleep you get is the sleep after praying Fajar namaz. I really slept like a baby because when I opened my eyes I was horrified to see the clock's small hand past 9 and long on past 7. I jumped out of the bed and rushed to the bathroom.

After I was ready, I meekly made my way down and met Aunty near the kitchen which the maid told me the way too.

"A... Assalamualaikum Aunty." I said scared for her reaction. Which daughter in law sleeps in soo late while her mother in law is already up and in kitchen? What must she think about me? that my mother didn't even teach me anything? So I began before she could....

"I'm soo sorry aunty. I forgot to set my alarm. I never sleep till soo late. I'm soo sorry it won't happen again. I won't sleep after Fajr ever again. Sorry...." I said desperately.

But to my surprise, she was laughing. I watched her confused.

"Oh Naila, you're soo cute. It's ok beta. I know you must've been very tired last night. Your not used to all this. I understand it takes time. I was like you too once. No need to ruin your sleep. Rest is important, but I'm upset with you about one thing." She said burrowing her brows.

My heart jumped. What did I do? Why do I keep on upsetting people? I was almost about to cry

"Aree aree, don't cry beta." She caressed my face.

"I'm upset because you won't stop calling me aunty. Didn't I tell you before too to call me Mom?"

Oh. That's it! I thought....a lot of things. Stupid me.

I smiled. "Sorry.... Mom"

"That's my girl." She pulled me closer and hugged me. It felt soo warm and motherly. It reminded me of Mumma and I felt a lump in my throat.

"You're my daughter now. No need for formalities. Ok?"

I nodded enjoying her hug. Then I remembered...

"Breakfast! I.. I should prepare it for everyone." I panicked

"Everyone's done with breakfast and both your father in law and husband have already left for work." Mom said smiling.

I mentally slapped myself.

"Don't worry. You can make breakfast tomorrow if you want. Tell me, what would you like to eat. The cook will make it for you."

"Cook?"

"Yes." She nodded in a matter of factly way.

I peeped in to see 4-5 people working inside. Some chopping, some washing dishes, etc. I felt bad seeing that. Rich people have it soo easy they don't even have to lift a finger and everything gets done for them but for middle class families like us, our mothers run along the house to get every work done. How amazing are our multi-tasking moms!

"If everything is done by them then....what do we do all day?" I asked as my curiosity got the best of me.

"Hm" she started thinking.

"We....sit down and talk, getting to bond with one another." She said taking my hand and bringing me out in the hall after asking the maid to get me some breakfast.

We sat on the soft couch facing each other.

"You know. I was exactly like you when I got married."

"Really?"

She nodded. "This huge mansion, all this grandeur, maids and servants all around was soo intimidating. I wasn't used to any of this and neither had I heard or seen anything like this before. I was from a middle-class family too. My father had a sweet shop and my mother was a housewife and I was used to helping my parents at home and at the shop. I left school after 8th grade to help my father as the shop wasn't doing well. He used to say if my daughter is around then there would be Barkat in the shop again. He taught me to make all the sweets but he never let me serve outside as he said I was too beautiful and people might put an evil eye on me. One day, Shabbir ji's mother came to our shop and tasted the Rasmalai I made. It was her favourite too and she loved it soo much that she asked for the person who made it.

Father told her it's his daughter and she asked to see me to give me some money as reward. But he denyied to bring me out and she left.

The next day she came again and again father sent her back but she was adamant. She came back again. I time I came out myself with her favourite dish and she liked me so much that she decided to make me her daughter. My parents hesitated to get me married in such a rich family outside our status. Shabbir ji's father was a merchant who could afford to send his son to other cities for education and business. Even outside India. Shabbir ji had just came back from Dubai when he met me and.....we both fell in love at first sight. Then we got married and here I am. "

I smiled.

"That is soo sweet."

She blushed a little.

"What I'm saying is that, you'll get used to it all. Even I wasn't used to not work and just sit aside but.... it's not like I didn't work at all. I most of the times made Rasmalai for my mother in law and learnt and cooked my husband's favourite food to impress him. You can too..." She paused and her cheerfulness disappeared.

"I always thought that, the way my mother-in-law treated me like her own daughter, someday when I have a daughter in law, I'll love her the same and be her mother too. I had soo many dreams for my son and his wife and our future grandchildren. But I have no right to ask you for any of that. I don't know where I went wrong that my son turned out to be like that and I had to drag an innocent girl like you in this mess."

I shook my head. The mention of grandchildren did give me a shiver but seeing her upset made my heart clench. As a mother she must've suffered soo much because of her son.

"It's nothing your fault Mom. Please don't blame yourself."

I tried to cheer her up.

"Well, mom I love sweets but I'd never learnt to make any. Can you sometimes teach me all those delicious recipes you know?"

She smiled. "Ofcourse, my bacchi. I'll teach them all to you. Should I make something today with lunch?"

I nodded excitedly and she laughed.

"Ok. What should I make?"

"Um.... Rasmalai. Now that you've mentioned it, I'm craving for it." I said dumbly.

I forgot a very important document in my room so I went myself to get it. I don't like anyone else touching my stuff so I didn't ask anyone else to get them for me.

When I got home, I saw Mom and that girl sitting in the living room and talking and giggling like two old friends meeting after decades. It made my head ache.

I felt like picking that girl up and throwing her out of the house in some remote place. What kind of black magic has she put on my mother?!

Although, it's been years since I saw Mom laugh soo freely and be soo cheerful and it's the first time I saw a different expression on that girl's face too other than fear and...... sadness.

Seeing that.....it made me smile too.

I... I mean seeing my Mom smile made me happy, not her. Pst. Why would seeing her in anyway make me happy.

Thier eyes stopped at me and both thier smiles vanished.

"I....came for the documents." I said looking at Mom who avoided my yes. I looked down and made my way to the room.

I quickly grabbed my documents.

It was not bad seeing her smile like that though.