FEW HOURS AGO
I am on a 15 hours flight to India.
The interior of the plane is very rich and classy. Duh…we are in first class girl, of course it's rich and classy. Sitting on the comfortable seat with my laptop on my lap, I'm scrolling through the orphanage website for something- anything, to give me clues. After hours of scrolling and observing, something clicked in my mind. Why are there more boys and less girls up for adoption? Getting curious, I look in the direction of Mr. Anderson who is probably booking a hotel right now for us. "How did I got adopted?" Turning his attention towards me and reply in a calm voice, "Mr. King came across your ad on the website and dearly fall in love so, he asked Mr. Sokolov about adopting you. When they contacted the orphanage, the owner told them that you are already chosen by someone else and to adopt you they have to pay extra as a compensation fee." It doesn't make sense. If I was already have been chosen by someone then why would she put me on website? "Then what happened?" I ask, confused. He sighs, "As you know, Mr. Sokolov can't see his lotus flower sad and then there was also you. Irresistible. So, he paid the owner whatever amount she asked for and here we are." Woah…Wow… That's a whole ass paragraph coming from his mouth. I thought I would die before that ever happens. I have to focus on this new piece of information for now the owner is hiding something. I can sense it. "I need every information about the owner. Her address, her bank details. Every. Single. One. How much time would it take to get done?" "Until landing" he says, shrugging casually. And I know I can count on him.
PRESENT
"I just want to know one thing from you… Where is Seema and what you did to her??" she flinches in her seat, her body shaking hearing my words. Her reaction proves all my suspicions right. She is not just an orphanage owner, there is more to her and I will get every information from her slowly. She quickly tries to mask her expressions, but it's too late. "W..w..what kind of question is that!! She was adopted. You know th..that…" she stutters while adjusting her glasses. This bitch is testing my patience now. My hands clench at the memory. "Trust me Miss Richa, I could never forget the day you separated us. It's embedded in my soul and repeats like a broken record." I say sharply.
I adjust my position back on the chair. If she wants to play with death then lets fucking play. "Then give me all the documents you have of her." She got up as if her ass is on fire and went to get the documents like her life depends on it. But if you ask me? I have no intension of keeping her alive.
Five minutes later she hands me all the documents and I look at them. I glance at Mr. Anderson and he nods. Good, it means he got the recorder hidden under her table, our work is done here. She will definitely contact the person who is involved in this with her. We just need to wait.
After getting all the document we both got up to leave without saying anything. I glare at her from the door and left.
We drive to our rental SUV to our hotel room which is in front of a beautiful beach. It's Juhu beach if I remember correctly. I was too determined to go to the orphanage that I refused to rest after the flight. So, after getting freshen up, I lay on the bed for a nap.
After tossing and turning and getting very less sleep, I wake up and decide to go to the beach for a walk to distract myself from all the waiting. I put on a black shorts and white tank top with a black and white winged butterfly printed on it. Butterflies always remind me of her. I push the memories to the back of my mind and me and my 'father' aka Mr. Anderson Walk out of our hotel to the beach. It's evening, the sun is going to set soon. The sky turned a beautiful shade of orange and pink, the water looked calm, reflecting the sky with small waves hitting the beach. I walk along with Mr. Anderson who always have this same serious expression. I wonder if he finds sunset beautiful or not.
I focus back on the scene when a pretty girl approaches us, a spring to her steps. She appears to be around my age. She is wearing a yellow sundress having thigh-high slit. The dress enhances her curves beautifully. Her eyes, the lightest shade of brown, appears hypnotizing under the setting sun as she smiles, her soft pink lips lifting sweetly. She is 'it hurts to look at her' kind of pretty. I'm not telling that I'm not, I have mirror, I know what I look like- but wow, she is beautiful in her own way. She looks like a bundle of sunshine walking towards us and it feels like if she will open her mouth, rainbows and unicorns are going to come out instead of words. Gaahh…too bad, I'm straight…
She stops in front of me and opens her mouth. Here's the moment of truth. "Hey! I'm Varsha." I sigh inwardly. Well damn, I was really hoping to see unicorns. I smile, "Hii…I'm Ashley and this is my father, Anderson." I say, pointing towards my father. He nods at her in greeting with a barely-there smile. She looks shocked there for a moment looking between us but recovers and smile sweetly. "Hello, Mr. Anderson. So, I'm a photography and arts student. I'm in my last year at college and have to click photos of tourists as an assignment. So, if you don't mind can I take pictures of you?" Well now, who will not get convinced if she is going to ask with so much hope and in such a sweet voice. "Wonderful!! I was just going to ask my dad to click some pictures for me with this great scenery. You are a God-send here. Plus, it will help in your assignment too. One stone, two birds!! I am more than happy to help." I say, clapping and watching her as she nods with a shy smile on her face.
So, for the next half an hour she took a lot of beautiful photos of me. She is so easy to talk to we had an instant bond right away. I explain her about my adoption with Mr. Anderson (just the things that are for the world to know), and she tells me about her family, about how they disapprove of her studying photography (typical Indian parents) while Mr. Anderson just watched us doing our stuff. I walk up to him and call to her, "Will you click a photo of me and my dad?" I have never felt weird about calling him my dad because he has always been a father figure to me and it never felt fake. He always treats me as his own daughter and not just a client he has been assigned to protect. "Yeah. Sure." she agrees, smiling. I walk to him and hold his bicep, tilting my head up to him with a smile while he gazes down at me with a hint of smile and whole lot of adoration. There is a distinct sound of camera clicking and I look forward to see her coming towards us with her camera, having completed the said photoshoot. The photos were all beautiful and lovely.
"Awesome!!", she chirps looking at her amazing work, her voice all awe and excited. "It's all done… Thank you so much for your help, it means a lot. It might take an hour for me to get the photos as my partner didn't came with me today. So, I have to call him to print these and take it back here. You can give me your hotel address; I'll send it to you as soon as it arrives." She says, hands already holding her phone texting someone and then ringing them. "It's alright. Don't stress yourself. We are going to dinner as it is almost night. You can join us if you are comfortable." I tell her after she is done with her call, shrugging casually. She hesitates, looking between me and my dad. "Are you sure? I could be ruining your quality time." She says, clearly overthinking. So a overthinker then. I smile at her words. "Damn sure, girl. You are not ruining anything. My dad will book us a table. Don't worry." Then I lean to whisper in her ear, "Plus, I could use some company, my dad isn't a talker as you can see." She giggles and Mr. Anderson just nods, narrowing his eyes at me, seeming to have listened me and start to search a restaurant. "Oppss," I mutter.
The restaurant is ten minutes walking distance from us. While walking I ask her, "So what are your plans after completing your college." "I have a dream of being a professional fashion photographer in New York but it requires proper degree and connection for that." She shrugs, a sad smile on her lips, "Degree I can do but connection? I don't have one there." She sighs. I smile internally, knowing that I'm going to pull all my strings for this girl to get her where she wants to. I can see the talent she has. But I think she might faint if I tell her that. "Well, as you already know, I live in New York. So, I think I-..my dad can help you. He knows a lot of big people there." I shrug as if it is not a big deal, and I hadn't just swept the rug from under her feet, judging from her expressions. I continue when she said nothing. "Just let me know when you are ready and I'll ask my dad to arrange some meetings." She is as still as stone, her beautiful eyes, all wide and bulging out of their sockets are staring at me in shock. It looks so comical that I laugh softly. "Hello...!!" I shake her shoulders, "Earth to Varsha!!" She hugs me suddenly and let out a choked sob. "Please tell me it's not a prank… You will help?? Can you really do that? I can't believe if this is all real or not…" "Hey, hey… Calm down…" I say patting her back. "It is real and I'm not joking, besides I want to help you. I have seen your potential, your dedication. They need talented people like you there." I pull away from the hug, assuring her as we reach the restaurant named ANUSHI's. We walk inside and a waiter greets us. Mr. Anderson gave him the name and he escorts us to our assigned table.
We all sit down and are deciding on what to order when I see a girl in white corset top and a black flowy skirt approaching us, not us- approaching Varsha. Her top is cropped showing her belly piercing and waist chain. She is not skinny but also not curvy, just perfectly right. Every curve in right places. Her hairs, open and brown reaches just below her shoulders and are blowing wildly due to wind. Her eyes, so dark and devoid of emotions are sending daggers in our direction as they flick from Varsha to me. Her full lips are pulled in frown. Despite the don't-talk-to-me-leave-me-alone expressions, she is beautiful.
GOD! What's with me and calling girls beautiful today. I am straight for fucks sake!!
But it's fucking true. Just look at them. She stands in front of Varsha and holds out an envelope. They seem to know each other. Both of them seems to be complete opposite of each other. Where Varsha is all colors, the girl on the other hand seems all black and white. I bet she doesn't own anything colorful. Where Varsha wears all her emotions on her sleeves, I cannot see much emotions on the girl's face. Where Varsha is rainbows and sunshine kind of pretty, she is dark kind of beautiful. Varsha, who has gone in some kind of shock, is just staring at the girl. She opens and closes her mouth a few times and the girl just raise a eyebrow at her. "What are you doing here?" Varsha hisses at her and I'm a little surprised at her tone. The girl just waves the envelope, seeming to have gotten used to this side of her. The came towards us actually towards varsha. "The photos." Varsha looks confused. The girl sighs as if speaking is a great burden for her. "Akaash came here to give it to you but he was in a hurry, then he saw me and… BOOM!! Here I am to your rescue, bubbles." She opens her arms for dramatic effect. Varsha glares at her, "Don't call me that." The girl just smirks, "Whatever you say, bubbly."
Oh. Oh! So, there is something between them, I guess. Seeing all the tension, I am so tempted right now to start chanting 'kiss, kiss.' Varsha just sighs loudly and turns to me, "Ashley, this is Anushka, umm… my um…" "Her classmate." Anushka says, holding her hand towards me. "But you don't even like photography…" Varsha murmurs from her seat, glaring at her. Anushka's lips curves just a little at her words. Her eyes move over me in an assessing gaze and she hums. She is smirking when she meets my eyes again. "Ashely, nice to meet you." I shake her hand. "You are quite sight to sore eyes, you know that? And the pleasure's all mine." She smiles politely. Her straight-forwardness slightly catching me off-guard and making me blush. And people, I do not blush. I clear my throat, "Thank you. You are charming yourself. This is my father, Anderson." She greets and shakes my father's hand, also complimenting him and making her ears go slightly red. WHAT THE FUCK!! Who is this girl??
Varsha picks the envelope and hands it to me. "Here's your photos." I take it from her, "Thank you…" She smiles and shakes her head, "NO… Thank you!!" I also ask Anushka to join us for the dinner. She seemed hesitant saying that she'll just be outside and will meet us after dinner but I insisted. So, she sitting beside now a grumbling Varsha.
The dinner went well and we are about to finish when I see a man approaching us with a dimpled smile. Anushka gets up when she sees then and meet him halfway. The man smiles big when he recognizes her. They start talking and laughing softly. I glance at Varsha and she is watching them like she wants to run away now or to murder them. After few minutes they come towards us. "So guys, this is my chela and our bawarchi or should I say halwai, Rishi." Anushka says smirking and pointing to the man. He just rolls his eyes. "Hello… I am Rishi Ranjan, a chef and owner of this restaurant. And her friend, unfortunately." He introduces himself to us, shaking our hands. "So… We started this restaurant a few months ago, so, if you liked the food and environment in here or, if you think that anything needs any improving, please leave your reviews and feedback on our website or by scanning this QR code. Thanks for dining here. Hope you enjoyed your meals." He smiles all professionally, handing us a QR code.
He and Anushka talks for a few minutes while we scan and write our reviews. Well, me and dad does while Varsha seethes while doing it. Rishi leaves after waving us goodbye. We are about to leave when Mr. Anderson leans in my ear and whispers, "We got the information." I was having so much fun that, in all this I forgot what are we here for. I stand up and clear my throat. "Um…Guys, it was nice meeting all of you but something just came up and I have to go. I had so much fun and I hope to do it again." We share our Snapchat and IG. "Think about what I said and inform me…hmm?" Varsha just nods, getting all teary eyed. She reminds me of her. Soo sensitive and emotional but also a ball of pure joy. I hug her tightly. Me and Anushka just shakes hands with a nod and smile. I walk out of the restaurant waving at them. We walk back to our room in silence.
Once inside, Mr. Anderson hands me the ear piece from which I can hear the owner's voice. It sounds like she is on a call with someone. "Sh…she came looking for Se..ema. She is...she is asking about her location. What do I say? What…what if sh…she comes back?" her voice trembles with so much fear. It feels soothing to hear her being scared for her pathetic life. Her voice continues, "Seema!! The girl I sold you 20 years back. Her twin sister is looking for her!! What if she finds out the truth?" My mind goes numb after hearing this.
This fucking bitch sold my sister. All these years, I thought that she at least had parents but fucking hell, she wasn't adopted at all- she was sold to God knows where. The voice continues again, "No, no, you can't break the contact!! You can't leave me like this!! She is going to kill me… please… please save me." she cries, her voice breaking. She is begging, just like me all those years ago. But any amount of begging can't save her from me.
Let's end her chapter for good tonight.
I remove the ear piece and look at Mr. Anderson. "I want you to do something illegal for me." I say blankly. He glances at me, eyes narrowing, "Does this illegal thing includes you getting in danger?" I put a finger on my chin, pretending to think and shake my head, "No, quite the opposite in fact. I am the danger here." I wink at him, giving him the dramatical finger guns. "Then consider it done, princess." I smirk at his reply.
We are the perfect crime partners.