it was evening now, radhika was on her bed drawing in her sketch book. slowly she picked up a pink colouring pencil. looking at this being broken, she got annoyed. she knew who did it…her younger sisters omi and pari…..but ever since varun broke her, a broken pencil was just a broken pencil…nothing compared to a heart that has been played with and then broken. she kept the pencil in her box and closed the sketch book keeping it under her pillow. she just looked at her nails, not really bothering to go downstairs and be social. just then she heard a knock on the door, she looked up and saw her dad smiling with a plate of food.
om: can i come in princess?
radhika smiled and nodded. om came in and sat on the bed.
om: look! papa decided to cook today just for his princess.
radhika: really? but you hate helping mum cook?
om: because then if i happen to do something ‘wrong’ then she will start beating me up with a wooden spoon.
radhika smiled and said: so what did you make?
om: omkara singh oberoi’s famous Singapore noodles with tofu.
he took off the lid from the bowl showing well made noodles and tofu.
radhika: you made this?
om: haan obviously. now stop asking me questions and eat else your mum will find another reason to make me sleep in the garden?
radhika: isn’t it the couch?
om: your mum is different.
he slowly looks around the room and then whispers: she is a tigeress, understand? she will do different punishments now eat mera baccha.
radhika: i’m not hungry sorry.
om: look radhika, you haven’t ate for days now. you have kept yourself isolated from everyone and everything. i know you are thinking about that person and as your father, it’s my job to tell you this. look you are a fantastic, beautiful, successful young woman who is letting a man make you feel like this. that man…he is a jerk! ok? as you father, even i did something wrong. i trusted him to look after my daughter. you shouldn’t be angry at yourself mera baccha. you should be angry at your dad. you should be angry at the person who you always called your ‘superhero’.
radhika: papa..it’s not your fault.
om: it is. i have no idea why i trusted him so easily with one of my valuable treasures. but…leave this and remember this radhika, perhaps this breakup is the only way you will rediscover who you are, the you that is purely yourself. you had these dreams. you had these amazing technicolour dreams that you need to make into some kind of reality for others… and for you too. his dreams are so very different and so together everything becomes muted and confused, you both morphed into some terrible compromise which led to you giving up everything. so now princess you must go, weave your creative magic into this ether we call the world. understand?
radhika stayed silent for a few seconds and then she nodded smiling.
radhika: i understand papa. thank you.
she hugs him tight and then breaks the hug once they heard gauri yell ‘omkaraji!’
om laughs and says: let’s see what crime i have done now.
radhika giggles and nods.
om: eat your food like a good girl and remember what i told you. ok princess?
radhika: ok papa.
om goes out of the room and radhika picks a fork up, starting to eat. she started to think of her father’s words. maybe she should move on. he was right. varun didn’t allow her to fulfill her dreams. she was forced to quit her job and be a ‘stay at home wife’ whilst he went to become a successful business man…or in her opinion a successful fraud and cheat. now it was her turn to get the taste of success.
radhika: dad is right. perhaps this breakup is the only way i will rediscover who i am, the me that is purely myself. in this heartache the sun won’t shine, birdsong passes as if the melody can’t glide through the air as it once did before. but the truth is, i’d rather forgo comfort than keep a lover who doesn’t love. so instead i will let this heartache be as my teacher and the reason to keep seeking one who can hear the playful calling of their own soul. because i’d rather this relationship broke up than me, either it turns to ashes or i do, because i’d have to have no self respect at all to stay with one who can’t see that how wonderful i am.
precap: ‘meri dinky cars kaha hai?’
ik this was the same precap as last chappy but i am writing this chappy in a limited amount of time and i wanted to include more rikara and radhika scenes.