OUR SECRET LIFE

Daughter

She slowly closed her ears. She was kinda scared. “What happened? Do you remember anything?” Neeraj enquired. She looked at his eyes. “What did I see? I…” she was clueless. Abhishek was watching them from far away. “Yup. That’s what we wanna know. Tell me” he replied. He made her sit on his bike. “I saw a couple sitting in the car. They were happily driving somewhere. But a man killed both of them. Was it a car accident? Idk...” she replied. “What was that? You didn’t see a girl in that car?” he enquired. “Girl? There were two girls. I guess they were twins” she replied. “Two girls?” he wondered. “Yup. One of them was me?” she asked him. He thought for a while and agreed. “What do you mean? Nope. Not possible” she denied and got out of there. She entered her bed and closed her room. She started to think. Abhishek stood out of her room and knocked on the door after a few minutes. He got into her room. '`Hey, what happened to you?” he enquired. “Don’t you remember me? What do you have to tell me? ” she asked. He hugged her and held her head. The psycho killer killed your parents. Your Raj escaped you from the psycho killer and sent you to an orphanage. After a few days when no one came insearch of you, he himself adopted you.” Abhishek explained. “Why didn't you tell me anything? Are there any secrets?” she enquired. He didn’t reply to anything and left his hands from her head. Vimal called Rithika from his phone . Both Rithika and Abhishek got out of her room. She saw a car and rushed into the restaurant. “Dad” she called and rushed to her dad. She hugged him. “Hey, what happened?” he enquired. “Did Abhishek tease you?” he looked at Abhishek and asked. she wiped her eyes. “Yes dad” she smiled and replied. Her dad caught Abhishek’s and Rithika’s ears and pinched them. “Why don't you stop teasing each other?” he smiled and asked them. Everyone smiled.

After a few minutes they all sat to have food in the dining hall of their house. Rithika got into the kitchen to take some curry. Someone held her hands and dragged her . It was Neeraj. “What are you doing?” Rithika asked him. “Why didn't you ask your dad about anything?” he enquired. “Do you expect me to hurt him?” she asked with a serious face. He looked at her eyes. She made his hands leave her hands and she walked towards the kitchen.

After having food her dad was about to go. “Hey, did you know about the upcoming film awards? When are you planning to go there? Will you leave from here tomorrow or the day after tomorrow?” he enquired her personally. “I’ll leave from here tomorrow dad” she smiled and replied. “When are you gonna end this hidden life?” he asked her with a smile. “After my revenge,dad” she laughed and replied. He then got into the car and left the restaurant.

Everyone said bye to him and returned to their room. Rithika caught Neeraj’s hands and grabbed him to the kitchen. There was no one except them. “Why are you making my heart flutter?” Neeraj enquired. “Cuz of you, I started to feel butterflies. Are you planning to treat my sickness or what?” Neeraj raised all his doubts. “I need help from you. That’s it” she replied. “What help?” he asked her. “Can you show me the orphanage where I was adopted by my dad? Cuz there is something I wanna know” she requested. He thought for a while. “I need to ask my partner,” he replied. She agreed and got into her room. He got into his room and messaged Alax about Rithika’s request.

Next day Rithika and Neeraj got into his bike and reached the orphanage owner’s house. Both of them got into the house and she introduced herself.

“I remember a girl who was sitting with me. Do you know where that girl is?” she raised her doubt. He thought for a while. “On the same day, we had another child too. It was far away from the accident spot. But it was not a girl. It was a boy. Thinking about that, you both looked alike.” he replied. “Boy? It was not a girl? Where is that boy now? Can I meet him?” she asked.

After a few hours Rithika and Neeraj returned to their restaurant. “What happened to you?” Abhishek enquired Rithika. “She saw her twin brother,” Neeraj replied. Abhishek was surprised. “Who is your twin brother?” Abhishek enquired. Rithika got into her room and locked the room. She washed her face and left the room. She searched for Abhishek. He was in the kitchen. She held his hands and walked to a park near their restaurant. Both of them sat on a chair . “Why do you look so down?” he asked her. She smiled and held his hands. “Will you answer me if I ask my doubt?” she asked him. “Why not?” he replied. “Why did you force me to lead a secret life? I didn’t mean to live a secret life. It was you who told me to live this way. I’m sure , it is not cuz of Neeraj or his brother. You can tell me everything. I won’t give you another chance. If you don’t tell me everything now, you don’t have another chance. This is not my order. I’m just clueless and have nothing in my mind. Will you disclose everything to me?” she requested. He breathed deeply and smiled. “I was looking for an opportunity to explain everything to you. I guess this is the best opportunity for me” he smiled and replied.

“I’ll explain it shortly. That’s better. I wanted to hide both my sisters as they are followed by the psycho killer.” he added. “Two sisters? Who are they?” she was curious. “I had a sister of my age. She was my twin sister. When both of us and our parents were going on a tour, the psycho killer purposefully caused an accident and killed our parents. Cuz of a struggling business man, my sister was rescued. I fell far away from the accident spot. So neither the psycho killer nor the business man saw me. Both of us were sent to the same orphanage. I recognised her . But she couldn’t recognise me. Both of us were adopted into the same family. I stayed with her till this time. I thought that someday she will recognise me. But she didn’t. When I was 13 years old me and my family stayed far away from our relatives. We couldn't contact them either. We stayed there for 3 years. One day both my parents left my sister with me and went shopping. My parents died in an accident leaving me and my sister alone. She was just gonna be 1 year old. I thought of raising her on my own. After a few years when we all relatives made contact , I told them that she is my daughter.” he explained. She was shocked to hear that and closed her mouth with her fingers. “Do you mean….”

“Yup. Neety.” he replied.

“You mean, you were my twin brother? And you are not dad to Neety and you are her brother? Are you telling me that you already knew I was your sister? Your dad and mom passed away? You told us that they didn’t agree with your daughter and you were abandoned. Even so, why did you think that both of your sisters would suffer ? What’s the reason? No need to explain anything now. Lemme collect my thoughts together.” She was frustrated and got out of the park.