Love Happens

Chapter nineteen

Mumbai
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Shraddha went towards the car. She found Poonam seated in the front seat beside her father, who was in the driver's corner. She silently entered the back seat and closed the door. The car started moving.

"The environment is polluted with some bad energy. I can hardly breathe."

Hearing Poonam's sentence, Shraddha knew who she meant was the bad energy. She ignored her and turned to Riddhima. Riddhima was already looking at her. She had lots of questions running through her mind because, to her, Shraddha seemed like a nice person. She has never tried to harm or hurt her. She was always very nice to her. She has also never physically seen her treat Poonam badly. But she remembered the event that happened in the morning, when Poonam said she poisoned her. She blamed Shraddha for it.

"She didn't poison you. You've started menstruating. It's natural, and it has nothing to do with her." Her father's words to Poonam spoke in her brain.

She didn't poison Poonam, either. She brooded as to why Poonam hated her so much.

"Is something wrong?" Shraddha asked softly so that only Riddhima could hear her.

Riddhima shook her head in response and averted her gaze from her to the window.

Shraddha sighed as she fell back onto the seat. The breeze from the air conditioning in the car hit her face, and she closed her eyes.

Anand peeked through the rearview mirror at her. She was relaxing so soundly, like someone who has zero problems. It angered him. He doesn't like to see her stress-free until she leaves his life. He intentionally pressed the brake, and the car came to a rough halt. As he and his children were all wearing seat belts, only Shraddha jerked forward and then fell back and hit her back. She didn't acknowledge the pain, but she was frightened as to what happened when the car stopped abruptly.

"Daddy?" Poonam said.

"I'm sorry. My mind was somewhere else." He replied and then continued driving. He peeked through the mirror again, this time locking gazes with Shraddha.

Shraddha's face remained neutral even when she moved her gaze away. Anand sighed loudly. Irritated. He was very angry with her. The more he saw her, the angrier he got. He wanted to trigger her to make a mistake in the car so that he could drop her there to find her way home, but her quietness inside was appealing as well as irritating.

In the end, they reached the Italian restaurant. All of them dashed out and wabbled inside the cave-shaped building. Inside, it was like a drawing in a book. Everything was black and white. Even the staffs were in black and white.

Shraddha was impressed. She had never been to a restaurant, so she had no idea what it looked like. But she always assumed it was beautiful. However, now that she saw it physically, it was beyond beautiful. They trod to the table and sat at it.

"It's my birthday. I'll order for all of us." Poonam said this while taking the apple pad from the table. She swiped the screen for some time before keeping it.

"We'll all have spaghetti and meatballs. Then a smoothie. Daddy, I know you love the pineapple smoothie. We'll have your choice tonight."

"May you always be happy, my child." Anand stroked her hair while she giggled.

Riddhima moved her chair closer to Shraddha, and hearing the sound, Shraddha gazed at her. She beckoned her to move closer. Shraddha first looked at Poonam and Anand. Both were busy on their phones, and she leaned in.

"I don't like pineapple smoothies. I don't want to reject Poonam's decision because I don't want her to be angry with me. Since she already hates you, can you...?" she paused, and her eyes pleaded the rest.

Shraddha replied to her with a smile.

"We won't have a pineapple smoothie." Shraddha spoke. None of them paid attention to her. Rather, it was like she was speaking to herself.

"I said we wouldn't have pineapple smoothies."

Anand's eyes paired with hers. "If you don't want it, you're free to change your order." He said it simply and fixed his gaze again on his phone.

"Not only me, but Riddhima and Poonam also won't have it."

"Who are you to decide that?" Poonam exclaimed as she sent her a cold glare.

"I'm still your mother since your father and I aren't divorced yet. As your mother, I'm saying you won't have that."

Anand exhaled a deep breath. He wanted to remind her they were never married like real people, but he decided not to waste his time since the divorce will happen soon, and legally too, they'll separate.

"Why shouldn't we? It's my father's favorite." Poonam spoke in an enraged tone.

"There's a myth back home. Taking pineapple after seven in the night takes us closer to our deaths."

"Then don't take it. No one is forcing you to." she answered. The waiter came with their orders and put them one after the other on the table.

"Superstitions always come true when the belief sinks into the heart. I'm sorry, but I've already become a victim. I really want you to grow old. Please don't take it."

"I don't believe in such nonsense." She said as she carried her glass of smoothie. Her lips were about to touch the straw when Anand took the glass from her hand. She looked at her father in disbelief.

"Let's not risk it. I care about you and Riddhima a lot." he replied.

Riddhima smiled earnestly at Shraddha.

"I'll go and order another juice." Poonam got up and stormed away.

"I'll go and help her." Shraddha stood up too and went.

Poonam went to the bar counter instead of the juice counter. She sat down on the tall stool.

"Good evening, ma'am." The man behind the counter greeted her.

"There's nothing good about the evening." she whispered. "Because of Shraddha," she added.

"That's not a problem. We have drinks that will replace your sadness with happiness. What will you want to have?"

Her eyes wandered to the bottles of alcohol on the stand.

"Serve me something sweet. My father is there. You can add the bill to his account."

"Sure, Ma'am."

Shraddha went to her. The strong smell of alcohol around there hit her nostrils, and it almost made her puke.

"What are you doing here? You said you'd order jui...

"Don't disturb me." she said, pointing a warning finger at her.

"Ma'am, your drink." The waiter pushed the glass toward her through the small hole.

Shraddha's eyes widened. "Do you drink Poonam?" She asked.

"It's none of your business." she replied and forwarded her hand to take the glass, but Shraddha held it first.

"I won't let you. It's improper. You're still young, and even if you were an adult, I would still not allow you."

"I didn't ask you for your opinion. Remove your hand." She jiggled the glass while trying to remove Shraddha's hand, which wasn't ready to let go.

"I won't allow you to have a single sip. If you refuse to listen, I'll go and call Anand."

"You're free to." She yanked her hand off the glass and gulped down her first glass of alcohol. The taste wasn't appetizing at all. It was the most bitter thing she had ever tasted.

"I asked you to serve me something sweet. What is this?" She yelled at the waiter.

"Ma'am, is this your first drink? That's the sweetest here." he replied.

"W...what? Is this really her first glass of alcohol?" Shraddha mumbled while panicking, thinking of how angry Anand would be when he finds out.

"It seems so." the waiter answered.

The effect started waving her senses. The bitter taste that stained her tongue began to be replaced by sweetness. She got up, and everything around her duplicated. She was very dizzy. Rarely walked without holding the wall for support. Shraddha went and held her hand, but she pushed her to the ground.

"Don't touch me. I hate you." She leaned in and blurted to her face.

Anand sighted them near the bar counter, with Shraddha on the floor. He stood up and asked Riddhima to wait for him there while he went to check on them.

Poonam left there and stepped on the dance floor while Shraddha struggled to get up. Anand went to her.

"What is happening?" he inquired.

"Look at me!" The scream of Poonam defeated the slow music in the background.

Anand and everyone around her focused on her.

"It's my birthday; I'm going to dance."

"What is wrong with Poonam?"

After much struggle, Shraddha regained the strength to get herself up, and she stood again. Her eyes moved to the dance floor, where Poonam was twerking.

"Who taught her this?" Anand fixed his gaze on the ground, feeling his blood boil.

"I will stop her."

"Tell her we're leaving immediately."

Shraddha ran to the dance floor and caught her hand gently.

"Come, let's go home."

"Who are you? Leave my life." She freed herself and continued to dance. Anand's patience level was reducing rapidly with each second he saw his daughter dance like that. He proceeded to take her himself.

"Poonam, your father is really angry. Come, let's go." Shraddha whispered.

"He's not angry with me, but with you because he thinks you tore Mother's poems."

"Mother's poems?" Shraddha cautioned. "When?"Because she doesn't remember doing it.

"Just let me be. I want to eat. My food is getting cold." She walked past them and danced her way to the table. She sat down. She began eating hungrily, humming a soft melody as she does, while Anand and Shraddha went over there.

"Did she drink?"

Shraddha evaded talking about what he asked her. Instead, she sat herself in the chair.

"Should I share a secret I've never shared with anyone?" Poonam coerced.

"Why are you acting strange?" Riddhima pointed.

Poonam muffled a laugh in response. Anand kept himself from blowing up. It was evident to him that Poonam drank alcohol. But in her right senses? Who taught her that?

"I've never written a single exam by myself. Grandfather always bribed the teacher to make me take the first place." She spoke without reflecting on what she said. Anand was shocked. He just went empty. How? How could his own father cheat him and his daughter?

"Another thing." she giggled, although there was nothing funny there.
"Grandfather told me to always hate the poor. Poor people. That's why I hate you, Shraddha. That's why I tore Mom's poems apart and blamed it on you. I want you out of my life by hook or crook. I did everything. Tore Mom's poems, replaced her picture in Father's office with yours, and even told Dad you did it all."

Anand's anger blasted like a bomb when he jerked her up from her chair. His eyes were flaring red with rage. He was hurt and felt cheated and deceived by his father and daughter, and now he wondered where she learned everything she did. First, the lies, and then being cruel to someone. She also tormented him by destroying his wife's last memory.

He raised his hand to give her a slap, as maybe that could reset her brain back to the first original Poonam; however, Shraddha prevented him by holding his wrist.

He looked at her. His eyes were full of repentance. He was ashamed of how he treated her because he trusted his daughter over her, and it turned out his daughter lied to him.

He was about to genuinely apologize from the bottom of his heart to her, even though he knew he didn't deserve forgiveness, but she read his mind before he could.

"Was this the reason you told me you hated me?" she asked. She was hurt, as instead of confronting her, he chose to conclude himself. She wasn't ready to forgive him, nor was she ready to hear his apology.

"I'm...." Just as he started, she turned to leave but collided with the man who saved her from the fire that broke out during her wedding.