CHAPTER FOUR

"Hey A, wait for me." Thirteen years old Alia shouts as she too gets her bag and runs behind sixteen years old Aayan who's going to play football with his teammates.

"You're not allowed there. It's a boys game. " he groans and runs faster.

"Wait up for me A." She shouts but he just ignores her and keeps running. Tired, she stops and taking out the water bottle from her bag, drinks and smiles.

"I will go back home and make him his favorite cookies. He will be so tired after playing." She nobs to herself

"Say you'll do it." She hears Meher's voice and walks towards her,"hey Meher, what's going on?"

A startled Meher leaves the boy's hand and turns to Alia smiling very sweetly, "nothing Aalu."

She then turns to the boy and gazes at him gritting her teeth, "if you do not finish this today I will shoot you where the sun never rises."

"Meher leave him." Riddhan walks towards her and pulls the boy from her sister's hold and speaks,"go home, Dev. And no need to do her homework. Give her back her book."

The boy, looks from Riddhan to Meher who glares at him then again to Riddhan, " I did my homework in off period. I will help her with hers." And runs off.

Alia laughs as she slaps Meher," stop scaring your classmates."

"Why'd you come and rescue him? Do you know what he said about me." She punches him but he ignores her and walks to the car waiting for them.

"Come one Aalu." Both Alia and Riddhan walks towards the car with Meher behind them blabbering about Dev.

"Where is Aayan?" Riddhan asks Alia.

"He went for football practice with Aarul bhai."

They all get in the car and the driver and their bodyguard too gets.

Reaching home, Meher runs onto Muskaan but without saying anything she rushes to her father who's sitting on the couch reading newspaper, "dada I am back."

"Hey, shoes down." Muskaan shouts but Meher being Meher she gets up on the couch and starts jumping.

"Get down right now, Meher or I will ground you. "

"Be my guest. Amy will rescue me."

Muskaan groans," ummmm. Armaan"she shouts for her brother who walks out,"what?"

"She won't listen."

"She was forcing a boy from her class to to do her homework. " riddhan says taking the glass of water from the dinning table and sits taking a sip.

Both Rahul and Armaan raises their brows at her and she shrugs, " he dropped water on my book so I had to punish him. And he came in between. " she points and Riddhan who shrugs his shoulder and taking his bags goes to his room.

"Riddhi maa" Alia calls and Riddhima walks out of the study she was in and hugs her,"hey beautiful. "

" I want to bake cookies."

"Okay" Riddhima frowns knowing cookies goes for either when she's sad or happy and she doesn't seems sad.

"Aayan told his friend he gets hungry after playing so I want to bake and keep. He can have in after or before he goes to play."

Riddhima nobs," okay you go and change. I will come help you once you done eating. "

"But I don't feel like eating. "

"No arguments on eating Aalu" Armaan says and she turns and smiles, " you never let go."

"And I never will. You eat before you do anything else."

"Yes sir." She salutes then smiling she gives him a hug and rushes to her room.

**************

PRESENT

"So are you sad or happy?" Riddhan asks making Alia jump as she was busy mixing the batter lost in her thoughts.

"Stop sneaking on me." She slaps him. He smiled taking the beer from the refrigerator and walks sitting on the kitchen stool.

"Tell me."

"Well, I was just thinking. I made a decision and now that it's done, I don't know what else to think. What he'd be going through and what not."

"You can always go visit him you know. He's waiting for answers, you know that. " he says sipping his beer. She looks at the bottle then him so he passes to her but she declines," a glass of wine please."

He walks up to the glass arranger and taking the wine glass he poses while she again gets lost. He walks upto her and passes her the glass.

"It's not that easy, you know. I was ready to marry him all my life. All I thought about when I was young was to get married to him. It was all perfect. When we were little, I never let anyone else be his wife playing house. I had an opportunity. I had it all and I gave it all up. It doesn't make sense. " she sighs as she walks in the hall and sinks into the couch.

Riddhan just stays and listens to her as he sips on his beer as she says, " what do you think?"

"Your happiness is all matters."

"Ohh come on." She grunts, "he is your brother. Why'd you just support me and not him?"

"Who said I don't support him."

"You helped me elope Riddhan." She says looking at him," you helped your brother's to be wife elope from his wedding."

"I helped my sister elope. You are my sister and I would not settle for anything but happiness for you. And if it means helping you elope then be it. Your happiness matters and nothing else."

"And your brother? His happiness?"

"He needs to fight for it Aalu. It's high time he stops playing safe and starts taking risks." He says and finishing his beer he goes to open another.

She nobs at him then keeps staring.

"And what about you? When will you take your own risks?"

He freezes in his place and hiding his face behind the refrigerator he sighs. Closing the door he walks upto her and sits,"my only risk is to protect you all."

"Why?"

He just shrugs. Getting up, he starts walking again but she holds his hand,"why Riddhan? Why the need to protect us so badly?" He shrugs again and this time she let his hand go.

"You never talk Riddhan. "

"Just know that, you all being safe is what keeps me sane."

"And what are those nightmares about?"

"What nightmares?" He asks taking a long sip from the bottle.

"Three nights back to back. I heard you screaming and shouting."

"Just pretend it never happened." Saying he walks into his study and Alia is left alone.

She sighs and shakes her head then groan and walks back to the kitchen. She again starts preparing the dough for cookies thinking what possibly she could do. Her mind is going crazy as she keeps thinking what she did was right or not.

After putting the dough in the refrigerator, she takes her wine glass and her phone walking towards the balcony. Sitting on the chair she dails and calls the only person who'd not just listen to her but unlike others tell her the truth.

"Aalu di?" She smiles as she hears the person's cheerful voice.

"Hey Amy, how are you doing?"

"I am doing just perfect di. How are you? And do what I owe this phone call, huh?"

Alia thinks for a while before she sigh, "I think I need some advice."

"Advice? From me?" Her almost shocked voice makes Alia sigh again as she bites her lips then keeping the phone next to her she puts it on speaker and start telling her everything.

"Why'd you ask advice from me di? Why didn't you call maa?"

"Amy, riddhi maa is already going through alot. I don't want to burden her anymore. "

"Di you know maa, right? The first thing she'll do is hug you tight which I guess you need the most. And second di, maa never judges anyone of you'll. "

"She doesn't even judge you Amyra. You must return home now." Alia says and as she assumed, Amyra changes the subject, "it's not about me right now di. Tell me something, do you still love Aayan bhai?"

"Yes Amy. But I am sure he hates me after this. I left him at the altar and now I am sure he'd never wanna seem face

"

"Then I think you should meet him and tell him. He won't hate you di. No one is going to hate you. Especially bhai. I know he can be stupid sometimes but then he's always been stupid."

"That's not how you talk about your elder brother Amyra mallik." She hear Riddhima's voice and the phone goes silent. Riddhima walks in the balcony with Armaan and takes the phone. Putting off the speaker she hears her daughter sniffing on the other side, "and whatever happened to answering your maa and dad's phone call."

Armaan takes the phone from Riddhima shaking his head,"you need to calm down woman." Saying he walks to the end of the balcony, "hey Amy. It's your dad sweetheart."

"I am good, doll. Tell me when will you come back?" He pauses as Riddhima walks to him and asks him to put it on speaker. He does as they hear their daughter, " I don't know dad. I need some more time to think and I have work to do."

"We have three companies over here and two over there Amy. You don't have to do that sweetie." He says as calmly as possible as he knows what happens when things get heated and his daughter gets angry.

"Dad, I need to do this. If I fail at this then I am a nobody."

"You are Armaan Mallik and Riddhima Mallik's daughter Amyra. You are not a nobody." Armaan says as he sighs while Riddhima sits next to Alia taking her in her arms who rests her head on her Riddhi maa's shoulder as they both listen to Amyra.

"Dad that's not all I want. I can't be in cocoon with you and maa all the time and with bhai hovering over me with his stupid bodyguards." She angrily speaks as her voice breaks,"I miss you all but I just can't come back. I will be back soon though. And I am fine here."

"Of course you're fine baby doll. If we'd not known you're fine, not a single day you'd be there."

"What do you mean?" She asks.

"Armaan." Riddhima shouts shaking her head.

"Did bhai sent his stupid bodyguards here as well?"

"Amy, listen to me. "

"No maa, you all listen to me. Tell bhai to move his stupid bodyguards from near me right now or else I will move away from here and I will go so underground you'll never be able to find me ever again." And the phone gets disconnected.

"What the hell did you do Armaan." Riddhima shouts as she dails her number back but the phone goes to Voicemail directly making her groan.

She glares at her husband who's lost in his thoughts.

"Riddhan?" She calls her son who walks out of his room and rushes to his mother," what's wrong?"

"She knows your people are looking after her!"

"Who mom?"

"Amyra." Both armaan and Riddhima says together.

"Okay okay guys. Calm down. Aalu, pass some water!"

Alia takes the glass from the table and passes to Riddhima who's freaking out.

"Riddhi maa. Relax." She gives her the water which Riddhima has and sits with her hand on her head.

Armaan stands at the corner as once again they have upset their daughter and once again they lost her chance of coming home and it is all his fault. He shakes his head as a tear slips from his eyes.

"Dad", Riddhan shakes his father who's yet to response and is lost in his own," dad, she's not going anywhere. She's staying where she is and she'll be safe. I won't let a single harm come to her dad. You hear me. Dad."

Armaan just hums and looking at them Alia worries before she speaks," I am going to meet Amy."

Riddhima and armaan both looks at her then at each other.

"You don't have to do that Aalu." Riddhima says as she takes her in her arms knowing she's already going through alot.

"I have to. I need to. I have been in this house for the past couple of weeks thinking just about Aayan and the wedding I have eloped from. I don't deserve this. I need peace and staying with Amy will make thinks better."

"Are you sure?" Both Armaan and Riddhan asks her at once.

"Yes, yes. I am sure. Plus it's better than staying with you and not having a single human being to talk. I'll have my little sister to take care of and put some sense in her nonsense brain."

Both armaan and Riddhima hugs her as Riddhima sobs and Armaan Pats on her back. They know if something ever happens to them, then the kids will have each other to look after.

Alia sighs as she knows she just made her selfish decision look so better in front of her Riddhi maa and her Armaan uncle who are like her parents. But she's a coward and she knows she needs time to go in front of Aayan. Facing him is like facing her utmost fear and she's not ready for that.

To be continued...