ETHEREAL

.23.

A stress free dinner.

That's all she wanted to end her day, peacefully.

Walking down the stairs she hoped that aunt Zara and uncle Zayn won't discuss about her not using their money or asking their help if she ever need money.

But there was still one percent chance that they might want to discuss it over a dinner so she had to be prepared.

Peter gave her a wink when he saw her coming towards the dining table. All members were already settled leaving a seat for her in between Maria and Zara. It was far away from the young owner of the house she is living right now but as it was a round table, she eventually ended up sitting in front of him.

Maria started serving in my plate as soon as she saw me but sanyukta took the bowl from her hands gently. Maria shook her head smiling at her because now Maria was supposed to get used to not treating her like a princess in this mansion.

I'm not a princess.

She don't even know where she belong anymore.

Aunt Zara was way too quick to start a conversation that she chew fastly the bite that was in her mouth.

"So Randhir, about the adjustments.... ?" Randhir looked up only for a moment.

" Hmm. " He nodded while chewing his bite.

Peter looked as puzzled as me but not Maria.

"So you arranged the placement? " This time it was uncle Zayn who questioned.

She was just cutting her first bite with a fork and knife when all eyes suddenly fell on her. She wondered what drawn their attention to her so suddenly.

"Darling, that's not how we cut food, that's how we scratch a very very nice table." Peter mumbled lowly and she realise that she was rubbing the fork on the table instead of her plate.

She wanted to facepalm but to poke her eyes with that fork was more inviting at the moment.

"I'm sorry I didn't mean to ..." She straighten up herself. Please kick me out of this house now.

"It's fine. Don't worry." Uncle Zayn smiled.

I don't deserve him.

"So when she can join in?" Zara asked Randhir to which he didn't looked up.

"Tomorrow." He mumbled to his plate.

What are they talking about?

Peter gave her another wink and she realised that they are talking about her.

I'm the she.

"That's good." Uncle Zayn mumbled to Zara.

Should I ask them?

What's going on?

But Zara read her thoughts already.

"Randhir's company organize an internship program every year." She started. "This year the session had been already started few days ago." She put her fork down so she could concentrate more on how to tell me the news.

"People are dying to be in that programme. People are flying across the world to be in those ten people to be mentored in that programme." Aunt Zara hesitate a little before she continued.

"Randhir arranged some things and now ..." She paused and look at Zayn.

" You are one of the ten people." Zayn completed.

"NO WAY." She said that too loud.

Sanyukta went in a shock while all of them watched her having an internal panic attack.

"It's an opportunity.."

" No. No. No no no." She was babbling to the table.

"I can't take somebody's place like that. There are so many people who wanted that. Who prayed for it, who are worthy of it." Sanyukta was still talking to the table.

"But you want it too." Peter chipped in between. Sanyukta had never felt more betrayed though.

She didn't speak. She didn't even moved a little bit. Her hand hanging in air holding a bite that she was about to eat before the news.

She put the fork down finally and took a deep breath.

"I am so grateful that you thought so much about me. I'm sure anybody else would be so delighted to be the part of the programme and I would love it too but only when I earn it. I want to make my way on my own. Please." Sanyukta whispered at the end.

" I don't want to....live my life with..."

so many Favours

" so much help." She ended instead.

"It's not help." Randhir voice was throaty.

Their eyes met.

"We always gave a seat to one candidate as a scholarship. No fees, it's more like a lucky draw. Maybe you are just lucky." Randhir returned back to him food.

Bullshit.

'but I didn't even applied." Sanyukta confronted. "I didn't even gave my name to that programme."

"I did." Peter chimed again.

Betrayal overdose.

Maybe aunt Zara noticed the intensity of sanyukta death glare to Peter because she decided to play along.

"I told him to." Aunt Zara proceed the little white lie they just made.

Then she looked hopefully at uncle Zayn just in case he will say something for sanyukta.

"That's.." uncle Zayn gulped down his food. "That's great."

Oh no.

Maria is my last hope.

Then she looked at Maria but Maria was too excited already that she turned to sanyukta and hugged her.

"Congratulations."

Kill me already.

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