Detachment: A RiAnsh TS

Epilogue

The first thing that came into Riddhima's mind as she stepped out of the mansion was freedom. She was free now. Free of fear, free of conspiracies, free of the shackles of taunts and hurtful words.

She had decided that it was enough of her always trying to love others. Now it was time to love herself. Enough of thinking for others. It was time to think for herself.

With this thought, she decided to go and check if she can get a room to stay in her hostel, till the time, she finds an apartment to rent. Money was something which she did not have in hand at that moment. Though she did have some savings in her bank account but withdrawing it would only be possible the next day. So she chose to walk all the way to her hostel.

Though it was difficult to wall with a sprain in her ankle but she had to somehow. So she did and reached the hostel.

By the time she reached the hostel, it was already quarter to 10. Looking at the main gate, she reminisced all the moments that she had spent here with all her friends. She was reminded of that unfateful day when she stepped out of the premises to join the staff on the cruise as the party planner. After that, it was now that she was seeing this gate again.

She stepped inside and released a breath of relief. moving towards the office, she inwardly prayed that the warden and the authorities let her stay in. There she was, her warden, sitting in all her glory with a stern look on her face, as if she had been waiting for her only. The lady smiled looking at her but Riddhima could notice the thin film of tears that got deposited in the corner of her eyes.

"My child." She spoke with so much emotions and opened her arms to give her a hug, that Riddhima could not hold back the tears that she had been for so long. She ran and hugged the old lady and cried in her embrace like a child. She missed this warmth, she had always, since the day she left this hostel. The warden was a strict looking lady who was nothing but soft and pure from heart. She loved all the girls equally who stayed at the hostel. All the girls at the hostel called her amma.

"Ssshh... stop crying! You are absolutely safe here." She spoke wiping her tears once Riddhima lifted her face from her shoulder after crying her heart out.

"Amma, I wanted to ask you. Can I stay here for sometime? Only till I find a rented apartment for myself." Riddhima asked when her hiccups subsided. In return, she got a smack on her head. When she looked at amma's face, she found expressions of fake anger.

"Riddhima, how can you think that I won't allow you here after what all that had happened with you?"

"Amma, you knew?" Was all Riddhima could ask her.

"Of course I knew. The whole country knows. We all have seen the news." She replied.

"Is that why you were sitting here as if expecting me to come here?"

"Of course, my dear. I expected you to come here only. And I am happy that you did what I expected you to do. Had you gone somewhere else, I would have come there, twisted your ear and brought you back here." She spoke, trying to lighten her mood and Riddhima smiled. Amma kissed her forehead and asked her to move to her room.

"You look exhausted. Now go to your room. I will myself feed you today, with my own hands. Look you have lost so much weight." Both the women smiled at each other and Riddhima moved to her room.

It was exactly the same as she had left it. The only thing missing was her bestie Sejal. But it was good since she wasn't here, she would not get to know what her best friend had to go through. Sejal always warned Riddhima to stay away from that leech Kabir, but she always ignored it. Had she listened to her once, she would not have to face all this now.