THE (UNSOUGHT) BODYGUARD

FIRST MEETING

Annika Trivedi had always known she was different. Her very first clear memory was of her fourth birthday, where the only other kids invited had been her older brothers, Viren and Karan. She remembered asking her mother why she couldn't have a party with other girls, who liked things like ponies and princesses and makeup. Her mother had said next year. When she was thirteen, she started at an all girls boarding school, and even then, she'd been singled out for being the six letter word that made the girl's normally straight hair curl. She'd been famous. Or rather, famous by association. Because when your father and mother were celebrities, somehow that made you guilty of it by association, just for being born. Annika, even though she had passed her twenty fifth birthday, still didn't like the notion of being famous, but it had been her life as long as she could recall. From interviews with television and magazines, to dodging paparazzi, to walking red carpets even, though she had thoroughly loathed it both times.

After graduating from boarding school with honors, and a reputation for being boring, Annika had gone to college, loosened up, and made national headlines the first time she got shitfaced at a college party. She hadn't used caution and that had ended up costing her, and from then on, she'd been stuck with a personal bodyguard who also acted as the worst chaperone ever for dates. Through her college days, it was a tough old guy named Harish, who ate a lot, rarely spoke, and always called her Miss Trivedi. Once she'd graduated with her fine arts degree, she'd gotten a slight upgrade to Ram. Ram was thirty six, married with a newborn baby, and liked to eat a lot too.

The girl lived at home still, even though her older brothers teased her for it, but she liked the quiet of her parents' big mansion and freedom to paint. And it was great not having to pay rent or a mortgage. But since Ram had gone on parental leave two weeks ago, she'd been stuck inside, waiting to go out to get much needed supplies for her painting. Not to mention some sanity from her mother's constant invitations to go out to lunch, or get their nails done, or massages or whatever else Vanshika Trivedi could think of. Annika liked her parents, genuinely, and enjoyed still living with them, but Annika wasn't one to lay around being pampered or out shopping all day.

She liked to go into streets alone and browse, where she was less likely to be recognized, or just stroll through the park to get some fresh air. Annika liked to take the local trains and do things for herself, including take the monthly trek to the art gallery to shed tears over pieces to put up to be sold. That was her least favorite time, but still better than sitting around going stir crazy for a fortnight.

Annika was sitting at the dining room table, drinking coffee, reading the morning paper, when her father joined her. Harsh Trivedi, the famous actor, still did movies, as he had as long as Annika could remember, but not nearly as often. Annika was glad her dad was around more now than he'd been when she was younger, but her mother was always claiming he cramped her style, even though they'd been married, happily, for thirty years. "I have good news, Annika," he said, joining her, helping himself to the silver coffee service on the table.

"Oh yeah?" she asked, not looking up from the paper. "New movie?"

H: "No. Not yet at any rate. I've been looking at excerpts from Adi's latest script and if he finishes the damn thing I'll be very interested. I meant I've found a temporary replacement for Ram."

A: "Cool. I need to go out anyway. Is he here?"

"Yeah, let me go get him." Annika glanced up as her father left, rolling her eyes. She'd already snuck out twice to go for supplies, but those had been quick trips. The girl wanted to go on an actual outing, and leave home for a few hours at least. She was going mad. Hazel eyes flicked up from her morning paper as her father returned with another, very soft, set of footfalls, then widened as she looked at Ram's replacement.