Destined

The Past - I

Ram

By the time Ram reached home, he was famished. His lost appetite at the party had now returned in full swing. The house was pitch black except for the dim light in the kitchen at the end of the hallway. He was a little disappointed when he found everyone fast asleep. Although he didn't expect his family members to stay up late for him, he at least hoped they would be concerned enough to call him to ask about his whereabouts, as he wasn't in the habit of staying out late. He made his way across the kitchen, hoping to find something that would quieten his raging stomach. The only edible item he discovered was an apple. And Ram detested apples. He would rather sleep hungry than consume them.

Tarun, Ram's assistant found him loitering in the kitchen. He was puzzled to find him in the kitchen at this time of the night. He realised that he might've been out late and hadn't anything to eat. "Ram Sir, why don't you make your way to the dining table while I cook something up real quick?" he told Ram with a smile. Ram obliged and seated himself in the dining room. A while later, Tarun appeared before him with a plate of fried chicken wings, stir fry vegetables and a glass of lemonade. Ram's stomach rumbled at the sight of the food, and he looked sheepishly at him, while Tarun tried his best to contain his laughter. Tarun cleared up the plates and cutlery after Ram was done.

Ram retired to his room after dinner. He took a long shower and dressed in his pyjamas. He was beyond exhausted, but sleep did not come to him, so he grabbed a book that was lying on his study table. Ram enjoyed reading immensely. He'd dedicated an entire wing of the house to set up a library. Although Ram had set up a library solely because his sister requested it, she barely used it at all. But Ram made frequent visits to the library. He'd spend his late nights exploring various genres and poring through countless romance novels.
Ram lay sprawled across his bed, reading yet another romance novel. He felt drowsy after a while. He swallowed his medicines and closed his eyes to let sleep overtake him.

Shivina Kapoor was a rich, spoilt brat, all thanks to her brother, Ram Kapoor. However unreasonable, he'd never had the heart to deny any of her requests. So even now, when she stood before him, demanding a brand new convertible, he couldn't deny her. He was well aware that he was spoiling her rotten, but she was his baby sister. He had always yearned for a younger sister whom he could pamper to no end, but his hopes were crushed when his mother passed away due to leukaemia. Ram was only four years old when he heard the news of her passing. To say he was devastated would be an understatement. He had locked himself in his room for a week, skipping meals altogether. Despite multiple pleas from his father and relatives, he refused to come out. In the end, Harshvardhan Kapoor had to break down the door to make sure his son did not harm himself.

Over the months, Harshvardhan noticed the changes in his son, Ram. He was always agitated and on edge. He had no friends, which made it easier for the school bullies to target him. He was picked on quite a lot at school, but he didn't utter a word to his father. It was only when Ram came home all beaten and bruised one day that Harshvardhan realised something was wrong. He had reported the incident to the school authorities and had Ram home-tutored instead. Harshvardhan knew that his son needed a mother's love and care, hence he decided to remarry.

Harshvardhan Kapoor first met Nandini Mishra at the hotel he was staying over. She worked as a receptionist there and he was on an official business trip. It was love at first sight for him. He had asked her out on a date to which she agreed. After a few months of courtship, he proposed to her marriage. Nandini was well aware of Harshvardhan's now five-year-old son, but seeing as he was well-settled, she agreed to his proposal. Ram did not take the news of his father remarrying well. Although he wasn't blatantly rude toward her, he made sure to avoid interactions with her at all costs. He barely even spoke to his father. Despite Ram's disapproval, they got married in a private ceremony. It became quite a task to avoid her as they occupied the same house.

Despite the stereotype, Nandini was a good stepmother. She had always attempted to make Ram as comfortable as possible. She knew he disliked her, but she was determined to change that. Eventually, he warmed up to her and they shared a good relationship. She used to read him bedtime stories and visits to the park became a regular occurrence. But all that changed when his step-siblings were born. Shivina and Shubham were twins, the former being three minutes older. Ram was ecstatic to see his siblings. He loved Shivina a tad bit more than Shubham as he had always wished for a sister. As the twins and Ram grew up, Nandini became indifferent toward Ram. She wasn't cruel as such but she barely gave him her time of the day. She spent most of her time fussing around the twins. Ram wasn't disappointed though. He was just glad to have his baby sister with him.

Tragedy struck Ram a second time when his father passed away in a car accident. Ram barely even had the time to grieve as the reins of the company were handed over to him. Family responsibilities and losses in business compelled him to take over the company at the tender age of eighteen. Fortunately, his father had trained him quite well, so he was able to restore the company to its previous position. He managed the company as well as his studies simultaneously.

He had met Vedika while he was studying at the university. It was love at first sight for Ram, but Vedika didn't reciprocate his feelings, at least not initially. Not wanting to seem downright rude, she agreed to a date. She found Ram genuinely interesting and agreed to another date. Multiple dates later, they had made it official. Ram had befriended Shashi, Aditya, Brinda, Kunal and Vikrant in his second year at the university. Ram had introduced Vedika to them and the five became thick as thieves. Ram and Vedika had dated for almost six years before Vedika decided to call off the relationship and marry Shashi instead. Adi, Brinda, Kunal and Vikrant were his only moral support during the heartbreak. Brinda and Vedika had been friends, but when she found out that she dumped Ram to marry Shashi, she was furious. Despite Ram pleading her not to, she ended her friendship with Vedika immediately. Vedika's excuse for dumping Ram had been that he wasn't settled enough and her parents urged her to marry Shashi. Although Ram had forgiven her completely, Brinda still held a grudge against her. Vedika was apologetic for breaking Ram's heart and she'd apologised to him multiple times but Brinda didn't give in that easily to her apology and kept Ram as far away from her as possible.

Many years had passed since the heartbreak but Ram hadn't moved on. How could he? He'd promised to love Vedika for a lifetime after all. Although his friends pressured him to go on dates, nothing good came out of it. He made his family his top priority. So, when Shivina stood before him asking for a new convertible, all Ram could do was oblige willingly. He asked Tarun to book the latest convertible for her and upon hearing this Shivina hugged him tightly with a peck on his cheek. Ram knew his family wasn't really his at all but they were family nonetheless. He knew they barely cared about him. They approached him only when they'd want something from him, be it fancy clothes, automobiles, latest electronics. He wasn't naïve enough to believe that they loved him. There was just indifference. And for Ram, it was even worse than hate. But his father would've never abandoned them and so, like a dutiful son, he'd been taking care of his stepmother and his step-siblings and all their wants and needs.