Tears immediately formed in her eyes as she took it in her arms and caressed it with her fingers. These white roses are my symbol of respect for you! His words rang in her mind as a silent tear escaped her eye.
"I still thought it was inappropriate...
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° ° °
"I've told you, I didn't get it yet!" she told her step-father as she was arranging her things to get ready for office.
"What do you mean? It's been a week since you're working." he said, his mouth filled with toast.
"They don't give advance salaries. I'll get it by the end of the month." she replied.
"By the end of the month? Who will pay the bills?" he asked, taking a sip of his tea.
"I'll manage. You don't need to worry." she shot and he shook his head.
"And the TV is broken. Send someone to fix it!" he stood up from his position before making his way to his room. She let out a deep sigh, calming herself as she left for the office.
"You're early today!" kartik stated as he saw varun entered his cabin with Rhea.
"Hey, Rhea!" he gave her a gentle smile and she smiled back.
"Uh-Actually..." Varun started but stopped as he realized Rhea was also in the room.
"Kartik call Radhika here." he told him.
"Why?" he asked.
"I need to talk to you about something, alone!" varun replied. Within a few minutes radhika entered the cabin.
"Yes sir?" she asked.
"I need you to take Rhea with you for some time." he told her and she nodded.
"No! Where's shraddha?" Rhea got away from radhika.
"Princess, shraddha isn't here yet. We are early today." he told her.
"I'll wait!" she folded her arms across her chest.
"Rhea. Go with radhika." varun said sternly. She looked at her father and she knew by his look that this wasn't the time to argue so she quietly made her way out of the cabin with radhika.
"So, what's bothering you?" kartik asked, balancing his elbows on the table.
"You were right!" varun exclaimed.
"Wow. I hardly hear these words from you." kartik chuckled.
"Can't you be serious for a moment?" he glared at him.
"Ok, tell me what's the matter?" he asked.
"I can't - I can't do this alone." he told him.
"And?" kartik motioned him to complete.
"You were right! I can't hide her forever but I'm also not ready for the world to see her." he ran his hands through his hair.
"I don't know what to do. I can't just go out and tell everyone that she's my daughter. And when the media will ask about the mother what would I say? Oh probably in jail, I don't know." he rubbed his hands over his face in frustration.
"But you still need to figure everything out! You can't just sit and wait." kartik said.
"You don't think I'm trying? I can't fucking sleep kartik!" he yelled.
"Look, calm down. We'll figure something out." he assured him.
"How? For once in my life I want everything to be normal." he again yelled.
"I can't do this alone. She needs her mother. Everyone do." he said.
"Tara is her mother. Do you really think she needs someone like her in her life? Hell, I don't think she even miss her." kartik told him.
"I know but still she needs someone other than me. I can't play both the roles. I don't even know if I'm a good father or not!" he shook his head.
"Tara is her mother, apart from Rhea we are the only one that know this, right?" kartik asked after thinking for a good minute and varun nodded.
"You just need someone to play the character of her mother." kartik told him.
"What do you mean?" he looked at him, confused.
"Look, you just need someone to pretend to be your wife and Rhea's mother. This way you'll get away with controversies and Rhea will get someone to take care of." he explained and varun gave him a wtf look.
"Are you high or something? First of all, Rhea won't except anyone to be her mother out of nowhere and secondly who?" he asked before kartik could reply the door swung open revealing Rhea as radhika chased her behind.
"Daddy!" Rhea ran over varun and threw her little arms around him.
"Sir, I tried to stop her but...." Radhika started but was cut off.
"It's okay. You can go!" Varun told her and she left the office.
"Rhea, I told you stay with her. I have work to do. We agreed on helping each other." he said as he placed her on his lap.
"I don't like her." Rhea told him.
"Kiddo, you can't make assumptions about anyone like that!" he told her.
"Assum-what?" she asked making both kartik and varun chuckle.
"Look, you need to stay with her or else how am I gonna work?" he cupped her cheeks making her look at him.
"But why can't I stay with Shraddha?" she whined.
"Rhea...." before he could complete they heard a knock on the door.
"Come in!" Kartik permitted and Shraddha walked inside with some files in her hands.
"Sir, I went to your office to gave you these but you weren't there and..." before she could complete, they all heard a loud squeal.
"Shraddha!!!!" Rhea ran towards her and hugged her legs. She smiled at her behavior and bent down to her level.
"Hey! How are you, Rhea?" she asked.
"Good. I was missing you so much! Why you late?" she pouted trying to show her anger.
"Aww... I missed you too." she kissed her cheek and kartik looked at both of them intensely.
"Daddy, now can I go and play with her?" Rhea asked as shraddha handed varun the files.
"Princess, she got office work to do!" he told her as he was going through the files.
"Then who I am suppose to play with? You need to work. She needs to work." she asked.
"We all need to work. You can play with radhika though." he suggested and she rolled her eyes.
"No. I'll rather stay alone. Bored. Just like I used to." she said faking tears and Shraddha couldn't help but chuckle.
"I see what you're doing there. Fine. Ms. Shraddha, take her with you." he told her and Rhea started jumping with joy.
"Let's go!" Rhea said dragging her out of the cabin.
"Wow!" kartik exclaimed.
"I know right. I don't know what she sees in her." Varun shook his head.
"She loves her for sure." kartik said and varun looked at him.
"What are you smiling about?" he asked and his smile turned into a smirk.
