JENNIFER'S POV
I stood frozen at my place, absolutely dumbstruck!
Randhir... Randhir Manthena! Your fucking father!
Randhir... Randhir Manthena! Your fucking father!
Randhir... Randhir Manthena! Your fucking father!
Those words kept replaying themselves in my mind like a damaged tape-recorder, repeating itself over
and over again. Father had disconnected the call by then, leaving me in a state of utter disorder.
My lips were quivering while I was desperately trying to back those big, fat tears from trailing down my
eyes. I had looked for the 'Manthena Group of Industries' before when I had in the very first time,
eavesdropped on father. I had searched on each and every search engine. At that time, I had come to
know that for a decade or so, Randhir Manthena had been the CEO of the corporation. But then
abruptly, he gave up the position. Since then, his whereabouts were unknown. Some of the tabloids
said that he had surrendered himself from the business world and was staying in some distant land
while other paparazzi said he had been ailing since a long time due to some lung disease and hence
was counting his last days in some oldage home.
At that time, I had felt a dire need of searching for him, meeting him once, ask about his health,
confront him for not asking about me all these years, not trying to meet me for even once, keeping me
away from parental love, security. But most necessarily I had wanted to give him a tight hug. I had felt
ecstatic for have gotten someone whom I could call as my own but this recent revelation had shattered
everything.
I had a family, atleast a father.... True
He had been looking for me all these years.... Damn right
But was it all for a happy, teary, reunion? Absolutely not!
He had been hunting for me all this time, he had kept me alive possibly because he had some very
profitable business to extract through me. I still couldn't reason out why he had kept me away from
himself these many years?
Because he despises you like some rotten, worthless trash. You were nothing to him from the
beginning and so, he didn't want you around him except for once when he could fulfill his purpose from
you!
Chimed my subconscious mind.
My knees gave in and I collapsed on the floor. For once, I agreed with it on this. I felt empty all over. It
felt horrible to even think that I had noone to call as my own family. My head began to pound because
of uneasiness and terror... terror of being left alone, with noone else to help me out of this mess. I
tightly shut my eyes, and as a cue, tears trickled down my cheeks, probably messing the eye makeup
but who the hell cared? I was still going to be sacrificed either ways, be it my own dad or the devil.
All of a sudden, something flashed in my mind, in front of my closed eyes.
A grand, enchanting mansion stood in front of me, as if owned by one of the mightiest of all kings. It
somehow, surprisingly looked..... familiar. As if I had been there for a long time, running around the
beautiful gardens, playing hide-and-seek behind the mahogany trees, splashing the pond water on him.
Him, that small boy with the most beautiful, innocent set of deep brown eyes one would have ever laid
eyes upon! He began running behind me for trying to get hold of me but I stealthily hid behind one of
the huge banyan trees near the temple. Suddenly, I heard a heart-wretching, ear-splitting blast behind
me. That made me gasp out of shock. I peeked from the side of the tree only to find that mansion to be
caught in blazing flames and desparate cries of people stuck in there but absolutely no sight of the
boy.....
I opened my eyes with a jerk and a terrified shriek left my mouth. I had been sweating profusely and
shaking like a dry, old leaf. I wiped my forehead with the back of my hand and stood up, with the
support of an adjoining cupboard.
What was that?
I thought. I was totally blank regarding those visuals which had just invaded my mind out of nowhere. I
didn't have any idea of what I had seen but still felt like a dream which once I had been living in reality.
Maybe due to my soaring anxiety levels.
The thought popped in my mind and I dismissed those visuals like a bad dream.
Just as I was about to move to the bed with my wobbly feet, I heard some hurried footsteps coming up
and then, the door was clicked open.
"Are you okay madam?" The lady asked.
caught in blazing flames and desparate cries of people stuck in there but absolutely no sight of the
| opened my eyes with a jerk and a terrified shriek left my mouth. | had been sweating profusely and
shaking like a dry, old leaf. | wiped my forehead with the back of my hand and stood up, with the
support of an adjoining cupboard.
What was that?
| thought. | was totally blank regarding those visuals which had just invaded my mind out of nowhere. |
didn't have any idea of what | had seen but still felt like a dream which once | had been living in reality.
Maybe due to my soaring anxiety levels.
The thought popped in my mind and | dismissed those visuals like a bad dream.
Just as | was about to move to the bed with my wobbly feet, | heard some hurried footsteps coming up
and then, the door was clicked open.
"Are you okay madam?" The lady asked.
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