"Ok so anybody has any doubts about whatever we have discussed today!!!" asked Riddhima, sitting before the laptop screen. The students responded no. Riddhima smiled. Casually she threw a glance over the couch on her right and she found Addy quietly sitting on the couch, holding onto his toy panda. Riddhima mentally went awe. An hour ago, as she recalled, she firmly told Addy to not make any sound while she's working (teaching) on the laptop. And Addy was obedient enough to not disturb her and sat quietly on the couch until she'd done teaching.
"You can come Addy." she told him with a smile. His eyes twinkled and he quickly dashed towards the bed and jumped next to her excitedly. Thankfully she'd switched off the laptop before he hopped up on the bed.
"Riddhima what were you doing??" he asked childishly, tweaking the nose of Mr. Fluffy. Addy's toys are always all over the bed and nobody can remove them as Addy gets really peeved if someone touches his toys. However, for Riddhima Addy had somehow incorporated what we call 'tolerance' in his otherwise 'rash' behaviour. For example, formerly if Girja or Vandana or any of the people here touched his belongings, he would get super crossed and would start throwing things all across the room in an unexpected paroxysm of anger. But since Riddhima's advent in this mansion, Addy hadn't had those anger fits in a while now. He even listens to her obediently which was somehow so unusual of his orginal behaviour since Addy was always known for his unbearable tantrums and aggressive conduct towards everyone in general. Riddhima, the other day, was casually asking questions related to Addy's past to Vandana and she clearly told her that Aditya Raghuvanshi was known for his uncertain temper and his lack of respect for the people he disliked. Somehow this behaviour of Aditya stuck with Addy as well and he was also known for his uncertain temper. Although the staff and other people cognated to Addy or Aditya had numerous things to say about him, and not necessarily were all of them appeasing or good, yet Riddhima surely had nothing bad to say in connection to Addy. It wasn't that that she hadn't seen Addy actually pouring water all over Girja the other day, since she was forcing him to have his medicines which he hated to take in any situation, it was just that that Addy had never caused any harm to her. Besides, no matter how much he despises the look of that ovoid yellow tablet, he ends up having it anyways when Riddhima hands it to him with a glass of water. For some reason Addy trusted her completely. It was as if he knew whatever she's feeding him is safe and won't possibly hurt him ever. He didn't had the same trust in any other person apart from her.
"I was teaching biology." she answered him. He looked at her in confusion.
"What's bio-lo--lo..... I can't even take that name properly!!" he whined. She chuckled.
"It's a subject in which we study about living things." she alluded. He still didn't seemed impressed.
"What's a living thing??" he asked innocently. His deep set eyes twinkling for no reason. She huffed. Sometimes she clean forget that she's handling a man child.
"Well living things are those things that have life in them. Like you, me, plants and animals." she told him in her motherly voice, folding the washed bedsheet. He looked at Mr. Fluffy and pouted.
"But you didn't say Mr. Fluffy is also a living thing." he said, pouting like a baby. She laughed.
"It's because it's a toy. It can't speak like us, can it!!!" she said, wrapping the pillow covers over the pillows. He looked as if he would start crying anytime soon.
"But....But..... he's my best friend." he said sadly. Riddhima watched him adoringly.
"I know Addy but it's just a toy. Besides, you can have a toy best friend, that's completely fine." she cheered him up. He looked up at her and grinned childishly.
"Addy if I ask you something, will you answer me honestly??" she asked. He nodded unbothered.
"Do you like Natasha??" she asked. Although she knew that was a really stupid question since he was practically a child from his mind, but the reason why she was asking this was because she believed that if we really love someone from our heart, we just can't ignore the connection with them even if we lost our minds. She strongly believed that if Addy loved her than, most probably, he would still feel something for her, even if it's a tiny little affection. Well, she was told by Vandana that Natasha and Aditya were about to get married but unfortunately Aditya became Addy and the wedding was cancelled. And Riddhima seriously didn't want to take another woman's place. If Addy has her in his heart than she'll pack her bags right this instant. Besides she doesn't even feels anything for Aditya, she barely knows him, though she really cared and adored Addy.
"Who's he??" he asked casually, rolling his toy car on the bed. Perhaps he doesn't remembers the name.
"Um, the woman who lives here downstairs. Is she pretty?? Do you like...."
"Eww!! That stinky Aunty. Yuckkk!!! She has a bad breath." he said, disgusted at the thought of her. Riddhima was taken aback, though mentally she was laughing. She hated Natasha, she just was so arrogant for no reason.
"I don't think so. I mean we all smell bad in some way. For instance, we just all stink a little when it's hot and we're sweating." she said, still looking for ways to make him admit that he was involved with her in the past.
"But you smell good. Even I don't stink. But she stinks. She's bad. I don't like her." he told her like a kid. Riddhima huffed. Hence proved, Aditya never liked Natasha. But what if......
"Shut up Riddhima....You overthink a lot." she chided herself mentally.

In the early evening, when outside it was raining heavily and the strong earthy scent was filling the entire mansion, Riddhima marched down into the cellar of the house. She had some unused stuff to throw in the cellar as it was simply taking up space in the room upstairs. In the way she met Natasha, and as usual her hairs were a mess, she wasn't wearing makeup as she'd ran out of cosmetics and didn't had enough money to repurchase them. Also, because she was in the midst of serious financial crises, her skincare (expensive skincare) had ran out and she hadn't had any beauty treatments in a while, as a result she had big pimples littering the area around her cheeks, forehead and few had even formed on her chin. Natasha naturally had a normal skin but due to the repeated use of these high profile products, she ended up ruining her skin. The thing with these high end products and treatments is that that once you stop using them, your skin will start breaking out or will have some other issue.
"Hi Natasha." Riddhima greeted her politely. Rarely did she ever ran into Natasha, mostly she was inside her room yelling at people on phone.
"Is he still crazy???" asked she rudely. Riddhima was offended.
"He is not crazy Natasha, perhaps you haven't actually seen how crazy people look. Addy is sick and I hope he will recover soon." she told her flatly. Natasha rolled her eyes at her.
"But he's useless to me, just like you. I can't get a single penny out of that disgusting dork kid....." she muttered and walked away. Riddhima huffed and started walking down the cellar. Once there, she turned on the lights of the cellar. Soft yellow light flooded the cellar.
"Impressive." she whispered, looking around shocked. Plenty of unused items were stowed here. There was this big piano which had been eaten by dust. Raghuvanshis were never known for anything related to Art or Music, they were just business bugs. A chiffonier was kept on the left and Riddhima had all the time to check out what's kept in the nicely preserved bureau. She sat on her knees and slid open the drawers of the chiffonier. The first drawer housed letters. She casually picked up one and read the contents. It was a love letter. Mr. Gyanendra Thakur had written this letter to his wife when she pregnant and he was in Chicago for a business meeting. The letter really expressed how much he loved his wife and mother to his kids. There were some photographs of a kid. Upon close inspection it dawned on her that it was Addy. Addy was a pretty cute kid when he was little. The next drawer had some more photographs, a broken wrist watch, some paper clips and nothing. The third drawer contained sealed envelopes on which 'For marriage proposal' was written in block letters. The envelops were untouched and they looked like they'd been sitting here for like years. She looked on the dates and they varied, some envelopes dated back to 2011. She opened one and there were pictures of an average looking girl who was very fair. With the photographs was her description describing her occupation, talents, hobbies and other things.
"Perhaps these proposals came for Aditya Raghuvanshi. But why would he not open them." she mumbled, opening some other envelopes. Why wasn't he ready to marry?? She wondered.
"Is he gay??" she asked to herself. Perhaps he was. Soon she left the chiffonier and went over to this huge almirah standing in the corner. It was a laborious task to open it but she ended up opening it somehow. Inside were some clothes, and they smelled of Naphthalene. Explains the existence of these tiny little white balls underneath the pile of clothes. In the lower section of the Almirah, when she opened it, she found photoframes. In one photoframe she found Aditya having dinner with 'Mafias'. It really came as a shock to Riddhima when she caught the infamous mafias namely Viraj Ranawat, Samrat Ahlawat, Rudrashi Bajpayee and few others eating with him as if he was their best friend of years. Riddhima now was starting to have second thoughts about Aditya. In the other photoframe Aditya was only in his underwear, flaunting his well-built body, and looking at the window. It was a candid picture but seriously it gave some real creepy vibes. Riddhima rejected that 'gay theory'. He wasn't a gay, but a player perhaps. However, not in a single picture was he seen with any woman. Except for one or two, but that woman looked more of his best friend as he had most photos with her than anybody else. Riddhima didn't snooped around any more, she had other business to do. Besides this past Addy should remain confined to the past. That's better for her, she believed.

When she was walking in the corridor, she heard Addy wailing in fear. She dashed to the room and discovered Anurag trying to choke Addy. His dirty fingernails were digging into the flesh of his neck as he tried to throttle him.
"What the hell....get away from him..." she yelled as she pushed him with all her force. Addy was breathing erratically. He was sobbing as he hugged her tightly, too afraid to speak or react. Anurag was drunk and had blood in his eyes.
"What's wrong with you!!" she yelled at him, rubbing Addy's back soothingly as he buried his face in her tummy. Anurag looked up at her in disdain.
"This motherfu**er....has left me with nothing. That dummy lawyer of his recited to me a wrong will. That loser thought I would never find the truth. Huh!!!! I have found out that this property can never come into my hands since this jerk right here has constructed a stupid will that shall give no one nothing. And you should stop pampering her for you too are doomed just like me." he spat hatefully. Riddhima glared at him.
"Get out of here Anurag. Don't ever come near him." she warned. Addy hiccuped softly. Anurag glared at Addy's trembling frame.
"If I can't have this property, you can't have it as well. I will literally kill you....You ruined my life...." he shouted as he slammed the door after him. Riddhima turned to Addy who was sobbing uncontrollably.
"I did nothing Riddhima. I even had my medicines on time." he hiccuped and said. She wiped his tears and hugged him.
"I can't leave you here when there are people waiting to kill you any moment. I'll take you far away from here, where you'll be safe." she whispered, thinking of how and when can she shift to someplace safe with Addy.
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