Chapter 21: chapter 21

He was surprised as me when I heard the news, "Umm...when...when she is coming?""Right now, exactly after five minutes. That's why I'm preparing dinner for her".I moved away from him and resumed the cooking. He came near me, he stood in his black sunward overcoat.He tucked his hands inside the coat pockets and asked me, "Umm...Do you want me to stay out of this?"My lips twitched, "I would if I didn't share my past with you. Now, I won't mind. If you need, you can stay here".He smiled and helped me with the dishes."I should be worried that she is coming to meet me, Right?" I asked him. He looked at me, wiping the glasses.I continued, "But...but...deep down inside my heart aches what if she...if...she...changed after all these years? What if she was searching for me, realising her mistakes? What if she apologizes to me?" I sighed, "To be frank, I'm happy a bit that she is coming to meet me. But I shouldn't be, right?" I asked rubbing my hands together.He smiled and took my hand in his, "Ana" he called me softly which made me relax a bit, "There is nothing wrong that you feel like that" he cupped my cheeks with the other hand, "I'm not going to judge you" he kissed my head, bringing me closer to him, "I'll be with you".Right now, I want to kiss him and say how much his support means to me. But I was able to utter only the words, "Thank you, Chris".The doorbell rang, we moved away. I let out a breath, "I think, it's her".He nodded, "Then we should open the door".I went ahead, he followed me. Okay! Ana! You can do this. Remember everything you listened to in your therapy. Face the demon! Face the demon!"Omg! Chris! What...what...what...if...he is with her?" I panicked.He went before me, hiding me behind his back and looked through the peephole, "Nope, only a lady is standing outside" he came back, "There is nothing to worry about".I opened the door. There she stood, Grace Acre Collins, Carbon copy of me. She was wearing a neon coloured full sleeve turtle neck bodycon dress which was up to her knee-length with a handbag on her right shoulder. It was matched with white shoes and studs. Her hair is tied into a high ponytail. Her blue eyes had mascara, other makeups and coloured lens which I see from childhood.She parted her cherry red lipstick lips to say, "Hello, Ana Collins" her sweet honey voice came out of her throat.You can't say that she is in her mid-fifties. She looked like a sister to me. My heart sank immediately, maybe...she never changed. My hopes turned into ash.I cleared my throat, "Come in" I called her inside.She came inside smiling. Her eyes spotted Chris, "I'm sorry. But, are you...Christopher Rovan?" She extended her hands."I am" he smiled and shook it."Nice to meet you, young boy. You resemble your Father" she chuckled and eyed us both with a question."He...he...is my friend" I cleared her doubt."Oh...I see" her tone said that she didn't believe us, "That's what media said about you two" she replied in a ridiculed tone.We looked us each other uneasily."Umm...why don't we talk about having dinner?" I changed the topic.She waved it off, "Oh...just now I finished dinner with my friends. It was a great menu" she laughed, "I didn't expect you to cook".Now I clearly know she didn't change a bit. I hated myself for thinking that she realised her mistake.She occupied the couch crossing her legs, keeping the handbag on her lap. She roamed her eyes around the house. Chris sat opposite her, I bought wine from the kitchen.When I poured into a glass, "Umm...Ana is this local brand? If it is, I'm sorry I don't want" she made her ugly face, "I'm allergic to that things".I let out a breath, pressing my lips together, "No, it's the oldest and high priced wine"."Then, I can drink" she shrugged.I poured three glasses of wine. When I handed it to Chris, she interrupted, "Umm...Chris if you don't mind, I need to talk to my Daughter in private. So can you?" She asked.He stood up from his place, adjusting his coat. Suddenly an unknown fear grabbed me."No, he will stay" I caught his wrist.She sighed, "Darling, please it's important. I won't take long, I promise" she replied in her calm voice."Ana, it's okay" he removed my hands, "I'll wait outside the door. I'll grab little"."Oh...little is not here. He is with Jamie"."No problem, then I'll wait outside" he held the tip of my little finger and rubbed my knuckles, "Don't worry, I'm just behind the door" he hissed and went outside.He disappeared outside, within a minute. I occupied Chris's place and sat opposite her.An unwanted silence covered us for a second, she disturbed it "So, is he your boyfriend?" "No...he is my friend".I saw a relief in her eyes it's only for a second but I saw that, "I heard that they are rich and he is handsome. I can say if you wanna marry someone...he is the right choice".I looked at her with anger, "I won't look Men for money"She arched her eyebrows and tilted her head, "Leave that, how is your life?""Good. What about yours?""Nice" she sipped her wine, "Psst...how the hell you live here? This is so compact, tiny and sweaty" she used her hand as a fan."I'm happy with this and you don't worry about me"."I should honey, I'm your Mother" she placed a wine glass on the coffee table and her blue eyes looked at me intently."Mother?" I snickered, "You are my Mother" I laughed loudly, "What you did to me as a Mother? You never read a bedtime story to me, you never attended a single parents meeting in the school, you never played with me, you never dressed me, never cooked for me, never asked how my day went. I think these are the responsibilities of Mother. You never did this anything to me, then how can I expect you as my Mother?"She smiled, "Oh! Sweetie! You didn't understand the concept. We are rich people, we have others to do this. You had Nanny and servants to take care of that. You are a princess there"."Princess in a golden jail" I mumbled silently."Huh...what?""Nothing" I shrugged, "Umm...how is he?" I asked for a formality. Purely I hated that to ask."You mean, your Father?" She smiled.Don't vomit! Don't vomit! I consoled myself and didn't reply to her."He is good and he doesn't know that I'm here. I still didn't inform him that I found you".This is the only good thing she did to me in my entire life.She cleared her throat, "Okay, enough with the formalities. I heard that you are running a magazine named 'New Era'."Yeah, I am"."But that's circulation is not even close to 10% of our magazine's circulation"."No, it's not ours. It's yours" I corrected her.She rolled her eyes, "Whatever...I mean...you finished journalism...then why don't you join in our...sorry my magazine. Dad will be happy to have another Editor in chief. You can move back to our house. So that you don't want to live in this dirty apartment"."Excuse me?" I got shocked, "How...can you...ask me this after I've gone through a lot of things...because of him?""Ana, Darling" she sighed, "I think you misunderstood the stuff"."Again, excuse me?" I stood up in anger, "Misunderstood? Are you saying that I'm paranoid to imagine it? Do you even know how many days I spend a hell with him and his touch? Do you know how many nights I woke up in terror and shiver from the nightmares he gave to me? I spent fucking four years in therapy to clear that out of my mind" I shouted."Calm down, Ms Collins. Lower your voice. I don't want your neighbours to gossip about us" she warned me."No, I'm not Collin anymore. I'm Thomas, Ana Thomas" I crossed my arms, "Omg! Do you even cared to ask about Grandpa?" Suddenly a spark hit me and it dawned on my head, "Wait a minute! You didn't come to see me" I closed my mouth in shock, "You...you...came to bring me back there".Now her face turned red in guilt and shame, "Listen...sweetie...""Omg! Omg! Omg! He touched you, Right?" Tears ran down my cheeks, "When I moved out, he touched you and forced you. Still now, you couldn't escape from that. But...but...but...now...you found me...if I come back there...you'll...you'll be free from his clutches and I...I...can be into that hole again...that's why you came here" I asked her in shock.I expected her to deny this theory...but she didn't speak like accepting it and lowered her head in shame. She wriggled under my look."You never regretted throwing someone under the bus for you?" I asked dryly, "Years back, you told Grandpa that I came onto him and again...now you want me to suffer in his hands, so you can be free. How selfish you are? How can you call yourself my Mother? You never have the right to that. My Grandpa is my Mother, Father, brother and everything and for your information, he died two years back" I wiped my tears fell on my face."I...I...thought...you...are...changed...but..." I sighed, "Get out"."But...Ana...listen...""Get out before I can slap you" I interrupted her,"You are far more worse than him and I hate you".She sighed and stood up adjusting her clothes. She left the room without meeting my eyes. Once she left, I ran to Bathroom and vomited inside the toilet sink. I...I...couldn't control this anymore, I sobbed until my eyes are dry without tears. Why the fuck I came into their family? Grandpa...I miss you...I miss you so much...where are you? I want to hug you and cry...you can only console me.After few minutes, I came out washing my face. I saw the wine bottle on the table, this is the best medicine now. I emptied the full bottle inside my stomach. Before I can lose my mind, I saw Chris coming inside.Next morning,    I woke up stretching out my hands and legs. What a roller coaster night! I swear never to meet her again in my life. She is a terrible witch. Fuck! She made me drink a whole bottle of wine.I sat on the bed Yawning, sunlight fell on my face. I bunned up my hair, adjusting the bangs. When I removed the blanket, I saw what I'm wearing. It's a men white shirt. Only that, no bottoms. It was so loose and the long sleeve was rolled up to my elbow.No! No! What happened yesterday? I looked around, a black coat was on my study chair. This Coat? It's Chris's. Shit! No!His blue Jean and shoes were on the floor. No! No! No! No! God!Did...I...I...I...we...we...God! God! God!The bathroom door opened and he came outside with a towel wrapped around his waist, steam blew out of his sculpted body and water droplets fell from the tip of his hair."Morning" he smiled and went to stand before the dressing mirror."Chris, don't tell me...we...we...did...it" I bought my knees closer to my chest and buried my face in it.After few seconds, I sensed he is coming near me. I raised my head, he sat near me at the edge of the bed. He now changed into jeans. His body heat radiated on me. Still, his hair is wet, he touched my hand.I looked at him, he smirked and kissed my head, "Why? You didn't blame me last night. In fact, you are happy".Oh! No! Fuck! It happened.