Was it really an arranged marriage?

Rishi's pov,

I am dead tired after the meeting ends. Sometimes I feel I don't have any goal in my life. My life wonders between my home and my work. My home...I love my family.

I went to my villa after my meeting ended. It's 8 PM, and as soon as I entered my phone rang. And I know who can it be. I pressed the button on my bluetooth earphone and started narrating about myself,

"I am fantastic mom. My meeting was good and now I am back to villa"

"Rishi, how can you always know what I want to say?" My mother asked surprisedly.

Oh god, not again. My mom is behaving innocent. She has a planned questionnaire for me, how could I not know after so many years.

"Is it that hard to know what you want to say" I sighed helplessly.

"Okay...now listen I had found an Indian cook for you there. She will come to the villa tomorrow. Remember my words, don't scare her off...understand?"

"Rohan can cook food mom. Why I need another cook for no reason?"

"Rohan...such a bad cook. Don't let him cook for you and I don't want to argue anymore."

"If you would have taught him cooking, he wouldn't need a cook" I heard as my small sister as usual taunt my mother.

"Brother...what are you doing? Have you brought everything I told you to buy for me?" My sister took phone from my mom as usual.

I took off my coat and sat on couch and fingered Rohan to bring wine for me. "I hope you won't forget my conditions. Even if you had I don't mind to remind you again... Your scores are directly proportional to the number of your wishlist."

"How cruel of you..."

"Go and start your homework" My mom took the phone and warned me to not scare the cook tomorrow.

I ate the takeout food and after doing some work I went to sleep. My sister calls me a machine. She thinks if I waste my minute, it will cost me to lose a million.... ya ya I know its exaggerated... but that is what she likes 'Exaggeration'

I woke up at 6 AM and went for jogging and then jimming. When I came back I heard some noises from kitchen but I was on phone so I ignored it. Again there was some sounds. I frowned as I don't like noise. I walked into the kitchen and I saw a woman with her back towards me standing in the kitchen. She was washing dishes in the basin.

I frowned and asked, "you are?" She turned around and I saw her. I was surprised looking at her. She was breathtakingly beautiful.

"I am your cook...Nora" she replied. I frowned and remembered my mother's words. I again looked at her coldly and I was surprised to see a professional look on her face. She was looking at me with her hazel brown eyes.

I turned around and went into my room. I quickly bathed and came to dining room for breakfast. She already placed the breakfast on table. I sat and ate it without making noise. I felt like I had eaten the same taste before.

"Bring the warm milk for me" I ordered her. She stood there but didn't move. I looked at her with frown and asked her, "didn't you hear me?"

"There is no milk" she answered.

"There is milk in refrigerator" I sternly looked at her and said.

"There was... accidently it fall from my hand. I will pay for it." she replied.

I nodded and continued my breakfast. She went back to kitchen.

I looked at her back. Didn't mom said the cook is Indian? But she is not looking like. I was satisfied with her professionalism. Those cooks that my mom found before were cheeky and unprofessional. They looked at me like I am their prey and I hate those looks. No cook had been on work for me more than a day.

I asked Rohan to wait at entrance as I have a very important meeting today. I was in elevator going downstairs at parking area. The elevator opened and I walked out. I checked the security system in my phone but stopped in my tracks the next second. It has been hacked.

I tap a few buttons on my phone and found there is a new hacker around my area named 'Eagle' I smirked as it was interesting. After a long time, there is someone challenging me. In 10 minutes I found the location and my eyes turned colder the next second.

I entered in elevator and went back to my house. The location was the kitchen of my home. The electricity went off and I was stuck in elevator. "Damn it" I cursed under my breath.

I quickly called and asked Rohan to onn the main switch as I was sure she would have turned off the power button. Then I asked my bodyguards to not let her leave.

As soon as the electricity supply turned on elevator started and I reached. All my four bodyguards were standing there with heads down.

"Where is she?" I coldly asked them. No one answered but only looked down. I walked into living room and it was a mess. There was a restaurant bill in them.

"What did she do here?" I asked them with coldness around me. I couldn't believe a single girl just came and left my house as if it was a general area.

"Sir I think she could be a robber. There was something in her hand like a chain and locket. She was leaving when we came here. She ran away infront of us. She also beat two of us. I had informed other bodyguards to catch her around the area."

I coldly looked at them and actually saw bruises on two men's face. My eyes turned even colder.

"If you can't handle a single girl who is not even compatible to your strength, you don't need to be my bodyguards."

I dismissed all of them. Slowly a smirk formed it's way on my lips as I thought, "there is actually someone challenging me not to mention she is a mere girl."

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Do comments on story...

Three months later

Rishi's pov,

My work in Paris was finally completed and after two days I am returning to India.

I was in my study to complete the process of handing over the work to my most trusted aid.

When I was 22 my father was diagnosed with hypertension. After that I took over my father's business. He is now in his 50's and enjoying his life with my mother and my little sister. My work was almost done when my mother called. Now she is doing her next job, my marriage.

"Hello mom. My work is done and I am going to sleep." I explained as usual

"I know how much you sleep."

I was silent.

She sighed and said, "Rishi, your father and I found a girl for you. She is beautiful. She is the relative of your father's friend. I hope you will try this time. Look if you don't like her, we will not force you but my son we want you to be happy so please meet her atleast once for us. The decision will definitely be only yours."

"Alright mom"

"What!" My mom screamed deafening my ears.

"What did you just say?" My mom excitingly asked me like a child as if she was getting a candy.

"I will meet her. And now don't scream otherwise I will change my decision."

"Ohh..oh..ohk...waiting for you my son...come quickly" I hunged up the phone and smiled.

My mom sometimes behaves like a child. I walked in my room and sat on bed remembering those memories.

I was 8 when my biological mother passed away...yes she is my stepmother. I was 10 when my father remarried to my mom. I was angry at that time as how could my father give my mother's place to someone else.

From then on our relationship furthered away. I hated my stepmother...I mean my mom at that time. I also used to think like other people in society that a stepmother can never be a mother. She would definitely do something to strangle me. But she didn't. On the contrary, she used her own means to win my heart. I thought she is doing this to trap me or to mislead my father. With the passing time, I didn't saw anything unusual but I was on alert.

When I was 12, my world took a different turn.

Once I came early at home on weekend. I was usually used to spend time away from home. I heard some arguments between my mother and father.

"Why did you this? There was no need damn it." My father angrily said and threw the vase.

I had never seen my father like this angry. What happened to him.

"There was a need Aniruddh. I don't want him to live in fear that his stepmother one day will strangle him or hurt him."

I was shocked. I was somewhat sure that they are talking about me.

"But that doesn't mean what you did is a solution" my father once again shouted.

My mom let him sit on the bed and she crouched down on floor and held his hands. She then softly said, "Aniruddh, I know you don't want me to do it but please listen to me once."

My father looked at her but didn't said anything.

She wiped her tears and slowly explained, " Rishi is just a 12 year old child Aniruddh. He have the reason to hate me. I took his mother's place. No child would want that. But I want to be his mother and it is the only way to make him secure that I will not do anything to him.

He is just a child. This period will change him completely. He needs care, love and sense of security. That is what I could provide him. If he didn't have fear that his siblings would fight with him, he will feel relieved. May be one day he will accept me."

"And for that you steriled yourself" my father said with tears in his eyes.

I was hell shocked outside their room. I don't know how to react.

"Don't you want to give birth to your own child?" My father asked her and I also waited for answer.

"I just want Rishi to be my child Aniruddh."

She sighed and stood up, "you know Aniruddh that I also have a stepmother who is actually scheming and vicious. I was in terror all those years when she planned against me and made me lose my value in my father's eyes."

She wiped her tears and continued, "She made me believe that a stepmother can never be a mother. I don't get the love, pampering, care, security in my own home. I have experiend all those things that is bothering him."

She walked towards window and continued, "my half siblings made my life a living hell. I lost my childhood and adulthood in struggling. I don't want this for Rishi. When I look at him I find myself in him. Those eyes of hatred, filled with insecurity. He becomes conscious infront of me as if I would hurt him. I can understand him very well becoz I have experiend the same. And that's why I don't want him to lose his childhood. According to society, stepmother is a curse for any child.

Society is prejudiced towards stepmothers. I know this very well and that's why I don't want Rishi to feel that he is cursed. I just want him to grow healthy and happy and I will do anything that I could."

I found myself in tears standing outside the door. I don't know what should I do.

My father then hugged her. Both were in tears.

Then she said, "Promise me Aniruddh, you won't tell this to Rishi."

My father was about to say when he spotted me at the door. He then said, "promise, I won't tell him" looking at me.

I ran back to my room and locked the door. I sat on the bed in tears. And that time I realized my mother never hurt me. She never did anything that could harm me. She never ill treated me. On the contrary, I had shouted on her many times.

After a while, there was a knock on my door. I washed my face and went to open it. My father was standing there.

He sighed and just said, "don't let her know that you knew" I nodded and he rubbed my head and left.

From then on I treated my mom with respect. I listened her many times. She was more than happy to observe such change in me.

I also changed slowly as to not let her get suspicious. But there was an unknown knot between us. I never called her 'mom'. I called her 'aunt'. I know she expected me to call her mom but I couldn't. I couldn't give my mother's place to her.

But a sudden incident changed our strange relationship into the most beautiful one.

----//----

Rishi's pov,

At that time I was 13.

I was in the garden sitting on bench doing my own work on laptop. Suddenly I heard a sound. I looked around but there was nothing only our main power house. I ignored it and continued my work.

After a while, the sound again came and it was as if a blast sound. I quickly walked towards the power house and the next moment it was on fire. I was stuck in between the fire. I coughed as the fire was rapidly spreading. I was finding a way to come out when I saw my mom running towards the room with bodyguards probably due to the sound.

She shouted my name several times. She then ran towards the room and spotted me through window.

She shouted my name with the fear written all over her face. I looked at her but I couldn't answer as it was even difficult to breathe.

But the next minute, my heart stopped as she broke the window with her hand and came inside. Blood was gushing out from her hand but she didn't mind and hugged me. I could feel her body trembling while she hugged me. I want to scold her but no words came from my mouth as the fire was continuously spreading even faster.

Bodyguards were also shocked by her move. They started pouring water through pipes but there was no effect on fire.

There were the sounds of blast from electricity box. She would hug me tightly on every sound.

She then slowly led me towards the window. There were sparks of fire. She suddenly draped her shawl over me. She held me tightly and jumped from window. Bodyguards poured the water towards window and we came out. We were almost out when suddenly the roof burnt with fire fell down. She pushed me away and then she rolled away but...

But her arm got burnt. I was hell filled with shock. I quickly ran towards her and crouched down. She gasped in pain and was on verge of losing consciousness.

What happened next was something that even I didn't expect from myself.

I shouted, "mom please don't lose your consciousness."

I shouted towards bodyguards to prepare a car. Then I lifted her up and ran. I didn't had much strength due to exhaustion from fire but I don't know from where I got energy I didn't lose until she reached hospital.

She was looking at me with tears. And I just said, "mom don't worry, you will be fine."

After that she undergone surgery. My father rushed to hospital the moment he got news. He sat beside me. We were waiting for the light on OT to turn off.

After a while, it turned off and we both stood up. A doctor came and said she was safe. We both relieved a sigh of relief. At that time I lose out my conscience.

As soon as I opened my eyes, I realized I was in a hospital room. My father came from outside. I immediately asked him, "how is she?"

He nodded and said, "she is fine. She will wake up tomorrow."

He rubbed my head and said, "you take rest. If you want anything I am just outside."

I nodded and he left. That night I didn't slept. All the memories from three years were running in my mind. Two years of hatred towards her and one year of respect towards her. I didn't realized when my heart accepted her as my mother. But my mind was constantly opposing him.

The next day when she opened her eyes, the first word came from her mouth was Rishi.

I came into ward and she looked at me from up to down probably finding any injury.

I sat beside her bed and held her hand. Then I said something that she never expected from me.

"I am fine mom. I also want you to be fit and fine. Recover faster, I will be waiting for you at home mom."

Her face was covered in tears. I wiped her tears and hugged her. My father who was standing was also wiping his tears.

From then on our strange stepmother and son relationship turned into beautiful mother and son relationship. I never called her aunt again. And the once awkward relation turned into casual and friendly relation.

But there was the scars left on her arm. Dad and I found many doctors who could remove the scar. The scar was healed but not completely. And from then on she stopped sleeveless dresses.

I felt bad for her but she said this scar gave the precious gift ever. And yes that gift was me and my love for her.

When I turned 19, my mom was pregnant. It was a miracle for everyone. But my mom decided to abort her child without telling me and my father.

And that time I caught her and made her understand that I don't have insecurity. It took me a week to make her understand.

After that she didn't abort but assured me that I will always be her first priority. Actually I didn't need that assurance. Every mother have right to love her child unconditionally.

And then came our little drama queen who is 8 years old. According to her, mom loves me more than her.

I walked towards my balcony and wondered if I didn't heard their conversation on that day, my life wouldn't be such calm as it is now. I would never had considered her as my mom.

I sighed. Things changed according to time but there was something that didn't changed. And that was my sleeping habit.

I could not sleep more than 2-3 hours. Mom is always worried about my sleep. This happened after my biological mother passed away.

My mom feels bad for me but she couldn't help. She had contacted many doctors all over the world but to no avail. She also did fasting for me... yeah that's a superstition.

And from three years she is constantly poking me for marriage. According to her, my wife can calm my heart and give me happiness and love...but she also thinks that my wife could change me.

Now, I finally decided to marry not for that immaterial thing called love but for my mom's happiness.

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