Mistress

Reila looked at the beautiful pink candle sitting on the lush brownie. Both ere gifts from her grandmother. Recently lost meeting Roy, she had become a savvy internet shopper. This was one first birthday since her eighth one when grand mother was not there to celebrate with her. Else the two of them would have been an army . She felt sorry but she knew grandma would have wanted her home and would have sent her the ticket to take the flight back. But she had been confident of spending the season with her best friend Shorla. Shorla who broke her ankle while dashing to catch the flight after a day at work in their family restaurant. Ultimately she was alone on her birthday. While picking the university far away from home she had not listened to her grand mother or her parents who had made a rare appearance at her school graduation ceremony. She had not even paid attention to Shorla and her special friend Mustaq. . She wanted distance, she wanted to give herself space though she said she wanted to give everyone a respite from raising her. The problem of being a child whose parents divorced and moved away but had good connections was that the child became an obsession at the back of their minds. Both her parents had moved on from the city but they have still not forgiven themselves for choosing to leave her behind in what they thought was the best decision at that time. So each wanted her to pick up an university in their town. But Reila was not yet done feeling sorry for herself and the lonely childhood she had. She had not yet forgiven her parents. Infact she knew she had not even forgiven her grand mother, though she was there always. She was upset that her grand mother had fallen in love at fifty five yet not spoken of it or the fact that the man was few years younger to her grand mother and eager enough to wait. Reila sighed. She needed some rewiring of her head. She was that child who always felt positively negative about everyone else and every scenario. It seemed God was tired on 26th and missed to give her the strength of not feeling sorry. That was why she loved Shorla and hated Mustaq. She knew Mustaq was everything Shorla needed and once they fell in love, Reila's existence will become lonelier than ever. She looked at the pamplet in her hand. She had just gone down to cancel the booking of the second room in the little motel that she had booked outside of the university campus for herself and Shorla. "Two rooms Reila!! We will get drunk and who knows get some good looking men too.. we need two rooms okay !" It had been a joke, probably. But Reila had been excited and had booked two rooms. The reception was glad as apparently, there was a missed communication from a man named Piotr who had booked a room and he was reaching in ten minutes. They spoke in a hushed tone. Reila was unimpressed , so what. Cancellations happen or atleast it happened in her life often. She should possibly have gone back to the campus but she would think of that tomorrow. Today she would go out into the university town and see if she was brave enough to have a drink or two and meet a man or two. As she came down the winding stairs beautifully decorated with flowers, he saw the sharp grey eyes of a man Pierce her across the distance. She almost missed a step. Immediately she knew it was piotr.well, if she was in reception she would have been also afraid of messing with his booking. It was evident that he was in a conversation with lady who manned this heritage property and ran it as a motel before stopping, seeing her and whispering ," Reila!?" When her mother had visited her after her sixteenth birthday, missing her birthday by two days, she had begged Reila to understand while pampering her with tons of gifts. "Someday Rai, someone will look at you mersmerised and call you by the beautiful name your father gave you and you will see that everyday is your birthday. " She had ignored knowing that her mother was late as the man she dated , celebrated his birthday on twenty seventh of December. But atleast she came. Her father who had married, couriered many gifts and some money with a list of names on each of the specially packed gifts. Names of his now wife Lita and their twins . Reila noted immobile that the man was asking the lady to keep quiet. There was an edge in his voice, an edge of imatience, "No it is fine. I was being a nut. Ofcourse we can manage with one room. Jason, book Leigh in any big hotel in the city and take care of her. " He walked swiftly forward stretching his hands out, " Reila my apologies . " His voice moved over Reila like the soft breeze of spring from the time they had visited the Orient.. exotic, unknown and mysterious. " I just heard from this good lady that you are celebrating Christmas holidays alone as your friend broke an ankle ? See I had booked both the rooms and even paid for them. Allow me to make your stay a little more pleasant by paying for your stay for a few days? No I won't take no for an answer. " He smiled softly catching hold of her hands in a soft yet firm grip. Reila looked at the entrance to see a woman look disgusted. "Who is she ?" He laughed, "I am Piotr and that's Leigh and Jason. We do some small business together." "She looked really irritated before leaving just now.." " No fault of me! She misses the comfort of a large room in a premier hotel. Not to worry, Jason will be at her service, taking care of her each whims in the new hotel, soon. " He dropped her voice and said, "They are extremely close. Really close right." Reila suddenly realised that she was still holding Piotr's hands and pulled it away and whispered, " I need to rush.." She did not see Piotr look after her with a look of an eagle after its prey and ask the lady in the reception, " Do you happen tok ow where she is rushing ?" The lady stuttered , "She is from the university, recently admitted, a very young girl Sir. Do you not want to go to the modern hotels in the city too?" He turned around and circled the place idly. " You know many years ago when father passes away leaving everything to me and mamma, not because he wanted to. But he went suddenly , a massive heart attack in this very building . A building that was gifted by my grandfather , my mother's father to him. Mamma was .. well shocked. She had wanted to find out his obsession with this place and what was your connection with him. Woman's sense as they say right? " The lady looked down and said softly, " I have and had explained everything. Again and again. I knew nothing about the death, other than the fact we were all deeply saddened by the loss. " Piotr smiled, and his face was wiped of everything but cruelty. And he raised an eye brow...