▪︎Also available on Smashwords▪︎ ▪︎And Hardcopy on Amazon▪︎ When business tycoon, Abhishek Malhotra compels 18 psychotherapists to run away from his treatment, his father is forced to marry him to a Doctor whom he believes can cure him. Abhishek Malhotra, an arrogant, Casanova, drug addict with a painful past. Dr. Roshni hired by his Dad to cure his addiction. *** "Mr. Malhotra. I'll make you realize that the whole world is not how you see it. Everything and everyone is not the way you think it is. When you judge people. It's a representation of your character not theirs. I am ready to face whatever it takes to make you agree for treatment." Roshni said. "I am a sadist Roshni. I derive pleasure by hurting others. Don't be the object of my pleasure, my lust. It'll break you to the core!" He said truthfully desperately hoping that she would understand the warning in his words. "But it'll mend you. And I don't think you or anybody other than myself have that power of breaking me." She said confidently. "Fine then." He said with a curt nod and pushed her on the bed with her shoulders. "From today, this moment, I'll hurt you, torture you in every way possible, physically, mentally, emotionally but still, can you keep believing that there is a human in this sick, gruesome beast? If you succeed in bending me, I will do everything you say." He declared in a challenging tone. Roshni's mind had numbed from his past act. She was too shocked to respond. The bed below her back felt the roughest surface ever. She looked at it and then him. She realized there was no other way to make him trust her. There was no other way to make him realise that she was different. And this was the first step of the treatment - him putting his faith in her. If she wanted to see him alright, she had to drink this poison. She had to let him break her. His lips curved into a victorious smirk as he moved back seeing her state. "You see, it's very easy to lecture people about things." and was about to leave when Roshni held his wrist. "I'm your wife. You have all the right on me and it's not an immoral thing to submit yourself to your husband. You want to hurt me, do it but that won't stop me from believing that there is a good human being beneath this shell." She somehow managed to say. She had seen his reports, his father's pain, Laksh's panic, his helpless state, he hadn't. *** His heart was shattered, eyes dried, soul broken into pieces that pained him every now and then but maintained a straight, cold mask on his face. She was like the most beautiful star of the night whose light and warmth was destined to show him his way:-) Will she be able to heal him or end up getting herself broken? Will they live blissfully or would his past come haunting? Read to find out...
In the crowded city of Mumbai, at a high 30 storey building,
-At the Office-
"What the hell? We've been waiting for them for twenty minutes Dad. Do they think that the meeting is at 11 in the night instead of 11 in the morning? Who is he to keep Abhishek Malhotra waiting?" A muscular, fair skinned man with soft black hairs yelled. He was in his mid-twenties.
"Quiet Abhishek. Just because you rarely come to office on time doesn't mean everyone should be there at that time. Mr. Kumar is a very punctual man. And if he is late, there must be some big reason. He is neither calling nor receiving the call." His father, Ram Malhotra said dialling his number continuously.
"Finally, he has called." Ram Malhotra said heaving a sigh. "Yes Mr. Kumar. We've been waiting for you." He said politely.
Suddenly his expression changed to shock and he stood up from his chair. "What? No. We can conduct meeting anytime. You don't worry about that. Just take care."
"What happened?" Abhishek asked uninterested while playing with the paper weight.
"Mr Kumar met with an accident on the way. They took him to the nearby Holy Family Hospital. I'm going there to see him, you handle here." Abhishek's dad ordered before leaving.
"Fine." He spoke.
-At Holy Family Hospital-
A slim, lady doctor with long open hairs, and honey brown eyes covered by black rimmed glasses is reading 'Twilight' novel in her cabin. She sees a patient's parent rushing to talk to her. The woman is crying vigorously while explaining something.
The doctor turns to the woman. "Okay Don't cry please. I'll see to it." Saying this, both of them start walking towards the ward where a boy is yelling and shouting at everyone in sight.
"Look at him doctor. He's my son, Naren. He's not ready to get himself treated. Already four doctors left due to his tantrums. Please help him."
"So, he's your son?" The doctor asked in her thin, silvery voice, straitening her black rimmed glasses.
"Yes. He injured his leg badly while practicing football and now he can't play for international tournament which will be held in a week. Doctors have said that he can walk if he gets treatment but it may take up to a few years. Therefore, he's not ready for it. He thinks they can't do anything. Please help him doctor." The woman was crying vigorously and pleading for her son but it didn't seem to affect the boy's stone heart anymore.
The doctor says in a little loud voice, "What are you saying ma'am? I think he's right. If he doesn't want to walk, or play football, who are we to interfere?"
Naren's mother was shocked at this reply but all the other doctors and staff smiled because they understand. "Hey boy. Naren right. Come with me. Nurse, please give him his walking stick." She said turning to the patient.
"Look if this is your trick, I'm not interested. Go away. I don't want any treatment." The boy said rudely but the doctor smiled confidently and said, "Who is talking about treatment? I just want to walk around the hospital with you. Is it really a big deal? Or is it that you are afraid that you'll change your mind?" She said smiling, clearly challenging him.
He was irritated by her constant smiling despite getting insulted, actually irritated by her confidence.
He stood up with the help of his walking stick and slowly followed her outside. She led him towards another ward and opened the door.
The boy was terrified by what he saw inside. A man was lying on a bed and he had no legs. His body ended on the knees but still he was laughing and smiling with some kids.
"He's a soldier who lost his legs while fighting for the country." The doctor said quietly.
"H... how can he be so happy despite that?" The boy stuttered pointing towards the man's legs.
"Because happiness comes from within. Our happiness depends upon us and not others. If we depend upon others for our happiness, we never get it. Come I've to show you something else too." She Led him towards a 12-year-old kid who was playing with a cube and was so happy as if there were no tomorrow.
"You know which section of hospital this is?" He shook his head in negative. She pointed towards the door and it had a board, CANCER WARD. The boy was horrified to the extreme.
"That boy you see, he's suffering from cancer, at second stage. We're still not sure if we can save him." She said, sad and guilty over the fact. "Now instead of looking at the people who are walking and running and feeling helpless, why don't you look at these people and feel grateful to God for what he has given you? Circumstances don't make us. The way we react to circumstances makes us. The same boiling water which softens the potato hardens the egg. Tell me the name of just one person who doesn't face problems in life. There's no one like that right. Just that some chose to deal with it with a positive attitude. I'm really amazed at your decision. I mean, you can give up your legs for football, but can't try to walk for your parents? Is football more important than their tears? When life gives you hundred reasons to give up, we should find one reason to hold on.
Your physiotherapist will be here in an hour. If you still feel that you don't need your legs, you can say no to him. Take care"
By this time. The boy was terrified, amazed, grateful, sad and regretful at the same moment.
"Wait." He shouted back at the doctor who was walking away.
"Yes?" She turned around.
"I'm ready for treating myself. I don't want to hurt my parents." He said regretfully.
"Good. Now let's go. Your parents must be waiting." She beamed and led him towards his ward.
At a little distance, a man in his mid-fifties was standing and watching all this since the time the girl had started talking to the boy.
Just then his phone buzzed and he received the call, "Ram Uncle, I've done your work. Come to the office fast, I've to talk to you about it." Laksh Verma, Abhishek's best friend and lawyer said from other side. Ram had given him the responsibility of finding a perfect girl for Abhishek.
"Forget it Laksh. We don't need that now." He answered and disconnected the call leaving Laksh confused like hell.
The man walked towards her, "excuse me."
She turned around and elaborated, "Sorry Sir. I'm a little busy. I'll ask some other doctor to-"
"No. I'm not a patient. Actually, I had come to visit a friend who is admitted here. He's also stubborn like that boy. I doubt he'll give up on his treatment. So, if you could just...?" he lied because he wanted to talk to her, to know her more.
"OK. I will handle that too. Where's he?" She asked generously.
"Not now. Some other day. By the way, what's your name?" Ram inquired.
"Dr. Roshni." She responded proudly.
"Roshni...?" He continued like a question expecting her full name.
"My name is Roshni. Just Roshni." She mumbled with a smile which didn't reach her eyes.
The man got the hint and didn't talk about it more. "OK then, I'll leave. Here's my card." He stated politely. "I know giving your number to a stranger isn't okay with you so keep this and call me when you're free." He added.
"OK then see you later Mr...?" She trailed off not knowing his name.
"Mr. Ram Malhotra. Nice to meet you doctor." He responded.
They shake hands and she leaves While Ram is smiling victoriously. "Thank you, God, for listening my prayers. SHE IS SO PERFECT FOR HIM." He chimes and leaves.
Falling in love is like falling off a cliff, where your brain says, DON'T DO IT! YOU WILL DIE! But stupid heart says, JUST DO IT! I CAN FLY! ••••• Beautiful, yet introvert, self conscious, nerd, JIVIKA SINGHANIA is head over heels in love with Ranbir. RANBIR KHURANA, one of the most eligible bachelor and business tycoon, who is the craze among women is totally into RADHIKA SINGHANIA, Jivika's cousin. RADHIKA is well aware of Ranbir's love and Ranbir is her life but She can't love her life more than her dreams and Freedom... Things go nasty When circumstances take a turn for the worst and bring together Jivika and Ranbir. Amidst twists, lies, ambitions, passions, betrayals Jivika finds herself stuck at the receiving end of Ranbir and Radhika's hatred. Believing that she's responsible for destroying their lives, the two lovers leave no stone unturned in making Jivika's life a living hell. Will Jivika ever be able to get out of her pain and problems? What game would destiny play with the trio? Is life that simple? Ranbir, who hates Jivika, to what extent would he go for hurting her? When testing time comes, who's love would prevail and who's love would fail?
"It was just one night stand, and now I'm pregnant with triplets? Gosh!" Josephine Jade never thought that she would have to run away from her own family while pregnant. She was alone, without money, without connections, with three fetuses in her stomach. How can she survive? However, Josephine couldn't give up now, until she managed to reclaim her arbitrarily seized property and get back at everyone who tried to get rid of her. A sick child, a past crush that comes back, a mysterious eccentric man, and a family that hates her, will weave together the journey of Josephine Jade's new life. "You have no right to separate me from my children, you bastard! I will survive and you will submit to me. Just watch!"
It was supposed to be a marriage of convenience, but Carrie made the mistake of falling in love with Kristopher. When the time came that she needed him the most, her husband was in the company of another woman. Enough was enough. Carrie chose to divorce Kristopher and move on with her life. Only when she left did Kristopher realize how important she was to him. In the face of his ex-wife’s countless admirers, Kristopher offered her 20 million dollars and proposed a new deal. “Let’s get married again.”
Rumors said that Lucas married an unattractive woman with no background. In the three years they were together, he remained cold and distant to Belinda, who endured in silence. Her love for him forced her to sacrifice her self-worth and her dreams. When Lucas' true love reappeared, Belinda realized that their marriage was a sham from the start, a ploy to save another woman's life. She signed the divorce papers and left. Three years later, Belinda returned as a surgical prodigy and a maestro of the piano. Lost in regret, Lucas chased her in the rain and held her tightly. "You are mine, Belinda."
"Then let's get a divorce!" With courage, Leora left her husband's house, after being accused of poisoning his mistress. Her in-laws and sister-in-law had planned various ways to kick her out of Peter's house and in the end Leora gave in. However, no one expected that things would turn 180 degrees after the divorce. When everyone who had hurt her was happy with each other's lies, Leora returned. This time, she was no longer the poor orphan girl from the orphanage. She has changed and not only that, she also carries a big secret that will make everyone turn to worship her feet.
Everyone was shocked to the bones when the news of Rupert Benton's engagement broke out. It was surprising because the lucky girl was said to be a plain Jane, who grew up in the countryside and had nothing to her name. One evening, she showed up at a banquet, stunning everyone present. "Wow, she's so beautiful!" All the men drooled, and the women got so jealous. What they didn't know was that this so-called country girl was actually an heiress to a billion-dollar empire. It wasn't long before her secrets came to light one after the other. The elites couldn't stop talking about her. "Holy smokes! So, her father is the richest man in the world?" "She's also that excellent, but mysterious designer who many people adore! Who would have guessed?" Nonetheless, people thought that Rupert didn't love her. But they were in for another surprise. Rupert released a statement, silencing all the naysayers. "I'm very much in love with my beautiful fiancee. We will be getting married soon." Two questions were on everyone's minds: "Why did she hide her identity? And why was Rupert in love with her all of a sudden?"
Cheated by husband, betrayed by friend and rejected by family. It all came down to her inability to conceive within three years of marriage. She was tagged a barren woman and they made it appeared like a plaque, she has no place to hide her face. Her husband got divorced on the account that he wants to be with someone else, who will bear him a seed, someone who will show the fruit of his hardwork and masculinity and the only woman he choose was the closest person to his wife. Elena was broken, shattered and wounded. But she made a decision, she would move on, she will not accept the fate imposed on her as a barren woman. And humanity cannot decide her fate! This is the story of Elena Scott and the happy life after…