Ritisha Oberoi always have been the spare.  Well, to be truthful she was the spare of the spares. The third oldest Oberoi daughter if considering Shivanya if not like they have done most of their lives, she was the second oldest daughter yet not the one people normally seek. She was the one easily overlooked. The one overshadowed by her cousins. Omisha, Omav, Shivika and even Shivanya.

Omisha and Omav were the golden twins. They were perfect, charming and brilliant.

Shivika- The youngest but equally proficient child of Shivaaye and Anika Oberoi. The only remaining child in the eyes of world too. Her fame unparalleled.

Shivanya- The black sheep. The odd one out. The bad child. The wrong one.

And no matter how hard she tried, Ritisha could never really stand out. For the extreme scales were already occupied. The good by Omisha, Shivika and Omav and the bad by Shivanya. No matter how hard she tried she just couldn't be top of every single department like Omisha. She wasn't as fashionable and influencing as Shivika. She wasn't the heir, She wasn't as good as Omav at being the leader, leading from front, taking responsibility and all. She didn't excel in any characteristics that her family would be proud of neither could she ever be as much of a disappointment as Shivanya.

So, All her life she lived in the shadows of mediocrity. She was the average one neither perfect nor disappointment and not to forget the shadows of her parents chasing her. It's not like she doesn't love her parents. She does. She just doesn't really know or remember them. And yes, she loves them but after listening Rudy wouldn't ever have scored an 100 in biology. Rudy would have done this or that. Bhavya won't ever be this shy or clumsy. Bhavya would have known how to enchant and interact with crowd.

And Ritisha admires her parents for their abilities but she isn't them. She isn't her parents perfect clone. But why does it still matter that her father fav food isn't her fav food? How does it matters she isn't as extrovert and good with people as her parents? Why does it count that she loves books and solace more than people? Why can't people see her just as Ritisha? Why can't people look at her and judge for the girl she is and not her parents?

But all her life they did just that, they sought Rudra and Bhavya in Ritisha.

Who Ritisha really is never did matter?

For being an Oberoi always came before being Ritisha in her life. Everyone expected her to be some kind of marvelous being like Omisha-the picture perfect incarnation of dream girl. A great graceful beauty with brains, mannerisms and talent or Shivika, the brown eyed cutie pie, who, could put supermodels to shame. Cute, beautiful, multi-talented. Both her sisters were in demand, the talks of the town. Pappz following them and boys laying down a path of hearts for them.

And then there was she the dusky, black eyed clumsy, socially awkward being who knew how to hold conversations with animals only. Never the first choice of any elite if her sisters were laid out there as options too. Everyone always had chosen her sister over her. Everyone always wanted the trophy wife. The perfect eye candy. The princess type girls. She wasn't any of them. And no one ever really wanted to know her.

 No one wanted to know the girl who gossiped with winds. The girl with muddy boots and dirty hands, hay laden hairs and sweaty clothes. No one liked to know about the girl who knew all about pets and loved healing the planet. No one like to listen when she talked about cleaning forests and beaches. No one ever really liked or loved Ritisha as Ritisha besides her family, all her life guys approached her to befriend or get a chance to be with her sister. Girls befriended her for chance to meet her brother. Every guy always had eyes for her perfect sisters. No one really tried to be her friend for herself.

The people she liked never liked her back. And so, when she was informed that her grandparents had fixed her marriage alliance. She was ready to run away even before she got to know the guy's name. Her Grandparents were kinda elites of the elites and they had a similar attitude at their deposition so any guy chosen by them was bound to be an atrocious elite and Ritisha could clearly imagine a bound, bitter life of her ahead. The people chosen by her grandparents won't ever let her play in mud, roam in chawls, treat or rescue dogs with flees. They wanted perfect trophy wives, social butterflies which Ritisha clearly wasn't and she really didn't want to disappoint anyone else.

The day, she learned her would be groom is The Agastya Raina. She was ready to flee out of the country. Agastya Raina was widely known as the sophisticated bad boy of the game. The rumors surrounding him in the elite circles were nothing good. Agastya Raina was no good. And she was more than hundred percent sure that Omisha and Shivika will help her in her fleeing venture. For they might be as apart as sun, moon and earth but they loved each other more than anything too.

So imagine her surprise when Omisha asked her to go with the plan. She asked her to pretend demure while pointing out the secret security surveillance happening all around her. She couldn't escape, it was clear. The security around was more thorough than Tihar jails. Internally, she knew she couldn't escape yet it didn't stop her from being disappointed and angry at Omisha. She thought her sister will help her. Why was she doing the opposite? But Omisha promised that Papa O said so and Ritisha trusted her Papa O mostly. After all, she could relate to him the most both of them hated additional fanfare.

Even though she was burning with ire, rage, resentment and bitterness. Even though she still dreamed of running away and living in some remote jungle where no one will ever found her and she could discover the wonder of nature, find some new plant and animal species maybe. She kept on the mummer of obedient granddaughter. When Agastya asked her out for personal meet. She was prepared for the worst, his reputation in media houses not helping his cause at all. Omisha volunteering to go with her made her a little less angry at her sister. After all, she was also trying her best to help her.

The first impression of Agastya on her was of a sophisticated insolent aristocrat. He was sitting lazily with his head resting on the shoulder of the pink haired guy with him. They seemed to be muttering something, sipping, what looked like lime sodas. The first words Agastya said to her, "I'm doing this for Aaina," and the first thought on her mind was "Who's Aaina?" followed by "Can he be anymore obvious about the fact that he didn't want her?"

Even though Ritisha wasn't exactly eager about this relation hearing Agastya so blatantly reject her hurt and then hearing Agastya rant about the unfairness of the situation for the rest of time with his pink haired friend piping every now and then was kinda putting off and not the kind of impression anyone ever would have imagined from their prince charming.But at least, they were kinda honest and sincere when they said, "They'll help her escape if she wanted,"

Ritisha could give them that it wasn't the best first impression. The pink haired guy who she later learned was the infamous Harvik Desai was kinda earth shattering. She didn't think Harvik was pink haired like ever.

And now imagine her surprise realizing that she might be in love with the Agastya Raina. The guy she wanted to run away from. The choice of her family. She means, she never saw this coming. But Agastya and even Harvik seemed to love to prove her wrong on every step. She hadn't ever felt so free, so happy, so herself as she felt in the past few months. Agastya was one of the few people who really tried to know her as in just her. He didn't mind the Oberoi size self-crises baggage she carried. He knew she might be broken and he seemed to love fixing broken things.

And yes, she was thinking about Agastya like really thinking about him most of the time. It was kinda a surprising realization for her too. He is an idiot, well, most of the time he is an emphatic idiot. But he is kinda good and real too and she kinda likes him a lot too. So, it isn't like she is committing some crime thinking about him.

At that moment, her phone pinged with an incoming message from a certain Desai.

Smiling, yes, Smiling she checked the message. A certain Harvik Desai had became her self-proclaimed bestie these days. And yes, she is as surprised by this recent development as anything.

"Don't be too jealous" the message read with a pic of Harvik and Agastya lounging on a couch in Agastya's spacious living room watching soccer matches and yes, Ritisha was feeling so jealous. Why did she decide to come back to OM again? Yes, because OM was empty and it was a rare event. She should have crashed in at Agastya's place instead. Ritisha thought grumbling as she walked out of her room and towards the indoor pool.

It was her fav. part of this place and yes, her family was back. She had even promised Gauri ma she was going to sleep early but she isn't feeling sleepy. So, she should just irritate Harvik. She decided walking towards the pool. Reaching there, she was surprised for she wasn't the only Oberoi with the desire to sit beside pool it seemed. Shivika was already there, sobbing, by the looks of it.

Instantly worried and forgetting everything about irritating Harvik. Ritisha took her place next to Shivika beside the pool, comforting arms wrapped around her baby sister.

"What's wrong Ivi?" Ritisha asked Shivika worried, Shivika just sobbed harder hiding in Ritisha's arms.

"Ivi...baccha," Ritisha repeated concerned treading her fingers in a calming manner through Shivi's tresses.

"D...does...does he love me?" Shivika questioned her slow brokenly that Ritisha didn't know what to think? Who loves her?

"Who baccha? did someone say something to you?" Ritisha asked Shivika calmly. Shivi was always the one take people's words to heart the fastest and overthink about it for days.

"No, Ornov...does he loves me?" Shivi asked shaking her head madly and Ritisha couldn't help but be surprised by the tone of her question. Omisha and she had gone through breakups and a series of boyfriends in the past. They had changed crushes like clothes and treated people like jewelries but Shivika had never done that, Ornov was like her third crush and first boyfriend and only relationship. Why is she asking such questions suddenly was beyond Ritisha? She wanted to assure her sister that he loved her and only her. After all, the guy had never proved to have done otherwise but something in Shivika's tone made her reconsider.

"Why? what happened?" Ritisha found herself asking instead and hence, she was narrated everything that happened in the party with Omisha being exceptionally rude to their friend circle, dancing and socializing with SRK, their well known rival, the Shivanya fact and Ornov's unconscious steps and approach towards Shivanya. Everything seemed to bewildering to Ritisha and then the words thrown by their grandma and Ornov at last, didn't help the matter too.

Aaina being Shivanya was something Ritisha couldn't quite get her head wrapped around. She had known the girl for about a week during the team's match in Delhi. Heard a tons of thing about her from the team, called her "bhabzs" a dozen or so times too. But she couldn't see Shivanya in Aaina no matter how hard she tried. Heck, Shivanya's pic isn't even clear in her own mind. She had hardly ever interacted much with her supposed elder sister yet here Shivika, was vehemently claiming the same.

But then again, Shivika had more interaction with Shivanya. She knew Shivika was guilty after what happened and to be truthful, Ritisha never quite really blamed Shivika for the incident. If you ask her, she blamed Omav, Omisha and the others more than her. Shivika was five years younger than them and was totally dazzled by their friend circles. They should have be more careful in choosing their friends and should have clearly broken the fact that those people were bad influence rather than let Shivika look at them with holy reverence finding their acts cool. But the past was past for Ritisha.

"Omisha might have her reasons," She tried to explain it to Shivi, for no matter how rude Omisha was being, she was still their sisters and sisters above all, didn't they swear this as children? She heard Shivi sniffle about the events and words and her disbelief about Omisha's behavior again when she heard Omisha's cutting voice greet them.

Ritisha watched concerned the way Shivika stiffened at Omisha's words and defended herself. After that incidence, Shivanya always had been a trigger for Shivika's breakdown. She had begged and screamed and asked for her elder sister to both her parents but none had relented. Shivika never got any information about Shivanya ever. Now, watching Omisha repeat her words again firmly Ritisha could smell a meltdown nearing.

"you're lying," Shivika mumbled softly, a conflicted look shinning clearly in her eyes.

"I'm not, Ivi. She isn't your elder sister (though she'll still protect you)" Omisha thought but didn't tell Shivika so watching the girl look totally downtrodden gazing at the shimmering pool water intensely. Omisha continued softly empathic and aware of Shivika's never really cured PSTD, "She isn't the girl you remember, Ivi. She has changed. She has suffered and faced more than we can imagine. she had survived and all that has changed her as a person, as an human. She doesn't want to be Shivanya. She doesn't want to be an Oberoi. So, she isn't. She is Aaina now,"

Omisha was aware of both pairs of wide eyes on her. The hopeful and surprised one as both contemplated her words in silence. Ritisha was looking a little hurt too.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Ritisha asked softly, hurt peeking through her lashes

"She didn't want to be Shivanya or talk about it," Omisha replied gently. She was always good at being the comforting one.

"But she still can be my di, right?" Shivika muttered looking at Omisha with curious eyes that couldn't quite hide her hope and fear of the hope scattering.

"Yes, she can be but she'll be Aaina di," Omisha said truthfully. It'll be always Aaina from now on.

"That's fine with me," Shivika shrugged and the girls sat beside each other in silence, their legs dipped in the pool water, creating ripples.

Ritisha trusted Omisha to take her word as it is. She was fine knowing Aaina as Aaina. she didn't like complicating things anyway though it still hurt that Omisha knew it was Shivanya and didn't say anything. But again, Omisha might have recognized Shivanya and then didn't want to make things complex.

"Do...do you like Ornov? Do you want too?" Shivika asked softly after sometimes not looking at Omisha neither able to ask whether she wanted to marry him or not? she loved Ornov but she loved her sister too and she couldn't begrudge her sister's happiness. She had already snatched her elder sister's rights. She won't want to break Omisha's heart too.

"Umm...I do like an Raizada," Omisha admitted and twin sets of horrified looks were sent her way. Ritisha's wide and full of disbelief and Shivika's full of despair and agony.

"But it's not Ornov..." Omisha cleared trying her best not to laugh at her sister's expression.

"You're not saying this to make me feel better are you?" Shivika questioned Omisha suspiciously. Omisha's words from the party still quite clear in her mind.

"Who's this new Raizada?" Ritisha asked equally baffled.

"Well, no, I'm not and he's not new, Ritz. You actually know him," Omisha said ambiguously, feeling quite happy with the way her sisters eyes zeroed on her suspiciously. They didn't beileve her.

"I'm not lying," Omisha insisted.

The girls didn't relent and the guy still quite connected on her video call thought it was quite a nice time to let his presence known.

"Well, as much as I enjoy family melodrama. I kinda have to go now. Bye girls and Mishu, I'm quite glad to be the Raizada you like. I'm the better one anyway," Savvy was gone with a wink and teasing smirk.

Leaving behind three gaping girls. Omisha felt she had disconnected the call or at least muted it. But looks like she hadn't. God, can it turn even more embarrassing?

"Swadhin Raizada" Shivika murmured.

"Savvy bhaiya," Ritisha questioned.

Both girls looking wildly at Omisha for absolutely different reason.

"THE SWADHIN RAIZADA" Shivika almost yelled looking totally baffled, like she couldn't quite believe it. Well, she actually couldn't her elder sister was so good. She is like the perfect lady. A princess out of the fairy tale with a voice so melodious that it can enchant anyone and then there is Swadhin Raizada, the proclaimed heart breaker of the cricket world. A guy hotter than sun metaphorically speaking with a temper to match and enough attitude to slay the king of narcissism. How can her sister like someone like him was beyond Shivika?

"umm...yes," Omisha admitted feeling quite de satisfied with her for not disconnecting the call.

"God, Harvik won the bet," Ritisha groaned from beside Shivika looking totally mournful.

And Omisha couldn't believe she was quite hearing this.

"Were you really betting on me?" Omisha asked scandalised. Ritisha just smiled sheepishly at her sister's direction. Well, in her defense it sounded like easy money to her. After all, her sister and Savvy weren't quite like the peas of a pod. Now, Harvik will be more smug than he is already.

God, can she throw him down Agastya's balcony?

Omisha just huffed in Ritisha's direction. She should have known this. Harvik wasn't kinda exactly subtle. Well, the guy didn't know the meaning of subtle to be truthful.

"Apan ki galti nhi hai, Apan innocent hai" Ritisha claimed instantly watching Omisha's expression.

"Yeah, aapk hone wale patidev k bhai ki galti hai, hai na?" Omisha asked Ritisha rolling her eyes.

Shivika looked at both her sister totally scandalized. She couldn't believe they were talking like that, what's wrong with them? Are these her sisters or some imposters? When did they start talking like this? Watching Shivika's expressions Omisha and Ritisha couldn't help but laugh.

Well, they hadn't actually used this kind of vocabulary in front of Shivika ever and after a few moments, even Shivika joined in their laugh mumbling about grandma and Ornov might have misunderstood Omisha. At that moment, Omisha didn't have the heart to tell Shivika the truth and so she didn't.

Laughing like this with her sisters after so long felt nice. Omisha didn't want to ruin the moment.

Unknown to the laughing girls, their parents were watching them from a distance.

And a certain, Aaina was hiccuping in her sleep.

~to be continued~