Nivea's book called 'BITTERSWEET' IS OUT! add it to your library of you want to read about Nivea <3
Dedicated to @Love_is_everywhere for writing beautiful poems from her heart.
I'm sorry but I tried my best to make this chapter huge but I didn't want to write unnecessary shit so here it is.

***

"You look so creepy. Stop watching your mom like you want to eat her up."

"Why wouldn't she watch her mom? Don't stop her from keeping an eye out."

"I don't feel so good about it."

"You guys are under complex disorder where you start hyperventilating. Your sensory organs are numb and you ahjiwpohs."

We all turned our head towards Ankit who had clamped his hand over Nivea's mouth.

That woman speaks way too much.

"Papa is still under shock upon Kria's arrival. He didn't get to sleep a wink last night but we can't just ask her to leave so he thought of speaking to her tomorrow after Holi gets over. He doesn't want any sort of negativity to interfere during a happy occasion."

Ankit asked me to move over so that he could spy along with us.

Mom had plastered a big smile on her face while dad was giving her a grim look. They both were alive and breathing so I had nothing to worry about but I couldn't shake the bad feeling gnawing inside my chest.

"Get this damn thing away from me. Who in the world wants to eat my finger?" Uncle Nitesh was running around with his hands up in the air.

Hammy's mouth was latched onto my uncle's thumb.

Ankit hissed at our uncle to keep his voice down but he began to complain about us taking his advantage of him.

"Though I want to pry into their conversation I think it's a private affair so kids please get away from that door."

We all felt bad for listening to someone else's matter so we left. I remembered that hammy was sucking on Uncle's thumb so I got back into the living room only to spot Uncle Nitesh standing with his ear to the door.

"Don't you dare utter a word; I felt your presence behind me."

I noticed the door know twisting slightly so I grabbed my uncle by the collar and pulled him away from the room. We luckily had a narrow escape.

Nobody uttered any word during breakfast. My mom kept sending daggers at Nitesh who was happily eating his food. Dad asked me to meet up after I finish breakfast for an important discussion.

"Everything will be alright Nathalia. Today is a joyous occasion, so put all your worries away just for a few hours."

Rajiv squeezed my hand under the table but I didn't feel reassured;I didn't feel like eating my breakfast anymore so I left early to meet my dad and discuss the matter in hand.

Dad motioned me to come near him so I wrapped myself into his arms. We just embraced each other for a really long time. I wanted time to freeze over so I could live in this moment forever. I wanted to cherish every bit of happiness I had.

"Your mom came here with a proposal. She asked me to get married to her so we can start afresh as a happy family."

"How can..." my words were cut off when dad motioned me to just listen to him first.

"Your mom says she feels extremely sorry for her actions. Her only condition was that it would be us three and not my son or brother with her. I don't know what to do Nathalia. At times I do long for us to be a happy family but not under the pretext of losing two people that I care the most about.

Nitesh only has me, how can I just leave him after he helped me to stand up after what had happened between me and Kria? Your uncle lost his sight during an accident and that's what motivated him to start this Ngo. He wanted to light up not only my world but so many other people's worlds.

Ankit was a product of his mother's one night stands with one of her husband's business partner. She didn't want her child...

She was going to hand over Ankit to someone else but thankfully the maid of the house informed us about it.

When I rescued him I found myself in Ankit so I took him in as my own child. I have so many memories in this place which I do not wish to leave so I am giving you a choice Nathalia.

As much as I love you I can't force you to stay here so it is your decision if you want to stay with me or go back with your mom. If you go back with her I don't think there is a chance of you coming back but I don't think Kria will stay quiet if you choose to stay here.

What do you think we should do?"

I didn't reply back to my dad because I was a woman on a mission. I had to face my fears once and for all. How long could I keep running away from my worries?

I made my way to the guest room where my mother was staying. I didn't get to knock the door because Nitesh uncle had left the room with a furious expression on his face.

"Come in Honey. I have been waiting for you." My mother gently patted the space of the bed next to her. She was acting so normal as if whatever that was happening around us was nothing. She wore a happy expression on her face which made me highly suspicious.

"You have no idea how much I missed you. We can put all our differences away by starting afresh."

"JUST STOP IT. Stop pretending that everything is ok when it's not. For years you kept me hidden from my father, you tried to make me hate him yet you never did anything to prove your love for me. Why is it always about you mom? Never once did you think about the people around you. I'm an adult of legal age now I kindly request you to leave away from me, away from me life and let me be in peace. Dad doesn't deserve to get hurt by you once again so please just leave us and go live in your superficial happy world."

My mother narrowed her eyes at me. Her pupils had turned a darker shade which made her seem very cold and distant. I felt a shiver run down my spine when her steel gaze analyzed me from head to toe.

"You will regret making this decision Nathalia. Your stupid uncle has managed to brainwash about me to Shahid. How can you forget all those days we spent together? I gave you a house to live, excellent education, designer clothes and what not. Don't act so ungrateful to me because I am and I will always be your mother."

I let out a dry chuckle upon hearing her lame reply. She spoke as if she did me a favor by doing all those things.

I didn't want to spoil my mood on this joyous occasion so I left my thought to wither away at the back of my mind.

***

"HOLI HAIIIIIIIIIIIII"

"Happy Holi" Nivea rubbed a color on my forehead while I colored her nose.

"ATTACK."

"AHHH" I left a scream when Bobby, lee and Rajiv threw color on me from all my direction. I almost went blind for a few seconds then I felt a splash of cold water hitting me in the face.

I glared at Ankit who was innocently pointing his fingers in Lee's direction.

"You can't run away from me. THIS IS WAR."

In a matter of moments, I was panting for air from all the running and dancing. I was really having the time of my life after a really long time.

Life is like a blank canvas. We need to splash colors and make the picture lively. If one color fades we can always add a color which makes a new color upon mixing with the old one.

A few people feel that their life is just black and white but they forget that black and white in-itself is a color which upon mixing makes a new color that creates multi shades of gray.

We should just view things from a different perspective.

"Why are you having that far away look in your eyes? Go and play with your friends."

"I could ask you the same thing papa."

His chuckle turned into a glare when I colored his shirt.

"OOPS. You were totally clean so I thought I could NOOOOO!"

Dad laughed at my horrific expression.

"THAT WAS PERMANENT COLOR! NOW I WOULD LOOK LIKE A COLOR BOMB FOR GOD KNOWS HOW LONG."

He didn't get to laugh much because I launched at him with a handful of permanent colors.

More than two hours had passed by the kids around me were jumping around in joy. People from all age and religion were playing around without any care in the world. There were no worries or any boundaries. There were rays of happiness spreading around us like a wildfire.

No hatred, no discrimination, no tension, no worries, no what ifs, no sadness.

There was a huge metamorphosis around me. I didn't feel appalled about my mother's presence. I forgot about her incorrect behavior when we last met.

There was eloquent movement around me. Instead of getting their energy drained people were getting hyped up. I was feeling cavalier then realization hit me like a truck.

I pushed everyone around me while I made my way to the guestroom. My mother wasn't there but her bags were still here which meant she was out there in the sea of people.

I didn't stop to read the piece of paper that was flying on the table even though I saw my name on the paper. I ran as fast as my feet could carry me but I was pushed down by the weight of dancing bodies.

"Nathalia you ok why are you running?" Ignoring Bobby's gasp I roamed my hands around bobby's back to fish out her phone. I forgot about all about the international call rates because I desperately wanted to talk to Zara.

"Hello?"

"ZARA? IT'S ME NATHALIA."

"Nathalia! W..."

"Did my mother bring her... Bobby, please talk to Zara, I'll be back."

Everything in that moment turned into slow motion. I heard Zara screaming from the phone while Bobby was yelling at me to come back.

Rajiv tried to talk to me but I pushed him away. Lee picked up hammy from the ground or else he would have got killed under my intense stomping.

I turned around and motioned my dad to go near mom. He looked confused for a few moments but his eyes widened in disbelief when he understood what I was trying to say with the motion of my fingers.

Voices around me were mixed up, blood was rushing to my head, my lungs were about to explode but I kept running.

Colors were being thrown into the air; I didn't let the minute blindness to stop me from running.

Orange blue, orange blue, orange blue. The air around me turned into a mass density. The shrill of my voice became unheard because of the background music.

"UNCLE NITESH. MOVE AWAY.MOVE AWAY."

My uncle was standing near a small pond with a smile on his face. He couldn't see anything but he could feel the happy aura around him. My legs were paining, I felt a burning sensation inside my muscle but I didn't stop.

I managed to reach on time and pushed my uncle away who fell on the ground with a loud thud. The people around me began to move away but it was too late.

My mother had already fired her gun in our direction.

Silence.

NATHALIAAAAAAAAAA.

I blinked once, twice thrice. I felt hollow. Ever so slowly I pulled my hand on top of my chest when I felt thick liquid dripping out of my skin.

My legs gave away making me jerk my body to the ground. I saw my friends and family rushing past the crowd to get to me.

Breathe in breathe out. Inhale exhale. Be calm.

I felt blood pooling up around me till my face. My breaths turned shallow, my vision turned blurry but before my eyes closed I saw the look of horror on my mom's face.

She gave me an appalled look. She looked at her hands then at me. I blinked once again then saw my mother raising the gun up to her and let out a fire.

Her body fell down while the gun slipped out from her fingers. I could make out the look of dejection on her face before her eyes rolled up.

My body was being pulled up by a large number of people. I knew there were 4-5 people around me from my blurry vision but I couldn't hold myself any moment longer.

I coughed up blood. I tried to open my droopy eyes one last time but blackness engulfed all around me.

I couldn't run anymore... I guess I lost the race of life.

***

Did you add Nivea's book to your library yet? What do you mean by you can't believe what I wrote in this chapter?
*dodges your attack*

Not every book has a happy ending people.

The last and final chapter will be up in January first week. Nathalia will most probably be watching you all from up in the heaven along with Mr. fate with a smile on her face. She would be happy to know that you guys were a part of a journey in her life.

I would only like to say that Nathalia loves you all <3 and oh I know you guys love me to *awkwardly laughs*

vX2Vuιx