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Dreams. Everyone has their own dream. Some come true, some do not.

People who don't dream, don't actually live for themselves.

Some give their everything to make their own dreams come true, while some work hard to make someone else's dream come true.

I dreamt of nothing else rather than being invisible or being away from the drama that used to happen every day because of me.

'LILA YOU STUPID GIRL! I TOLD YOU NO SUGAR IN MY TEA!'

'I saw Lila first thing in the morning, now I think my exams will go bad'

"I wish you were never born"

I dreamed that I would never have to hear those words again. I guess at least one of my wishes came true.

Nobody mistreated me since yesterday, people actually asked me how I was feeling, but I knew had I not been the owner of the business, nothing would have changed.

Kaka came in the evening and informed everyone that Ajji was coming back from Delhi this evening.

There goes my dream in the gutter.

I wanted to sulk so badly but it can be done later. I wanted to ask Harish kaka about the contract.

I entered his study to see him behind his desk, drowned under paperwork, his forehead creased.

"Kaka" I said to get his attention.

He looked up and nodded, a cue for me to go on.

"Apart from my ownership, is there any other contract or stuff going on?"

"How....?" He wanted to ask. He seemed very confused but I didn't want to tell him about my conversation with Vikram that took place earlier today.

"I know, please tell me what it is about"

Inside I am really scared to know what he is going to tell me, I don't want any more complications in my life than I do right now.

"Lila, please take a seat."

I took a seat on a chair facing him. In my head, there were many possibilities about what the contract contained in it.

"The contract was signed just after you were born. The contract was between your Ajji and your father."

I cringed inwardly. I knew nothing good would come out of it for me if Ajji was involved.

"Even I don't know everything but vaguely remember that it stated if by any chance something happens to your father, his part of ownership in the business will directly go to you and until you turn 24, your Ajji will act as your guardian and will take decisions regarding your business"

Even I knew this letting out the last part. So convenient for Ajji that my parents died exactly 2 months after this. But I don't think this is the only thing that the contract contains, whatever the other thing is, it must be something important if not even kaka knows about it.

I sighed as I thanked him and left his study, curious and scared about what that contract might contain.

***************

"So you mean to say after that contract was signed, your parents died within 2 months? How convenient for Ajji!" Deepti said as she sat eating ice cream in my room, while I towelled my wet hair dry. Yes I don't even listen to my own advice.

"The same thought came to my mind." I same pinched her on her arm.

"Owww." She cried.

I loved when I could make someone yelp, especially if that someone is taller than me. Deepti had always been taller than me. When we were younger I wasn't allowed to go on certain rides due to my short height and Deepti being a bitch used to always tease me about it.

"I am worried about what Ajji might be hiding in that contract." I felt a big pit in my stomach as I said those words.

"Knowing Ajji, they might be something very important." Deepti said seriously.

"I know" I groaned and tried to suffocate myself with my pillow.

"Why don't we just go and see what's in the contract?" She said. I pushed the pillow aside and smiled at her sweetly.

"Ofcourse, ofcourse! Let's go to Ajji and ask her where the contract is. She's been waiting all these years so that you and I would one day sit on her lap while she reads out the contract to us! And when she's done, she'll say, ''here Beta, take it."

I continued, "You were supposed to be the smartest amongst us both!"

Deepti threw a pillow at my face which made me shut up.

"Listen, Ajji's flight is late due to god knows what reason. But it is good for us. We can sneak into her room. Take the contract from her safe, take it's picture from my cell, keep it back and come out of there. Simple!"

She really was the smartest but I wasn't gonna give her the satisfaction.

I was determined to find out the loopholes in her plan.

"How are we gonna get into her room, it is locked," I said.

"I have the key." She said nonchalantly taking a bite of her ice cream

"How?"

"I made a duplicate, my father has the keys."

Oh, ofcourse! "Do you have keys to my room?"

"Your room doesn't have a lock Lila!"

"Oh Yeah, I forgot," I admitted sheepishly.

Yes, I admit she is the smartest bitch amongst us.

"How are we going to open the safe?" I asked feeling a dip in my high spirits, It was the dead end to find what was in the contract. There is no way that Deepti knows how to open the safe.

"We are not, I don't know the combination." She said, confirming the worst of my fears.

"But I know someone who knows the combination!" She added further.

**************

"Why do you want the combination?" Bobby asked as he was typing on his laptop,

Bobby was our 16 year old cousin, another smarty pant in my brilliant family. He rarely leaves his room, he leaves only when he goes to college everyday. I once heard that he refused to go to college saying that, the godforsaken place wasn't doing his brilliance any justice but his parents threatened to take away his laptop if he does not completes his graduation.

Blackmail is the secret weapon of every Indian parent.

"We just want it, tell us." Deepti said stomping her leg. Mature, real mature in front of a 16 year old. I rolled my eyes.

"I just can't tell you" He said, fingers flying across the keyboard. Wow!

Deepti yanked his laptop away from him.

"What are you doing? Give it back to me" He screamed "I was talking to the CEO of Universal Brilliant People Group, he is offering me a position in his group."

"Are you even listening to what rubbish you are saying? Give me the combination to the safe!" Deepti said running around the room with the laptop, Bobby chasing her. Both of them stumbled over a pile of mess.

"Arrrggghhh! GET. OFF. ME!" "Ewww...eww...eww.." Deepti yelled, trying to get some gooey stuff off her hands. Bobby chuckled. "Shut up Booby!" That did it. He stopped laughing. "Look who's laughing now!"

Ignoring her comment Bobby said, "You are just jealous because, I am going to earn more than you?" He said out of breath.

"What are they gonna pay you? Online game credits?" She taunted him back.

"Shut up both of you" I am really pissed off. My head is burning with scenario with which that contract would piss on my future and these two buggers are fooling around.

"Come on Deepti, let's go" I added, a plan already forming in my mind, "If Bobby doesn't want to tell us anything then fine, but I will tell everyone where he keeps his secret magazines." I said pulling Deepti out of the room.

"What? How do you know?" His eyes popped out of their sockets. Hah! Gotcha!

"I clean most of this house when Radha doesn't come, I know everything, " I said, beaming at myself. Radha being the housemaid, in her absence, I am her substitute.

"Please, please sorry didi don't tell anyone, I will give you the combination. Wait I will give it to you." He pulled out a piece of paper from under one of many debris, wrote some numbers and handed it to me.

I felt my phone vibrate.

It was a text from unknown number.

"Meet me tomorrow at 1pm sharp at Sky Cafe - Vikram Joshi"

I showed this text to Deepti and she looked confused.

He didn't ask me to come, he ordered me!