DIVYA

Family? What is family? People often say it's those who care for and support you. They say those with loving parents are the lucky ones. But what about those of us who have parents but never felt their love and affection?

I am one of those people. I have parents, but I always felt like an orphan. The only thing I ever received from them was criticism. Now, I've grown used to it. I've grown accustomed to living my life alone.

But as we all know, if God takes something from us, He gives something in return. God might have taken my parents' love from me, but in return, He gave me amazing friends. My friends are my only family. So, I'm not sad or upset about anything.

I looked out of my car window at the busy streets of New York City. Oh God! Why is there traffic today? I can't believe I'm going to be late for my own art gallery opening. This is a nightmare!

By now, you must have guessed that I’m a painter. And trust me, I love painting. I love playing with colors. Our lives are like paintings, filled with different hues.

After fifteen minutes, I finally reached my art gallery. Although I was a bit late, it was okay. At least I didn't miss my own show.

"I can't believe it, you're late for your own show," I heard a familiar voice say as I entered the room. I gave her an apologetic smile.

"Sorry, Vaani. I was stuck in traffic," I said.

"Anyway, you almost made it on time," Sakshi chimed in, and I smiled at her.

I looked around the room and found three familiar figures standing in the corner and chatting.

"Hi, guys," I greeted them.

"Hi, Divya," Arsh, Aman, and Harsh said in unison. I felt a pang of sadness when I didn’t see two other familiar faces.

"Where are Aakash and Ananya?" I asked no one in particular.

"Well, they couldn’t make it, so they sent these beautiful flowers as an apology," Arsh said, handing me a bouquet of stunning red roses.

Red roses are my favorite. A smile crept onto my face as I accepted the bouquet. "Apology accepted," I said.

"Ma'am, it's time for your speech," my secretary informed me.

"Okay, guys, I’ll talk to you later," I said, handing the bouquet to my secretary as I walked toward the stage.

I took a deep breath. Although it wasn't my first time giving a speech, I still felt a bit nervous. I looked at the crowd, all eyes on me, waiting for me to start speaking. I couldn’t help but notice the three empty seats. A small part of me had hoped they would come, but I knew better. I had sent them invitations, but they never bothered to show up. They didn’t approve of my profession, and I shouldn’t let that spoil my special day.

'Stop thinking about them, Divya,' I told myself. My friends gave me encouraging smiles, urging me to start the speech.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen," I began, taking a deep breath before continuing. "First, thank you all for giving me your valuable time and coming to see my art. I’d like to thank my lovely friends for always supporting, motivating, and pushing me to follow my dreams. Lastly, I want to inform you that 50% of the money from the paintings you purchase will be donated to charity. I hope you all enjoy the dinner party."

With that, I concluded my speech and walked back to my friends.

"That was a lovely speech," Vaani complimented me.

"Thanks," I replied.

"You're getting better at painting every year," Sakshi said while admiring one of my pieces.

The party was a success, and after dinner, I decided to head home. I told my secretary to take care of everything since I was leaving early.

After driving for an hour, I finally reached my apartment. I unlocked the door and stepped inside. My two-bedroom apartment wasn’t overly luxurious, but it felt like home. I had bought it with my hard-earned money, and I was proud of it. One of the many reasons I chose this place was its perfect view of New York City.

The apartment had a small living room, a kitchen, and a master bedroom. The second bedroom served as my home office.

I quickly walked to my room, exhausted and eager to sleep, but I needed to take a bath first. My room was my personal haven: a comfortable bed, a study table with bookshelves, a few couches facing the window, a walk-in closet, and a bathroom.

After a long, warm bath, I put on my comfy pajamas and climbed into bed. I fell asleep thinking about my bright future.

The next day, I woke to the sound of my phone ringing. Who was calling so early in the morning? I would kill them for disturbing my sleep.

I slowly opened my eyes and saw the caller ID. My eyes widened in shock.

Why the hell was she calling me?

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Hey my lovely readers,

I hope you liked the first chapter of my new book. Tell me your view in the comments section. And what do you think who called Divya??? And most importantly why she reacted like this???