Nadia's POV
“Why now, Mandy?” I asked lowly. “It’s going to break me down,” I expressed. Sadness drove my voice and my heart became heavy with the weight of pain.“You have to tell me, Nadia. I’m your best friend, you shouldn’t hide it from me, please,” she begged. Her eyes glowed innocently, forcing a smile on my face. I sighed and adjusted on the couch again. I nodded.“It all started about nine years ago. I was still fourteen years old then,” I began. “I was a fan of Bollywood. No day passed without me getting stuck in front of the TV, watching my favorite Bollywood movie. A new season movie began and there he was. I was captivated by his good look as well as the role he played in the movie. I couldn’t express the joy that filled my heart and the imagination that struck my head. Seeing him come closer to his fellow female actors twisted my stomach. My feelings remained a mystery but I knew it was something special and I needed to hold on to it. On one fateful day, I took hold of my mummy’s little phone. It was the first time I was going on F******k and I was super excited about it. I added many friends, all from other countries, especially India. He was the first person I added. All others who accepted my request meant nothing to me. I only waited for him to accept my friend request. The feeling of chatting with him kept me imagining the impossible all night. I was over the moon the next day when I discovered he accepted my friend request. And when he replied to my message, my stomach grew butterflies and crimson flushed my face,” I explained. Looking at Amanda, she had a smile on her face.“So cute,” she drawled like a swooning teenager.“During our chats, I asked him if I could call him Sidd since his name was Siddharth and he said, “No, only my colleagues in the industry call me that.” I didn’t know if I should be angry or okay with it? And the stupid network made the message repeat itself and I bet he got angry. I imagined him saying the second “no” angrily. Despite his arrogant sound, I still cherished every one of his texts and I kept imagining how I would feel if I met him in reality. Though I allowed it to be just an imagination I never stopped thinking about it. One beautiful day which was his birthday, he asked for my picture. My stomach churned and my heart clenched because I couldn’t send it. The small phone I was using didn’t send pictures. But I promised to send it on his next birthday. That night, I couldn’t help but wonder if I was obsessed or infatuated with him. His voice echoed in my head and his image flicked across my sleep. And watching his movies, my heart kept skipping beats,” I paused, and took a deep breath.“What happened then?” Amanda asked curiously.“The phone got damaged and I lost contact with him,” as the words slipped my tongue, a lump formed in my throat and tears welled up in my eyes.“How did you meet him again then?” Amanda queried. I smiled, sniffed, and continued in flashback.***After losing contact with Sidd, I held on to the hope of reaching India one day. I imagined myself acting with him. Acting with the Indians has always been my dream. There were so many hindrances but my little hope kept me going.6 years later. I was already in 3400 level in the university. No matter how much attraction I got from male folks in the university, I knew my heart belonged somewhere. I yearned for Sidd. I gnawed for him till every other man seemed no longer perfect for me. But how do I get his attention? How can I make a movie star know that I am madly in love with him? It almost sounded impossible till I got an idea.Over the weekend, I prepared myself to look like a heartbroken lady. I decided to practice my acting for social media. Getting a little famous isn’t a bad idea. I took a deep breath as the video app began loading to start. Imagining I won’t ever have Sidd if I don’t do this, tears streamed down my cheeks.“If you are watching this video, know that I can’t keep it to myself anymore,” I began and sniffed. “If you have ever loved someone so dearly then he betrayed you, you will know exactly how I feel right now. He deflowered me. He claimed to love me and he took advantage of me,” I continued crying. I wiped my face with my white handkerchief, sniffed, and faced the screen again. “What we had was beautiful, but deceitful. Sidd deceived me, he made me believe he truly loved me and I allowed him in. How could you, Sidd? I loved and trusted you with all my heart, you betrayed my love and left me broken,” I stated in hot tears and ended the video. I smiled at my accomplishment and wiped my face. I wanted to see people’s reactions before continuing my story. The I*******m video went viral and I got more than 50 comments in three hours. Some were comforting me, the others were asking who he was. They wanted to see him. Second-semester exams in my final year were around the corner, I needed to read but I was determined to continue the social media fallacy news. I was back in front of the camera the following day. I comported myself this time to answer questions arising from my previous post. I swallowed hard and took a deep breath.“I just wanted to let out my pain to you guys. I don’t want to share who he is but questions needed to be answered and Sidd deserves whatever he will get from this,” I started and groaned the last sentence like an angry woman. “Just a year ago, I went backpacking in India and by chance, I bumped into him. That was how it all began. I thought it was something beautiful, something extraordinary. I thought I found true love, I thought he was different from other men and I allowed myself to be fooled by him. I wanted to be drowned in his nobility. Little did I know I was entering the cage of a wolf in sheep's clothing. Naïve and gullible, I allowed him to savor my body. Despite the handwriting on the wall, and his constant refusal to take pictures with me, I still didn’t think far into abandonment. Every time, he claimed he didn’t want his fans to know he was in a relationship just yet and he kept refusing me to take pictures with him,” I poured out and tears trickled down my cheeks. “Heaven knows I loved you, Sidd. It was hard to believe you used and dumped me simply because you are a movie star and I am just a naïve girl. You broke thousands of your promises. I hate you, Sidd. I hate you for deflowering me. I hate you for deceiving me and I so much hate you for blocking me on all your contacts. I won’t forgive you, Sidd. I can’t ever forgive you for what you did to me,” I sobbed. I wiped my tears and sniffed. “I won’t hide you from anyone, Sidd. Everyone deserves to know the truth about who you truly are behind the big screen,” I stated and showed his picture on my other phone to the camera. With that, I ended the video.Sidd’s POVHolding a cup of my daily black coffee, I descended downstairs, running my fingers through my hair. My usual thing. It seemed my hair always messed up if I didn’t run my fingers through it. The morning was beautiful and I am super glad to be resting fully today. I sipped the coffee as I landed in the living room. Everyone decided to go to the Minister’s daughter’s wedding today. Well, since I have lots of schedules to attend to during the weekdays, I decided to treat myself to a rest today. I walked to the couch, picking up the TV’s remote to increase the volume of the news. Freshening up, and having a cup of coffee while watching my favorite news channel was my morning routine. I sat on the couch and sipped my drink once more. I ignored the endless messages beeping on my phone and increased the volume of the TV.“Good morning and welcome to NDTV. Today’s stories include the heart-touching story of a girl from Nigeria and our heroic movie star, Siddharth Kaur,” the anchorwoman presented and I choked on my coffee. Was she referring to my namesake or me? I focused on the screen. “The interest of the internet has been aroused by the viral videos of a lady named Nadia Hilbert from Nigeria. Following her story, the said lady acclaimed to once be in a relationship with our movie star, Siddharth Kaur,” the anchorwoman reported, showing a picture of Nadia. The video began playing. I adjusted on the couch. Heat overpowered the air conditioner and I began sweating.“It was beautiful. I thought I found my heartthrob,” Nadia began. She was seated on the floor in her room, looking a whole mess of herself. Her hair was ruffled like a damaged bird’s nest accumulated in a hip. “When he never wanted to take pictures with me, I thought he was only keeping us secret for the meantime. I was too dumb and timid to have believed him. I allowed him to have his way with me. He deflowered me!” she sobbed, sniffed, and inhaled sharply. “I wish to keep it a secret but he needed to know how much he has hurt me. Wherever you are, Siddharth Kaur, I am sending this to you and I won’t stop…” the video ended.“What the hell is this?” I exclaimed, jerking up from the couch.“From the broken lady’s video, she presented the picture of our movie star, Siddharth Kaur,” the anchorwoman added, showing my image boldly on the screen.“What?!” I yelled, throwing the cup of coffee to the floor and messing up the living room. One of the housekeepers, Chhaya flitted to the living room. “Clean up this bloody mess!” I groaned and Chhaya ran back to the kitchen to get her cleaning tools. “Who the hell is that woman? What was she talking about?” I lamented. “Aaaaagh!” I grunted, tramping upstairs.Nadia’s POVI couldn’t stop the video anymore. The reactions from people kept me going. Every day, I will find a comment that motivates me to continue till I get a reaction from Sidd. I aimed to get Sidd’s attention and make him come see me. When the fire of threat starts burning high, he will have no choice. I just hope I am not getting myself into a bigger problem. I became a laughingstock on campus. Everyone murmured at my presence.“What the hell is wrong with you, Nadia?” Joy came along, blocking my way to class. She was my coursemate. Not that we are friends, but we relate like coursemates. “What is the video all about? Who the heck is Sidd anyway? Why are you trying to tarnish the image of the poor guy?” she confronted.“Are you one of his fans, Joy?” I asked, walking past her into the class. She trailed me.“You have become the talk of the campus, if not the whole city. Have you ever crossed the border before? When did you go backpacking in India?” she quizzed. I put my books d
Nadia’s POVI was losing focus. Fear grasped my heart like two magnets attracting each other. What do I even know about Sidd? What if he is not what he seems on TV? What if I am attracting trouble? What if my mother finds out about the video? I will be in serious trouble. Collapsing on my bed after a long day on campus, I closed my eyes, uniting with my wandering spirit. “Sidd wouldn’t be that bad.” The evil encouragement shot into my head like an arrow. “How can a handsome, soft-spoken, and gentle guy be bad? And how do I know if what I feel is true love or not if I don’t see him in reality? To know the sweetness of a fruit, you have to taste it. Likewise, to know Sidd, I have to meet him, through peace or force,” the thought lifted my spirit again and I opened my eyes, beaming all smiles like shimmering stars. I took my phone and scrolled through the comments. Over 300 comments on my newest video. Wow! How is Sidd feeling about this? I just hope I am not hurting him too much.·
Nadia’s POV“He agreed!!!” Isquealed, jumping up and down in my room. Enthusiasm washed over me. What I wasfeeling currently was beyond mere happiness. It felt like I won the lottery. I twirledacross the floor, letting my hair bounce as I sang joyfully. “What will I wear?What will I wear?” I danced to my closet, opening it wide. It seemed Sidd wouldbe reaching my place by tomorrow even though his message didn’t specify it. “Comingover in a few days.” That’s his text. I finally accomplished my mission andI will have the almighty Siddharth Kaur, the Indian movie star in my home. Howgreat it is to tame a social man. “Woohoo!” I exclaimed, spinning back from thecloset after choosing a simple dress. If Sidd must meet me, then he will see mein my all-natural form. I chose a knee-length flared black skirt with a whitecrop top, adorned with a “fuck you” design at the front. I stood infront of my mirror, beaming satisfactorily. I took a deep breath with myeyes closed. “Got you!” I
Sidd’s POVReaching to the airport,I headed straight to the private terminal for celebrities. The best way toescape fans' approach. After the security screening, I rode with my two newbodyguards to the plane. I was allowed to preboard. We are currently third inline for take-off and are expected to be in the air in approximately sevenminutes. We ask that you please fasten your seatbelts at this time andsecure all baggage underneath your seat or in the overhead compartments. Thepilots' announcement reached out and I inhaled. I can’t believe I am in thismess. I relaxed on the seat and closed my eyes before the flight took off.Nadia’s POVWoohoo! I was on Cloud 9,waiting for Sidd’s arrival. If he arrives safely today, that means he will bevisiting me tomorrow, I can’t wait. I had been setting up my room even beforehe agreed to come down to Nigeria. I was fixing up my books on the shelf whenthe beeping of my phone distracted me. I pulled my hair behind my ear and tookmy phon
The anger I had forGeorgina slowly subdued as I stared directly into Sidd’s charming face. His beautifulbrown eyes peered into mine as if reading my mind through them. My heartskipped a beat for the umpteenth time. His wavy, deep brown, unruly hair was combedto the back. His rosy skin glowed beautifully and his pink lips captivated me. Wearinga short-sleeved jean shirt with two buttons off almost made me swoon. Behind himwere two huge men, looking like bouncers. Was he scared I would hurt him? I chuckledinwardly.“Come on in,” I said andhe walked past me into the room. His two guards attempted to come inside but Ishook my head. “Sorry, you can’t come in,” I declared.“What are you saying?”one of the guards snapped.“Let them in,” Siddinterjected. I turned and saw him looking at me. He got to be kidding me. Howdo I express my feelings in the presence of these bouncers?“No, this is my house andI make the rules here. No third party is allowed into my room. Two outside oral
Nadia’s POVStuck at the back of thecar with Noah, I heard my name. My skin was already peeling from my wrist withhow tight Noah was gripping it. I was covered in sweat and my heart keptpounding nonstop.“Let me go, Noah,please!” I pleaded tears escaping my eyes.“Nadia?” I heard Sidd’svoice beside the car window.“Sidd?” I mumbled,looking at him.“Who the hell is he?”Noah queried, knotting his brows in anger.“Let her go, bastard,”Sidd groaned, pulling the car door open. The traffic lifted and the drivermoved off, pulling Sidd roughly along. “Stop the car!” I yelled.I struggled with Noah as he tried to hold me still. “Sidd,” I cried. He won’tlet go of the car. I thrust my foot at the driver and his hands slipped off thesteering wheel, he pushed the brake instantly and the car came to a halt. Siddforced the door open and dragged Noah out, landing him a blow to the face. Noahspilled blood. I hurried out of the car. Sidd’s men joined us and fisticuffs beganbetween the me
Amanda’s POVI yawned, opening my eyesand stretching on the bed. I looked beside me and saw Zeehan sleepingbeautifully. Nadia gave birth to an angel. How I wish I had a child like this.I smiled and stepped down from the bed. But where is Nadia? I entered thebathroom, but she wasn’t there. I did a personal job there and returned to thebedroom. I entered the living room, but she wasn’t there. I walked into thekitchen. “Nadia?” I called out. No response. Where could she have gone thisearly? I headed outside. Opening the door, I saw Nadia in the compound. Whatthe hell is she doing? I moved closer. Ballet dancing? When did Nadia become aballet dancer? She stood on her toes, spread out her arms, and spun around. Herhand movements, her steps, and the passion behind this early morning practiceshown through her dancing. I was amused by how flexible she was. But she wasn’thappy. I made her remember her past last night and I know she must haveremembered how her mother died. Poor gir
I took Zeehan to school the following morning. We left as early as possible. I desperately wish to see the boy who dares to touch my baby. Sleep couldn’t wash away the anger from my heart. I crouched in front of Zeehan, adjusting his collar.“Baby?” I called. “Can you recognize the boy that slapped you?” I asked.“Yes, Mummy. He is Edward,” he responded. I nodded and stood up, holding him to his class. “He is coming!” Zeehan announced, pointing at a boy of about 10 years old, coming along beside his mother. A sly smile crept to my face. We waited for them. The moment they neared us, I left my five fingers on the boy’s face. He staggered back, almost falling before his mother held him.“Hey, are you mad?” the mother yelled, checking Edward’s cheek as he teared up. “What is wrong with you, woman? How dare you hit my child?” she tried picking up a fight before the teachers and security interfered.“Warn your stupid boy deeply,” I pointed an angry finger at her. “The next time he dares to