What Dreams Are Made Of – Episode 18
Episode_18✅
He had stolen her life’s first kiss ever for such charade? Was it a lover’s tiff she had been caught up in between? Did he love Susan? There were too many questions in her mind. She didn’t have their answers but one thing was clear, she meant nothing
to Nikloi Swaroski. Whatever she had felt or experienced for him were her naïve heart’s imaginations.
He had no interest in her. He was only using her to suit his manipulative games. She told herself that she shouldn’t be shedding tears for a heartless man. In any case, there was never any relationship between the two of them to let heart be affected by his neglect. He was being true to himself. He had always treated her coldly and she should treat him alike.
Chrissy strengthened her resolve to ignore both Nikloi and Susan and just focus on her own life. She freshened up her face to go back to the party, made sure there were no signs of her few minutes of weakness and decided to step out of the restroom. Just she was about to return to the party, the door of the restroom opened and Susan stepped in.
“Oh look, who have we got here!” she said dramatically and came closer to Chrissy. The look on her face changed from sweet & smiling to annoyed and cross. “You are the mysterious girl I saw with Nik on that awful day. And to think that Nik might be thinking of leaving me because of you who is not even worth comparing to me!” she gave a sinisterly laugh.
“I think you are mistaken. I do not have any relationship with Mr. Nikloi Swaroski.”, Chrissy said.
“Don’t you dare give me your false stories”, Susan snapped. “I know what you are trying to do but you don’t know me. You are dealing with Susan Malkovich and I don’t like to lose. If anyone tries to cross me, I make life miserable for that person”, she threatened Chrissy. Her hatred for Chrissy was out in the open.
Chrissy felt fed up with Nikloi’s cold play and Susan’s unplaced hate. She said, “You can think whatever you may like, Ms. Malkovich. But I am neither interested in Mr. Swaroski nor your threats. He is more than welcomed to you”. With that, she moved out of the restroom. Susan was left seething in anger.
Back in the dining room, she was quickly joined in by Henry, was had been waiting for her. He commented on her tense look, saying, “That was quite a long time away. I was wondering if everything was alright”. When there was no response, he asked, “Chrissy, are you ok?”
Chrissy was definitely not ok. Susan’s words were still reeling her brain senseless even though she had put up a brave face in front of her. She didn’t know why she would be subjected to such negativity. All she wanted to do now was leave the party. She was not one of them and will never be. But Mrs. Clark came looking for them and said that the dinner was served.
Dinner was an ordeal for Chrissy. She was seated next to Mrs. Clark on one side and Henry on the other. On the opposite side of the long table were Nikloi and Susan. Though she could not hear them, but she could see Susan leaning on him for most of the times, saying things in his ear and sharing a private laugh every now and then. She also kept experiencing Susan’s daggers piercing her skin every now and then. Once she found Nikloi staring at her face intently, but when their eyes met, he turned towards Susan and said something, in response to which Susan giggled like a school girl. Chrissy felt as if both of them were enjoying the dinner at her expense. It was a terrible feeling she sat with the entire evening.
Henry saw she was not her usual self and tried to cheer her up but he didn’t push her to tell him what was wrong with her. And for that she was again grateful to him. He was quite an understanding man and she could survive the dinner, though miserably, but only because of his being at her side. If Nikloi Swaroski had a problem with that he can deal with it himself. Henry had grown to be her friend and she was not about to give up on that just because Nikloi thought wors
e of her.
After dinner, the gathering moved to tea and coffee. She wanted to skip the part but realized this is how dinner party goes. She would just have to wait for it to end, thank Mrs. Clark for the dinner and then leave for good. Somebody handed her a cup of tea and she finished it up quickly to make a move. But not much later, she started to feel giddy. She tried to shake the feeling off but the uneasiness continued. She didn’t feel too well and decided she should leave quickly. Thinking so, she moved towards Mrs. Clark. But before she could reach her, she was greeted by a sight she had been trying to avoid all evening but in vain.
Standing slightly away from everyone, under one of French doors, were Nikloi and Susan, holding each other in a deep embrace. Nikloi’s back was towards Chrissy
but she could see Susan’s arms laced around Nikloi’s neck and both their bodies were clinging from feet to shoulders. As much as she hated watching them like this, Chrissy couldn’t tear her eyes away. As she struggled to calm her agitated mind and body, she saw them locking lips under the dim light. Something broke in her heart and she felt a sharp pain.
Having no strength to watch their PDA further, she turned in the opposite direction. Her nausea grew more along with the pain in her heart. Why should she be so affected by what she saw? It didn’t mean anything to her. HE didn’t mean anything to her.
She told herself but her heart refused to listen to her. She kept walking without knowing where she was going. She felt an overwhelming urge to be out in the open, to breathe fresh air.
Crossing some doors, she reached an open area and realized it was a large garden.
Finding a bench, she dropped down on it and closed her eyes tightly shut.
Chrissy didn’t know that Henry had seen her leaving the party and had followed her right behind. He reached the bench in the garden and sitting next to her, he said, “What happened Chrissy? Why did you leave the party? Are you alright?”
Chrissy didn’t think she could speak. Her nausea had increased and she was feeling terribly sick now. She tried to get up to go to restroom but before she knew she had black out and fell back on the bench. Henry quickly held her body and avoided her fall.
“Chrissy! Chrissy!”
“Oh my God, what happened to you?’ Henry cried worriedly but Chrissy was already unconscious.
Chrissy woke up to find herself on a bed in a room faintly familiar but she couldn’t remember ever being in this room earlier. She tried to get up and that’s when she realized she was not alone in the room. Away from the bed, on a chair, sat Mr. Swaroski looking down at her with steely eyes.
She was taken aback at finding him staring at her when she was at a disadvantage. She felt scared and vulnerable and his eyes were not helping at all. She tried to
remember how she has landed in this room but couldn’t recall ever coming to the room. All she remembered was feeling miserably sick at the party and then the black out.
“Where a.. am.. I?”, she stuttered.
Mr. Swaroski was standing next to the bed now. “Oh you are finally awake”, he said nonchalantly.
“What happened..? Why am I here?” she tried to make out sense of her situation. She was obviously not very comfortable being alone in a room with him watching over her but he was his clipped usual self. She decided to get out of the bed, but the efforts cost her another wave of giddiness.
“aaahhh..”, she stumbled back.
“Stay in bed”, he said holding her shoulders and the sudden proximity caused another wave of giddiness but this time the reasons were completely different. She quickly moved back in the bed.
“Wh.. what happened to me?, she asked pulling the covers higher up. She was still in her party gown though fully creased and messed up. The touch of his hands on her exposed shoulders was enough to set on skin on fire.
He stood up straight and pressed his lips tightly together. Turning away from the bed, he went back to sit his chair. “You fainted at the party.
Henry had to carry you to my room since you were completely out. Gave Aunt Mart
ha quite a scare today”, he told her without any emotions.
What?? When was that? Henry had to carry me? And I am in his room????? Oh My God!!!
It was too much for her to absorb all at once. She quickly looked around and realized it was the same room she had come to long time ago when she had had lunch with him in his room. Only difference was that time she had stayed in the
drawing area and looked at the bedroom from outside. Now she was in his bedroom! In his bed!!!
She was suddenly too embarrassed to look at him. Being in her situation was bad but knowing that it was his room made it utterly awkward. Why should she be here? It was wrong. And where was that Susan who had been clinging to him all evening?
Susan’s name brought back all the memories of watching Nikloi and Susan locking their arms and lips. And with that came the pain. She had fled to the garden to avoid their love escapade and that was when she couldn’t control the pain in her heart as well as her body. And then she had fainted.
The pain had relapsed with those images and she was disgusted with herself for being so strongly effected by Susan and Nikloi. She didn’t know but there was a frown on her face.
“Are you in pain?” He asked and she detected a hint of concern in his voice but the look on his face told her otherwise. When she didn’t answer, he added, “You look as if you are still hurting like you were when you had zoned out”.
How could he know what she was thinking?
And wait, did he say when she had zoned out? How long was she out? Did she say anything in her unconscious state?
She wanted to ask him but did not have the courage to say it aloud. What if he confirmed her suspicions? What if she had said something terribly nonsense while she was out?
“You were out for quite some time. And you were twisting and turning all the while you were in the bed. The doctor rushed as quickly as possible but it was evident that you were in pain even though you were not fully conscious. He confirmed that it was because of something you had eaten tonight. Aunt Martha was distraught thinking this had happened to you at her party.”
“Oh but I am better now”, she tried to say thinking of all the troubles she had caused the old lady but was cut in by him, “Are you?”
She didn’t know what he meant but his tone told her not to argue so she asked instead, “Where is she?”
“Aunt Martha wouldn’t leave your side. She was crying the whole time. Dr. advised her to rest or she might upset her own fragile state. She had to be forced to retire in another room in the hotel because she wouldn’t agree to go home. Henry had to actually take her himself else he would not have left your side as well. I had to stay back till he returns”, he told her with a flat tone. But Chrissy cold hear the derision.
So that is why you are here and not with hateful woman, Chrissy thought. Obviously, he would have preferred to be with her and take their shameless interactions forward instead of being stuck with her. Disgusting!
She didn’t want to be in his room anymore. She wanted to be away from him as much as possible. “Thank you for all your help. I think I should leave now”, she said getting up from the bed. This time she was careful to do it slowly to avoid any discomfort.
He came back next to the bed and said blocking her way, “What are you doing?”
“I am leaving”, she said directly.
“You have not fully recovered. You should not be getting out of bed”, he said sternly.
“No, I can’t stay any longer. It’s already too late. My mother would be very worried”, she had already stood up and looked around to move out. But Nikloi stepped in her way saying, “Don’t you hear anything I say? You are not yet fit and doctor said you should not be disturbed tonight. He was afraid you have been p… Just listen to what I say once!”, he snapped angrily.
“No, I will not. I don’t have to listen to you or follow your orders, I am not your-”
“It is not a choice, Ms. Smith. You are not leaving and that is final. Your mother has been informed that you are staying with Aunt Martha tonight. She herself spoke to
your mother so that your mother is not worried about you. I shall leave you alone if that is what is worrying you so much but you must understand that is only so that you can rest without thinking of how you can defy me”, he said in a no-nonsense and extremely displeasured voice while continuing to glare at her as if daring her to say otherwise, leaving her no option but to accept it.
“And if you are waiting for Henry, I am sure he will be back soon but I will ask him to meet you in the morning. It is better for you to rest now”, he added.
“My mother is ok? She is not worried for me?” She asked in a soft voice sitting on the bed.
“She doesn’t know about your health. I.. we thought its best not to cause her any anxiety on phone”, Nikloi answered her. When she didn’t say anything in reply, he walked towards the door to move out.
At the door, he paused and said, “You are progressing quite fast, Ms Smith. First Henry and now Aunt Martha. She couldn’t stop talking about you tonight and was genuinely worried for you”, but there was no appreciation in his voice. If anything, Chrissy heard condemnation for herself. She had had enough of his looking-down-at-her attitude, not to forget his own blatant sham with Susan. She was disgusted by his hypocrisy and double standards for her and himself, not to mention her own sorry state.
She raised her head to look into his eyes and said, “And what is it to you, Mr. Swaroski? Why would you be concerned with what I am doing?
Nikloi was taken aback by her question. He obviously was not expecting her to question him so directly. But he quickly recovered and said, “You are right. What you do has nothing to do with me. Good night, Ms. Smith”. With that he stepped out and closed the door behind him.
