Novels by Rikki

THIRD PERSON POINT OF VIEW Margaret Carter arrived like she always did, unhurried, composed, wrapped in elegance so practiced it looked effortless. The murmurs around the billing counter quieted the moment people noticed her. Wealth recognized wealth.Her sharp eyes took in the scene in a single sweep:the halted billing,the staff standing awkwardly,the mountain of luxury items now being pulled back,and Natalie, stiff, flushed, trying desperately to keep her smile intact.Margaret’s lips curved, soft and reassuring on the surface, as she stepped beside Natalie.“What seems to be the issue, dear?” she asked sweetly, though her fingers closed around Natalie’s wrist with a warning squeeze.Natalie leaned closer, voice trembling despite her effort to sound calm. “M-Mrs. Carter…I mean mu.. mother the card isn’t working. I don’t know why.”Margaret’s smile didn’t falter. Her eyes, however, hardened.She turned to the cashier. “There must be a mistake.”The cashier straightened nervousl

THIRD PERSON POINT OF VIEW After enjoying the entire drama from beginning to end, every raised voice, every dropped shopping bag, every second of confused panic, Karline felt deeply, profoundly satisfied.Not smug.Not cruel.Just… fulfilled.It was the quiet kind of satisfaction, the kind that settled neatly in her chest and stayed there. No rush. No gloating. Just the calm certainty that things had unfolded exactly as they should have.She adjusted her grip on her purse and stepped into the parking lot, posture straight, shoulders relaxed. Her heels clicked softly against the asphalt, the sound steady and precise—tap… tap… tap—each step measured, unhurried, deliberate.It wasn’t haste guiding her forward; it was control.Behind her, Natalie and her friends were still absolutely convinced Reid had vanished..poof ..disappeared into thin air after leaving emotional wreckage in his wake.Karline knew better.Near the mall exit, Natalie and her group hovered in a loose, awkward cluster,

THIRD PERSON POINT OF VIEW Natalie’s hands trembled as she shoved the black card back into her clutch. The cashier hovered politely.Her friends exchanged uncomfortable glances, whispers curling through the air like smoke."Pick up the call reid please,” Natalie muttered under her breath, voice tight. She fumbled for her phone, dialing Reid’s number again.No answer.She exhaled sharply and then hesitated. Then, desperately, she pressed Reid’s mother’s contact. “Margaret Carter,” she murmured, trying to steady her voice. Maybe his mother could help. Maybe she could.The call went straight to voicemail.Natalie froze. Her fingers hovered over the screen, nails digging into her palm.“Hello? Nat? What’s going on?” one of her friends whispered, leaning closer.“I… I just… she’s busy,” Natalie said, forcing a laugh that sounded brittle even to her own ears.“Busy?” the friend repeated, raising an eyebrow. “Busy? Or… not picking up because she doesn’t want to?”Natalie’s stomach tightened

THIRD PERSON POINT OF VIEWBy the time the shopping bags were finally loaded and the staff’s smiles had started to look strained, the mall felt heavier, too bright, too loud, too full of pretending.Reid walked back toward the main lounge area of the luxury floor, his expression neutral, his posture relaxed in that effortless way that made people assume he was always in control. Karline followed a step behind, face composed, spine straight, heels clicking with quiet authority. If anyone looked closely, they’d see the tension threaded through her shoulders, but no one ever looked closely enough.Natalie spotted them immediately.Her smile bloomed fast. Too fast.“Oh, there you are!” she said, gliding toward them with practiced grace, arms full of glossy shopping bags. Her friends clustered behind her, nodding, whispering, eyes darting to Reid like moths to light.Karline stopped beside him, folding her arms loosely.Natalie laughed lightly, the sound airy and rehearsed. “I was just tel

THIRD PERSON POINT OF VIEW Reid hadn’t meant to stop.That was the truth he would later lie to himself about.He was supposed to be listening to James talking quietly beside him, something about schedules, about Natalie’s friends exhausting the sales associates, about how long this shopping trip was already taking. Reid nodded at the right moments, answered with distracted hums, his eyes roaming the wide corridor of the luxury mall.Then he saw it.White.Not the loud, dramatic white meant to announce itself. This one was subtle. Clean lines. Soft fabric. The kind of white that didn’t demand attention but earned it anyway.Reid slowed without realizing it.His chest tightened.Karline.The image came to him instantly. Too easily. Karline in white years ago, standing near a window, sunlight clinging to her like it knew her. Karline laughing, rolling her eyes at him when he told her she looked dangerous in white. Karline saying, You’re ridiculous, Reid, and smiling anyway.His jaw clen

THIRD PERSON POINT OF VIEW Karline didn’t look back when she walked away.Her heels moved steadily across the polished marble floor, each step controlled, measured. The noise behind her, Natalie’s laughter, the excited squeals of her friends, the rustle of garment bags, blurred into background static.She told herself she didn’t care.She told herself that very firmly.Behind her, Natalie had already taken over the first luxury boutique like a queen claiming new territory.“Oh my God, this place is stunning,” Natalie exclaimed, spinning slowly as she took in the crystal-lit showroom. “I want to try everything.”The sales assistant straightened instantly, her smile professional but cautious. “Of course, ma’am. Please let me know if you need..”“I’ll need a lot,” Natalie cut in, waving her manicured hand. “Start pulling my size. All of it.”Her friends giggled.“You’re insane,” one of them said, eyes wide as she touched a silk gown.“Girl, this is what being engaged to a billionaire lo

KIYARA'S POINT OF VIEW Her gaze softened. "Your injuries will heal, but you need to rest. Your body has been through a lot."I nodded weakly, my fingers trembling as they rested on my belly. "And my baby?"Dr. Malhotra smiled reassuringly. "The baby survived Kiyara. You're lucky. But there are injuries both internal and external and you may have difficulty during the birth of the child plus stress isn't good for you right now.""Will the baby be ok?" "Both the child and you will be weak kiyara, and you will face the difficulty during the labour""When you fell down it didn't hit directly on your womb but still" I let out a shaky breath, my vision blurring. "Doctor, I need your help."Her smile faltered slightly. "Of course. What is it?"I looked around, my heart hammering. My voice dropped to a whisper. "I need you to lie."She frowned. "Lie? About what?"I squeezed my eyes shut before opening them again. "Tell everyone... tell Raghav... that the baby didn't survive."Dr. Malhotra's e

Little LifeContinuing the story after 3 years where it previously left.3 years later_Kiyara :- 25 years old.Kiyara point of point of viewUttarakhandThe golden rays of the setting sun painted the sky in hues of orange and pink, casting a warm glow over the vast mountains. A soft breeze carried the scent of damp earth and fresh clay as I sat on a wooden stool outside my hut, my hands covered in wet mud as I shaped a clay pot.The rhythmic motion of my fingers gliding over the spinning wheel was soothing-almost hypnotic. It was one of the few things that gave me peace these days.I exhaled heavily, pausing to wipe the sweat from my forehead with the back of my hand. The summer heat in Uttarakhand could be merciless, but I had long since grown used to it.Behind me, the faint hum of the village life continued-children laughing, the distant mooing of cows, women gossiping near the well. It was so... ordinary. So different from the life I had once lived.For three years, this had be

KIYARA'S POINT OF VIEW He leaned back, grinning like the troublemaker he was. "You’re impossible.""Good. Now sleep. Big brain needs rest."And because he was Raghav, he tried again, less obvious this time, just his arm brushing mine as he lay back. I didn’t push him off this time… but I didn’t let him get away with it either..At first, it was subtle. The bed dipped slightly, the way it does when someone shifts closer. I ignored it. Then I felt his arm brush against mine. Ignored that too. Then, an unmistakable arm slung around my waist.“Raghav,” I mumbled into my pillow, “if you’re trying to kill me, just say it. At least I can write a will.”“Relax,” he murmured, voice low and annoyingly smooth, “I’m just making sure you don’t fall off the bed.”“We’re in the middle. The only thing I’m falling into is your bad decision-making.”He chuckled, and that’s when I realized, oh no, he wasn’t sleepy. This man was wide awake.Next thing I know, he’s pulling me against his chest, one stron

KIYARA'S POINT OF VIEW Somewhere around 3 a.m., we’d covered most of the syllabus, well, the important bits. His panic had turned into grim determination, while I was slowly dying of boredom but still pretending to be the cheerleader he needed.By 5 AM, he’d finished the last chapter. I walked in with a tray, two mugs of strong coffee, a plate of biscuits, and a triumphant smile. “Congratulations, Einstein. You’ve officially done in one night what you should’ve done in three months.”He took the coffee, looking at me with this strange mix of exhaustion and something softer. “You really stayed up all night for this?”“Of course. Someone has to save your ass.”For a moment, he didn’t say anything. Then he stood up, pulled me into a tight hug, and murmured.. “Thank you, Kiyara,” he murmured against my hair. “Seriously. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”“Probably fail,” I said into his shoulder, but I hugged him back anyway.I patted his back. “Don’t get sentimental now. Save the te

KIYARA'S POINT OF VIEW As soon as we stepped into the apartment, the look on Raghav’s face was like someone had just reminded him the world was ending tomorrow.Spoiler alert: it wasn’t. But for him? very similar.Raghav world's destruction and physics kinda lie on the same line...He froze mid-step, eyes wide, voice cracking like a badly tuned guitar.“Wait… tomorrow is my exam?”I blinked. “ummm… I guess yeahh. The one you’ve been ignoring for, what, three months?”He ran a hand through his hair, panic setting in like a fire alarm going off inside his brain.“3.5 months actually but Oh no. Oh no no no no.”“I haven’t studied a single word. Not. A. Single. Word.”I leaned against the doorframe, smirking. “Bold of you to assume you’ve ever studied Physics in your life.”"Gosh!! I got so busy for my upcoming music video"I crossed my arms, smirking. “No shit, Sherlock. Did you think the professors would just be chill and cancel physics because the raghav kashyap... Was busy writing ro

KIYARA'S POINT OF VIEW I looked up to see Sumit, my old school friend. The tall, charming, annoyingly perfect one with a smile that could sell toothpaste."Kiyara!" he beamed, completely ignoring the giant work of hard graphite sitting infront of me. "Oh my God, it's been forever!""Yeah, so forever that I almost didn't recognize you.." I said clearly embarrassed from the sudden outburst taking another sip from Raghav's coffee when he didn't notice."Yeah.. you look so amazing and different than before better actually" Sumit complimented me Opps..I swear I heard Raghav choke on his coffee. "Better? Amazing?" he muttered under his breath. "What, did she look like a mosquito squashed under a boot before?"I kicked him under the table. Hard.Sumit pulled up a chair without asking ... bold move, and we started catching up. Well, I was catching up. Raghav was sitting there like a wild cat watching someone pet its human.Sumit laughed, leaning a little closer to me. "Ignore him. You look