The 'GIRL' In THE Painting

I thought maybe this was it for me.

My career was gone. My life was gone.

Everything felt finished.

But Mr. Josh made me sit beside him.

He brushed my hair up with his own hands.

So gently. So carefully.

And he said, you don’t know what you are.

Take care of yourself. Don’t make mistakes like this.

I won’t be everywhere to save you.

You are so rare. You are so important to me.

There was a strange weight in his voice.

Like he was telling me a secret.

My mouth went dry.

There were so many questions in my heart.

But my voice was gone.

The words wouldn’t come out.

My breath felt stuck.

My heart was beating so fast.

It felt like I had everything I ever needed.

I didn’t need anything else.

Then suddenly his phone rang.

The sound was sharp and loud.

He stood up immediately.

He just said, be ready tonight.

The driver will pick you up at 10.

Wear the red suit.

And with that he left.

I just sat there.

I had work. I had a shoot.

But I couldn’t say no.

There was something in the way he said it.

Something I couldn’t refuse.

I left the house. Sat in my car.

Pressed the accelerator. The car wouldn’t move.

I tried 3-4 times. Nothing happened.

Then I remembered I didn’t even put the key in.

I hit my head and said, I’m crazy.

Mr. Josh, what have you done to me?

My heart was so happy.

I was laughing and crying at the same time.

I drove fast to Anna’s house.

I was out of breath.

Anna opened the door and I hugged her.

I told her everything. Every single word.

Anna listened in shock.

Then she said, Bella best of luck.

Your day has come.

I came home. It was already 8.

I opened my closet and sat down.

Taking clothes out. Putting them back.

Nothing felt right.

What should I wear? What will look good?

Will he like it?

My head was spinning.

Then I ordered a red suit online.

It was very expensive. But I didn’t care.

By 9 I was ready and just sitting.

I fixed my hair. Put on lipstick.

Wiped it off. Put it on again.

Time felt like it had stopped.

Every second felt like an hour.

I was so restless.

I just wanted 10 o’clock to come.

I kept checking the mirror.

I adjusted my sleeves. Fixed my dupatta.

What if I don’t look good?

I was going crazy.

At 9:50 my heart beat faster.

At 9:55 I stood by the window.

At exactly 10 the doorbell rang.

I ran to the window.

Outside was a big, beautiful black car.

It was so long, like an entire house.

The driver was standing outside in uniform.

I did a final touch and ran downstairs.

The car door opened and the smell hit me.

Leather and expensive perfume.

I’d never seen a car like this before.

I thought, I hit the jackpot.

The car started moving. It was so quiet.

Only the soft sound of the engine.

After an hour’s drive the car stopped.

A huge iron gate opened in front of us.

Inside were gardens. Fountains. Lights.

And then came a huge palace.

Mr. Josh was standing outside. In a black suit.

His hair was moving in the wind.

He looked absolutely unreal.

There was a small smile on his face.

He opened the car door himself.

He held out his hand. I took it.

His hand was warm. Strong.

I got out of the car.

Mr. Josh looked me up and down.

Then he said, you look beautiful.

Thank you for wearing the red suit because I asked.

My face turned red from shyness.

We went inside. It wasn’t a house. It was a palace.

So big. So beautiful.

Marble floors. Crystal chandeliers.

Big paintings on the walls.

I’d never even dreamed of a place like this.

He led me in and made me sit.

The sofa was so soft I sank into it.

Right away a man came with a glass of juice.

Crystal glass. With ice.

I was stunned. I felt so lucky.

Then he held out his hand and said, let’s have dinner.

The dining hall was huge.

A long table. 20 chairs.

He pulled out my chair himself. I sat.

He sat across from me and asked, how is it?

My new model.

I said, all of this feels like a dream.

You’re a billionaire businessman.

And I’m just a normal model.

And I’m having dinner with you.

I can’t believe it.

My voice was shaking.

Mr. Josh put a finger to my lips and said,

sshhhhhh.

You’re not normal.

You don’t know what you are to me yet.

His fingers were soft.

But there was command in his voice.

Come, let’s have dinner.

The food came. Everything was royal.

We had dinner in silence.

In between he would look at me.

I would look down.

Then we sat to have a drink.

In a huge room like a library.

There was a fire burning in front of the sofa.

Mr. Josh’s phone rang and he said,

just 2 minutes.

He went outside.

I was left alone.

I thought, I’ll look around the house.

Such a big house. I should see it.

I was shocked. Such a big house and Mr. Josh lives alone.

No family. No friends.

While wandering I reached a room.

The door was slightly open.

I opened the room and there was a huge painting on the wall.

Right in the middle. In a golden frame.

In the painting was a girl. In a red suit.

In red. With her hair open.

She looked exactly like me.

The eyes. The nose. The lips. Everything.

I was stunned.

How is this possible?

Impossible.

My feet froze right there.

My heart started beating so fast.

And then I heard a voice behind me. Bella.