"Mama bear... Mama bear... Utho na... (Wake up), the aralm(alarm) went off... See", a little girl is seen waking up her mother...

"Sone do yr Siya...(Let me sleep Siya) ", an extremely tired Akansha said.

"Siya  ? Mama bear... You should call me baby bear...", the little girl Siya puffed her cheeks angrily at her mother... It's their rule that when Siya calls her 'Mama bear', she should respond with 'baby bear'.

Akansha's sleep flew away hearing her baby's angry tone...

"Okay... Okay... I woke up...", she said sitting on the bed leaning her back on the bed rest. "And I am so sorry my baby bear, that I called you by your name", Akansha said taking her baby girl in her lap.

She peppered kisses all over her face, neck, and stomach making the little girl burst into giggles. A wide smile formed on her lips seeing her baby all giggles.

Siyakriti, her 4-year-old daughter is her world. She got to know about her daughter's existence when she was at her lowest and had lost all her will to live. The moment she got to know about her pregnancy, it's as if a new power woke her up from her ruined life pushing her to make the best out of life. So she left everything behind following the light within her and not for once did she regret her move.

She faced a lot of struggles during her pregnancy. And especially while giving birth to her daughter, it's as if she almost died, and that is why she considers, on that day, not just her daughter but she got a new life too. Till the day, her daughter was born, her past kept haunting her, the thoughts of that one person never left her head, she still loved him but on that day, with the kind of struggles she faced, all her love was replaced with hatred. She promised herself that she would never let even his shadow fall on her daughter.

Siya is currently in her junior kg (Kindergarten) also known as L. K. G. She wass recently promoted from pre-school (nursery) but her knowledge is vast, she is a quick learner and she just has to read or listen to something with concentration and she would learn. She is a very smart child for her age. Akansha loved her daughter to the moon and back, she loved everything about her daughter except for one thing, she was a replica of her father and kept reminding her of him, the one part of her life that she could never forget because of her daughter even if she wants to do it more than anything.

"Mama bear... We are getting late for school... Goooo...", Siya said, Akansha shook her head at her daughter and got up from the bed.

"Okay... Now you sleep for some time, I'll wake you up after I am done making breakfast", Akansha said making her daughter lay down and wrapped her in her unicorn duvet.

It's their routine, Akansha couldn't sleep the whole night as the living nightmares she lived in her life wouldn't let her, so she mostly fell asleep in the wee hours so she couldn't wake up to the alarm, so the little Siya had taken up the responsibility to wake her mother up. She wakes up to the alarm sound. The little girl is always a sound sleeper like her father but she wakes up to the alarm instantly unlike him. Whereas Akansha always had problems falling asleep and Shaurya always helped her sleep by....... Akansha chided herself for thinking about him.

"Only cooking okayy  ? You will not take bath before me", Siya warned her mother bringing her out of her thoughts.

She would throw a hell lot of tantrums if her mother took a bath before her. Akansha tries to accommodate her daughter's every wish even if it's stupid but sometimes situations and time doesn't permit, so she would get fresh before her daughter and those times are when her sweet and cute little girl turns into a monster child but Akansha knows how to handle her then.

"Siya... Not today... Now sleep", Akansha said strictly which immediately stopped her daughter's whining. "That's like my good baby", Akansha kissed her daughter's forehead, and slowly ruffled her hair making her sleep...

It's just 6:10 AM. Akansha sighed deeply before freshening up and moving to the kitchen. She made a strong coffee for herself and started having it while sitting in their balcony enjoying the morning breeze. These two hours when her baby slept leaving her alone are when Akansha takes time for herself. It was her 'Me' time before she started her race for the day.

She walked to the kitchen, and washed the mug before started preparing breakfast. She is not an awesome cook, just an average one, well she used to be a terrible one but for her baby and her survival she learned a few dishes and keeps repeating them. Her daughter also taunts her but she can do nothing, cooking is something she could never excel in despite multiple practices.

Her whole life went into earning for her family by doing various odd jobs, so she never got to learn cooking or any household chores from her mother, or neither did she bother to teach her. All she was, was a money-making machine to the people she nce called 'Family'. Maybe they were the reason why she fell in love with Shaurya so easily letting her guards down, but he betrayed her in the worst possible way shattering her completely at the same time building a new 'Her'.

Akansha soon finished her breakfast, and packed both of their lunches, before waking her daughter up.

She prepared a bath for her, Siya kept playing in her mini tub with bubbles and purposely throwing on her mother, as she was angry that she freshened up before her.

"Siya... Baby bear, don't do this now... We are getting late", Akansha said but her daughter again blew bubbles on her which fell on her face and her dress. Siya giggled at her mother, that made Akansha too chuckle at her little girl's antics.

"Hehehe, mama bear, take a bath now, or else you'll shmell(smell) like soap...", Siya giggled. Akansha shook at her daughter's tactics, such a naughty child she has, the same as her father... 'Akansha, bl**dy stop thinking about him' she chided herself.

"Okay baby bear, I'll... But let me help you first", Akansha said and Siya bobbed her head frantically.

"Yayyy yes.... I am first, mumma last", Siya enjoyed and Akansha nodded at her daughter confirming her victory, the little girl was delighted with her mother acknowledging her win.

"Okay, which one do you want to wear  ? This or this  ?", Akansha asked holding two dresses...

"Bue(Blue) one... Oonicon(Unicorn) I love Oonicons(Unicorns)", Siya jumped excitedly...

"Yes I know... Now stop jumping darling, let me help you wear this", Akansha said with a soft smile... Siya giggled at how she was troubling her mother... Akansha shook her head at her and made her wear her frock after applying baby lotion and baby powder all over her body. Then she tied her short hair with a matching rubber band filled with unicorns 🦄 as well making the little girl the happiest.

After she got her daughter ready, Akansha went to take another quick bath. After that, both of them sat at the dining table.

"Nooooo", Siya whined looking at the mashed vegetables, cereal, and milk.

"Siya... Come on, eat", Akansha said holding the spoon in front of her daughter who kept shaking her head but with one stern glare from her mother, she quickly finished her meal.

After feeding her little girl, Akansha too had her breakfast and both of them started their journey to the school.

"Mumma... Can we pwease(please) buy a auto likshaw(auto rikshaw)", Siya asked her mother hopping into the rikshaw her mother booked for their drive to school.

"What  ? Why  ?", Akansha asked, surprised at her cute daughter's request...

"So that we can go to school on our auto", Siya said proudly as if she just found the solution to all of their problems...

Akansha laughed at her daughter... Any kid would ask for a car or a bike, but her daughter asked for an auto.

"But I don't know how to drive an auto", Akansha asked

"No ploblem(problem) mumma, we will buy driver uncle as well", Siya said shocking her mother... Well, she didn't stop there... "Uncle, will you come with us, my mumma will buy you", She said giving Akansha a mini-heart attack. To her luck, the driver was an elderly man and he just gave a polite smile and ignored the little girl's comment otherwise it would be such an embarrassment to her. It still was very awkward.

"Siya... Be quiet", Akansha said sternly, and that calmed the little girl. Her daughter's little stunt brought back some unwanted memories in her head.

"This tastes amazing... Bhayya give one more plate", Akansha said

"You had enough, you'll fall sick", Shaurya restricted her...

"No one will fall sick because of Aloo Tikki Shaurya", Akansha fought back.

"I am not paying for that...", Shaurya said looking at the new plate of Aloo Tikki that was handed over to Akansha by the vendor. He knew very well that she had left her wallet at home and he was her only source to pay the bill. "Give it back Akansha", Shaurya said but Akansha shook her head and started eating one by one... "Bhayya, I won't pay for this", Shaurya said so that at least the vendor would stop giving it to Akansha.

Then Akansha leaned to Shaurya and said "Huh... If I knew before, I would have made this Aloo Tikki wala bhayya my boyfriend, you are anyways useless, can't even buy me a plate of Aloo Tikki", she taunted him.

"Bhayya, she wants you as her boyfriend, will you accept her  ?", Shaurya suddenly said to the vendor embarrassing her. She coughed hard hearing him, Sharya patted her head calming her. Seeing the vendor actually blush, she ran off from there putting down the half-eaten aloo tikki plate.

Shaurya smirked at her, and paid the vendor more than for what she had. 

"I was kidding, she is only mine, don't take it seriously", he told the vendor, though there was a small smile on his face, a tint of possessiveness was underlying in his tone which the vendor got it. 

Shaurya didn't like the vendor blushing to his comment looking shyly at Akansha... Shaurya is a considerate, warm-hearted, gentle, and compassionate person but he doesn't know how and why the hell he becomes jealous and possessive when it comes to Akansha. He often forgets his ulterior motive for being with her, his emotions become real and he can do nothing to control them.

He ran behind her. He finally caught up with her speed. He is about to say 'Sorry' but laughed hard seeing her red face filled with embarrassment. She glared at him strongly...

"Don't laugh Shaurya... I'll thrash you right here...", Akansha said 

"I'm so sorry... But It's so fun embarrassing you", Shaurya teased her more earning beatings from her...

Her daughter is the same as her father when it comes to embarrassing her... She shook her head rapidly hoping that the man's memories would just go away by her head movement but it seemed futile like every other time. It's been 5 years since she left him but his thoughts never left her, they kept haunting her even after all these years. 

The mother & daughter reached their school, Akansha paid the auto driver avoiding looking at him after her little one made a not-so-little comment.  

After that they walked inside, Akansha halted at a side to the main gate of the school where she gives a goodbye kiss to her daughter every day.

"Siya bear... Wait", Akansha said, Siya turned and looked at her mother with big innocent doe eyes, Akansha bent to her daughter's level.

"Won't you say bye to your mama bear ?", Akansha asked softly...

"I will, mama bear... Bye... I lobe(love) you mumma", the little girl said hugging her mother wounding her arms around her neck...

"I love you too my baby bear... Have a great day ahead", Akansha said kissing her daughter's cheeks and forehead.

"Mumma... But why do you kiss me hele  ? (Here), why can't we hug inside the school  ?", little Siya asked her mother... Her mother kisses her goodbye at a distance from the school gate, and inside the school, her mother behaves only sternly with her. Her little head didn't know how to voice out her observations.

'Because I don't want anyone to know you as my weakness' Akansha wanted to answer but didn't. She smiled at her daughter, shook her head in 'nothing' and both of them walked in.

Akansha dropped her daughter in her class before walking towards the staff room.

She didn't want to show anyone how important Siya was to her and make her daughter her weakness, instead, she would become stronger for her, Akansha remembered her own promise years back.

She wanted to hide her love for her daughter as much as possible so that no one could play on her love and emotions again. The hit she got in her life left a huge impact on her.

Akansha first walked to the staff room to take the necessary textbooks to the class according to her timetable. Her fellow teachers were busy discussing their personal lives and how difficult it is to manage home and then report to work on time. She ignored them and walked to her classroom.

She didn't trust people easily so she maintained her distance from them no matter how much time she had to spend with her colleagues in a day. She always gave cut short replies and communicated only when necessary. She didn't mind being called rude, cold, or emotionless rock.

Her colleagues still find it difficult to believe that a cold and rude woman like Akansha was teaching the little kids who need someone kind and gentle to handle them. But what they don't know is that Akansha is the gentlest soul they can get as a teacher. She is patient, extremely kind, and always smiling to her little students. Those pure souls bring the real Akansha in her which she covered with a facade to protect herself and her daughter.

Akansha teaches primary sections and some of her colleagues who teach higher secondary and secondary sections look down on her without knowing about her qualifications. She was more qualified than any of them, and she has taught graduation and post-graduation students in the past but because of the lessons her life taught and the complications it brought, she left teaching them.

@in staff room

"If Akansha is here, then Siya must be in school too... Come yr let's go and meet her...", Rathi, one of the primary teachers said

"Ah... That cute girl... God how did you make that cute species... She is such a beautiful and cutey pie yr... I am always ready to meet her... The whole day goes well by seeing her happy and smiling face in the morning... I have never seen such a cute child...", Shipra, another one said

"Yeah... Seriously... I wonder how can she be the daughter of Ms. Rude...", another colleague of theirs said

"Siya must have gone on her father", Rathi said

"True... If the kid version is this cute and pretty, I want to see the adult and male version of this... God please make my wish come true", another colleague prayed

"Siya's father would be a celebrity in my eyes for creating such a masterpiece", Shipra said and everyone laughed without knowing that he was a celebrity not just in her eyes but in the world's...

"But Akansha is a single mother, I think he left her unable to bear her rudeness... So, guys, your wishes can't come true", Bharti, a higher secondary section teacher commented.

Only if they knew who that so-called celebrity father of Siya is and who left whom...

They all met with Siya and pinched her bubbly cheeks, played with her for some time enjoying her little and cute talks before dispersing to their classes.

-----------------

"Good morning little fellows", Akansha greeted with a sweet smile...

"Good morning Miss...", her little students' voices echoed, they got so excited to see Akansha.

She chit-chatted with them for 5 minutes, giggled with them, and sat with them enjoying their antics before starting her class. She tried new tactics every day to indulge her students in the subject and she made sure to take a break from teaching every 20 minutes to make them relaxed, and that kept her students excited to learn throughout the class. She taught with exciting examples and kept changing her tone making it more interesting.

"Okay... See you tomorrow students", she said with a smile after finishing her class.

"Miss...", a student raised his hand and Akansha mentally groaned, not because she was irritated with the cute child but with his name. How can his parents name such a cute child with such a worse name wondered she?

"Yes, Sh... Shaurya...", she called putting a fake smile on her face. No matter how many years had passed, she still stuttered in taking his name.

"You didn't pinch my cheeks", he complained cutely, making the whole class laugh... A small smile appeared on her face. When she went to that row in between the class, she caressed everyone's cheeks and forgot to do his and he remembered it.

'Told you he is such a cute kid, but his name...' Akansha thought to herself before going and caressing his cheeks and hair affectionately making the kid happy.

"Okay then, see you tomorrow class", Akansha said collecting her stuff.

"Miss... You forgot to give homework", one student reminded her and everyone else groaned making Akansha smile.

"I didn't forget Ronit... There's no homework for tomorrow", Akansha said, she didn't believe in burdening students with homework, instead she made them practice in the school itself so that parents wouldn't stress much in preparing their children for exams. She rarely gave any homework, one more reason she is the favorite of her students.

"Okay now... Maintain silence until the next teacher comes, bye", Akansha said and walked out of the class and the students started their chit-chat and playing with each other making noise as soon as she walked out. She shook her head and stood near the door keeping an eye on them so that they didn't hurt themselves, at the same time she wanted them to stay oblivious to her presence so that they enjoy their little break without any worries.

She left from there after the next teacher arrived. The whole day went on with classes and schoolwork for her. In the afternoon, after Siya's classes were done, she took her to the staff room with her and in the evening the mother-daughter duo went home after Akansha's work was done.

"Mumma... Will licha(Richa) aunty come hele(here) to p....", Siya trailed as she didn't remember what is that word called.

"Pick us up  ?", Akansha helped her

"Yes... Pick us up ? Will she come  ?", Siya asked with dreamy eyes, she loved her mumma's best friend 'licha' aunty.

"No baby... She is busy with her work, we'll go ourselves, she'll meet us for dinner, chalo(let's go)", Akansha said, little Siya nodded with her pouted lips. 

"Haha... Don't get upset... We'll have yummy yummy food for dinner", Akansha bribed her daughter helping her settle in the auto. 

"Paattaaaa ? (Pasta) ?", she asked getting excited...

"Yes... Pasta", Akansha said with a smile... Her little girl could hardly have two bites of it yet she was so excited, in this she went on her... Akansha thought. 

They reached home, and Akansha helped her daughter freshen up and changed her clothes. 

"Mumma... when will Licha aunty(Richa) come ?", Siya asked

"She is busy with her work Siya, she'll come as soon as she is done, but learn to say 'Richa', otherwise your aunty won't stop crying about it", Akansha said with a teasing glint.

"Licha", she tried

"Richa", Akansha corrected

"LLicha", little Siya tried again stressing on 'L' trying to make it sound like 'R' but failing... Akansha laughed at her attempts... 

"It's Richa... but no problem... you'll learn soon baby", Akansha said stifling her laughter but Siya noticed her mother's laughter. 

"Mumma bad... you laugh at me ?", she asked, puffing her cheeks, and her little hands on her waist... The little pose made Akansha burst out in laughter making her little one angrier...

"Mummaaaa", she screamed trying to act as 'Akansha' when she was angry. 

"Awe... my cute baby... Siya... Why are you so cute baby", Akansha said hugging her daughter... Siya started whining in anger... her mother was supposed to get afraid of her stern tone but instead, she hugged and kissed her.

"Mama bear... you should get scared", Siya said and Akansha nodded, acting to be afraid of her daughter satisfying the little girl. 

The next few hours passed with mother-daughter spending their evening playing with each other and laughing to their heart's content.

Precap - More into their lives and their parallels, indirect connections among their life.