Three years and seven months ago

Maheshwari group of Institutions, Kolkata

"I'm not talking to you then why are you following me? Just go away." says Ragini irritated with Arhaan following her but from inside she was happy to see all the girls jealous because Arhaan was running after her like a love sick puppy.

"Sorry yaar! I went out with the boys and my phone was on silent so I didn't hear it ringing." explains Arhaan.

"Okay! So they're more important than me to you? Fine then! Go to your friends and say goodbye to me." she says turning to him with an angry face and then starts moving away.

Arhaan pouts as he runs after her.

"Alle mele aalu kyu inna gushsha kal laha hai babu? Aage she aesha nahi kalunga na plomish. (Oh my potato, why are getting so angry? I'll not repeat it, promise.) he says holding her hand and turning her to himself.

Ragini was glaring him angrily but was also thinking how cute he was looking and sounding while talking childishly.

"Stop calling me an aalu(potato). I don't look like a potato. Do I?" she asks angrily.

"No! You look like a hot and sexy model. And to keep these thoughts away, I call you potato." he says and then bites on his tongue and keeps both of his hands over his mouth, shocked that he just said that aloud.

Ragini was looking at him with wide eyes. Her face starts turning red as the blood starts rushing to her cheeks because of the blush but Arhaan misunderstands it to be because of anger.

"I'm sorry but that is the truth yaar. And you know I love my life more than anything in the world." he says as he runs away from there.

Ragini also starts running after him throughout the college campus.

"Arhaan, you donkey! Stop there otherwise I'll not talk to you ever and by God, I mean it." she shouts after him.

Arhaan stops at that. He turns to look at Ragini innocently. They were in an isolated area of the college. Ragini moves towards him and starts hitting him while Arhaan was just trying to defend her attacks.

"What did you say some seconds ago?" she asks while hitting him.

"These girls! Bas khud ki tareef sunni hoti hai. (They just want to hear their praisings.)" he says rolling his eyes dramatically.

Ragini shakes her head in disbelief at the boy in front of her. She points her finger at him and was about to say something but then let it go giving him a 'it's useless to say anything to you because you'll not change' look. Arhaan laughs as he pulls her with him and they sits under a tree.

"What?" asks Ragini finding him staring at her.

"Don't you think that you're forgetting something?" he asks lifting his eyebrows.

"No, I remember everything! This is the last week of our college. There are exams after two weeks and then we'll be post graduated. And if you have forgotten then let me remind you that we already had our farewell party." she says and with the look on her face it was clear that she was trying to control her laugh.

Arhaan stares her for a few seconds and then turns his face away. Ragini bites on her lips at that. She holds his face and makes him look at her.

"And I also remember that it's your birthday tomorrow. How can I forget about the birthday of the boy I l... hate the most?" she says laughing.

Arhaan glares her. Ragini laughs more and pulls his nose.

"You're cho cute." she says smiling.

"Huh... You don't know that boys are not called cute, girls are called cute!" he says making faces.

"Oh! And where did you read that? In the book of business management or in the book called one hundred tricks to impress a girl?" she asks smirking.

Arhaan looks at her with wide eyes.

"I... I read that book because I wanted to know how others impresses their girlfriends. Otherwise I've my own ways to impress my girlfriends. Okay!" he defends.

Ragini's face falls when he talks about impressing his girlfriend and Arhaan notices her sudden change in emotion.

"What happened?" he asks.

"Nothing!" she lies.

"Okay! So, tomorrow is my birthday party at the penthouse we've booked and Ms Ragini Gadodia, you're heartily invited. I'll send you the address. I want my best friend there. No excuses!" he says strictly.

"Hmm... Still best friend..." she mumbles under her breath.

Ragini just nods her head to him in response.

***

It was night and Ragini was laying on her bed in her room but not sleeping. She was looking at the clock in her room. She takes her phone in her hand when there was only one minute left before the clock could strike twelve. She calls Arhaan. He picks up the phone after many rings.

"Hello..." Arhaan's voice reaches her ears.

"Get up you donkey. I called you to remind you that just now you turned twenty three. God! You're getting old and the day is not far when there will be no teeth in your mouth." she says laughing.

"Nice way to wish happy birthday to your best friend." says Arhaan smiling.

"Huh... You were sleeping and here I was forcing myself to stay awake so that I can wish you before everyone." she says rolling her eyes.

"Well, logically you still didn't wish me and I wasn't sleeping." he says.

"Then? What were you doing?" she asks confused.

"I was laying on my bed with my eyes closed, just in my shorts and was dreaming about some beautiful girl. Wanna join?" he asks in his flirty tone.

"Shut up you pig." she says as her cheeks heats up. She could hear Arhaan laughing at the other side of the phone.

"So badly I want to see your face right now, my aalu." he says laughing.

"Now I'm in no condition going to wish you. Just go to hell." she says gritting her teeth.

"I'll go to hell but you also have to come with me baby. I want a company know." he says trying to control his laugh.

"I'm disconnecting the call." Ragini warns him.

"Alle mela babu firche guchcha ho gaya... Aaj to mela b'day hai na babu... Aaj to mujhe pelmission hai na kuch bhi kalne ki... (Aww, my baby got angry again. Baby, today is my birthday. At least today I've permission to do anything.) he says cutely. Ragini smiles at the other side.

"Okay then enjoy your birthday today. I'll kill you tomorrow." she says. Arhaan laughs at that.

"Okay, I'm going to sleep now. Bye..." says Ragini.

"Bye mele aalu..." he says smiling but Ragini doesn't get angry this time.

"And ya, Happy Birthday..." she says giggling.

"My birthday will be happy when I'll see your chubby face." Arhaan mumbles under his breath.

"Did you say something?" asks Ragini.

"No, nothing. Good night." he says.

"Good night."

***

Present time

Bangalore, Karnataka

Ragini enters inside her house and finds her daughters sitting in the hall with Naina. She smiles looking at them.

"Mumma is home." says Ragini moving towards them.

The little girls jumps down the couch and runs to their mother. Naina smiles at Ragini who smiles back at her. Ragini sits on her knees and kisses on their heads while the girls kisses her cheeks.

"How was the day at school?" asks Ragini.

"Good... We did so many things." replies Ishanvi.

Ragini smiles and gets up.

"Okay, mumma will come after changing then you have to tell me what all you did in the school." says Ragini.

The girls nods and she leaves for her room. She comes out after a while and finds her daughters watching Ishanvi's favourite Doraemon. She moves towards them and sits in between her daughters.

"So, what you did in the school today?" asks Ragini to her daughters.

"Mumma, Aanu will tell you. Let me watch Dora." says Ishanvi not moving her eyes from the screen for even a second.

Ragini shakes her head in disbelief. She'll not be wrong if she'll say that Doraemon is her daughter's first crush.

Aanya then told her what all they did. It's their daily routine.

"Did you both eat something?" asks Ragini.

"Yesh... Naina aunty made shandwichesh (sandwiches)." says Aanya.

Ragini smiles as she gets up and moves towards the kitchen where Naina was talking to someone on the phone. Naina looks at her after disconnecting the call.

"Did Arjun left for the office?" asks Ragini.

Naina nods as she sits on the stool placed there. Ragini also sits in front of her as she takes a notepad and starts writing something. They keeps on talking about random things while Ragini keeps calculating something with her phone.

"Is anything wrong? You look worried." asks Naina looking at Ragini.

Ragini sighs as she keeps the note pad away.

"Aanya and Ishanvi are growing and their needs are growing too. From my salary, savings are almost nil. With time, their requirements will increase. They'll get in higher classes and their fees, their demands, everything will increase but my salary will not increase with that speed. I'm worried about future. What am I going to do? How will I be able to provide everything to my daughters and give them what all they need?" she says in a worry laced tone.

Naina sighs understanding her tumorial.

"You know Ragini, I'm really very proud of you. You are a single mother and you're giving a great upbringing to your daughters. You're a superwoman. Me and Arjun haven't even planned for a baby yet but we've started doing savings. I can understand your worry very well. Every parent wants to give their children a good and worry free life. You want the same and you have two daughters to take care of. It's absolutely not an easy task. But this time I don't have anything to advice you because the situation is out of our hands. Uhm... Try in some other company which can pay you better." says Naina.

"This company is giving me more than enough according to my knowledge and work and if I'll go to some other company then I have to start from the beginning. It won't help. I have to think some other way by which I can earn along with working in the company." says Ragini.

Naina nods in agreement with her.

"I know I should not say this because I don't know the complete story but Ragini, every father has the right to know about his children. I know there must be some reason about you hiding it from him but nothing should matter in front of the future of your daughters. If he was a bad guy then you should never ever tell him. You should not even let his shadow fall on your daughters. But if he was even a little bit of good then he deserved to know. I don't know if it's useful to say this now, after so many years but I just felt like saying this after knowing about your worry. Your life as a single mother is going to be tougher with time. No doubt, we're with you and will always be but there are things about which no one besides your own self can help you. I can just assure you that everything will be fine but both of us knows the future better." Naina says getting up.

She leaves the kitchen to give Ragini some personal space to think about things. Ragini keeps sitting there thinking.

"She's not wrong. He deserved to know. But it would have only made the things complicated and our lives miserable. Being a father he deserved to know about his daughters but after knowing the truth I couldn't tell him. I didn't want him to refuse to accept my babies. It would have been more worse. That means my decision of not telling him and leaving was not wrong. I got addicted to him but I meant nothing to him." she concludes.

***

Kolkata, West Bengal

He was sitting in his room, working on his laptop when a servant entered inside after knocking.

"Baba, there's a call for you." says the old man.

"Who's it?" asks he, without lifting his eyes from the screen.

"Trisha..." says the old man.

The man looks at the old man shocked. He immediately gets up and moves out of the room. He reaches the hall where the landline was. He picks up the receiver and keeps it near his ear.

"Hello..." he says.

"Hello Laksh..."comes the relply.

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The confusion is still there🙊? How much more proud you all will make me feel of myself😜😹!!

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