It was almost 10 but Jai did not turn up...Maya was getting impatient with time..she probably tried 100 times to reach him..first it was ringing...after sometime it was out of reach. She tried Arnab's number as well but it was switched off

Thamma: Munai realx..

Maya: How can I relax Thamma, he said he was about to reach but he has not come yet...

Thamma: Probably he has got some work..

Maya: He should have informed me once (Holding her Thamma's hands tightly) Thamma I hope nothing bad had happened..(Her voice trembled)

Thamma (Patting her head): Joy thik bole..amar meye ta khub tension kore..(Joy is right that my daughter always gets tensed)

Maya hugged her..

Thamma (Caressing her back): Am sure nothing has happened to him..probably he is stuck somewhere...Why don't you call Sabyasachi once, he might know where is Joy..

Maya: No Thamma..Kaku will get anxious too..he knows Joy is going to stay with us today...

Thamma: Alright..we will wait for him then...

Maya: But you eat Thamma, you have medicines to take after dinner...I will eat with him...

Thamma: Aacha (Alright) have some snacks till then...

Maya: I don't feel like having, Thamma...

Thamma: Okay...but come with me and give me company...

Maya: My company? you have some serials to watch na...I will get bored..

Thamma (Making a sad face): You know my favorite serial "Sindoor er Dibbi" ("Swearing on Vermillion") ended yesterday that I used to watch at dinner time...😔

Maya (Controlling her laughter): Oh..that's sad, Thamma..

Thamma: It ended awfully..but it's alright...I have got another one to watch😍

Maya: What...? You already got another one...you are impossible, Thamma...

Her Thamma smirked and pulled Maya with her...

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It was almost 1.30 but no sign of Jay yet...Maya kept on trying his number but it was still unreachable...She was praying... that ....he was safe and sound...She was in the balcony...waiting for his arrival...waiting for his black i20 to show up. She looked at the empty streets...only few people can be seen..She tried to shrug off all the bad thoughts that almost started haunting her. She finally decided to call Meena, Arnab's wife...if he is at home. She picked it up in the last ring..

Meena (Sleepily): Hello...

Maya: Meena...Maya here...am so sorry to bother you at this time...actually I wanted to ask something...

Meena (In a bored manner): Go ahead..

Maya: Is Arnab at home? I mean Joy has not come yet and have tried their numbers..

Meena: Are you and Jay back together?

Maya was least interested in answering such interfering questions and Meena had been always like that..more curious to know about other lives..

Maya: I just wanted to confirm if Arnab has come..

Meena: He has not come back yet ..(and immediately after she cut the call)

Maya was a little surprised to see her attitude..how she was not bothered that her husband was still outside..

Thamma: Ki bollo o Munai ? (What did she say, Munai?)

Maya: Arnab o akhno fereni (Arnab also has not come back)

Thamma: Then they must be together...

Maya: Thamma at least he can give us a call na...knowing it well that we are waiting for him...does not he know my nature...does not he know me? (She broke down in tears)

Thamma: Munaiii...Shona...you know his job...you should be proud of him...

Maya: I am tired, Thamma...

Thamma: Sleep for sometime...he will be back by then..

Maya: No Thamma...if I sleep... I will again get nightmares...I will wait for him...

Thamma: Come...I will massage your forehead...you will feel better...

Maya: No Thamma...you should sleep...it's 2 in the morning...

Thamma: So that you can ruin your mind with the unnecessary thoughts..wait I will make some tea for us....we both will wait for him together..

Maya: Thamma...is it the time to have tea? you must be tired...

Thamma: He would be hungry and tired, Munai...don't say anything to him today...have a discussion when you both are calm...wrong timing and agitated decisions always spoil things...

Maya nodded her head..

Thamma: Be a good wife...

Maya: I was always a good wife...he was and still is a bad husband...

Thamma: But the best Son in Law...Yo like me 😎

Maya: I can't believe that you are still taking his side...

Thamma (Pointing at the sky): I will see you from there when you will become a Thamma...

Maya: What nonsense...!!(hugging her tightly) Dare you say again to leave me and go to that stupid sky...

Thamma: Uff..babare... ei meyeta...eto taraatari jabo na....(Uff...Lord...this girl...I am not going anytime soon)

Maya: Still Thamma...don't say such things na...my hormones are not in my control..I get bad thoughts....

Thamma: Your Dadu (Grandfather) used to be like this..always used to get tensed in every little thing...(pinching her cheeks) you remind me of him...

Maya: Is it good or bad?

Thamma: Well both...good at times and bad at times...

Maya: I thought you are going to say Good...

Thamma: Yes..as I feel he is still with me...

Maya (Putting her head on her shoulder): Then why Bad, Thamma?

Thamma: Because I can't gawk at those hot old fellows in serials...your Dadu was one possessive soul...he even made sure to take me all the female doctors..

Maya (laughing): Thamma?

Thamma: Yes I miss him...that's what you wanted to ask, right?

Maya (was shocked): Omg how did you know?

Thamma: Remember..I am your Thamma😉

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It's 4.50 in the morning...She made sure her Thamma was asleep though she insisted a lot to stay awake with her but she forcefully made her sleep ..she was awake the whole night still she was not sleepy...sleep was far away from her eyes. Her Thamma took a promise from her that she won't cry ...but she could not keep the promise...her tears have dried up...she was preparing to face the worst...she felt dizzy and rushed to the washroom..vomited whatever little she had in her stomach...still careful..did not want to wake her Thamma up...she was praying to all the Gods that he is fine. The nightmares that she used to have making her go numb on her feet...

Maya (Murmured to herself): He is fine...(touching her belly)..Daddy is fine...

She fell down on bathroom floor...covering her mouth...crying silently...nothing should happen to him..

Maya: Why did you happen to me, Joy...we should not have met...(Her mind revisited the first day they met)

****Flashback****

It was her first year in the medical college...Maya was always like a bookworm...extremely serious about the aim she had in her life...fulfilling her Thamma's wish who always wanted her to become a doctor..Since she was abandoned by her own parents whom she never saw in her entire life..she hardly had any friends in her life. Her Thamma was her world, her parents, her friend, her guide...she never felt anything was missing...her life was set and complete. After coming to the college, she was disgusted to see people are more interested in doing cheating, falling in love,, making out in public than studying...

Maya (In her mind): Oh my God...I wish they would never become doctors...they all will be cold blooded murderers...playing with innocent people lives...

She had this habit...talking to herself when noone was around..she loved it...her mind was always the best one to respond...

That day, she was crossing a road..busy in her thoughts..calculating her overall schedule for the day...when she saw a little child crying..coming from the other side...it was a two-way road where cars were coming and going in jet speed...Maya looked around..shouted for help for the kid who was coming towards the road in slow pace..crying loudly...

Maya: Help someone...please save the kid...(Some heard her..chose to avoid...some were busy crossing the busy road carefully)

Maya abruptly went middle of the road...she forgot about herself...finally reached where the kid stood...carrying the kid in her arms...when she saw one truck was coming from the other side...it was close...about to hit them when someone pulled her along with the kid from the other side..she tightly closed her eyes..scared to open..still was unable to register that she was alive...the kid was being pulled from her...she immediately opened her eyes to see one pair of dark brown eyes..angrily looking at her...

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Darlings😁😁😁

Bear with me😑😑😑😓😖😓

😅Mou😎