Chapter 2

A little girl about 5-year-old looked at the boy standing in front of her, she wanted him to hold her. She held his hand till he gives into her, but the boy stubbornly didn't hold her and wanted her to leave her way.

"Tum hato mere rastey sey." The 11-year-boy said.

The mute little girl shook her head and raised her little hands to sign him to pick her up. The boy ignored her again and again.

The girl was injured in an accident and heavily dependent on the boy in front of her. She just entered this orphanage in a very injured state, lost her voice due to impact of accident on her throat injuring her voice box. She couldn't speak too much yet.

"Mahi, rasta chhodo mera." The boy said and Mahi shook her head. Finally, the boy lost in this 'who-is-more-stubborn' game and picked the girl in his arms and took her to eat something.

Even though they were both in an orphanage, they were wearing expensive clothes and didn't seem to fit this environment. The boy made the girl eat light food with his hands and smiled as she waited for him to finish his food.

The boy was sent here due to some mischief and his father thought to punish him by sending him here. He threw a boy off his seat and ended up injuring the boy's hand and didn't feel a shred of sympathy for the boy. Seeing this his father decided to let him help in orphanages at his age to let him understand the pain of not having anything from the day you are born. Whatever you are given should be thanked for and one should understand other's pain.

And the boy did. He came here on the same day as this little girl.

This little girl became a ray of sunlight in his dim life. He was the one that protected her and here they both became each other's armour protecting each other from this lonely environment that they didn't seem to fit in.

The boy was here working as a helper as well as a tutor for the little girl as his father felt handling just one baby is enough for him.

"Mahi, will you lie to me again?" the boy asked his mahi who shook her head and touched his cheeks. He smiled and made her eat a little more. "If you are in pain, just touch your heart like this," he touched his chest over his heart. "I'll understand that it hurts."

"..." Mahi opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out and she closed her mouth. She nodded her head and stood up for him to pick her up again.

The 11-year-old boy still remembered the scene of the girl coming here wrapped in bandages and his father who dropped him off letting him know that he won't be leaving here anytime soon made him chose which child he will take care of.

He chose her. his heart jumped in his chest as soon as he saw her. he didn't know what attracted him, but he just couldn't let her be like that. He wanted to ease her pain and he did. He took care of her and even learned how to from the caretaker. There is always another caretaker around them just in case he can't handle too much after all he was also just a kid.

His father who left him here in Delhi left without looking back at him. He knew just how he can protect himself from his punishments in Mumbai but here in Delhi, there's no chance for that.

In Mumbai, his mom will protect him from everything but in Delhi, even she can't do anything. His nana won't let her. His nana is the owner of this orphanage, and he was under his protection, but his nana was a man of few words and more action. Once he got to know what he did, his nana made sure he lived exactly like a person with no power and learned to respect his father that earned a living for him as well as people around him whether they have money or not.

"Nanaji, main orphanage jaa raha hun." His nana nodded at him as he left to meet his Mahi.

And as soon as he got down the car, he saw his Mahi sitting in the front bench basking under some sun in this cold season of winter.

He smiled and sat down next to her, and she smiled at him. Her smile seemed to blind him, and he smiled back at her. After that both kids, basked under the sunlight and the boy took her back inside to let her rest.

Advit was touched on his shoulder before he came out of his thoughts and looked at his secretary who took his hand back and said "Sorry sir, I called you many times but you..."

Advit didn't say anything, and his secretary said "Sir, after reaching India, you will have a video conference with Mr. Malik related to the new building contract. Here are the details for it."

Advit took the files in his hand and started studying the file.

-

Mahira and Abhaya came down for dinner with Rajeev and Malini and the servants served them while Mahira filled Milani's glass of juice which she loves drinking no matter the time.

"Haye, dekho meri bachi ko, kitne pyaar sey mere liye juice dala hai. You guys are always with me yet when have you ever done that for me?" Milani said as she took a sip of her juice while Abhaya laughed and said "Really mom? You always drink juice and dad has served you many times whenever you are angry and believe me, you get angry almost every day."

"Chup kar. Mujhe naraz kartey hi kyun ho? And why is it that only when I am angry, he will serve me juice? Bina naraz hue kyun nahi kabhi." Milani said as her nose turned red, and Rajeev looked at his wife and smiled.

"Accha bas, ab koi kuch nahi kahega sab khana khayege. And hamari pyaari biwi, today I'll serve you food. Mahira, you too start eating beta, what are you waiting for?" With this Rajeev served Milani and Mahira while Abhaya served herself knowing she won't be served because she just fought with her mamma when her father secretly served her a chapati at which she laughed.

Mahira smiled with them, and they all completed their meal laughing with each other.

"Mahi, yaar, I am so tired. Kab khatam hongey yeh assignments aakhir?!" Abhaya said as she flopped down on her bed and Mahira smiled at her when her eyes suddenly widened and she pushed Abhaya who fell down the bed and rather than feeling apologetic, Mahira glared at Abhaya.

"Mahi, what the hell?!" Abhaya glared back and Mahira pointed to the assignment paper she just wrote which was torn due to Abhaya flopping on them.

Abhaya bit her tongue cutely touching her ears and sat down on the floor with Mahira to work on their assignments.

"I'll write the one I tore." Abhaya said picked a sheet to write on when Mahira stopped her and said "No need, with your handwriting, I won't submit it. And even sir won't accept it. Main khud hi likh lugi."

"Why? Why won't sir accept it?" Abhaya asked offended.

"Have you seen your handwriting, Abhaya? Your handwriting looks as if cockroaches are sprawled all over the paper. Don't you remember what sir said last time?" Mahira said as she shook her head indexing all the sheets.

"Arey yaar, likh rahe hain vo kam hai kya?" Abhaya said as she leaned over the sheet she was writing.

"Tell me one thing, tu sir ke face par kyun kuch nahi kehti?" Mahira asked and Abhaya frowned. She later said "Kya hua?"

"Yaar, vo mere bhai ke classmate the, mujhe unsey dar lgta hain." Abhaya said and Mahira looked at her in confusion.

"Accha zyada mat soch. Get back to work." Mahira nodded at Abhaya, and both completed their assignments.

Soon their assignments were complete but they both slept on the floor with exhaustion written all over their faces.

At this time, the moon was shying away as it covered itself with clouds but still a few rays of shine hung on the two beautiful ladies sleeping on the floor.

-

"Do you not understand why I am shouting at you?" a younger Rajeev scolded a young 11-year-old boy who just ignored whatever being said to him.

The boy opened his mouth just to say, "so what, just pay them to keep their mouth shut. What's the big deal, dad?"

With this, his father looked at him in anger and he turned to leave the room and as soon as he left the room, the boy just looked at his back in confusion. His mother has always done that for him, so why isn't his father listening to him?

"Yeh sab tumhari galti hain, Milani, itni icchaye puri kardi hain uski ki usey sab kuch mazak lagta hain. Now he is crawling all over our head and now, I will handle him myself. I don't want to hear a word from you." Rajeev said and left his wife Milani who was still shouting how he is just a kid but Rajeev, for the first time in their life, ignored her.

"Rajeev?" Milani called for him when Rajeev came out of his memories and said "Kal aapka beta vapas aa raha hain. He just called; he will arrive by night tomorrow."

"Arey, aur aap ab bata rahe hain? Main abhi prepare karwati hun sab kuch." Milani turned to leave when Rajeev stopped her and said "Kal raat aayega, aaj nahi. Kal sab prepare kar lena. Let's rest for now."

Rajeev held her by her shoulders and took her to their room. Milani was still speaking of what she will do when her son arrives tomorrow.

Rajeev smiled and nodded at whatever she was speaking.