Chapter 24

Three days with my mom and still I couldn't muster courage to speak to her.

She made me study the whole time and the little time left we'd go for a walk. Inshort we avoided anything that had to do with talks like we usually did.

On thursday evening when mom returned home, I finally had a chance to talk to her.

"You're not studying?" She asks.

Damn.

"I was." I say clearing my throat. "I just wanted to tell you something."

"Like I didn't want to keep this from you. So just..." I check on her.

"Is it a relationship?" She asks directly.

I clear my throat again. "Yeah sort of."

"I won't tell you to cut him off. But I hope he doesn't come between you and your studies. If I hadn't gotten pregnant so young then I would've taken a better education. Our life would be better." She says not looking at me. She was so casual about it.

"Let's do this." She says sitting beside me. "I won't stop you from dating unless you promise me not to get distracted. The day you graduate I'll meet him."

"You promise?" I ask.

"Yes." She promises. I felt like crying or atleast hugging her. But I control myself.

"Thank you." I tell her. She gives me a warm smile.

"Love is temporary, Anamika." She says. "But stability is forever."

"What if love is enough for me?" I ask.

"Not for me." Her voice is stern. She senses my thoughts. "If you want to follow love alone then I won't be by your side."

"I didn't mean it like that." I try to say. "I just..."

"A thought." She says. "It was a thought that came into your mind. Now it has passed away."

Right. A thought that just passed away.

"Make sure to make us both proud." She says before walking away.

Both of us. That meant she approved. Just I had to work super hard. I would. Because I wanted to be with them. I wanted to love them all. I would show them. All of them.

I doubted if I could show them anything when I had nothing inside me. I missed Sam and Vihaan. And Niya. Mira was my neighbor so I met with her everyday. I'd be miserable if I had to alone. Thanks to her I wasn't.

For the first time in my life I actually studied. It was hard at first but then later it started getting better. Everything is hard at first but it gets better as time goes by.

One the day before the entrance exam...mom came into my room. I was ofcourse studying.

"You've been pretty passionate." Mom praises as she looks at me. I looked like a mess. I hadn't taken a bath for three days now. I barely slept or ate.

"Yes." I answer simply. "I'm almost done."

"Okay." She says. "But there is someone for you out there."

I look at her, confused. "Is it Mira?" I ask. She's been busy too. Did she come to check on me?

I follow her outside. And I regret it.

"Vihaan?" I nearly scream.

If we were alone, I bet I'd be pinned to a wall and we'd make out. He took a step but backed down.

"Hi." He says.

"Hey." I say. It looked so fake to me. This is not how we greet each other. It seemed so...pretentious. Even mom knew it.

"Hi mam." He greets my mom. I expect mom to be cold but surprisingly she smiles at him.

"My daughter's boyfriend?" She asks. My eyes go wide at her question. We were more than that.

He looks towards me. "Yes mam."

I keep looking at them as they have a conversation. I can't believe everything was going so smooth. Not fights? Nothing made sense. And how could he casually drop in.

"I'll be right back." I tell them.

I shower in five minutes and get back hastily. I was bearable now.

"Are you staying today?" Mom was asking him.

I wished he wouldn't. The last day of my preparation and he'd distract me.

"No mam. I'll come over some other time." He replies. I sigh in relief.

We feed him and he goes back home. To our home. I missed it.

"He's nice." She tells me. I blush.

"But don't get distracted." She warns.

"Yes mam."