Four years old

A girl was sleeping peacefully in her mother's lap. She was coming back from a trip with her parents when suddenly she felt herself land on the rough ground. Her knees started to bleed and she looked up to see her parents car fall into the lake.

Bani: Mummy! Papa!...

The girl sat on the moist ground, her own injuries forgotten, and cried for hours, asking passer-bys for help, but it was only next morning when some local fisherman noticed and called for help. She sat their numb while people came in and tried getting the car out. She was shivering when a jacket landed on her shoulders. She looked up to see a boy. He looked liked he had been sobbing himself but managed to give her a faint smile.

Boy: Tum ro kyu rahi ho?

B: Mere mummy papa they us car me. Achanak pata nahi kya hua, mummy ne mujhe bahar fenk diya aur car pani me chali gayi....(sobs) vo thik toh honge na?

He was silent for a second.

Boy: Tum brave raho okay? Mai apne papa ko bula kr lata hoon...

Before he could come meet her, a man approached her.

Man: Bani beta?

B: Mahesh Uncle?

She hugged him sobbed.

Mahesh: Chalo beta..

He lifted her off the ground and took the sobbing bani home.

Eight years old

Ritu: Ye bhagwaan! Isse to mai ek kutta paal leti. Km se km ghar ki chaukidari hi krta aur isse km bhi khata...

Bani kept back the roti in the box.

B: Mera ho gaya chachi.

Mahesh: ek aur le le beta..

Ritu: arey aur kitna? Itni choti hokr poori ek roti kha gayi...aur nahi.. (turns to meera) tu khayegi Beta? Arey le, badhti umar me khana chahiye.

Bani looked down, sad and went to keep her plate. She sat near the window when Meera came. She had sneaked half of her roti as a roll and gave it to her. Bani smiled and just like that, the sisters forgot what happened outside.

Ten years old

Bani got up early and cleaned the rooms and cooked breakfast. She packed all their lunch boxes and put the clothes to washing.

B: Ho gaya! Baki kaam school ke baad..

Bani smiled and headed out to  fill Mahek and Dahek's water bottles. She cleaned her bisleri bottle and filled it too.

Twenty four years old

Over the years, Bani blossomed into a beautiful woman. She was so innocent, so pure; yet fierce. She topped her school and later finished college with full scholarship hence, hindering Ritu's idea of not letting her study post school claiming it was expensive. However, post college; she didn't receive any financial help to study further but that didn't dull her mood. She knew Mahesh had large debt on his head so she did not want to ask money for education. Instead she started working at a cafe and gave tuitions as well. She worked around the house too.

Ritu's neighbour: Meera ka rishta pakka ho gaya hai suna hai?

Ritu: haan haan, ladka bohot accha hai..

RN: waise tumne Bani ke baare me socha? Iski bhi umar ho gayi hai...

Ritu: isse kon karega..

RN: Itni sundar, samjdhar ladki hai...tum haan karo; mai kl hi line lagwa doon...

Ritu: (burns inside) meri betiyon ke age kuch nahi hai ye...aur koi samajhdar nahi hai ...umar bhar humara hi bojh banegi...mai toh khud chahti hoon koi muft me ye bala le jaye..

Ritu's neighbour left while Ritu glared at Bani. The girl in question, stood smiling, looking at the plants as she watered them.