This is a an original work of fiction and imagination. All the characters and events in the story are entirely fictional. Any resemblance with anyone living or dead is pure coincidental. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously.

Aashiqui- 3. Copyright © March 2017. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without the written permission of the author.

All the songs belong to the original singers and songwriters, and not to the fictional characters.

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Note to Readers:Please don't forget to click on likes as you read the book, even if you are reading it after years of it's completion. Smiles.

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             Month of October and days were pacing towards the biggest festival of light, Diwali.  The sounds of crackers in an authorized slum in Andheri East, could be heard in evening and night. The zeal and zest for Diwali in people living here was no less than that of people living in the tall towers of Raheja Builders, a residential complex, not too far from these slums. Those towers boost of luxurious apartments of many celebs and other rich people. Children in the slums were excited about Diwali and had already started bursting crackers at night from whatever money they could get from their parents, who are all manual labors.

                   Raina Shinde, seventeen years old, lives with her mother in one tiny room in this authorized slum. Authorized slums have electricity, water points and toilets shared by the residents of densely populated slum and cleaned by the municipality people. It's not as big as Dharavi but not very small either. Rent is affordable, and slum residents have TV, gas stove and other basic amenities. Raina's mom and her maasi(mom's sister), who lives in the room next door, are maids and work in many apartments from morning until evening to pay their bills and run their houses.

                  Raina's father is an alcoholic. She doesn't know which street, which sidewalk or which bridge he sleeps under, because he only comes home when he needs money. He abuses, he fights and snatches away her mom's hard earned money for his desi daaru. If she tries to interfere and stop him, she too is thrown away and beaten like her mom. After years of fighting, her mom now gives her dad Rs.500 whenever he comes, without any words. Her elder brother, Angad, is an alcoholic too, just like her dad, but good thing is he works and doesn't ask mom for money. He is a mason, does brickwork in under construction buildings on daily wages. He earns well, but doesn't give a penny to mother. He is having an affair with some widow and lives in some jhuggi in Juhu with her . He sometimes swings by to meet them.

                  Her maasi, Sita, younger sister of her mom, is the sweetest lady and a pillar of strength and support to her mom. She divorced from her alcoholic husband long time back. He married second time after that, and rarely comes to see their three kids, eldest daughter Priya, eleven, followed by two sons. Another childhood friend of her mom, Shweta used to live in the room next door for many years before her husband decided he didn't like it in Mumbai. Two months back, they packed up and went to Jalgaon, the place they all originally belong to. She has no memories of Jalgaon, because she was a baby when her parents moved to Mumbai for better job prospects. Madhu, her mom's best friend's daughter was her age and she used to spend a lot of time with her before she got serious about her studies. Madhu left studies at fourteen, and started going to work with her mom and she got busy with her studies. They hardly had any common topics to talk about after that.

                  When she was eleven and twelve she used to spend all her time in Madhu's house watching TV since she didn't have one in her tiny room. They both used to copy the dance steps of the songs that came on TV, jumped around and have lots fun. Now, after so many years, they have their own 21" color TV. Two years back, the lady in whose house her mom works got a big LED TV, and didn't have place to keep this one in her small apartment, so she sold it to mom for five hundred bucks. They have only Doordarshan channel on which she watches news and some political discussions to know what's going in the country. Her mom follows some mindless serials in the night after she comes from work. Her mom is free after she comes back from work, because she takes care of everything at home, from cleaning to cooking.

                     Raina was sitting with her back against the wall on cotton sheet spread on a roll-able cotton filled single mattress. Last Diwali, she sewed two of these mattresses with help from her mom. They could have bought, but her mom is one miser lady who believes in maximum savings. She knows she is saving money for her marriage. Her mother even showed her the picture of a guy, she is interested in getting her hitched to. Not an unusual thing considering their class people get their daughters married even before seventeen. They don't even care about the law. She always told her mom that she doesn't want to become a maid like her and wanted to study. She wanted more from life. Her mom never pushed her to assist her with work in houses. She never visited or went to any of the houses her mom worked for. She was First Year BSc student in the government girl's college. She wanted to become something in her life. After coming home, she did all the housework and cooked before sitting for her studies.

           She was doing her Physics assignment, when her cousin Priya walked in their tiny single room house.

(They always talk in their regional language Marathi)

Priya: What are you doing Di?

Raina: Studying.

Priya: Why do you study all the time?

Raina: You should also go and study if you don't want to work in other's houses. We don't want to become aayahs (maids) like our moms.

Priya: Studying is more difficult than cleaning and cooking. I don't mind becoming an aayah. I would rather become a maid than study.

Raina: Horrible! You want to live in these slums all your life?

Priya: I am not ambitious like you. I don't even understand Math. It's so difficult. I don't get it, no matter how many times you teach me.

Raina: Don't give up on studies Priya, that's our only way out of here.

Priya: You only study. When you become something, I'll think about it. All other girls who went to college here ended up becoming aayah only. Unlike you, I go and help mom sometimes in her work, and I tell you it's not that bad.

Raina: Okay, whatever. My physics lecturer told us this. He said it was in today's newspaper, a daughter of a vegetable vendor, who sold vegetables from house to house in a cart became an IAS officer. It's rare, but not impossible. I am so inspired by this story. I guess there is a hope, we just have to have a strong determination and continuously work towards our goal without losing sight of it.

Priya: So, you want to become an IAS now?

Raina: Yes. I really want to . It's not easy at all. For that I have to study a lot, much more than what I'm doing.

Just then the room filled with the loud music from next room.

Priya: Now, your study is gone for a toss with music playing everyday from 6 pm to 8 pm. Thanks to your new neighbor. You can tell when she is back home.

Raina: I know, Sunita bai is a big fan of Asha Bhonsle. She says, she can't can't sleep without listening to old songs of Asha Bhonsle and Lata Mangeskar's. 

Raina: This is how life in slums is. Got to learn to block out all the noise and focus on what you are reading, because there is no point telling anyone, anything. We have to study in adversities and still perform .

Priya: I'll go and look for my little brother's or mom will come and scold me for not taking care of them.

          Her maasi walked in their room in night with a lot of worn suits given to her by the privileged ladies she worked for.

Maasi: Look, I got all these for you. Very bad that your aayi(mom) and I wear only sarees, so we can't wear them. All cleaning up of wardrobe before Diwali is going on these days. Bais(employer) were throwing such beautiful suits . I told them my niece goes to college, I'll take for her. One of them is slim and almost as tall as you. Her suits should fit you well. Other one is fat, so her's might be loose. Try and show me how they fit you. She told her excitedly.

Mom: They are all beautiful sets. Kurta leggings, salwaars, dupattas. Though little old, but not faded or worn out. Your maasi got you lots of clothes today Raina. Your Diwali is made. She looked at her and smiled.

Raina: Thank you maasi. Okay, you both go to Maasi's room now. After I have worn, I'll come and show you there.

She changed into a fitted red printed kurta and legging with dupatta and went to next room.

Mom and Maasi: It fits you so well

Priya: Di, you are looking like a heroine. You can give them a run for their money.

She laughed.

Mom: Nazar na lage meri beti ko. (Save my child from an evil eye)

Maasi: She won't catch any eye, her fair and lovely cream is there to save her from it and other times her long ghoonghat(dupatta over head pulled down over face until chin) is there.

They all laughed and Raina smiled.

           Next morning, she was getting ready for college when her maasi came with buckets of water. She saw her wearing kurta salwar given by fat lady. It was hanging on her. She was tightly pulling her oily hair in a single braid.

Maasi: You were looking so good in fitted kurta chudidaar, but you have to wear this to college!

Raina: You know why, Maasi. She turned her head and took a quick glance at her.

Maasi: My face is feeling so dry these days. Give me some moisturizer.

Raina: Want my fair and lovely? She offered her small bottle of fair and lovely which she had just finished applying on her face.

Maasi: Your kajal mixed fair and lovely, you please keep to yourself. Give me some coconut oil to rub on my face. She said looking at her face.

Maasi: Do you really have to go to college looking like this?

Raina: You know maasi, I don't want any trouble with men. I don't want to be eve-teased on way or followed by any men around our slums. You know how half of the men in slums are. And we are only women living here. We better be safe than sorry. And you know ever after that incident when I was thirteen, I would rather want to look like this and not get myself and mom in any kind of trouble.

Massi: I understand. She smiled and walked to her room with the buckets of water.

          Few days later, she was doing math problems when her maasi and brother helped her mom inside the room. Her mom had a bandage around her head.

Raina: What happened to aayi(mom)? She asked in shock looking at her mom.

Maasi: She fell off a stool on a table while cleaning the fan in one of the houses. She got many stitches on the back of her head. Fortunately, she is fine, but she lost a lot of blood. Doctor has advised her rest for a week before examining her again. She is fainting every now and then, because she is weak.

Raina: Oh aayi! she cried.

Raida: How did Angad reach her?

Maasi: Her bai(employer) called me and then we took her to hospital and then I called Angad to the hospital.

Angad: She can sleep only on her sides. Make bed for her, and let her lie properly. Give her a pillow. Give her only semi solid khichdi to eat. I got these medicines prescribed by doctor. Give her these medicines in time and take care of her and don't let her go to work.

Maasi: Don't worry. Priya and I'll take care of your mum's work. Raina can take care of home and boys.

Angad: Well, I'll go now. Raina, call me if there is any emergency. I'll keep visiting.

            After a week she took her mom to doctor. Her brother came along. Doctor did the CT scan and blood tests for which her brother willingly paid. Two days later, she collected the reports from hospital and showed them to doctor. Doctor told that her mom is anemic and needs to eat well, should avoid working for at least six months since she is prone to passing out any time. It can be dangerous. She is very week and needs to recover completely before she goes back working in houses.

She returned home by bus with mom's reports.

Raina: Who told you to climb and clean the fans? She asked her mom angrily.

Mom: The lady was paying me eight hundred bucks to clean the window panes and fans for Diwali.

Raina: And now, you cannot work for next six months. Doctor was very clear on that. And you know I don't want to go and work in other's houses.

Mom: That's why I found such a nice boy for you. She said smiling.

Mom: He is a lift man in a big corporate building in Secundrabad. His monthy salary is fifteen thousand. His father has his own two room house. You'll never have to work as a maid if you marry him. Secundrabad is anyways better city than Mumbai. My brother who lives there was saying he is a nice boy. No bad habits. Doesn't drink, doesn't smoke like your father. Say yes to marriage with this boy. Tomorrow only I can get you married to him, I have saved enough money for your marriage.

Raina: Who will take care of you then?

Her maasi was standing at the door and listening to their conversation.

Maasi: Don't worry about her? Your mom is right. You should not let go off such a nice boy who has no bad habits and earns well. I will take care of your mom after you go to Secundrabad.

Raina: C'mon, Maasi! I don't want to marry. You all know that. I want to become an IAS officer. And mom, you promised, you will get me married only after if I fail in my two attempts of IAS.

Maasi: For IAS, you don't have to be single, you can do your college studies and IAS after marriage also.

Raina: Yeah, why not? With two kids, I'll study and do IAS. You ladies think it's so easy.

Maasi: Haven't women done that? Where there's a heart there's a way. Don't you yourself say that?

Raina: Listen, you two. I'm not saying yes to marriage, not before I have written and failed my IAS exams twice.

         They all ate the dinner prepared by her and then maasi left to sleep in her room with her kids. Raina made the bed for her mom and herself before turning off the lights and retiring to bed.

Mom: Your maasi has helped us a lot. She has worked for me for a week, but she can't work for me for another six months. It's not right. Angad was also saying that he can't help with money every month. May be he can buy medicines for me, but that is it. We have monthly rent,electricity bills and food bills to take care of.

Raina: What do you want me to do?

Raina: We are going to use the money you have deposited in bank for my marriage. Maasi and Priya don't have to work for you.

Mom: I'm not going to let anyone touch that money. I'm going to start working from tomorrow.

                Tears came running out of Raina's house. She faced towards the wall. What can she do to get a monthly income home? Job as a cashier in shop would mean no college. It would take time to get a job in a call center or BPO, but that would also mean missing on bachelors degree and college. She can take tutions , but who'll come to take lessons in slums. She can go home from home to give tutions, but that would take away all the time after college, tire her brain and body for any of her own studies. She couldn't believe that going and cleaning few houses in morning before college was the best option of all. Something she hated so much.

             'She was poor, so she was not supposed to dream to fly and soar high in the sky, because if she did the circumstances will somehow cut her wings and drop her to where she actually belongs. That's how unkind the destiny was to unprivileged. Luck is allergic to them, and runs miles away from them. That sabzi wala's daughter is one rare case, otherwise a maids daughter will become a maid one day. It's not like that sabzi wala's daughter must have not gone through rough times. She must possess some iron will and steel determination to not let the downs of life fail her' she thought. You don't have to get deterred by circumstances, just work the best you can to achieve your goal in those adversities',she pepped herself. 'No job is small. Cleaning others toilets eew.. so what even Gandhi ji did that' she reminded herself.

Raina: Okay mom, I'll go and work in the houses you work from tomorrow morning, but not all. Only few and we'll quit the others. She told her mom who was still awake.

Raina: I'll work in the one you have keys to, then the apartments of two working ladies where go early morning , before they leave for office. That is all I can squeeze in the time before I go to college. How much will that get us?

Mom: Six thousand from the big apartment for all the work, then two thousand from the other two small 2BHK apartments for cleaning dishes, mopping and sweeping. That will make ten thousand per month.

Raina: We can survive in ten thousand, and we can use some from your savings if needed. I am not doing more than that. After college I want to come home and study.

Mom: You are my good girl. Take the keys to the apartment from your maasi tomorrow morning. Three apartments is good enough.

             'After all, Diwali this year isn't that good, it made her maid,' she thought.