A new day brings a lot of hope and opportunities. Ruhana wakes up with hope in her heart. She glances at her daughter, who is fast asleep beside her. Ruhana leans in and kisses her daughter on the forehead. She pats her head gently and adores the girl, as if making a silent promise that she'll do her best for her.

Life has been harsh to Ruhana, and being a single parent wasn't easy for her. But having her daughter by her side has eased her pain somehow. The girl isn't normal, but she's better than normal kids. She knows how to convince her mother and how to help her too. Of course, people taunt them, but Ruhana doesn't pay any heed. She knows as long as her daughter is happy, she will be happy too. A tear escapes her eyes as she reflects on her past, the bitter relationship with her husband, the hardships of life she faced with a baby in her arms, and the unwelcoming society. It's been a part of her life, but she also knows that there are hardships at every step, and you have to overcome them. However, with Manvi around, Ruhana's heart swells with pride.

Her trance breaks as Manvi calls out to her. She turns to look at her daughter, who's staring at her with her big, almond-shaped eyes. The girl is well aware that her mom is thinking about her. She decides to ask the same question, of which she already knows the answer.

"Aap toh kehti ho ki Mannu ki wajah se aap khush rehti ho, fir aap ro kyun rahi ho? Maine toh koi shaitani bhi nahi ki." Manvi poses her first question.

"Main thik hi toh kehti hoon, Princess! Tum meri khushi ho! Vo toh bas mujhe kuch yaad aa gaya, varna, Mannu ke hote hue bhala Mumma kabhi ro sakti hain?" Ruhana responds, her tone soft, filled with emotion.

"Good Mumma! Jab aap udaas hoti ho toh Mannu ko achcha nahi lagta." Manvi replies as she sits on the bed.

Manvi leaps into her mom's arms, locking her arms around her neck, and kisses both her cheeks. Ruhana isn't surprised; Manvi often extends this gesture when she's happy, and Ruhana knows that her daughter is happy today. She asks her the reason as she makes her face herself.

"Kya baat hai, koi bahut khush hai?" Ruhana asks.

"Haan, aapko pata hai, Sameer uncle ne promise kiya tha ki aaj wo hume ghumaane le jaayenge, aur yahan pe ek zoo hai, wahan bhi le jaayenge." Manvi chuckles, her eyes filled with excitement.

"Achcha, uncle ke sath plans bhi bana liye, very fast!" Ruhana rolls her eyes at her daughter, but there's a smile tugging at her lips.

"Friends toh aisa hi karte hain, aur uncle ne mujhse pucha toh maine haan kar di. Aapko pata hai, Sameer uncle keh rahe they ki aap wahi karogi jo main kahungi, karogi na, Mumma?" Manvi asks innocently.

"Of course, meri jaan! Mumma toh wahi karegi jo Mannu kahegi. Come on, ab pehle hum ready hote hain, fir Sameer uncle se milenge aur decide karenge kahan jaana hai." Ruhana says, her tone filled with emotion.

"Sab set hai, Mumma! Aap uncle ko bolo ki wo jaldi se ready ho jaye." Manvi says and runs into the washroom.

Ruhana shakes her head, and at the same time, the doorbell rings. She opens the door and is astonished to find Sameer at the door. She greets him with a smile and invites him inside. She tells him that Manvi was already remembering him.

"Mujhe toh pata bhi nahi chala, tum dono ne sab plan bhi kar liya!? Mujhe kyun nahi bataya?" Ruhana questions him.

"It's called Surprise! Manvi ko promise kiya tha ki hum zoo jayenge, aur ab hum East Coast Park mein bhi jayenge. Bahut mazaa aayega." Sameer says, his tone filled with excitement.

"Woah! Aap dono toh kuch zyada hi excited hain! Dono doston ne mujhe akela chhod dia!" Ruhana says playfully.

"Arey nahi, Ruu, aisa nahi hai. Tum ready ho jao, phir hum restaurant mein naashta karne chalenge. Iss hotel mein ek room hai, jahan acquariums hain, Manvi ko vo bhi pasand aayega." Sameer suggests.

Ruhana nods as Sameer tells her about their day's plans. Meanwhile, Manvi enters the room and chuckles to find Sameer. She immediately hugs him and begins teasing her mum about the partnership they share. Meanwhile, Sameer asks the girl to get ready and he walks out to his room.

Ruhana makes Manvi's hair and the girl keeps on blabbering about her plans and the things she wants from the local markets. Ruhana keeps sending hums in reply to her daughter, and that's when Manvi turns to her.

"Kya hua? Aap gussa ho?" She asks innocently.

"Nahi toh, main tumhare plans sun rahi hoon, Mumma ko toh bhul hi gai ho tum!" Ruhana comments.

"Noii, Mannu Mumma ko kaise bhul sakti hain, abhi aap jaldi se ready ho jao." She says, pushing her towards the washroom.

Ruhana smiles, she asks Manvi to sit in the room and not to go out. The girl has become very naughty lately, and her mom is concerned for her only. Manvi nods in agreement and gets busy coloring her drawing from the other day. Twenty minutes later, Ruhana is ready and the mother and daughter leave the room after locking it. They find Sameer standing outside their room, and the three descend downstairs towards the hotel restaurant.

*****
Manvi, Ruhana, and Sameer reach the restaurant only to find that breakfast is ready. Manvi chooses the corner table and settles on the chair. Ruhana takes her seat beside her while Sameer takes his seat opposite them. He tells them that for breakfast, there's self-service, and they will need to order themselves. However, there is a menu available, and they can check it before ordering the meal. After asking Manvi, Ruhana and Sameer move to place the order while the girl remains seated at her place.

Meanwhile, she notices a middle-aged man entering the restaurant, and he sits at the table beside the one where Manvi is sitting. As he shifts inside, a few papers fall from his pocket. Acting quickly, Manvi picks up the papers and taps his shoulder. It's no one but Vineet, who's in the same restaurant.

"Uncle, aapke papers gir gaye they.." Manvi says, extending the papers towards him.

"Oh, thank you, beta! Mujhe toh pata hi nahi chala ki ye kaise gir gaye." Vineet responds, his tone soft.

"Aap phone pe baat kar rahe they na, isliye. Meri mumma bhi jab phone pe baat karti hain, ya kaam karti hai, unke aas paas koi cheez gir jaati hai toh unko bhi pata nahi chalta." Manvi says innocently, unaware of the fact that right now, she's talking to her father.

"Achcha, toh aapki mumma kahan hai?" Vineet asks affectionately.

"Vo mere liye nashta laane gai hai. Mumma kehti hain main special hoon...." Manvi says, noticing Vineet's gaze on her, knowing that he's doubtful of her appearance.

Vineet didn't take long to understand that the girl might be suffering from some disease. He pats the girl's cheek affectionately. Meanwhile, his phone rings again, and Manvi gets back to her seat and begins to play a video on her mother's mobile. However, Sameer and Ruhana return to the table, and Manvi chuckles seeing her favorite food on the plate. The three of them relish their breakfast, planning their day ahead. Manvi also informs them about her encounter with Vineet, and as she turns to her side, she finds that the table is empty. Manvi shrugs her shoulders and delves deeper into her food. Soon after, they are done with breakfast and go ahead as planned.

As they head out into the lobby of the hotel, Ruhana bumps into someone, shocked at the moment.

However, it's Vineet, and they're shocked to see each other after nineteen long years. Ruhana feels all the bitter memories consuming her, and so, she just glares at him and walks past him, not wanting to address her concerns with him.

To Be Continued.