Ruhana embraces Manvi in her arms. Having the little one in her arms soothes her. She kisses Manvi's head, and the girl looks at her. The tears in her mom's eyes are clearly visible. Manvi wipes them away with her tiny hands.

"Aap ro mat, Mannu ko acha nahi lagta," Manvi says babyishly.

"Mannu ke hote hue Mumma kaise ro sakti hai!!" Ruhana smiles.

"Good! Aapko pata hai, aaj class mein sabne Mannu ke liye clap kiya. Kyunki Mannu ne sari poems ache se recite kiya," Manvi says.

Manvi crawls down from her lap and takes out her diary. She opens a page and forwards it to Ruhana. It's a note about the girl's performance. In Manvi's school, teachers give oral assignments and write notes or remarks in the diary. The remark is positive—Manvi has performed well in her recitals and other work. Ruhana picks up a pen, signs beneath the note, and pulls Manvi closer

"That is good. Mumma is proud of you," Ruhana says.

"Fir kal hum mall mein jayenge. Kal chutti hai. Aap Mannu ko treat doge na!" Manvi chuckles, looking at her mom.

Ruhana looks at her, and realization strikes her. It's Saturday, the weekend, and she also has a day off. She has lost track of dates and days, but this little girl is there to remind her. Manvi stands on her knees.

"Aap bhul gayi thi! Offo Mumma! Aapko sab yaad dilana padta hai. Bhulakkad Mumma!" Manvi slaps her own forehead and then giggles at her own words.

Ruhana just smiles at her words. With her around, no moment is dull. She lifts Manvi in her arms and moves out of the room. The girl giggles as her mother's fingers tickle her waist. Ruhana makes her sit on the dining table and moves into the kitchen. She asks her mom to step out and serve food to Manvi. It's her favorite—Chhole & Rice.

Ruhana's mom prefers chapati, so Ruhana begins making them while hearing Manvi chuckle at the sight of her favorite meal.

After dinner and chatting with her mom for a while, Ruhana moves to her room and finds Manvi laughing at something. She looks on and realizes Manvi is watching a cartoon. Ruhana sits on the bed, and Manvi crawls toward her, making space in her lap.

Ruhana smiles and picks up her phone as Manvi watches the cartoon. She is engrossed in reading something when Manvi calls her. Ruhana looks at her daughter, who is already lying beside her—she seems sleepy. Ruhana puts her phone on charge and turns to her daughter.

"Hum kal mall jayenge na? Mannu ko teddy bear chahiye," the little girl says.

"Haan, jayenge. Abhi so jao tum!" Ruhana says as she leans toward her, placing one hand behind her head while the other rests over Manvi. The girl holds her hand.

Ruhana kisses the girl's head and pats her gently while the little girl drifts into sleep in no time. She covers her with a blanket and lies on her back.

Her life is perfect. Her mother and daughter are by her side—what else does she need? Well, she may miss the love of a partner, but given her circumstances, she chooses to stay single. Her daughter is her partner for life. She doesn't need anything other than her little one.

Ruhana kisses Manvi on her forehead and relaxes on the bed, adoring the little girl by her side.

*****

The next morning, Ruhana wakes up as the sun disturbs her sleep. She gets up and adjusts the curtain so it doesn't interrupt her daughter's rest. Then, she moves into the washroom to freshen up. It's Saturday, so she can shower later and finish all her pending work. Later, she has to take her daughter to the mall.

Fifteen minutes later, Ruhana walks out of the washroom and finds her mother in her room. Mrinal is sitting on the bed, gently caressing Manvi's head while the little one remains asleep. Ruhana smiles as she notices two cups on the side table—it's a daily ritual for both mother and daughter.

She sits on the bed and rests her head on her mother's lap. Mrinal runs her fingers through her hair, and Ruhana closes her eyes. Moments like these bring her peace. They don't know how long they sit like this, but eventually, Ruhana straightens up and picks up her mug. She looks at her mother.

"Maa! Aaj shaam ko hum mall chalenge. Tum list bana lo, kya kya lena hai," Ruhana says, savoring her tea.

"Tu Mannu ko leke jana!" Mrinal says.

"Tum nahi chalogi? Chalo na!" Ruhana says.

"Nahi! Mujhe meri saheli Supriya se milna hai. Aaj uske ghar kitty party hai," Mrinal says.

"That's nice, Maa! Ek kaam karte hain, shaam ko main aapko drop kar dungi aur lautte waqt pick kar lungi," Ruhana suggests her idea.

"Ye bhi thik hai. Par pehle bahut kaam hai," Mrinal says.

Ruhana giggles and sips her tea. At the same time, Manvi wakes up and rests her head on Ruhana's lap, who pulls her into a hug. The girl wraps her arms around her neck, and they stay in the same position. Suddenly, Manvi looks at Ruhana.

"Hum mall mein kab jayenge?" she asks.

"Shaam ko! Nani ko unki friend ke ghar chhod kar," Ruhana says as she kisses Manvi on her cheek.

"Pakka! Fir hum pani puri khayenge na!!" Manvi asks again.

Ruhana nods her head affirmatively while Mrinal pulls Manvi close to herself. The two of them play along, and Ruhana smiles. She asks her mother to make Manvi take a bath, and she agrees.

Since it's the weekend, Ruhana has a lot of work to do. She settles her kitchen and rearranges the living room. Just as she sits on the couch, Manvi comes running to her, all ready to flaunt her frock that her Nani stitched for her. Ruhana adores Manvi as she sits beside her, watching her favorite cartoon series. She then moves to take a shower while Mrinal gets busy in the kitchen.

The day passes in a blur, and soon, it's evening. Ruhana gets Manvi ready, and the girl is chuckling with excitement. She's eager to go out, urging her mom and grandmom to hurry up. Ruhana shushes her, and after a while, the trio leave the house. They first visit their new home, and then, after dropping Mrinal at her friend's place, Manvi and Ruhana head to the mall.

Max Plus Mall

Manvi is quite excited and she runs ahead of Ruhana. She holds her hand.

"Mannu, no shaitani. Tum mera haath chhod ke kahin nahi jaogi. Samjhi!" Ruhana says while looking at her.

Manvi nods eagerly, holds her hand, and pulls her along to her favorite toy shop. She runs inside, and the shop owner smiles upon seeing her.

"Uncle, Manvi ko bada teddy bear chahiye," Manvi says to the shopkeeper.

"Nahi, uncle! Bahut bada nahi chahiye. Ye ladki toh kuch bhi bolti hai," Ruhana looks at the old man, who is the shop owner.

""Noo! Mannu ko sabse bada wala chahiye." the little one almost shouts.

"Arey chup! Pehle dekho toh sahi, itni saari cheezein hain." Ruhana tries to convince Manvi, but she is adamant about buying a teddy bear only.

Ruhana gives up, and they buy a teddy bear and a soft plush cushion. Little Manvi is happy. As they move out of the shop, Manvi shouts that she's going to the kids' zone, which is opposite the toy shop. Before Ruhana can stop her little one, the girl runs away and ends up bumping into someone. She sits on the floor with a thud, while the person bends to her level to help her.

A young man, in his early thirties, bends to her level and helps her stand up.

"Beta, aapko chot toh nahi lagi na?" he asks.

"No! Mannu strong hai, usko chot nahi lagti." Manvi says, smiling broadly.

"Oh! Toh aapka naam Mannu hai! Nice! Par..." he says, but Manvi cuts him off

"Noo! Mannu toh sirf mumma bula sakti hai. Aap nahi. Aap Manvi bolo!" The girl gazes at him sharply.

"Oops! Arey aap toh gussa ho gaye! Acha, ye batao, aapki mumma kahan hai? Aise akele kyun bhaag rahe ho!" he asks.

"Mannu!" They hear a feminine voice.

Manvi rushes to hug her mother, and the guy's phone rings. He turns to the other side to attend the call. Ruhana turns to Manvi.

"Kaun hai ye? Tumne pareshan kiya inhe?" Ruhana asks.

"Nooo! Mannu kisi ko pareshan nahi karti." Manvi exclaims.

Meanwhile, the guy leaves in a jiffy without even taking a look at the girl he saved. Ruhana takes Manvi into the kids' zone, and after leaving her there, she goes to buy some groceries.

An hour later, Ruhana and Manvi return home. They stop by Mrinal's friend's home, where Manvi spots a familiar person. She runs towards the person, and Ruhana is surprised by her action.

To Be Continued.

Whom did Manvi bump into at the mall?

And whom did she find in the other society?

Stay tuned to know more.