"Yippee. Finally exams are over. Such a relief." Jiya cried out, along with some other students, as soon as we came out of the exam hall.

Even I feel relaxed now that our final exams are over. "Yup. That surely calls for a celebratory lunch. Or should I say farewell lunch in the cafeteria." I said with mixed emotions in my heart.

I was happy cause all of my exam papers went very well and sad because this is officially my last day in this school as a student.

Settling in our usual spot in the cafeteria, I ordered our usual menu. But this time with an addition of two glasses of orange juice.

"So what are you going to do all summer?" Jiya asked me playing with her oval shaped silver locket that has a sculpted design of Lord Hanuman's picture on it.

"Why do ask something you already know?"

She knew very well I will stay home, spending most of my time with my parents or reading books and novels. Reading is the only hobby I have besides volunteering at the nearby old-age home occasionally.

Playing with her food she kept silent for a few seconds. I noticed the look of uncertainty on her features.

Shrugging off whatever She was debating on, she looked straight at me and asked, "Well actually, cousin Tia and her friends arrived yesterday for summer break. They are gonna stay for the week."

My dearest friend has a dearest cousin sister from her maternal aunt. Her name is Tia. I have met her a couple of times during last year summer vacation. And you won't believe if you don't see it with your own eyes, but the two look very similar. The only difference is in the colour of their eyes and height as Jiya is a couple of inches shorter than Tia's tall frame.

Jiya and Tia both posses slightly tanned skintone, long black curls reaching below their belly button, oval shaped face sculpture and a faint curvy figure. But Jiya has light blue irises and Tia has black irises.

And not just that, they have many similar personality characteristics. Both are fun loving, super friendly, extrovert, optimistic , intelligent and confident. But Tia is more of a risk taker compared to Jiya.

"Okay, I'll come pay a visit the day after tomorrow. I need a day to myself." I replied to her soon-to-be-asked invitation to visit her house.

"Y-yes, you should. T-that would be great...actually you know what could be even better than a visit. A sleepover." She proposed, avoiding constant eye contact with me.

She kept playing with her locket all this while, taking small bites of the food.

"Come on Jiya, say it. What is Tia up to this time?" I asked knowing Tia's nature.

She must have planned some outdoor activity or maybe a set of activities that she wants me to join. And Jiya agreed on my behalf.

Last time the two sisters forced me to join them for cliff diving into the lake at the northeast part of the town, knowing really well I hate swimming.

Not because I can't swim but because.....umm......okay I can't remember the reason, but I hated swimming even before I learnt to swim.

Dad and mom had to emotionally blackmail me to enter into the pool. I was glad I learnt to swim in just 2 days. Pretty good for a 10 year old.

"Tia and her friends are planning for a camping trip and I said we are in." Again.

I am so annoyed that I want to splash the orange juice in my glass right onto her pretty face. But it's not gonna help with her overbearing personality.

So I restrained myself and retorted to a more civilized way, "I am in as long as it's just camping and not some daredevil adventure trip disguised in the form of camping."

I am fine with camping. Though its too dull and sober for Tia's definition of outdoor activities, I have a feeling Jiya convinced her to keep it simple this time, considering the fiasco caused by Jiya's family last summer when Jiya sprained her ankle. Her family aren't much enthusiastic with the idea of their daughter risking her life or physical well-being for some moments of fun.

"I promise it won't stretch any further from just camping. Tia promised. It took literally all week to convince her to keep it sober this time." She spoke excited as if she won miss world award.

"I have faith in your convincing skills, Jiya. Hence, I'll join. But when exactly am I supposed to pack my stuff?"

I enquired about the day they planned for the camping. I must inform my parents earlier on.

"No hurry. It's next Saturday, so you have all week to prepare. And before you ask, we've decided there's no better spot for camping than the lake. And rest assured Tanu. No one will ask you to swim or even touch the water."

Phew. Thank goodness. I nearly choked on my food when she mentioned the 'lake'.

"A toast to our new journey" I said extending the glass of orange juice in my hand to touch it with Jiya's as we both said "Cheers" in unison.

_______________________________________

"How was your exam?" My mom asked as I entered the living room.

Frankly I didn't feel like answering her questions right now. I was too tired for the day. Jiya forced me to go shopping with her after she made me to go on a farewell tour around the school campus.

Heading towards my room upstairs, I felt mom call out my name again, concern evident in her voice due to my unresponsiveness to her question.

"Are you feeling okay Tanu? Why didn't you answer? Did your exam not go well. Is something wrong?" She showered me with her concern filled questions.

Oh, how much I love it when she worries about my well-being.

You may think what's new in that? All mothers worry about their kid's well-being. It's a universal truth. But it's different in our case. Because I'm not her daughter.

My biological mother passed away in an accident when I was 7 years old.

Arti was dad's colleague in the advertising agency he works. They were good friends from the beginning. She would also come visit us once in a while. She and my mother too became friends.

Months after my mother's demise, they became more than friends. She stood by our side, supported us, especially dad to overcome my mother's death.

On my 8th birthday, they gifted me my first bicycle and helped me to learn to ride it. Few days later, they asked my permission to get together as a married couple. I was so happy that my favorite aunty was going to become my mom, so I replied with a loud 'Yes' without wasting a second. Now that I think about that day, I realize how considerate they were to ask an 8 year old child for permission to get married.

Since that day she has never given me or my dad a single chance to regret the day we decided to welcome her into our lives. She's been the perfect mother for me. And not to mention a flawless wife to my dad. And we lived happily ever after.

Except, mishaps always have a way of destroying people's lives.

"Answer me." Hearing her, I came back from my trance.

"Nothing's wrong mom. My paper went absolutely fine. And in bonus, I got invited to a camping trip by Tia, Jiya's cousin, remember." I said sitting on the living room couch, throwing my bag beside me.

"I remember. But that's only half of the answer." She replied with a calm and curious expression.

"I'm just tired mom. Thought I'd go change first then come down for snack time. That's all." I said, holding her shoulders, almost hugging her.

"Okay. Go to your room. Take rest. I'll get some snacks for you upstairs myself." She said, pushing me up from the couch as she stood up herself.

Taking my bag, I went straight to my room crashing on my comfy bed. Closing my eyes I tried to sleep.

Just before I could be embraced by sleep, a knock woke me up.

"I hope you aren't sleepy. I brought samosa. Eat them first before you sleep."

Mom said and left the room, keeping the plate consisting of 3 homemade tasty and healthy samosas. And right on cue my stomach growled.

Seriously tummy. I just filled you up like 3 hours earlier.

Savouring their taste, I moaned unintentionally. Mom makes super tasty food. Even my mother never made such tasty food. Not that I am complaining. I am not partial between the two of them, I love them both. But if my mother is to ever come back to life, by some miracle, I would still insist on keeping mom with us. After all, two mothers are better than one.

Dad always says, and I believe it too, that even my mother would've never done the things mom did for us. Not that he is a bad husband, or I am a bad daughter, but because mom is literally better than my mother in every aspect.

And the good ones always have it bad.

When I was 9, mom and dad surprised me with the news that I was going to be a big sister. Mom was 4 months pregnant. They first thought I would be sad as the share of love and attention I was enjoying then would be divided.

But guess what? I surprised them back.

I was the happiest in the house to be having a little brother or sister. I even insisted on telling me the gender of the baby so that I could think of a suitable name. But my parents said it's illegal to do so.

I got upset at first, but mom convinced me that I don't need to know if it's a girl or a boy cause I already love the baby. She made me realize how much fun it is to wait for the surprise.

I too understood how exciting suspense and anticipation could be. Until the surprise was no more.

At the end of the 6th month of her pregnancy, she got into an accident and miscarried. I remember how fatal her condition was. She barely escaped death. I prayed all day in that hospital waiting room to save my mom.

That was the first and last time I ever prayed to God. I had no reason to. He took my mother, my unborn sibling and even disabled mom's reproductive system permanently, so she could never have a child of her own. So I would always stay lonely and sad.

After she came back home from hospital, dad and I tried our best to keep her happy. noticing our efforts she confirmed that she was happy with what she had. She didn't want to ignore the happiness she already has for the happiness she could have had.

After that day, though mom's love for me never changed, she never looked at me in the same way she did before. There would always be an unknown sadness hiding behind her smile. A distant emotional gap was built between us which I desperately wanna fill up.