Author's Note

Before you start reading, Thank you for making your time to read The Known Stranger. There may be some discussions about religion here. I kindly hope none of you will take it personally as for, this is just a piece of fiction. All characters are fictional.
And do feel free to place your views and opinions. I ain't a judgemental jerk.
PS : There may be slow updates.

Ruhana's POV:

"Drishti....hurry up, sweetie. We are getting late." I shouted from the garage, accelerating my car.

Drishti, my 12 year old sweet daughter she is. If the word single mother scares you, trust me, Drishti made it easy for me.

Locking the entrance door, she ran to my car in her red gown, wearing her radiant smile.

Her smile reminded me of Gitarth.

She was so much like her father. He is not between us today, but I know how proud he is of this little wonder.

"Maa sorry for making you wait."
She kissed me on my cheek and adjusted her shoulder length hair in the rear view mirror.

It was my graduation batch's reunion party. Since the last three years it has been pretty obvious for everybody why I always kept myself away from all such social events. I had my daughter to look after. Instead of wasting my time over all these parties I found it much cosy to spend my entire leisure time with and around Drishti. Unfortunately, this time the invitation letter caught Drishti's eye and she had decided for me to attend the reunion. And I couldn't say no to her honest request.

Ever since Gitarth's demise, I totally detached myself from all kinds of events where I had to discuss life or anything related to my life. My life now circled around my office and Drishti.

I parked the car and stepped out. Drishti held my hand like a prince. I passed a genuine smile.

"You look gorgeous Maa." She squeaked excitedly.

"So do you, sweetheart" I smiled.

The net saree in red embraced me perfectly as said by Drishti. I knew she won't lie. It was my first anniversary saree from Gitarth. Red was his favourite colour. When he was battling the tumor, he demanded me not to spend my entire life wearing white after his death. I used to hate him when he talked about his death, though in a matter of joke which later hit me like a stoned reality.

During these times, I miss him so bad.

Radisson Blu Hotel. I read as I walked inside the banquet hall with my little partner. My breath stopped for a second as I stopped at the door. I whirled my eyes around to see faces, they were familiar faces, only the weight and hair fall marked the difference.

Each one of them were a part of my past. After college, I had cut off my connection with everybody. No Facebook. No twitter. I felt alienated as I stood there like a dummy. I forgot how to even communicate with people outside my territory. They looked like some foreign languages and I didn't want to understand the hell out of them.

"Ruhanna, is that you?"

I turned around to hear my name and in the blink of an eye I was hit by a strong perfume, my body wrapped in the tightest hug.

No sooner I was released from the hug, my brows furrowed trying to recognise that face. Only one person could have those long eyelashes and half moon shaped thick eyebrows.

My hands flew to my mouth instantly, excited like never before.
"Shibani?" I literally screamed. "Goodness...just look at you?...it has been so long."

Meet Shibani Gogoi. The girl who was a pain in every boy's ass during our graduation years. Approximately, with a height of 5'4", her fair as snow white complexion crafted with those pea-nut shaped eyes always sketched in kohl, got her the unwanted attention everywhere.

"Sixteen years Ruhanna!!! I searched for your number from all our mutual friends but you just vanished."
Then she settled her stare at Drishti and asked raising a brow,
"Your daughter?"

"Yes." I nodded, "Drishti meet Shibani...my best friend."

"You never told me that you have a best friend."

Shibani laughed at that.
"There are so many things she didn't tell you little girl!!"

"I can bet." Drishti chuckled.

Shibani was always the happy to go lucky kinda girl. She made new friends faster than the cars of Fast and Furious. It was an amusing fact about her which was why we were the best of friends during our college years.

Whenever the question of bunking our classes arrived, she was the first one to raise her hand and manipulated even the book worms to bunk the environmental studies class. We used to disgust that subject from our heart and soul. Thankfully, it was our pass course in third semester.

After graduation, we lost contact and got busy in our own lives. And just like the Thar desert waiting for rain, I found her again when I needed her the most.

"Where is Siddhant?"
Shibani asked lurking her eyes around me.

I froze. It felt like a storm just hit me hard. Or maybe a name, which I had erased from my life.
"Maa who is Siddhant?" Drishti questioned naturally.

While Shibani passed a confused stare at us, I realised I needed to hold onto my composure.

I smiled and replied,
"One of my friend from college... Darling, now will you mind excusing us for a minute. You can go to the ice-cream bar and have some" I permitted her as I rubbed her hair.

"Uurrghh....not the hair Maa!"

Obediently, she went to the ice cream bar. I kept an eye on her until she sat comfortably on the couch with her favourite scoop of mango ice-cream.

"Let's have a drink." Shibani offered. I simply nodded.
Maybe she understood everything without my need of explaining. Good for me.

"Vodka with ice."

"Beer for me." I ordered the bartender.

"Come on Ruhi...Don't settle with beer." Shibani snorted. It felt like ages when she called me Ruhi. Woah! That was what my college mates used to call me or tease me with. A history behind that.

"I have to safely drive back home with Drishti. " I gave a polite smile.

She didn't force me any further.

"I'm sorry but I thought you both would end up together." Shibani confessed as she gulped her drink."What happened?"

"Life happened." I gave a disheartened smile.

She chose to listen silently. I took a sip and continued.
"My parents went against our relationship. Religious disparity you know. I had to choose between my parents and Siddhant. So, after completing my MBA, I was happily married to Gitarth. Unfortunately, he passed away three years back due to brain tumor." I lowered my head. I almost felt like crying out.

It was extremely agonising when I had to repeat my story again and again. The healed wounds seemed to be unhealed yet again.

"Oh dear! I am so sorry to hear that." She condemned squeezing my hand."So much happened and you never reached out to me. Why?"

"It wasn't easy."

"Never mind. Now I am here."

"This means a lot. Thank you." I curved a smile through the teary eyes and dazed at Drishti who was busy chattering away with a boy of her age, perhaps.
I glued my eyes on them. I was really a protective mother, sometimes, overprotective.

Shibani noticed that and dazed in the same direction, saying, "Don't worry. That one is my son, Aayushman."

I turned my head to her.
"Wow! Your son huh? Where is your husband?"

"That piece of a shit flew to Singapore last week for some official purpose. So I'm here with Aayush."

I couldn't resist myself from giggling at her facial expression.

"Is he coming to the party?" I asked hesitantly.

"You mean Siddhant?" She widened her eyes. She understood me so well, even after all these years.
"For all I know, he is invited. But he is an IPS guy, he hardly can make time for parties like this, I guess. The last time I saw him was in a news channel attending some press conference."

So he made it to being an IPS officer. Though I haven't seen him in the last....let me count properly....exactly 16 years, I could still imagine how smart he must look in his uniform. It was our dream. Those bygone days.

Suddenly, somebody called out Shibani's name. We turned back and it was....

"Anuraag." We shouted in a chorus.

Now meet Anuraag Mahanta. A 5'9" feet guy with wheatish complexion and lost significant weight now. He was our squad leader in college, saving our arses from all those stereotypic lectures of the professors during Saturdays.

"Did you do some hair transplant treatment?" Shibani asked teasing him."Last time I saw you, there was hardly any."

"C'mon. You can simply admit that you are jealous of my thick black hair." He smirked.

She rolled her eyes at him disgustedly.

Then, he looked at me from tip to toe and asked in disbelief.
"Oh lord! Ruhanna? Girl, you haven't changed a bit."

"Is that a compliment?" I asked nonchalantly.

"Of course it is. You still...i don't wanna say it but you look so young."

"Anuraag. I am young." I corrected.

No need to mention, I was simply flattered. Naturally, as we grow older, we want people to praise us about how young we look.

"You guys were discussing about Siddhant I guess? Please continue ladies. I don't want to ruin your gossips." He winked and ordered a drink for himself.

"You are still in touch with him, aren't you?" asked Shibani as a matter of factly.

He drank and nodded.

"I never imagined for him to reach such heights, honestly." She confessed keeping her hand on her chest.

Interestingly, I knew what that guy was capable of. Nobody knew him better than me. So I chose to listen to their conversation.

"Neither did I. But I must say, he is just the same. No superiority complex at all."

I felt my my heart thumping against my ribs.

"Really?" Shibani asked, amused. "I heard about his marriage though that dickhead didn't invite me."

"It was a low profile wedding." Anuraag said.

Oh! So he is married. I quietly pondered upon the thought of how lucky his wife must be.

"Is he coming tonight?" Finally, I gathered the courage to ask again. I was really curious.

"He texted me just now that he won't be able to make it. He is leaving for Delhi tonight." Anuraag informed me.

"I told you Ruhi, heck of a busy guy he is." Shibani added."Anyways, Meera is going to be here in no time."

"Nerdy Meera?" I asked.

"I heard somebody taking my name with an inappropriate adjective."
Someone interrupted.

We trio looked in the same direction to find Meera standing in front of us.

"Oh god...Meerraaa.." Anuraag and I reacted like we saw Sonakshi Sinha returning back with Dabang 3, adding more weight from the last sequel.

Okay this one is the last person who definitely needs an intro. Meera, the skinny nerdy chick from college who had just stunned us a minute back with her transformation. She had gained enough weight for us to proclaim her as fat. But she was still cute with her straight bob cut hair and her pug nose.

"I can't believe this is the same Meera." Anuraag commented.

"Why? Is there anything wrong with my face?" She queried, her brows up.

"Darling, you look perfect." Shibani assured her and mocked at Anuraag "Don't listen to that twerp. He just did a hair transplant."

We all laughed aloud to that.

She really transformed from the little nerd to this gorgeous chubby lady.

"I'm hungry." She blurted out, "Show me where the food is." She demanded us.

"Come along." I said and we escorted her to the dinner hall.

After dinner there were some formal Hi and Hellos...The How are you?...The How do you do?...The Oh you look so different....The Sorry I didn't recognise you kinda group.

How weird! The people with whom we spent the most hilarious 5 years of our lives, seemed so indifferent. The fake promises of being there for one another was really a waste of time. After graduation nobody gave a penny about where his friend was. If they were even alive or dead. One had to think hundred times before wishing a friend happy birthday on Facebook. So you see, this is life. All sculptured and momentary.

The good thing was, I reunited with my old squad. Shibani, Anurag and Meera. He was missing. But still I got the rest three. And I had to thank Drishti for dragging me to this party.

While I was busy chattering with them, my eyes again wandered in that large hall searching for Drishti. She was nowhere to be found. I scanned for her twice with my sharp eyes. How could I be so careless to let her go out of my sight?

The hall was crowded by people and it made more difficult for me to figure out her red gown.
I asked Ayush and he informed me that a man took her out of the hall. My heart raced like hell hearing that. He said he could not see his face.

"Ruhi...don't worry I have sent Anuraag downstairs to ask the receptionist." She tried to calm me down.

I was never so scared in my life. I can't lose Drishti now.

"I told her not to talk with strangers." I uttered trying to hold back my tears.

"She must be somewhere here. Calm down, Ruhi." Meera consoled me and brought a glass of water for me.

I drank the water and started praying to God in my mind. I hoped she was safe.

"Ruhi." Meera tapped me with her eyes at the door. "There she is."

"Holy Shit." Shibani exclaimed.

Immediately, I turned my eyes and she walked up to me. I shed my tears of happiness with a breath of relief. Thank god! I looked up thanking the invisible angels. She is safe.

I stood straight and shifted my eyes towards her right. Whose hand was she holding? I focused on that figure amidst the crowd who was beside my daughter.

I gulped my own saliva and felt running out of oxygen realising what I saw.
Shibani kept her hand on my shoulder. I glanced back at her without a blink.

"Meet my Maa.." Drishti said with her chin up proudly and stood by me holding my hand.

I felt I was concreted. He stood there right in front of my eyes. Alive and breathing. I never expected to meet him again, above all, to meet him like this.

He smiled. That heart melting dimpled smile.

I felt my adrenaline running higher and higher. Whether that was a genuine smile or the one smiling at the expressions on my face, I had no idea. I had no idea about what I then witnessed. I wanted to pinch myself to reassure that he was real, not some illusion.

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A/N :

So, Ruhanna is really the protective mother. We all know how much protective our mothers can be. She is just like one, but a widow whose life only revolves around Drishti.

Lastly, if you like the chapter, do consider giving it a vote.