"Moti!" She said it out, her eyes twinkling in delight. I just shook my head in disbelief. I hold her through her shoulder, forcing her to look at me away from the chocolaty bar. I wiped her face with the tissue in my hand while she was staring at me with her innocent eyes. 

"Now give me that chocolate." I extended my hand for it, or I knew she would again spoil her face and clothes with it. I tried to wipe it off from her clothes but still stain left behind. She nodded negatively, hugging the chocolate to her chest. 

"You will eat it," the way she spoke it out made me to just admire her cuteness. 

I nodded negatively, in a baby voice. "I won't," that made her stare at me. With a pouty face, she handed me the chocolate. 

I took the chocolate and kept in the glove box of the car. "I am hungry," she cried out, rubbing her tummy. 

"We will have something," with that I moved out of the car. I made my way towards her side, opened the passenger door. She was staring at me in confusion, I bent towards her, unfastened her seat belt. "Come," standing aside to help her move out. 

She moved out, and closing the door behind her, I locked the car. I turned to look at her. She was gazing at the building with utter astonishment. The lavish building in front of her made her stare at it with wide eyes. I chuckled seeing it; she was a kid, and I was loving her this cuteness. 

"Shall we move," I asked, smiling at her. She nodded vigorously been excited. 

We made our way inside; the interior was eye rewarding. The wooden slats created a three-dimensional pattern on the ceilings. The herringbone design of the marble floor complimented it. The smaller detail like the wooden fluting, the beveled edges of the mirror, rounded corners, the strips of the fabric and the blue and gold accents, created a surrounding of late nineties. 

Been an interior designer, impressed me.  I made my way inside, holding Sana's hand. People around us were staring at us. Or to be more specific, they were staring at our clothes. It had some patches of blood and a stain of chocolate in Sana's cloth. Not an ideal dress to enter a five-star restaurant. I hated those stares; that inferior stare, but she was unaware of it. She was busy admiring the interior, not at all getting affected by people in her surrounding. 

I halt in front of a table and that was the first time she glanced at me. I eyed towards the chair, holding her shoulder made her sit. She sat down like an obedient child. She started playing with the cloth on the table. 

"Sana I will just come, you don't move from here," I commanded her. She was busy playing with the cloth. That triggered me. I hold her wrist. That made her scowl at me. "Are you listening to me, moti?" I demanded an answer. 

She just glared at me, nodding slowly. "Don't you dare to move," I warned her, making my way towards the washroom. Repeatedly turning and glancing back at her, I had unknowingly turned protective of her. 

//

The moment I came out of the washroom, I heard some grumbling sounds. As my sight went on the table where I left Sana. I found some people gathered around there. One of them was in a black suit and pants. His posture seemed like he was the manager of the restaurant, a black shoe, neatly combed hair.  A youthful man, beside him, stood a person who seemed young. Wore a white shirt below a black pant. A bow collar shirt had a tray in his hand; he might be a waiter.

I made my way towards them, I couldn't find Sana from so far. It bothered me. As I was distant when I found her sitting on the chair; she had not moved. I signed in relief, but she was hugging her knees, her face hidden. The waiter was grumbling something to the manager. 

"This girl had spoiled the cloth, sir." He had bent his head. He might have received a scolding from the manager. 

I glanced at the cloth the waiter was pointing at. The white cloth was no longer white but turned into red. She had drawn the smiley on it with the help of the ketchup. I shook my head. This all blunder was for that. 

"Why you even allow such mad people inside?" Those words out from the manager infuriated me. How could he speak in such a tone? 

"It just a piece of cloth!" I was greeting my teeth in anger, trying hard to cool down. 

"It not just a piece of cloth, do you even know how much it cost?" He exasperated, "this mad girl spoiled it all." He was triggering me more. 

"How much it cost? Tell me? How much it cost? I am ready to pay for it." I took a step towards the manager which made him gulp his saliva in fear. "But don't you dare to utter those words for her. She is not mad! Did you get it?" My face just inches away from him, radiating the anger. He just nodded his head in agreement, not a word came out of his mouth. I glared at him for the last time. I could feel the gaze on me by the people present over there. I didn't pay any heed to them. 

I turned and found Sana still hiding her face in her knees. Those people surely had done something, I took a breath. I calmed myself down and made my way towards her. 

"Sana..." I called her out but no use, I got on my knees slowly caressing her hair. "moti!" and got the response. She slowly raised her head from her knee. Those dark brown orbs had tears brimming from it. She was sobbing, tear stain still present on her cheeks. Her nose red, because of her cry. She rubbed her nose with her knuckles. 

Her such condition infuriated me, I clutched my fist in frustration. My priority was Sana at the moment. "Baby what happened?" I asked lovingly, and that made fresh tears to flow down her cheeks, piercing my heart.   

"They... were ... scolding.... me..." She said in between her hiccups, pointed an index finger at the waiter and the manager. "They... are bad..." she made a gloomy face, making me stare at her sadly. 

"Come, sweetheart with me. I will take you away from these terrible people. And please stop crying, baby." I brushed off tears from her cheek.

I extended my hands towards her. She took it. And I stood back on my legs. She too stood from the chair. Then glanced at the manager once, removed my wallet, and kept five thousand notes on the table. "This will pay for your loss and remaining to use for the damage you possess in your brain. That will help you and you won't dare to call any person mad next time." With that, I tightened my grip on Sana's making my way out. I might have sound rude. But that was not the way to behave with Sana. 

"Who is she to him?" 

"Might be his wife." 

Came some whispered but I was least bothered to erase their misunderstanding. 

As I got us out, I still could hear her sobbing. I stopped in my track and glanced at her. She had a sulky face. I stared at her in confusion. 

"What?" I sounded annoyed, I was still mad at them. 

"My tummy is crying." She made a crying face. 

I could not get her, my brain was not in its place. "Who is crying?" I sounded lost. 

"My tummy," she pointed at her stomach this time. My lip turned into a smile. She could easily lift my mood. 

I wandered my eyes around to find any other source. There was just a small cottage, a big board. 'Dhabba' that was written on it, was not that luxurious as five start restaurant but a place where her stomach could get filled. But the question wandering in my mind was, would it be hygienic? 

"Kullu I am hungry." She whined, and I had no other option than to take her there. It was an open place, no roof, nothing! A four-footed furniture present, which resembled much like a bed. Chaarpayi, that was a Hindi word for it.  A small table in front of it, the smell of the food-filled my nostrils. My stomach too was craving to eat something. Not giving any thought about hygienic. I made my way towards the Chaarpayi, dragging Sana along with me. 

We had just taken a seat when a person came, a towel wrapped around his neck. A smiling face. He had the same facing as Guru. His attire too was the same. 

"Guru!" Sana giggled while my eyes widen listening to it. Oh shit! She had mistaken him for Guru. I didn't want to take the risk, that kiss. 

"He is not Guru," I spoke sternly, narrowing my eyes at her. 

"Yes, ma'am my name is Sukwendar." That made Sana's smile to fade away. The person glanced at me, "What would you like to have, Paji?" He asked. 

"Biriyani two plates," I ordered, and with a node, he left from there. 

After fifteen minutes, he was back with our order. He handed us the plate and left. Sana's mouth was watering seeing the plate in front of her. And without wasting a second, she jumped to eat it. First, spoon in her mouth and she screamed out.

"What?" it appalled me, fresh tears made her way from her eyes. 

"It's spicy," she started coughing. I stood up from my seat, took the glass on the table. Forced her to open her mouth and drink the water. Slowly rubbed her back. She was drinking the water when the waiter moved back to us. 

"What happened, sir any problem?" He asked, getting anxious. 

"She found the food spicy." I was mad at the waiter for it and he sensed it. 

"If you don't mind, make her eat curd." With that, he moved from there. Sana had stopped coughing, but still, her mouth was burning with the spice. The waiter moved in with a small bowl having Curd in it. "Try it, sir," he handed me the bowl. 

"Baby," I called her out, and she stared at me, her eyes red. "Have it, you will feel nice." I dip the spoon in it, and then moved towards her mouth. 

"What if it turns out spicier?" Her innocent question made me adore her. 

"It won't ma'am." The waiter answered with a smile. What was he even doing? I glanced at him, and he moved from there. He understood the signal. 

"Moti, have it," I eyed her the spoon. She was staring at the spoon in fright. She closed her eyes and opened the mouth. I chuckled seeing her antics. 

The moment she gulped the curd in, a beautiful smile on her. "It is not spicy!" That excitement in her face as she opened her eyes and shared it with me. 

"Now you eat biryani mixing curd with it," I suggested pouring the curd on the plate and helping her to mix it up. 

### Past End ###

My last spoon of biryani and I came back to reality. She no longer was my moti but Raghav's cupcake. She never was mine but always his. She was much before in his life, even when I didn't know her. He loved her from then. My feelings for her were nothing compared to his. And the biggest thing was she felt the same for him. 

A teardrop threatened to fall, I blinked my eyes. Finally, letting it flow down my cheeks. It tried me to act all cheerful. I had forgotten my true self and needed to feel at peace with my grief. It was just the first day; a week left; I had to survive. Masking my pain over Raghav's happiness. 

//

Next day

I was deprived of sleep for many years, so it was nothing new to end up with sleepless nights. Often to hide it out, I used to wear sunglasses. I didn't want anyone to notice my black circle. I was wearing a blue sherwani, took the cell in my hand, and made my way out. Today was the engagement. The thought sends a shiver down my spine. I would witness the engagement, but was I prepared for it? Would I be able to see my moti engaging with someone else? Would I be able to see her finger having a ring of Raghav's name? 

Those thoughts were wandering in my mind when I saw a familiar face making his way inside. It took a moment for me to recognize the person. 

"Guru" it outraged me, What the hell was he doing over here? 

***

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