Laksh was sitting alone in the hall, he was looking out of the window, it was late in the evening and he was lost in his memories.

"Ragini you are what?"

Ragini was holding her chain, the nuptial meaning of their marriage, "I am leaving you." Her voice was stern, she didn't turned to him, "you blamed me being unfaithful, but we both know it better, who was unfaithful and always be called unfaithful."

Laksh made a fist, "I know Ragini, what I did once was wrong, but I have changed. Not only this, but I also gave you a chance to restart it all. Just remove the proof of your betrayal and we will be again one."

"Just shut up Laksh!"

Laksh couldn't believe it, "fine, if you want to keep this illegitimate child of your affair, then there is no need to come back to me."

Ragini shook her head, she was holding her tears back, "Don't worry. Main murhke bhi na dehkoon tumhe {I will never turn back to see you again!}. She left without anything and without looking at him once.

Ragini you haven't done right with me. He wipes his tears away and closes his eyes.

A small house, the same atmosphere?

"Mama! I want you to explain me, why it's called handmade, when I'm not allowed to use my hand?"

"Uff Ragini, your daughter is a smart aleck."

"Naani please, this recipe says, 'separate the egg yolk from the egg white,' now look what Mama did. Both are in the same bowl, I have to do everything alone."

"Oh really?" Ragini looked at her, "you have to do everything alone? I have to make it all alone you are just increasing my work and distracting me from the main work."

The little girl just 5 years old looked at her mama with an open mouth, shock was written on her face, "excuse me. May I remind you, that it was me, who is reading the recipe again and again, I just proved you that you made a mistake and now you are just trying to put the blame on me. Not done!" She hits with her hand on the table to express her anger and her point of view.

Ragini knew the best, what was coming to her, she took a deep breath and smiles, "fine my child. Get the egg yolks out of the egg white, but please don't use your hands!" She said and the little girl pouts, she was thinking about a trick, she had seen on the television.

"Idea!" She snapped with the fingers and looked around for a empty bottle. "Where it is?" She was looking under the table of the kitchen and found the needed utensil, "now see my magic mama." She slightly pressed the air out of the empty bottle while placing the open bottle head over the egg yolk, she herself was shocked happily that it worked.

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Now the dough was almost ready, "Mama chocolate chips; please." It looks like a surgeon was asking for the scalpel, but it's just a little girl asking for chocolate chips.

Ragini was looking at the small bowl, it was right in front of her sight, "Baby look."

The little girl was looking at small bowl with less chips, she took a deep breath, "Mama do you think this will work? I just think it's too less." She emptied the bowl of chocolate chips over the dough and mixed it with her hands, "Don't worry Mama, I just washed them and now this is called Handmade cake!"

Ragini couldn't win, after all she is the daughter of the man, who is stubborn like her.

The cake was in the oven, while they cleaned the kitchen surface, but there was something.

"Mama!"

Ragini frighten, "what the hell is wrong with you." She looked at her girl with an angry face expression, but she didn't mind, "Paaneer ke parathe {cottage cheese filled bread}. We have to make them now!"

Ragini shook her head, "no way. I'm exhausted I can't make parathe for you now." It was near 9 pm and they had to wake up early in the morning.

She didn't cared about anything, she took her small stepper and took a bowl, she filled it with wheat and mixed in salt, she add lukewarm water in it and started to knead a dough, "I don't need your help, I can do it myself!" She wasn't just kneading the dough, she was punching it as if she would hit someone personally.

"Baby the poor dough, let me finish the rest, why don't you dust the surface to roll out the dough?"

Janki came to them, "Uff this girl won't leave you, she is a total mess."

"Naani Maa, it's the only day I can stay awake for so long, do you really think I would miss a chance to trouble her? By the way are you gonna stay or sleeping?"

Janki smiles, "my Princess I'm going to sleep, I would like to suggest you the same, but I know it won't happen. Good night."

"Good Night!" They Girls in the kitchen shouted back.

Baby was rolling out a flatbread, she was happy it turned out a circle, "Mama now we can fill it." Ragini took the crumbled cottage cheese, they had seasoned it before.

The little girl was fuming, "Mama this is my paratha and I haven't said stop, keep filling it." Her mouth become watery and Ragini just spread more crumbles on it, till she was satisfied.

"Mama don't break it!"

Ragini was obeying to all her wishes, both were done, but they couldn't stop the cake wasn't ready yet, they decorated and sat on the couch, a candle was lighten up, "Mama where is papa?"

"Here." She said kissing her daughter's cheek.

"But why isn't he here with us?"

"Well he will be with us someday. You don't worry, he is here in the same city." Ragini tickles her, she was happy, "I will blow off the candle. Happy Birthday!"

Ragini agreed, somewhere else.

Laksh couldn't sleep, his heart was racing and restlessness was disturbing his sleep.

*ping ping*

Laksh checked the message •Happy Birthday Laksh!• Laksh smiles, even being apart from each other they never missed to wished each other, always without a reply.

"Papa I hope you don't mind, I made a wish!"

Ragini cut the cake and feeds her, both went up and fallen on the bed, in seconds they were sleeping like someone else.

It was the next morning Laksh was sitting on the table, he was alone, but not for long, his parents came and wished him to his birthday.

"Thanks," he said not looking at them.

AP and DP weren't happy with him and his behaviour, they had kept the distance, but never broke the relationship with Ragini and the little angel of hers.

The doorbell rings and a servant went to open the door, "Neha ma'am, please come in."

Neha smirks. I have waited for so long, tonight I will clear it once for all. Neha Lakshya Maheshwari. "Thank you Kaka." She smiles looking at them, but AP and DP were emotionless, they knew she did this all purposely.

"Good Morning Neha," Laksh said, thinking of her as his friend only, "how you came so early?"

"Happy birthday Laksh!" She hugs him, "many happy returns of the day Yaar." She sat next to him, "tonight we are going out for a party. I have organised a Birthday party for you."

Laksh shook his head, "no, I don't want."

Neha pouts, "Laksh it's been 6 years she left you, you should live your life on your terms. She won't comeback!"

"If he wouldn't have put her in the situation to leave him, she would be here with us." DP said not giving them a look.

Laksh fumes, "you are still on her side? Don't you think I was fair enough to give her the option!"

"Oh was it fair?" AP said giving him a stern look, "well if you think you are right, then it's very easy to prove it. You know a simple DNA test would clear all the problems. She still works at the same school, here in the same city."

Laksh stood up in anger, "don't you remember what she said, she won't turn ever back! Why should I meet her then!" He left the house in anger.

Why I am the one, who is faulty, she is it too. Betraying me and keeping the child of another man isn't a work of a saint, she is evil like me.

His anger leads him there? where he never wanted to be. Today I will make her confess, of course she is still working at the same school, after all she wants to be close to the child's father. He was holding the steering wheel in his hands, as if he was strangling someone.

*Knock knock*

Something or someone was knocking on his window, he scrolled it down and saw a bun, he frowns and looked lower and saw a girl in a white top and pink skirt, "Mister you are blocking my view, plus this isn't a parking lot drive your car away." She ordered him and sat back on her place, waiting for him to move with the car.

There was something in her eyes giving him a cold shudder, he started the engine and drove away just a short way. He stopped and looked at the park, the view he was blocking. Peaceful.

He stepped out of the car as she was sitting there alone, it wasn't a safe world, how could it be a safe place for a little girl like her.

Laksh made his steps, he silently sat next to her while she moves a little to the other side, "Mister why you came? And who said to you to sit next to me?"

Laksh frowns, "excuse me. I just came for your safety, who told you to sit here alone, strangers can come."

"Like you?!" She said and he nods, "yes, like me. But I'm not a bad guy."

"Wow!" She said in sarcasm, "you are not a bad guy, now I feel better."

Laksh smiles looking at her, she was having a sharp tongue and mind. Before he could say something his stomach spoke, the girl shook her head.

"Uncle you have an expensive Car, but no money to buy some food?"

Laksh shook his head with a short smile, "nothing like that, I usually do my breakfast on time, but today I had a fight."

"With love ones?"

Laksh nodded, "yes, old wounds were opened up again."

She shrugs, "poor you." She took a bit of her paratha the cheese was perfectly melted and was leaving strings.

Again his stomach growls and she pouts, with a heavy heart she broke her paratha in two pieces and gave him the other half, "mama said, 'don't let others hunger if you can help them'."

"Your Mama is wise. Thank you." They ate together and he was happy, "yummy, and so cheesy."

"Yes," she was smiling like mad, "because I love it cheesy. Mama said it's too much."

Laksh frowns, "she might be wise in talking, but not in food thinking."

"Correct, she never appreciates my judgment on food. By the way you are very lucky." She took out the small tiffin, "today is my daddy's birthday, open your mouth!" She was holding the piece of cake in her hand, Laksh smiles, "Aah!" He opened his mouth and she filled it with cake. She too bites a little bit of it and both were happy, but then, "Too less of chocolate chips!" Both looked at each other and she laughs, "uncle you can't eat."

The girl stood up, her hand went into her pocket and she took out a hanky, she licked it and hold his chin, "I will now clean your face." She went through his lip corner and removed the cake cream.

Laksh felt a current passing his veins, "Thank you." He said in low voice.

She smiles, "uncle my face?" She shows with her index fingers on her cheeks, he took her hanky and did the same as she did with him. But his hand was big and he cupped her half face.

The girl laughs, "uncle you tickling me." The way she laughs reminded him on someone.

"RASHI!"

The girl widen her eyes, "oh no Maa! Uncle my teacher also my mother. Nice to meet, but I have to leave now. Bye bye."

Laksh was numb, his view blurred the tears weren't rolling, they were filling his eyes, he gulps and saw the little girl running to the woman he loves the most.

"Rashi where were you?" Ragini asked and she smiles, "I was there na.." she points to her place, but he was gone.

Laksh was sitting in the car, he was controlling his anger.

"It's easy to prove us wrong and yourself right...!" His mother's words were echoing in his head, he drove to a labour.

Fine let me prove it!

Rashi and Ragini were back home, "so tomorrow no school, what will we do?"

Rashi shrugs, "Naani Maa, what we will do tomorrow?"

Janki smiles, "your mama and I have to go to the temple, then we are free."

Laksh reached home, the party Neha had mentioned was ongoing.

Neha smiles, "happy birthday!" She hugged him, but he didn't react.

Neha was offering him a drink, but he refused, "Laksh why don't you move on?"

"Just because she left me, it doesn't mean I will break my promise! I won't drink and I'm not in the mood of partying." He left the hall and was upstairs.

Back in his room, which he locked immediately. He was holding the envelope in his hands, which were shaking bitterly...
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