I've always preferred places that are less dirty and have fewer people. As a result, we chose to stay in the city's outskirts, which is very calm. Of course, I'll have to drive a longer distance, but the public transportation system here is excellent. I then take a bus to my workplace after walking a short distance.

Working as a babysitter was never my ambition, but I had no choice but to abandon my dream; yet, I am making my family happy. Finally, I have a family not related by blood but by love. If Ma and Papa hadn't stood by my side like pillars while defending Vinay's case, I would have given up my life.

Leaving his thoughts behind me, I get off the bus and walk towards the mansion, where I notice the large nameplate that reads, Phatak Nivas. Their estate is enormous, with a lovely lawn and a path leading to their residence. I ring the doorbell and stand there waiting for them to open the door. The door opens, and my adoring munching welcomes me inside.

We then go into her playroom, where I bathe her, feed her breakfast, and put her to sleep. This girl sleeps a lot, so when she's sleeping, I clean her room, organize it, maintain the toys in their proper places, and prepare her lunch.

"Always on time," says the voice behind me; it's my employer.

"Yes, mam," I say with a smile.

"Vedhika, I'd like to speak with you. Are you available right now?" she questions me and I give a slight nod.

We enter her study area, and she invites me to sit. I take a seat and look about; this is my favorite room; it has an extensive library, and she is so generous that she always offers me books to read. She coughs, and my attention is drawn to her.

"What I'm about to tell you, Vedhika will come as a shock to you, but it happened all of a sudden. We're heading to Canada for business," she says, and I'm still sitting there, numb, wondering how I'll make a living without this job.

"All right, nice ma'am, I'll miss Savi, and my best wishes with you, ma'am," I said, and it's true; I'll miss her.

"You're always worrying about others, Vedhika, but you're my employee, and I have to look after you," she smiles, and I have no idea what she's saying.

"One of our friends' families, the Patil's, is in desperate need of a babysitter for their granddaughter. She is a rebellious child who lost her parents a year ago and is no longer herself. They will pay you any wage you demand, but their granddaughter is unresponsive to anyone. Accepting you will be difficult for her. I recommended you, and they are very pleased to see Savi, and they are looking forward to hearing from you," she continues.

"Thank you, ma'am; you always come to my rescue when I'm in financial trouble; I'll be sure to pay them a visit," I say and She nods.

"However, it is quite far from your home; it will take you around two hours to travel up and down every day, but they will reimburse you for your travel expenses. Is it possible for me to book the interview with them for tomorrow? I'll send you the address." She questions me.

"Yes, ma'am, but I don't have to come here tomorrow," I question her.

"Vedhika, we're going to visit our local temple before we go so that we won't be there for two days, then we'll be shifting after a week. You can work until next week," she says.

I say, "sure, ma'am," and then I return to finish my work. I quit everything by evening and arrive home exhausted after running behind and playing with Savi.

When I arrive home, I'm greeted by my cheerful mother.

"Ma, Phatak ma'am is taking a business trip to Canada. she is such a nice person; she recommended me for some Patil family." I tell her while savoring the delicious food as we are having super.

"I'm sorry, ma, you have to take care of all domestic tasks," I explain, "But before this weekend, I'm making some amazing cuisine for you, and we're going to see a movie, and that's all." She agrees.

"By the way, Vedu, your baba had called. He wanted to talk to you," she says, her face pained.

I wouldn't say I like the guts of this man who calls himself my baba; he failed to support me when I needed him the most, and now, on his deathbed, he is pleading for forgiveness so that he can die peacefully. I don't wish to contact such folks at any time.

"Ma, I'm going to an interview tomorrow morning," I say and attempt to divert the subject.

She understands me like no one else; she smiles, and we continue conversing about other topics before sleeping off, wondering how the new family would be. Would they treat me like a Phatak, or will they treat me like a second-class citizen?

The following day, I get up early and drive for about an hour to go to the specified location. This mansion is more significant than any other I've ever seen. Phatak's residence is insignificant in comparison to this one. I approach the gate and introduce myself to the watchman. They've notified him, so he unlocks the door, and I walk into the massive mansion, which is stunning from the inside as well. As I approach the entrance, I notice a man waiting there.

Vinay made sure that every male's touch terrified me, whether deliberate or incidental. Namaste is how I greet everyone now.

"Good morning, Vedhika, my name is Rohanpreet Singh, and I'm the estate manager. Phatak ma'am has briefed me about you. Should we go inside?" he questions me, and I nod.

When I open the door, I see a house, not a home, because you can see the best of things put everywhere, but it lacks the sensation of home; instead, it feels like I'm visiting a museum of favorite collected stuff.

"Vedhika, before I introduce you to Gauri Patil, who is six years old, I'd like to tell you about a few things," he continues, and I nod in approval.

"She lives in this wealthy estate with her maternal uncle, but he is usually out of town on a business trip so that you won't see him. But I'll be in charge of everything so that you may reach out to me at any time. Her grandparents suggested you, but she is a difficult child. In a year, we've had fourteen different babysitters. She doesn't have tantrums, but she also doesn't respond to others. She has become deafeningly quiet after her parents died, and she has no living relatives except her uncle, who rarely visits." he says.

The initial response is that she is simply another Vedhika, but she is wealthy and alone in the world. I pity the lonely girl, who is just six years old and has no one with whom to share her time.

"Mr. Singh, you don't have to inform me about her family problems because I'm not related to her, but please establish this condition: I'll work with her for one week. If we get along, I'll keep working; if not, you can look for someone else, and you won't have to pay him any more money." I tell him.

"Vedhika, if you confirm your work, we, too, have one condition. We have a one-year contract that you will do this, and if you wish to quit without warning or for any other reason, you must pay the entire year's wage," he says.

"That's outrageous, Mr. Singh; I may not be able to abide by this contract," I tell him.

"The situation is straightforward. Gauri is an emotionally dependent girl who takes a long time to warm up to someone, but she becomes extremely attached to them once she does. We replaced Fourteen babysitters this year, some of whom Gauri didn't have a connection with, and then one or two who felt attached to her but had to leave their work because of personal problems, one of which being transportation, as this location is remote and separated from the city. So, we'd like to sign the contract and make it official," Mr. Singh explains.

"I know, Mr. Singh, this place is quite far away for me; I'll have to think about it; as for Gauri, I need to see her first to establish a relationship," I explain.

"Come then, let us meet her," Mr. Singh says, motioning for me to follow him through the palace. Someone like me is bound to forget the magnitude of the situation. He leads me up the stairwell to the first floor, followed by another. There are four rooms on the present floor, and he leads me to the far end of the room. When I walk into the room, I notice someone sitting cross-legged with toys strewn about her, but it's the kid holding a photo frame tightly that makes my heartbreak.

Mr. Singh says, "Gauri, look who's come."

When she turns around, I know she's going to capture my heart with her large doe eyes, which are filled with sadness, and I want to embrace her tight and tell her everything will be fine, but I restrain myself and walk up to her and smile at her.

"My name is Vedhika," I say, she stares at my extended hand before brushing past me, and I know it'll take a long time for this little one to warm up to me.