“Vedant!”

“Vedant! Um… that's a good name.” Rakshit didn't miss the smile on his lips when he complimented his name.

“And whose child are you?”

“My ma is cooking food here.” Vedant replied truthfully.

“Cooking food? So your mother is a maid?” Vedant nodded his head. “What? You're her son? I can't believe it!”

Rakshit remembered how Ojaswani introduced their maid, Nandhini as she was the one who cooked food for them. If he was telling the truth then he must be her son.

But how?

She was an old woman, looked like his grandma. He was too little for just considering her as her son. Anyways, he left it there. He didn't want to dig in more.

“So you are playing cricket? Then where are your friends?” Rakshit looked past him to find if anybody was there.

“No friends, I am playing alone.” Vedant said sadly. He badly wants a friend to play with him. Nobody's ready to play with him because of his stubbornness.

“You know cricket can't play alone. It's a group play.” Rakshit said. He didn't know why he was wasting his time here, but he really enjoyed it.

“I always play alone! Nobody likes to play with me.” Vedant's head hung low. He thought it's shameful that nobody likes to play with him.

“Why?” Rakshit wanted to know the reason.

“They say I am a bad boy.”

“Oh! But you don't have to listen to others, everyone is good. So you're also a good boy.” Rakshit consoled him. He leveled to his height and lifted his chin, “And have any siblings?”

“No!” Vedant replied meekly. Unknown to Rakshit, his heart aching at his words. Nobody likes to play with him, and he was all alone himself, haven't any siblings.

What a poor boy!

Sometimes he could feel the same pain whenever the loneliness entered uninvitedly. Though Shaurya was always with him as a brother and a friend. But yet, he could feel the void in his heart. Just like he was not completed yet without someone.

“You know, I am also like you. I have no friends here and no siblings. So we're even now.” Rakshit bounced the ball, “How about we play together?” Vedant thinking for a second.

“Really you want to play?”

“If you want,” Rakshit really wished to spend some time with this little champ.

“Okay! Friends,” Vedant extended his hand. Rakshit shook his big hands with Vedant's little one.

“Friends!”

Both of them are heading to the place where he's playing early. Rakshit was too excited to play with a little boy while Vedant was ecstatic for getting a new friend.

They took a break as they felt tired after playing for a long time. They're panting like they're just coming after playing the world cup. But, when it comes to them, it's more than a world cup. As if they got the real ones for each other. Half an hour merely passed by talking about their likes and dislikes and Vedant's school and studies. And not to mention that they did even talk about Vedant's favorite cartoons and toys as well.

Vedant gave his water bottle to Rakshit after drinking it. And Rakshit drank it without any single thought. He was looking down at the little boy, his presence really made him an unrealizable feeling yet to him. Something very close to his heart. Whatever it might be that he wanted to carry this feeling forever to him. It seems that they have known each other for ages.

Rakshit pulled him on his lap and tied his shoelaces. Vedant was overwhelmed by his little acts. He hadn't gotten any affection from a man. Just like he wanted to be from his father. But, now he was getting everything as he wished. His heart wanted to show love to this friend of his. So he kissed his cheek. Rakshit did not expect something so sweet of a gesture from this little boy. However, he also began to love him in this short time, so he returned his kiss by kissing him on both cheeks and forehead. Then, he took him in his arms and began to spin him.

~~~

“Ma!” Vedant squealed in his baby voice.

Anuradha turned around after arranging her clothes in the cupboard.

“What?”

“Ma, I got a friend today.” Vedant screamed. He's so excited to share his happiness with his mother.

“Friend?” Anuradha was shocked when she had heard the word 'friend' from her son. He had never talked about anything like before as he got a friend. He only complained about the little fellows like he was considered them as his enemy, not a friend.

“You got a friend today?” Anuradha asked, still not believing his words.

Vedant smiled nodding his head, “Yes, ma, I got a friend today.” He stood up on the bed and lifted his right hand over her head. “He's bigger than you!”

“Bigger than me!” Anuradha put him lie down and joined, “What are you talking about? Your friend is bigger than I? Are you kidding?”

Vedant suddenly sat up and said, “Ma, he's really big. I like him very... much.” He opened his hands widely to show how much he liked his new friend.

“Who's he?” Anuradha asked suspiciously. Vedant was indeed talking about a grown-up person.

“Where did you see your friend?”

“His name...um...” he was trying to remember the name. “I forgot it, ma” He said sheepishly. “But he's beautiful! Um...what called a beautiful man...um...handsome.” He said, clapping his hands in joy.

“He's handsome!”

Anuradha was amazed at the information. A grown-up man making friendship with her son. “Ved, where did you see him?”

“In the big house!” Vedant chirped.

“Oberoi mansion?” Vedant affirmed. “But who's there to make friendship with you?”

“I saw him in the garden, and we played cricket, and he spun me around and tickled me and...” Vedant was telling one by one from his little storage memory while Anuradha was gazing at him like if it's real or not. “He kissed me and I kissed him too.” He's so happy to have a friend like him.

Anuradha was listening to his narration, not replying to anything. She was trying to make out who might be the person playing with her son. He might be something special otherwise Vedant wouldn't bring this talk here now.

Vedant sat on her lap and looked up to her, showing his white teeth. “You know ma, he's like me.” Anuradha narrowed her eyes at him, “He's no brother and sister, and he has no friend here.”

Anuradha's suspicion got more stronger when she just realized it's not Raunak. Firstly she thought Raunak might be the person. Though she acknowledged there would be no chance, the young master befriended their maid's son. But now, she could confirm that it's not Raunak as she suspected.

Then who?

“Ved, I told you not to talk to strangers.” Anuradha scolded. “Who knows what kind of person that is? So stay away from him. If you don't, then I won't take you there again.” She couldn't believe a person with his only words. She is a mother, she wanted to make sure about her son's safety.

Vedant's lit up face turned into a dim light, “Ma, he's a very good man. I like him very much and he likes me. I want to play with him. Please, please, please...” Anuradha could blindly say that the person did some spell on Vedant. Otherwise, he wouldn't be pleading like this. He had already made a place in his little heart.

Vedant continued his little effort to make an agreement with her. “He's the only one who played with me. Nobody likes to play with me. Everyone calls me a bad boy, and he called me a good boy. He's the only friend I have. Please, please... ma, I want to play with him...” he was pleading with his innocent eyes full of hope.

Anuradha's heart melted in his pleading. “Fine! But careful, if I find out anything wrong then you would not play with him ever.” She said a sweet warning.

Vedant kissed her cheeks, “Thank you, ma. I will be good and I won't make any mistakes.”

“Okay sleep now. Tomorrow morning we have to go to a temple.” She was about to lay down on him, he stopped her.

“Why? Is anybody's birthday?”

Anuradha smiled at his innocence, she cupped his cheeks gently. “No, baby, tomorrow is Diwali.”

“Diwali! I like diwali!” Vedant said beaming. “I will burst firecrackers.” He declared.

“No, baby that's very dangerous. We will celebrate our Diwali by lighting up diyas and decorate our home and wearing new clothes as well as making sweets. How is it?” Vedant was too impatient to celebrate it. So it doesn't matter to him at all.

“Ma, what's diwali?” Anuradha quirked her eyebrows, it's the first time he had asked something good.

Anuradha lay down and pulled him to her and said caressing his head, “Diwali is our festival. We celebrate it because the king of Ayodhya, Rama, gets into a battle with the demon king of Lanka, Ravana to win back his wife, Sita, who has been abducted by him. After a night battle, the victorious Rama and his wife return to Ayodhya. The triumphant return, symbolic of the prevailing of good over evil. That's why we celebrate the day by lighting clay lamps and bursting firecrackers.”

“I know, god Rama. Nani told me once. Is he too good?” Vedant threw another query.

“He's a perfect man like...your Ishan mamu.”

But Vedant was not happy when he heard that. She always talked good about Ishan. Why did she never initiate a word about his father? His little mind began to hate her this attitude.

“Why does only Ishan mamu? Isn't my papa good like Rama?”

Anuradha withdrew her hands instantly the moment he said about his father. And glanced back to the staring eyes of him. She really wanted to scream at his face about his father, but she controlled the urge and switched off the light and closed her eyes. It's the only thing she could do now.

She still remembered the day when she had written his name on his record book as Rakshit Ravan.