“Maa, I want the car.” Vedant pointed his little finger towards a remote control car.

Anuradha took the car and looked at its price, the price was too much for her to afford now; so she placed the car back. Vedant was looking up to his mother with hope.

“It's not good. We buy something else.” Anuradha tried to convince her little son. But, whom we're talking about, the little champ never falls into his mother's sweet talk.

“No, Maa. I want that car...” Vedant whined, “Pappu has the same car. I want to show him.” He started to tug her hand.

“Oh! Pappu has the same car, then we will buy a big car.” Anuradha cupped his cheeks, “But next time.”

“Maa...”

“Promise, baby. I will buy a big car for you.” Anuradha was praying in her mind her son would agree with her.

After a little thought, Vedant raised his head which was hung low in disappointment. He looked up to his mother and demanded, “I want a cricket ball and bat.”

“Okay, I buy it.” Anuradha bought as she was told by her son. Fortunately it's within her limit of money.

Vedant's face lit up with happiness. Now he could play cricket, nobody would push or hit him. On the way back to her home, she couldn't take a rickshaw because of insufficient money. Half of her salary would have gone for Vedant's needs. And half of it for households, there was not any savings for the future.

“Maa, take me.” Vedant raised his hands, “My legs, maa...”

Anuradha knew that her little boy couldn't walk longer as he could get hurt in his legs. He's a little boy after all. But she couldn't help as she was carrying two big shopping bags in her hands.

“Just a few minutes, baby. We will be at home.” Anuradha said.

“Maa...take me...” Vedant tugged her saree.

“Ved, you are a big boy and a superhero too. You know, superheroes always walk. They are very strong. You are a strong boy, right?” Vedant instantly nodded his head. She knew how to make her son walk.

“I am a superhero.”

Anuradha smiled at her innocent son,

“That's my boy.”

Just as they were beginning to walk further a car stopped near them.

“Anuradha!” A manly voice got her attention.

When her eyes met the annoying person, she unconsciously said.

'Oh my God! Not again.'

“Arpit?” Anuradha smiled.

“Thank God. I am just going to your home. Anyway, here you are so,”

Arpit was smiling like an idiot. He has always been like this whenever he has seen her. Actually he was an annoying person to her. He has been proposing to her for the past two years for a second marriage.

Anuradha acknowledged his visits to her home, so she intentionally avoided the question.

“Arpit, we have got to go,” Anuradha excused herself.

“Anuradha, please...” Arpit requested. “We need to talk.”

“I already told you----” Arpit interrupted her.

“Yeah, I know that you are not interested in the proposal. But just think about your future and your son's. I don't know why you are rejecting me. I am a free person, I don't have any liabilities or responsibilities in my life. And moreover we are even, you are a widow, and I am a widower. Then, what's stopping you.” Anuradha wanted to slap the hell out of him, why couldn't he just let go of her. Always following her like a lost puppy.

“Don't think of me as a roadside romeo. I am serious. And I promise you, I will keep you and your son happy.” Arpit ruffled Vedant's hair, smiling. Quickly Vedant shoved his hand away angrily. He didn't like if someone touched his hair. Arpit didn't expect that reaction from Vedant. He awkwardly smiled,

“You are wasting your life.” Anuradha narrowed her eyes, “Look at yourself, you are still young and beautiful. Nobody could say you are a mother of a five years old child.”

Anuradha couldn't take his stupid reasons, “Why you can't understand, I am happy with my family. I am living for my son. He's my life. I don't want anybody else.” She pulled her son towards her side. Vedant was looking confusingly at them like what they were talking about.

“If you are thinking about society, just leave it behind them. Second marriage is not an unusual thing, everybody does.” He would never stop his reasons, “See, if we get married, your mother will be happy. And your late husband will be also happy for his wife and son, I am sure.”

Anuradha was controlling herself not to shout at him, “Arpit, please...”

“Trust me I will be a good husband to you and,” he looked at Vedant and smiled, “and a great father to yours son as well”

“ARPIT!” Anuradha shouted, she had forgotten about the place where they were standing. “Stop your nonsense now. Don't ever come to me for this.”

Anuradha walked away with her son leaving behind Arpit there. He wouldn't have thought she would shout at him. Now it's more difficult to convince her to marry. He wasn't ready to lose her.

Just as she was walking from there, angrily. Vedant's sudden question made her startled.

“Maa, who's my papa? Where is he?” Vedant's innocent eyes longing for an answer from his mother. He had been asking this question for a long time. She always remained silent, she hadn't any answers. Sometimes she was telling him he hadn't any papa and he's mother's boy only. What she could do, she hadn't even known about his father. She hadn't seen him after that incident or as his in words after giving her a lifelong reward.

~~~

“Hi, Becca!” Rakshit greeted a blonde woman who was his friend's girlfriend. He was coming to visit his friend, Shaurya. Shaurya was his best friend and a distant relative as well. They had known each other since they were in diapers. Shaurya was like his shadow. He would follow him wherever Rakshit goes.

She greeted him back.” Hi!” She opened the door widely and let him inside. “Get inside.”

“Is he here?” Rakshit asked.

“Yeah, he's in the bedroom.” The woman walked past him, “I am going for a jog so, see you later.”

“Okay, bye.”

Rakshit pushed aside the bedroom door and walked over to a sleeping figure of his friend.

“Shaurya!” Rakshit shook him, “Shaurya, get up man.”

Shaurya groaned, “What the hell?” He looked upwards, “You!”

“Yes, I am your friend. Now get up.” Rakshit snatched the comforter,

“Shit!” He turned around and picked up his pants and threw it to him. “Wear it and come quickly.”

“Just a minute,” Shaurya hopped off the bed.

“Why are you here in the morning?” Shaurya asked as he poured a cup of coffee for himself and one for Rakshit as well. “Something serious?”

Rakshit tasted the coffee and placed it back, “I had a dream, quite weird.”

Shaurya gulped down the hot coffee, feeling good. “A dream? That's why you came here and woke me up from my sleep. Are you serious?”

“Let me say,” Rakshit said. Actually he wanted to know about his dream. Maybe his friend could help him.

“It's not just a dream. I had never seen something like that.” He looked at his friend who was signalling to continue, so he hesitantly started.

“A girl was lying on my bed beside...me--” Shaurya interrupted him.

“Wait, wait...what did you say? You and a girl together in your bed.

Oh my God! You're just dreaming, you're making love with a random girl.”

“Shaurya! It's not like you're thinking. First hear me out,” Rakshit said. He could still feel her warmth near his body. She was so enchanting. “A girl was laying there with me, but it's not about making love. We merely make out, nothing more.” Rakshit clarified.

“Interesting,” Shaurya commented.

“So you're going to say that you had a wet dream about a girl and you. Now you feel bad, that's it.” He predicted what his friend wanted to tell.

Rakshit shook his head with a smile,

“I would never feel bad about it, instead I am getting addicted to that.”

“Are you crazy? It's just a dream.” Shaurya didn't get what's in his friend's mind, “And by the way, who's that girl in your dream. Was it your fiancée?”

“Rinisha was not that girl. But I don't even know who she is? I couldn't remember her, though she was beautiful.” A secret smile crept on his lips unknowingly.

“Maybe it's, Rinisha. You just engaged with her yesterday that's why you are getting such dreams.” Shaurya said.

“I am sure she was not, Rinisha. She was different. Her voice, smile and her soft hands everything was different. And she was wearing a saree, I guess. So definitely not Rinisha. She would never wear anything like that.” Rakshit's secret smile wandering on his lips, “She's in saree, I am sure. I pinched her belly.”

“What? You pinched her belly?” Shaurya laughed, he couldn't control himself. Rakshit wanted to leave the place as soon as possible due to the embarrassment. His tongue slipped out unconsciously. “Come on, come on tell me. Then what else you have done to her.”

“Shut up!”

Somehow Shaurya stopped his smile,

“So that brings you here in the morning, share your intimate dream with me.”

Rakshit looked over to his friend, doubting; whether he wanted to tell the remainder or not. But he wanted to so, “It's not just a dream as you said. It's something I could feel connected to me somehow.”

“What are you talking about?” Shaurya asked.

“I am not joking. It's so realistic and so was she. And that child's voice as well.” Rakshit whispered. His voice was evident, how much he meant those words.

Shaurya did notice something, “Child's voice.”

“Yeah, somebody called me papa.” Rakshit replied.

“Papa? You?” Rakshit nodded his head in positive. “And who's that child?” Shaurya couldn't believe his friend's weird dream.

“I don't know. I don't know anything about whom they're. But, I think they were in my past life. That's why I came here to know about it.” Rakshit said. He was sure they were connected to his life.

“No way,” Shaurya rejected. “There was not any girl and a child in your past life. You're just overthinking.” He strongly said.

“Maybe you're right. But I couldn't forget it.” Rakshit ruffled his hair in frustration, he always did that.

“I am trying my best to remember my past, but I couldn't---”

“Rakshit!” Shaurya warned him. “Have you forgotten what the doctor had told you?” Rakshit did not reply, “How many times I have told you, don't stress yourself.”

“I am sorry,” Rakshit mumbled.

“Do you think of yourself or at least auntie. If you have something then----”

Shaurya stopped midway. He didn't want to complete it.

“I am just trying.” An excuse escaped from Rakshit's mouth.

“If you are not ready to listen to our words, then go ahead.” Shaurya curtly said.

“Just think about myself then you will know what I am feeling now.”

Rakshit sighed, he was fighting with his lost memory. Nobody could perceive what he had felt. “I am just feeling like just born yesterday. I haven't remembered anything.”

“You know what you couldn't do then leave it. Your past life has not any importance in your present and future. If you are still wandering around the dream, then I am telling you nobody was there in your life. You weren't a person for relationships, so there will be no chance of any girl and a baby.” Shaurya confirmed.

Rakshit smiled at his irony, what a life he was living, “Then at least told me, what was I?”

Shaurya looked here and there for searching words. What he could tell, the truth. Then that would be the biggest disaster he had ever faced in his life. He had forcefully tied up his own tongue for his friend. He knew that the man in front of him was an entirely different person from the man who really was. He's not the Rakshit Randhawa who was hated by everyone. Now he's the one who's getting love by everyone. He couldn't break the clean image of his friend.

So he let his mouth pour the biggest lie ever. “You were perfect like this… simply you're a gentleman.”