"Mom..mom...mom" a kid came running into a hall of his house from outside, wearing a school uniform.
He is around 6 years old and is calling his mother loudly in a happy voice.
"Have you guys seen my mother ? Where is she ?" He asked one of his servants.
"She is in her room my boy" an old lady said with a smile on her face cleaning stuff on the table.
He ran towards her room upstairs and pushed the door open excitedly.
"Mom, look" he said bringing his report card forward to his mother.
She is sitting on a couch placed near the balcony in her room. Everything is lavishly decorated in the room. A king size heavy bed is placed in the center of the room with an expensive bed sheet spread on a soft mattress. A night lamp is placed on a wooden small size table on both sides of the bed. There is a wooden table and chair placed on the balcony.
A lady wearing a green knee length Gucci dress is sipping her tea when her kid came running and barging in her room happily.
She took the report card from his hand and very calmly looked at the card.
"Mom, I got more marks than my previous exam. My class teacher also appreciated me in front of dad" The boy told her happily.
Suddenly her eyebrows furrowed in anger. Seeing this the boy also became serious.
"What happened mom?" He asked hesitating.
His mother looked at him, turning the card towards him she asked
"What about your rank in the class?"
"It is still 2nd...you are not the 1st ranker..than why are you so happy?" She said this time yelling at him.
"But my marks..."
"Shut up Abhimanyu..keep your mouth shut" she roared standing up from the couch she was sitting on and throwing the report card on his face.
"Even though you got more marks your rank has not improved. You are a loser...did you hear me correctly?" She said holding his wrist tightly making him wince in pain.
"Aahh..mom it's hurting" he started sobbing and was trying to get away from her hold but in vain.
How could a small 6 year boy could make himself free from her clutches.
"What is going on?" came running Abhimanyu's dad with that same old lady.
The old lady is the caretaker of Abhimanyu, who looks after him including some chores of home. He calls her Nanny.
"What are you doing to our boy..have you gone mad Sudha?" asked his dad holding Abhimanyu.
"I am just telling the truth. He is a big loser. Did you hear me ? A big loser" Sudha responded back making a zero with her forefinger in front of Abhimanyu.
"Take him" his dad told nanny.
She took Abhimanyu with her to his room.
"Can you for once appreciate him ?please" he said with his hands folded in begging.
"I will Sudhir, when he will be in the top of the world...but until than do not expect anything" she said and went outside the room like a storm.
Sudhir sighed thinking about how a mother could be like this.
"Don't cry my boy...don't cry..you are my brave son..don't cry" nanny said stroking Abhimanyu's head while hugging him.
He feel very relax in his nanny's arm. He feels like he is protected from every bad thing around him whenever he is in his nanny's lap.
"Show me your report card" she said taking the report card from his hand.
"Oh look at this" she said mesmerizing.
"You got very good marks than before. I am so proud of you my little boy" she said wiping his tears and smiling.
The smile shows wrinkles around her eyes more than before. After all she is getting old now.
"Why mom did not say anything good nanny?" He asked innocently which make his nanny's heart very painful.
"She will...one day" she pacified him hugging tightly, which he responded back by hugging her.
"Sir....Sir...Sir please wake up" Minakshi tried to wake Abhimanyu, who was sleeping in his office on the chair, putting his head on the table front.
"Sir" she tried again and he woke up hurriedly.
"Nanny" he said waking up, breathing heavily.
"Sir, are you alright?" Minakshi asked worrying and giving him a glass
He took the glass from her hands and drank the water like he was thirsty for a long time.
Minakshi was looking at him worrying and thinking whom he was dreaming about ? Who is nanny ?
"What time is it?" He asked holding his forehead with his hands.
"Sir it's 8.30pm now" she replied to which he looked at her shocked and than outside his window, which shows dark night outside.
"You did not go home" he asked her calmly.
"Sir, even you did not leave..how can I?" She replied looking at him softly.
He looked back at her to which she looked down, but again she looked at him. They looked at each other like that for a minute.
Abhimanyu walked towards her slowly still gazing at her. She took a step backward still looking at him.
After 3 steps she stopped because of the table placed there. Abhimanyu was still walking towards her looking at her. She gulped, her heartbeat started beating fast. After 2 more steps he was in front of her very close.
He bring his face closed to her, she closed her eyes. She could sense her heartbeat coming to her mouth.
She felt his breath near her ear, her eyes remains close.
"Thud"
A sound is heard suddenly.
Minakshi opened her eyes and saw Abhimanyu very close to her, but he was looking at other direction. She also looked there and saw that the thud sound was of the water glass which Abhimanyu kept on the table near her.
He looked at her and said "let's go it's getting late now"
He started walking and she as always followed him.
She collected her belongings from her table and went with him.
He drove her back to her home.
There was silence. Minakshi was trying to calm her heart.
"I want to say something."
"Huh" Minakshi responded with surprise as Abhimanyu said something.
"Yes sir." She said calmingly.
"Don't ask me about my mother again. I hate talking about her" Abhimanyu said looking at front while driving.
"Yes sir" she said slowly.
"I am sorry I won't ask again"
Nobody said anything again for a while.
"I am sorry about my behaviour Minakshi" he said again, this time a little awkward.
Minakshi did not responded for few seconds.
"Don't be sorry sir" she said with a small smile on her face.
That smile brought smile on Abhimanyu's face also.
He felt like a burden had been removed from his chest.
He is feeling light and happy.
Minakshi is happy because Abhimanyu seems normal to her now.