"Sanyu beta, ye last hai" an old lady was feeding a 17 year old girl who was busy plating her hairs.

"Last last bolke to paratha hi khatam ho gaya dadi" she said and the old lady chuckled.

"Exam ke pehle kuch khaake nahi jaogi to bhul jaogi" she stated.

"Aur zyada kha lungi to so jaungi" Sanyu laughed and took her bag because it was last board examination.

"Sab le lia na?" Dadi asked as she stepped out of the house

"Haa Dadi, brain le liya hai. Exam ke liye kaafi hai" she mocked and ran away.

"Shaitaan"

Time passed and at 3 pm, Sanyu entered the house with a sad face.

"Kya hua?" Dadi, who was waiting for her in the veranda got worried seeing her fallen face

Without saying a single word, she hugged Dadi tight.

"Sanyu.." Dadi caressed her hairs

"Exam kharab gaya? Kuch nahi hota. Ye zindagi ki aakhri pariksha nahi hai." Sanyu began to laugh.

"I was joking Dadi, paper bohut accha gaya. But now, I need to prepare for my entrance. So let me get fresh" she pecked her cheeks and went inside.

In the evening, as per the rules of the orphanage, all the orphan kids would gather in the veranda and sing and dance to let their worries go off. Yes, you read it right. Sanyu was an orphan who had no one in her life except her Dadi, the single owner of the orphanage and it was funded by a business association.

Sanyu was really quite and was sitting motionlessly while other kids were telling her to join them but she was reluctant. Dadi sensed that something was bothering her. As night crept in, Sanyu laid on her bed to catch some sleep but it was far away from her reach. Soon she felt a wrinkled hand on her forehead

"Kya hua beta?" Dadi asked

"Kuch nahi Dadi, bas thodi tension hai entrance ke liye" she answered without looking into her eyes

"Tu mujhse jhooth nahi bol sakti." She said

Sanyu placed her head on her lap and fresh tear drops fell down from her eyes. The old lady could feel the wetness on her white Saaree

"Exam ke baad, har bacche ke parents aate hai unhe lene ke liye, unki needs puri karne ke liye. Jab tak humare paas kuch nahi hota, tab tak uski ahmiyat pata hi nahi hoti Dadi." She sobbed a little more

"Mujhe bhi apne ma aur papa se milna hai. But how unlucky I am. Mujhe to pata bhi nahi ki wo kaun hai, kaha rehte hai, kaise dikhte hai" she said between her hiccups.

"To meri bacchi ko lagta hai ki wo akeli hai?" Dadi said

"No no Dadi, aap ho, mere bhaai behen hai, sab hai par.."

"Beta, tum meri sabse bahadur bacchi ho. Ab tumhari life ka sabse important exam bhi aa raha hai. Aise maayuus rehke padhai nahi kar paogi. Zindagi me dukh ki kami nahi hai par un dukhon ke beech me khushiyaan dhundhna hi kala hai. Now cheer up and smile" dadi said

"Wow, aap to mere saath reh rehke acchi English sikh gayi ho. Waise mera surname Agarwal kyu hai?" she asked

"Kyunki Sanyukta ke saath Agarwal suit karta hai" Dadi chuckled and made her sleep

"Mujhe maaf karna beta, sab jante huye bhi kuch nahi bata sakti" Dadi thought and slept beside her

THANK YOU FOR READING. DROP YOUR VIEWS AND VOTE IF YOU LIKE READING IT