"Cannot you change your decision darling? I cannot bear even the thought that you don't stay with me. That much I love and like you." While they both were alone in Mounika's room, her mother said.

"Dad also is thinking in the same way mom. I cannot make dad feel worry for me."

"But you can make me feel worry." Prameela angrily said. "You have no problem whatsoever however much I worry."

Mounika sharply looked into the eyes of her mother but did not say anything at all.

"Why are you looking at me like that? Give me an answer; you have no problem even however much I may suffer but you just cannot bear if your dad suffers."

Jasmine did not say anything but reclined in the chair and closed her eyes. She was remembering what Jasmine has said to her. But she just could not say that out fast feeling fear thinking what her mother would say to that. Anyhow she had to ask that.

"Mom, why do you feel that much anger and hate towards dad?" with slow but firm voice Mounika asked her mother.

"How many times I have given answer to this question? He is just a rogue and I came to know about the truth only after I have become pregnant with you. Otherwise the situation on this day would have been different."

"Thank you very much mom. You have suffered all that for me and you are still suffering for my sake." Mounika said.

"You need not thank me for anything. If you understand what I am saying and stay with me always that is enough." Hissing out heavily Mounika's mother said.

"Mom, I will ask a question to you. Will you please answer that?" covering her mother's face in her gaze, Mounika asked her.

"I said to you many a time that you need not take my permission to ask anything." Prameela said. "Just ask me whatever you want to ask."

"Mom, will you live all alone after taking divorce from dad? Don't you have plans to marry anyone and live with him?" without changing her look from her mother, Mounika asked her.

Prameela startled on hearing that. Her forehead creased with frowns. "Why, why you have asked me like this?"

"Just I want to know. Is there no one at all that you want to live with once you take divorce from dad?"

Pramella came fast to Mounika, put her hands around her shoulders and kissed on her cheek.

"No, there is no one in my mind. There is no question of my marrying anyone else after divorce. Only we both have to live together until your marriage after I took divorce from your father. Whether it is a good news or bad news to you I don't know but there is no one in my mind and the question of marrying someone else after divorce does not arise at all." After saying this once again Prameela came to the chair in which she sat before and slumped herself in it once more.

Jasmine felt very much happy on hearing that and with difficulty she managed not to show that in her face. "Mom, you need not feel otherwise. You need not feel awkward. If you are going to marry someone and live with him, I am ready to stay with you both. Then I don't go to my dad. I always want you to live with someone rather than all alone."

"But dear...." Nodding her head helplessly Mounika's mother said. "There is no one in my heart and I cannot start loving anyone now. I really like to be alone living happily along with you. Even you feel happy by my remarriage I am helpless. I cannot love anyone and marry now."

"Alright mom, don't worry about it then." Saying so to her Mounika got off from the chair. In fact she wanted to dance then and there. Whatever she has heard just then was great news to her.

***

"Wonderful indeed! I am also feeling quite relieved. I felt lot of fear there might be something like that with your parents." Jasmine said. Her usual charming smile was in its usual place.

"Don't say parents. It has not been cleared yet with respect to my dad. What should we do if my dad is in love with someone and wants to marry her after divorce?" once again there was anxiety on the face of Mounika.

"What we can do? We just have to let him do whatever he wants." With a serious expression on her face, Jasmine said.

"But Jasmine, I don't like my dad marry anyone else. I just cannot bear even the thought of it." Mounika said.

"We have to learn to bear anything if we cannot escape from that. I hope and pray that it shall be just like your mother's in your father's also." Jasmine said thoughtfully.

Mounika did not say anything to that.

"First try to know from your father also as you did in your mother's matter. Once we have the necessary information, we shall decide what would be the next step."

It was the same place under the mango tree and it was the lunch hour.

***

"Parents and teachers meeting is going to be held at 10 in the tomorrow morning. You have to take your parents with you while coming to the school on tomorrow. If you cannot take both of your parents to the school, atleast take one of them." Mathematics teacher said after signing on the notice and sending the peon away from the classroom.

"Last time both of my parents have come to the school on parents and teachers' day meeting. What they are going to say this time I don't know." Madhuri said.

"What would be the problem to them to come to the meeting as they did in the last time?" looking surprisingly into the eyes of Madhuri, Jasmine asked her.

"They just don't like these types of meetings etc." Madhuri said.

"Most of the parents don't like. I too have to do a lot of persuasion job to make my parents to come to the parents and teachers meeting." Anupama said.

"Either of them would do." Jasmine said.

"What about you?" Madhuri asked Jasmine.

"I can manage atleast one of them to come to the meeting. No problem."

"You are lucky." Madhuri said.

***

"Dad, tomorrow is parents and teachers meeting. Would you please come with me?" looking into the eyes of his father, Mounika asked.

"Tomorrow itself?" with a frown Sudhakar asked her.

"Yes, tomorrow itself." Mounika nodded her head.

"I am very sorry dear. There is a very urgent meeting in the bank on tomorrow. I cannot come." Sudhakar said.

"Its alright. No problem. I ask mother" Mounika said. She knew very well her father never would say 'no' to whatever she asked if it was possible.

"How everything is going dear? Don't feel otherwise to ask anything to me. I don't want you feel deficit for anything."

"Thank you, dad." With a small smile Mounika said.

"I think you understood how much I like you." Her father said. "You just have said in haste last time that you want to stay with your mother. We both are going to stay together once I am separated from that devil."

"I never say anything in haste dad. I said that after thinking very well. I am going to stay only with mother after your separation from her." Mounika said firmly.

Frowns gathered on the forehead of her father. "Why so? Don't you know what type of a woman she is?"

"I know what type of a woman she is. She may not be a perfect wife but she is a perfect mother. She is doing everything that is necessary for me."

"But I am also doing everything that is necessary for you."

"But dad......." Mounika hissed out heavily and said. "Mom is a woman. She needs support. She cannot live all alone. You are a man. You can manage yourself all alone."

"I think your mother may marry again once she separated from me." With a small voice Sudhakar said.

"Why are you thinking like that dad?" looking surprisingly into his face Mounika asked. "Do you know anything that I don't know? Do you know that she has plans to marry someone in future?"

"No of course." Sudhakar nodded his head in negation. "But I am thinking like that. I am not sure about that."

"I have asked mother. She has no such plans." Mounika said.

"You asked your mother about that?" there was surprise in the face of her father.

'Yes I did." Mounika said. "I would have felt very happy if she has such plans for future. But she said very firmly that there is no one in her heart and she is not going to marry anyone in future."

There was silence between them both then.

"Dad, may I ask you something?" breaking that silence Mounika asked him.

"You never have taken permission like this to ask something to me." Looking curiously at his daughter he said.

"This is something like that so I have to ask."

"Fire away"

"Do you have anyone in your mind to marry after your divorce from mom?"

"Certainly no." he nodded his head in negation vigorously. "There is no one in my mind to marry after divorce. Only we both are going to live together after my separation from your mom."

"Why? What is the problem if you marry someone after divorce? I need someone to look after my affairs. You know how much a girl needs a mother's help in her affairs once she is becoming big. You have to put atleast a woman in mom's place to look after me."

"There is no such necessity. We both can manage very well ourselves." There was irritation on his face. Mounika understood he was not much liking that conversation.

"Dad if you are ready to marry someone after this divorce affair, I shall be gladly come and stay with you." Observing her father's face carefully Mounika said.

"I am sorry dear. There is no question of it. There is no one in my mind and I am not going to marry anyone again." With the same firmness in his voice, Sudhakar said.

Mounika felt so happy that she wanted to yell. There was no one in her parents' minds to marry after divorce.

(..........to be continued)

(I hope you enjoyedit so far. Please don't forget to rate and review it. I update the next chapteras early as possible.)