Mumbai, India

A small 3 bedroom apartment is shown, camera pans to a small corner where there is an in house temple. A woman in her early 50s is seen singing the morning aarti. She is the one and only Megha Malik, single mom of two and owner of a small bakery.

Hearing her, a girl wakes up in her room and stretches with a smile. She quickly gets ready and walks into the main room where Megha was now setting the table for breakfast.

"Morning Mumma." The girl kissed her mom on the cheeks.

"Good morning Nandu....kumbhkaran utha ki nahi?" 

"Ill just check." The girl, Nandini chuckled. She walked into the 3rd bedroom and sighed as she saw her younger brother sprawled across the bed like a dead body. "Hay bhagwan....yeh toh aarti sunn ke bhi nahi utha!"

"Ranbir...bacha uthe ja!" Nandini shook him. He turned to the side shrugging Nandini's hand off. "College nahi jaana kya?"

"5 more minutes Di..." Ranbir mumbled in his pillow.

"5 minute nahi hai humare paas....agar tu abhi nahi urha na toh nashte ke bina hi jaana parega." Nandini threatened. Ranbir got up and glared at his sister.

"Aapko maaza aata hai apne chote bhai ko pareshan karne mein?" 

"Bohot." Nandini grinned. "Chal ab bahar aa jaa 2 minute mein."

"Khadus! Chain se sone bhi nahi dete bechare bache ko." Ranbir grumbled as Nandini left his room. Megha who heard what happened chuckled.

A few minutes later, Nandini's 20 yr old brother came out and sat down at the table. The small family ate before they all went their own ways. Nandini first dropped Megha off at the bakery and then Ranvir off at college before driving to her office.

She entered the tall building that was known as Malhotra Industries and greeted the security guard with her usual smile.

"Good Morning Ramesh Kaka."

"Morning bitiya."

Nandini then went over to the front receptionist. "Richa....Boss aa gaye kya?"

Richa, the 27 yr old recepetionist who had been working there for 4 years now leaned forward. "Earthquake aaya hai?"

"Kya?" Nandini looked confused. "Nahi toh."

"Phir...tsunami?"

"No....kya bol rahi ho tum?"

"Earthquake, tsunami, tornado...kuch nahi aaya na? Matlab Boss abhi bhi London mein hai." Richa grinned.

"You are so mean...Boss itne bhi burre nahi hai." Nandini rolled her eyes. 

"Yaar Nandini...pure office mein sirf tumhara hi yeh khyal hai. Benefits of knowing the Boss's family from childhood I guess." Richa sighed. "Anyways.....Cabir Sir wants to see you."

"Ok."

Nandini then took the elevator to the top floor and walked to a cabin that had the nameplate 'Cabir Dhawan- Managing Director' on the door. She knocked twice before a voice told her to come in.

"Good morning Cabir sir." Nandini smiled cheerfully. 

"Nandu yaar kitni baar bola hai dont call me sir." Cabir groaned.

"Cabir....main toh Manik ko bhi sir hi bulati hoon na office mein?" Nandini replied.

"Arre woh sadu toh hai hi sir bulane layak but not me...Im just Cabir!"

"Ok...just Cabir! Kuch kaam tha?" Nandini giggled.

"Haan, I know tu Manik ki PA hai par mera PA bimar hai aaj so I need you to help me out....Im desperate!" Cabir said.

"Of course....bolo kya karna hai?"

"Umm...Viraj ke desk pe dekho, he should have all my meetings in the appointment book. I just need to cancel all of them." 

"What? Saare? Kya hua?" Nandini asked.

"Woh......I kind of forgot an important date today aur Navya mujhse bohot naraz hai."

"Important date? Aaj?" Nandini thought. "Its not her birthday....or your anniversary....phir kya hai?"

"Anniversary toh hai....par shaadi ki nahi, first kiss ki." Cabir told her. Nandini started laughing.

"First kiss? Seriously?"

"Haan yaar....yeh bhi koi anniversary hota hai kya? And who remembers a small date like that?" Cabir complained.

"I mean....girls usually do." Nandini replied still laughing. "But yeah....first kiss anniversary is a little too extra."

"Anyways...I had to stay here until you came so I could tell you what to do kyunki Viraj toh nahi hai. Now I should run before my wife murders me." Cabir said.

"Ok good luck!" Nandini called after him as Cabir ran out. She then went to Viraj's desk and got the appointment book before going back to her own desk and she started cancelling all of Cabir's meetings.

"Yes!" A female employee squealed from her cubicle. Nandini looked up and walked to her.

"Hey Sonia...kya hua? Itni khush kyun ho gaye achank?"

"Nandini...I got a promotion! Look! Boss ne abhi email bheji hai." Sonia pointed to her laptop. Nandini read the email and congratulated her.

"Oh wow! Thats amazing!" She hugged her. "You deserve it."

"Thanks! I worked so hard for this....paata hai mere Papa kitne khush honge? I cant wait to tell him!"

Nandini's smile faded slight and she forced herself to keep smiling as she remembered her own Dad.

Flashback

A 5 year old Nandini was running around in the park giggling while a man chased after her.

"Yay! Papa cant catch me...Papa cant catch me!" Nandini laughed.

"Acha? Papa abhi pakad legi tujhe....aanddd...gotcha!" The man scooped Nandini up in the air.  "You naughty girl....kitna bhagati hai tu!"

"Aap naraz ho?" Nandini pouted sadly.

"Awww....of course not. Papa kabhi apne princess ke naraz ho sakta hai kya?"

Nandini shook her head.

"Right....Papa and princess ka special bond hai. So that means...Papa na toh kabhi tujhse naraz ho sakta hai aur na hi door reh sakta hai cause Papa loves you the MOST in the entire world."

Flashback Ends

"Such a liar...." Nandini said out loud.

"Liar? Kaun?" Sonia asked. 

"Kya? Woh....kuch..kuch nahi." Nandini changed the subject. "You owe us all a treat huh? Celebration toh banta hai!"

"For sure!" Sonia agreed. 

"Chal ab kaam pe lag jaate hai.....varna Boss naraz ho jayenge ki abhi promotion diya aur abhi timepass shuru!" Nandini joked. She went back to her desk and finally let a tear roll down her face. Sitting down, she took out a photo that was kept inside her drawer. It was a picture of Nandini's Mom & Dad when they were younger. Nandini was probably still just a new born at the time but that picture was always her favourite.

"Agar aapne meri Ma ko hurt nahi kiya hota....toh shayad aaj main bhi aap ke saath apni saare special moments share karti. Manik ke baare mein bhi...main pakka sabse pehle apko batati. But no....you ruined everything!" Nandini said. "18 saal pehle aapne na sirf ek ghatiya ilzaam lagaya mere Ma ke upar par...apne toh saare rishte hi tod diya. Apne bhi...aur aapke woh dono bete ne bhi...I just hate you Gaurav Thakur. I hate you!"

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Thoughts on this chapter?

Thoughts on Megha's life?