The Proposal

Annapurna Maheshwari

Annapurna or Annu Maa as Mishti lovingly calls her was at peace watching her daughter sleep. She may not have given birth to her but Mishti was in every sense her daughter. She was handed over to her at the tender age of three. A replica of her soulsister and best friend Maulya, Mishti was indeed the sweetness flavour in her life. It pained her to even imagine a day without her and that is the reason she never had second thoughts on getting her married to Lakshya. She had known how a teen Mishti used to take shy glimpses at Lakshya at how she had a scrapbook filled with only their memmories. But blinded by her own thoughts she had failed to see how Lakshya had always despised Mishti. Annapurna could not forget that fateful day when she saw a drenched and broken Mishti come from the hotel Lobby. The confrontations that followed shocked her to the core. Lakshya, her son had always despised and hated Mishti. She felt herself fail as a mother in balancing her love for both her kids. Her heart went out to that broken girl but she could also not abandon her son. So when Mishti had announced her decision to move out she did not object but gave her blessings. She can not hold on and continue hurting her. The day she got the offer from Noon Fashions was the first time she had smiled genuinely after that incident. Its been only better after that. The only condition that Annapurna had was that Mishti should spend her weekends with her. An arrangement she had happily agreed.  She worked hard and Annapurna knew that her daughter was capable of anything. She could not help but keep thanking Ritwik Noon in her mind. For her he was that knight in shining armour for Mishti whenever she needed help. She could tell that they both had something that connected them and only time would tell. For now the smile on her daughter's face was all that mattered.