Kismet...

Ch 03|The Detour

Present...

Ann, took a walk down the beach, while Ansh, kept chatting to Shiv. They spoke about cars, comics, computers, game boxes, and cricket. It was as if Ansh found a long lost friend, and kept yapping away. She did feel a bit jealous, that her offspring was finding this new person in his life, interesting, even without truly knowing who he was to him.

She observed them from a distance, and  at one point she was stunned, looking at them both arch their heads back, laughing in sync. Their smile, their noses, their gestures, even the fine lines at the corner of their eyes looked identical. They shared a high five with each other, and she couldn't help but be curious what were they talking about.

"Momma....come here...what are you doing there?" Ansh finally called out to her. That took him a while! Little traitor!

Ann decided not to hold a grudge against her brave little son who always had a smile on his face. She sat beside him and placed a kiss on his cheek, and he wiped his face.

"Momma....I am a big boy now, can you please stop kissing me in public!"

He looked around as if his reputation was at stake. Ann rolled her eyes at him and pulled his cheek. "Oi...You will always be my little baby!" She chuckled.

Shiv looked at both of them, and wondered, how it must have been. Just the two of them against the whole world. He couldn't help but feel proud of them both. As the sun set, he offered to drop them back home. Ann initially refused, but Ansh, already hopped into the back seat and buckled up, ready for a ride back home in the fancy car, he liked so much. Tired, he fell asleep soon and both Ann and Shiv took a glimpse at him to make sure he was safe.

They drove in silence for the most part, and Ann finally broke the silence.

"Err...Mr.Oberoi...Thanks for today! Not only for this...I meant the hostpital...thanks for coming..."

"Please...I...I would have done it even if he wasn't...I mean He's...He's a good kid..."

"He is..." She looked at the back seat, scanning Ansh's face.

"Can I...Can I ask you something?"

" Yes"

"So was it always just the two of you? You and him?"

"Yes...Just me and him!"

"Your...Your parents? I remember you said something about a sister? "

"My mom passed away giving birth to me...I...I've never met her...Dad really didn't get over me wanting to have Ansh alone...He...He stopped talking to me...My sister just got stuck in the middle of it all...She is an artist and in Italy now. We are trying to work things out now though! Dad wanted me to get married, so he sort of gave me an ultimatum. But I miss them so much, and Ansh is now bigger too, so I..I gave in. Since I said yes to Dad's choice, Vikram, things have changed a little. I think dad is not ashamed of me anymore! He finally met Ansh last week!"

" I...I am sorry"

"What are you sorry for? You didn't do anything wrong?"

"But you didn't either, for any of them to treat you this way! You know you could have told them that he was mine?"

"And do what Mr.Oberoi? My father is a proud man...Even if Ansh's father was prince of England, he would have still disowned me! The daughter who lost her virtue on her prodigal expeditions to Europe! HAHA" She laughed.

"But don't you regret it? I mean...You wanted to do so much when we met...I bet raising a kid was not in your agenda at all!" 

" I know! It certainly wasn't!...BUT...No regrets..."  She sounded genuine.