"Mama, get ready fast, we are getting late" Avni said, standing near the door with her small backpack slung over her shoulders, packed with snacks for the park.
Prisha came out of the from her room, "Arre baba, we still have 5 minutes left," she said, trying to calm her down.
"No, Mama, I want to be there first. I don't want to make my new friend wait," Avni said
Prisha chuckled softly and nodded. "Okay, okay, let's go then."
They both headed towards the park. As they reached the playground, Avni's eyes lit up when she spotted Nidhi playing on the swings "Nidhi" and ran towards her friend.
Prisha followed them, watching as the two girls greeted each other with wide smiles.
"Hello, Aunty," Nidhi said politely, looking up at Prisha.
Prisha smiled warmly at her. "Hello, beta. How are you" she asked
"I am doing well," Nidhi replied. Then, she turned towards the nearby bench and shouted, "Mama, look, my new friend came"
Prisha straightened up, her eyes following Nidhi's gaze. Her heart nearly stopped when she saw who was sitting on the bench. It was Maya.
Maya's expression hardened as she watched the two girls play together. Without a word, she walked over to Nidhi and took her hand firmly.
"Nidhi, we are leaving," Maya said.
Nidhi looked up at her mother, confused. "But Mama, we just got here. I haven't even had a chance to play with Avni yet," she protested, glancing back at her new Avni
Prisha saw the disappointment on Avni's face and tried to intervene gently. "Maya, they just met. Maybe they can play for a little while longer"
Maya ignored Prisha's words and turned to Nidhi, her tone sharper now. "We have to leave. We are getting late, and I have something important to do,"
Nidhi's face fell, but she obediently nodded, sensing her mother's mood. "Okay, Mama," she said quietly,she was clearly upset at having to leave so soon.
Prisha stood there, feeling the tension rise between them, but she held back from saying anything more.
Avani watched them leave "But, Mama, we were supposed to play together..." she whispered, her eyes filling with tears.
Prisha knelt down beside her daughter, wrapping her arms around her. "Maybe next time," she said softly, though she wasn't sure if there would be a next time.
As Maya and Nidhi walked away from the park. Nidhi, usually is full of energy, was unusually quiet, her face set in a pout. Maya knew her daughter was upset, but she couldn't bring herself to explain the situation to her.
"Nidhi, why aren't you talking" Maya asked, though she already knew the answer.
Nidhi kept her eyes on the ground, "Why did we have to leave, Mama.I wanted to play with Avni. She is my new friend."
Maya sighed, trying to keep her calm. "Nidhi, I don't want you to be friends with Avani," she said
Nidhi looked up at her mother in shock. "Why, Mama.Avni is nice. We had fun at school."
Maya's face hardened, and she stopped walking, turning to face Nidhi. "Because I said so, Nidhi.You need to do what I tell you. No more playing with Avani."
Nidhi's eyes welled up with tears as she looked at her mother"But why"she asked
Maya's patience was wearing thin. She knelt down to be at eye level with Nidhi"Nidhi,sometimes you have to listen to your mother, even if you don't understand why. I don't want to hear any more about Avani. Is that clear"
Nidhi bit her lip, her tears now spilling over. "Yes, Mama," she whispered
Maya drove home with Nidhi still sulking in the back seat, her phone rang. Glancing at the screen, she saw it was Ridhima..
"Hi,Maya" Ridhima greeted her,
"Hi, Ridhima"Maya replied warmly.
"I hope I am not disturbing you" Ridhima asked
"No, no, not at all. Is everything okay" Maya asked
"Yes, everything's fine.Actually, I was planning to do some shopping for wedding and thought you might like to join me. I could really use your help in picking out something nice."
"Sure, that sounds good. I could use a break."They made plans to meet at the shopping mall. When they arrived, Ridhima and Maya began browsing through the stores, discussing everything. However, Ridhima couldn't help but notice how quiet Nidhi was
After a while, when they stopped for a break, Ridhima decided to ask. "Nidhi, kya howa bacha aap itna chup chup kyn ho"
"Mama told me I can't be friends with Avni anymore," Nidhi said softly, looking down at her shoes.
"Why don't you play in play section area till then I will try to make your mother understand so that you both can be friends again"Nidhi left from there
"Maya, I know how hard it must be for you, but sometimes we have to separate our issues from our children's lives. Nidhi shouldn't be dragged into this. If they have found friendship in each other, let them be"
"I don't want her to get hurt, Ridhima, the way I got. We used to be friends since we were kids, and then suddenly she changed. I know how it affected me. I don't want my daughter to go through the same thing."
Ridhima looked at Maya with understanding. "I get what you are saying, Maya, but just look at how sad Nidhi is right now. And I don't think Prisha is like her mother. She is such a sweet soul. I have treated her myself."
"You have treated her" Maya asked, surprised.
"Yes, the poor child was on her deathbed, and Prisha was being an irresponsible mother. Her husband was always busy with deals. But despite everything, Avni is a sweet child"Ridhima said
"You know, Ridhima, Arjun is really lucky to have you in his life. You are such a sweetheart," Maya said
Ridhima's cheeks flushed with a smile. "I am lucky to have him in my life, Maya. From outside, he might seem a bit cold, but once you get to know him, he's the sweetest person you could ever meet."
As Ridhima spoke, her phone rang. She glanced at the screen and saw that it was Arjun calling.
"Excuse me for a moment," Ridhima said to Maya. She answered the call, "Hi, Arjun"
"Hey, Ridhima.Just wanted to check in and see how your day is going."He asked her
"It's going well, thanks for calling. I am actually out shopping Maya, and we have been talking about you."
Arjun chuckled. "Oh, really. All good things, I hope"
"Of course," Ridhima replied
Their conversation continued, and Maya watched Ridhima with a smile.
_____________________________________
Stay tuned for the next chapter
I apologize for not updating.I was busy with college stuff. To make up for the days I missed, I published 3 chapters today.
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