Shot-41

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Sanyukta was engrossed in her laptop, sitting on the couch. Her lips curled up in a smile when a delicious aroma hit her nostrils. She tilted her head sideway and a sight of her mother walking out of the kitchen with a tray carrying all her favorite delicacies filled her heart with a distant joy. It had been two weeks since her mother walked out of her dad's house. Her mother had been so vulnerable all those days. It took her a week to recover from the trauma. But Sanyukta knew that she had just worn a facade of being happy just for her daughter. She knew her mother well enough to understand her genuine emotions. Though she appeared to be moving on with her life, her heart was broken beyond repair and time couldn't heal that hurt.

"Doll.. Here's your snack.. I hope you're doing well with your preparations.. And this snack is just a compensation for the strict diet which I have charted for you.." Her mother smiled warmly while plating some alluring samosas for her. Sanyukta's eyes gleamed and she clutched her mom in a side hug.

"But mumma.. I just don't get this strict diet thingy.. I am not preparing for some fashion contest or something... Then why this torture?" She pouted while grabbing the plate.

"Well you can try modelling and stuffs.. My daughter is smart enough for any career.." Anju remarked while winking at her daughter.

"Mommm....." Sanyukta whinned in her wobbly voice. Her mouth being stuffed with the samosas.

"Baby.. Now once you have started swimming again, I want you to pursue it.. I want you to keep at least one good memory of your dad..." She smiled sadly and Sanyukta sensed gloom take over the atmosphere again. She immediately kept the plate down and tried to lighten up the air.

"Yeah right... And one week from now, you'll be proud to see your daughter with the interschool cup in her hand..." Sanyukta pulled the collar of her tee up with a proud expression only to get smacked on her arm by her mother.

"Don't just dream.. Live the dream.. Save that expression for the winning stroke.." Anju mocked while laughing and Sanyukta smiled in contentment. It felt like after ages, her mother was actually behaving like her mother.

She and her mother were enjoying a wintery sunday evening when the door got knocked.

"And that must be your favorite group of bimbos..." Sanyukta rolled her eyes as their hearty talks got interrupted by the sudden arrival of someone at the door. Her mother glared at her before standing up to open the door.

"What?" She faked an innocent expression.

"They are nice kids doll.. I just don't get why you don't like them.." Anju said while tidying the couch cushions.

"They're only nice in front of you.. I only know what species these people actually are... Erm.. Except for Vidu,Parth and Dhruv.. They are truly nice people... And...Tanya.. She's also not bad... Sanaya though is okay, tolerable!" She made a strained voice at the last bit.
"And .. Nevermind..." Sanyukta smiled sheepishly as her mind pictured him.

"It's pretty much the whole group doll... Whom don't you like then?" Her mother smiled smugly at her and she scrunched her nose.

"Buzz them in..." She said "Let's get ready for another crazy evening..." and muttered under her breath before sighing.

"Yo aunty... How are you today?" Parth was the first one to greet Anju with a charming smile as soon as she opened the door. Anju's face welcomed a hearty smile as the whole group greeted her.

"Finer than ever my kids... Come on in..." She closed the door behind once the group entered the apartment.

"Whoa... What's that delicious aroma?" Parth took a lungful of breath as soon as he stepped inside and Vidushi poked him on the stomach by her elbow to which he yelped a little.

"Haha! You guys settle first..Hot samosas will be on the table in about fifteen minutes..." Anju exclaimed and left for the kitchen. The group settled down in the hall and Sanyukta walked out of her room while wrapping a shrug around her body.

"Hey guys.." She half smiled and settled beside Vidushi on the couch.

The group, excluding Aryan and Randhir greeted her in return. Well Aryan was never gonna get the courage to face her in anyway. It was a major shock for Sanyukta when the group showed at her doorstep three days after her mom came to live with her. She was flabbergasted at first but then Vidushi explained her that Randhir had pleaded them to visit her. He had told Vidushi everything about Sanyukta's situation then and asked her to bring the group along so that they could cheer her mother and her up.  If it wouldn't have been Randhir's plan, she surely would have never liked it. As far they didn't know the actual cause behind Randhir's insistence to visit her house is hidden to them, she never really had any problem. Being an introvert and also loner (she scowled at her inner sense) as she was, she was reluctant at first, all credits to her insecurities and fear of being pitied, but the way her mother mixed up with them compelled Sanyukta keep her inhibitions aside. Only Vidushi in the group knew about her state and she literally forced the group to hang out in Sanyukta's apartment. After that, it had almost become a routine for the  group to pop up in her apartment every evening. She felt a bit uncomfortable at first but as days passed by, Sanyukta started to open up slowly. She was then accepting them as her friends, though she did try to keep that 'tough-nut-to-crack' demeanor all the time. Her mother would spent the entire evening talking and laughing with them. It felt like she used to forget all her grief for the time being and try to fit herself to the new environment where she could at least smile brightly. It was bewildering for Sanyukta how her classmates got along with her mom. Indeed she hadn't inherited the trait of amicability from her mother. For God's sake, she had been studying with them for like her whole life, which of course was only seventeen years, pretty tiny number against her mom. But she was the one who was supposed to be all chirpy and relaxed and excited with them, not her mom whom they barely know and of course for the most important fact being that she was of their mother's age. They behaved so comfortable chirping the evening away with her mom than her. And that stroked her right into her conscience which at that moment screamed at her for being such a loner all those years. They were an amazing bunch of people who might have been her friends for all those years which she had spent being a complete jerk by ignoring them. She sighed sadly. Then for the group being well described by her was-Parth, the jolly one who had got thousands of PJs stuffed in his mind some of which might even make her laugh till her stomach ache. Weird, eh?

Vidushi- Well, her ONLY friend whom she could then finally tag as her best friend. She knew everything about Sanyukta and her family still she behaved like nothing's wrong in front of her. She never tried to show any sense of pity for her situation. Might be because she didn't want Sanyukta to think about all those stuffs and get sad. She was indeed her best friend. Sanyukta smiled a little at the thought.

Then Dhruv- He was nothing as Sanyukta had imagined him to be all those years she had known him. Well, she was in anyways wrong about everyone. He was such a good hearted person and a great listener, which Sanyukta had figured out while interacting with him. He would never stop her from voicing out her opinion regarding the competition which was such an irony as he was Randhir's best friend and Randhir's only task was to interrupt her everytime and mock her ideas. She liked that dark haired, devilishly handsome, caring and a great hearted boy though. She couldn't believe but she did blush at the comment, her inner sense popped up. Heck, she was definitely insane!

Tanya was like her, she had figured that out before and she was right indeed. She talked less but was active enough in every conversation. Moreover Sanyukta did a happy dance on getting atleast one person like her.

Sanaya- Well she was still a bitch to Sanyukta. But as an additional attribute, she was a cute bitch in Sanyukta's eyes. Sanyukta had pondered over the question that why was she even there? But then she had figured out, might be because of Dhruv. Though she was tagged along by Dhruv, Sanyukta was still grateful of her for acting nice in front of her mom.

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TBC

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